Once someone's hurt you, it's harder to relax around them, harder to think of them as safe to love. But it doesn't stop you from wanting them.

Annika read the quote, tagged it in the daily paper within no seconds the paper was crumpled and thrown away. Coincidentally, it precisely harmonized with her life. She dreamed for her mother, a mother who would stay by her in all difficulties, a mother she would love to the core. But what she hoped was never fulfilled. Fate had different plans.

Her heart ached when she pretended to hate her mother, she would never wish to do so. Nevertheless, her deserted life didn't even benefit her. When her mother came searching her, deep inside she felt delighted reasoning that at least someone was thinking of her other than her beloved husband.

Pushing her thoughts aways, she walked into her aunt's house jostling the curtains off from her face. Her lips stretched into a huge smile, seeing her younger brother Sahil solving a math problem. She softly stepped to him and sat beside looking at him. His soft curls sloped on his forehead and time by the time he constantly tugged them, facing problems in his vision.

"Sahil." He looked at her with amusement layering him. Without wasting any time, he jumped on her wrapping his arms around her body.

"Gadha. Get down, she is not supposed to carry a tonne" Chachi Ji walked into the picture with a few clothes in her hands, folded neatly and ready to set in the Almira. Sahil pouted as his mother called him a donkey and specifically commented on his weight.

"Sahil, tum kitne pyaare ho" Annika fondly pinched his cheeks as he got down from her and illustrated a huge grin seeing her.

"Sahil go play with your friends. You are always inside, should mingle with others. Go" Chachi Ji pushed her son out. Sahil glared at his mother for shoving him away from the conversation they were supposed to have.

"Didi, SSO?" He asked looking around to find him, perhaps, none was viewed other than Annika.

"He will come next time. He fell from stairs and hurt his legs, he is resting." Annika ruffled his soft curls while answering him happily. Annika hated lying, but could she reveal the actual reason. You're jiju self-harmed and is recovering. It was nonsense.

"Thek hein vo?" Sahil inquired listening to her. "Ha. He is fine. He sent you a cake he baked for you." She passed him a plastic packet, which was trapped in a brown paper bag.

"Thank you much, didi." He squealed and jumped gaily looking at the packet.

In these few days, this was her genuine smile. Her life was twisted. And every turn was waiting for her. But with Sahil, she was once again a free bird without any responsibility to remember. She was herself, with him. The smile spread on his face was so authentic that she wished to smile like him.

"Go play." Like an obedient child, Sahil ran put not before stuffing a piece of cake in his mouth.

Just one glimpse at Annika, Monali her aunt had understood the unsaid words stirring in her heart. Annika was an open book all her life, anybody could read her. It didn't need some special powers to do so. When she would be happy she would spread with her surrounding the same but the exact wasn't with her sorrow. She did mostly hide all of the time. She was specifically a queen. As a Queen, she turned her pain and sorrows into her strengths.

"Was I wrong? Was I scared of how I will be as a mother or scared that I would turn out like my mother?" Monali didn't understand either the tail or head of her words. Perhaps she didn't show that and tried keeping a blank face.

"I'm having a second thoughts about my decision. Was I wrong when I wished wellness for my unborn child? I wanted a safe environment." Chachi Ji couldn't help but reach her out and console. Sensing her Annika hugged her tightly and cried.

None of the soothing words calmed her. Ever since her husband was dragged into the police station she hadn't cried her heart. More than Shivaay she was bottling her emotions, yet she pretended to stay strong only for him.

"I should have handled it better. I should have informed him. I'm such a bad mother, I am the same as my mother. At least she left me to live but what I did wasn't acceptable. It was like murdering an innocent soul." Hearing Annika's words she had tears pooled in her eyes. She was herself surprised regarding her behaviour, she was reincarnated version of Cinderella's stepmother.

"Nahi Annika. You might be wrong, but it was all about a safe environment. Just imagine even if the child was born, he or she would have seen so much in life. The baby deserved the best. This is what most mothers would have done." Chachi Ji gently wiped her tears with her dupatta and asked her to relax.

"But it's was our most wanted child. I just feel heartbroken for Shivaay. He missed a chance of being a father." Annika mumbled unable to hold her gazes with her aunt.

"Main jante hoon.  It's over. Let's overcome together. I'm here, Shivaay hai, Khanna hai. Saab log milkar fight karenge. I know he understands your decision, your state of mind." Annika laid her lap and shut her eyes feeling her aunt's rough fingers on her skin.

Never in these years, she felt suffocated. But with Chachi Ji, she felt safe. Like a mother. But the irony is, she wasn't her mother, her mother was busy settling her life when she was struggling for the mere lively hood.

.

"Sir after de-freezing his accounts for two days. We have received a lead in this." Akash Kamath recited. Arjun looked quite surprised with the newfound information.

"What is it?" Arjun asked looking at the photos laid on his tables. Those were the pictures of spots where the accident had occurred.

"Two hundred thousand has been withdrawn from his account. Yesterday night 12:43, the date 10/02/2022 at Army junction, Noida." Mahira pulled out the bank summary and passed it to him.

"So he is alive. I want the best team to go and investigate in Noida." Nodding at him both Akash and Mahira headed out with their head high.

Arjun was reasonably surprised. Tej was considerably alive. At least after checking into his accounts, he was. But he didn't know his condition. How was he? Where was he till on this date? There were many questions to be answered and only then the truth will be out. He trusts his team led by Akash.

.

"Maa Ji, what makes you come here?" Anuradha asked Kalyani. The old lady walked the hall and reached her. The only thought Anuradha had was about her daughters.

"I wanted to meet you. I found that you are my granddaughter in law's mother." Kalyani gave a smile before settling down opposite her.

Anuradha whirled around and anxiously glanced the hall, looking for her brother in law. After talking with Shivaay she was even scared to talk to her brother in law. Learning that he was Tej's best friend and also his legal advisor didn't even help her uneasy mind.

Pushing her thoughts away she greeted the guest formally. She asked her and their family well-being hoping that Kalyani would leave but it seemed like the woman in front didn't even think of moving out.

"May I ask you a question." She asked the elderly woman. Kalyani's eyes narrow at her but still allowed her to move on.

"Why didn't you accept my daughter Annika? Even when Shivaay had rectified his faults." Kalyani opened her mouth and closed again, not knowing how to form words

"What's the difference between Gauri and Annika? Mere beti ne kya kiya hai? I know both are my daughters and I am not one-sided but I need to know." Anuradha was firm with her words, she knew that she was wrong once but she couldn't stand against her daughter.

"Tum nahin jaanate ki mere pote ne kya kiya tha. He was wrong." The seventh sense in her knew that she was equally untrue. But she couldn't oversee her grandson's actions. He wasn't supposed to do like that, who doesn't respect women. He acted against what she taught. Her ideology, principles and ethics on her beliefs.

"Maa Ji I know he did wrong. As elders, we can only wish for their well-being but when have already decided on their life, we can't stand against it. Shivaay had gladly accepted my daughter, how come you didn't? Anyway, leave that. Maa Ji milane ke vajah?" Kalyani was left stupefied. Never that this thought entered into her mind.

"Gauri said you both had stayed back after the incident. She was too depressed after and wanted to speak to you. She thinks you are favouring her a bit." Kalyani gave a sympathetic smile.

"Both are my daughters. I'm not one siding any. Gauri has you all, she has a shoulder over to cry but Annika. She is in a much horrible situation than we can imagine. I know she hates me but I can't repeat the same."

*****
NO PROOF

Finally hello. <3.
Tej is probably alive. The team is behind him, searching for him in Noida.

What are your thoughts? What about Anuradha's sceptical behaviour deeming her brother in law Dinesh Bajaj. Tej's best friend.

:-P