Kartik smiled as he listened to Kairav, who was talking about his day at school. Both were sitting on his hospital bed. More than listening he was just smiling at Kairav, lost in the innocent babble of his son.

It's been a week since he was in a hospital. His condition had improved quite a lot, and in 1-2 days, he would be discharged but he would still be required to go to the hospital everyday to get his dressings changed.

It had become an everyday routine for Kairav to come everyday in the evening to meet Kartik. Kartik more then welcomed it, they would play board games, would talk a lot, Kairav more than Kartik, and sometimes Kartik would help Kairav in his homework.

Kartik didn't care whatever activity they were doing as long as Kairav was with him. Kairav's presence was slowly reviving a warmth within him, a warmth in his heart, which had turned cold five years ago and had remained that way, until now. Kairav's presence was the only good thing in the hospital.

Kairav :- papa. Papa. PAPA !!

Kartik came out of his thoughts.

Kartik :- haa baccha ?

Kairav :- kahan kho gaye the aap ? Aapne meri koi baat bhi nahi suni.

Kairav crossed his hands, while glaring cutely at Kartik.

Kartik couldn't help but smile at his son. He looked so endearing like that. Kartik pulled Kairav towards him, kissed him on the cheek and hugged him tightly.

Kartik :- sorry baccha, ab main kya karta, aap itne jyada cute lag rahe the ki main bas aapko dekhta hi reh gaya.

Kartik pulled back and held his ears with his hands.

Kartik:- please apne papa ko maaf kar do.

Kairav :- it's ok Papa. Mumma bhi kabhi kabhi aise hi karti hai.

For a moment Kartik's eyes hardened before he quickly gained control of himself. Kartik knew the problem between him and Naira hadn't finished but had just started. He didn't know where it would end, if it would even end at all. But no matter what, his problems were his alone, he wasn't going to let even the shadow of them fall on Kairav.

And that's why Kartik made sure not to give any kind of reaction in front of Kairav whenever Kairav spoke about Naira. Kartik might smile a bit, but he never made any other reaction which would make Kairav suspicious.

Kairav :- papa.

Kartik broke from his thoughts.

Kartik :- haa baccha.

Kairav :- apni aankhein band karo.

Kartik :- kyun baccha ?

Kairav :- karo toh. Maine aapke liye kuch laaya hoon.

Kartik smiled and closed his eyes.

Kairav :- aur abhi jab tak main na kahoon ankhein mat kholna.

Kartik :- ok baccha.

Kartik felt Kairav going down from bed and heard some sound. He had no idea what Kairav had brought for him but whatever it would be, Kartik already knew that he was going to love it. After all for a parent to receive any kind of gift from their child was one of the best feelings in the world.

Kartik felt Kairav sitting on the bed once again.

Kairav :- ab aap apni aankhein kholo.

Kartik opened his eyes and was surprised to see Kairav holding a card and rose in front of him.

Kartik :- ye sab kya hai baccha ?

Kairav :- ye meri taraf se aapko father's day ka gift.

Kartik was shocked as he slowly took the gift. He was overwhelmed. He opened the card to see a drawing Kairav had drawn. In the drawing him and Kairav were holding hands with each other and besides them Kairav had written 'happy father's day'.

Kartik kept staring at the drawing. He didn't even realise when tears came in his eyes. He looked at Kairav who was surprised to see him crying.

Kairav :- kya hua papa ? Aap ro kyun rahe ho ? Aapko gift acha nahi laga ?

Kartik :- nahi mera baacha nahi, aisa kuch bhi nahi hai.

Kairav :- toh aapko gift aacha laga ?

Kartik kept the card and rose aside and quickly took Kairav in his arms. Kartik hugged Kairav tightly.

Kartik :- acha nahi, bahut bahut bahut acha. Sach kahoon toh ye meri zindagi ka sabse best gift hai.

Kairav :- sacchi papa ?

Kartik :- haa mera baccha.

Kairav :- I love you Papa.

Kartik :- I love you too mera baccha.

Kartik was overcome with emotions. He feared his heart would burst with happiness. His son has given him a gift, and Kartik was going to treasure it for life. He had always heard that getting a gift from your child was the best thing for a parent and he had never thought that he would feel such joy, until now.

Kartik hugged Kairav even more tightly than he could. He felt peace in his heart, a feeling he always got whenever Kartik hugged Kairav. In such a short time Kairav had become Kartik's life, his anchor, his light. Kartik's love for Kairav deepened even more.

Sometime later Kairav was doing his homework, sitting beside Naira, on a sofa in the room while Naksh was sitting on the other sofa.

Naksh was worried for Naira and for Kartik. They haven't talked to each other not even once since kartik's hospitalization. He didn't expect everything to become like before between them, but he at least wanted them on talking terms.

In the past week since he had reunited with his sister, Naksh had been very happy. He didn't want to choose between his sister and Kartik. He knew these five years were hard for both of them. Naksh knew being a single mother in an unknown City with no proper source of income, and away from family, must have been extremely difficult for Naira and Naksh had personally witnessed Kartik's horrific five years.

Naksh knew he had to find some way to get Naira and Kartik to at least talk to each other. It wasn't their first separation, but by far it was their most difficult separation. Naksh didn't know what would happen now, but he had to try, at least once. He also knew that he couldn't force Naira and Kartik to talk to each other.

Naksh looked at Kartik who was staring at the drawing Kairav had given him. Naksh suddenly had an idea, he turned towards Naira and Kairav who had just completed his homework. He spoke slowly so that only they could hear.

Naksh :- Naira, if you don't mind, main thodi der Kairav ko bahar le jaaon, hum log kuch khaa bhi lenge aur main Kairav ke saath thoda time bhi spend kar loonga.

Naira :- par bhai-

Naksh :- Naira please, vaise bhi aaj raat main hospital mein rahoonga, toh isliye apne bhanje ke saath thoda time spend karna chahta hoon. And don't worry, hum hospital se kuch bhi nahi khaenge, pass mein ek cafe hai, we'll go there.

Naksh couldn't force them to talk to each other, but what if they are alone, maybe they would talk to each other.

Naira looked at Kairav who was looking at her with puppy eyes. Naira sighed and nodded. She wanted to refuse them, but if she did, then Kairav would ask questions, of which she had no answers. Whatever problems she had with Kartik, she didn't want Kairav's life to be affected because of that.

Kairav hugged Naira and both he and Naksh left.

Kartik was staring fondly at the picture which he had received from Kairav. He couldn't look away from it. There was something magical about the picture. Deep down he knew, that the only magic this picture had was nothing but the pure innocent love of Kairav for him. To any other person it would seem like a normal drawing by a child but for Kartik it was priceless. Every time Kartik looked at it, he was filled with love for Kairav.

Kartik broke from his thoughts when someone suddenly shook his shoulder. He looked at the person. It was a nurse.

Nusre :- sir, aap theek hai ? Main aapko kab se bula rahi hoon, aapne koi reply nahi diya.

Kartik looked around, he saw only Naira sitting there. He was so lost in thoughts he hadn't even realised when Naksh and Kairav had left and when the nurse had entered.

Nurse :- sir, Are you okay ?

Kartik just nodded.

Nurse :- sir, vo aapko injection Dene aayi thi.

Kartik nodded again. The nurse started preparing it. Kartik kept the drawing on the side table and laid down on the bed.

Naira looked at Kartik as he laid down on the bed. She of course knew about the gift which Kairav had given kartik. She knew why the gift mattered so much to Kartik. After all she herself had received gifts from Kairav on her birthday and had felt the same way which Kartik felt now.

As the nurse gave kartik the injection, Naira couldn't help but think of the changes which had occurred in the past five years. There was a time when Kartik would have raised tantrums like a child in the name of an injection, but now he didn't even react to them, not even a single reaction on his face, but more than anything, the changes in the last one month had changed everything for her, for Kairav and for Kartik.

In the last five years she had suffered, a lot. It wasn't easy for her to come into a new city, in an unknown City, away from her family and make a living without even a proper roof above her head. But she tolerated everything, all the pain, all the problems, for her kid. For her Kairav.

And when the first time she had laid her eyes on him, she had forgotten all her problems, all her pains. And she knew in that moment, that she would do it all over again, for her child. She had decided to live only for her child and no one else.

Kairav was her life, her soul, her everything. She loved him more than anything in the world. Whatever she did, it was all for Kairav. She did extra jobs, worked hard day and night while taking care of Kairav, so that she could provide a good life to Kairav.

But now she was worried, she was scared. Ever since Kartik had entered their lives, Ever since he had started staying with them, Kairav would spend all the time with Kartik then her. Kairav would come from school and then spend all the time with Kartik till he slept. And ever since Kartik had been hospitalized, Kairav would come to hospital after school and would only go back to home at night, and even then would be too tired to spend any proper time with her and would just go to sleep.

Naira knew she was being silly, Kairav had just met his father and was bound to spend more time with him, after being away from him for so many years, but still it was disconcerting. In all these years, Naira had been Kairav's world, his sole center of attention, but now Kairav's centre of attention had shifted to his father. And she was disheartened to see this.

Naira knew that she shouldn't feel this way, after all Kairav was just making up for the time he had lost with his father, but she couldn't help it. If Kairav went away from her, she wouldn't be able to live. He was all she had now, she knew he wouldn't go away from her, but what if Kartik decided to take Kairav to udaipur and leave her behind, she knew Kartik was not the kind of person to do that, but she also knew that he had changed, a lot, so she wasn't sure, and what if-

Kartik :- jaisa tum soch rahi ho, vaise main kuch nahi karne wala. Toh jyada dimaag ke ghode mat dodao.

Naira was startled when she suddenly heard his voice. So lost in her thoughts, she didn't even realise when the nurse had left. Suddenly she registered Kartik's words in her mind, who was looking at the ceiling.

Naira :- kya ??

Kartik :- maine kaha, ki jo tum soch rahi ho, main aisa kuch nahi karonga.

Naira :- aur tumhe kya pata ki main kya soch rahi hoon ?

Kartik scoffed :- ohh please, itna toh main samaghta hoon, tumhe yahi dar hai na ki main Kairav ko lekar udaipur na chala jaaon.

Naira was shocked.

Naira :- how do you-

Kartik :- tumhari shakal pe saaf saaf likha hai, ki tumhare dimaag mein kya chal raha hai. Don't worry, tum bhale hi mughe darinda samaghti ho, par main aisa hoon nahi, kairav bhale hi abhi mere saath jyada time spend kar raha hai, but at the end of the day, tum uski maa ho, aur ek main se dur hone ka dard main achi tarah se samaghta hoon.

Naira felt angry, she didn't like Kartik's tone. Was he mocking her ?

Naira :- tum kehna kya chahte ho ?

Kartik :- wahi, jo tumne suna.

Naira :- tumhe bada pata hai, ki mere dimaag mein kya chal raha hai !!

Kartik :- itna jyada mysterious ho nahi, jitna apne aap ko samaghti ho.

Naira :- jaise tum bahut jaante ho mughe !!

Kartik :- jyada nahi par itna toh jaanta hoon.

Naira :- itna jaante toh phir vo sawal-

Naira went quiet and looked away from Kartik. Kartik who was staring at the ceiling closed his eyes, remembering that cursed night and an uncomfortable silence descended between them.

The silence was broken when Naksh and Kairav came back. Naira immediately decided to leave with Kairav.

Kairav hugged kartik before leaving. Naira also hugged Naksh. Naksh could sense that something had happened between Naira and Kartik but decided not to point it out, at least not for now.

As they left the hospital, Naira couldn't help but think if this was the life which she was going to lead from now on. Her and Kartik hadn't talked in a week, ever since his hospitization and even the small talk they had, almost led to a fight. Would it always remain like this or would it change ?

A/N :- So guys, how was it ? Please vote and tell me in the comments.

I know many of you are angry and upset with me for posting so late, i apologise for that.

If you have any ideas, please do tell me. And guys i have only given a small glimpse of Naira's suffering, so don't think that I have finished it, i will write more about it in the coming chapters.