Prerna calmed down a lot in Krishav's warm embrace. She finally pulled away from the warm embrace reluctantly and gazed at her 13-year-old son.

Krishav looked at his mom and, wiping her tears, he gave her a warm, reassuring smile, as he knew speaking would be futile.

Prerna held her son's hand and brought Krishav close to her, hugging him she caressed his back. "Mumma troubled you a lot na, baby? Mumma is really sorry my, baccha," prerna spoke in a softer tone.

Upon hearing his mom's words, Krishav moved out of the hug and cupping his mom's face, he looked into her eyes.

"Mumma, you can never trouble me. Never say sorry to me, you are my mom. It would be my failure as a son if someday you would ever have any self doubt or second thoughts about sharing something with me, thinking you are troubling me."

Each word was said with so much sincerity that Prerna's eyes welled up seeing the love of her young son who became so mature in the recent years .

Krishav leaned against his mom, soaking in her love, which visibly appeared impossible to do five years ago.

The Singhania's and the Malhotra's had been their greatest support in their time of difficulties, if not for them Krishav didn't know how they would have reached here.

They have not recovered fully from their greatest loss and may never recover from it, yet they are on the road to recovery.

Ranvijay Singhania, the owner of Singhania industries, a merciless man in the business world. No one messes up with him. But to his family he's like a gigantic bear, who only knows to spread love.

Neha Singhania is a lawyer, a strict mother who maintains the level of love and punishment. Strength of Ranvijay and her family.

Abinash Malhotra is a doctor by profession. Strict man for matters of health of his family, otherwise a pure child by heart.

Anjali Malhotra is a psychologist by profession. Has never lost a single case. Her one glare is enough to shut her rowdy family. Her love for her family redefines all bonds.

Krishav is truly grateful to them for their support. They have proven more than enough times that a family is not only formed from blood; it's the people who stand by you in your difficulties, who encourage you, who motivate you.

FLASHBACK

Just as the machine hooked to dad flat lined, I felt the floor under me crumbling. Living without dad is like my worst nightmare coming true.

I look around the room, seeing doctors and nurses filling the room as the bodyguards rush in.

At that moment, the only thing in my mind was dad is no more. He left us forever. Just as soon as this realisation came, I felt my world crumbling down.

Nothing was making sense. Everything felt loud, while a deafening silence enveloped me.

Sound of someone's crying registered inside my head. Bringing me back to the reality.

There I saw my bubbly mother crying hysterically while holding dad's now icy hands. Gone was the warmth.

Rushing towards mom I engulfed her in my embrace. Everyone was crying. Even the coldest guards had tears in their eyes.

The doctors have left the room along with the guards. Only Khana remained standing in one corner of the room, trying to hide his tears, which were mercilessly flowing down.

Dad wasn't just a boss to Khana, he was like a brother to him. Dad became his light in the darkest phase of his life.

Whereas me "Daddy's boy", I have always declared loud and clear to everyone how much I love dad.

"Did I not love dad?" My self-conscious mind questioned as not even a single drop of tear had fallen from my eyes since the moment dad closed his eyes

Everything around me felt so numb. My heart felt heavy as a chilly feeling enveloped me, yet not a single tear dropped.

I suddenly felt mom's weight as she leaned against me heavily. Her sniffles and her loud wailing all ceased suddenly.

I called out to "mom" twice but getting no reply. I moved her out of the hug, lightly I patted her cheeks "mumma" getting scared I rubbed her hand "mumma wake up" my voice quivering afraid that mom also left me alone.

Just then, Khana pulled me away as the doctor checked her, declaring she fainted because of emotional stress.

After that, everything became a blur till the time of mukhagni.

Staring at my dad as he laid on the pyre. His face was completely ashen. His bright eyes were now shut forever.

At that moment, everything came back to me with a powerful force, knocking me off my feet.

It's the last time I'm seeing him. I would never see him again after this day.

Two pairs of hand held me, pulling me up gently as if I'm some fragile doll. Turning my head, I saw Ranvijay uncle and Abhinash uncle as they pulled me into a hug. Their face crestfallen as their eyes red and puffy clearing showing their emotional state.

We could hear mom's wailing. Turning my head, I saw Neha Aunty and Anjali's aunty holding mom, offering support and shedding tears themselves.

They all are our family friend but nothing less a than family have always stood together in all bad and good times. Have faced everything strongly no matter what happened.

Everyone now appeared fragile, and their eyes, which once had cold glares that could shut down the entire world, were now filled with tears mourning for their friend cum brother.

My hands shivered as I lit the pyre and watched it burn. I felt it wasn't just the pyre burning, my world was burning along with it.

Just then my mom came out of nowhere, pulled me closer to her, and we cried at that moment. As the first tear drop fell, the dam broke as I cried in my mother's embrace.

As we sat before the blazing pyre, our hearts heavy with grief, the world fell into an eerie stillness. While we remained immersed in our mourning.

After that day, nothing remained the same.The air in the house was heavy with sadness as Mom never came out of her room. The sound of her constant sobbing echoed through the halls, filling every corner of our home. I could always see her holding onto Dad's picture, the tears streaming down her face.

The presence of the Malhotra and the Singhania families, who had temporarily shifted with us, was a small comfort in this time of darkness. Without them, I feared that I would have lost Mom, too.

The absence of the ladies from their offices was noticeable as they dedicated themselves to helping us as much as they could. But despite their efforts, nothing could fill the void created by Dad's departure.

I felt as though everything around me had turned numb. I moved through life like a puppet on an auto-pilot, controlled by invisible strings. Tears had ceased to fall from my eyes after that fateful day.

A month passed, and suddenly everything came crashing down on me, as if someone had hurled a rock at my fragile existence.

It was Viraj and Vedika, the children of the Singhania and Malhotra families, who became my pillars of support. They were my best friends, and their unwavering presence meant the world to me. They never left me alone, yet they never forced me to open up. I found solace in their presence, breaking down on their shoulders countless times.

Slowly, I began to open up to them, sharing my deepest insecurities and fears. They listened patiently, offering comfort and understanding.

Viraj, a friend who felt like a brother, was always there for me. I lost count of the times I cried in his comforting embrace. And then there was Advika, someone I greatly admired. She possessed an uncanny ability to find the good in everything. Even the smallest things would bring a genuine smile to her face. Though she knew we didn't share everything with her, she never confronted us or grew jealous. She understood, even without words. She believed in the power of communication, reminding us that bottling up our emotions would only cause more harm than good.

Every day, I would sit outside my mother's room, listening to her heart-wrenching sobs. Neha aunty and Anjali aunty were always by her side, coaxing her to eat and providing solace.

Meanwhile, Abhinash uncle and Ranvijay uncle took charge of Dad's company in Mom's absence. Dad had already made her the CEO, and the majority of shares in our hands protected us from many challenges. Though no one dared to challenge us now, the unpredictable future loomed over our heads. I could see the exhaustion etched on their faces whenever they returned from work. Managing both companies was a daunting task, but they never once complained.

Six months passed, and while the ladies had resumed their office duties, things hadn't improved much. I appeared fine on the outside, no longer breaking down every few minutes. But deep down, the pain still lingered.

On that fateful day, as I returned from school, I saw my mother standing in the kitchen. It was the first time in all these months that she had stepped out of her room.

The sight that shocked me the most was the glint of a knife pressed against her wrist. In an instant, my mind went into a frenzy, and the vivid image of my father's life slipping away before my eyes haunted me once more.

A piercing shriek escaped my lips, shattering the silence and startling my mother, causing the knife to slip from her trembling hand.

Without hesitation, I rushed towards her, engulfing her in a tight embrace, my heart pounding against my chest.

The kitchen became a blur as I pulled her away from the danger, feeling a surge of emotions erupt inside me like a scorching volcano.

I remember vividly the tears streaming down my face as I cried and shouted in my mom's warm embrace. I begged her, my voice filled with desperation, pleading for her not to leave me alone, not to make me an orphan. The room echoed with my desperate pleas.

The scent of her comforting presence enveloped me as the salty tears streamed down my cheeks. I clung to her tightly, feeling the softness of her embrace, providing some solace in the midst of my fear and sorrow.

In that moment, I blamed myself, my thoughts consumed by the regret of not taking Advika's advice. If only I had listened, maybe things wouldn't have spiraled to this point. But despite the pain, something unexpected happened. The devastating experience brought about positive changes.

Following that emotional outburst, my mom sought help from a therapist. I could hear their conversations, the gentle yet probing questions that slowly helped my mom come out of her shell.

Gradually, she started going out to work, almost becoming a workaholic. And although it differed from how things were before, I didn't complain. Anything was better than witnessing my mom trapped in her room, drowning in her own tears.

That incident left a lasting mark on me, haunting my dreams for years. Night after night, I would have nightmares, the vivid image of my mom cutting her wrist and blood staining the floor.

The fear and trauma from that scene lingered, etching itself into my mind.

I always used to check on mom, tiptoeing into her room in the soft glow of the nightlight. I became overprotective and paranoid to the point that I started sleeping in her room. Mom found solace in my presence, her gentle touch soothing my worries. Slowly, she started making time for me, showering me with love and attention.

But after my outburst, I felt an invisible layer of emotions settle over me, like a heavy fog. I never cried or shouted again after that outburst.

Not wanting to burden my mom. I wore a facade of a smile every day, hiding my true feelings. The world looked different through my eyes, a constant haze of suspicion, as if everyone was out to take advantage of us.

From that day onwards, I made a promise to myself to fulfill the promise I made to Dad. I would become powerful and take care of mom.

PRESENT TIME

Krishav drifted off to sleep in his mom's comforting embrace. Memories of the old days flooding in his mind, and tears silently streamed down his face.

Prerna caressed his head, her touch warm and gentle, as she pondered the stark contrast between her Kanha now and the lively 8-year-old boy he used to be.

Once, his laughter filled the house, but now his smiles were rare. Once a chatterbox, he now barely spoke. The mischievous child who wreaked havoc in every corner of the house had confined himself into his room, only coming out when necessary.

The boy, who embraced everyone with open arms, now scanned his surroundings, as if expecting danger to lurk in the shadows. The little boy who used to beg for junk food and was such a picky eater now ate whatever was served without complaint.

The excitement that used to consume him in the days leading up to his birthday or a festival had vanished, and he had stopped celebrating his birthday for the past five years.

Gone was the goofball, replaced by a somber and mature boy who had been forced to grow up too soon.

As Prerna held her son tightly, she felt a sense of protectiveness, shielding him from the evil eyes of the world.

"Lord, please perform a miracle and return my baby's happiness. It breaks my heart to witness his constant tears and withdrawal from the world."

She gazed out into the storm, unaware that her prayers had been heard and that miracle was just a few steps away.

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