Love! I doubted if the monster within him knew the meaning of that word. I passed hesitating smile not wanting to  offend her.

"I will go," I mumbled as I excused myself from her presence. I dragged myself into the room.

I walked into the room, which was offically of Mr Oberoi. I still couldn't pull my mind from the picture adoring the wall. The picture of a beautiful girl. Innocence visible in set of those black orbs. A proud smile forming in her pink lips. I wish, I could be her! Maybe life was better back than.

I shook my head as I pushed myself towards the mirror. I saw my reflection in the mirror. Wearing a branded saree yet I didn't felt, part of their world. There was a slight pain on the shoulder though the belt had being removed. Those attacks! Tanmay had mentioned about it, he had accepted about his deeds. Was Mr Oberoi aware of it?

I glanced at the cell phone. I sighed as I dialled a number. It rang for a minute before Diya decided to pick it up.

"Hey, are you fine?" She inquired, "you called at such an hour!" She sounded concerned.

"Can you drop me home?" I inquired, "I want to meet my parents."

"At this hour? Does Mr Oberoi knows about it? Had there being some trouble between you both?" She inquired, sounding uncertain about my decision.

"I need a friend who will listen to me and not doubt my decision."

"I am not doubting your decision. But why all of sudden you want to meet them?" She inquired, "at this hour? If you visit them at this hour, they will be concerned."

"I don't think they would," I pressed.

"What are you talking about? They love you, Aachal. I know you might have discovered the truth in a very strange manner but that doesn't change the fact that they love you."

"If they cared, they would have mind about me staying with a stranger. A stranger claiming to be my husband. They didn't even attempted to contact me." I hissed in annoyance. "No one does that to their child!"

"They have their reasons," she mumbled.

"And I want to know those reasons," I was fuming in rage. I felt lost at the moment. I wanted answer to some of my questions!

"You will hear all of it but not today, not now." Diya assured, "give me just few days, I will arrange it." Her voice turning serious.

•••

I waited, the urgency in Diya's words forced me to wait. To show patience! Maybe there was a reason. I could hear fear in her voice of getting caught. Was she hidding something from me? Had Mr Oberoi blackmailed her? I shove away those thoughts as I attempted to carry on with my life.

"What's the matter?" Mr Oberoi was staring at me with deep interest. "Is something troubling you?" He inquired while I stared at him in confusion. Why would he voice such a thing? Was I that easy to read? I had planned to go unnoticed yet he was staring at me in uttermost interest.

"You're acting different from the day we have arrived from that charity event," he pressed, his orbs not moving from my direction.

I avoided glancing in his direction as I helped Riddhi with assembling her books neatly into the bag. She was getting late to school, it was her first day in the school. Her orbs sparkling in excitement for the upcoming life before her. She was overjoyed with the future waiting for her.

I wasn't sure how? When? But Mr Oberoi was convinced to sent her to school. Riddhi frequent pleading had convinced him but there was a demand attached, Swara, Riddhi's nanny wasn't allowed to leave her side even for a minute.

"I am going to make friends," she was jumping in excitement. I knew the thrill would die soon, onces her shoulder will be filled with those numerous books, numerous homework to complete and those stupid assignment to be submitted. Once the real definition of school was brought before her innocent orbs, the excitement would be replaced with depression. Waking up for school would feel like a chores but she deserved to enjoy for now!

I sighed at the thought! The initial years of school were worth it! I smiled at her trying to match her excitement. Dropping Riddhi to school was taken as an excuse to meet up with Diya.

For some unknown reason, Mr Oberoi trusted Diya's opinion over mine. If I had asked the permission to meet my parents after dropping Riddhi home, he would have denied but he had accepted Diya's request. I frowned at the thought of it! Why was he partial towards Diya?

"I am asking you something," Mr Oberoi pressed, slowly loosing his patience. "You better answer if you don't want those sparkling orbs ending into tears." He warned, his voice serious. I glanced at him, startled with his warning. He won't do it with his child! I spared a glance at Riddhi's frowning face as she stared between us, her smile disappearing due to our silent argument.

"Riddhi, why don't you go downstairs." I urged her, "see if Diya di have arrived," she nodded and rushed out of the room.

"How can you be cruel towards your child?" I glared at him in disbelief. "Atleast show some kindness towards your blood. It shouldn't always be about you," I hissed in annoyance.

He was staring at me not expressing a word. "What's up with you?" He pressed, making his priorities expressed.

"Nothing of your interest," I mumbled avoiding glancing in his direction. I was on the verge of standing from the couch but he grabbed my wrist and pulled me back on it.

"Trust me, everything about you interest me." His husky voice whispered in my ears. "I had agreed for the sweet get-together, I can cancel it as well." His warning was clear, his black orbs staring at me in determination.

"I am doubtful," I mumbled. I attempted to put some distance between us. His orbs were glancing at my each move. "Maybe I found the culprit behind those attacks." I mumbled not staring into his curious orbs.

"And may I know name of that culprit?" I could feel his gaze but I attempted to ignore it.

"Tanmay Chopra?" I raised my gaze to glance at his face. His face showed next to no emotions, as if he was devoid of it. "You knew about it?" I inquired, he stared at me not mentioning a word.

"Why is he after Riddhi?" I stared at him with a hopeful gaze. I wanted him to answer my question.

"He isn't after Riddhi," he mumbled. He shook his head a minute later, "you're getting late." He muttered it before raising from the couch and walking towards the washroom. I kept staring at his retreating figure. I was stubborn not to listen to my instincts. They were screaming to me that those attacks were planned for me. But I couldn't accept the fact that Mayur didn't mind harming me.

•••

I walked into the home, a peace showering my heart. I was back to the place I was safe, the place I was gifted with freedom. The place I was cared and loved.

"Aachal," Diya stared at me in concern, "come..." She grabbed my hand in hers, pulling her brows in concern. "Is anything of concern?"

"I missed being here," I mumbled. She smiled at me, I glanced at Ronald standing outside of the car. I had asked him to accompany us but he wanted to provide me with space, some moments with my parents.

I passed him a smile as I got into the house. The silence in the house made me nervous as I kept moving inside, there was unsettling feeling inside me. Something that I couldn't explain!

My orbs met with ma, her black orbs sparkling in excitement. Her lips were forming in beautiful smile. I rushed towards her without letting a single thought trouble me. I wrapped my arms around me as she pulled me into a hug.

"Finally!" She exclaimed, "I thought I won't ever be able to glance at my child." She expressed, pressing a kiss on my forehead. "How are you?" She inquired pulling from the hug as she glanced at me in concern.

"I am good, how are you?" I expressed my worry. "How had you being? Why hadn't you even contacted me once? Did you forget your only child?"

"We thought you didn't wanted to keep contact with us after knowing the truth." Papa expressed as I glanced at his distant figure. "You walked into his life, rejecting us."

"I can't ever reject you!" I took a step towards him but he gestured me to stop.

"Than what were you doing till now?" He inquired, "world is claiming you as his wife. A wife of a stranger!" He expressed his displeasure. "I never knew, you were so easy to manipulate. Those frame, those money could fool you."

"Uncle, what are you talking about?" Diya attempted to jump in the conversation. Trying to defend me, "she had her reasons! She was put in a trap where she had no option other than to follow him, his decision. Or Aachal would've never accepted it! She despised living in that mansion along with him but she has too," Diya pressed as she came and stood beside me.

"She is doing this to punish a criminal," Diya continued. "She had to do it to earn his confidence," she mumbled as she glanced at the door. "Oberoi is mixed in criminal stuff," she paused for a moment. "Mayur wanted Aachal to do it," she completed.

"Mayur?" Papa was staring at me with a hope. Even after Mayur's betrayal yet he had faith in him. Afterall, Mayur was his choice for me. He had a faith that Mayur was the best match for me. Initially, I wasn't convince but slowly his behaviour and actions made me to fall for him.

"Mayur?" Ma's voice was laced with worry as she glanced at me. "What he has to do with it?"

"Mayur is an undercover agent," Diya continued. I was stunned with her supporting Mayur. She was against him, right? "He had a mission to bring Oberoi's illegal things to light," she kept providing them with information. "His job was the reason he left Aachal or he would never had done it."

"I knew it!" Papa exclaimed with joy. "I had known that he could never be a wrong guy. I had seen sincerity in those orbs," he sighed in relief. "This news had brought immerse happiness to my heart. My child marriage wasn't a mistake," he stared at me in delight as if he was finally at peace.

"But what does Aachal had to do with his work? He is undercover agent, it's his responsibility." Ma was sounding annoyed, "why is he involving Aachal into the mess?" She paused for a moment as if trying to process the information. "Oberoi can be a dangerous human. How can we allow our child to live in that dangerous place?"

"If Mayur had asked it," papa was going to continue but mom interrupted.

"Our child had faced alot of troubles due to that human." Ma commented, "I don't trust him! I had lost my faith on him when he asked for divorce before even completing a year of marriage." Ma continued, "the betrayal my daughter had to undergo, the struggle she faced." Her orbs descended towards the raising bump. "Does he even cares about her? She is pregnant and he is asking her to live in that dangerous place. For him, his mission would be before my child safety, I won't allow it." She pressed as she held my shoulder. "You're not going back," her voice was filled with determination. Her care and love was visible in her orbs.

"I can't stay back, mom." As much as I wanted to listen to her. I couldn't! I had made a promise. I was someone's hope! The way I found my home in the person standing before me. The one who wasn't my biological mother yet loved me like her life depended on it. I had a responsibility to fulfil as well!

"Why?" She was staring at me in disbelief.

"There is a child that consider me as her mother. Her beautiful pair of black orbs stare at me with hope. I can't disappoint her, I can't break her heart. She doesn't have a mother," a drop of tear descended my cheek. "The only mother she has is me, how can I do that with her? How can I abandon her? When I know the pain of getting abandoned."

"Shh..." Ma pulled me into a hug, "you were never abandoned, you were always my child and you always will be my child."