*David Pov*

"Is something wrong, David? You had a conference during this time, right?" Mom asked when I calmly walked out of the kitchen after she rushed away.

"It got postponed." I mumbled, still in shock with my own actions.

What have I done? Will she get angry and leave? Oh god! Why didn't I stop myself? Do I regret? No! Somehow I don't regret it, but scared about the result for sure. But then she... she kissed me back and of not for Jasmine's footsteps, I don't know what would have happened.

It is a good thing that we heard Jasmine or else it would have been a disaster for sure if they caught us in that situation. Damn it! What am I even thinking right now when there is a chance for her to leave this house because of this?

I heard their discussion about the shopping they did and the shopping they have to do later for some time before escaping into my study room, but continued to pace around thinking about a plan to stop her from leaving.

Is she packing her bags? No! She actually said she will freshen up and then will eat something, right? Should I go out and see how is she going to react to this or will I be making it worse by showing by face this soon?

Why am I thinking so much? She will let me know her reactions by herself and then I will deal with the situation. Didn't I decide to just show her whatever I feel at any moment without hiding them?

That's what I just did and I don't regret it no matter what. My reaction surprised me for sure, but it feels right and I just need to go and see her before thinking about anything else.

I rushed out of the study room and found her sitting with Mom and Jasmine while I can hear her talking about lunch arrangements for tomorrow.

"Do not worry about anything and we will prepare everything properly. They are your friends and your senior too and we will make sure nothing goes missing." Mom assured her smiling while I stiffened hearing the word senior.

"Mom! I will be home for tomorrow." They stared at me in surprise hearing those words while Palak just stared at the fruits she is having.

Why is she not looking at me? Angry? Disappointment? How will I know if I can't see her expressions? With that in mind, I sat beside her, ignoring another set of shocked expressions on their faces as I never approached her before them and always maintained a distance.

"You don't have work?" Mom asked frowning.

"No! I am quite free right now." I replied, smiling while Jasmine gave me a doubtful look.

"What? I am good at sharing my work. So, what shall we do tomorrow?" I asked as if I didn't hear them talking at all.

"Her friends are going to come for lunch. We can go out in the evening." Mom replied believing my words.

"That's great! I will be able to meet them. It's been so long since I met them." I mumbled and I felt Palak staring at me.

I immediately stared back, but felt disappointment when she gave a blank look. What should I assume this for? Seriously, this is really harder than seeing her anger expression.

"Is she sleeping?" I asked, changing the subject and she shook her head in negative.

"I will go to her. She must have got tired with all the shopping." I mumbled getting up and escaped into her room, ignoring her earlier warning that I shouldn't enter her room again.

However, I found Elisha sleeping peacefully making me frown but then when I heard a door opening and closing, I realized she just lied to me.

"We need to have a talk, right?" I groaned before turning around to stare at her who is leaning on the door with her hands folded.

"About? Kissing each other?" I asked, walking closer to her and she immediately unfolded her hands.

"No! Don't ever do that again." She warned frowning at me.

"Don't make me." I whispered and immediately felt her hitting my shoulder.

"Don't make it as my mistake. It was you all along saying those... and... anyway, let's just forget that it ever happened." She shook her head saying those words.

"I am not saying it is your mistake at all. I couldn't control myself because you looked and still looking... anyway, I can't forget it but you can if you want to." I assured her and stopped myself from repeating the words when she glared at me.

"So, why is that senior visiting our home?" I asked, frowning and for a second she paused making me realize what I just uttered.

"To meet Elisha and he wants me to return back to Lonavla." She stated after clearing her throat and this time I paused hearing those words.

"You... will you go?" I asked, holding my breath, realizing I couldn't stop her if she wants to but I don't want her to go.

"I haven't decided yet and I need to think about my patients here." She replied, staring at me and I turned away to stare at Elisha's sleeping form.

"It is better if you are not present tomorrow. They don't know the details, but they may react someway towards you." She added and I immediately turned to stare at her.

"Even if they do that, I deserve it." Saying that I gestured her to move and rushed out of the room to stop myself from saying that I don't want her to go.

As I decided to be honest near her, I can say those words, but somehow I don't think I have a right to say that. But I really wish she doesn't leave with that senior.

****

"She is so cute." I smiled hearing those words from her friend Tina when I walked out of the study room hearing the door bell.

Of course! She is my daughter and she will be cute only. I walked closer to finally seeing those three who are surrounding Elisha right now who is being held by Palak.

"Was it easy to find the house?" Palak asked, gesturing them to sit down after Tina took hold of Elisha.

"Yes! It was very easy to find." Dr. Rohit assured her and glanced up meeting my stare.

He frowned, looking at me and I frowned back before walking towards them and sat in the empty chair which caused the whole conversation to pause.

"Is something wrong?" Mom asked, looking at them.

"There is nothing wrong, Aunty. I will get them something to drink." Saying that Palak stood up before gesturing me to follow her which I immediately did without pausing for a second.

"I told you that it will not be that good moment to meet them. Now, Aunty will feel uncomfortable because of this." She pointed out while arranging the glasses and I took out the water jug from the refrigerator before pouring water into them.

"It's okay! I don't want to hide from the people who are closer to you." I mumbled finishing the task and she didn't move from her spot hearing those words.

"It's not that I want you to hide. It's just... just..." she sighed, shaking her head before walking out of the kitchen while I took the tray from her hands to follow her calmly.

"How are you?" I asked, smiling at Tina and Veer while offering the water and stayed silent while offering it to Dr. Rohit.

"Can I have a word with you?" he asked, looking at me and I nodded before gesturing him to follow me to my study room.

I gave an assuring nod to Palak who just frowned at us before walking into the room and closed the door behind him.

"I will cut it to the point. When I betrayed her trust, I thought I didn't have any right to pursue her and felt you will be a good person to her. But what is all this? She married your brother and I am sure that is because of you. At present she is a widow and has a child with you. What is going on? Was I wrong to think that you genuinely cared for her? How could you let this happen?" he continued to ask all the right questions, but I don't have a particular reply to those.

"I love her! I will not say that I was always a good person, but I am and will be a better person for her. You need not worry about anything else." I stated calmly and he frowned hearing those words.

"I offered her to come back and work at her previous hospital." He mumbled and I gave him a nod because I already heard about it.

"It will be her wish regarding that." I mumbled and we both heard a knock on the door.

Palak stepped into the room saying, "Lunch is ready."

"It will be her decision, but if she really transfers to that place. Then I will manage my work and make sure to be closer to both of them. No matter what I have to do, I will never miss a day to meet them. I may miss meeting them sometimes, but I will make up for it with the weekends. So, I will definitely respect her decision." I said, staring at her and she stared back without interrupting me before turning around and walked away from us.

"And don't say that you offered such thing near my family. They will not take it lightly." I added, glancing at Dr. Rohit before gesturing him to walk and followed behind him.

During lunch there was just Tina and Veer talks about Palak's behavior from beginning and how she changed. While Dr. Rohit talked about her work efficiency near my Mom.

Somehow it feels like they are her family and are praising her near her mother-in-law. This made me smile and listen to them keenly knowing a few more things from her past which I didn't know before.

*Palak Pov*

"I don't understand, Palak." Tina mumbled when she followed me into my room along with Veer when I had to place Eli into the crib.

"About what?" I asked her frowning.

"I am sure something huge must have happened for all these changes to occur in your life. But why does he still have the same look of care and love for you and even more than before towards you?" she asked, holding my hand and I just stared at her not knowing how to reply to that question.

"That's really wrong if he is really like that. She is his sister-in-law now and how can he feel that way." Veer shook his head and I stiffened hearing those words as they just made me think about yesterday.

"Stupid! She is no longer his sister-in-law as... anyway, this is not something wrong." Tina pointed out but he shook his head.

"We as her friends will understand and his family may understand, but what about others. She may ignore them, but we all need to think about Elisha too." He pointed back and I sighed hearing this argument.

"It's better if we don't talk about any of this. Let's go and keep some company with Senior." I mumbled, pulling them out of the room only to find Senior and Aunty having a normal conversation and I can say she was impressed by him.

"You all can stay for tonight." Aunty offered, but they shook their heads saying they need to go to work tomorrow morning and it is better to go back.

"Please stay in contact, Palak. I will not grill you about anything and just want to stay in contact with you." Tina suddenly hugged me while saying those things.

This made me realize even though I always talked about how I am friends with them, I never allowed them closer to me emotionally. But after all this, can I really do it?

I... I can try as I can't stay away from everyone and she is genuinely approaching me. I smiled, nodding at her and promising to always stay in contact.

There was a sense of peace after contacting them like this again and meeting them. I will definitely try to not close myself from those three for sure.

"Seems like Dr. Rohit thinks highly of you." Aunty commented when we walked back into the house after they left.

"Yes! He always guided me from my college days." I replied, smiling and she nodded before walking towards the living room while I walked into my room to rest for some time feeling tired.

However, I didn't know my answer kind of triggered a thought she got after her conversation with my senior because in the evening I had to cough while drinking water after hearing her words.

"Wh... what?" I asked in a shocked tone.

"I know I shouldn't get involved in your decisions, but at present I am the only adult who wishes to see you happy. You are still young and I don't want you to spend your life like this. I am doing that for so many years and I don't want you to lead the same life. Even Elisha would want a father figure." She replied holding my hands.

"But..." she cut me off saying, "So much has happened in your life because of my son and I really don't want to part from my granddaughter. But, I can't think selfishly when you have a long life to lead."

"I can see Dr. Rohit caring for you and you both know each other. I am not saying he should be the one, but just think in that direction and I can find other matches too. Even James wanted you to lead a happy life."

"Mom! Stop it." Jasmine suddenly whispered tugging on her shoulders and stared over my shoulder.

I turned to see him standing near the kitchen door with an empty glass in his hand. He stared at me in silence for the next few minutes before glancing down and walked away.

"How can you say these things, Mom? Bhai is now hurt because of you." Jasmine complained while I continued to stare at his back.

"I don't want to hurt him, but I can't let her live like this for my son's sake too, right? They both have to move on." she pointed out and I turned back to stare at her.

"Aunty! Thank you for thinking about my happiness and I am not offended that you took this into your hands. But Senior is no where near to the point to even think him as anything else other than as my guide. If he was, then I wouldn't have got swayed to any things and happily get settled with him. And about other matches, I am not ready to even think about someone with whom I can spend my life with. I may wish for it later, but that is not now." I assured her smiling.

"And if I feel you are making me stay here against my wishes, then I can always go to Lonavla as my senior already offered to take me back to that place." I added and her expression wavered hearing those words.

"He asked you to transfer?" she asked and this time her expression is not so favorable towards him.

I smiled, knowing well this will happen. James has been right as always because he said Elisha and I will be kind of replaced with him. I am not saying their affection is fake because if it was then she wouldn't say all these things right now.

It's just even if she says those things, she wouldn't be able to bear to part with us. I sighed, shaking my head and dinner finished without his presence as he had a video conference and asked for the food to be brought to his study room.

"Business trip? For how many days?" Aunty asked, frowning at him as he suddenly talked about it during breakfast the next day.

"I will be back this weekend. There is an important meeting with one of the clients and I think it is better if I attend it personally." He mumbled finishing his breakfast before walking into my room saying he wants to say goodbye to Elisha.

"He will miss her too much." Jasmine mumbled from my side and I nodded unconsciously.

I have seen spend as much time as he can everyday and this is the first time he is going away for a business trip as I heard him saying he is not going to involve in out of station meetings. So, this is a surprise to all of us.

"Maybe because of yesterday?" Jasmine asked, looking at us.

"I shouldn't have talked about it when he was in the home." Aunty sighed shaking her head.

"You didn't do it wantedly." I mumbled getting up after eating and walked into my room when he still didn't stepped out as I need to get ready for work.

I stopped moving closer when I found him sitting on the bed while holding her in his arms as if this is the last time he will meet her.

"It's just for a few days." I mumbled, walking towards the mirror to get ready.

"I am just trying to train myself so that I will not be lost when you either shift to that place or get..." he trailed off but I already know he is talking about my supposed marriage.

"So, you will be just missing Elisha if either of that happens?" after saying those words without thinking I nearly slapped my mouth.

What am I even thinking? How can I say that? I definitely lost my mind and there is no cure for sure. I frowned while continuing to braid my hair and gasped, feeling his hands surrounding me.

"It is killing me, Palak. I am actually running away before I act something worse towards you. I didn't want you to hate me more than you already do. Is... is there no chance to escape from all this? Is there no chance for... I don't think I will be able to bear it." He tightened his hug and I don't know what to react hearing those words or his actions.

"I want to pull you into me so that you don't leave me, Palak. I am not in my right mind, right?" he asked in a shaky tone.

"I... I..." I closed my eyes not getting any words to say after hearing the desperation behind the words.

I never thought I would see him behaving him like this and I don't know what to even say. Should I scold him or comfort him?

What do I actually want to do? And my hand subconsciously started patting his harms around me while letting him hold for some time. I don't know whether it is five or ten minutes or more, but I didn't push him away.

What else do you want, Palak? Isn't everything going as you planned to take revenge on him? Then why are you feeling so moved hearing his words? Why?

----------------------------------

Kind of short one but next one will be soon...

Guys stay home and stay safe from this corona virus... Take care of yourself and your peers by following the protocols from the government and also the self protocols... As a person we definitely know what's right and what's wrong and ust follow it... Many people depend on the decisions you make because of this dangerous pandemic... Plz stay safe...

How is the chap???

comment plz and vote...