Aryamann's POV:

I watched as Bhumi walked back and forth in the hospital waiting room, next to the room where Sammy had been taken. A nurse had appeared an hour ago and informed us that they needed to perform some tests before the bone marrow transplantation surgery. Abhi had been taken to the room for his much-needed sleep, and Chiara, the babysitter, was with him.

"Bhumi," I called out gently.

"Yes?" She asked without looking at me.

"Stop stressing, Bhumi," I told her softly.

The look she sent my way was ferocious.

"My little boy. My handsome little boy, who never had a mean bone in his life, is fighting for his life. Stress? Well, forgive me if I seem a little stressed," Bhumi snapped at me angrily.

As soon as the words were out, she shook her head.

"I am sorry, Aryamann. I shouldn't have shouted at you. It is not your fault," she said, her voice breaking.

"It is nobody's fault, Bhumi," I told her.

"If I had noticed it before. If I had paid a little more attention," Bhumi spoke in self-recriminations.

"Sammy would still be ill," I pointed out the obvious.

Another couple entered the waiting room. The lady was sobbing hard, and the man had his arms around her, holding her tight.

Bhumi paled even more, seeing the couple. I cursed softly and reached for her in a moment. A big fat tear rolled down her cheeks as she watched the anguish on the other couple's face.

"Let's go get some fresh air," I said, marching her out of the room.

My eyes connected with that of the other man, and an understanding passed between us. We are both fathers, heads of the families, trying to hold their family together from falling apart.

I took her to the hospital cafe and forced her to drink a glass of warm milk.

"You need to sleep, Bhumi. It's close to midnight. Go to Abhi and sleep with him. I will stay with Sammy tonight," I told her sternly.

"No. I can't. I can't sleep, Aryamann," she said, and a sob caught her throat.

"Bhumi," I called out softly.

"No. It's okay. I am not going to cry," she said, shaking her head.

"Maybe you should," I told her.

"What?"

"Cry it out, darling. Don't keep your emotions in. It is unhealthy," I said, and she let out a sarcastic laugh at that.

"Look who's talking? You, who have never expressed any emotion in your life, are talking about unhealthy? Funny!" Bhumi said, and I couldn't retort to that because what she said was true.

"Fine. Have it your way then," I told her.

"I am sorry. That was uncalled for," Bhumi said apologetically, and I waved it off.

"I wish I could do it for him," Bhumi said after a few minutes of silence.

"I know," I said because that's exactly what I feel. If there is any chance that I could switch places with Sammy, I would do it without a second thought.

"This hospital is one of the best here. You can trust them, Bhumi. And I have flown in the best surgeons from Delhi and Mumbai," I said.

"You have?" Bhumi asked in surprise.

"Of course. I am a Mehrotra, Bhumi. I have the funds and resources. Did you think I wouldn't use all the resources at my service to make it easy for Sammy?" I asked, wounded by her surprise.

"I didn't think about it," she said.

"He is my little boy too, Bhumi. I would lay my life for my sons without a second thought. Have no doubts on that score," I told her seriously.

"I know now," she said.

Her phone rang, indicating an incoming call.

"It's Ansh. He has been calling me since morning. I couldn't take the call. Give me a moment, let me just answer it," she said and stood up from her chair, moving a bit away from me to attend the call.

Ekansh Mittal!

My teeth gritted in anger as I thought of him. He had hidden her away from me for all these years.

I drank my black coffee as I waited for Bhumi to finish speaking. I saw her words turn into anguished sobs as she spoke to Ansh. I just couldn't watch it anymore. I marched towards her and took the phone from her.

"Ekansh. Bhumi is not in a state to speak now," I said, as I hugged a crying Bhumi to my chest.

"Aryamann. Please take care of her. Don't leave her alone. She will break down," Ekansh said.

"Of course I will. You don't have to tell me," I spoke rudely.

"Aryamann, I know you have many questions. But that can wait. Bhumi and the boys are our priority now," Ekansh said.

"I know. I will keep you updated," I told him.

"I will be there by tomorrow evening. Will see you then," Ekansh said, and I hung up the phone. I tucked it into my pockets and wrapped my arms around Bhumi.

"Why is it always me?" Bhumi's muffled cries were like bullets aimed at my heart.

I hugged her tightly, letting her cry out her agony.

"First I lost my family. My mama papa and Ryan. And then I lost Uncle Kedar and Aunt Latika. I lost Ansh too, for years. Then, then I lost you... now I might lose my Sammy," her miserable cries were slicing me apart.

I lost you..., her words reverberated in my mind.

If she weren't this vulnerable, she would never have said that out loud.

Because she had opened her heart to me once, and I had mercilessly trampled on it, calling her love a pretence. A lust for money.

Never again!

I will cherish her and her love as long as I live.

That would be my most prized possession, if ever Bhumi finds it in herself to forgive me and take me back.

But that will have to wait.

As Ekansh said, our priority is Sammy's health and Bhumi's emotional well-being. I couldn't let her go into depression. And for that, it is necessary that she cries out.

Bhumi's POV:

Aryamann held me tightly in his embrace. I felt safe and secure with him beside me.

Why God? Why are you playing with my feelings again?

Did you bring him into my life again just to show me a glimpse of happiness and then snatch it away?

Like you always do!

My life has been a never-ending train of misery. Full of losses and pain.

I bore with all the pain and came out strong. But if I lose Sammy, I will never be able to recover.

And having Aryamann here feels like a blessing.

Having his strong aura around gives me confidence that our son will be alright. That he will come out of this stronger and safer.

As we reached the waiting room again, the nurse who took Sammy came out along with the doctor.

"The tests were all done, and it's a go-ahead, Mr. and Mrs. Mehrotra. We will keep Samarth under observation for the night, and we will start the procedure at ten in the morning. Dr. Ram and Dr. Sen will be here in a couple of hours. I suggest you take good rest in the meanwhile," the resident doctor said and walked away after a pat on Aryamann's shoulder.

"I hope everything will get better," I talked to myself.

"Come. You need to sleep," Aryamann said.

"No. There will be a lot of time to sleep afterward. When all this nightmare will be over," I said, shaking my head in denial.

"You need to be awake once this is over, Bhumi. When Sammy comes out after the surgery, he will need his mommy with him. If you won't be able to stand straight then, what will happen? Think about it. When do you prefer to give up your sleep? When Sammy needs you or now?" Aryamann asked.

I hated it. I hated that he was right!

How can he always be so practical?

I huffed in annoyance and let Aryamann walk me to the room where Abhi is sleeping.

We entered the room and saw Abhi sleeping with abandon. The duvet that was supposed to cover him was lying on the floor. As usual, Abhi had kicked it away while asleep. Chiara was sleeping in the second bedroom of the suite. We didn't wake her; instead, we watched our son for a while.

Aryamann picked up the duvet from the floor and walked towards the bed to cover Abhi again.

"Don't bother. He will kick it away again. No matter how cold it is, he hates being covered by a duvet. He had, right from the day he was born," I told Aryamann, with a shake of my head.

"A man who knows what he wants and what he doesn't?" Aryamann asked humorously.

"I wonder where he got that gene from," I taunted.

"Guilty as charged," Aryamann said, with a light grin on his face, which made a grin appear on my face too.

Aryamann placed a palm against my cheeks, and the warmth spread through me like a fire.

"You are perfect," Aryamann whispered, and bent down and placed a feather-light peck on my lips.

And that peck felt infinitely more intimate than all those kisses we shared three years ago!

There was care in it. There was tenderness in it. There was love in it??

Love?

Stop right there, Bhumi.

Don't make the same mistake again.

Anyone would learn from their past mistakes. Why are you such an idiot not to at least understand that?

Three years ago, I made the mistake of thinking that Aryamann too feels the same way I do. And where had it ended?

In heartbreak!

Can a broken heart break more?

If possible, the chances of that happening are very high.

Because Aryamann is worming his way into my heart again.

And what a fool I am to let that happen!

Aryamann's POV:

I made Bhumi lie on the bed next to Abhi. Abhi instinctively turned to Bhumi and placed his chubby little hands on her belly and snuggled closer to her.

I smiled watching that!

Will I ever get bored watching my Bhumi and the boys!

The answer is simple.

No!

That is one sight I can watch all day long, forever!

Maybe a couple of years down the lane, we could have a cute little daughter. A little Bhumi.

With dark hair, hazel eyes, and fair skin tone, just like her mommy.

And not to forget that mischievous streak that runs through Bhumi.

I definitely want our daughter to have that.

And she will keep me on my toes, just like her mommy does!

I shook my head, realising that my fantasy was running wild.

First of all, Bhumi has to forgive me and give me a second chance. And I have a long way to go to achieve that.

I pulled the duvet around Bhumi.

"Sleep. I will stay out with Sammy," I said.

"Call me if anything happens," Bhumi said.

"I will."

"Promise?"

"Promise. Sleep, my love. Good night," I said, pressed a soft kiss on her forehead, and walked out.

As I sat there in the waiting room, I took my phone out and read some mail from my lawyer.

There were emails about the change of my will and trust funds I made in the names of Abhi and Sammy.

Then I opened my personal chat column and found a couple of messages from Daksh.

My eyes widened in horror seeing the content of those messages.

Damn!!

Why didn't I think about it?

I should give Bhumi a warning before it all comes crashing around her.

A/N

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