Hi All,

I have a problem with my laptop so I can't update MFEO or PI for a few days.

Hope you all understand and wait for the updates.

Cheers,

Jo

**************

Priya was looking like a bride in her attire during the baby shower. It was hard for Ram to take his eyes off from her.

Once all the guests left, Priya went to her to change into some comfortable clothes.

She was already way too exhausted due to the function and arrangements and on top of it, it's not an easy thing to remove the hairpins and other accessories without help.

While removing her ornaments, Priya realized that she should have asked one of the ladies to stay back for sometime to help her remove all the accessories.

Looking at her own reflection in the mirror, Priya too felt very emotional. She caressed her hair partition where the ladies applied Sindoor while giving blessings to the mother-child duo.

Her doe eyes glistened as tears welled up and threatened to trickle down her cheeks. Her fingers shivered as she touched her forehead while her tears slowly streamed down the cheeks. A quicker whimper escaped from her mouth before she composed her state of mind.

Priya remembered her parents and wondered how it would have been and how they would have felt so glad seeing her daughter's baby shower if she's married and led a normal life like any other girl. Alas! It's not the case with her.

Priya caressed her huge bulge with both hands while she looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were stuck to her bump. Instantly, a soft smile crept on her face as she felt the baby moments in her tummy. It felt like the baby was consoling her mother to not cry.

"Knock, Knock!"

"Ram, you can come inside." Priya said while removing her earrings.

"Hey, Hi!" Ram hesitated to speak to her.

Priya turned to look at him suspiciously. "You are here to say, hi?" Priya asked, confused as he walked inside the room.

Ram pulled a mobile phone from his pocket before forwarding it towards her. "Here is your mobile. You left it downstairs."

"Oh, thank you." Priya said, taking her mobile.

"Did you take your medicines?" He said.

"I will have them after I change." Priya replied.

Ram scolded himself mentally as words failed to come out of his mouth.

"Actually..." Ram scratched his temple before continuing.

"I wanted to tell you something." Ram said in a hurry.

"Okay." Priya waited for him to speak.

Ram bent slightly towards Priya. Priya's body stiffened as his warm breath fanned on her earlobe as he stood just behind her.

"I... wanted...to ... tell you ... that..." Ram stretched his words while Priya looked at him through the mirror, wondering what he wanted to say.

"That .... That you are looking beautiful!" Ram said. Their eyes glued to each other. Priya's lips shivered slightly hearing his words.

Priya smiled awkwardly while pondering about his new avatar lately.

Ram wanted to say so many things to her but he failed miserably to maintain a conversation with her. Ram stood behind her and continued to glance at her through the mirror.

"Everything went well, right? Did you like the arrangements?" Ram was just blabbering something just to avoid the awkward silence between them.

"Yes, thanks for all the arrangements." Priya replied, turning her back to him as she started removing her earrings.

"Glad you like it." Ram replied, watching her face in the mirror.

Priya exhaled sharply when she found it difficult to remove her accessories.

"What happened? You need some help?" Ram asked, sensing the discomfort in Priya as she tried to remove hair pins from her hairdo.

"No, that's okay. I will manage." Priya denied his help.

"How will you manage? If you don't mind, I can help you." Ram insisted which she agreed after thinking for a moment.

Ram helped Priya sit comfortably on the chair in front of the dressing table while standing behind her. Priya was witnessing a different Ram these days. As they share the same roof from a few months they started to share a cordial relationship with each other. Since a few weeks or so, Ram's behavior and caring nature towards Priya has been at a different level than before.

Priya stared at Ram blankly as he was busy carefully removing the flowers and hairpins from the hairdo.

After a couple of minutes later, a sigh of relief escaped from Priya as he set her tresses free from her after a long time.

Her eyes closed instantly as he let his fingertips sink in her smooth and silky hair reaching to her scalp while moving his fingers gently in a circular motion.

Suddenly Priya shot open her eyes realizing something. "Thank you." Priya moved slightly forward feeling awkward.

"It's okay Priya, there is no need to feel awkward. You are tired and I am just helping to ease, that's all." Ram said anticipating her thoughts.

Ram then puts her hair in the front and removes all the jewelry one by one.

"Uff, it's really a big task. How do you girls manage all these?" asked Ram.

Priya felt jitters all over her body whenever his fingertips accidentally touched her skin. He then bends down on his knees to remove the pins from the pleats of her saree.

Priya was surprised with the way Ram was helping her. She cannot help but smile at the gentleman's gesture. She was glad Ram helped her after all she was drained out of energy today.

When Ram tended to leave, Priya stopped him by holding his hand. Ram stopped and had a questioning look on his face. He was shocked with Priya's action when she placed his hand over her stomach.

Ram's jaws dropped when he felt some movement in her tummy.

"Can you feel the baby movement, Ram?" asked Priya.

Ram could not comprehend how to react but his eyes blurred with the tears. He swallowed a lump down his throat while controlling his ongoing emotions.

There was silence for a moment or two as Ram was thrilled while feeling the baby movements. He went on his knees and moved his hand gently on her stomach.

Ram slowly ran his hands over her tummy feeling the baby kicks. He felt butterflies in his stomach whenever the baby kicked.

He was happy, really very happy. A tear-drop fell from his eyes.

He stood up with an overwhelming feeling as they looked into each other's eyes. Priya could not help but feel emotional.

Ram then looked straight into Priya's eyes conveying his overwhelming feelings through his eyes. Priya could not help but drown in those eyes.

"I can't thank you enough for this, Priya." Ram engulfed into a hug, closing his eyes tight while wrapping his hands around her firmly.

Priya was taken aback with his actions. Involuntarily, she hugged him in return while rubbing on his back with her palm.

Raya stood in the same posture for some time. They said nothing but both poured their feelings into each other.

After some time, Ram broke the hug.

"It's very late now, you must be tired." Said Ram. Priya simply nodded her head in response.

Ram tends to leave and turn around once to look at Priya.

"Goodnight." Ram said with a content smile on his face.

"Goodnight." Priya replied with a gentle smile.

**************

Next morning,

Priya came down for a morning walk as usual. Just then she noticed Ram was there too. Priya looked at him with a scrunching brow as he should be sleeping at this time like everyday.

"Good Morning." Both greeted each other.

"I thought to join you in the morning walk today. So..." Ram said, while tying his shoelace. Priya looked at him surprisingly.

Ram got up. "Let's go! Shall we?" Ram flashed Priya a bright smile. Priya nodded in agreement.

Ram and Priya are walking in the park in the peaceful morning environment.

Priya spotted Ved from a distance. Ved too waved his hand at her and made his way towards them.

Ram gritted his teeth seeing Ved. His jaw muscles clenched seeing him approaching them.

Ram and Ved exchanged a brief glance at each other.

"Hey Ved, you here?" Priya said as Ved stood in front of him.

Ved smiled at her but somehow looked disappointed by seeing Ram along with Priya.

"When I asked you to meet me, I didn't know that you would come along with Ram." said Ved in a sarcastic tone. Priya frowned at his words.

"Ved, what are you saying? I didn't know you were going to meet me today." Priya said, perplexed.

"I messaged you in the evening." said Ved.

"You messaged?" Priya questioned as she tried hard to recall. "No Ved, yesterday my mobile was..." Priya stopped as her look fell on Ram who stood beside her. She eyed him with a suspicious look on her face.

"Yes, it was me who saw that message." Confessed Ram.

He walked up to Ved and stood facing him.

"Ved, let me tell you this clearly," said Ram gritting his teeth in anger. "Stay Away from Priya. And I am not asking you this. I am warning you. Whatever you have fixed in that little brain of yours, it will never happen. Not until I'm here. So, I really advise you to stay away from Priya and you better stop meeting her. Because I really don't appreciate it."

Ved gaped at Ram and then glanced at Priya briefly who stood equally shocked with Ram's words.

"The truth has a very funny way of revealing itself. Isn't that right, Priya?" Ved said with a serious face as he looked at Priya. Priya didn't say anything.

"I am not the type of person who likes to interfere in anybody's personal life. If I had known you already had someone in your life, I would have never tried to chase you in the first place. But anyways, I don't know if we will ever meet again or not but I wish you good luck in your future Priya." concluded Ved.

"Ved..." Priya didn't know what to say. She felt really bad seeing Ved.

"Goodbye, Priya." Saying this Ved left from there. Priya stood there staring blankly at his retreating figure.

************

Ram and Priya came back home. Priya dumped herself on the sofa, throwing her phone beside her. Her head started throbbing badly.

"Freshen up and then we will have breakfast together." said Ram. She looked up at Ram, frowning at him.

"You knew that Ved was going to come today to meet me and that is why you just tagged along with me?" asked Priya seriously, rising from her seat. Ram said nothing.

"What do you think I am to you? Who are you to take decisions on my behalf? Who gave you the right to say anything about me?" Priya asked with a rising temper. She didn't like the way Ram behaved with Ved today.

Ram kept his hand on Priya's arm and held her strongly as he looked intently into her eyes. Priya looked at him waiting for an answer from him.

"Yes, you are right. I read the message yesterday. Knowing that I accompanied you and you know why, because I can't see you with Ved or any other man. I don't like it. And you know what I have the right to do so." Ram said as each of his words pricked Priya.

Infuriated by his talk, she shrugged away his hand from her.

"You are unbelievable. It is just a matter of 2-3 months, and then what? I will go away from your life. Isn't that what we have agreed upon?" Priya said angrily.

"What if I will not let you go?" Ram's question startled Priya. A grin covered his face. Priya tried to analyse his underlying meaning. She saw a different spark in his eyes.

Disgusted by his bossy behavior, Priya turned to leave and stumbled while ascending the staircase. Ram was quick enough to get hold of her on time.

Priya held the railing tightly, closing her eyes.

"Can't you walk a little more carefully?" Ram asked as she opened her eyes.

"What if something happens to the baby? I know you don't love this baby, and Ved is more important to you but at least you can be a little careful. You better not let anything happen to the child." Ram said rudely.

Priya felt too bad hearing his insensible words. She quickly wiped away the tears that just escaped from her eyes and left for her room.

After a minute, Ram realized that he said too much out of jealousy that Priya was still taking Ved's side. He closed his eyes and exhaled deeply when he understood that he was too harsh on her.

Ram walked up to Priya's room to apologize to her. He entered her room and saw her sitting on her bed with her gaze fixed to the floor.

"Priya" Ram called but she didn't look up. He could hear a soft whimper escaping from her mouth.

Taking a deep breath, "Priya, I am really very sorry. I shouldn't have said all those things. I was just scared." said Ram apologetically.

Wiping her tears away, "You don't need to worry about the baby. I will assure you that the baby will undergo no problems because of me. I promised you I will give you the baby and I will definitely stick to my words no matter what." Priya said with a serious face. Ram could not bear the burden of Priya's sadness.

"I am sorry Priya, I made a mistake. I care for you as much as I care for the baby. You are equally important to me. Please forgive me." Ram confessed his feelings.

Priya could not believe her ears. "Did he just say that I am important to him?"