"Annika...are you free on Saturday? We have Bhoomi puja before the construction starts." Shivaay started buttering her up in the hope of pacifying her.

"First concentrate on the present then we will talk about it." Annika shushed him and walked past him to the alter. Shivaay groaned at her answer but still followed her.

He was happy that the doctor had recommended removing the cast on his foot. He felt again as normal; walking the same with arrogance dripping. The sensation was nostalgia.

"Akdu" Annika mumbled as she glanced him over her shoulders. Shivaay drifted his eyes from the newly wedded couple Khanna and Mitali who were following the rituals the priest asked them to his wife. She was huffing-puffing with anger; it was all because of him. He pulled his lower lip out and pouted hearing her.

"I'm not akdu. I'm a good boy." He self pated and beamed with innocence. It was only till she glared at him, and as a reflex action, he raised his hands in surrender.

"You just accept that you are scared of dogs and cats." She gave a stink eye to him. He twisted the ends of his mouth before answering her back with the same attitude.

"I'm not scared of kittens but puppies are different...you know what I mean." Annika laughed hearing his lame excuses for not wanting a pet.

Shivaay was awestruck with her pearl white sets are she started laughing. He was rooted to the spot looking at her laugher, the moment felt so serene that he wanted the time to stop. And also gawk at her. Annika snapped her fingers in front, making him turn out of his thoughts. She shook her head seeing him scrape his nape in embarrassment.

"Baby, please join me in the inauguration. Please" Shivaay pulled out his best puppy face, while she looked away not to melt seeing him.

"Call me again baby, I will break your handsome jaw." She cringed hearing him giving her a pet name. Which she felt too filmy, cheesy and also dumb at the same time. Shivaay gave a toothy grin hearing her threaten.

"Fine, Gabbar Byko" he whispered coming near her ears, and as a response, she rolled her eyes.

"Byko? I never knew that my husband had mastery in the Marathi language." She raised her eyebrows in a questioning manner.

"Born and brought up here." He pulled the collar of his sherwani in a proud. "Please come naa..." He again requested.

"I would come only if I get a pet. Even a hamster is fine." Annika patted his cheeks before passing a huge fake plastered smile. Shivaay rolled his eyes watching her repeat, all the same, she said at home.

"Vaadhu aur vaar apne maa baap se ashirwad le." They both diverted their concentration from their bickering to the newly wedded couple, where both were taking the blessing from Mitali's parents.

.

"Badhaee ho. Bhagvan aane wale bachche ko ashirwad de." Bhavya smiled brightly as dadi placed her palms on her head, blessing her.

"Rudra congratulations." Omkara congratulated his younger brother happily. Rudra glowed as all congratulated him and his wife. After many days something was happening worth, and he was happy about it.

"What about your work? Are you taking leave or having a volunteer retirement?" Gauri raised her brows and asked bitterly. Omkara scowled at her glaring at her to stop her nonsense.

"Bhabi, I will be working in the station head office looking into the paper works for still a few months and then I will apply for maternity leave," Bhavya answered the unknown question while elongating it.

"Take rest." Jhanvi walked out of the room, after congratulating the couple. Kalyani shook her head in disappointment and followed her.

Ever since her meet with Shivaay in the hospital, Jhanvi was engrossed in her thoughts. Her silence, her behavioural change with Gauri was visible to all but Kalyani decided to give her own time. Perhaps after many days, she was the same, this scared her a lot. Deciding to talk with her, she heeded her to her room.

"Are you not happy?" She asked looking at her daughter in law, who was deep in her thoughts ignoring her surrounding.

"No. I'm happy" Jhanvi forced a tight-lipped smile and turned to look out of the window. Kalyani furrowed her eyebrows at her answer and settled beside her.

"What's worrying you Jhanvi puttar?" Kalyani asked softly watching her tear-filled eyes.

"I was thinking of Shivaay." She pulled out of her mother in law's grip and sat facing her.

"What happened? When I conversed with him also, he didn't respond like normal. I have lost my grandson after losing my younger son and daughter-in-law." Kalyani's face fell remembering her younger son.

"Mummy Ji, you know Annika was pregnant back then." As the words slipped out from her mouth Kalyani stayed shocked. Her eyes went wide and she attempted to speak but the voice never came.

"He said when I met him after his hospitalisation. He explained to me how he felt seeing Misha-" She couldn't continue her sentence and hence abruptly cried unable to speak more.

"He said he yearned for his mother. I looked at him as my son, he said I was not his mother." Jhanvi pulled her lower lips between her teeth to stop her sobs.

Whereas Kalyani had different expressions. When she met Annika's mother she didn't understand why she was emphasising their pains and as she said 'they have suffered more than we think' hearing these words she didn't have any idea regarding it, back then. But now hearing Jhanvi, all dots were connected. She realised a lot with a few words.

"So this is the reason he tried harming himself." Kalyani cried imaging his reaction. She shut her wrinkled eyes and allowed the warm teardrop to roll down her cheeks.

"Annika ne bataya nahi." Kalyani wiped her damp cheeks and asked curiously wanting to know how and why she did that.

"We never spared a few minutes on her. We all were here itself, yet had no idea. We didn't even notice her absence. Were we so involved in the mourning that we ignored her?" Kalyani didn't have any answers to her questions. Once similarly she was proved to be wrong.

"I'm not scared because of their reaction to Bhavya's pregnancy. I know my son, he will not show his pain to us. But I'm sad that I couldn't stay with them." Jhanvi mumbled before burning her face into her mother in law's neck. Kalyani herself was drained but still patted her back to comfort her.

Once again the room was filled with muffled sobs. Both were uncontrollable. On one side Jhanvi was crying for her son, whom she considered her own. No matter how today relation is, previously all his childhood he was distant from all but not with her. On another side Kalyani stayed mum, rewinding her interactions with Annika. Remembering her rude behaviour only because she was married to Shivaay, she sobbed. Without a doubt, Annika was best however the way Shivaay and Annika got married hurt her soul a lot.

They were brought to the present from their thoughts when they heard the vase breaking. Jhanvi stood up and walked to the door to inspect but there was none. Wiping her tears she returned.

.

"Myself Akash and this is my wife Mahira. We are family relatives of the patient in room no. 1903" Akash smiled leaning to the desk while speaking to the receptionist in the hospital.

"Sorry, sir none of his relatives has visited him in 3 months. From day one." The receptionist answered overlooking the information on the computer in front of her.

Mahira frowned at her but decided to stay quiet and let Akash handle the situation. In the meanwhile, she took her time in checking out the surrounding, the walls were white perhaps damned indicating that it immediately needed a new coating of wall paint. The hospital wasn't too large and was just beside the Army premise.

"Come let's move" She was back from her observation when Akash spoke. He was stuffing his professional Id in his pocket. Nodding at him, she started walking ahead with him.

"Look he is there." Mahira pointed to the figure lying on the bed when they barged into one of the wards.

"Ask Abdulla to guard the room," Akash ordered Mahira earning a nod from her and moved forward looking for any information around.

He walked the corridor, passing many patients to meet the doctor in charge of the patient.

"Hello, Doctor I'm Akash and I need room no. 1903 patient's health report." He confidently entered the cabin and sat in front of the doctor, who was busy looking into some file.

"Sorry. We don't leak patients information." The doctor smiled formally and gestured to him to move out of the cabin.

"Even for CBI?" Akash pulled his id and showed him, especially the department badge.

"Yes sir. One minute." The doctor answered sincerely. Within no moment he started looking at the file on his shelves and also called one of the nurses to help him.

"The patient is undergoing dialysis. One of his kidneys isn't working sufficiently to remove toxic. I have recommended him to visit a renowned doctor in Delhi. On a serious note, he had a gunshot in his abdomen."

"How long is he here? Who removed the bullet?" Akash asked urgently.

"Not too long Sir. He is here for approximately 3-4 months. About the gunshot, he was already treated."

"Any guardian?"

"There is a man. He comes once a month to pay bills." The doctor answered with a shivering tone.

"Can you identify?"

"Yes Sir."

*****
Hello peeps.
One chapter, many twists. I hope you like it.

Firstly, Bhavya and Rudra are parents to be.
Secondly, Jhanvi and Kalyani had the heart to heart talk, and in the process, someone heard. But we don't know who it is? Who might it be? Thirdly, Akash and Mahira are in action. Maybe Tej. *No idea*
:-P