Hearing the sound of door bell I decided to attend it as Kabir was more busy in making his dish more appealing. What I didn't expect was such a beautiful surprise in the form of my best friend and her husband standing right at our doorstep. With a smile I invited the couple inside and expressed my happiness.

With the thought of calling Kabir out to meet my best friend, I turned around.

"Kabir- Kabir!", Rushing close to him, I held his collapsing body. He felt completely void of strength when his body rested on me with all it's weight. I struggled to support him while he had his hand clutching his head, pulling at the ends of his hair harshly. "Kabir? What happened?", I asked but he groaned more. I realized my voice was making it harder for him to gain any calm.

"Stop!", He yelled, his eyes shut close as he continued repeating the word for umpteenth time. Who was he telling to stop? I stood in front of him, caressing his neck and whispering sweet nothings. Moments later, his whole body gave up and he dropped his head on my chest with a painful whimper escaping past his panting lips. I held him close in my embrace.

"Ranvijay, quit staring and help her!", I heard Jiya's voice. Soon enough, Ranvijay took hold of Kabir's body and we both took him to his room. I laid him down on bed, and brushed my hand across his sweaty wet hair.

What happened to him so suddenly?

Grabbing his phone that was in his hand, I opened it but I didn't know the password. Sighing in frustration, I called out for Reyansh loudly.

It took him five minutes to come.

"Where were you!? Didn't you hear me calling!?", I yelled at him and he flinched back.

"Rivaah, he was in front yard with the dog. It'll obviously take him time to come here.", Jiya reminded me but I was not in the state of hearing any explanation.

"Do you know password to Daddy's phone?" I asked him and he nodded slowly. "Come here and unlock it.", I said and he rushed closer but halted at the sight of his father lying on bed. He noticed it now.

"What happened to Daddy?", He asked as his eyes began tearing up.

"Nothing. Just come and unlock this phone.", I said ushering him to me.

He took phone from me and opened it with his finger print. Handing it back to me, he climbed up on bed and sat beside his father.

Scrolling through the contact list I found his Psychiatrist's number and dialled it.

"Hello, Kabir? What happened? Is everything fine?"

"Doctor, it's me. Kabir's wife.", I said introducing myself.

"Oh. It's nice finally talking to you, Mrs. Raichand. Kabir had told me about you in our last video call meet.", He said in a pleasant tone.

"Thanks. Actually doctor, he's right now unconscious. It was so sudden and he looked in lot of pain before he fainted. I don't know what to do so I called you. Should I take him to doctor?", I asked gripping the end of my kurti tightly. I shouldn't panic right now. That's not what's expected of me.

"I can't tell anything as of now. I think his memories are triggered back? Did he met anyone of his past that may have caused this? Because when he told me that even after seeing you he couldn't remember anything, we had lost hope of him getting his memories back."

He definitely knew Jiya and Ranvijay before. May be that's why?

"Doctor, my friend and her husband are here. Just after their arrival this happened.", I said and noticed Ranvijay leaving the room from corner of my eyes.

"Did they or anyone of them shared any strong memory with him in past?", He queried.

I looked at Jiya, is she the reason of his memory trying to come back? My heart thudded at that thought. How could she be able to bring his memories back but not me? Was I not important? Were the memories we created together not worth remembering?

"Mrs. Raichand?"

I flinched back in reality and took a deep breath. "Ye-Yes. They did shared something strong in past.", I mumbled in a very low voice after moving to one corner. I don't want her to hear it. I don't want her to know that it's because of her, his memories are coming back. I felt like crying. A sudden pang of betrayal went through me, and I struggled to hold back my tears.

"That must be the reason then. Don't worry, let him rest tonight. I'll take a morning flight to Dehradun tomorrow. But if something worse happens, just take him to hospital.", He said and I nodded. Realizing that he can't see me, I muttered a feeble yes and hung up.

Turning around, I saw Jiya looking at Kabir worriedly. I cleared my throat and her head snapped up. "Is everything okay? Should we take him to hospital?", She asked and I shook my head.

The phone in my hand rang again breaking the awkwardness. I felt sweat forming on my forehead seeing the caller ID. What should I tell her now?

"Hello, Bhai? Why did you suddenly hung up? Mom got worried. She went to turn off the gas so wait until-"

"Aarav, it's me.", I said stopping him.

"What happened, Bhabhi? Why are you sounding so tensed?", He asked, worry lacing his tone.

"Kabir- he fainted."

"What!? How? Is he okay?"

"I called his psychiatrist and he said that may be his memories are coming back.", I responded bitterly. I don't want his memories to come back. And certainly not because of her! Was that night so worth remembering that one glance at her and he started recalling his past? The sudden clench in my chest weakened my knees and I sat down on couch.

"How!? What? How is that possible?"

"Jiya and Ranvijay came to meet-"

"Jiya and who!?", He shouted.

"Ranvijay.", I whispered with a frown.

"What the hell is that bastard doing there!?", He literally screamed. I pulled the phone off my ear hearing his powerful and scary voice.

"Why? What happened?", I asked getting up from couch.

"It must be because of him.", I frowned at his confident statement. Why will Ranvijay's presence trigger his memories to return?

"What are you taking about?"

"Bhabhi, it's him! He's the reason for all that happened five years ago! I was not going to tell you this right now because you're pregnant and Bhai-"

"Come to the point, Aarav! Why is he the reason of everything that happened five years ago?", I demanded rubbing my temples in exasperation.

"Five years ago, he was the one to fed lies about you to Bhai. He made Bhai believe that you two are having an affair. I don't know much in depths because right after I got to know this, we confronted him and he spoke all truth. And then that accident happened-", I hung up before striding out of the room.

I spotted Ranvijay in living room, his back to me. Walking downstairs, I approached him before turning him around abruptly.

"What-", he stopped when my hand collided with his face.

"What the hell, Rivaah!? How dare you slap my husband!?", Jiya came running and stood before him defensively.

I can't even put all the blame on him. Apart from humiliating me and feeding lies about us in my husband's brain, he did nothing. It was Kabir's weak trust that everything shattered right when the things were falling back at it's place.

"Out!", I glared at him. He shamefully looked down. "Out and don't ever show me your face! As a woman I'm ashamed that I once considered you a friend and as a mother, I'm angry that you took away my kid's right to be with his father for five years. Did you never once thought about that innocent child? Your conscience never tried to stop you from doing such disgusting thing?", I spat out, clenching my jaw to keep tears within the boundaries of my eyes.

"I'm sorry.", He whispered.

"Why are you saying sorry? What is happening!? Will anyone explain me!?", Jiya demanded aggressively.

Turning around, I took the baby from Taila as she was looking after the girl since we were all upstairs and gave it back to Jiya.

"You have time of world to know what your husband did. But I don't. Please leave.", I joined my hands, pleading at her to leave peacefully.

"Let's go, Jiya.", He said to her and dragged her out as she was unwilling to go without getting her answers.

When they left, I sat down on floor.

"Rivaah-"

"Leave me alone please.", I whispered and she sighed before retreating back inside kitchen.

It felt as if I was living that day again. The same feeling of helplessness crawled back and settled in me.

Why is his trust on me so weak that some lies from third person and he believed all. He threw me out because he thought I was cheating on him with Ranvijay? Didn't he remember how I rejected the same Ranvijay because I was crazy for him!? Didn't he remember I cut all my ties with Ranvijay and called the marriage off because I wanted to marry him when all he had in mind was revenge? It was him who betrayed me countless times. Not me. How can he even think like that when he was the one who took my virginity.

I felt a light touch on my shoulder and looked up. Reyansh stared at me with worry in his eyes.

Why is my son going through this when all he deserves is a simple normal life?

"Come here.", I said and pulled him on my lap. Murphy too sat close to my feet. Caressing his head as well, I smiled at both of them.

"Daddy is in pain, Mommy.", He said and I frowned.

"Why? Is something wrong?", I asked sitting straight.

"He's still asleep. But he's constantly twisting and turning.", He replied in a meek voice.

"Rivaah?", I looked up to see Taila watching us with concern clouding her eyes. "It's close to his medicine time. Feed him this.", She lowered the bowl and I took it from her. A small smile splayed across my face seeing the dish garnished with coriander. He was trying to do it with perfection.

I made Reyansh eat everything although he was resisting initially, but one hard glare and he gobbled everything down quietly. Giving him his medicines, I let him down there on the floor and decided to check on Kabir.

Closing my eyes shut, I took a deep breath before twisting the knob and heading inside. My eyes widened at the sight of empty bed and crumpled sheets. Hearing the sound of running water, I took slow steps towards the bathroom. Gingerly opening the door, I peeked inside and gasped loudly.

"Kabir!", I ran close and crouched down to his level. The running shower above us made it difficult for me to see clear but I tried to grab his hands that were scratching harshly on his arms and neck. The angry red marks, spread all across his arms and shoulders made it quite visible at how painful they must be.

"He has touched me! He has! I don't want his touch on me! I need to wash it away!", He shouted trying to scrub his body harder.

I stood up and grabbed the towel from rack. Closing the shower, I squatted down and grabbed his flailing hands to stop their crudeness with their own body. "Stop!", He looked up at me, his eyes bloodshot red. Tears trickling down his face and he panted hard, trying to catch his breath. His body didn't stop shaking even when I made him stand and slowly helped him out of bathroom. We both were completely wet.

I made him sit on bed and stood in between of his knees. Cupping his face in my palms, I tilted his head up. His lips were quivering and I wanted do everything in my reach to stop his pain. He clenched and unclenched his jaw. His eyes held fear and blinked rapidly. He was rocking himself back and forth, his knee bouncing aggressively.

"What is happening, Kabir?", I asked him brushing my hand through his wet raven locks.

"He touched me. Why did he do that? He- he did so many dirty things. I don't want to remember anything! Please! Do something, Rivaah! Do something and take this memories away! I feel like I'm living them again!", He begged earnestly.

"Everything will be fine.", I said, having nothing to reply with. He pressed himself harder on my stomach, engulfing me in his arms and wetting my embrace with his heartbreaking cries.

_____