Kriya and Swayam stepped out to the balcony. She had tried to tell him that they should go back out to break the fast, but he wasn't going to let her have her way. He'd stepped out to grab her plate and returned within minutes. While he was gone, she contemplated what he meant when he said his love for Sharon had changed over time. She didn't grasp on that he was talking about her.

Over time, he had stopped loving Sharon. He had started to love her, but she didn't seem to move past the fact that Swayam could never continue to love Sharon after what she had done. Despite knowing Swayam all too well, she continued to live in the world where she believed Swayam loved Sharon still.

She hesitated, "I - I don't know how this works."

He chuckled at her lack of knowledge about the festival. "Don't you watch movies? TV shows?"

"You can't trust what they show in there! It's reel. Not real."

He rolled his eyes. He wanted to tell her some things can't be changed even in reel but he kept mum. He placed the plate on the inched straight railing and made her hold it as he moved back and stood behind her. "Look at the moon in the reflection." He instructed her. Just to make sure it won't fall, he held it as well, his hands on top of hers. The plate was filled with water.

She looked down at the water. The moon's reflection shone bright. She brought her face in and a second later, Swayam looked in as well, their hands touching as he nudged his head towards her. Kriya closed her eyes to pray.

Please... the only thing I want is for Swayam's safety. Let this storm pass away without him getting caught up in it.

Then she opened her eyes to see Swayam was gazing at her reflection. Upon being caught, he blinked and smiled at her. She smiled back and turned around a bit too fast. He lost the balance on the plate and it fell down. They looked down to see it going down, shocked. Kriya squeezed her eyes shut and tensed as she prepared to hear someone yell from the bottom.

She hid her face in Swayam's chest as he too looked away. "Who's there?" A voice called out to them. Kriya refused to come out and instead hid behind him. Swayam slowly peeped down to see Aashi fuming at him. She was the unlucky person. "Swayam!" She yelled.

He held his ear to apologize. "Sorry! It wasn't intentional. I swear." She just gave him daggered eyes as she proceeded to enter the house.

"She's gonna kill me - all thanks to you." He stepped back as Kriya moved besides him, laughing. "Go on. You would laugh." He was being sarcastic.

"Sorry, it's just funny!"

"Yeah, whatever, have some water yourself." He picked up the glass and forwarded it towards her. He had her drink it and she moved the same glass towards his lips. When he offered her a bit of sweet, she shook her head and instead had him eat first, then she took a bite for herself with his hands.

"Thank you." Swayam said.

"For what?" Her eyes filled with questions he never answered. He simply smiled and kept a loving hand on her cheek.

"I'll go help Aashi." She started to leave but he stopped her.

"Just a second." She raised her head at him wondering what was left. He replied, shying a bit, "I got a gift for you."

She hadn't expected that. "A gift?"

"Wait here. I'll be right back."

She waited and he was back in no time, holding a wrapped gift in his hand. "I thought about it... and here." He handed it to her and probed her to open it. Inside it was an envelope. Upon opening the envelope, she found two tickets to Maldives. She noticed the date. It was the same as the date when the college group was to go on. She was surprised.

"When?" It was all she could manage to utter. There were passports as well. "It takes time for the passports to come." Seeing his grin, she realized. "That was your important meeting today, wasn't it?" He nodded. She leaped up to hug him, her arms around her neck. "Aww, Swayam! Thank you so much!" She didn't know what effect the hug had on him when she was just excited. Then her smile dulled. "But... I didn't get you a gift."

He chuckled. He cupped her face and looked into her eyes, being honest. "You've already given it to me." She didn't understand him and she didn't try to either. Lately, she wasn't able to grasp on to many things he said. For him, she truly had given him his gift. He knew he shouldn't but he wanted to. Thus, he added, "You." Kriya being with him was in itself the biggest gift for him. There couldn't be anything more he could ask for.

He gave her a side hug and she let him, trying to get her thoughts straight. She didn't know whether she should be happy hearing what he felt, what he thought. He seemed to have said everything in simply one word. That, for her, was a lot to take in.

××××××××××××

"What was that for? Do you not trouble me enough at office that you had to throw that at me? I should be the one taking revenge, not you!" Aashi fumed at Swayam the second he came down with Kriya.

Kriya again started laughing, not even bothering to hold it in.

"It was all her fault!" Swayam dumped the entire blame on Kriya. She gasped and gaped, dropping her jaw.

"What? How? You were holding it!" And so the bickering began.

"Yes, but I didn't expect you to turn and be so close to me." She was left speechless. He realized what he'd said. It didn't matter that he had said it in front of Aashi. What mattered was that he let Kriya know her sudden turn and being close to him was the reason the plate dropped from his hands.

"I'm really sorry." He fumbled and avoiding looking at Kriya. He turned to Aashi. "Did you eat yet?"

She nodded. "Just did. Both of you should go eat too, before either of you drop." She was being metaphorical, indirectly reminding them about the plate dropped on her.

Swayam grimaced at the reminder, "I said I was sorry." He muttered. Aashi chuckled and nudged him to follow Kriya and have dinner.

××××××××××××

Swayam entered the room to see Kriya struggling with the necklace. The hook was turned to her front and she was looking down, trying to pull the hook apart so it was unhook. This time, instead of wearing it, she was having trouble unhooking it. "Here, I might have made it a bit too tight." He was behind her then. She turned to face him. He worked with his hands and pulled at it. It worked at the first try itself.

"I should have called you the first time itself." She said seeing how easy it was for him. She ran her hand over all the scratch marks on her collarbone which she got from her try.

He turned to leave when she stopped him. He waited for her to speak up but she didn't. Instead, she reached up to him standing on her toes and kissed his cheek.

"What was that for?" He asked pleased.

She went down on her feet again. "For simply being the best and always being here."

He smiled. "Oh, you're not gonna rid of me soon love." Before she had the chance to react, he continued, "I'll go change first."

He entered the washroom and she had to wait till he came out; she had the time to process a few thoughts.

××××××××××××

"Swayam, where are you?!" Kriya walked in the house and found it empty. She thought he might be upstairs and thus spoke loudly for him to hear.

She entered the kitchen to have some water. "Well, well, look who we have here!" The voice said. Kriya went cold, knowing the voice too well. She composed her face and turned.

"Sharon, how'd you get in?"

"I see. Not happy to see me." Sharon put on a sad look and walked a step closer to her.

"Why should I be? As far as I'm concerned, you died that day." There was no sympathy in Kriya's tone. She took a dangerous step closer to Sharon. While at the back of her head, she was going bonkers worried about Swayam.

"Now that's no way to great your sister."

"You're right. For sure it's the way to treat a murderer."

Sharon leapt up front and chocked Kriya. "How. Dare. You."

Kriya struggled to get Sharon's hands off her neck. "Leave - "

The next second, the voice of gun cocking was heard. Sharon turned to see Swayam holding a gun, pointing it at hers. "Leave her. Now."

Sharon was stunned with this move of his. Somewhere, she had expected to see the soft Swayam. Never had she thought he would point the gun at her.

"Why are you doing this? That too for her! Don't you see what she's done? She's corrupted you against me!" She questioned him after letting go of Kriya who had stumbled back gasping for air.

Still holding the gun at her, he circled her as he went by Kriya's side and Sharon stood opposite both of them.

"I had never thought of a day when I'd see you dropping yourself to such a low level. You know what Sharon? Today, I'm ashamed I ever loved you."

Enraged, she snatched the gun from his hand and shot at his chest.

"Swayam!"

Kriya snapped out of her nightmare and panted for air sitting up in bed. "Kriya?" Swayam woke up and turned the dim lights on. Seeing her white face, he got concerned and sat up as well. "Hey, calm down."

She turned to see him beside her. "You're here. You're safe!" Her heart rejoiced amidst the tears that had flown out of her control. She took him in a hug as she tried to calm herself and convince that it was just a bad dream and nothing more.

He patted her head and rubbed her arm to console her. "I'm here. With you." He repeated over and over again.

"I - I just... scared... She... She shot you... in front of me... and I couldn't... I just..." She had pulled back as she tried to explain her fear but couldn't. Understanding what she dreamt of, he pulled her head to his chest, not wanting her to think.

"I can't lose you." She poured out her fear, shivering.

"You won't lose me. Come, go back to sleep."

She shook her head, reluctant. She feared she'd dream the same if she closed her eyes again. He couldn't say she was being paranoid as he was sure he'd react the same way if he was in her place. Or even if he had dreamt of losing her. Just the thought gave him the chills. Actually seeing it happen in his sleep would have broken him apart more than Kriya's current situation.

Swayam sat back resting on the bed's board and pulled Kriya along, embracing her. No words he would speak would calm her down more than his actions. He simply had to let her believe he was in front of her, safe, out of harm's reach and that she'd never lose him. Her heart beat slowly returned back to normal but the images kept on flashing in front of her. She couldn't rid them.

××××××××××××

The next two days went by very slowly. It would pain Swayam seeing Kriya always terrified and not speaking much. She only insisted he take her along if he went of the house. She had accepted the fact that he was here but still, the fear of something happening to him had captured her senses from all sides.

He would not lose a single opportunity to make her smile. He decided he had to put an end to the fear before it was too late. But he didn't know how. He didn't know why Sharon was back. He knew nothing about her whereabouts or her intentions. He had the best detective he could find on the case but it was not hidden from him. When Sharon didn't want to be found, it was impossible to track her down. It was getting intolerable from him to watch Kriya so nervous and afraid all the time. It simply kept him determined to find Sharon.

When he came home that day, he found Kriya at the coffee table with Rey. Knowing she didn't want Rey to suspect anything, he went up to kiss her cheek. "Hey dear, how was your day?"

"It was good, yours?"

"Busy." He answered. He looked towards Rey for a second, and went ahead with what he wanted to ask. "Kriya, sign these papers?" He handed her a blue file.

She proceeded to get a pen when he stopped her. "Poochogi nai?" She hadn't even asked what was written in them nor was she reading it herself.

She smiled and shook her head. "Come on Swayam, our relationship doesn't require such questions. You know that. I trust you." She signed them. 

He couldn't be blessed more to have such a person in his life who trusted him with everything. Still, he wanted to inform her. She stopped him. "Please, I don't want to know. The less I know, the better."

He nodded, "Okay, I'm going to leave you two to do whatever you were, and go freshen up."

Kriya looked at Rey, who was staring at her, "Really? You didn't even look what those papers were for."

Kriya shook her head, "That's not your concern. Can we just get back to figuring this out?"

Rey didn't like it. No matter how many times he told himself to get over her, he couldn't.

××××××××××××

Rey looked up when a shadow come across his book. Seeing Sharon, he let out a sigh. "Fashionably late, aren't you?" He taunted her.

She gave a cheeky smile, "That's what girls are for. Now, what do you have for me?"

"You don't waste a second before getting down to business, do you?" He closed his book, getting into his role.

"Just spill and don't waste my time. Remember, I can make your life a hell."

Rey scoffed. For him, things couldn't be any more worse. He had the temptation to tell her his life already was a hell, but he also wanted to get this over with. He was going to make things better for himself.

"Swayam had Kriya sign something. I didn't see what it was, and she didn't read it either, but it was definitely something big, judging from his expression. You might want to work on your plan to get the company, because if those were papers transferring power of attorney, you're screwed."

Sharon debated, "Swayam wouldn't do something that stupid. He knows I'll come after Kriya if he did that."

"Look, I don't know the guy, okay? And honestly, I couldn't care less about him. I'm just telling you what I saw. What you want to do with that information is up to you. All I care about is that I get Kriya at the end."

She laughed, "Impatient, aren't we?"

"Whatever. Message me when you have a plan." He announced and got up to leave the cafe. He didn't like he had to rely on Sharon to get what he wanted, but he convinced himself he had no other option but to tolerate her long enough to succeed. 

××××××××××××