Riya looked at the once full of life, bubbly, chirpy girl she knew lying on the bed looking pale with dark circles circling beneath her beautiful eyes yet she looked tranquil. Soothing, serene, and beautiful like snow-covered scenery. Even with the drip connected to her right arm along with the machine monitoring her pulse and heart rate.

But Riya couldn't quite throw out her accusing words from her mind. "You shot me, " seem to ring in her mind. Again and again.

And no matter, how much she racked her mind trying to find the source of the accusation. She couldn't. She just drew blank. She couldn't remember a single incidence from the past two or so years in which she crossed paths with Khushi.

So when and where did she shot Khushi? And Khushi was still calling her Lav, not Riya. So, it kind of seemed absolutely impossible to her.

"Bhabi- it's time for dinner, "

The soft call from her dearest brother-in-law drew Riya away from her ransacking.

"Nav! I think I'll have dinner here. I don't think we should leave her alone after what happened?" Riya said softly smiling at a concerned Arnav. She always loved him the best.

"I can stay here while you go and eat," Arnav offered immediately frowning and Riya felt her lips curl in a soft smile. Always the considerate one, she thought fondly as she got up from the stool she was perched on besides Khushi's bed and walked up to Arnav.

"I don't think that'll be a very good idea, Nav"

"Why?" He asked almost petulantly and Riya felt this almost intense urge to ruffle his hairs. His soft unkept curls looking quite like a cute bird nest and she gave in, ruffling his hairs like she always did.

"Because my dear Nav, we don't know how she'll react. You've seen what happened earlier and another such fit can be fatal for her, " Riya explained patiently, gently treading her fingers through his thick curls.

"But she knows we don't mean her any harm now, doesn't she?" He asked her looking all lost and confused, his brows squeezed together in an analyzing frown. She knew all too well.

From the days, they had spent together with his head on her lap asking questions, unloading his burdens, and sharing his problems while she gently massaged his scalp with coconut oil. Answered his queries, soothed his doubts, and reassured him that everything will turn out for the best.

And like all those times with a smile, she answered his questions.

"Because my dearest, Nav. We can't be sure whether she remembers the morning incidence or not, "

"It's..."

"Unfair, I know, " Riya completed his sentence patting his cheeks lovingly.

Arnav just looked displeased with the whole thing and more so, for not finding any loophole in her words that could help him in sending her to have her dinner.

Smiling, well aware of the notion of his thoughts. Riya ordered him in her best motherly tone "Now go and have your dinner before Dhriti bhabi have to come up and drag you down, "

"But..., "

"No buts Nav, it's rare for all of us to be here together. Don't waste the chance, go and have the dinner with your brothers, "

"Okay, Bhabi ma, " he grumbled unhappily as he left the room following her orders, leaving her with her thoughts again. 

Riya had known Arnav since he was an awkwardly lanky twelve-year-old left with her and she had seen him slowly grow and be comfortable in his own body. She had mothered him since those days and knowing she won't ever be a mother herself. Her love for him had just vastened. She had always cared for him and she will always.

The thoughts of children drew her attention back to the girl lying in front of her. The first time, she met this girl—she thought of her, as nothing but an overly chirpy, bubbly, extrovert sunshine. Who couldn't live without speaking, never, not even once she felt threatened by the existence of one Khushi Gupta.

On the contrary, she found her quite cute like a fluffy ball of unlimited energy cute and as threatening as a baby poodle. After all, Khushi was about nine years younger than her and the ethics classes from Khushi were truly quite hilarious.

She loved questioning Khushi with a "why" after her every sentence. Loved asking her why we moved the prayer plate in a certain way? Why this was done like this and not that? Why should we pray?

She had rained a series of why's on the poor young girl and watched as her expression scrunching up in irritation. She found it quite hilarious when Khushi will always answer her with a—cause it's supposed to be so and continue with the training.

She couldn't quite believe that someone as curious as Khushi hadn't pestered her parents with such questions in childhood and maybe Khushi was given the answer, she is giving Riya now. 

Still, Riya had enjoyed her time spent with Khushi. She had loved the little girl and didn't feel even a little insecure from her. She didn't feel at any disadvantage from the girl until the girl stood in front of her as the wife of her groom.

And Riya doesn't think, she could ever describe what she felt than in words ever. There was heartbreak, betrayal, anger, and every other type of emotion she doesn't want to feel ever. At that time, she was both furious and heartbroken.

Her fiance stood with a girl she thought of as a little sister and child as his wife on their engagement day. She was livid and broken. She had felt the crowd stirred with anticipation, hoping to catch a brilliant fight and all she could think of doing at that moment was to gather her dignity and leave.

She won't ever put up a show for anyone and she had done just that. She had placed the ring in Khushi's hand wished a dry "happy married life, " and left from there. 

In retrospection, it was all her fault. She shouldn't have fallen for a suspect. She shouldn't have made an emotional connection with a suspect and above all, the relationship wouldn't have worked. It was meant to break. They weren't made to be.  

"Dinner, Riya"

The soft call of Siddhant fractured her train of thoughts and she smiled softly at his direction taking the plate from his hand.

"Had yours?" She questioned him, digging into hers.

"Yes, Nav wanted to bring it for you but bhabi won't let him leave until he had his, "  Sid spoke fondly and she couldn't help but chuckle imagining the scene.

Her dear Nav can be quite stubborn when he wanted to be.

"What do you think will happen when she wakes up?" Sid asked her again quite somberly this time fiddling with his thumbs, staring outside.

"Well, I'll talk to her and try to learn everything that happened. Our speculations have to come to an end, after all" She asked him, shrugging nonchalantly.
She didn't want to dwell on the topic he really wanted to talk about.

"Shouldn't we tell..." He couldn't even complete his whole statement as Riya had started shaking her head quite feverishly in negative.

"She's unstable, Sid." Riya reminded Sid of the evident. Khushi was clearly unstable. Whatever happened a few hours ago, it was just adrenaline speaking but what will happen when the adrenaline ceased and it all crashed down on her? What will happen when she'll have no other option to process and deal with what really happened with her?

What will happen then?

Everything she knows, everything she thought, and everything familiar to her will change. Riya is well aware that her family doesn't want to do anything with her. Her parental family. They didn't want to even hear her name and Riya can predict knowing what happened with Khushi they'll wish she died. So, contacting them was out of option.

So, how will Khushi deal with it all?

Living here with pure strangers. How will Khushi cope? With all these changes Riya totally thinks it's not the right time to tell her anything. It's not the right time to talk about the past and future. Not until Khushi manages to pull herself together. They shouldn't tell her anything until she becomes mentally strong enough to handle it.

"But after what happened," Sid protested with a frown not agreeing with Riya, just yet.

"Yes, after what happened before it won't do us any good if she loses control, Sid. Lethal Drugs are flowing through her veins and didn't you say, her body couldn't bear a repeat telecast of today, " Riya reminded Sid frowning, her dinner forgotten momentarily.

"Yes, sigh, you're right, Ri" Sid rubbed his eyes worriedly. Something was eating him from inside.  "It's just Nav already seems so attached to her, " Sid finished frowning.

"We will keep him away from her then, "  Riya decided.

"It won't be easy, he seemed quite determined, " Sid said warily. He could feel a headache coming. God, why couldn't be the circumstances a little easier?

"I'll order him not too. He won't ignore my orders, " Riya sighed tired herself. She hated ordering Arnav.

"Saesha said, Khushi was having hallucinations, " Sid added.

"Geez, why am not surprised?" Riya muttered almost sarcastically and Sid passed her a small smile as he left the room, making sure Riya really wanted to stay here keeping vigil beside the sleeping Khushi's bedside.

Bidding Sid good night. Riya sat there with her tab, reading. She needed to get some work done after all. It was quite late at night when a loud gasp drew her attention to the girl on the bed. The girl on the bed staring at her with wide terrified hazel orbs.

"Lavanya, " Khushi croaked in a throaty tone. Her throat felt as dry as the Sahara desert.

Ignoring the alias name used and the terror in the girl's eyes. Riya held a pristine glass of clear water to Khushi's lips. And watched, totally unsurprised as the girl gulped down the whole glass of water.

Khushi's eyes still held traces of fear and Riya decided, no one will look pleased watching the person who shot them, even if it might be imaginary.

"Lavanya, " Khushi's hoarse address held the confusion expressed by her face.

"Riya, my name is Riya" Riya cleared, not missing the confusion still lingering in her eyes.

" But you...Lavanya...Lavanya, you" Khushi's words came out all incoherent. She looked so confused and out of her depths. It made Riya feel all bad even though it wasn't really her fault.

"It was just a cover. I'm Riya, Riya Rawte. How are you feeling now?" Riya questioned her softly letting warmth flow through her words.

"I really don't know but a cover, why???" Khushi asked her looking confused, hurt, and strangely alert. Well, as alert as a confounded person could be.

Riya didn't need to answer the question as even in her confounded state. Khushi made the connections. Well, if what happened to her didn't happen and she didn't really know the real face of some people. She would have never understood why Riya needed to be there undercover.

"You didn't find anything did you?" Khushi's question was sad. She felt sad if Riya had succeeded in her mission then Khushi wouldn't have ended up like this.

"I'm sorry, the lead seemed to be wrong" Riya admitted. It was a rare occurrence. Generally, she never admits her failure to someone but she couldn't help but admit this to the girl who bear the burnt of her failure.

"It was Aryaman, wasn't it?" Khushi's words could totally be the rustle of winds. For they were mumbled as softly and as inconspicuously as the passing winds.

"Yes, he was the lead but he isn't one of them. It was a dead end. A failure, " Riya sighed that mission really was a failure for her. She wants to throw down the memories of that mission in a pond tied with large stones. So, that it can't ever resurface.

"Everything was fake then," Khushi asked her almost bitterly. Lately, everything turns out to be fake in her life. And she kinda didn't know what to do with that.

"Everything besides the feelings, they were real, very real" Riya admitted, hurt flashing momentarily in her eyes before being masked by indifference immediately, as a mocking smile graced her lips.

"Umm...So, I'm still your friend?" Khushi asked her intoxicatedly.

A question she won't have asked at all if she was in a coherent state. She would have remained silent or asked her about life?

"Yes, you're" Riya answered softly. Khushi always was a kid to her. A child.

"So you will help me right, you will support me and punish them," Khushi asked her uncertainly, innocently.

"It's not that easy..." Riya began thinking about the whole process but watching the cloud of despair descending on Khushi. She discarded complete honesty and the long tedious process to reach justice and went with the feelings. The truth of the actions and not processes.

"Always" Riya promised sincerely,  her eyes analyzing Khushi's behavior noting everything especially the terror in Khushi's eyes.

"You're a good friend, Lavanya Ji" Khushi didn't seem to notice her slip of tongue and Riya didn't correct her this time as she commanded her softly.

"Sleep, "

"I...I don't want to be alone," Khushi whispered terrified as sleep took her under its wings.

"You won't be," Riya promised watching the desperation mixed with fear in her eyes before they closed.

∆

Khushi woke up again to the white and blue surroundings of the unknown hospital-like room.

Lavanya..No....Riya, she reminded her medicine induced mind loomed over her. Looking at her with apologetic eyes and all she could think was what now?

"Did they find her?"

"Did someone die?"

"Does Riya's husband not want her here?"

She was, after all, a stranger to him. A stranger who hurt his brothers. Shit. Khushi thought panicking remembering hitting and biting the Doctor guy. God, they really must not want her here, after that.

"Sorry, " Khushi rasped out afraid.

Roya just gave her a look that screamed "what for, "

"Your brother..." Khushi began but Riya cut her off again.

"No need for that sweetheart. Well, you know Saesha right?" Riya asked her pointing towards Saesha standing towards the window.

Khushi nodded all confused. What is  Saesha doing here? She thought looking at Riya yet afraid to ask her this. Riya ignored her look and continued with her statement.

"I'm sorry, I've to leave immediately. Work emergency. Saesha will stay with you, all day. Alright, and she'll introduce you to the family and don't worry alright. You're safe here" Riya said everything in a single breath amusing and surprising Khushi at the same time. Why did she stay when she needed to leave urgently??

Did Riya stay for her?? But why?? No one ever stays for her when she needs them?? She always wakes up alone after facing challenging trails. She had learned to be alone but why did Riya stay??

It can't be because Riya thought her to be her friend, a friend who snatched away her fiance. Khushi thought almost bitterly. Oh! How she wishes, she never met the Raizada's and yet, here Riya stayed with her even when she needed to leave for work urgently.

"You didn't need to stay and personally inform me about this. You should have left." Khushi whispered quite not meeting Riya's eyes. She doesn't think she can after everything

"I needed to trust me, now I gotta go. And Khushi you are safe here. You always will be" stating so Riya disappeared out of the room like a gentle wind.

Making Khushi feel strangely comfortable considering everything.

~to be continued~

So, hello everyone. Here's the next update. I know not much enlightening but it won't feel much good if the mysterious vibes disappeared all of sudden.

And I know this chapter was mainly in Riya's pov but I want to establish the different characters first and Arnav from different pov's. For Arnav isn't the show Arnav, he is different. Not a shrewd businessman but a shielded boy yet with the burden of the world on his shoulder.

How?

To know more about this new family. Keep on reading.

And don't forget to vote and comment.