The next night Kartik arrived with a backpack full of memories and videos that traced her journey from before they got married. He was still unsure how to make such a startling revelation (that they're married) without informing her why her brother had decided to wipe him out of her life. They had discussed enough for her to know that them meeting at home in the day time was next to impossible.

Naira was waiting for Kartik impatiently. She had somehow managed to spent the whole day in a house full of strangers. She loved spending time with the baby but thoughts of Kartik had taken up all her mind-space. She briefly wondered if she should ask Keerti about Kartik then decided against it.

She trusted Kartik. It wasn't a trust that came from being told who he was. Neither did it come from setting rules & imposing restrictions for her safety like the people she lived with did. It came from a place very deep in her heart. She didn't have any thoughts or memories from before but his presence, his hold, being near him made her feel secure in a way she hadn't felt since waking up in this state.

He had told her that he had done something that led to her state. She had thought about it the whole day but couldn't think of anything he would do to intentionally harm her. The few moments spent with him had felt so right. He seemed to know her so intimately. He had all the answers. It confused her, the people she stayed with - family, she corrected, didn't seem to know a lot of things that he did. That was confusing. She was lost in her thoughts staring at the drawing of a frog she had made, when he arrived.

He watched quietly as she traced her fingers on the sketch of the frog feeling a familiar pang in his heart.

Mujhe yaad kar rahi ho?

She looked up at him confused, but seeing his face brought a smile to hers which in turn warmed his heart. He wanted to pull her into a hug but refrained, she however wrapped her arms around him. She had become very impulsive in her actions with almost no experience to fallback on. She felt safe when she felt him hug her back. She also felt his lips brush the top of her head, which felt natural but also gave her goosebumps.

Tumne ye mendak kab banaya?
He asked as they sat beside each other on the bed. It amazed him how attuned she was to everything related to him. She had drawn a frog. A frog!! His sherni remembered her mendak even if his Naira didn't remember her Kartik. It was bittersweet but it felt like a perfect start. He decided to start with the story of their first meet.

"Tar tar tar" he mimicked her and she laughed. It seemed almost too easy he thought. Except they weren't touching the difficult and more painful parts of their story today. She sat like a child enthusiastically listening, as a romantic drama unfolded. Asking questions. Demanding answers. Looking at pictures and videos.

"Mendak" she giggled. She couldn't believe how much she was enjoying this process. It was probably the way he told the stories. She wanted to sit and cheer for the couple. She felt like pushing the girl to accept the guy who loved her so much. She couldn't believe after everything she had run away when he confessed in Switzerland. He had ended the night's story session with pictures from Switzerland. It was still hard to accept that the girl in question was her. It felt like someone else's story even though she seemed to be in all the pictures. The only thing that felt real was what she now had with Kartik. She wasn't even sure what it was but had an idea that it was a deep sense of attachment. Was that love? She didn't know. For now, she would bask in his love and maybe even learn to love like he does.

Kartik??
Hmmm..
Mein bhaag kyun gayi thi?
Kya?

Matlab jab tumne propose kiya. Mein bhaag kyun gayi thi.

Tumhe patah nahi tha ki tum bhi mujhse pyaar karthi thi.

Oh
She sat thinking about her own complex past behavior. She couldn't quite make sense of it. But of course hearing about it wasn't enough to understand how she felt she supposed.
Itna mat socho . He patted her head kindly.

There was a sudden knock on the door, they panicked. This wasn't going to be easy. He could hide but all the pictures he brought were spread across the bed. Kartik went to hide in the cupboard again while Naira kept glancing at the bed. She cracked opened the door but just a little. It was Naksh asking if she were alright. She was. She wanted to scream out her annoyance but tried to understand his feelings as a brother. She just couldn't gather herself to care. Unlike what Kartik had told her, she felt no connection to this man. He kept enquiring about her well being. She replied she was doing fine as convincingly as she could . Eventually frustration built up again until she couldn't stop herself.
"Aap jaayiye please.. mujhe sona hai "

She gathered that sometimes her straightforward replies hurt people but unfortunately her own lack of attachment to anyone (barring Kartik) made it difficult for her to feel empathetic.
When he left, she pulled Kartik out of his hiding place and gave him a tight hug. He was again taken aback by her spontaneity. Kartik was struck by the thought that her mind free of any attachments was choosing him. Again and again. He thought It wasn't possible to fall more in love with her but everyday proved him wrong. He wondered what he'd do when she figured out what had happened. He dreaded the day but decided today just now, he'd live in the moment. And that meant Naira in his arms. That only meant one thing. Happiness.

Naira tightened the hold on him. In an exhausting world full of strangers, a frustrating mind that held only questions, she clung to the only comfort she had found. It was as if she was drowning and he was the one keeping her afloat. Letting her breath. She may not  remember how much she loved him but she could see why she loved him. It was easy to fall in love with him. Her heart was already there. Now she just had to follow her heart.