Rajshree had always been a little too soft and a little too worried about almost everything in life, but loosing her daughter, her Akshara entirely unexpected had grounded her in too many ways, majorly teaching her that worrying would get her nowhere. What's fated would happen either way. And she had then taught herself to be stronger, especially when she had realized that her granddaughter Naira would often seek her mother in her. She had thus helped Naira and subsequently Kartik in every way she could, going to extreme lengths for the couple and help them solve out their differences to even showing Swarna the mirror when she just wouldn't stop blaming Naira.

But when Devyani had requested her to take in Mishti and she had brought the heart broken teenager home after that, all of that had again changed. She had again started being worried about anything and everything, and she had known why.

In Mishti, she always saw the ever so visible shadow of Akshara.

And the fact that Mishti was bewitched with her Taiji, so much so that she would listen more to Akshara than her mother, so much so that the little girl would miss Akshara so much more than everyone else, painfully so and probably them being Akshara's family was the reason Mishti had accepted them all so whole heartedly - Rajshree and Visambhar both have known it, had made Rajshree a little more attached to Mishti than she was to any of her other children.

But today as she stood by the pillar of the temple she religiously visited, her eyes focused on his tall figure sitting on the opposite pillar, his knees drawn to his chest and his eyes focused on the holy idol of his partner, but a forlorn look clouding them, Rajshree realised there was no body more like her Akshara then Abir, her heera.

No matter how much Akshara had done for her family, she had been on the receiving end of heartache a bit too many times. Even though the Singhaniyas were good people, and she could not have asked for a better husband for her daughter than Naitik,  she still couldn't deny that time and again, her very loved ones had caused Akshara immense pain.

Abir's fate seemed like the worse version of Akshara to her, for Akshara still had the support she needed in someone or the else at every point, but Abir had been left alone to deal with the weight he had been carrying around, simply because he didn't bother to complain, or maybe because no body paid enough attention to him to notice how he had been crumbling on the insides.

Nobody but Mishti, Rajshree sighed at the thought, nobody understood him like Mishti did - and now she could clearly see the devastation Mishti's absence in the last few months had caused Abir. She cursed herself too, for she had met him every week religiously, at this very temple, and yet failed to see through him.

The vibration of her phone broke her chain of thoughts and she hurriedly picked it up.

"Yes....Yes come up, I am inside", she spoke into the phone and a few minutes later watched Mishti run up the stairs. She was panting by the time she reached her Badi Maa, but her eyes didn't stop at her at all, she immediately began to scan through the temple to find that one person she had been restless to see since morning.

Rajshree saw the case Mishti was tightly clasping in one hand over what seemed a red coloured diary, and took a step forward to pat her shoulder. Mishti tore her gaze from Abir and looked at her Badi Maa, her eyes filling immediately. Rajshree shook her head and lovingly gestured her to go ahead.

"Talk and take whatever time you need, but I am taking both my children home by the end of this", she stated in a firm tone and Mishti found herself nodding tearfully yet happy.

Walking to the side Abir was sitting, Mishti kneeled down beside him and kept one hand on his shoulder. Abir simply tilted his head, not at all surprised.

"Like always, you found me", his words came out in a whisper, but it made her chuckle.

"Ofcourse, what did you think? I take my responsibilities very seriously. You called me your 'Chand' remember, and the moon always finds it's way home", she settled down beside him properly and rested her head on his shoulder, looping her arm around his. Abir immediately relaxed and rested his head over her, their only companion the silence between them.

Some time passed when Mishti finally spoke.

"Abir once you had told me, 'Khamoshi bhi bahut kuch khti hai, bus sunna aana chahiye' remember?", She sat upright and looked at him while he stole his gaze away, "Tumhari khamoshi me bhi mujhe Tumhari cheekhein sunai de rhi h Abir", her words seemed to not only stump him, but they also were the final blow that brought down all his defenses as a few tears finally escaped his beautiful sad eyes and rolled down. Mishti scooted closer and cupped his face, and Abir rested his hands over hers, holding them. He looked like an abandoned child who had no idea what to do next.

"I don't know Mishti, I don't know what to do anymore, how to do anymore. I feel like I have reached a dead end in life", he whimpered, leaning into her touch, and Mishti's heart broke at the sheer helplessness in his voice, "the walls of that house seem to suffocate me. I can't breathe there - it feels like such a huge task and I have no energy", Abir broke down, "Everytime I see Maa my heart clenches so painfully I can't explain Mishti. Why did she do that to me? Why can't she love me like mothers are supposed to do? Like Badi Maa loves you?", He sobbed into her touch, shaking his head, "I spent so many years yearning for my father, hoping and praying for him to come and hug me once - so that I can feel at home, so that this constant craving is removed from my heart - but he chose to hurt me in the place I know I would never recover from. Why?", He trembled at the intensity of his own words and Mishti immediately pulled him closer, letting her dress soak in his tears.

She now understood why he was behaving so aloof, so detached. She knew that feeling - it's almost an existential crisis - the realization that both your parents have something more important than you in life, that they would not stop to snatch and crumble your happiness for their own benefit.

It also brought her the sinking realization of why Abir was so reluctant to meet Badi Maa and Bade Papa again too - more than his guilt of hurting them, it was his fear of them being angry with him. She knew he saw them like his own parents, and it would break the last bit of his heart if those two too pushed him away, especially now.

Mishti's silence on the other hand petrified Abir more. He clutched her hands tighter as he broke the hug and looked into her eyes, while she was taken aback at his sudden move.

"Mishti I know I have hurt you more, I broke your heart and your trust and that's completely my fault. Maine toh partner se chand manga tha unhone mujhe pura aasman diya, bus mai hi use sambhal k nhi rakh paya. Mutthi khuli rah gyi aur aasaman fisal gya", Abir hiccuped and gulped the lump in his throat, while Mishti sensing the fear and urgency in his words began shaking her head, trying to tell him she was there with him but he didn't seem to listen or understand as he blabbered in his own zone, "but please Mishti, give me one more chance, I promise I will make it up to you. I promise I would never ever let you down again but Mishti please, do not leave me alone", Abir pleaded, his hold on her hands only getting tighter.

A distant echo of Abir's words back from the day of their Goddhana rang in Mishti's mind.

"toh aur kya sochu Mishti? Jisse bhi mai pyar karta hu wo ya toh mujhe chodd kar chala jata hai ya mujhe manipulate karta hai. Mai aur Kya sochu?"

His cries broke her trance and Mishti moved closer and kissed his forehead first, trying to calm him down.

It worked, for feeling her touch his erratic heart beats calmed down a bit and he found himself breathing better. Mishti then kissed his hands holding hers and looked at him with her ever charming smile.

"I am not going anywhere, and neither are you. It is over, the disaster has touched us and left. We might be in batters but we will pick ourselves up, together. Ye kahani Mishti aur Abir ki thi aur humari hi rahegi. Mai humare beech kisiko nhi aane dungi Abir, Tumhari maa ko bhi nhi", Mishti's words held confidence and determination and it seemed to move Abir.

"Promise?"

"Promise"

Abir finally smiled, and Mishti felt like she had conquered the world instead. She smiled back, before wiping his cheeks and patting his face lightly making him chuckle. Abir held her left hand and pulled it to him, keeping her close. Mishti only enjoyed it.

It was when Abir saw the transparent yellow case lying beside her that he frowned again and pulled it to him. Mishti noticed and bit back her smile. Sitting upright on her knees she immediately took out her contact lenses and grinned at Abir who by then had opened the case to find the same pair of glasses he had gifted her waving back at him. A sense of relief filled his heart to realise Mishti still had his gift. Mishti on the other hand pouted a little and pushed her face a little forward, gesturing him to do the honor.

With a heartfelt smile and shivering hands Abir made her wear her glasses back, and Mishti immediately pushed them back on her nose. Abir felt the calmness he thought he would never again, for now in front of him was sitting the girl he had fell in love with, in her truest sense.

Mishti felt her heart swell in happiness as she saw him staring at her with such overwhelming love filled eyes. She grinned yet again and took the opportunity to pick up his diary and place it in his lap.

"Now that I have my glasses back and you have your muse, I am expecting a full blown chand, taare type shayri haan!", She teased while Abir seemed to be in deep thoughts for few minutes, he did manage to smile back at her, nodding his head.

After all, he had left writing Shayris because every word only reminded him of Mishti and the love they shared. Now that he had her back, he could definitely try again.

Sometime later, Mishti stood up and pulled him up too. They both bowed down in front of Lord Krishna and seeked blessings before making their way out. While Mishti turned around to see if Badi Maa was still waiting, Abir's eyes did not leave her for one split second. He had a small smile playing on his lips as he watched her, her proximity with him keeping him sane.

But all that seemed to fly out of the window as soon as Mishti and Abir walked down the stairs to the open verandah of the temple where their eyes fell on Rajshree and Visambhar waiting for them.

Abir's hold tightened on Mishti's hand while his face immediately blanched as he stole his eyes away. Mishti looked at her Bade Papa but his eyes were fixed at Abir instead.

Abir felt his heart thudding against his ribcage when he realised Bade Papa was taking steps towards him. His eyes began to water just at the thought of if he took Mishti away how would he beg him not to? Mishti, scared herself, held his hand tighter too, trying to assure him, but nothing in the world could have prepared them for what happened next.

Abir found himself embraced lovingly by the man he respected like his father. Mishti squealed in joy at that hug and found Badi Maa wrapping an arm around her shoulder instead.

"Humne kaha tha na Mishti K Bade Papa aap dono k liye kafi hai", Bade Papa's voice was so soft and love filled that Abir found himself sobbing yet again.

To be honest he had completely lost count of how many times he had broken down in the last two days but he could not help it. It was like the dam holding him back had finally broken.

"And now I need both my children home, I have a feast to feed", Badi Maa spoke making Mishti laugh and Abir finally broke one hug only to willingly go embrace his Badi Maa instead. Rajshree patted his head and kissed his hairs, soothing the storm inside him.

Maybe some storms are needed in life to destroy us, so that we could fall back together, tighter.