Naksh was standing outside Kartik's room in the hospital. Earlier he had donated his blood which was now being transfused to Kartik.

Naksh was extremely worried. An hour ago Kartik had woken up but since then Kartik hadn't said a thing. He was lost, quiet, staring into nothingness. Naksh had wanted to go inside but the doctor had refused, saying that till the time transfusion wasn't over, he couldn't go inside.

Naksh had already called David and had asked him to clean up the house and replace every broken thing with a new one. He had given clear instructions to David to not to tell anything to Manish. First Naksh needed to know himself what had actually happened.

Finally the doctor came out of Kartik's room. Naksh immediately came near him.

Naksh :- Sir, how is he ?

Doctor :- Blood transfusion ho gaya hai. I told you before also, he is in shock. Koi bahut bada jhatka laga hai unhe. He is awake but he is not saying anything.

Naksh :- can I meet him ?

Doctor :- yeah, Koshish kijiye unse baat karne ki, agar vo kuch bole.

Naksh nodded. The doctor went from there. Naksh went inside his room.

Kartik was lying on the bed, his both hands covered in bandages. He was wearing a hospital gown, but Naksh knew that underneath the gown his waist was covered in bandages.

He was awake, just staring at the wall. To a random person, it would have looked like, that Kartik was thinking something, but not Naksh. Naksh knew Kartik, better than anyone, of what that look meant. That look was of a broken man, who had lost the will to live. Tears were flowing down  from both his eyes.

Naksh came near and sat beside him.

Naksh :- Kartik.

Kartik turned his head towards Naksh. He was surprised to Naksh here. So lost was he in his thoughts, that he hadn't even acknowledged Naksh's presence till Naksh hadn't said his name.

Naksh looked at Kartik and a pang of pain went in his heart.

Kartik :- Naksh ? Tum yaha, kaise ??

Naksh :- vo sab baad mein, tumhe abhi kaisa lag raha hai ?

Kartik :- pata nahi.

Naksh sighed.

Naksh :- kartik, please apna dhyan kyun nahi rakhte tum.

Kartik didn't say anything, just looked away.

Naksh :- kartik, main jaanta hoon ki tum Naira ko bahut miss karte ho. Hum sab log bhi karte hain. Par jo tum kar rahe ho vo koi solution toh nahi hai na.

Naksh sighed as no reply came from Kartik.

Naksh :- Kartik, tum khud ek baar Socho ki kya Naira tumhe ye haal mein dekhar khush hogi ?

Kartik was quiet for a moment before he spoke.

Kartik :- pata nahi.

Naksh looked at Kartik with concern as Kartik turned his head to face him. His voice was quivering in a way which Naksh hadn't heard before. Ever.

Kartik :- sach kahoon toh pata nahi. Par itna pata hai ki vo mughe aise dekh kar dukhi bikul bhi nahi hogi.

Naksh :- kya ? Kartik main kuch samgha nahi.

Kartik :- paanch saal Naksh, paanch saal guzar gaye uss din ko. Par main aaj bhi wahin hoon Naksh. Bahut koshish ki maine move on karne ki par nahi kar paya, Sab log aage bhad gaye apni life mein. Maa, papa, dadi, sab log, yahan tak ki–

Kartik's voice trembled as he tried to say what he wanted. More and more tears fell from his eyes.

Naksh :- yahan tak ki kya Kartik ? Bolo mughe Kartik.

Kartik :- N...N....Nai.....– Naira bhi aage bhad gayi Naksh.

Naksh sighed as he looked at Kartik.

Naksh :- Kartik, jab vo iss duniya mein hi nahi rahi, toh kahan se move on karegi. Hum sabne iss baat ko accept kar liya hai, aur ab tumhe bhi Issey accept kar lena chahiye.

Kartik :- kaash ki ye sach hota, kaash.

Naksh :- matlab ?

Kartik didn't say as more and more tears fell from his eyes.

Naksh :- kartik, saaf saaf bolo ki kya kehna chahte ho.

Kartik :- N....n....naira–

Naksh :- naira kya kartik ? Naira kya ?

Naksh's voice got agitated. For the first time in five years, Naksh got a very bad feeling that everything was about to change.

Kartik :- Naira Zinda hai, naksh. Naira Zinda hai.

Naksh :- kya !!!!

Kartik didn't say anything further as he broke down. Tears fell from his eyes and burned his face.

Naksh :- kartik, tum hosh mein toh ho !!?? Jaante bhi ho kya keh rahe ho !!

Kartik's voice became hollow as he spoke.

Kartik :- haa Naksh. Apni aakhon se dekha hai Maine ussey.

Naksh :- dimaag kharab ho gaya hai tumhara. Kuch bhi keh rahe ho. Ek min. tum kahin mazak toh nahi kar rahe na, mere saath.

Kartik :- kaash ki ye mazak hota Naksh. Kaash zindagi ne aisa mazak na khela hota mere saath. Aur itna hi nahi Naksh, mera ek baacha bhi hai. Wahi baacha jiski maut ke liye main aaj tak aapne ko Kosta tha.

Naksh got up from his seat and started pacing in the room. He was shocked to the core. His voice trembling. He was not expecting to hear this. He was not ready to accept this.

Naksh :- nahi, main nahi maanta. Kartik tumhe pakka koi galat fehmi hui hogi. Haa, aisa hi hua hoga. Aur tum khud hi batao, agar sach mein Naira Zinda hai, toh hamare pass vaapas kyun nahi aayi. Batao, hai koi jawab tumhare pass. Koi apne Marne ka naatak kyun karega ??!! Kyun vo apne parivaar se dur rahegi ??!!

By the time Naksh finished his ranting, Kartik tears had dried. He was staring at the ceiling. His mind even more chaotic then before. So lost in thoughts he was, that he didn't even listen to what Naksh was saying, but he understood. He knew what naksh was feeling. When Kartik spoke, his voice was devoid of any emotion.

Kartik :- main jaanta hoon tumhe meri baaton par yakeen nahi hai. Lisa ko bulao, uss se kaho, vo leke jaegi tumhe Naira ke– Sorry, Tina ke ghar.

Naksh looked at Kartik in shock. No, no–

Suddenly the door opened and doctor came in.

Doctor:- sir, patient ke rest karne ke time hai. Aap please bahar chale jaiye. Mughe inhe injection Dena Hai. Aur raat bahut ho gayi hai, isliye aapko bhi rest karna chahiye.

Naksh nodded and looked at Kartik who didn't give any reaction to doctor's words. He just shook his head and went outside. Instead of going back to the house, Naksh decided to stay in the hotel which was besides the hospital.

Next morning, Naksh was outside Kartik's room. Restless. He hadn't slept the entire night. Kartik's words kept playing in his head, the entire night. He was sure it must have been a dream, but if it was just a dream, then Kartik wouldn't have reacted like the way he had.

Everything pointed to one ultimate truth, that, Naira was alive. But he was not willing to accept it. He didn't want to accept it. Because he could clearly see the storm which would come if it was true.

Kartik was still asleep. Last night the doctor had given him quite a high dose of the sedative. The doctor had told him that by evening he could take Kartik back to his house.

Suddenly a voice called out to him.

Voice :- Naksh.

Naksh turned his head to look at the person. It was Lisa.

Lisa :- hey, how is he ?

Naksh :- Better. Doctor ne kaha ki by evening we can take him back.

Relief  flooded is Lisa's eyes as she sat beside him.

Lisa :- thank God.

Naksh just nodded. Kartik's voice suddenly rang in his mind, that if Naksh didn't trust Kartik then he should ask Lisa, on what is the reality. He also remembered, that when yesterday he has asked Lisa on what had happened, she had just told him to ask Kartik.

Naksh turned towards Lisa.

Naksh :- Lisa, main tumse bas ek sawal poochunga, aur mughe iska jawab bas yes aur no mein chahiye.

Lisa turned towards Naksh with a confused expression on her face.

Naksh :- kya naira Zinda hai ?

Lisa looked at Naksh. Shocked, but that was enough. Enough for naksh to know that whatever Kartik had said to him last night wasn't a dream or a hallucination, but was completely true.

Naksh didn't know what to feel, he was overwhelmed with so many emotions that he didn't know what he should feel. Shock, Happiness, anger, love, hate, everything was clouding him. But the biggest thing which caused his emotions to pause was one question.

Why ?

Naksh :- Lisa, mughe abhi ki abhi uss se milna hai.

Lisa flinched as Naksh's voice came out very harsh. His face was undergoing through so many emotions, that she couldn't recognise even one of them.

Lisa :- Naksh, i think we should stay with Kartik. I mean thode din baad bhi toh–

Naksh :- i am sorry Lisa. But pehle hi bahut der chuki hai ab aur kitni der wait karenge.

Lisa knew that she didn't have any option. She could refuse him, but by evening Kartik would be discharged and then no one would stop them from coming. Plus the biggest factor was, that right now Kairav was in school so he would be spared of all the things which would happen.

Lisa nodded and got up and walked outside with naksh following her. Naksh gave Lisa the key to drive the car. During the car ride none of them spoke to each other.

They finally reached Naira's place. Lisa went to the door and rang the door bell with Naksh standing behind her. A voice from inside the house spoke.

Voice :- come in.

Naksh froze as he heard the voice. His heart beat increased. Lisa looked at Naksh and nodded and slowly opened the door and went inside with Naksh following her.

Lisa saw tina who was adjusting the sofa with her back towards them. She just prayed to God to give her friend the strength she needed to overcome the Strom which had suddenly entered her life and had blown everything away. 

Tina :- thank God Lisa, tu aa gayi ? Main Tera hi wait kar rahi thi kabse. Main kal poori raat so nahi payi. Kairav ko bhi badi mushkil se school bheja hai. Aur–

Tina froze as she turned around and saw her brother standing behind Lisa, who was also staring at her like he had seen a ghost. Naksh had gone completely white as he saw his supposedly dead sister in front of him.

For a slight moment, he was happy, elated, overjoyed at the fact that his sister whom he loved so much was alive. Naksh slowly came near her. Cautiously. Also afraid that she might vanish if he took a wrong step. But she didn't and the happiness vanished the next moment. And the only thing he felt was anger. Before he could stop himself, he spoke.

Naksh :- kyun Naira ? Bas ek sawal hai mera. Kyun ?

Naksh himself was surprised as his voice came out desperate and dejected. Naira was looking at him with confusion and sadness.

Naksh :- paanch saal Naira, paanch saal se hum sab log iss dard mein jeeye hai ki tu ab iss duniya mein nahi rahi, ghar mein aisa koi nahi hai, jisne tughe yaad na kiya ho. Aur aaj bhi karte hai. Har din Naira, har din tughe yaad karte hai, aur bhagwan ko bhi koste hai ki unhone tughe humse dur kar diya. Inn panch saalo mein bahut kuch badla, par ek chiz kabhi nahi badli, aur vo tha tere liye pyaar. Aur aaj mughe pata chal raha hai ki tumhara jaana ek jhoot tha. Ek aisa jhoot jisne dono parivaaro ko bikher kar rakh diya. Aur aisa bikhera ki hum aaj bhi ussey thik se jod nahi paaye. Kyun naira ? Kyun bhaagi tum ? Kyun gayi hum sabke chod ke ?

By the time Naksh finished speaking, tears were running down on his cheeks. He saw the sad and conflicted look on Naira's face.

Naksh :- main jaanta hoon ki uss raat kya hua tha.

Naira looked at him shocked.

Naksh :- main maanta hoon ki Kartik ne galat kiya tere saath. Par tune Kartik ki saza hum sabko kyun di ? Agar Tera accident hua tha aur tu ghar vaapas aa sakti thi, toh kyun nahi aayi ? Kisi aur pe Naa sahi, apne bhai toh vishwas rakhti, main saath deta Tera, chahe uske liye mughe poore parivar se kyun na ladna padta, main ladta tere liye. Aur choti dadi, bhabhi maa, hum sab tera saath dete. Hum sabka kya kasoor tha, jo tune itni badi saza di Hummein ? Galati toh kartik ki thi na, toh hum sab ko kis chiz ki saza di tune ?

Naira didn't say anything and if Naksh was being honest with himself, he didn't expect a reply. He was still trying to process the fact that his sister was standing in front of him. He needed to get out from there.

Naksh wiped his tears, turned around and without saying anything else walked out of the house.

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

Guys, first of all I am really sorry that I am posting the chapter this late. Last month has been really busy for me. Please, do forgive me.

And guys, i need your help, the thing is that i am also preparing for my competitive exam, due to which I am not able to give time to the story. I am not able to properly think on what to write in the story, how to do something creative, so guys i need your help, please share any ideas you have or anything which you want to see in the story, you can personal message me or you can write it in the comments. I'll appreciate it very much.