At Kunal's house

Kunal was getting dressed to meet Kuhu. He stood in front of the mirror while putting on his deodorant. He wore his watch and looked at himself in the mirror. He had a huge smile on his face. 

Kunal : I hope Kuhu ko mera surprise acha lage aur aaj woh mujhe maaf kar de. I know mei yeh forgiveness deserve nahi karta hu because maine usse bahut jyaada hurt kia hai. Aur agar woh mujhe maaf nahi karti hai, toh I'll understand. Lekin mei usse manane ke liye kuch bhi karne ke liye taiyaar hu. If I have to, I'll beg in front of her until she forgives me. Now is the time to make amends and I'll do everything in my power to make it all okay. Kuhu, I'm coming. Tumhara Kunal aa raha hai. Be ready!

Saying that, he left for the farmhouse with a million hopes in his eyes, completely oblivious of what lay ahead of him.

At the farmhouse

Everyone was in a state of shock after hearing about Abir's potential demise. Tears formed in each of their eyes. A burnt car and a burnt body? Abir's burnt body? They didn't want to believe what they heard, but did they have any other option? Kuhu sat on her chair, numb. Her face looked blank. Only one statement invaded her mind : The promise that Abir made to her the previous night, "You're not losing anyone. I promise." Mishti, who was standing near the staircase, felt as if someone had ripped her heart out of her chest. Hot tears blurred her vision and made their way down her cheeks. She mumbled something. A billion thoughts flooded her mind. Nahi. Abir aisa nahi kar sakta hai. Woh mujhe aise chod kar nai jaa sakte hai. Abir me mujhse wada kiya tha. Woh apna wada nai tod sakta hai. As she tried to walk forward, her feet staggered. In an attempt to balance herself, she caught hold of a nearby table but in the process, knocked down the vase on it. It fell to pieces on the ground. Ketki got up from her seat and rushed towards Mishti. The news had left everyone aghast but they couldn't even come to comprehend what Mishti must be going through. They sure were devastated, but Mishti was their top priority, given her condition. Ketki held her by her shoulders and helped her keep her feet to the ground. The inspector questioned on the phone again.

Inspector : Hello? Miss Kuhu? Hello?

Nishant composed himself and picked up Kuhu's phone that had fallen on the table. He put the speaker off and pressed it against his ear.

Nishant : Hello, yes Inspector. This is Nishant speaking.

… 

Nishant : His name is Abir Rajvansh. He's our friend.

Nishant shut his eyes in pain. If what the inspector said was true, his best friend was no more? Nishant refused to believe it. It was just yesterday when they got to know about Mishti's tumor. Abir had left but come back safe and sound. Was Mishti's fear an indication of…?  His trance was broken when the inspector said something again.

…

Nishant : I'm sorry, what?

...

Nishant : Okay inspector. I'll be there. Thank you. 

He disconnected the call. 

Atul : (trying to control his sobs) Kya.. Kya bola inspector ne? 

Nishant : He said that we have to go for the bo.. body's iden.. identification. 

Nishant stammered as if voicing out about Abir's death would make it all come true. Kuhu started laughing satirically. All of them looked at her in horror. Kuhu got up from her seat.

Kuhu : Come on guys! Don't tell me y'all believe all this. It's crap guys. Abir ko kuch nahi hua hai. He's completely alright. 

Atul : What? Kuhu yeh tum kya bol rahi ho? Abhi toh inspector ne...

Kuhu cut him off.

Kuhu : Come on yaar Atul, tu toh kal tha naa jab Abir ne mujhse promise kiya tha that I won't lose anyone? All of you guys were there. Aur tum sab jaante ho ki Abir apne promises kabhi nahi todta hai. Usne mujhse promise kia hai. So he's not dead. Inspector ne jo kuch bhi bola, woh sab jhooth hai. I'm telling y'all naa. Abir is not dead. He's alive. He'll come back. He has promised. He has to come back. 

The news of Abir's death had left Kuhu in such a state of shock that she acted as if she was incredulous to the fact that Abir was no more. Nishant got up from his seat and went towards Kuhu. He held her by her shoulders. 

Nishant : Dekh Kuhu, inspector ne ho kuch bhi kaha woh sach hai. Abir ab…

Before Nishant could complete his statement, Kuhu spoke. 

Kuhu : Nahi Nishant. Mei keh rahi hu naa. Abir ko kuch nahi hua hai. Woh waapas aayega. Usne mujhse wada kia hai. 

Kuhu's brain had completely lost touch with reality. Her heart had refused to accept the truth. Atul looked at Kuhu with dilated eyes. He shared a look of concern with Nishant. More tears streamed down Ketki's eyes, seeing Kuhu's condition. Mishti stayed rooted to her place like a statue. She had stopped listening to anything, a long time ago. Her tears had dried up. A lone tear escaped Nishant's eye. He couldn't believe fate was playing such cruel games with them. First, Kunal's cancer, then Mishti's tumor, then Abir's disappearance, his burnt car and body and now, Kuhu's non-acceptance of the actuality. Nishant looked straight into her eyes and spoke firmly.

Nishant : Kuhu, Abir is no more. That is the truth.

Kuhu shoved Nishant's hands away and shouted.

Kuhu : MAINE KAHA NA NISHANT, ABIR KO KUCH NAHI HUA HAI. TU MERI BAAT SAMAJH KYU NAHI RAHA HAI?

She looked at him with anger in her eyes. Nishant held her strongly by her shoulders. He shook her violently and screamed so that she could grasp the reality. 

Nishant : KUHU, ABIR IS NO MORE. HE. IS. DEAD. 

Nishant emphasized on each word. He left her. He shut his eyes in anguish and pinched the bridge of his nose in exhaustion. He was crumbling to pieces on the inside but he didn't show it outwardly. Kuhu's legs wobbled on hearing Nishant's words. As she was about to fall, Atul caught her. Tears had brimmed her eyes. She looked up at Atul, expecting that he would tell her that Nishant's words were untrue. Atul shook his head in denial. The tears streamed down Kuhu's face. She hugged Atul and let out a loud cry. Atul held her tightly so that she wouldn't fall to the ground. Nishant's steely voice didn't only break Kuhu's trance but Mishti's too. But this time, her face held fury, not sadness. She swiftly walked towards Nishant. Ketki tried to stop her but her pleas fell on deaf ears. Mishti fiercely turned Nishant around and before Nishant could understand what was going on, she slapped him right across his cheek. The noise radiated off of the walls. Everyone present in the room gasped and gaped at Mishti in disbelief. Instinctively, Nishant's hand went up to his cheek, that now stung due to Mishti's smack. A stinging pain spread through Mishti's palm but that was the least of her concerns right now. Nishant looked up at her. As he straightened himself, she fisted her hands on Nishant's collar and yelled at him with rage in her voice. 

Mishti : ABIR IS NOT DEAD NISHANT. YEH KYA 'HE IS DEAD, HE IS DEAD LAGA RAKHA HAI?' WOH ZINDA HAI. 

Mishti left Nishant's collar. A set of fresh tears started to flow from her eyes. She looked at her feet on the ground. 

Mishti : Woh zinda hai. Usse kuch nahi hua hai. Woh zinda hai. 

Her voice was barely audible. She kept on blubbering incoherent sentences. Everyone was still reeling from the shock of what had happened a few moments ago. All of a sudden, the floor seemed blurry to Mishti. She didn't know whether it was her tears or something else. Her brain started spinning in circles. She brought her fingers to her temples. She blinked her eyes, several times, in order to get a clearer view. But before she knew it, her legs gave up and she fell unconscious on the ground with a thud. Everyone's eyes widened at the sight of an unconscious Mishti. Ketki's hands flew to her mouth. But before any of them could react, they heard a loud screech, 

"MISHTIIIII…" 

When they all looked at the owner of that voice, they were left dumbfounded. It was Abir's voice. 

(A. N. - Guys, if y'all remember, Abir came back with Kunal on his bike and not in his car🙈)

He had just reached the farmhouse and was standing at the entrance with a bouquet of roses. The enormous smile on his face died down the moment he saw Mishti's limp body on the floor. The bouquet of roses fell from his hands. The roses were crushed under his feet as he ran towards Mishti's motionless form. He sat down near her and took her head in his lap. He tapped her cheeks.

Abir : Mishti? Aakhein kholo Mishti. 

Abir tried to wake her up but to no avail. The others just stared at him. Was he really here in front of them? Or was all of this just an illusion? How many more shocks awaited them? Was this the last of it or were there more? They didn't know.

Abir turned his head towards them. 

Abir : Guys, Mishti ko kya hua hai? Woh aakhein kyu nahi khol rahi hai?

When none of them responded, he spoke in a louder voice. 

Abir : Guys? Mei kuch puch raha hu. Nishant? Kuhu? Ketki? Atul? Tumlog kuch bologe ya aise hi bhoot bankar khade rahoge? Kya hua hai Mishti ko?

He turned back towards Mishti and tried to coax her into opening her eyes. 

Abir : Mishti? Please aakhein kholo, Angry Chorni. Dekho mei hu. Tumhara Ajeeb Rajvansh. Mishti please aakhein kholo. I'm sorry mei tumhe aise bina bataye chala gaya. Please, open your eyes. GOD DAMNIT MISHTI. OPEN YOUR EYES. Please. Please apni aakhein kholo.

He touched his forehead with hers and tears started streaming down his face. He felt helpless, seeing her eyes closed and her body not moving a muscle. Nishant was the first one to jolt out of the shock. 

Nishant : Abir, I think it's because of the tumor. Pehle bhi toh aisa ho chuka hai. 

As realization dawned on him, he looked up. He didn't waste a second more and quickly picked Mishti up in his arms. 

Abir : We need to get to the hospital as soon as possible. Nishant, gaadi nikal.

Abir started moving towards the car with Nishant at his heel. Everyone had a million questions travelling through their minds about Abir being alive but right now, getting Mishti to the hospital was their prime concern. Everything else could wait. They all rushed behind them. Nishant sat on the driver's seat and Kuhu sat beside him. Abir sat behind with Mishti's head on his lap. Nishant started the car and they zoomed off to the hospital. The others followed them in another car. 

In the car 

Abir : Nishant please jaldi chala. (Turning towards Mishti) Mishti please wake up. Please. 

Abir shut his eyes to prevent himself from breaking down. A teardrop from Abir's eye fell on Mishti's cheek. 

Kuhu : Abir, tu shaant ho jaa. Mishti ko kuch nai hoga. Hum bas pahuchne hi wale hai. Please apne aap ko sambhal. Mishti ko teri zarurat hai. 

They reached the hospital and Abir ran inside with a limp Mishti in his arms. He screamed at the top of his lungs for a doctor.

Abir : DOCTOR… DOCTOR..

Abir kept on shouting. A ward boy came towards him with a stretcher. Abir put Mishti on the stretcher. Meanwhile, Kuhu and Nishant followed by the others came in. Dr. Arohi spotted a worried Abir and sprinted towards him.

Arohi : Abir what happened to Mishti?

Abir : I.. I don't know. Woh achanak se behosh ho gayi. Please look at her naa. Woh apni aakhein hi nai khol rahi hai. Please.. please Mishti ko bacha lo. Usse kuch nahi hona chahiye. Please..

Abir's voice cracked as he pleaded for Mishti's life. 

Dr. Arohi : Abir please calm down. Tell me kya hua tha? Kuch aisa hua tha jisse Mishti ko bahut zyada stress hua ho? Woh definitely issi wajah se unconscious hogayi hogi. Bolo Abir.

Abir : Wo.. woh su.. subah me.. mei.. 

Abir's brain had stopped forming words. He couldn't speak. Seeing Mishti's lifeless figure on the stretcher was overwhelming his mind with all sorts of fatalistic thoughts. Atul came ahead and started narrating the incidents that took place in the morning.

Atul : Doctor woh actually aaj subah Abir ke phone se Kuhu ko ek call aaya tha. Instead of Abir, it was some inspector that spoke. 

Abir's head jolted in Atul's direction at the mention of the word "Inspector". Atul continued.

Atul : He said that they had found the phone near a burnt car and they had also found a burnt body. And since it was Abir's phone, we all assumed that Abir was..

Atul didn't complete his statement. He glimpsed at Abir and turned back to face Dr. Arohi. 

Atul : Mishti couldn't take the news and suddenly, she fainted.

Abir listened carefully to each and every word that left Atul's mouth. The only questions running through his mind were, ‘His car caught fire? Mishti thought he was dead? Was he responsible for Mishti's state?’ While all these suppositions were occupying Abir's mind,

Dr. Arohi : I think it would have come as a major shock to Mishti to hear that something so dreadful had happened to Abir. I partially think that's the reason for her unconsciousness. We'll have to run some tests to know anything for sure. I'll take Mishti for the tests. You guys please complete the formalities and stay in the waiting room. I'll let y'all know the test results soon. 

With that Dr. Arohi took Mishti with her. Abir was about to go behind them when Kuhu held his arm.

Kuhu : Abir, Dr. Arohi Mishti ka dhyaan rakhengi. 

Abir stood still in his position. 

Abir : Yeh sab meri wajah se hua hai. Yeh sab meri galti hai. Mei Mishti ki iss halat ka zimmedar hu. Agar maine apna promise nahi toda hota toh yeh sab nai hota. It's all my fault. 

Saying this, Abir fell to his knees on the ground. He hid his face in his palms and cried. He kept on repeating only one statement, ‘It's all my fault.’ Everyone's heart ached on seeing Abir's devastated condition. Kuhu bent down besides him and kept a comforting hand on his shoulder.

Kuhu : Abir, teri koi galti nai hai. Mishti ko kuch nai hoga. Woh thik ho jaayegi. Tu please apne aap ko blame karna bandh kar. 

Kuhu hugged him tightly and Abir sobbed like a baby in her arms. He stammered. 

Abir : Aga.. agar Mis.. Mishti ko kuch hua to.. toh mei ap.. apne aap ko ka.. kabhi maaf nai kar paa.. paaunga. 

He broke into sobs again. She kept on rubbing his back to ease some of his pain. Kuhu asked others to help her, through her eyes. Nishant and Atul sat beside them and hugged Abir too. Once his sobs subsided, they tried to pull him back to his feet. They made him sit on a nearby chair. Abir had become a mess. Atul sat beside him. Ketki brought a water bottle and offered it to Abir. He drank some of it. Abir was surrounded by everyone.

Atul : Abir tu please tension mat le. Tu Mishti ka support system hai. Tu aise nai bikhar sakta hai. Tujhe strong rehna hoga. Mishti ke liye. Aur Mishti strong hai. She'll be fine.

Ketki : Haa Abir. Jab tak hum sab uske saath hai, usse kuch nai hoga. Hum best doctors ko bulayenge uske treatment ke liye. We won't let anything happen to her.

They all tried to lift up his spirits. Abir looked at all of them. He felt blessed to have such great friends. They were there to support him when he needed them the most. He wiped off his tears with the back of his hand. He had to be strong. For Mishti. He couldn't fall weak. He has to be there for her when she needs him.

Nishant : Abir, ek baat bata. Teri gaadi ko aag lag gayi thi. Police ko tera phone gaadi ke paas se mila. Agar gaadi mei tu nai tha toh kaun tha? Aur tu ghar waapis kaise aaya?

Abir glanced at Nishant.

Abir : Mujhe nahi pata Nishant. Aaj subah mei gaadi lekar gaya hi nahi tha. 

Kuhu : Tu gaya kaha tha Abir? 

Abir : Mei..

Before Abir could complete his sentence, Atul noticed something and cut him off.

Atul : Abir, tujhe yeh forehead par chot kaise lagi? 

Everyone's gaze went to Abir's forehead. They had been so worried that they had failed to notice the bandage on Abir's forehead. Abir's hand went to the wound that Mishti had dressed, the previous night. 

Kuhu : Abir, bata na. Yeh chot kaise lagi tujhe?

Abir : Woh actually, kal raat ko mera ek chota sa accident hogaya tha. 

Kuhu : WHAT? Abir, tune hume bataya kyu nahi? Tu thik hai na Abir?

Kuhu was going frantic. She started examining Abir for any other injuries or wounds. 

Abir : Kuhu relax. Mei thik hu. Mishti tended to my wounds yesterday night. 

On taking Mishti's name, his mind wandered back to all those moments that he had spent with her the previous night. They had been so happy. Everything had felt surreal. But one of the memories pricked his heart. The memory of the promise that he had made to Mishti. The promise he broke this morning. And for that, he won't ever be able to forgive himself.

*Flashback*

Abir and Mishti were lying snuggly in each other's arms. Mishti's head was on Abir's chest as she listened to his heartbeats. Abir was carelessly playing with a strand of Mishti's hair. 

Mishti : Abir? 

Abir hummed in response, indicating her to speak ahead and continued playing with her hair. 

Mishti : Yeh sab sapna toh nahi hai na Abir? 

Abir was surprised at Mishti's question. He moved a little away from her to get a better view of her face, still holding her by her waist. 

Abir : Tum aisa kyu puch rahi ho Mishti?

Mishti looked straight into his eyes. 

Mishti : Pata nahi Abir. Aisa lag raha hai ki kal jab mei subah aakhein kholungi toh yeh sab kuch sirf ek khoobsurat sa sapna bankar reh jaayega. Aur tum yaha nahi hoge. 

Mishti's lashes dropped. Abir cupped her cheek. 

Abir : Yeh koi sapna nahi hai Mishti. Yeh sach hai. Hamara khoobsurat sa sach. Aur isse na tum badal sakti ho na mei. Kal subah jab tum apni aakhein khologi, mujhe apne saamne paogi. Mei kahi nahi jaa raha hu. Aur naa hi tumhe jaane dunga. Ab tum mujhse hamesha ke liye bandh gayi ho. Aur tumhe mujhe poori life jhelna padega. Tumhare paas aur koi option nahi hai. 

Abir tried to lighten the tense air that surrounded the room. Mishti laughed a little at his last statement. Seeing her laugh, Abir smiled ear to ear. 

Mishti : Promise naa? Tum kahi nahi jaaoge?

Mishti asked, still unsure.

Abir : I promise Mishti. When you open your eyes in the morning, I'll be right in front of you. 

He kissed her forehead and brought her close to his chest. Mishti closed her eyes and hugged him back, tightly. Abir placed another soft kiss on her crown. 

Abir : Ab so jaao. Bahut late hogaya hai. 

Mishti nodded and they both drifted off to sleep in each other's arms. 

*Flashback ends*

Abir was brought out of his reverie when Kuhu shook him by his shoulder. He glanced in her direction. She was now seated beside him.

Kuhu : Kaha kho gaya Abir? Nishant kuch puch raha hai. 

Abir : Huh? Sorry kya?

He looked towards Nishant. 

Nishant : I asked ki agar teri gaadi ka accident hogaya tha toh tu farmhouse par waapas kaise aaya?

Before Abir could reply, he saw a team of inspectors walking towards them. He got up from his seat, followed by Kuhu and Atul. The others turned around. One of the senior inspectors came and stood in front of them.

Inspector : Aap mei se Nishant kaun hai?

Hebasked. Nishant came forward.

Nishant : Mei hu Nishant. 

Inspector : Hello, I'm Inspector Deshmukh. Thodi der pehle hamari baat hui thi.

Nishant : Ji Inspector. 

The inspector turned to his subordinates who handed him a plastic bag. The bag contained Abir's phone. After taking the bag, he turned back to Nishant.

Inspector : Hum Mr. Rajvansh ki last location par gaye the. Lekin waha ke watchman se hume pata chala ki aap sab yaha hai isliye hum yaha aagaye.  I'm sorry for your loss. Lekin hume kuch routine sawaal karne honge. I know this is not the right time but if you don't mind, can I? 

Before Nishant could reply to his question, a voice came from behind.

"Uski zarurat nahi padegi Inspector. Mr. Rajvansh aapke saamne khade hai." 

Kuhu gripped Abir's hand when she caught sight of the possessor of that voice.

Hey guys! I'm so sorry for being so late! But I was occupied with classes and assignments. Also, I didn't know how to to pull this chapter off. Trust me, this has been the toughest chapter I've written till date. I hope I've done justice to the reactions of all the characters and I really hope you guys like this chapter! Do leave your comments and votes❤️
- Sakshi❤️