[So everyone who guessed it is Sanju is right. Good job guys. :D I know all of you must be thinking if ranbir is alright. So, go ahead. Find out if he is alright in this part. ;)]

Light flooded the room precisely at that moment, blinding the cloaked man in the process. He blinked repeatedly and when his eyes adjusted to the light, he looked down at the 'person' he had stabbed.

He was stunned to realize that no blood was gushing out of the place where he had stabbed 'him', instead some torn pieces of cotton had come out of the hole.

Promptly, he wrenched the blanket off the 'body' only to find pillows arranged in a line to make it look like a sleeping human figure under the blanket.

Fear filtered into his eyes as he realized what that meant. As he looked up his eyes met with a pair of very cold eyes, making him gasp.

The man he had come to finish off, Ranbir Kohli, was standing right in front of him as fit as a fiddle. And standing beside him was the sole reason for whom he had committed crime after crime. Prachi Arora. He flinched at the boundless abhorrence and hostility shimmering in her beautiful eyes.

Someone tapped on his shoulder and as he turned around, a punch landed right on his face. He staggered back a little. Someone wrenched the cloak off. Another punch landed on his jaw, almost breaking it in the process.

"So, Mr. Sanju, what did you think? You will come here and kill Ranbir and we will sleep peacefully in our house, giving you ample opportunity to do your job and slink away? Not done. We are here to welcome you. So, let's start again." Abhishek smirked and punched on Sanju's stomach, hard.

Sanju staggered back again. Now blood began to ooze out of his mouth. Someone turned him around holding his collar.

"Hey, not fair. I too wanna have my chance of welcoming him after all." Aryan smirked and punched on Sanju's cheek, making him spit blood.

"Now, it's my turn. So, you have come to kill me? I have always known you are a coward. You proved it again by coming to kill me when I was supposedly asleep on a hospital bed. What happened, macho man? Too scared of fighting Ranbir Kohli when he is awake. Let's see how you fight me now that I am awake." Ranbir winked at Sanju.

Desperate for an opportunity to distract them and flee the spot, Sanju fisted his hand, raised it and attempted to strike back but Ranbir easily blocked the blow and punched on his nose with all his might.

A distinctive crack told them that the bone of Sanju's nose had broken. Blood began to ooze out of it. Ranbir's another punch landed on Sanju's jaw, unhinging it. Blind with pain, Sanju fall down on the floor.

At that moment, police walked in and lifting him up. He was panting with a bloodied face.

"Sanju, you must be thinking how we knew about your attack. We didn't. But we guessed that you might try a stunt like this one. So, I was right. Earlier today you were the one who was keeping a watch over us. If you actually want to spy over someone, you should have made sure not to wear your tacky perfume. I hate that perfume so much right from Hoshiarpur as it is associated with you. The lingering presence of that perfume in the air alerted me to the possibility of your presence here. And I informed Mehra Sir about my suspicions." Prachi glowered at Sanju.

"And I had immediately decided to be alert and prepared for any probable attack. Soon after when I got a call from the officer that you had escaped, I just knew that Prachi was right. So, we arranged this trap for you. Take him away, Officer and make sure this time he doesn't escape, or else I may have to report this to the commissioner as well as spread the news of your inability in both social and news media." Abhishek smirked.

Nodding hurriedly, the officer gestured to the constables to bring Sanju along and left the room. The constables left, carrying a half unconscious Sanju and probably saving his life.

"Take care, all three of you. In fact, I will stay the night here." Tension still hadn't drained out of Abhishek fully.

"You don't need to, chief. Everything is alright now." Ranbir assured him.

"Ranbir is right, Sir. Please go home and try to get some rest." Prachi smiled at him reassuringly.

"Ok. If you both are sure. See you tomorrow." Abhishek smiled at them and walked out of the room.

"I am in the waiting room just down the corridor. Call me if you guys need something." Aryan, too, walked out of the room when Pranbir nodded.

As Aryan walked out, Ranbir turned to Prachi with a smile but his smile turned into a frown at not finding her by his side. He whirled around only to find that she was standing by the window and looking out into the dark. There was a strange stillness in her slight form.

Still frowning slightly at her unusual quietness, Ranbir sauntered towards her and placed a hand on her shoulder. But she didn't turn around. His suspicion that something was wrong going up by leaps and bounds, Ranbir turned her towards him forcefully.

He was astonished to see her eyes brimming with unshed tears. He stared at her questioningly. But she looked down, shielding her eyes from him.

Placing a finger beneath her chin, he gently tilted her head up and met her eyes. There was a soothing tenderness in his eyes.

"Won't you share with me what is bothering you so much, Prachi?" Ranbir looked into her eyes questioningly.

"Everything is happening because of me, Ranbir. You always get into trouble because of me." There was guilt in Prachi's eyes.

"And what about the trouble you got yourself into in the process of trying to get me out of Maya and Choubey family's clutches?" Ranbir raised his brows.

"But how can I leave you alone in difficulty? It is my duty to protect you." Prachi frowned slightly.

"Ditto." Ranbir smiled.

Prachi smiled through tears. A few tears cascaded down her cheeks. Ranbir removed his finger from under her and cupped her face with both hands. He wiped the tears off with his thumb.

"Prachi, we are here to share not only each other's happiness but also to share each other's pain, trouble, loneliness, sadness too. Got it?" Ranbir raised one brow.

Prachi nodded with a smile.

"By the way, you said just now that it is your duty to protect me. Why?" Ranbir looked at her with an innocent face.

"I...uh..." Prachi looked around, searching for an appropriate reply and cursing him in her mind for always successfully landing her in a fix.

"Yes? You? What?" Ranbir looked at her innocently.

"I..." Prachi tried again.

"You..." There was a smile in his voice.

"Am..." Prachi said shyly.

"Yes..."Ranbir's interest was piqued by her sudden shyness.

"Feeling very sleepy, even if you are not. So, go to sleep and let me have some rest now." Prachi turned away from his astonished and annoyed visage, trying really hard to suppress the laughter bubbling within her.

Sulkily, he moved to the bed and after she tidied up the cushions, laid down on it. Smiling, she began to move away when strong fingers wrapped around her wrist.

Prachi stopped and looked down to find Ranbir looking at her glumly. Prachi raised her brows questioningly.

"It is also your duty to see that I sleep peacefully as well as comfortably." Ranbir frowned grumpily.

"What do you mean?" Prachi was bemused.

"This." Ranbir turned on his side, facing Prachi, put her palm under his cheek and closed his eyes.

Prachi was totally taken aback at his abrupt action. She tried to wriggle her hand free but to no avail. Sighing, she abandoned her efforts and smiled.

He cracked one eye open and saw her smiling. Contentedly, he dozed off while not slackening his hold on her hand a bit.

The next morning as sunlight filtered into the room through the white curtains, Ranbir's eyes fluttered and finally opened.

He began to turn on his back when some weight on his arm made him look down. His eyes met the most enchanting sight ever.

Prachi was asleep, resting her head on his arm. Some stray tendrils of her sleep ruffled hair partially covering her beautiful features.

Ranbir stared unblinkingly at her,  a soft smile playing on his lips. He wondered if it was a dream or reality. If it was a dream then he had never seen a more beautiful dream and he never wanted to wake up from this dream for it was his most cherished dream.

As sun rays kissed her closed eyes, Prachi frowned slightly, then her eyes fluttered and finally opened. She looked blearily around. Where was she? And why was everything so white? She turned her head slightly and her eyes met another pair of eyes. 

It took her a moment to realize they belong to Ranbir and another two or three moments for the events of the day before to come back. As her mind became more alert, her position registered in it. Blushing furiously, she hurriedly straightened up. The crimson hue on her cheeks intensified at his lazy smile. 

"I never knew that you are not a morning person." Ranbir chuckled.

"Why didn't you wake me up if you were already awake?" Prachi hit his arm playfully.

"Why would I? You were looking so adorable while asleep, as innocent as a baby." Ranbir smiled lovingly.

Prachi looked away shyly but not before Ranbir had seen the soft smile playing on her lips.

"By the way, this is so unfair of you." Ranbir looked at prachi solemnly.

"What?" His sudden accusation startled Prachi to look back at him. 

"Hitting your pillow." Ranbir smirked, raising one eyebrow.

For a moment, she was bemused but then the meaning of the cryptic statement dawned on her. He was talkng about his arm that she had used as a pillow the whole night and had hit just now.

"I...I will go freshen up." Prachi got to her feet and hurried away, hiding her shyness.

"Till when will you run away chikchiki? Every path will lead you to me." Smiling to himself, Ranbir turned to look out of the window.

"Hey bro, goodmorning. Are you feeling okay now?" Aryan sauntered into the room.

"I am perfectly fit and fine, Aryan." Ranbir smiled.

"Good. Because I had a conversation with the doctor. All of your test results are good. And you are fit to go home. They have discharged you. I have completed the formalities and also informed our families. Chucks and Vikram uncle wanted to come, but I said I and Prachi will take you home in my car." Aryan finished.

"You did right Aryan. They are already so worried. Can we leave as soon as I freshen up? I hate hospitals." Ranbir scrunched his nose cutely making Aryan laugh.

"What is going on between the brothers?" Prachi beamed as she walked out of the washroom.

"I have been discharged and now I will be going home." Ranbir grinned with childish excitement making Prachi smile at his cuteness.

"But after freshening up and having your breakfast." Prachi walked over to him just as a nurse entered with the breakfast tray.

"No Prachi! Please. I don't want to have breakfast. Let's go home. Please." Ranbir made puppy face but it didn't work.

"Ranbir! It's not good for you to stay without food for such a long time at the moment. So, you will have breakfast and then we will go home. Okay?" Prachi narrowed her eyes dangerously.

"Okay." Ranbir conceded defeat immediately.

Little did she know that she had made him very happy when she said 'home' to his home. Though unconsciously said, it reveals her subconscious thoughts.

Soon after finishing breakfast, Ranbir, with the help of Prachi and Aryan, got out of the hospital and into Aryan's car. After about half an hour, they returned home. 

As they reached the entrance, Ranbir grinned happily to see everyone standing inside the threshold to welcome him. 

Daljeet came forward and removed evil eye from Ranbir and asked them to enter. However as they were about to enter, a voice stopped Prachi's progress.

"Stop right there, Prachi. You can't come inside." Pallavi was staring at Prachi solemnly.

Aliya who was standing a little away from the crowd looked at Rhea, who was standing with Meera, with a smirk. Rhea answered the smirk with a smug smirk of her own. 

Aaah!! I am so tired now. So, let's end it here. ;)

What happened? Why Pallavi stopped Prachi? Socho socho ;)

@sanyogitaprc asked me for 2 updates in the weekend. So here goes. :)