Nakul laughed while shaking his head as the two babies giggled loudly. Raghav too chuckled at seeing Pihu who couldn't stop clicking the photos.

"Once more," she whispered for Nakul as he again brushed his shaky head in Nihaar's little belly, making him squeal. Raghav watched as Riaan too laughed along his friend and squealed when Nakul did the same with his stomach.

"Okay, guys. That's enough. I bought something to eat." Bringing the bowls full of Manchurian on the table, Meera smiled when Pihu started helping her in serving.

Nakul carried both of the kids in his muscular arms and brought them to the dining table, settling both of them on the baby chairs. "You know, I bought another one last month while thinking about Riu." He settled both of them one by one and Raghav sat beside Riaan's chair.

Pihu chuckled while passing the bowl to her husband. "Of course and we will be buying one too. Because next time, you are coming to our home. You both busy beings always delay coming to us."

Meera smiled cheekily. "Actually, Pihu. Our boss never let us be free from work. If you want us to come, first you will have to make him lessen our burden."

Pihu blushed while Nakul wiggled his eyebrows at Raghav who was smirking. "Mhmm, so that my company gets dumped to the ground? No way I am letting you guys rest for even a minute this week. Arora Enterprises is looking for it's new branch's location. I am positive he is going to approach us, looking for the interiors."

Nakul rolled his eyes while Meera shook her head. "See."

Pihu frowned and stared at her husband with stern eyes. "Seriously, you can't just do that. I am not taking another leave and handling both of these little chatter machines roaming around the home, spreading tons of toys."

Raghav shrugged his shoulders while looking at the Kids. "But you can't refuse them. So, there will be lots of work for us and for you."

Pihu sighed heavily while taking a spoon full of rice. Nakul laughed at their exchange while taking sip of the water.

"Daddy," whimpered Riaan while forwarding his arms.

Meera looked at him in confusion and asked Pihu, "What happened?"

Pihu blinked slowly for her. "His tantrums have began. He is bored sitting on your chair and now, he is also thinking that his father is eating something nicer than his food. Look, how he is asking to sit on his lap."

All of them watched as Raghav pouted and murmured sweet things for Riaan who was whimpering and it stopped immediately when he finally reached him. Picking him up from the chair, Raghav put him on his lap and shared the rice from his plate with him.

"See," whispered Pihu while Meera nodded in amazement.

Finally, Riaan was relaxed and had started eating calmly when all of a sudden Nihaar too started crying while forwarding his arms towards his father, his lips curling outwards in a sob at feeling left out, making every one chuckle.

Nakul laughed and got up to take Nihaar. Meera couldn't help but excitedly click a photo in adoration. Meanwhile Raghav's phone rang catching Pihu's attention who was admiring the photo.

Her lips parted when Raghav's eyes narrowed at the phone screen. She watched as he muttered, "Excuse me," and got out off the room, taking Riaan with him.

Nakul was only asking Pihu about where he was when Raghav entered into the room with wide eyes and shock was written all over his face. He handed Riaan to Pihu who had already guessed that something bad had happened and it made her gulp in uncertainty.

"Boy, what-" Nakul was about to ask him when Raghav swallowed, glancing at his phone and all of them.

"It was Malhotra. Ram Malhotra," Pihu was already stunned at hearing the familiar name after so long. Raghav looked at her, "H-His son."

Pihu widened her eyes, "Shrey?"

Raghav nodded. "Shrey committed suicide."

Nakul widened his eyes. "Wait. What?"

Meera stared as Pihu's eyes filled with unshed tears in a blink. "But how?" she asked in a shaky voice.

Raghav shook his head in shock. "I don't know. Malhotra was already in hospital. Rakesh Malhotra, I am talking about." Pihu nodded at remembering Rishabh's father, she had seen him at her graduation ceremony.

Raghav's eyes met with Nakul. "He already had an heart attack. Didn't he?"

Nakul nodded. "Yeah, Rakesh Malhotra got traumatized because of his nephew, Shrey's actions. That's what Meera had told me. . ." he trailed off while Meera nodded at Raghav.

"When you had told me to get if he's alright. His secretary had explained that to me," she said while Pihu gulped.

"Is he-" Her tear-pooled eyes were stoned on Raghav, "Is Shrey. . . ?"

Raghav shook his head. "No. He is not dead. But he is serious. We still don't know. Anything can happen. And his uncle is at bed rest."

Nakul rubbed his chin and grimaced, "I am telling you, this is how people break. I already had doubt at that boy. If only he hadn't done that crime, his uncle would have been fine. Rakesh Malhotra has always been a great business man. His younger brother, Ram being was always interested in going foreign and studying. He is an educator even now, apart from handling the marketing sector of their company. Thus, Rakesh had always been close to Shrey as he wanted to pull his interest in business more which was not possible with his father."

"So, you can understand how close uncle and nephew would be. That is why, Rakesh Malhotra was in trauma and is now at bed rest. I wonder if he knows that Shrey tried to kill himself, this might affect him more." Meera explained, especially to Pihu who was oblivious to backgrounds of businessmen since Raghav had always avoided talking about Malhotras all this year, not that she was interested in after what Rishabh had done to her.

Pihu swallowed and felt her heart breaking for the poor family who had so much troubles coming to them when whole country was excited for the upcoming festival. But she was curious as to why would Shrey try to kill himself. He was her junior in the University.

Moreover, she had met him often because of her being friends with Rishabh during those months. No matter how wrong any person was, no one deserved the death unless God had written it for them. She felt that maybe the media's pressure, the burden of sins had made him do it.

Riaan let out a shriek startling everyone. "Mum. . . Mmm," he shrieked again while Pihu wiped her tears and started feeding him little portions of rice he was pointing at from her plate.

"I just hope he gets alright," she prayed while lowering her eyes. She could feel Raghav's eyes on her but she didn't look up at him.

Nakul exchanged looks with Meera who cleared her throat and nervously chuckled, "But he is fine. Right? I will keep getting information from the secretary. If you want, sir?"

Raghav nodded his head while Nakul suddenly glanced at him. "What if Sakshi gets to know about it?"

Pihu observed how Raghav's jaw ticked in sarcasm. "She won't be able to know about it. She has her mind in books. It might be about life and death but she doesn't care about that guy anymore. Moreover, she has gotten over that boy years ago." He smiled humorlessly.

Nakul nodded while still thinking deeply. He secretly hoped Raghav's words to be true.

It was better, Shrey was out of her life.

Alive or not.

_____

"Wherever you were, you needed to be fine." Staring at the ceiling, she controlled her sobs as her heart squeezed recalling every word that she had read in the newspaper. "If not with me, but with yourself. Happy and safe."

Rolling over, she crossed her arms on her breasts, holding her shoulders while shaking terribly.

"I didn't know that I was living for you, Shrey. I feel dead now. My world has ended," she whispered to herself.

Suddenly, the sound of door opening reached her ears. Only Aditi had the key to her flat, so she sat up immediately, wiping her tears while walking to the bathroom, spreading her hair on her cheeks as much as she could.

"Sakshi?"

She was about to ignore her and get inside the bathroom when Aditi spoke more.

"You're still crying. For that ass of a teacher. Oh my God! I can't believe this."

Sakshi had no idea how this girl could know so soon that she was crying but when she choke out another sob, she knew that she was shaking terribly.

"Oh my! Sakshi," Aditi turned her around and pulled her into her arms to rub her back, "I am so sorry. It was Aarush's idea. I didn't know, it would hurt you so much and that teacher has a stick up his ass. I am so sorry, Sakshi."

The pain was ripping her soul. It was cruel how God not only just snatched him from her but vanished him. It was cruel. She didn't have peace left to stop her sobs and whisper out a single word.

"I will call Aarush now. That teacher is so going to feel a bucket full of guilt. I should have known, you feel so insulted. I should have left the class. God, I am so sorry." She was just grabbing the phone from the bed when Sakshi held her wrist.

"No."

Her raspy voice had created a nervous shiver in Aditi's body. She had never seen her friend so broken.

"Sakshi? What happened? Is there anything else?" She murmured slowly while taking her to the sofa and making her sit softly.

Bringing out the bottle from her bag, she handed it to Sakshi who sniffled and gulped the water greedily.

"I am just-" A strong sense of nervousness gripped her heart. What if Aditi would tell Aarush about this? Clearly, she hadn't told them about her relationship with Shrey. They were not so sincere enough to listen to her pain. She needed to hide this for now, she decided.

"I never missed my school. . . I never skipped or bunked my classes. . . I just feel bad." She took long breaths to calm herself while her heart cried out for her first love.

Aditi awed at her and hugged her tight. "You are such a doll. Sakshi, I am so going to make it up to you please. Please don't cry. I know that was a sick joke. I am so sorry."

Sakshi gulped and stared at her friend, nodding slowly. "It's alright." She breathed and felt another round of heavy tears forming in her eyes. "Will you mind if I spend my evening at my relatives?"

Aditi's eyebrows furrowed as she remembered the man named as Naveen who had helped them in finding this flat. "Your sister-in-law's brother?"

Sakshi nodded.

"Sakshi, I know you are hurt. But you don't have to punish me like this. I will do all the errands for whole months if that makes you alright. Don't be upset to me, please."

Sakshi shook her head and felt her head throbbing from crying for so long. "No. I just need a change of air. Aarush was about to study here. I am not ready to hear him any soon."

Aditi nodded in understanding. "Alright. Do you want me to drop you?"

"No. I will be going in the next hour. First, I'll just clear my head with shower and mourning in silence."

Aditi bit her lip while watching Sakshi's back as she walked towards the bathroom slowly in trauma as if someone had died. She couldn't wait to call Aarush and make a plan to cheer up Sakshi for what they did to her.

She should have understood that her friend was so sensitive when it would come to her reputation. But men don't understand this.

She decided to bake a cake for Sakshi the next day when she would return, rest was on Aarush on how he was going to melt Sakshi as it was his idea only to prank her.

Moreover, she wasn't letting that teacher go. He needed to be the participant too.

She could do this to bring a smile on her friend's face who had wiped her tears back in the times.

_______

The newspaper didn't reveal if he was dead.

Sakshi recalled this while stepping out of the car which she had parked in the lot of the hospital, he was admitted in.

She had hope. A little hope. Thanks to the media person because of whom, she was able to know which floor his family was present. Now, it was about the room she had to search for.

Considering the status, she knew that he must be in a personal chamber. She covered half of her face with the green mask that she was using these days in fear of the polluted air as during days before Diwali, people never wait for bursting crackers and also, traffic in Delhi was another reason.

Walking out of the elevator, her gaze fell straight on the reception. She looked around for the Malhotras but thankfully, the area was deserted. She walked to the counter, removing her mask and smiled at the receptionist.

"Can you please tell the room, Mr. Malhotra has been staying in?"

The nurse's face paled as she asked, "Are you from media? Are you crazy? How did you even get inside with all such security?"

Sakshi shook her head. "No. I am not. See, I don't have a bag or anything. Media is being stopped at the gates. Actually, I am-"

"You are?" She was ready with her fingers on the keyboard for putting an entry.

"I am one of his ex-girlfriends," she bit her lip, thinking that this might don't get her in any trouble. Her own face turning dull at the sound of her own words.

"Even then, you want to see him? He has raped someone. You can't see him so easily. His cousin is so angry. He is not allowing anyone to see him. Even when Mr. Shrey is barely breathing," her heart broke at the young receptionist's words. Tears filled her eyes as she immediately took a long breath.

The receptionist's eyes softened. "Look, you will get caught. I have just seen his family not allowing his colleagues to see him. His cousin is taking so many rounds. If he knows you, you would be in trouble."

Sakshi's throat tightened, "Can you please just tell me a way?" Her eyes fell on her batch. "Aakriti, listen. He is barely breathing and that is last chance for me to see him alive. Do you understand? I just want to see him. No one would recognise me because I was his interest years ago. I just care for him. We can compensate. If you want, I will just gift you something nice. A nice dress? Will-"

The girl sighed.

"I understand. It's alright. I can save you from the family but not from our own staff."

Sakshi nodded while following her, as she whispered something in her colleague's ears and stood up.

They walked straight to the corridor and took right where they had entered into a big door which led them to the VIP rooms. "Thankfully, there's a separate door for staff to enter directly into the corridor where his room his. Though, his family is sitting right here."

They both straightened when Aakriti told her with her lips barely moving. "Walk like you are from another patient's family. Alright?"

Sakshi breathed desperately. "Thank you so much. Akriti." She was glad that this girl was of her age. Otherwise, any other person wouldn't have helped a stranger.

Sakshi wore her mask back just as she entered the hall where Malhotras were sitting with numb eyes. She could recognize two important businessmen whom his uncle was friends with. She had seen them in her own family functions as they must be connected to her brother's company too.

But she didn't see any of his friends which irked her. Shrey was very popular in the college. Not only his own batch, he was friends with most of the seniors because of Rishabh and his own participation in the University's basket ball team.

Maybe, Rishabh was really angry on everyone for this. Or what if the whole case including his friend's wife being raped by him had created an affect on Shrey's friends. She didn't know.

She straightened her cream coloured top that had full sleeves but short length waist. She had without thought, paired it with denims and had wore black boots. She didn't carry any bag as she knew media was being pushed by the hospital's security and the security check was stricter in this hospital. She didn't want to waste a single second.

She was scared. Very scared to get caught even when she had changed very much over the last year fours that no one from her childhood would really be able to recognize her from behind or sides.

Her black curls had been straightened and she had gotten some dirty-blonde highlighting all around the outer-lair for a change. Her black hair would make her look pale because she didn't have rosy cheeks like her sister-in-law. She wanted to have brown silky hair like Pihu and her pinkish complexion but coming here at Delhi and suffering it's high winters every year had made her so fair that she would look pale most of the times without makeup and most of the time, it was favoured by her own extreme care towards her skin.

Also, that her hair cut was giving her a mature look and the recent reduction in her weight as she had joined gym last year and since then, she had been happily coping up with her perfect figure and taking care of it by proper diet and yoga.

"Your uncle is at the room on the corridor, ma'am." Aakriti muttered as acting perfectly while Sakshi nodded, feeling nervous as the girl beside Rishabh gave her a curious look.

She kept her spine straight when all she wanted to do was curl and weep along them. Even Rishabh's eyes were bloodshot. The loudest was Shrey's mother who wasn't stopping from sobbing continuously as Rishabh's mother was hugging her.

They crossed the hall and entered the corridor when the receptionist nodded at her.

"You can take two rounds. Going there in slow motion to the end, sitting on that stool while you are supposed to see your uncle," the girl said as Sakshi nodded, "and coming back in slow motion so you can have a glimpse of him."

Sakshi gulped and nodded.

"Remove the mask after sometimes, so in the camera they don't doubt. Though, try to cover your mouth and weep. Look genuine."

Sakshi nodded and was almost in doubt as to why this girl was helping her so casually. If there had been any other person, she would have been thrown out and even have caught Rishabh's eye. The corridor was about to end and his room was coming.

Sakshi felt her heart flying above as if it was deciding to flew out from her throat.

"You still didn't recognize me. Did you?"

She looked at her left, shaking her head slowly while trying to remember if she had seen her before.

"Mannat, the NGO, July 2015. We were in the same staff. Internship? Does it ring the bell?"

Sakshi's mouth opened as her eyes widened. "Really? I am sorry. Right now, my mind is not working. It might come later, but now all I want to do is check if he-"

Aakriti smiled at her. "You still love him."

Sakshi didn't reply and lowered her eyes.

"Hey, slow motion. . ." She whisper-shrieked at her. "There he is."

Sakshi held her breaths while turning her head and of course.

There he was. . .

_______

"What do you feel?"

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