Rushing to the ringing phone, Mishti shoved it between her shoulder and bent face as she made the bed "Hello".

"Mishtiiii" Kuhu yelled excitedly.

Cringing at the decibel that shot like a bullet through her ear to her brain, she almost dropped the call as she fumbled not to release the mobile from the grip she had on it.

"I was just wondering what time Kunal and I should get there for cake?" Her head shook, "I mean for Abir's birthday?" Blushing, she dropped onto the sofa.

"Oh uh," she really wasn't sure how to break this to her. "Abir wanted it to just be us, but you could come tomorrow? I'll save you food".

"Oh, you hear that?" She spoke to her bump, "Aunty Mishti is going to save us lots of nice food" giggling at the returned kick, she rubbed her stomach lovingly.

"A-Aunty?" Gulping, she sat down slowly.

"Yes, you're not an Uncle are you" rolling her eyes, she laughed again.

"I've never" she paused, exhaling loudly, "I've never been called that before" her heart clenched tightly. Aunty was a word you'd call family, family was never something she thought she'd be to anyone. "Thank you, Kuhu".

"Aww, no problem Mish Dish, mind if I call you that? It's a compliment, I like sweet dishes and you are the sweetest dish I have ever come across" winking at her husband, her legs crossed. "Can I ask why Abir wants it to be just you two? We haven't done something wrong have we?"

"No, no" Mishti assured her quickly. "He said something about not wanting you guys to see him in his birthday suit and-".

Kuhu choked loudly, hand smacking her chest after each cough that burnt her throat "Well I should hope bloody not". Placing a hand over the mic, she turned to Kunal, "Dirty, aren't they? I totally got with the wrong brother". Turning back to the phone, she pushed the loudspeaker button "Mishti, do you know what a birthday suit is?"

"Uh, a suit you wear on your birthday?" Speaking slowly, her nose reddened.

"No, no it means" she turned her voice to a whisper, "Naked".

"Oh my god" Mishti jumped up only to fall back onto the freshly made bed again. "Really?"

"Really" she giggled. "Look, I'll leave you to have a very romantic day, tell Abir we said Happy Birthday and uh" she looked around, shooing the man she loved away with her hand so she could get some privacy, "I want all the details later".

Dropping the phone, her head fell into her hands. What had she done? What had she said? God, he must've thought she was crazy! Tip-toeing to the bathroom, she threw the door open "Abir about earlier, I" squirming at the sight of his hand tightening a towel around his waist, a squeal throttled her throat "Eek, s-sorry, sorry" dropping her face, she huffed.

"Mishti" Abir hid his smirk. "Usually I don't expect guests in the bathroom, anything I can get you?"

Smiling shyly, she peered through her fingers "Um, I just wanted to say sorry about earlier, I can be so silly, I don't want to um, you know with anyone but, but you" hoping she'd made her point clear enough, Mishti sighed loudly as she turned to leave only to feel his hand on her wrist. Twisting her head over her shoulder, her brow rose "Yes?"

"But you want to, with me?" He had to be sure, consent was a fiddly thing and he didn't want to pressure her into something so intimate unless she really wanted to. Tipping her chin up, his eyes searched hers "Mishti?"

"Uh okay".

"No, not okay, yes or no" watching her eyes shut a little more with each rise of her chest, he wound an arm around her waist and tugged her to him. "Yes or no?"

"Abir, I" falling silent when his thumb traced her lips, she swallowed harshly.

"Yes or no, Mishti? I need to hear you say it" tucking her hair over her shoulder so it flopped down her back, his palm rested on the side of her neck, his lips moving across her jaw to her ear. "Yes or no?"

Digging her nails into his bare shoulder, Mishti stood taller on her toes to allow him better access "Yes" she breathed out.

Lifting her into his arms, he kicked the door shut. Nose an inch from hers when her eyes shot open "Talk first?" He had a lot of things he wanted to do with her and to her, but not yet, not until all misunderstandings could be cleared, he didn't want to take them further if they would only end up back at square one.

Nodding, she moved a little on his lap "I just have one thing to ask, the woman who came to the house, she knew about um, she knew about what I did?" Sitting so close to him probably wasn't a good idea, but this might be her last chance depending on his answer, so she wouldn't step away just yet, not until she had to, not unless a time arose that she had to say goodbye.

"What you did?" His brows knitted, "What do you- oh" recognition resurfaced upon the lines on his forehead that disappeared. "I didn't say anything to anyone, I would never, Mishti" he cupped her face, needing her to believe him now more than ever, "Whatever you say to me stays with me, I'd never deceive you like that".

Tears filled her eyes "But then how would she know?" She couldn't take it if he lied to her now, she'd been so honest and all she wanted was the same from him.

"You don't believe me?" Getting up, he released her from his hold. Pain shooting through his chest with each tear that fell down her cheeks. "I didn't say anything to her, I wouldn't".

Her head shook, lips pursed "So who did?"

Going to respond, his lips shut tightly "I don't know, all I know is it wasn't me".

"I want to believe you" Mishti pleaded, "I do believe you, but it doesn't make sense, so how can I?" Her voice cracked.

"How can you believe me?" Abir interrupted, slamming his hand into the mirror, uncaring as shards of glass swam around them both before nestling into his bare skin, he stepped forward. "How can you believe me? I told you about my Uncle, something I never told to anyone other than my own family, I told you about my accident, the same one I only ever told Kunal about, I told you I love you, goddamnit and yet you still are questioning me? You're always going to see me like him, aren't you?"

"Him?" She frowned.

"Your dead husband".

"Abir, that's not true" she sobbed, reaching for him with hands he quickly pushed away. "I know you're not him, I do know that, sometimes I get scared but that's not because I don't trust you, it's because of him, I'm sorry if I-".

"Sorry if you what?" Spinning around quickly, his eyes narrowed in on her menacingly. "Sorry if you made me feel like I'm him? Sorry if you can't ever trust me?" Gripping her upper arms in a death grip, he growled out: "I am not him, but if this is how you treated him then I'm not surprised he hurt you".

Eyes widening when he pulled her forward, she froze "Abir, what are you-". This couldn't be happening, this was her Abir, he didn't treat her like this, he didn't say things like that.

Moving his mouth to beside her ear, he spoke in a gritty undertone "Do not respond, there are microphones all around this house, I think that's how she knows" kissing her cheek in a manner that hid his lips, his hand closed around her throat. "I'm not sure if there are cameras too, meet me at the outhouse". Leaning back, he shoved her "Get out of my sight".

Mishti's breathing began to calm the second she saw tears in his eyes. Sniffing, she stepped back, turned and ran. She did not know what would come after this or where his words had led them to, but she had to believe that he was honest in his times of love and a liar in his times of hate. Gripping the doorway, she dropped his head the second he came in with his hands in his jogging bottoms and a hoodie over her once bare torso.

Holding out a tiny mic, Abir placed it on the table "I first found this on the I.V. drip, thought nothing of it until I found them all around the house, I didn't say anything until I was sure and after a quick google search I got my answer, someone has been recording our conversations, I think maybe the Doctor that came works for my Uncle and Sheila".

Eyeing the gadgets, she flopped into a chair "So what you said in the bathroom?"

"I didn't mean it" he knelt before her, "Mishti, I adore you and I would never ever say or feel that way about you or your past, I just wanted to be careful and I thought if I gave them what they wanted they may leave us alone" holding her hands, he pressed his lips to her forehead. "Do you believe me? I'm so sorry if I hurt you or scared you, I want to keep you safe and that's the only way I know how". If he lost her now he wouldn't know what to do, perhaps he'd pushed it too far without even meaning to?

"I believe you" and she did, for better or for worse, she'd made many mistakes in her life, but he didn't seem like one of them. "About taking things forward, there's something I should tell you" heaving a sigh, she dropped his hands. "I can't give you kids".

AND WE MADE IT! We're officially over half way through! Thank you for your love throughout this story, it's been so amazing! I hope this story offers you an escape from such tough times. Stay safe, stay happy!