Pihu had woken up from the peaceful slumber she had got in her mother Preeta's lap, she was hungry but was adamant to not eat but only by Preeta's hands. Karan returned home and as he unlocked the door of his house and entered inside, he was met with a chaotic atmosphere. "No no no grandma no, not at all, I won't eat, I will only eat by mumma's hands, call her here, why won't she come? She loves me a lot, she only protected me everywhere, she is my only mother and no one else, Sonakshi aunty is not my mother, I don't consider her mother after what she did," she said.

Everyone were shocked as well as heartbroken by Pihu's condition after getting separated from her mother. Karan went and sat beside her, Pihu looked at him with her cheeks drenched in tears. "Papa, where is mumma? She did come here, didn't she? Then where is she papa? I want to meet her, call her papa, did Sonakshi aunty harm her? Papa tell me please," she said crying more and more. Karan couldn't take it anymore, it was enough of his little doll crying badly, he held her face and wiped her tears pulling her in a hug.

"Enough baby, don't cry. Mumma is at Sarla grandma's house, she is not feeling well, so she also needs her mother, right?" he told her and she pulled herself out of the hug and climbed down the couch standing on her feet. "I am also not feeling well without her, papa call her please, else take me to her, aunt Srishti, take me please, please else I won't eat anything," Pihu insisted. Srishti, who was Pihu's adoptive maternal aunt, came forward to her and sat before her. "Pihu, I will take, but first listen to me," Srishti said.

Sameer, who was her husband, interrupted her. "Srishti what are you doing? What will she understand? She's just a kid, don't tell her please," he said with a worried expression on his face. "Sameer, relax, I know, okay, please let me talk," she requested, Sameer nodded and Srishti turned back to Pihu. "Baby, listen, we will go together to meet mumma, okay? But first, you will have to eat," she said. "But then will you take me to her?" Pihu asked and Srishti nodded and kissed her forehead. "I will, pinky promise," she said, Pihu smiled and hugged her, she hugged Pihu back.

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

Preeta stirred in unconsciousness and opened her eyes and found herself on her own bed, she didn't recall coming back home. She just remembered going to Luthra House with Pihu. She held her head and sat up, she pushed the duvet from her body and walked outside. She saw Sarla working in kitchen, the aroma struck her nose making her forget everything and she walked towards the kitchen to peek into the food to see what she's cooking. As she walked inside, she saw her favorite dish, korma being prepared.

"Maa, korma? It's my favorite," she said, a smile slowly spread across her lips. "I know you'd forget everything just by this favorite dish of yours," Sarla told her smiling back at her. "I am waiting, yummy," she said and began to leave. "Preeta," Sarla said and she stopped and turned to her. "You don't remember anything?" she asked, Preeta looked on. "You don't remember Pihu? Or Karan? Or anyone else?" she asked. "If I say the truth, then maa, I get blurry flashbacks and hear strange voices in my head, the voices are of a little girl, can't say about the flashbacks," Preeta replied.

"Okay, don't think much," Sarla said calming her down. "By the way maa, who brought me here?" she asked. "Karan did, you were unconscious, but as I said before, don't think much of it," Sarla said, Preeta got thinking.

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

Karan was sitting holding his and Preeta's photograph, he still couldn't accept the fact that she no longer remembers him. He went into a sea of his own thoughts.

Earlier, when Preeta remembered him, the duo shared many good memories. Karan and Preeta were ready to sleep, she was about to switch off the light but he stopped her. "No Preeta, I am scared of darkness," he said making her laugh.

"Scared? Of darkness? Come on Karan, you're not a child, I can't sleep with lights on, and what's the problem in sleeping with lights off? Your eyes will be close," she said. "So what? Your eyes will also be shut, what's the problem with sleeping with lights on?" he asked. "What's the problem with sleeping with light off?" she asked in the same tone as his. "Ugghhh, I am scared of darkness, I told you already," he said. "Even I said that, I mean I said I can't sleep with lights on," she said.

"Fine, then I would sleep in guest room," he said. "No ways, you're sleeping here," she said as he began to leave. "Okay, but then how would you sleep baby doll?" he asked. "With lights on," she said finally agreeing to him.

As they lied on the bed, Karan switched off the lights. "Why did you switch off the lights now when I agreed?" she asked. He cuddled closer to her. "The reality is, that I am not scared of this darkness which is surrounded in our room right now," he confessed.

"Then?" she asked. "I am scared of the darkness which surrounds me when you're not closer to me," he said in a husky voice. "Hmm, even I can sleep with lights on, but, it's just that I am scared of the light in which I can't see you, means that I keep on searching for you everywhere," she said, he smiled and she turned his back towards her, he cuddled more and more closer until he was the closest to her. She could feel his breath on her back as he slept, even she slept with that comfortable closeness.

He closed his eyes as tears rolled down his cheeks recalling that sweet memory. He wanted that time back very badly, as love doesn't starts at morning and ends at evening, it starts when you don't really need it much, but it ends when you need it the most. This wasn't an end to their story, it was just a new beginning but only God knew this, not him or Preeta.