"We value it the most when it is already lost."

Shrey looked up from the little chit, his eyes already seeing a smiling Sakshi writing it in front of that nurse. He could very well hear her speaking in her sweet voice. His gaze fell back down to read more.

"But you are lucky enough to not lose it yet, Shrey." He gulped, and remembered how that time he was tip-toeing out of the room to walk towards the reception from his ward, so he could get to know if the well-wisher was there. He clearly didn't care if his cousin had approached therapist for him.

Breathing softly, he read further, "Your life. Your hope. Your soul." His eyebrows furrowed as a rush of pain he felt through his nose. His emotions were getting unbalanced. He gulped, "I remember the moment when you had said that you want to make your mother happy. You said that she never had a sister and now not a daughter. She wishes for a daughter and you want to fulfill all her wishes and dreams."

"How can you even dare to leave this world without giving her that happiness, Shrey?" His jaw ticked as a shiver ran through his spine. The worst moments of his life, of that night turned his blood cold. He started dwelling in enormous amount of self-pity.

But he still wanted to read ahead, "I still don't know if you did what they say."

Shrey widened his eyes and closed them immediately. "Oh my God! She too thinks that-" He stopped himself from drowning in utter sorrow. This was his last hope. He couldn't just let this try get wasted.

"But there is a part of my heart which tells me that I should leave it on you. Any person who committed mistake craves a chance to rectify it. Every person who is innocent, begs for a chance to prove himself. Then why don't you give yourself a chance and do it? Prove yourself?"

Shrey shook his head. "How, Sakshi? How?" He sighed heavily.

Biting his lip, he felt like folding the letter and not read it so he won't feel hopeless. Because Sakshi was telling him to do what he had already tried. She didn't have the idea how deep it was. The situation was not just a bad circumstance. It was a disaster that damaged all his world.

He had no hope left except for a way to survive which was to just ignore the case. Still the letter in his hand felt so heavy and precious, he couldn't ignore it.

He slowly read each word, "We all are connected. If someone die, someone else loses his or her heart. Without you, your parents would be devastated. Why would you ever do that to people who brought you in this world, Shrey? Think about the people who live for you."

"Do not hurt them, Shrey." He swallowed. "Be cruel, be ruthless. Or be shallow, be shady. Be kind or kinder, greater or greatest. But not a loser."

"I don't even know why I wrote it for you. Maybe, moments later I would regret doing it. But if this immaturity as used to taunt me for it all the time, saves your life than I don't care. If these words fascinates you, then I won't stop playing this game. But all I wish for you to achieve your goals and prove yourself. There's so much to come, Shrey."

"A granddaughter for your mother," he chuckled to himself.

"Damn!" He rubbed his forehead in thought, smiling crazily and imagining what was she even thinking while writing this. But it was adorable.

"Or maybe, vacations in Havana." He let out a laugh. "She remembers everything."

Lowering his eyes, he sighed. "Even the stupid things I had rambled to kill time with her," he muttered to himself in extreme guilt.

"There's so much to come, Shrey.

The justice. The new reputation. The bigger happiness. And a great life.

And a wish to whisper a thank you for me in the air, decades later."

Shrey folded back the paper while feeling his heart squeezing slightly. Opening his drawer, he pulled out a diary that he had never used seriously. But now, he would. Sliding in the letter without even opening the diary, he put it back in the drawer, sighing heavily.

"There's so much to come," he whispered.

______

"Tussi na jao."

Sakshi chuckled at Aarush's tactics as they both pulled out the suitcases from the back of the car. Aditi was standing crossed arms while staring at both of them.

"Will you be back soon?"

Sakshi smiled at her, "The first working day, of course. But we all can come Delhi together if you both come, attend the party. Bhai have told me to bring you both."

Aarush twitched his lips while Aditi hugged her. "I will see to that. I am actually staying here with my uncle an his family. No one's at home since my dad's abroad. Even mom is arriving here too. It will be a big deal to arrive there at Chandigarh. But I will wish you," explained Aditi.

Sakshi looked hopefully at Aarush who shrugged his shoulders. "I will try to come, if possible."

She knew their answer. Both of them were not such travellers as her. How could they not be fascinated about her city. She loved that place and there was nothing happier than going back, even if for just four days.

"When will you come to my home, then? At my funeral?" She gave them an irritated look.

"At your wedding," grinned Aarush. "I will come on the horse, like a perfect groom," he teased.

Aditi laughed out as Sakshi gasped and started slapping his forearm. The announcement started for the upcoming train and all of them alerted.

After delivering all the sweets, to all their distant relatives and friends which included specifically, Pihu's brother, Aakriti-the kind nurse, Aditi's Uncle and Miss Khanna all the evening, Sakshi was finally leaving for home.

Reaching the platform, they all waited while Aarush noticed Sakshi checking her phone again and again. He could very well guess that she was still awaiting Shrey Malhotra's reply, even after when he had given her his words of wisdom so many times.

But heart is always stubborn.

He sighed and checked the two suitcases. Suddenly, he remembered that Mihir must be coming at the party too as Sakshi had told. He looked at her immediately.

"What's your plan about this cousin?"

Sakshi shrugged her shoulders. "He is a loser to me. I won't give him a single glance. But I still am curious to who he is."

"He is from our University." Aarush reminded her while Aditi watched them quietly. "You must remember his face. Even take a photo for me."

Sakshi rolled her eyes and nodded. The train had arrived and in the little break, they checked her seat and adjusted her luggage.

"Hey! Send me a pick of Mihir in ethnic look." Aditi said, making both of them looking at her strangely.

Sakshi noticed a sudden irritation on Aarush's face. To skip the conversation, she laughed nervously.

"I will send many photos. Okay? Aarush?"

She noticed how he wasn't removing his glare off Aditi who perfectly knew what was happening. Sakshi didn't understand the matter but she decided to talk about it later with Aarush.

He was slowly turning back to give a last hug to her and strangely, he had turned quiet. "Take care and keep messaging wherever you have reached. To your brother too."

Sakshi nodded in adoration for him while Aditi sighed. "If this cousin turns out to be handsome, please don't be rude to him," she suggested.

"It depends. But I will see to that. Right now, I can't wait to see my two little boyfriends," giggled Sakshi which amused Aarush as he suddenly remembered the toddlers on her laptop's screen.

It was time for the train to depart and finally, both of her friends got down. She waved at them from the glass window and felt excited to travel at this night, according to which she would be reaching home in the morning. Her brother hadn't told his parents about her arrival and she couldn't wait to surprise them.

But suddenly, her phone beeped and all excitement turned into nervous when Shrey's face flashed in her mind. She hurriedly unlocked her phone and rolled her eyes when it was a message from Mr. Khanna.

There's a tiffin full of pasta in the side pocket.

She couldn't help but smile cheekily and shook her head. Putting her phone back in the pocket, she relaxed on the spongy seat and stared far through the window. She was going home, finally with good thoughts in her mind. But with such positivity, was forming a bit of hope in her heart. She was waiting now, for that moment.

When she will hear his voice again.

_______

"Naar pulled my-my hair." Raghav widened his eyes while wrapping his arms around his son's waist who was now sitting on his stomach, pretending to be fully alerted while listening to him. "He-He called me Ri-Ri. He can't say my name," giggled Riaan while covering his mouth.

"What did you do when he pulled your hair?" asked Raghav while Riaan was staring at his bare chest. He started patting there while thinking.

"I hit him," he slapped his chest while Raghav pretended to be hurt.

"Oww," he acted more, making Riaan giggle at him. "Oww," he did it again when he even punched it with his tiny fists. The baby chuckle filled the whole room, surprising Pihu who was entering the room after wrapping up the tasks in the kitchen.

"Mummy," called Riaan while punching hard at Raghav's chest, chuckling along at seeing him hurting.

Pihu rolled her eyes but ended up smiling lazily at them. "You don't hit daddy if you're a good boy," she muttered while closing the door after her.

Riaan stopped and looked back at his father who was shrugging his shoulder, lying on the bed.

"What if Daddy gets hurt? Who will bring ice-cream then?" Pihu fake glared at her son, while collecting spare toys from the room's floor, when all of a sudden a startling cry echoed in the room.

Raghav started chuckling in adoration as he saw Riaan curling his lips. "Aww, no baby. Daddy is fine. See," he started wiping his chest and smiled at him. But Pihu's scolding mattered more to Riaan then any other thing.

Big tears started escaping his eyes and Raghav sighed. He pouted while holding Riaan's waist. "Look, who is looking like a bear. Now, who is bear? This is my bear." He started tickling him, making him fall on his chest and chuckle through tears.

"That wasn't fair," he told Pihu who had now changed her clothes and was returning from the bathroom. "We were just playing."

"With those little fists, he had punched Nihaar in the face." She told him while getting on the bed. Her fingers reached to tickle Riaan who was now hiding his face into Raghav's chest.

"Hey! Don't touch my bear," told Raghav. Riaan chuckled lightly and tried to hide when Pihu tickled him again.

"Mummy was just telling him not to hurt Daddy." Riaan turned his face away and hugged his father fully, not giving a little attention to Pihu who frowned.

"Will I have to be the villain all the time?" She asked softly, while laying beside her husband.

Raghav rubbed his son's back, making him close to sleep within two minutes. "He respects you. Your single scolding tears him up. He took it on heart," he murmured while kissing his head and rubbing his back more.

Pihu sighed and turned fully to stare at Raghav. "I thought this was with you. He loves you more than me. Didn't you see? He started crying when I asked him about hurting Daddy."

Raghav chuckled and looked at her. "Either it was ice-cream or you. It was definitely not me. After all, people these days don't really care about me." He taunted while turning on his side, sliding Riaan in front of him whose back was facing Pihu.

"Now, you are going to taunt me everyday about it." She stared at him while moving her hand up towards his arm that was wrapped around their mildly snoring son.

"Until it happens," he whispered while looking at her intensely, making her blush.

"Stop," she chuckled. "Raghav," she complained when he didn't stop. Sighing slowly, she laid on her back and stared up at the ceiling, still feeling his gaze on her.

She wanted to the change the topic so hurriedly but nothing was coming to her mind. Suddenly, she remembered Aarush's innocent face flashing in her mind. She smiled softly.

"He reminds me of Ayaan."

Immediately, the question came, "Who?"

"Sakshi's friend. Aarush. He is just like him. Smart and innocent." Looking at her husband, she confirmed, "And handsome."

Raghav hummed, "Mehta's son is fine with me. As long as he is not advanced on her."

Pihu was surprised, "Really?"

He nodded. "But right now, Sakshi is very young. I don't want her to-"

"I was a year younger than her age, when you had forcefully married me." She stated the fact, but realized what she had done when she saw him looking at her blankly.

"I mean," she gulped nervously. "If we are getting a very good guy, which we might not find later. So, it's not that bad to just get hitched and have the golden chance."

Raghav breathed out when she finally stopped. She could very well tell that he was affected by her previous words. The mere mention of the circumstances in which their wedding had taken place, it would still bring regret to Raghav. But of course, she didn't mean to hurt him.

All over, it was a healthy discussion. But Raghav still seemed to dig blank stares at her. "Pihu."

His deep voice was calm but scary. Pihu knew this tone very well. She didn't want to look at him, but she had to. If anything could still bring the old-stubborn Raghav back, it was her not following his orders. She hummed and looked at him.

"Our case was different." He told her, marking his words in her mind. Pihu looked away while he continued, "Do not ever compare any other marriage scene with ours."

"But it was a healthy-"

"Sakshi is my little sister. She suffered a horrible injury in her shoulder years ago, which will give her lifetime pain. Her real parents aren't alive. She might be travelling alone right now, but she still is very little to me. The same little girl who still expects positivity from each person."

Pihu closed her eyes and opened them while digesting his words. He said, "Choosing a guy for her is not as easy as you think. All these families, mom and you are discussing every day-they are after Sakshi because they know we love her. Not because they actually are able to love her."

"That's not right," argued Pihu. "She has friends. Like you said, Aarush is a good guy. But if you are worried about her age, then I will not talk about it anymore."

Raghav sighed at seeing her getting quiet. He didn't know why everyone was after Sakshi's marriage. "Is it like revenge? That you got married so early, so you want same for my sister?" He asked but regretted immediately.

Pihu looked at him wide-eyed, her mouth opened in disbelief. "Wow! You are so thoughtful."

"Hey! That was a joke." He told her while Pihu shook her head.

"No, that was your clear opinion." Her voice shook. "And you are right, I want revenge. Because I too was someone else's sister."

Raghav rolled his eyes at her dramatic ways. "Pihu, calm down. It slipped out. I didn't-"

"Leave it, Raghav. She is coming tomorrow. There is full organised party. I wasn't even participating in this. It's all your mother. If you can, then stop her." She turned on another side, giving him her back while wiping her tears.

"What if Sakshi gets ready to marry? Where will your concept of age go?" She told him angrily. "You want me to deliver our second child when I am just twenty-five. And you don't find it right for her to get married. You are a hypocrite."

"Pihu," he warned her. "Turn around and talk it over. I didn't-"

Silence

He shook his head in disbelief. Who knew, handling an angry wife was such a trouble?

Especially, when it was truly his fault.

_____

"What do you think about Raghav's mind getting conflicted?"

Please vote and comment.

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