Rajveer falls unconscious after uttering a word. Naina comes towards her husband and daughter. With Anamika's help, she takes her husband into the room and sprinkles some water on his face. Anamika is thoughtful. She watches as her mom prepares an injection and injects it into his right arm. As Naina finishes her task, she finds Anamika thoughtful.

"Kya hua baby? Kya soch rahi ho? Don't worry, papa will be fine soon." Naina says bucking up her daughter, as she knows how attached Anamika is to her dad.

"Mom! Who's Devi??" Anamika asks her mom.

"Devi!! Ye kya hai? Beta, teri koi behen nahi hai!" Naina says.

"Arey mom! Dad ne naam liya ye, behosh hone se pehle. Aakhir baat kya hai??" Anamika tells her mom and Naina shivers at her place.

She looks at Rajveer and then Anamika. She doesn't know how to reply to her daughter. The name about which Anamika is asking, it's half of the good name. Naina doesn't have the power to tell the reality to her darling daughter. Her trance is broken with her daughter's voice.

"Kahan kho gaye mumma?? Batao na!" Anamika nudges her mother.

"Kuch nahi beta. Devi is a new girl who's new in the office. Lagta hai last call usi ka tha, and you know your dad. Zyada stress se aisa hota hai." Naina says, actually she makes up a story.

Anamika looks at her mother and believes her, though she feels that her parents are hiding something from her. She agrees to her mother and offers to help her in the kitchen, but Naina asks her to be in the room beside her dad. Anamika agrees and settles on the bed beside Rajveer. Naina rushes out of her room and glances back. Anamika is sitting beside her dad, smearing his head with one hand, she's scrolling through her phone with another hand.

"I am sorry bache! I can't tell you all of that.  I don't even want to remember that horrific incident. It's better we forget it." Naina speaks to herself and moves into the kitchen.

*****

Rajveer gains consciousness after a while. He finds Anamika sitting beside him. He sits up on the bed and Anamika gives him a glass of water.

" Dad, are you okay? " she asks her father.

" I am fine!" Rajveer replies lowly.

"Really! Kyun itna stress lete ho dad!! Pata hai main aur mumma kitna darr gaye they?" Anamika shoots a glare at her father.

"I am sorry, Princess!" Rajveer replies weakly.

"You always say that, Dadda!"Anamika says glaring at her dad.

"What else can I say! You scold me so much." Rajveer makes a sad face.

"You do such things. Now freshen up and come down." Anamika eyes him.

Rajveer nods his head and moves to the washroom. He decides to take a shower to free his mind from all the thoughts of the past. He gets dressed into his casuals and moves towards the dining hall where he finds his father and daughter already seated on the table. He takes his seat beside Anamika and Naina also joins them. She asks about his wellbeing.

"I am fine!" Rajveer replies softly.

"Kya hua beta?" his father asks him.

"Kuch nahi papa, aapke sahabzaade tension lete hain toh sardard ho raha tha!" Naina says.

"But mom!!" Anamika looks at her mother in surprise, as She is saying a lie to her grandfather.

Naina shushes Anamika and the family have their food, where Anamika is speaking occasionally, though she is a little disturbed.

*****
New York

It's morning, Devika is in her room, she is all ready for the day. She is sitting on the bed holding her husband's picture in her hands.

"Tumhara beta bahut ziddi ho gaya hai! Main phir se tumhe khona nahi chahti. I mean, usey nahi khona chahti, wahi toh hain tumhari aakhiri nishaani."  She speaks while looking at the picture.

She's hurt that even after denying, Vineet wants to travel to India. Okay! It maybe a 25 years old news, things change even in a minute,while she is still holding on to a 25 years old string.

She hugs the picture and cries. She can't lose her only son, for her, her enemies are right there in India. Her son looks exactly like his father and this may cause him trouble. Ruhana isn't ready to let go off his son easily. Her trance is broken by Vineet's voice.

"Maa!" he calls her and sits on his knees.

"Ma, I am sorry! Apne doston ke sath jaunga main. Please, let me go!" Vineet says.

"Maine kaha na Vineet, mujhe us baare mein koi baat na karni. You're not going to India!" she says bluntly.

"But why?? Mom, zaroori nahi jo 25 saal pehle hua wo aaj bhi ho!" Vineet shouts as he's frustrated over her denial.

"Aur is baat ki kya guarantee hai, ki aaj kuch nahi hoga?? Can you give me a guarantee!! I just lost your father there, Vineet! Nahi hain mujhme itni himmat ki tujhe bhi kho dun! And remember, you look exactly like your dad." Devika shouts at her son.

"Mom! I know how to safeguard myself." Vineet whines.

"You're father was the same, Vineet, fir bhi bandook ki goli ka koi tod nahi hota. I saw him dying in front of my eyes, Vineet! Aur main nahi chahti, India jaake, aisa kuch tere sath bhi ho." she says, her fear is apt.

Someone amongst her knowns killed her husband, pulled away a father's hand from her son, before he was born. That's the reason she hates the country of India and doesn't want to go back. Vineet begins to speak again. He wants to visit India, not only for his lady love but also to know the reasons for his dad's death.

"Mom! Please! Just once! This is a tour, you can also come!" Vineet says trying another chance.

"Enough! Tujhe nahi samajhni na meri baat! Fine! Do whatever you like, but don't regret later." Devika says sharply and leaves the house.

Vineet sighs, he isn't able to convince her, and now she is angry. He sighs deeply, and at the same time his phone buzzes with a message. He reads the message and makes a call.

" You sound low? All good? " a feminine voice comes from the other side.

"Ana! Mom didn't agree!"he replies sadly.

"What did she didn't agree? And why it makes you so low?"  It's Anamika.

"Mom's angry, I said that our college is going on a trip to India, but she didn't agree. I don't know how to convince her." Vineet replies sadly.

"give her time. I am sure that she will agree." Anamika says, though she is thoughtful herself.

"Tumhe kya hua?" Vineet asks her, her dilemma isn't hidden from him.

"Vineet! There are some hidden things, Mom and dad  are hiding something." Anamika reveals.

"I feel the same. But we can't do anything. " Vineet says dejectedly.

"I've got an idea!" Suddenly, Anamika squeals over the phone.

Vineet asks her the idea, and it certainly makes him smile, this may work on Ruhana. He grins and after some more chit chats, he disconnects the call and asks Anamika to sleep. He seems content, now, his plan may work.

To Be Continued.

What did Anamika say?

Will Ruhana let go of Vineet?

Stay tuned.