It was a sensation of deja vu all over again.

To see the most horrible nightmare become an absolute reality was no less than a death experience. His body went cold and all the air in his lungs escaped.

Why was God testing him? Not once... but thrice...
To lose someone you love is the most hardest part.
Fear engulfed him as he wasn't ready to let her go in the hands of death.

Amrita was fighting for her and her baby's life and he absolutely felt helpless as he couldn't do anything but hope for the best.

Earlier, It wasn't his duty or responsibility which kept holding him back from her, 
It was purely love.... and he had realised it but couldn't bring it to confession.

He pretended to be a strong man but his heart was still fragile... and delicate.

He loved Shikha ... there was no doubt about that but his love for Amrita was different in it's own way.

Last night, he couldn't sleep as his mind kept rendering him for the answer of her question.

"What am I to you?"

Maybe his brain wasn't certain of it but his heart already knew the reply.

Mayank was in love.

He had fallen for her, hard and not only her but also the child she was carrying...

They were his family and he wasn't ready to compromise anyone of them.

On the other hand, Ambar's sobs were uncontrollable as she continued to weep in Nakul's arms.

"I'm scared Nakul! What if..." She trailed off as she couldn't get the words out of her mouth.

"Let's just pray Ambar... Let's just pray." Nakul suggested as he comforted her..

Aakash was resting his head on Mayank's arm.

"Dadda. Maa will also leave me." He questioned him with teary eyes..

Mayank raked his hair. "No... Nobody is leaving us." He bend down and kissed his cheeks.

"Mr. Suri." The doctor approached him and Mayank immediately rose up.

His heartbeats had suddenly gone up.

"Doctor!" Mayank's eyes had a spark of hope.

"We're trying our best... It's difficult to say... We have to do C-section. There's no other alternative, Mr. Suri." The doctor put forth.

"Do whatever you want... Just save them..  Please." He earnestly implored and the doctor nodded in understanding.

"Okay..." He said and trudged back to the Operation theatre.

Mayank exhaled sharply.

Nakul's phone rang and he answered it.

"Okay...." He disconnected the call.

"I've to go. Yogendra Nanda. The man who bailed that bastard is the same man behind the whole kidnapping." Nakul muttered.
Ambar's eyes widened at the mention of the old man.

"NO." Her face was horror-stricken.

"You won't go... I won't let you go... He'll take his payback... No... You won't go." She mumbled with trepidation.

"Ambar... Calm down.." He removed a strand of hair from her face.

"No... Nakul ... He's dangerous.... This is not his first time... He had already caused a lot of harm before." Her voice was full of apprehension.

"What do you mean?" Mayank asked her. "Who is he? What has he done? What does he want?"

She gulped at his queries.

"He wants to destroy us... like he did before... not once but twice... he killed them... Those weren't accidents." She spoke after composing herself.

His blood boiled.

Tears simultaneously gushed down her cheeks.

"Factory mishap... Car trashed down... None of it were accidents... They were all planned murders..." She said and Mayank couldn't keep his temper at bay.

He immediately dashed out while Nakul ran after him.

"Bhai... Wait."

"Nakul..." Ambar called out.

"Stay here." He told her and ran after his brother.

"Bhai... Where are you going?" He asked Mayank who stopped by the car.

Mayank banged his fist on the car.

"What do you want me to do? Nakul.... After, I hear that some old crack laid his finger on my family, do you want me to stay calm?" He yelled.

Nakul sighed. "Bhai, I know but haste decisions would spoil everything and we won't be able to get him." He said.

"What do you mean?" Mayank scrunched his eyebrows.

"I know where the rat is hiding... Somewhere you also knew what he wanted. What he had asked you in exchange." He smirked.

"How?" Mayank couldn't believe it.

"I may be called an emotional fool but I have my contacts to find these leads... and this one was not hard..." He mumbled.

"Very well, brother." Mayank smiled.

"Let's go."

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The car abruptly halted and they got out immediately.

"Sir!"

"What is the situation?" Nakul enquired.

"Situation under control. His men are captured. They had arms and a lot of illegal stuff with them. We tracked them down and knocked them out..." He said.

"Is the old man inside?" Mayank queried.

"Yes sir... He was trying to steal these papers." He handed him.

"Suri mines!".

"Yes... We have tied him up. His men are in a completely different room."

"I want to go in... Alone." He said.

"Bhai! Cops are on their way... You don't have to do it." Nakul stopped him.

"What's wrong, Nakul?" He sensed a sort of uneasiness in his voice.

Nakul immediately averted his gaze.

"I want to talk to him..." Mayank requested the man when he didn't hear his brother talk.

"Okay... This way please..." He followed the man in silence while Nakul waited for the police to arrive.

The door opened and he signalled his man to stay out.

His eyes roamed to the face of the old man which was quite bruised.

Mayank felt as if he had seen him somewhere but it was really hard for him to recall.

The man looked up and smiled. An evil grin.

"After so long... Indeed, you look more like her." He laughed.

"STOP LAUGHING." Mayank landed a punch on his face.

"Great! Some of my traits as well." He sarcastically muttered.

"What problem do you have with my family? Why did you do this?" Mayank's eyes were filled with fury.

Nanda chuckled, "Didn't that crazy girl tell you anything,  Mayank? Don't you know, who am I?" He questioned him.

"That's why I am here... I'm not interested in seeing your ugly face. I know how you killed my wife, my dad..." Mayank let out.

"Dad! Oh My! Clearly, you've been blinded by your mother." He scoffed.

"What do you mean?" Mayank pulled his hair.

"Manyata, that minx. She knew the trick to manipulate people like she did it, years ago." He snickered.

Mayank growled, "Don't you dare say anything about my mother?"

"Did she ever tell you about me?" He suddenly asked him.

"Who am I? Mayank... Answer me... Who am I to you, son?" He said and Mayank froze.

"What do.... you mean?" He stammered.

"You're smart like me... Son... Now accept it because even if you try, you can't change this fact. I'm your father..." He laughed.

Mayank stilled in shock.

His father. This man was definitely lying or was he saying the truth?

"Your mother was my ex-wife but then that bastard brainwashed her head and she took you away from me..." He went on to tell him everything from the start.

Mayank caught his head in his hand.

"SHUT UP, SHUT UP... YOU LIAR... I don't give a damn for what happened to you. You're a killer and it's disgusting for me to even place you at where he stood... He was a great man unlike you." Mayank set forth.

"For me he was just a backstabbber and I'm your father. You have my blood as well.
Admit it... Don't you feel to shoot me. You're my son and I'm sure that you really want me dead." He grimaced which made Mayank roll his eyes.

Mayank huffed, "Yes. You're right that I want to kill you now but you know what, I won't do that." He neared his face, "Because my dad taught me only to love and respect and that's what I'm going to do." He spatted and stormed out.

"Bhai, cops are here." Nakul said.

Mayank nodded and glanced at the officer, "Make sure this man rots in jail for the rest of his life." He told him.

He then turned to his brother. "I need some fresh air. Wait for me in the car."

Mayank walked ahead and took his phone out of his pocket before dialling her number.

"Mom!" He said once the phone got answered.

"Mayank!"

"Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you tell me that I'm his son." He sobbed.

"Mayank! How?" Her voice quivered.

"Why Mom?" He interrupted her before wiping the sweat of his forehead.

He heard her sigh.

"Because I didn't want you to know. Kuldeep and I loved you a lot. Infact more than anything else in this world. Even though you were not his flesh and blood, he didn't treat you with any difference."

Mayank was silent as his mother continued.

"Kuldeep. Your dad was our knight in shinning armour who saved us from the hands of devil otherwise you wouldn't have been alive." She replied.

"You still have any doubt then ask yourself. Would you treat Amrita's baby with any difference?" She queried.

"Dear, you know the answer. Just ask yourself." She said.

Mayank wiped his tears from the back of his other hand.

"Thank you, Mom." He murmured and hung up.

"I know my answer."

He gazed at the sky. "I love you, Dad."

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"Nakul... I was so scared." Ambar hugged him and cried once they trudged to where she stood.

He gently stroked her hair and planted a kiss on her cheeks.

Mayank's heart paced when she continued to weep more.

"What's wrong, Ambar?" He dreaded to hear anything unpleasant. He already had enough of it.

"Nakul... It's a girl... I'm an aunt now." Ambar shed tears of joy.

"And Amrita?" Mayank moved forward.

Ambar wiped her face, "She's out of danger.. but still unconscious. They have been moved to this room." She told him.

He bobbed his head and stepped ahead.

He was sweating profusely as he clumped forward and twisted the door knob.

He wiped the sweatbeads from his forehead.
The nurse rocked the baby and placed her in the cot once she acknowledged Mayank.

"Dadda!" Aakash ran in his arms.

"She's so cute... My little sister." He beamed like a Cheshire cat.

Mayank's eyes shifted to Amrita's face.

Her eyes were closed with her mouth slightly parted.

He relaxed, heaving a sigh of relief.

"Sir, please wash your hands before you touch her." The nurse reminded him before leaving and he nodded as he moved towards the washbasin.

"Dadda... When will she wake up?" Aakash asked him.

Mayank dried his hand and slowly moved ahead. "She'll sleep some more." He told him and the boy frowned

"I'm going out to play with Chachu." He uttered and closed the door behind him.

The baby stirred in her sleep.

Mayank's eyes started to water.

"Go on. Pick her." Amrita's voice startled him.

He snapped his head to look at her.

Amrita's eyes held various of emotions.

She smiled at him.

"Hey!" He held her hand. "How are you feeling?" He asked her.

"Sore but better." She told him.

He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it.

"You scared me... Don't do that ever again." He said.

"I wouldn't had let anything happen to Aakash." She whispered softly.

"I know." He smiled. "I know,  you love him."

"No. We all love him." She corrected him.

"Thank you for everything." He kissed her forehead.

She blushed, "Won't you hold her?" She asked him.

He nodded and scooped her in his arms.

"She's so beautiful." He said.

"What would you like to name her?" He questioned her.

She smiled before replying,   "Anamika."

His eyes glinted with happiness.

"Anamika. Our little grace."

He neared his face to hers and softly kissed her lips, surprising her.

"I love you." He finally confessed.

She smiled, "I love you more."

"Oh! before I forget." He carefully rested Anamika on her left arm and fished out a small box.

"Oh My God."

"I went to buy this with Nakul but completely forgot about it." He smiled and she pursed her lips.

"Amrita Sahay, will you marry me and allow me to pamper you and this little girl in your arms, all my life?" He kneeled in front of her.

"Yes." She replied and he kissed her again whilst gripping her hand and sliding the ring in her finger.

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And it doesn't end here.

We will have two epilogues after this chapter which will be probably updated on the next sunday.

I hope you liked the story.
It's been a long journey and I can't thank you all individually for showering so much of love and support.

So a Big Thank you.

Sorry for all the mistakes.

I'll try to edit it once I'm free.

A busy week ahead is waiting for me.

Don't forget to vote and comment.

And until next time.

♥♡♥.