Priya entered inside the house as bidding bye to Ved.

"Who was that guy?" asked Ram, who tried to act normal.

"Is it so important to tell you?" Priya smirked.

"Priya, I am asking you something. Do you always come home at this time?" Ram again questioned with a cold voice.

"What is your problem, Mr Kapoor? Can't I spend time with my friends?" Priya was annoyed with his behavior.

"Don't change the subject Priya. Tell me who this guy is." Said Ram stubbornly.

"And yes you cannot do anything without my permission." Ram was getting angry.

"Really?" Priya said as she scrunched her brows.

"Show me the contract where it is written that I cannot do anything without your permission. I know I owe you the child and I'm aware that I agreed to stay with you but it doesn't mean that you will confine me and stop me from whatever I do." Priya snapped at him.

"No Priya, until delivery I will make the decisions here." Ram replied strongly.

"Stop controlling me, Mr Kapoor. For your kind information, I am not your puppet." Priya fired back.

Priya started to leave just when Ram blocked her.

"I am not controlling you. We had a deal and I want all this to go in an easier way, that's all." said Ram and left.

At night,

Ram was laying on the bed.

"Am I really controlling Priya? I never stopped her from doing anything but then how dare she talk to me like that. I just want her to be a little cautious. But then why am I getting anxious when I see her with someone else." Ram remembered how he felt when seeing Priya and Ved.

A sharp tinge of jealousy ran through his body. He thought "Why can't I see Priya with anybody?" Ram was unable to understand his own feelings.

"No, as long as Priya is with me till the delivery, she cannot do whatever she wishes to do." Ram convinced himself.

Next morning,

"Priya, I will drop you to your office today." said Ram as she was about to leave.

"I can go by myself" Priya denied plainly.

"I said, I will drop you" said Ram with authority.

"Oh god! Stop behaving like this. I don't need your help. Why can't you leave me on my own?" said Priya frustratingly.

Ram held her arm as she was about to leave. He was angry with her and Priya winced as he clutched her wrist tightly.

"If you will behave with me like this, I will not let you go to the office. You know me very well; I do what I say." Saying this Ram smirked and freed her wrist.

Priya felt disgusted with his behavior as he did not let her go to the office on her own.

In the Evening, Priya came back in Ved's car. Seeing this Ram fumed in anger watching them from the window of his room. He was sipping from his glass of whiskey.

"Why can't this bloody idiot vanish from here after dropping her?" Ram gritted his teeth as Ved too stepped out of the car along with Priya.

"Are they not done talking the whole time? Why do they talk so much?" Ram gulped down the raw drink down his throat in one go.

Ram's facial expressions changed when it seemed like Priya suddenly had some pain in the stomach as she held her bulge in her hands.

"Ouch" Priya held her tummy.

"What happened to you, Priya?" Ved held Priya's shoulder to help her stand properly.

"Baby kicked me for the first time." Priya muttered in surprise.

"What?" Ved asked again as Priya's face lit into excitement.

Priya nodded her head with a smile "Yes Ved, the baby kicked for the first time."

Priya felt an unknown and unexplainable feeling for the first time. Priya covered her mouth with her palm as the baby started kicking again. Ved was also happy seeing her happy.

"OMG, I can't explain this feeling." Priya couldn't contain her excitement.

Ved kept his hand on her belly excitedly. Priya trembled with his sudden action.

Ram's jaws dropped seeing the scene in front of him. His blood boiled seeing the bloody fellow touching Priya's baby bump.

"How dare he touch Priya?" Ram raged in full anger. He shattered the glass on the floor out of anger and frustration.

"Ved!!!" Priya jumped in her skin when he touched her baby bump.

The baby did not kick when Ved tried to feel the baby kick.

"Sorry, I am just over excited." Ved pouted and pulled his hand back.

"Congratulation, Priya." said Ved joyfully. "Now you need to take extra care." Ved said. Priya nodded at him and walked inside the house.

On the other hand, Ram was tremendously furious, ready to explode. Priya was unaware that Ram was watching them from his room. Ram quickly descended the stairs not able to contain his anger.

Priya was heading towards her room when Ram stopped her in the midway. She was taken by surprise when he took her inside the room and pinned her to the wall. He blocked her by keeping his both hands on the wall. He looked daggers at her. Priya flinched at the sudden reaction.

"What are you doing, Mr Kapoor?" Priya was shaken with his rage.

"How dare you let him touch you?" asked Ram as he gritted his teeth. His jaw muscles tightened startling Priya.

"What are you saying?" Priya looked at him shockingly.

"I have seen everything that you both are doing outside." Ram's rage was clearly visible in his eyes. Priya gaped at him out of shock and his words irked her the most.

"Oh then tell me what were we doing outside?" asked him with the same intensity.

Ram removed his hands from the wall and placed them on her shoulders, pulling her closer.

"Why did you let that man touch you? Why did you let him touch my baby? How dare you?" Ram was in full aggression mode.

"You are talking like a maniac." Priya was annoyed.

"Oh, I'm talking like a maniac? That man is touching my baby and you think I should keep calm." Ram fiercely looked at Priya.

"Leave me. Get away from me." Priya struggled to escape from his hold.

"First answer me." Ram pressed her shoulders more.

"Ved was not touching me." said Priya with a straight face but Ram's expression made her hesitant.

"I don't like that fellow at all." Ram said honestly. Priya's face turned into a frown.

"What is your problem, Mr Kapoor? I am also a human being. Have you ever thought about how I feel when you control my life the way you wanted? Have you ever thought about me? I do have a life and I do have friends. You cannot control me all the time." Priya's voice cracked. A teary line formed in her eyes.

Ram said nothing but Priya can still feel his rough breath.

"What difference does it make to you with whom I talk or whom I spend time with?" Priya's eyes brimmed with tears. Her voice was choking with heavy emotions. Ram's hand shuddered and he loosened his grip on her.

"It does matter to me. I don't like others to come near you." Ram confessed before releasing her.

"Why?" Priya asked him instantly. Priya met his gaze looking deeply into his eyes. She could see unknown emotions in his eyes which she has never seen before. She could not relate what it is but it felt really different for her.

He has no answer for her question. He doesn't even know why he was being so jealous when he saw Priya with Ved.

Ram neither could meet her eyes nor answer her question so he left from there silently.

Ram stood in his room with hesitant feelings and soon realized he was being too harsh on her. He was still unable to understand his outbreak.

**********

Sunita called Priya for dinner. Ram came to know from Sunita that Priya denied eating anything since she came back from office. He decided to speak to her once and headed to her room.

Ram looked at Priya who was sitting on the bed clearly pissed off with Ram's behavior. Priya turned her face away when he walked into her room.

"Priya, eat something. You have not eaten anything since evening." Ram said softly.

"I am not hungry." Priya said without looking at him.

"Priya, please you should eat and take medicines on time." Ram tried to convince her.

"I will eat after sometime, don't worry I will not starve your baby." said Priya sternly.

"I am not concerned only about the child, I am telling for your sake too." Ram yelled at her.

Priya was taken aback by his response. She stared at him blankly as he stubbornly took her to the dining table.

"Please Priya, eat." Ram requested very gently as he served her food.

Priya did not say anything and finished her meal silently.

*********

After dinner, Ram joined Priya when she went for a small walk. Cool breeze hit her body, making her shiver slightly. She rubbed her palms on her arms when Ram pulled his jacket and placed it over her shoulders. Priya did not protest and held the jacket.

Priya was completely surprised with the quick changes in Ram's behavior but shrugged it off. Raya came back after some time and retired to their respective rooms.

Ram was watching TV when he didn't get sleep. But soon his attention shifted from TV to thoughts about Priya.

"Why am I being so protective about Priya? Why am I not able to see any man around her? Am I just being bothered about my child?" He took a deep breath and tried to relax his chaotic brain.

He switched off the TV. Before going to sleep he wanted to see Priya once. He went to her room quietly not willing to wake up from her sleep. He stepped close to her bed and watched her sleeping soundly. Her face was glowing in the dim light.

He was mesmerized with her beauty. He noticed the pregnancy glow in her lately. His eyes fall on her baby bump.

Unknowingly, Ram forwarded his hand to touch her bulge but quickly pulled his hand back when he realized what he was going to do. In this process, his hand slightly brushed on her over the fabric.

Ram scolds himself mentally for drawing in the urge to feel his baby movements. He left the room without making noise.

As soon as Ram left from there, Priya opened her eyes as she sensed his presence in the room. She was sure of one thing; Ram loves his baby very much.

Next morning,

Priya got ready to the office and about to leave for work when Ram said. "I will drop you today. Please don't deny."

Priya said nothing, Ram dropped her to the office. Just then Ram saw Ved's car entering the office parking.

Priya peeked a glance at Ram. His face altered into a frown as soon as he looked at Ved's car.

"Priya, I will come in the evening to pick you up." said Ram before Priya got down from the car.

Priya heaved a breath after he left.

In the office, Ved realized something's wrong with Priya. Unlike the other days, she looked distracted even though her eyes were fixated at the computer screen. It was sure that something was bugging her.

During the lunch time, Priya preferred to stay put. Unlike the other staff who left for lunch, she continued working. Ved walked towards her seat and stood beside her but Priya ignored him.

Ved raised his brows in a puzzled way.

He started searching for something here and there around Priya's table. Ved's actions were annoying and distracting Priya from her work.

"What are you doing, Ved?" asked Priya irritatingly.

"I am searching for something precious." replied Ved casually. He continued his search.

"What are you searching for? I don't have anything of yours." Priya said. Ved turned towards Priya and smiled at her.

"No, you have exactly what I am searching for." Ved said with a grin.

Priya looked at him with a puzzled face. "What?" asked Priya.

"Your smile." said Ved with a smile.

Priya gaped at him in confusion.

"Your smile has been missing since morning. I am desperately searching for it." Ved complained.

Her confused face turned into a gentle smile. "You don't stop flirting with me, do you?" Priya said with a soft smile.

"Nope." Ved said proudly.

"Now Priya, tell me what's the problem. I have been noticing you that you have been acting differently today. I know something is bothering you. What is it Priya?" asked Ved concerned.

"Nothing Ved, I am fine" said Priya simply.

"Let's go out for some time." Ved took her out from the office during lunch time.

"Look Priya, listen carefully about what I say now. I am not just flirting with you, I really like you." said Ved intently looking at Priya.

Priya was surprised hearing his words. She always took his words lightly knowing his behavior.

"Priya, I always have this feeling for you and it didn't take me long enough to realize it. I want to be there with you in every step of your life. I will always be there for you whenever you need me because I love you Priya and I always have. I have had the most precious and wonderful moments of my life in the last past months when you are around. Priya I don't want to waste any more time, I want to marry you." Ved finally confessed to her.

Priya stunned by his confession. She just stared at him blankly not knowing what to answer him.

"I want to live the rest of my life with you. Don't worry about the child, this baby will be ours. I am ready to accept all your responsibilities. I will give the child my name. I know I am asking too much and I know you might be thinking this might be too sudden for you to decide anything. But I want to be with you forever." Ved genuinely confessed his feelings for Priya.

Priya had no idea how to react. Priya swallowed the lump down her throat.

"Ved, I don't know where to start. You are an amazing, kind and compassionate person and whoever will marry you will be a lucky person but I don't know if I can reciprocate your feelings Ved. My life is a mess and I cannot figure it out either. It's like a maze that I can't get out of it anytime soon. I don't have any control on my life. This baby will change my life once he or she is out. I don't want to trap you in this mess with me, Ved. Please understand." Priya finally shared her feelings.

Ved was left confused. He had no clue what Priya meant.

"Priya, what are you saying? I don't understand a bit of what you said. Who is controlling your life and what mess are you talking about? Priya what is it?" Ved asked all of the questions at once. He became puzzled with her response.

Priya didn't say anything. She bit her lower lip thinking whether to disclose him about her surrogacy process or not. Ved was thinking that she was going to be a single mother.

"Priya, I don't know what is going on with you but I promise you that I will protect you and this child. We will live together with the baby. I assure you and I don't need anything else. I don't even want to know what happened in your past." Ved tried to convince her.

"Ved, you don't know my situation." Priya said. Ved was still not sure what Priya was holding back.

"What are you saying, Priya? What situation? I need to know." Said Ved desperately.

"Ved, it's not like what you are thinking. I have no right on this baby." Priya said while touching her bump.

"Not yours? Priya, are you in your senses?" asked Ved bewildered.

"You will not understand my situation. I do not want to get into any sort of relationship." Priya denied Ved politely.

Ved was disappointed with her answer.

"I will not force you, Priya. I respect your decision. But you cannot stop me from waiting for you." said Ved heartbroken.

Priya came back to reality from her memory lane.