Jaimi and Darshan board the flight for Ahmedabad in the afternoon of the 16th. Jaimi is sitting by the window with Darshan beside her. Her mind is blank and her body has gone numb as the flight takes off. Darshan notices the change in the behavior and tries to get her attention, but she's unresponsive. 

Darshan: Jay? Little Warrior?

She is pulled out of her chain of thought with him slightly shaking her. She blinks her eyes a few times before glancing at him. 

Jaimi: Yes?

Darshan: Tum thik ho?

Jaimi: Y-yeah. Excuse me. 

She steps around him and grabs her purse as she goes to the bathroom. She takes off her mask and looks at herself in the mirror. She washes her face and pats it dry with paper towels. She takes a pill from her purse and downs it. She leaves the bathroom and engrosses herself in reading a novel she brought. Darshan is quick to notice the change in her behavior. She seems a bit calm but is still in alert mode. 

The plane lands in Ahmedabad after almost one and a half hours. They retrieve their luggage and go through the security check. Jaimi spots Khushi from her peripheral vision. She is running towards a group of people with a broad smile on her face. Jaimi averts her gaze as she feels a pang in her heart. Darshan starts in that direction to exit the airport. Jaimi tenses up and stays rooted in her spot. Darshan turns around and snaps his fingers in front of her. She shakes her head and looks at him. 

Darshan: Little Warrior kya hua? Itni pareshaan kyu ho?

She shakes her head.

Darshan: Don't lie! Subah se dekh raha hoon. Kya hua, Jay?

Jaimi: Kuch nahi. 

Darshan: Sure?

Jaimi nods and smiles. He takes hold of her hand as he starts walking again. She scoots closer to him and keeps her eyes on the ground as they move past Khushi and the group. She lets out her breath and follows him out. He has also put on a cap to hide his face. They book a cab and load their luggage. Jaimi sees that it's around 1:30 in the afternoon. 

Darshan: Tum kaha rahogi? I mean you can stay at my house. 

Jaimi: Mein apne ghar rahungi. You don't have to worry about it. 

Driver: Madam address? 

Jaimi: Krishna Riverfront House. Sabarmati Riverfront ke pass. 

The driver nods and starts towards the location. 

Darshan: Yeh project toh naya hoga na? I mean riverfront kuch saal pehle hi bana hain. 

Jaimi: 2007 mein complete hua tha, so it's been a while. 

Darshan: Oh. You got that money, right? I mean itne posh area mein apna ghar. 

She just nods at him not wanting to dwell on the issue. 

Jaimi: Kal mujhe kaha report karna hain? I mean aaj koi kaam na ho toh. 

Darshan: Mere ghar pe aa jaana. I'll text you the address. 

Jaimi nods. The rest of the ride is silent. The driver pulls up in the parking lot of the building. She gets her luggage from her bag and makes her way to the elevator after bidding him goodbye. Darshan ponders back to the day's event. He realizes that she was awfully quiet, compliant, cooperative, and did not argue even once about him touching her or holding her hand. He smiles remembering how her small hand fits into his.  He reaches his apartment complex in a few minutes. He greets his dad. 

RU: Kya chal raha hain aaj kal?

Darshan: Kuch nahi. 

RU: Pakka?

Darshan: Haan. Aap aise kya puch rahe ho?

RU: Nahi. Tum kuch zyada hi khush lag rahe ho iss liye. 

Darshan: Haan khush hoon na aap se itne dino baad mil raha hoon. 

Rajendra uncle looks at him skeptically but still nods in agreement. They chat away the afternoon and are later joined by a few of their relatives. 

In the evening, Jaimi is woken up by the relentless buzzing of the doorbell. She untangles herself from the sheets and makes her way to the foyer. She looks through the peephole to Ayesha. She lets her in. Ayesha quickly locks the door behind her. 

Jaimi: What are you doing here? Did anyone see you?

Ayesha: No. I had to sneak in. Yaha kabse itne guards lag gaye. 

Jaimi: Do saal pehle hi AM ne security tight kardi thi. 

Ayesha: Tu thik hain?

Jaimi nods. 

Ayesha: Jay?

Jaimi: Tum yaha kya kar rahi ho? You were supposed to be in Mumbai. 

Ayesha: Bhai ne mujhe internship khatam hone ka letter de diya hain. Aur, Pappa bhi mere peeche pad gae the. 

Jaimi: You told Bhai the truth?

Flashback

Ayesha enters Naushad's cabin after hearing a come-in from the other side. She greets Naushad and Mehjabeen who have bright smiles on their faces. 

 Ayesha: Bhai, mujhe aap se kuch baat karni thi. 

Naushad: Of course. 

Ayesha: I wanted to tell you the truth about my identity. Mera pura naam Ayesha Adhiraj Mehta hain. 

Mehjabeen: Woh toh hume pata hain. 

Naushad: Adhiraj Mehta as in the-?

Ayesha: Diamond merchant aur Mehta Jewelers ke malik. 

Mehjabeen: You are the daughter of Adhiraj Mehta?

Ayesha nods. She doesn't look up or meet their eyes. 

Ayesha: Mein aap ko pehle batana chahti thi par mujhe laga ki aap bhi mujhe sab companies ki tarah internship se mana kar denge. I applied aur saari companies mujhe manager aur aisi positions offer kar rahe the so I-

Naushad: Tumhe explain karne ki zaroorat nahi hain! Mein jaanta hoon ki tum Adhiraj Mehta ki beti ho. 

Ayesha: Aap ko kaise pata chala?

Naushad: Uss din tumne hi hume tumhare uncle se introduce kiya tha. Abhishek Mehta. Patel Industries ke CEO hain.

Ayesha: Oh. I'm really sorry. Mujhe yeh nahi karna chahiye tha par mujhe family business take over nahi karna tha. 

Mehjabeen: Koi baat nahi. We are really happy for you. Meine suna ki Mehta Industries ko tumhare Papa tumhe handover karne wale hain. 

Ayesha: Haan. 

Naushad: Jaimi ko pata hain iss ke baare mein?

Ayesha: She knows. 

Mehjabeen: Tumhari tarah Jaimi ke toh koi secrets bahar nahi niklenge na?

Ayesha: Uske secrets hain toh wahi bata sakhti hain. 

Mehjabeen and Naushad let out a hearty chuckle. Ayesha smiles faintly. 

Ayesha: Bhai, please aap kisi ko kuch dino tak kuch mat batana mere baare mein. 

Naushad: Don't worry about it! Aur, Vishal ko tumhe sab bata diya?

Ayesha: Haan. Mein aaj Gujarat ke liye nikal rahi hoon. 

Mehjabeen: Have a safe journey and all the best for the future! Hume milne ke liye aana padega, thik hain?

Ayesha: Bilkul thik hain!

Flashback Ends

Ayesha fills in Jaimi on her conservation with Naushad and Mehjabeen. 

Ayesha: AM kab aa raha hain?

Jaimi: Night of 22nd. 

Ayesha: Darshan ko iss address ke baare mein pata hain?

Jaimi nods.

Ayesha: Agar woh yaha aaya toh?

Jaimi: I'll try to keep him away as much as possible. Do they know ki tum Ahmedabad mein ho?

Ayesha: Meri family ko pata hain aur business handown ka process shuru kar diya hain so-

Jaimi: Just a week before I'm out of here. 

Ayesha: Mein chalti hoon. Meine kisi ko batae bina aa gae thi. 

Jaimi sees her off and locks the door behind her. She has the food that Ayesha brought her and goes back to bed. 

The 17th of August comes earlier than expected. She freshens up and gets ready for the day. She wears a navy blue top with black jeans. Ayesha comes in around 8. They both have coffee she brought. Jaimi texts Darshan asking him about the schedule. She receives a text half an hour later stating she needs to be at his house by 10. She gets the address within a few minutes as well. Ayesha leaves after some time. She also leaves after putting on her mask and glasses. She hails a cab a few minutes away from her building and goes straight to the address given. During the ride, she sees that a lot has changed in the city she calls her hometown. The memories of the past are enough to send shivers down her back. She shakes her head and blocks it all out. 

Rajendra uncle is surprised to see Darshan up and ready for the day by 9:30. Darshan helps him with breakfast and carries it out to the dining area. 

RU: Darshan, teri tabiyat barobar che?

Darshan: Haan. Kyu?

RU: Nahi matalab subah subah jaldi uth gaya aur ready bhi ho gaya. Mumbai mein toh dupher tak sote ho aur phir idhar udhar karne mein shaam ko nahate ho. Aur aaj toh?

Darshan: Waisa toh kabhi kabhi hota hain! 

RU: Aaj ka kya plan hain?

Darshan: Kuch khaas nahi.

The doorbell rings. Darshan sprints to the door to open it. He opens the door with a smile. He sees his uncle, aunts, and cousins standing on the other side. He allows them in and scans the outdoor before locking the door again. Darshan removes the dishes and cups from the dining table and washes them. The doorbell rings again. One of Darshan's cousin opens the door and sees Jaimi on the other hand. 

DC: Ji? 

Jaimi: Mr. Raval?

DC: Konse Mr. Raval?

Jaimi: Darshan Raval. Mein unki secretary hoon. 

Darshan comes beside him. 

Darshan: Jay?

Jaimi: Mr. Raval. 

Darshan: Come in. 

He allows her in. She takes off her shoes once inside. 

Darshan: Tum humesha mask kyu pehanti ho?

Jaimi: Sorry?

Darshan: Thoda weird hain. 

Jaimi: I am severely allergic to certain scents aur mujhe nahi pata hota ki kaha kya hoga, so it's just precautions. 

Darshan: Oh. 

RU: Darshan kon hain?

They walk to the living room where the others are sitting. Their eyes fall on Jaimi and she steps back a bit in attempt to hide behind Darshan's tall frame. Darshan chuckles at her futile attempt. 

Darshan: Yeh meri secretary hain, Jaimi. And Jay, yeh mere dad hain. Aur woh dono mere uncles. And, they are my aunts. These are my cousins over here. 

Jaimi: Hello. 

They all nod their head. Rajendra uncle smiles warmly at her which causes a smile to break out on Darshan's face. 

Jaimi: What are my task for the day?

Darshan: Woh concert ke liye sponsors se baat karke finalize karna hain. Band ki tickets book karvani hain for the day before. Aur, concert ke din hi I think one or two interviews set up karne hain. Meine interview emails forward kar diye hain. 

Jaimi: Ok. 

RU: Jaimi tum kaha se ho?

Jaimi: Ahmedabad. 

DU: Ahmedabad mein kaha se?

Jaimi: Sabarmati ke pass jo nae buildings bani hain waha hi. 

RU: Woh toh abhi kuch 9-10 saal pehle hi bani hain. Usse pehle?

Jaimi: Usse pehle ka mujhe pata nahi hain. Mein Ahmedabad saal mein ek ya do baar hi aati thi, so...

RU: Ok. 

Darshan: You can work in my room if you'd like. 

Jaimi: Sure. 

Jaimi follows Darshan like a lost puppy to the second floor. He shows her his room. She takes a seat on the corner of the room. She takes out her laptop and starts working. Darshan returns to the living room. 

DA: Darshan, aisi hi kisi ko apne kamre mein akele nahi chodte. 

Darshan: Jaimi aisi insaan nahi hain! 

DA: Hain toh ek secretary hi na!

Darshan: Uske paas mujhse bhi zyada paise aur sab hoga! America ki number 1 college Harvard mein se padh kar aae hain. 3 degrees hain uske paas. 

DC: Tab bhi India mein kaam kar rahi hain?

Darshan: Intership ke liye aae hain par kuch dino mein chali jaaegi wapas. 

RU: Acchi ladki hain aur tumhari pichli secretaries ki tarah nahi hain. 

They all chat about random things for a while. Darshan goes up to check on Jaimi around 2 in the afternoon. He takes a veg frankie for her. He sees her wearing her glasses and focusing intently on her laptop screen. Her long wavy hair is pulled back in a messy bun. He sets the plate beside her latptop and closes her laptop. She turns and glares at him. 

Darshan: Little Warrior, mask kyu pehen ke rakha hain? Yaha toh tum akeli hi ho!

Jaimi: Habit hain. 

Darshan: Ok. Pehle, khaana khaalo!

Jaimi: Mujhe bhukh nahi hain. 

Darshan: Tum subah breakfast nahi karti ho toh abhi khaana khaalo. 

Jaimi: I'm really not hungry. 

Darshan: But you still gonna eat it. 

Darshan's aunt walks towards his room. She sees Darshan handing one of the frankies to Jaimi. She pulls down her mask to take a bite, but she quickly places the frankie back on the table. She covers her mouth with the other hand. 

Jaimi: Where's the bathroom?

Darshan points towards the bathroom. She pushes past him and sprints to the bathroom. Darshan is left dumbfounded by the incident. He picks up the frankie and smells it. It smells just fine to him. He walks to the bathroom and sees Jaimi crouched in front of the water closet. They have no idea that his aunt is at the door. She gets up and rinses her mouth a few times. He hands her a towel as she turns. 

Darshan: Tum thik ho?

She nods her head. They walk out of the bathroom. She holds the wall for support as everything starts to spin for her. She places her other hand on her head. Darshan quickly holds her arm and has  her sit on the bed. He hands her a glass of water once she looks a bit better. She thanks him and downs the water in one go. Darshan takes one look at her and she looks pale. 

Darshan: Tum yaha aaraam karo. 

Jaimi: No. I'm fine. 

Darshan: Jay!

Jaimi: Mein thik hoon. 

Darshan: You look pale.

Jaimi: Can I leave? I finished my work already. 

Darshan: Sure. Apna samaan pack kardo mein tumhe drop kar deta hoon. 

Jaimi: No. I'll go by myself. You don't have to bother. 

Darshan: I'm not bothered at all. 

Jaimi: But-?

Darshan: No arguements. I'm the boss!

Jaimi rolls her eyes at him before walking around him. She packs her stuff and walks out of the room after nodding at his aunt. Her aunt tries to see her face, but she has pulled up her mask again. She makes her way downstairs. 

DA: Yeh thik hain?

Darshan: Tabiyat kharab ho gae uski. Mein usko chod ke aata hoon!

DA: Uske pati ko phone karke keh do. 

Darshan: Uski shaadi nahi hue. 

DA: Matalab shaadi ke bina hi?

Darshan: Huh?

DA: Ladkiyon ka ulti karna aur yun chakkar aana matalab woh maa banane wali hoti hain. 

Darshan: Waisa kuch nahi hain! Usko kuch kuch smell se reaction hota hain aur abhi lagta hain wahi hua hain. 

He grabs his car keys and makes his way dowstairs. He tells his dad that he'll be back in a few minutes and walks out of the house. He sees Jaimi swallowing a pill with a bottle of water. He looks at her and shakes his head. He drives towards her apartment complex. He stops on the way and grabs a veg sandwich for her. He pulls into the parking lot of her building. 

Darshan: Mein tumhare saath yaha rahu? Ya phir kisi doctor ko bulana hain? Nahi! Hum hi hospital chalte hain. 

Jaimi: Iss mein se koi bhi cheez karne ki zaroorat nahi hain. Im feeling much better. Thank you very much!

Darshan: You're most welcome. And, are you sure?

Jaimi: I am. 

Darshan: Eat, ok?

Jaimi nods and steps out of the car. She waves at him before the elevator doors close. Darshan pulls out of the parking lot and drives back hoom. He has the frankies he made for her earlier. 

**********