Ishwari woke up holding her head and sat up, seeing Shikhar , she sat up and smiled and ran to him hugging him shocking her children. Alia and Dev looked at each other and then at them. "Shikhar, you're my true love, my real husband, the father of our children," she said emotionally. "Mom, the father of your children? Means? Isn't Dev bhaiya our dad Arjun's son? And I am your and our dad Arjun's daughter," Alia said confused. Ishwari released the hug and looked at them. "I would explain everything Alia, but for now, can you both please leave us alone?" she asked.

Dev walked to them. "Mom, you recalled everything?" he asked smilingly confusing Alia more. "Bhai, what are you saying?" she asked. "My children, please, I would tell each and everything, but please go for now," Ishwari said. Dev walked back to Alia who was looking at him in a shock. "Let's go," he said wrapping his arm around her shoulders but she dropped his hand off and ran outside, he ran after her. "Alia! Wait!" he called out. Finally Ishwari and Shikhar were left alone. "Shikhar, I recalled everything, aren't you the one I married? Aren't you the real father of both my children?" she asked with tears in her eyes and smile on her lips.

"Of course Ishwari, I am the one, the real father of both Alia and Dev, and your husband too," he admitted and they smiled and shared a hug. "Shikhar, Arjun... He said that... He's the real father of Dev, and that Dev is his child from first marriage, he made me his adoptive mother, I am not his adoptive mother, I am his real mother, I only gave him birth, he's my blood. Shikhar, Arjun did protect Dev from Shaurya, but later he only turned a beast to him," she said crying bitterly.

They released the hug. "When he was found alive once again, I didn't want to see his face even though Dev had blackmailed Arjun and eased out money from him for a good purpose only. He did it for Nalini, his fiancee, and I turned my face away from my own son, and Alia, she kept saying that Dev is her real brother only, but I kept telling her that he's her half brother, its all because of Arjun, and you, you couldn't even see Alia since so many years even after she is our daughter," she said crying bitterly.

"Ishwari, I could rescue Dev and Alia both, that's what matters, I could fulfill my responsibilities of a father, that's more important. I could help all of you in the nick of time, I have no regrets, we would pay Arjun a visit for this, but first, let's go to our children and explain them," he said and she nodded.

************************************

Alia was sitting with her arms folded on her chest angry at Dev and Shikhar both. "Alia, look, I couldn't tell even after knowing, forgive me yaar, please Aloo jaan," he said. She glared at him and picked a pillow and threw it right at him but he moved out of the way in the nick of time. "Don't you dare Aloo jaan me, just shut up, okay, you have been playing with my feelings since the last nine months, you and Shikhar uncle, both. You didn't dare to tell me that you are my real brother only, and you even knew about mom's memory loss, you knew that Shikhar uncle is our real father, how could you bhai? I said before only, that I value you a lot, but you don't. You don't value me at all, you don't care about me, you just care about others, our fake dad Arjun was always everything for you. I am nothing to you, in fact I never was," she said breaking into tears. Dev touched her shoulder but she moved away his hand. "Don't touch me, lier, I hate you bhai," she said and sobbed. "Alia, please don't hate me, please Alia, I know you can never hate me," he said cupping her face, Ishwari and Shikhar looked at them from far. "Yes I never can, but how dare you take advantage of my love for you?" she asked moving his hands from her face. "Alia, Arjun uncle told me, that's why," he said.

Flashback:

"For now I have told Ishwari that Dev is my son from first marriage, but I won't ever let her know that Dev is her child, not mine, and even the child growing in her womb isn't mine," Arjun said talking to himself and turned and saw Dev at the entrance and got shocked. Dev, who was just four years old then, walked inside to him sucking onto his little fingers. He looked up at Arjun with his innocent yellow eyes.

"Dad, what are you saying that I am not your child, but mumma's child?" he asked. Arjun bent and picked him placing him on the bed and cupped his face. "Bacha, forget about whatever you heard, and don't tell your mom about it, your mom forgot you, she lost her memory bacha, and if you tell this to her, then her condition would worsen, and even God would be angry with you, do you want to make God angry? No, right? And do you also want mom's condition to worsen? Tell me?" Arjun asked.

Dev dropped his tiny hand onto which he sucked earlier and shook his head. "No no, I don't," he replied innocently. "Good boy," Arjun said and hugged him. "Bacha, even if I am not your dad, so what? I can be your best friend, right? Call me dad in front of everyone, but call me buddy in loneliness, deal?" he asked. Dev looked at him. "Okay buddy, deal," Dev said and Arjun kissed his face and sent him off to play.

Fb end.

"You were just four years old when you got to know?" Alia asked in a shock, he nodded. "And that day when you trespassed the room and asked me what buddy was asking me not to tell, this was the thing," he said.

Flashback:

"Buddy, when can I tell mom the secret? That I am her own son?" Dev asked. "Once she is fine, I mean when doctors say that her condition has improved," he said. Alia was passing by Dev's room while she was little, she was ready for school. She saw Arjun with Dev, he had made him ready that day and was tying his shoe laces. "Dev beta, you won't tell anyone anything, right? Look if you do, then no treats for you, one week without any treats, okay?" he asked.

Dev smiled and shook his head. "I won't tell anyone, the secret is safe with me," Dev said, Arjun smiled at him. "Good boy," he said, Dev hugged him, he hugged him back. "What will you not tell Dev bhaiya?" Alia asked entering the room, they broke the hug and looked at her then at each other. "Nothing Alia," Arjun said. "Tell me as well, I am also your child," Alia said and pouted. "Okay okay, it's just that... Your Dev bhaiya didn't take a bath today before getting ready," he said, Dev gasped, Alia raised her eyebrows.

"What kind of a secret is that? Is it even a secret? Bhai always takes a bath after he comes from school and not before school," she said, Dev laughed and stood up and went to her. "Aray chhoti, he was joking, the secret was that we are planning a surprise party for mom, her birthday is coming, but you don't have to tell mom about it, done?" he asked and she turned away from him. "No, this is not the secret you were talking about, cutty," she said and ran away. "Aray chhoti!" Dev called after her but to no avail and looked at Arjun who blinked his eyes in assurance.

Fb end.

"You are bearing this secret since many years? Bhai, that's why you lied to me then?" Alia asked sadly and he nodded. "But Alia, for the second time, when you saw me hugging him and crying, then it wasn't the same matter," Dev said.

Flashback:

Dev came to Arjun while crying while he was busy on a call. "Buddy," he said in a quivering voice, Arjun turned his gaze to him and saw him crying, he got worried. "I will call you back later," he said hurriedly over the phone and disconnected the call shoving it in his front pocket.

"Oh God, such fat tears? What happen bacha?" Arjun asked pulling him in a hug. Dev sobbed. "Buddy, I had a bad dream, I was in some unknown house, that bad uncle, I mean Shaurya uncle was there, I was in such a condition that I was half conscious and weak, I was in just a towel, or I think, a bed cover. He was doing bad touch to me, he was giving me pain," Dev said.

"Bacha, I know how it feels Dev, it's been a long time since it happened, but I know you still feel awful about it, I know you're still scared that he would come and do all that to you again. But Dev, he's in jail, I did such a thing that he can never come out of the jail. He got life imprisonment, he won't come back I promise. Buddy is with you always. From that day to this day Dev, I never let you sleep alone, even if you did, I always checked on you, didn't I? So that you can be peaceful, and don't worry, it was never your fault, it was his fault always," Arjun said calming him and then released the hug.

"Promise? He wouldn't be coming back, right? He would never do all that again buddy? It wasn't my fault, right?" he asked and Arjun nodded and kissed his forehead. "Promise bacha, he won't come back, he or anyone else won't ever do that again, it wasn't ever your fault," Arjun said and wiped his tears and hugged him. Dev felt relieved as he did that but his face still had tears.

Arjun saw Alia coming and pretended not to know what's wrong with Dev as the matter couldn't be revealed to her. "Dev, Alia is coming," Arjun whispered. Dev knew he had to be quiet at this point. "Baby, Dev, what happen? Why are you sad?" Arjun asked Dev still hugging him, Alia stopped in her tracks and watched the duo. Arjun saw her and smiled at her to cover up. "Alia, baby I need to talk to your brother in loneliness, I am taking him inside, okay, I will talk later," he said, Dev got away from him and looked at Alia who came up to him. She held his face with her tiny hands. "What happen? Why are you sad?" she asked, he was about to say something but Arjun spoke before he could. "Alia, baby go play, I am talking to him baby, go I will come to you later," Arjun said, Alia left his face and placed her hands on her hips.

"I know what will make bhai happy, bhai, come play with me?" she asked and he nodded happily. Arjun looked on. She held his hand and took him away. "Thank God that Alia took him to play, at least Dev's mind would get off from the trauma," Arjun said.

Fb end.

"But why did he ask you to cover this matter? Why wasn't I told about it?" she asked. "Alia, you were so small," he replied. "Mom knew?" she asked and he nodded. "She knew," he said. "Bhai, that night you were with him instead of mom, she said it was for a change, even that day you were sad," she said.

Flashback:

Arjun was busy with his work when he remembered Dev was alone and that he still wasn't out of trauma, but then Dev himself came running to his room, he smiled seeing Dev who didn't smile back, instead he came to him slowly and sat before him. "Buddy, he was there I swear," he said fearfully. "Who?" Arjun asked but instead of replying, he drew closer to him and hugged him bursting into tears. "Dev, bacha, are you talking about Shaurya?" Arjun asked hugging him back, Dev tightened the hug crying even more. "Bacha, listen, where was he? Tell buddy? I would make him leave," he said, Dev couldn't stop crying. "In my room," he answered with difficulty.

"I will see," Arjun said and Dev released the hug. "I can't come, I don't want to see him," he said. "Relax, stay here," Arjun said and left. Dev bit his fingernails in anxiety. As Arjun walked in Dev's room, he checked everywhere as he wanted to be sure that Shaurya isn't there as that ways Dev's safety would be ensured. He checked inside the cupboard, under the bed, inside the washroom, and then when he came to the curtains, he saw Shaurya behind it. "You? I won't leave you I swear," he said and punched him hard, they had a fight and Shaurya fell on the floor subconscious.

Arjun phoned police who came immediately and arrested Shaurya. Then he rushed to Dev and saw him hiding. "Dev?" he said and ran to him, Dev looked up, he was hiding near a couch, Arjun pulled him up slowly and hugged him. "He's in police custody again, don't worry, come," he said and made him sit on the bed, he sat beside him and Dev placed his head in his lap.

Alia couldn't sleep as well and came to that room but stopped in her tracks seeing them like that, it was the first time ever she had seen them like that. It was very uncommon for her. But it was very usual for her to see Dev with Ishwari daily, he used to go to her if he couldn't sleep and here he was with Arjun. Ishwari came out of the washroom and saw them and smiled. "Oh wow, you both father and son are so cute," she said. Arjun smiled, Dev didn't move an inch, his hair were continuously caressed by Arjun. Ishwari came forward and saw Alia outside the room.

"Aray, Aloo jaan, baby come inside," she said and Alia walked inside with baby steps. Dev lifted his head and looked at her. "Mom, please make me sleep, I can't sleep," she said. "Okay baby," Ishwari said and picked her and placed her on the bed and lied by her side to make her sleep. "Mom, bhai always comes to you so you make him sleep, but now he is with papa which is very unusual, he never does that," she said. "It was for a change," Ishwari said understanding everything but lying purposefully.

Alia turned her head to Dev. "Is it correct?" she asked, he nodded and smiled at her. She smiled back. "Okay," she said and closed her eyes, Ishwari also slept. Dev looked at Arjun, he smiled at him and Dev placed his head in his lap again.

Fb end

"So Arjun uncle helped you stay safe everywhere? But then later, he only turned a beast to you," Alia said emotionally. "Yes, buddy himself protected me, yet he couldn't protect me from himself," Dev said sadly. "Buddy? You always called him buddy?" she asked. "Yes, in loneliness I did call him buddy, and as time passed, he really did become a buddy to me, and I did think of him as my father, at the same time I knew that he's not my father. Remember once I raised voice at you? I did it because of that only, because I was frustrated with the lie, but he didn't let me tell, and he was right also, if I would have told, we would have lost mom," he told her.

Flashback:

"Buddy, I can't hide it anymore, why should I do it anyways? I am her real son, I am not an adoptee, I am also her real son, please buddy let me tell," Dev asked and Arjun shook his head. "No, doctor said that it's dangerous, for your mom, Alia is her real child, not you, because she doesn't remember giving birth to you, that's why I told her that you are my son from my first marriage when in reality I was never married to anyone. And when the right time comes, she would herself get to know it bacha," Arjun said.

Since being little, Alia always wanted her brother around and wanted to play with him always so whenever she was in a mood, she would go try to find him and that day also she was finding him here and there in the house. While searching, she stopped at her parents' room and saw Dev crying in front of Arjun. She got suspicious and hid herself peeping inside careful to not be seen. "Dev, bacha, look you can't tell your mom about this, not at all, she may suffer trauma, please try to understand," he said and hugged Dev. Alia walked inside, Arjun saw her and broke the hug and quickly wiped Dev's tears and made him sit by his side. "Why was bhai crying? Bhai what happen?" she asked Arjun and then asked Dev.

"Nothing beta," Arjun said. Alia ignored him and sat near Dev. "What happen bhai? Why are you sad? Why were you crying?" she asked and he looked at Arjun. "Beta Alia, he failed in exams, that's why," Arjun said. "That isn't convincing at all, you both are hiding something from me," she said. "No one is hiding anything beta," he said. "Nooo! You are hiding something, bhai tell," she said. Dev stood up all of a sudden. "Enough of this questioning Alia, enough! I am elder and not you, so stop being fussy and remember this was the thing because of which I was crying, okay!" he said raising his voice.

Alia was shocked at his behavior, he never raised his voice at her before, she stood up slowly and her eyes pooled up with tears. Dev realized what had he done and held her face but she jerked away his hands. Arjun stood up and came to her holding her tiny face. "Baby, don't be sad, please," he said and wiped her tears. "Bhai raised his voice at me," she said and looked down sadly, Arjun looked at Dev who came forward and held his ears.

"I am sorry, I won't do it again, I am guilty, it came out all of a sudden, I know you won't agree like this, so I will do sit ups in front of you," he said and began to do sit ups and she looked on and he fell in between. She got concerned and sat down helping him. "Enough enough, its okay, sorry you fell because of me, sorry sorry," she said apologetically. He smiled and stood up and made her stand as well. "Its okay, and sorry by my side too, this was the first and last time," he said and she smiled and hugged him, he hugged her back. Dev looked at Arjun who came and joined the hug.

When Alia left, Dev and Arjun got a chance to continue their discussion. "You understand, right? You won't be telling, will you?" Arjun asked. "I won't be telling it to mom as well as Alia," he said and Arjun smiled and hugged him. "That's like my boy," Arjun said and Dev smiled a little.

Fb end.

"He was right, if you would have told mom, something bad would have happened," Alia said. Rohit and Ishwari went from there to their room. "Dev herself made Alia agree and now she's no more angry with him," Rohit said. "I didn't even get to know when my son grew up, and Arjun, he made me Dev's adoptive mother, I am not his adoptive mother, I am his biological mother," Ishwari said. "But even after you were told about him being an adopted son to you, you could never treat him like other stepmothers do, because somewhere you always knew that he is your real son," Rohit said. "Even if some other kid would have been there, I couldn't have treated him like a stepmother does, kids are meant to be treated with love," she said.

"Shall we meet Arjun and confront him? I can't accept the fact that the man who once protected Dev to such an extent can hurt him so much, I feel something else is the matter," Rohit said. "Even I can't accept it, how can he do that? I always felt he's a very nice father, a good person, then how?" she asked. "Let's just go Ishwari, we will have to ask him that why did he do all of this," he asked and held her hand, they stood up and began to leave but Ishwari stopped on the middle.

He looked back at her. "Rohit, he even ill treated Preeta and her unborn child," she said. "So that's what I want, what we want. All I want is to get this cleared, he was a good person, why did he do all of this, there has to be a reason, he even tried killing you," he said. "Where were you all this when I was staying with Arjun? You were my husband, where were you?" she asked. "I would tell later, come," he said and took her.

************************************

Preeta was sleeping, Karan came to her and massaged her head, she woke up and sat up. She saw Raunak and Aneeta playing happily. Then she turned her gaze to him and then looked down. "Karan, I already told you, that till you don't want to have your own child, I won't talk to you, it would be my birthday gift," she said and then held his hands between both her hands and then met her eyes with his. "Karan, please, give me your child Karan, make my birthday a happy birthday in true sense," she requested. "I will, half of it is done, I just got my sperm count checked," he said.

Her eyes lit up with excitement. "Rrreally?" she asked, he nodded, she smiled. "So tell me quickly, what are the results?" she asked. "They are normal, 15 million sperm per milliliter," he told her with a smile, her happiness had no boundaries. "Means that...," her voice trailed off. "I can become a father now," he said and she nodded and they both were going crazy with excitement, they shared a hug. "Karan, no one would call you infertile anyways, but if you get a child of your own, then only you would be fertile in true sense," she said.

"And I got an appointment of the gynecologist, to get to know when can we become parents again," he said and she chuckled. "Now you sound eager for it," she said and they released the hug. "I always was, but, Preeta, I told you, didn't I? When I first got married to Sonakshi, I was claimed infertile, I did take treatment but stopped in the middle, after that I didn't do it, then how did this happen?" he asked in confusion. "Miraculously, it happened miraculously, don't think much of it Karan, be happy," she said and he got thinking.

"By the way Karan, come let's break this news to mom dad, shall we?" she asked snapping him out of his thoughts. He smiled and nodded, they got off the bed and walked outside towards Gajendra and Sandhya's room and stopped at the entrance. They looked at each other and smiled, she raised a fist to knock at the door and looked on excitedly. Sandhya looked up from the newspaper she was reading and smiled keeping it aside immediately. The duo walked inside and sat in front of her.

"Mom.. Umm, Karan, you only tell," she said and he gasped. "What? How does it matter? You do it," he said. "Hey you...," she was cut in between. "Stop stop, Karan, you only tell, Preeta won't tell and would keep forcing you," Sandhya said, Preeta pressed her lips in a thin line suppressing her laughter. "Mom, I got my sperm count checked, and, I got to know, I am fertile, not infertile," he said and Sandhya smiled with tears of happiness. "Really? That's a good thing," she said. "Mom, Karan is wondering that how did it happen without any treatment, explain him that its a miracle," Preeta said.

"Yes Karan beta, it's a miracle," she said and Karan still couldn't believe it and was lost in thoughts. He placed his head in her lap and she caressed his hair, Preeta stood up and went understanding that Karan would be wanting alone time with his mother Sandhya. "Mom, I can't understand anything, I am still in a dilemma," he said. "You did book an appointment with the gynecologist, right? He would confirm your doubts, don't worry, pray before God, thank Him," she said, he looked on.