In the midnight, Preeta  moved her hand that was on Karan ’s head. She lifted that hand and held her head as the wound pained, she opened her eyes. She tried getting up but pain triggered her whole body and she fell back on the bed. She looked around and registered her surroundings and saw Karan  sleeping placing his head on the bed. She caressed his hair and he woke up and saw her awake and smiled. “Preeta !” he exclaimed and kissed her forehead and then both her palms. “Wait haan, main abhi nurse ko bulata hoon, just wait,” (Wait okay, I will just call the nurse, just wait)  he said and ran away.

Her eyes filled with tears. “Karan ,” she said in a faint voice but he was already gone. She squeezed her eyes shut and began to cry. Karan  returned with a nurse and she checked her. Preeta  kept her eyes closed. “Everything is normal, hearbeat is also normal, right now the doctor isn’t here, we will keep her in observation till the next twenty four hours,” said the nurse and went. Karan  sat by her side and saw her crying. “Preeta , don’t worry, sab sahi ho jaye ga, tum phir se normal ho jao gi, I promise you, tum maa nahi ban sakti toh kya hua? Dunia mein na jaane kitne aisay bachay hain jin ko un ke maa baap chhor jaatay hain anaath kar ke, maa baap ban’ne ke liye janam dena zaroori toh nahi hota na meri jaan, bas tum kabhi sad mat hona, main humesha tumhara tha aur tumhara he rahoon ga,” (Preeta  don’t worry, everything will be fine, you will be normal again, I promise you, so what if you can’t become a mother? Don’t know how many children are there in the world whose parents leave them making them an orphan, giving birth isn’t even necessary to become parents my love, you just don’t be sad, I am yours and I will be yours forever) he said.

She opened her eyes. “Ab bhi pyaar kartay ho mujh se?” (Do you still love me?) she asked and he nodded. “Of course Preeta , ye bhi koi poochhne ki baat hai? (Is this even a question to ask?) If I lived a million lives, I would have felt a million feelings, and I still would have fallen a million times for you,” he said and she smiled between the tears. “Preeta , if you don’t mind, kya main ek baat poochh sakta hoon?” (Can I ask you one thing?)  he asked and she blinked her eyes in assurance. “Ye sab kis ne kiya? Kya tum ne uska chehra dekha? Kaun tha vo? Kya tum jaanti ho usay?” (Who did all this? Did you see his face? Who was he? Do you know him?) he asked.

She moved away her gaze and looked at the ceiling. Those horrible moments came flashing before her eyes and she breathed heavily and then suddenly couldn’t breathe anymore and began to panic. “Preeta ,” he said worriedly and tried to give her mouth to mouth oxygen but it didn’t work. He even tried consoling her but nothing worked. He pressed the emergency button multiple times. “Preeta , relax, whoever he was, police is investigating, they will find out and punish him brutally, I won’t let anything happen to you baby,” he said but nothing seemed to console her, the nurse came. She injected in the drip and within minutes, Preeta  fell asleep. “Kyun ho raha tha ye sab nurse?” (Why was all this happening nurse?) he asked. “Jo bhi in ke saath hua, in ko bohat sadma laga hai, is liye achanak se kuchh bhi na poochhein, in ko thora time dein,” (Whatever happened with her, she has got affected by it a lot, that’s why don’t ask her anything so soon and all of a sudden, give her some time)  she said and left from there. He cupped her cheeks and got saddened by her condition. “Sorry Preeta , ye panic attack meri wajah se hua na? So sorry,” (Sorry Preeta , this panic attack happened because of me, right? So sorry)  he said and watched her sleep.

In the morning, the doctor checked Preeta  and everything was fine. Karan  received a call from the inspector. “Hallo,” he said. “Karan ?” asked the inspector. “Jee sir, main hi bol raha hoon,” (Yes sir, speaking)he said. “Jo blackmailer ka number tha, filhaal off ja raha hai, or vo out of coverage area hai, filhaal usay trace karna mushkil hai,” (That’s blackmailer’s number is off and is out of coverage area, it would be difficult to trace it for now)  the inspector told him. “Okay sir, thanks, mujhe poora bharosa hai aapki team par ke aap log usay paataal se bhi dhoond nikaalein gay,” (Okay sir, thanks, I have full trust in your team that you all will find him even if he’s hidden beneath the earth) he said. “Preeta  kaisi hai? Kya usay hosh aya?” (How is Preeta ? Did she gain consciousness?) asked the inspector. “Jee sir, lekin abhi statement denay ki haalat mein nahi hai vo, mere poochhne par bhi vo kaafi panic kar gayi sir,” (Yes sir, but right now she isn’t in a condition to give a statement, even when I asked she panicked a lot) he told him. “Theek hai.” (Okay)  Call disconnected. Three people came in the hospital asking the receptionist for Preeta  and then went to her ward to meet her. Karan  saw them and smiled. “Aray, Rudra bhai, Preesha bhabhi, Venky bhaiya,” he said and hugged them. Preeta  woke up and Preesha and Rudra met her. “Kaisi ho ab?” (How are you now?) Preesha asked. “Bas jaisi hoon aapke saamne hoon bhabhi,” (I am in front of you however I am)  she said. “I won’t leave that person who did this to my sweet sister in law,” Rudra said and a lone tear escaped his eye. Preesha placed her hand on his shoulder and took him outside.

“Rudra, usse baar baar vo sab yaad dilana theek nahi hai, Karan  keh raha tha vo panic kar jaati hai, kal bhi vo tab tak shaant nahi hui jab tak usay nurse ne injection nahi diya, isliye please, usse mat yaad dilao,” (Rudra, making her recall all that isn’t right, Karan  told me she panics, even yesterday she didn’t calm down till the nurse injected her, that’s why please, don’t make her recall)  she said. He nodded and they went back inside. Everyone were meeting and talking with Preeta  besides Venky. Preesha touched Venky’s shoulder and he startled a little. “Kya hua Venky bhaiya? Aap darr kiun gaye? Main he toh hoon, or sab dekho ja kar Preeta  se mil rahay hain, aap yahan kiun kharay ho? Aap bhi toh milo,” (What happened Venky bhaiya? Why did you get scared? Its me only, and see everyone are meeting Preeta , then why are you standing here? You also meet her) she said and he nodded and went ahead with baby steps.

“Preeta ,” he said and she turned her head towards him. “Hi,” he said forwarding his hand for a handshake. She lifted her trembling hand and held his hand. “Hi,” she said with a faint smile and pulled her hand back and held her duvet pulling it up till her neck and turned her head and looked at Karan . He poured a glass of water for her and raised the bed and made her drink water, she kept looking at Venky again and again and suddenly choked on water.

He took the glass from her and rubbed her back as right now, it pained her to even cough. After sometime, she was fine. He lied her down. “Thora khayal se Preeta ,” (Careful, Preeta )  he said and then after sometime everyone had gone. “Karan , mujhe bohat darr lag raha hai, please tum kaheen mat jaana mujhe akela chhor kar,” (Karan , I am feeling very scared, you please don’t go anywhere leaving me alone) she said and he nodded, she slept holding his hand. He kept stroking her hair for her assurance.

Later, someone entered in the ward when Karan  was in the washroom. A shadow appeared on Preeta  and removed her oxygen mask and palmed her mouth. She woke up in a panic and stopped breathing and lost her consciousness. The person slit both her wrists and made her hold the blade in one hand to make it look like she herself attempted to commit suicide.