"Do you trust me, Ram?" Ram had heard this question several times from his mom and the answer had always been yes.

Because after the first time, when she asked that question to him as a newly married wife to his father. He knew saying anything else would only cause more trouble in his father's happiness.

Ram didn't want his father to get married as every teenager tend to do and his father reassured him that his chosen wife was different from others and he really loved her. So he agreed and the first time he had a normal argument with her was over the fact she forgot to inform his father that Ram asked him to go to school with him.

When Ram came back home upset and disappointed with his father for forgetting him, he lashed back at his step mom when he realised the reason had been that she never told him in the first place.

"Trust me VK, I was stressed about my pregnancy that I forgot to tell you. I am an horrible person, forgive me. And Ram beta trust me, I didn't do it on purpose. " his mom told Ram, but he refused to believe her.

Which in turn resulted in her being upset for two days and his father took him aside and asked him to trust his step mom.

"Ram, I trust Nandini wouldn't have hurt you intentionally. It was a small mistake, but she had been so upset for the past two days while pregnant because you couldn't trust her. She was just trying to be a good mom to you. Why won't you stop being stubborn and see the truth" his father gently scolded him making Ram feel guilty that he apologized and assured her that he believed her.

Over the years, at any insult, any conflict, any moments he felt his half siblings were treated better than him. The only question that would shut him up is when his mother asked him, if he trusted her.

"Trust me, Ram. I thought you ate at Adi's house, so brought food only for Shivi and Shubham". " Trust me, Ram. I thought you were having a sleepover with Vikrant, so forgot to include you " , Do you trust me, Ram. I never saw you as anything but my son".

And Ram always answered yes, because it was easy that way. It kept his father happy and not worried about him. It made him feel happy too and not worry that he was being neglected or unloved.

So why wouldn't he choose to trust his step mom if it made him feel like a part of a family and as an adult he could have grown up and seen her for real if not for his father who died after asking Ram to look after his family.

"If anything happened to me, Ram. You would have to support our family. Your mom loves you and cares for you as if you were her own. I was so lucky to have got her as an wife and when I got married to her, I feared she may not treat you as your mom. But she went above and beyond for your happiness.

She must have talked to me about you more than Shubham or Shivi. She cared about you more than myself at times. It is why Ram, Promise me that you will always treat her as if she was your own. Never as a step mom, never as step family. But your own because in spite of being your step mom. She raised you as her own " his father told him few days before he died and Ram couldn't ever move on from that promise.

As an adult when his friends would comment on his mom being partial or treating him unfair. He would shut them up quickly. That even they had stopped commenting on it henceforth.

That was what he did to his wife as well. While he promised her that he trusted her more than himself, he couldn't trust her  when it came to his mom. So he called her a liar and made her never trust him with the truth.

It was the reason she made him promise as well. To let her and Pihu go if he couldn't trust her. But the accusation she laid at his mom now wasn't something he could close his eyes on anymore with blind trust.

Because it was about his daughter. Pihu, the little kid he wished was his child was indeed his child. Only he never got to knew her for five years because of his mom.

Ram did trust Priya more than himself, and it was the reason he believed her lie back then and refused to look further into his doubts and now as he starred at the truth before him. The only emotion he felt was anger, at himself, his father for his blind trust on his wife and Mrs Nandini Kapoor.

Ram had always let his emotion control him and he didn't want to do so this time around. He didn't want to go out and confront her while he was still bursting with anger that consumed him.

The promise he made to his father to always treat her as family kept him from making a move. He didn't want to go out and confront the entire truth he had been running away from most of his life.

Ram didn't know how long he was locked up in his room lost in his past. As he recollected every time Mrs Nandini Kapoor manipulated him with her emotional words and tears.

Every time he believed her over his own heart because he just wanted to have his family love him. He felt like a fool and the regret that he missed out on five years of his daughter's life because of her cruelty paralyzed him with anger.

Then there was a knock on his door and he opened to find his daughter standing in front of him and he was lost in the rush of happiness at the knowledge that she was his daughter. His family, someone he can love unconditionally.

"Bye Mr Khadoos. I will miss you a lot. It was fun having a Papa for awhile. " Pihu spoke up and just like that his happiness vanished as he was gripped with the fear of losing his daughter.

"Ek second Pihu. You are not going anywhere. Who told you that you are leaving. You aren't going anywhere and you are not going to leave me. " Ram answered back as he hugged his daughter. And in that moment Ram Kapoor realised he would do anything for his daughter even shake up his entire life to have one more moment with his daughter.

"Pihu, go have breakfast first so we can leave soon" Priya spoke up gaining his attention as she stood beside them and after Pihu left, she turned to him with resignation as if she already believed he didn't choose them.

"You promised Mr Kapoor to let us go" Priya spoke up to him.

"You told me to take my time, Priya. " Ram argued back.

"Well I don't have time on my side anymore. Your family wants me to leave immediately. In the end Mr Kapoor, you either trust me or not. It looks as if you can't trust me, so it is better I leave. " Priya answered back.

"I trust you, Priya. I know you can't lie about something like that, I believed you from the moment you told me the truth. I don't need time for that.

I needed time to break the promise I made to my dad. You see, I promised to always look after her and now I have to break that Promise because I don't think I can ever forgive her. Not when she continues to threaten my family. But I think, I am ready now to break my promise to my dad. "Ram spoke up surprising her.

Ram knew Priya couldn't believe him. And he understood that even he couldn't believe the clarity he gained from just the sight of his daughter.

Ram was always expected to trust his stepmom and grew up trusting her words that claimed to love him as her son. But she never really loved him in truth and more than that she never earned Ram's love either.

Ram trusted Nandini Kapoor, believed he loved his mom, but the truth was he had been conditioned to trust her and Love can't be conditioned with words though.

Ram loved Priya, he loved Pihu even when he didn't know she was his daughter and the love he felt for Pihu to accept her as his daughter even before he knew the truth, gave him clarity to see Mrs Nandini Kapoor never loved him, neither as a mom or as a stepmom.

With that new found realisation Ram walked alongside Priya to confront Mrs Nandini Kapoor and found her on the dining room with his daughter.

The protective instinct Ram felt towards his daughter took him by surprise. It also made it clear to Ram that no matter his promise to his father, he would never allow his daughter to stay anywhere near his step mom. He wouldn't let her taint Pihu's life with her presence.

Ram intend to ask Priya to take Pihu away, so he can kick Nandini Kapoor out of his life, but the sight of his daughter almost in tears stopped him in his tracks.

"Pihu? What happened? Why are you upset? Don't you like the food? Do you want anything else to eat ?" Ram kept asking, but Pihu only shook her head in answer making him more worried as he looked at Priya helplessly to find him the truth.

"What happened Pihu?. Tell us beta" Priya asked their daughter who burst into tears and went on to recollect what made her upset.

"Your mom is mean, Mr Khadoos. She told me, I can't have more cupcake and when I told her that you brought it for me because it was my favourite, she told me that you don't like me and you are waiting for me to leave soon. But you said me and Ms Sood doesn't have to leave right? Don't you like me, Mr Khadoos? Is it because I fought with you for a cupcake when we first met, but I like you Mr Khadoos and I don't want you to dislike me" Pihu's outburst broke his heart as he gathered the little one in his arms and walked away  to reassure her that he did indeed love her so much.

"You know what Pihu, forget everything she said to you. She is the one who doesn't know how to like anyone. I love you Pihu and I could never dislike you even if you fought with me all the time and I Promise that you, Ms Sood and Me will always stay together " Ram assured the little girl in his arms as he handed over the box of cupcakes to Pawan and let him keep an eye on her while he deals with Mrs Nandini Kapoor.

When Ram walked back inside it was to see Priya and Nandini Kapoor having an argument. At the sight of him, Mrs Nandini Kapoor approached him and asked him the question she always did to shut him up.

"Trust me Ram, I don't know what Priya taught the little girl to say but I never said any of those things to her. Why would I be mean to a little girl? Even when her mom killed My Shivi, I let you pay 5% of the shares for the child right. But this Priya is playing with you.

First she accused me of faking my depression and now she is making her daughter lie to you. All so she can stay with you now that you secured the 800cr deal. You trust me right Ram? " Mrs Nandini Kapoor asked him completely expecting him to reassure her as always.

"No, I don't trust you. In fact I would never ever trust a word from your mouth. How dare you try to hurt my daughter by lying to her? Isn't it enough that you hurt me all my life with your manipulation. You dare to hurt Pihu. You dared to keep my daughter away from me for five years for your own selfishness. So no, Mrs Nandini Kapoor, the last person I would ever trust in the world is you.

Because I loved my father and he foolishly loved you till he died, I will let you walk away from this house without sending you to jail for threatening and blackmailing my wife and keeping my daughter away from me. But don't misconstrues  my kindness as my weakness because the next time you dare to come before me, my wife or my daughter would be the last time you get to taste freedom as I will ensure you spend the rest of your life in jail. " Ram spoke up and kicked her out of the house forever.

Something in him snapped back to life the moment he spoke those words. All the responsibility he felt towards her, All the times he felt worn out trying to trust her, All the times he felt like an horrible person for not loving her as his mom, everything that kept him chained to the toxic relationship broke up at those words and he felt free for the first time in a very long time.

Ram knew he still has a responsibility to make Priya trust him again, he still has a relationship to build with his daughter. He still got a family to protect from every harm and build a life together after five years of pain and distance. But those didn't feel like a burden to him because he knew he was loved by his wife and his daughter. Also because he loved them too with all his heart.

Ram had asked Priya to be a family of three with him 12 hours ago and now he finally felt as if it could be a reality. He didn't expect it to be easy mending their relationship back, making his daughter accept him as her father. But for a family with Priya and Pihu, he would endure all hardships life throws at him. Because his happiness always rested with his wife and his child.

P.S :" The End. Let me know your thoughts and feedbacks. Hit the vote if you liked it"

Juanita Reid