Around 5 in the morning, Jaimi nuzzles her face in Darshan's neck, unconsciously. She starts to feel uncomfortable as Darshan's stubble pricks her skin. She whimpers in her sleep and tries to find a comfortable position. She tries to move away, but Darshan's tight grip keeps her in place. She quickly opens her eyes and is in a high alert mode. She tries to push the person away without looking to see who it is. Darshan wakes up feeling the commotion and the force. He looks down to see Jaimi pushing him with a panicked look on her face. 

Darshan: Jay?

She looks up and sees him. She quickly stops pushing and sees him looking down at her with concern. 

Darshan: Kya hua?

Jaimi: Nahi. I-I thought- kuch nahi. 

He continues to look at her to see if her expression would give away anything, but her face is stoic. She looks at him for a moment before looking away. She realizes that she woke up in his arms. 

Jaimi: Leave me.

Darshan: Huh?

He realizes that his arms are wrapped around her. He quickly pulls them away. 

Darshan: I'm sorry! I didn't realize. 

Jaimi nods and sits up. She turns on the light to see the boys sleeping on the sofa. She looks around but sees no sign of Ayesha. 

Jaimi: Ayesha?

Darshan: Woh Vikram aur Vikraant ke saath bahar gae hain kal raat ko. And, she asked me to look after you. 

Jaimi: Oh, but you didn't have to! I'm sorry tum sab ko meri wajah se yaha sona pad woh bhi aise, uncomfortably. 

Darshan: Woh teeno toh meri wajah se yaha hain. You had fever aur uth bhi nahi rahi thi toh I got scared and unko bula diya tha because we were going to the hospital par roads block the toh nahi leja sakhe. 

Jaimi lets out a breath she didn't know she was holding back. 

Jaimi: Mein fresh hoke aati hoon. 

She goes to the bathroom and finishes her business and brushes her teeth. She goes straight to the balcony seeing it's only 5:20 and Darshan is busy on his phone. He looks up from his phone and walks out to the balcony. 

Darshan: Tum thik ho?

Jaimi nods. 

Jaimi: Once again, thank you for last night!

Darshan: I'm sorry!

Jaimi: Huh?

Darshan: Woh tumhara album waha pada tha toh sab ne dekha tha. Actually, the wifi and everything was down last night. 

Jaimi nods. 

Darshan: I'm sorry about it. Hume tumhari permission ke bina nahi dekhna chahiye tha. 

Jaimi: It's fine. Don't worry about it!

Darshan: Tum choti thi tab bahot different dikhati thi! Actually, boys mein arguement bhi hue thi ki tum wohi baby ho ya nahi. 

Jaimi chuckles. 

Jaimi: I get that a lot!

Darshan: I mean tumhare eyes went from blue/gray to brown then, black. Yeh normal hain?

Jaimi: Mostly sirf thoda color dark hota hain but my genes from both side are dominant, so...

Darshan: Your mom must have been really pretty! I mean tumhare papa Indian hain aur mostly eye and hair color brown aur black hote hain, so-

Jaimi looks at him for a moment in deep thoughts. 

Darshan: Tumhe mujhe kuch kehne ki zaroorat nahi hain!

Jaimi: It's not that! Mom, yeh word mere liye bahot foreign hain. I never had that relationship in my life. 

Dashan: Oh, I'm sorry!

Jaimi: Don't be! I was a surrogate and I never expect that motherly love. Mein jo meri family thi usse khush hoon. 

Darshan: That's good! So, which side do you get your looks from?

Jaimi: Uh... I had more of my surrogate's trait as a child, but now I am more like my Dad!

Darshan: Tum kabhi apni surrogate se mili ho?

Jaimi: No! Yahi sab ke liye behtar hain. I'm sure she did it for some financial reasons and probably never wants to see me so-

Darshan: Tum aise nagative kyu soch rahi ho?

Jaimi: I have been taught to accept my reality at a very young age!

Darshan pulls her into his arm and she stands there like a statue, not knowing how to react. She finds it odd that somehow her body starts to relax in his arms. He fondles her hair. He frowns as she doesn't wrap her arms around him, but is happy to know that she doesn't pull away either. After a few more seconds, she pulls away and straightens herself. He scratches the back of his neck at the awkward situation. 

Jaimi: You should get some rest!

Darshan nods. He wakes the other three up and they go to their room. Jaimi freshens up and sits on the bed. She reads a book on her tablet while waiting for Ayesha. A knock on her door pulls her out of her trance. She goes towards the door and looks through the peephole to see Darshan, Jyugal, Siddharth, and Hardik. She sighs and lets them in. There are two boxes in their hand. 

Siddharth: If you don't mind toh hum breakfast yaha kar sakhte hain?

Jaimi: Sure. 

They all settle down. Darshan places two waffles and chocolate syrup in front of Jaimi. 

Jyugal: How are you feeling now?

Jaimi: Better. Kal raat ke liye I'm sorry and thank you!

They hear knocking sounds. Jaimi gets up and looks through the peephole to see Ayesha. She lets her in and locks the door behind them. Ayesha engulfs Jaimi in a tight hug knocking out air from her lunge. 

Ayesha: I swear if you get sick like that again then, I will kill you! Tujhe pata hain mein kitna darr gae thi?

Jaimi: Ayesha, I need to breathe!

Ayesha quickly lets go of her and glares at her. Jaimi makes a babyface and pouts. 

Jaimi: Sorry. 

Ayesha: Don't make that face again! Har baar kaam nahi karega.

Jaimi grins and they both take a seat. Jaimi takes her seat beside Darshan and continues her breakfast while Ayesha sits at the head of the bed. Jaimi's phone rings. She turns to see it's on the nightstand.

Jaimi: Aashu, kaun hain?

Ayesha picks up the call and is puzzled by the name. 

Jaimi: Kaun hain?

Ayesha: Yeh Swiss Cheese kaun hain?

Jaimi chuckles. 

Jaimi: Kev.

Ayesha: Swiss Cheese, like seriously?

Ayesha hands the phone to Jaimi who answers the FaceTime call. 

Jaimi: Kev?

Kevin: Hey Carebear!

Jaimi: Don't call me that!

Darshan looks at the screen hearing the masculine voice. He sees a very handsome man about their age. 

Jaimi: What is hulk doing in your apartment?

Kevin turns around and looks behind him. Darshan sees another man walking out of what looks like a closet. He only has a towel wrapped around his hips, that too very low. He is openly showing off his 6-pack abs and steep v-line. He looks no less than a model. 

Jaxon: You don't get to call me that anymore, Patel! You left without telling me or seeing me. 

Jaimi: Sorry about that Jax! It was seriously a last-minute decision and things were just not right at that time. 

Jaxon: By the way, which hell are you in?

Jaimi: I'm in India! And, I'm not going to hell anytime soon, but if I somehow get a ticket to it then be assured that I will drag you with me. 

Jaxon: When are you coming back?

Jaimi: A month at the most!

Kevin: You got any plan of where you're going?

Jaimi: Nah! I still got some time to think. 

Jaxon: Yeah she is an expert in making last-minute decisions and vanishing. 

Jaimi: Shut the hell up, Harper!

Ayesha: Language!

Kevin: God Aashu! What are we 5?

Ayesha quickly looks up hearing her name from his mouth. Jaimi passes her a teasing smile to which she returns with a glare. 

Jaxon: Jay?

Jaimi hums in response. 

Jaxon: Did you go to the place you were telling me about? You were really excited-

Jaimi: Not yet!

Jaxon: Anyways, I gotta go. Bye Bunny!

Jaimi: Jaxon Gabriel Harper!

Jaxon throws the phone towards Kevin and runs away. Kevin chuckles at his actions. 

Kevin: You take care! I have to be at the studio as well. 

Jaimi: Bye! Ayesha, say bye!

Jaimi turns the phone, so he can see Ayesha who awkwardly waves at him and he nods with a smile. She ends the call and throws a pillow at Jaimi. 

Ayesha: Bit-

Jaimi: Language Aashu!

Ayesha: We'll have this conversation later.  

Jaimi shrugs. The boys excuse themselves and leave. Jaimi continues with something on her iPad while Ayesha talks with her parents in the balcony. 

After an hour or two, Nirmaan knocks on the door. Jaimi opens the door after checking the peephole. 

Jaimi: Hi. 

Nirmaan: Hey! Meine tumhe disturb toh nahi kiya?

Jaimi: No, of course not. 

Nirmaan: Woh mein aaj thoda I mean bahot nervous hoon about you know. 

Jaimi smiles looking at his anxious state. 

Nirmaan: Kya tum mere saath aake sab kuch ek baar dekh sakhti ho? 

Jaimi: Sure. Let me just grab my things. 

Just as she finishes saying that Darshan walks out of his room while speaking on the phone. He nods at Nirmaan who does the same. After a minute, he sees Jaimi exiting the room with her mask and hat on. Nirmaan and her leave. He sees them getting into a car and driving off. He clenches his jaw and stomps back into the room. 

Jyugal: Kya hua? 

Hardik: Angry Bird ke jaisi shakal kyu bana rakhi hain?

Darshan: Kuch nahi. 

The day passes by and the evening quickly approaches. It is around 7 in the evening when Jaimi returns with Nirmaan. They both go to their rooms. Jaimi changes into a black off-shoulder dress that has daisies printed on it. The dress stops mid-thigh. She pairs it with a black coat that reaches her knees and black high block heels. She styles her hair into a waterfall braid. 

She makes her way to the management office with Ayesha. They finish up a few paperwork on behalf of the company. Jaimi collects a file and makes her way back to the reception while Ayesha is attending a call. She meets with Nirmaan on the way. They are chatting about something when her eyes fall on Darshan, Hardik, Jyugal, Siddharth, and Aishwarya. Ayesha enters a minute later to see Darshan glaring at Jaimi and Nirmaan. 

Nirmaan: Thank you very much for your help today! 

Jaimi: Not a problem! 

Nirmaan: No, I mean it really. Tumne meri bahot help ki hain pichle kuch dino se. 

Jaimi smiles and sees Darshan from the corner of her eyes. His jaw ticks. 

Jaimi: Good luck! 

Nirmaan: Thank you!

Nirmaan hugs Jaimi in excitement. She stays frozen in her place feeling uncomfortable. He pulls away and grins at her while she passes him a small smile. 

Darshan: Tum dono ka abhi ke liye ho gaya ho toh, Ms. Patel, hum baat kar sakhte hain?

Jaimi raises a brow at his remark. Darshan takes hold of her wrist and pulls her along down the hall. Jaimi shoves the file in Aishwarya's hands in a rush. 

Jaimi: Bhai ko de dena please!

Darshan makes eye contact with Karishma, who is smirking as she leans against the door leading towards the rooms. Jaimi is trying to free her wrist from Darshan's grip, who is tightening it with every passing moment.

They make it to the end of the hall and Darshan pulls Jaimi into his room before shutting the door with a thud. He locks the door behind them. Jaimi pulls her hand out of his grip and starts massaging it to soothe the pain.

Jaimi: What the fuck, Raval?

**********

Nick Bateman as Jaxon Gabriel Harper

Kevin Lütolf as himself