Vikram parted the hug and rushed to Aarav. He bends down and placed his head on his lap. He tapped his cheek lightly "Aaru.. Aaru aankhein khol" he said softly as he had fallen unconscious. His heartbeat raised seeing him in this state, despite knowing the consequences he allowed those creepy people hurt him mentally and physically.

Poonam came over and placed her hand on his shoulder "Vikram kuch nahi hoga hum hospital jaate hai" she said.

He looked at her with tears in his eyes. He lifts him up and rushes out of the house. Poonam unlocks the car and Vikram places him behind. He sits beside him and Poonam drove off towards the hospital.

Poonam glanced at Vikram through the rear mirror who had mixed emotions on his face. He was worried, fearful of Aarav's mental state after what Nitin and Kavya did with him in front of his own eyes. This must have shaken him from the inside as he had trusted his family more than he trusted his own wife, they played games behind his back. She prayed to the god that no more bad news should shatter him.

Within 20 minutes, she reached the front gate of the hospital. Vikram opened the door and Poonam's manager was standing there along with the nurses and the stretcher. They pulled him out of the car and laid him on it. They rushed into the hospital, Vikram had been holding his brother's hand firmly.

The stretcher stopped in front of the treatment room and the doctor said "Vikram aap iska haath chodiye"

"lekin" he wanted to be inside. Poonam said "Vikram doctor hai na kuch nahi hoga chodo please" Vikram leaves his hand and the stretcher faded away from his sight behind the door.

He looked through the small window placing his hand on it. Poonam placed her head on his shoulder and rubbed his arm a bit consoling him. "Poonam.. agar isne apne dost ki bhi nahi pehchana toh?" he asked in fear.

She turned his face towards her, he refused "nahi bardasht kar paunga.. aur nahi mujhe mera Aaru wapas chahiye Poonam please" he gets down on his knees and cried. Poonam pulls him into a hug and smeared his head. He tightened his grip around her "ye lauta rishta bhi mujhse door kyun hai? kya galti hui mujhse haan? bhaagwan mujhe tumhe ghar se nikalne ki itni bada saza kaise de sakte hai? mera bhai mujhe hi.."

Poonam lifted his face up and looked into his eyes "koi tumhe saza nahi de raha hai tum bahut ache bhai ho" she said

"hota toh mera bhai aise nahi hota! kaise vishwas kiya maine chacha chachi pe itna? aaj Aaru jis haal mein hai na uska zimmedar sirf main hun. sirf main" he blamed himself for everything happened.

"nahi.. tum nahi ho" Poonam yelled at him. He looked at her silently. She wiped tears from his eyes. He held her hand tightly and thanked her for everything.

She smiled, the door opened and the doctor came out of the treatment room. Vikram and Poonam stood up instantly. He asked with curiosity "Doc... Aaru kaisa hai?"

"ghabrane waali koi baat nahi hai Vikram baki uski mental state uske hosh ke aane ke baad hi bata paunga main maine kaha tha Poonam se use electric shock na lagne de main toh darr hi gaya tha lekin abhi sab thik lag raha hai" the doctor said briefly

Vikram eyed at her for a moment.

"kabtak hosh aa jayega ise?" Poonam asked

"2-3 ghante mein aa jayega bas aapko aur humhe calm rehna hai" he said meaningfully. Dheer went to his cabin and Vikram eyed at Poonam.

"tumne doctor ki baat ansuna karke waha use electric shock lagne diya" he asked her angrily

"Vikram sab thik hai" she clarified

"kuch ho jaata toh? Poonam itna bada Risk" he said in disbelief

"Vikram sab thik hai agar yeh nahi karti toh chacha chachi ki asliyat bahar kaise aati?" she replied cupping his face. He jerked her hand off as she didn't inform him about this.

"jo bhi ho! tumne mujhe bataya nahi." he said in hurtful tone as he trusted her.

"bata deti toh tum kabhi taiyar nahi hote yeh sab karne ke liye Vikram.." she tried to explain.

Vikram immediately entered the room. He sat down beside him on the small stool, a white bandage was on his head. He placed a soft kiss on his brother's forehead and held his hand tightly.

Poonam grabbed the door as she felt a bit dizzy. She looked at Vikram and smiled a bit. She thought of getting something from the hospital canteen. She walked to the corridor and reached the canteen. She bought the food and headed back toward the room. She entered and saw Vikram sleeping placing his head on Aarav's arm. She admired the duo and sat down on the couch.

She closed her eyes and drifted into sleep due to excessive tiredness.

Vikram opened his eyes as the birds outside chirped. He looked at his brother who was still unconscious. He turned behind and saw Poonam. He sighed deeply as yesterday he overreacted. He got out of the room and saw the news playing on the television screen. 

"ji haan maine hi mere bhatije ko mental alsyum bheja hai.. aur Vikram ko 2 saal tak usse milne nahi diya" he heard the confession of Nitin. 

A few people throw slippers at him. Vikram assumed Poonam had done all this.

He saw media people entering the hospital. They surrounded him and began to click pictures. The reporter asked "Sir.. ab sach sabke saamne hai toh kya ab wapas apni zimmedari sambhalenge?" 

"dekhiye mere liye abhi mere bhai se zaroori kuch bhi nahi hai.. aap sab please humhe akela chod dijiye" he requested them. 

He looked at the hospital staff and asked them to please take them out of the hospital as he didn't want any media attention for himself and his family. 

As the sun's rays touched her eyes, she opened her eyes. Vikram walked in and passed her the cup of coffee. She eyed him and it was an apology from his side for yesterday's behaviour. She held it and asked "tumhari?"

"mera mann nahi hai" he denied as he was still waiting for his brother to gain back his senses.

She made him sit beside her and asked him to sip "khud nahi khaoge toh tumhe sambhalna padega Aaru se pehle.. chalo peeyo"

He smiled at her care, sipped some, and asked her to have the rest. He took out the sandwich from the wrap and gave it to her. She ate half of it "ye baaki tum khao" he refused but she forcefully fed him.

"Poonam ek sawal karun?" he asked

'hmm.." 

"janta hun mujhse galti hui.. uss waqt gusse mein maine jo kiya wo nahi karna chahiye tha mujhe jiski saza bhi mili mujhe. kya hum phirse ek nayi shuruwat kar sakte hai?" he asked with a hope. 

Poonam stared into his eyes. A smile appeared on her face, she was about to answer. 

Aarav moves his finger a bit, he sees the dream and hears the sounds.

"Aaru ko nahi pata kyun gussa aata hai.. Aaru ko nahi jaana hai please bhai.." tears were continuously brimming down his eyes.

"nahi.. Kahi nahi bhejunga tujhe main.."

Aarav held his arm tightly and shouted "nahi jaana bhaiya..."

"Are dekho kaise Vikram ko takleef de raha hai.." Kavya shouted.

The compounders try to pull Aarav away from him but he held Vikram's hand tightly. Vikram said in a semi-conscious state "nahi.. Aaru nahi jayega kahi.."

The hospital staff drags Aarav and he lets go of Vikram's hand. Vikram sees blur image of Aarav pleading with him "bhaiya.. Nahi jaana Aaru ko kahi"

Vikram shuts his eyes completely and Aarav is taken away to the mental asylum in the ambulance.

He opened his eyes with a jerk and sat up straight "nahi jaana.. nahi jaana Aaru ko nahi jaana" he began to sweat heavily. Vikram and Poonam got alert hearing his scared voice.

Vikram rushed to him and held his hand but he jerked away "nahi jaana nahi jaana.. nahi jaana" he spoke with fear.

Vikram grabbed his hand tightly and cupped his face "Aaru Aaru main hun dekh idhar.. dost"

Aarav looked up at him, he recalled how he fell unconscious and those people took him to the mental asylum. He hugged him tightly, Vikram smeared his head trying to calm him down "Shh.. sab thik hai dost hai na paas"

He looked around and assumed he was in a mental asylum "bhai Aaru ne nahi maara tha aapko.. sachi nahi pata kya ho jaata hai" he said

Vikram ruffled his hair "haan nahi maara..tune" he paused when he realized what Aarav said.

He parted the hug and looked at him with a smile on his face "kya kaha tune?? haan? kya kaha?"

Aarav held his shirt tightly "bhai.."

Vikram kissed all over his face the word he had been dying to hear from him for two years he said it. Vikram hugged him again and tears slipped down his eyes "mere Aaru ne pehchan liya mujhe.."

Tears of happiness tears slip down Poonam's eyes too. They feared that their act could damage his condition more but it worked reversely and he had been back to his mental state after the accident.

The doctor entered inside, Aarav looked at him and smiled a bit as he recognized him to be the same doctor whom he visited with Poonam on the day of their separation.

"ache waale doctor," he said

Vikram parted the hug, the doctor smiled "Hello Aarav.." he gave him the chocolate. Aarav held it. He gave it to Vikram to open it for him.

"pehle doctor uncle aapko dekhenge phir main ye dunga" Vikram said.

He shook his head positively. The doctor checks his BP while Vikram keeps him busy with his talk.

"Toh aap batayie aapko kya yaad hai?" the doctor questioned him politely.

He gets scared and holds Vikram's hand tight. Vikram squeezed it a bit and said "Daro nahi Aaru bhai hai na koi kuch nahi karega"

He denied "chachu aapko maarenge.. jaise mujhe marte they" he replied with teary eyes.

Vikram closed his eyes for a moment, inhaled deeply, and denied "mujhe koi kuch nahi karega.. bolo chalo"

Aarav looked at the doctor and informed him all he remembers is Vikram coming to the hospital to take him home but a few goons beating him.

"phir Aaru andar aa gaya.. aur gande doctor ne" he pointed towards his elbow "bada wala injection lagaya.. jhatka bhi diya phir yaad nahi yaad nahi" he gets reckless.

The doctor injects the medicine into the glucose bottle hanging and soon Aarav calms down. He takes him for the MRI scan and waits for the reports.

Vikram realized Poonam had not been in the room since Aarav had gained consciousness. He got up and moved out of the room in search of Poonam. He searched the whole hospital but couldn't find her anywhere. He called her but she wasn't answering his phone calls.

"Poonam achanak kaha chali gayi" he thought. Did he hurt her again by asking her to unite with him? He just struggled with his questions to which only she had answers to.

Where did Poonam go? Will she accept Vikram's request?

Stay tuned.