Meenakshi Rajvansh eyed the exit door impatiently......and her eyes widened in delight...

Her eyes were taking in the sight of Rajshri being wheeled towards them by Abir....Kunal holding hands of two beautiful girls and grinning ear to ear as he saw his mom and Badimaa....

Instantly Meenakshi could recognise Mishti from Kuhu....well apart from the most obvious difference of hairstyle....

Mishti was easily identifyable by the way she tried to put a distance between herself and Abir who was walking beside her......

A small sigh of exasperation escaped from Meenakshi...as she and Parul looked at each other in disappointment....but soon replaced their expression with happiness.....

The reunion was filled with emotion......as Meenakshi bent to hug Rajshri..tears of joy and pain trickled down the eyes of two best friends.....Parul too was teary as she hugged Rajshri with choking sense of sadness....

"Am so happy to see you Rajshri ..aur...meri bachi!... Mishti ...." Meenakshi looked at Mishti......

Mishti was very close to Meenakshi then...and Meenakshi always adored Mishti's simple sweetness.....and often felt very bad for her when Abir ignored her in gatherings....and she always called her.....

"My princess..beta...gale nahi lagoge apni Choti ma ki....."

And then Mishti could not keep hold on her emotions...all her endurement during the past days flooded when she embraced the caring warmth of her Chotimaa....

Kunal looked up at their reunion with a broad smile tinged with mist in his eyes....so was the state of Parul who too joined Mishti in the loving embrace...

"Toh Abiiir...."

Parul turned to Abir intending to tell him about the hospital arrangement but stopped short with a silent start.....

Abir was staring at Mishti who was snuggled to Meenakshi.sobbing slightly...and Meenakshi was pacifying her ,stroking her hair.....and his eyes held the sense of loss and sadness which was rarely displayed by him.....

********"""********

Just as they were entering Rajvansh Mansion Nanu stopped them....

"Meenu...sab shubh hi hona chahiye...Aarti karvaake ander aana hai na.."

"Ji bapuji....Parul aayiye mere saath... Rajshri...hum Abhi aayi.."

Rajshri smiled and nodded..

" Mein bags rakhva deta Hoon..." Kunal said as he entered calling out for house keeping ..

" Tum bhi Chalo...mein Badimaa ko leke aaoongi.."

Mishti said in a low voice to Abir ...who was still holding the wheel chair...

She had assumed he would relinquish his hold and her hands moved to the handle only to touch his ....

"No ways...abse Massima sirf tumhari hi responsibility nahi Hain...Mera bhi haq banta hai na Massima..."

Abir asked jovially to Rajshri...

She gave him a tired smile...

"jitna haq jatana hai tum Kar sakthe ho beta"

Mishty had withdrew her hands ...

Nanu turned and saw Meenakshiii and Parul coming..

"Lo aagayi...ache se swagath karna Meri bachiyon ki.."

All were acknowledging the arti...and Mishti tensed up when Parul massi included Abir too with her and put Tikka on all...

Mishti and kuhu bent to take ashirwad from the elders..

"Ab aajao bachon.."Nanu said happily...

"Rajshri tum Abhi aaram karlo..hum baad mein dhed saare baatein karenge."

," Ji bauji...zaroor...aapse milke bohot acha lagraha hai..!"

Nanu smiled at Rajshri..

"Abir...Ise kamre mein leke chalo... Mishti beta dawai tumhari pass hai na...tum bhi jaao...Dekho sab arrangements theek hai ki nahi?"

Parul directed Abir to the room assigned for Rajshri as she spoke to Mishti.

Kuhu was looking around super excited and just as she spotted Kunal coming back...

" Wow Kunal....Your home is majestic..#.OOTW...Out of the world..!!..kitna sunder hai..!"

Meenakshii and Parul smiled at her happiness...

"Nahi Kuhu beta...abse this is your home..." Meenakshii said correcting her..

'Kunal... Kuhu ko uski kamre Tak chod aao... luggage toh tumne bhej diya hai na?" Parul asked her son..

" Okay maa...and Yes... Mishti ne iski bags mein bada sa label daala tha...so no confusion."

Kuhu...was standing stunned...then she whispered to Kunal...

" Mera kamra...# only mine..???"

Kunal...looked at her ."What? One is not enough?"

" OMG ....IAM so thrilled..Chalo... Kunal.." Kuhu dragged him by sleeve.

Mishti was very grateful for the calm room for badimaa...that too near the mandir..

Abir wheeled her to the bed and both of them helped her onto the bed...

"Abir beta...Thanks..."

" Thanks? Kis baat keliye...aaur aapko mujhse thanks kehne ki koi zaroorath nahi hai...Yeh sab Parul massi aur....ummm...Maa...ka... arrangements Hain."

" Thanks isliye ki tumne Mishti ka khayal rakha.."

Abir's as well as Mishti's face reddened and both looked away ... trying to look at anywhere else but each other..

" Woh...itni..choti baat leke baith gayi aap toh..!?...umm.. Mishti.Dawai..."

Abir brushed off the topic.

Parul entered the room..

"Rajshri behn ...ab kaisa lag Raha hai?"

" Thodi thaki Hui hai ...bas..."

Parul turned to Mishti..

"Mishti...humne ek trained nurse ko rakha hai Rajshri behn ki khayal rakhne keliye...woh jab aajayengi tab mein tumhein bula loongi....sab medicines ki details aur diet use Bata Dena ..theek hai?

Abir.. Mishti ko uska kamra dikhaao..mein yahaaan pe Rajshri behn ki saath baithoongi.Dawai mujhe do...mein de doongi."

"Kaunsa Wala guestroom Massi?"

" Ab Guestroom nahi.".

Parul said with a smile."Dii ne donon bachiyon keliye guestrooms renovate Kiya hai.. Mishti ka room tumhare room ke corner Wala room...ab leke jaao bhi..."

Abir turned hiding the joy that erupted in his mind and walked towards the door..then sensing that Mishti haven't followed him he turned and softly signalled with eyes to come...

As both of them where about to leave Parul said.

" Abir , Mishty...tum donon ko aise saath mein dekhkar mein bohot Khush hoo..."

Mishti tried to smile at massi while Abir too flashed a small smile and both left the room.

Silence stretched between them as they took to stairs...

" Tum theek ho na?..woh landing ke time pe mein..."Abir stopped as he looked at her.

" I am okay.....umm.. thanks again..for everything... badimaa keliye...yeh sab.."

Seeing Mishti being sentimental Abir tried to lighten her mood.

" Tab toh tum ek account kholdo...month end mein saari thank you usme daal Dena "

Mishti smiled..." Bada Ajeeb idea hai...phir bhi try Karthi hooo"

"Yeh lo tumhara room..."Abir stood by the door letting her enter...

Mishti looked at the adjescent rooms skeptically...

Abir followed her look and clarified...

"Tumhari right Wala room Kuhu ki hogi....

Aur yeh...left Wala Mera...aur umm Mera next room Kunal ka.

Maa ,massi aur Nanu ke kamre neeche hai...aur housekeeping quarter alag hai.aur upar ka section ab guestroom banega."

Mishti nodded...

Just then Kunal burst out of Kuhu's room followed by kuhu..

" Tumhe na... mein toh...

Kunal bumped into Mishty as he was facing Kuhu. ...

"Nanko sambhalke.."

Mishti was pressed on to Abir...his hands holding on to her sides preventing her from falling down..Abir himself balancing on to the wall...

" Uhhoooo...Sorry... Mishti tumhe lagi toh nahi..."

Kunal was instantly apologetic as he took her hand...

Abir's hands left her....

"Tum Mishty ko bump karne keliye sorry bol rahe ho aur mujhe...jaanbooj ke giraaya aur thenga....Abhi batati hoo..."

Kuhu...ran after Kunal...

" Lagi toh nahi na..."...

Mishti was having hard time meeting his eyes...as she signalled no..

Awkwardness thickened between them..

" Mein bhi fresh ho Leta hoo....okay...take rest.."

Saying this Abir turned and walked into his room.

********

Mishti closed her door and sagged against it...

Her efforts were of no use....the moment he comes within her eyesight her heart alerts her brain..

Butterflies quiver in her stomach...hands tremble and legs freeze...

Now she is going to live under his roof....with his family...and she shouldn't do anything to make them regret giving her family a helping hand...last time she in her ignorance almost destroyed badimaa and Meenakshiii Aunty's nahi... Chotima's friendship.... from this moment on she will be careful..she vowed to herself.

********

Abir turned a glance at her close door as he entered his room and was momentarily lost looking at the figure pressed to the tempered glass door..

How was he going to erase the feel of her touch,the smile that gives him the world, the care she bestows on all..the love she showers on his maa ...

No... however impossible it seems he has to remove her from his thoughts....She is here as Maa's guest.....under his roof....His protection...The distant memory of Meenakshiii's Slap reverberated in his mind..and Kunal....he knew her mind....but do Kunal love her...??

One carelessness from his part will tear up families.....

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

Mishti woke up feeling very fresh.....

Two days had gone in a whirlwind speed since they landed in New York....

Rajshri had expressed her wish to spend some time with family before undergoing the rigorous treatment programme...and Meenakshi and Parul had left no stones unturned to make the trio comfortable in the elegant Rajvansh Mansion....

And what to say about the Mansion.... Mishti looked around in disbelief ....she never had seen such a glamorous blend of wood, steel and glass....and in exquisite layout....

Mishti looked around her bedroom....it was beautiful and had the soothing effect on her ....the round bed with silky duvets and bedcover was the one she cherished most.....and being the sleepy head of the family she was the last person to wake up too....but now with badimaa's care taken up by choti ma....she thought of indulging herself some more.....

And when it come to indulging .... Mishti thought with a wide smile.........from day one Choti ma ,Massi and Nanu.had showered their love on them....shopping ..Shopping and shopping with Kuhu and Of course Kunal...

Mishti shook her head to stop herself from laughing loud....and how Kuhu and Kunal got the wind out of them by slipping away to devour ice-cream cocktail secretly....

And in these days...her respect for the Rajvansh boys have notched high scales......she could not believe that Abir and Kunal who lived in this magnificent splendour could make themselves at home in her small 3 BHK apartment .....that too sharing a bed.....!!

By the time the thought of Abir entered her head .... Mishti frowned and bit her lips....

She haven't seen him more than twice in this two days...that too only during the dinner occasions when he just replied to what Nanu asked him......it seemed that she doesn't even exist for him....he would enquire Badimaa about her health....talk lightly to Kuhu about joining in new college....and quietly laugh at Kunal''s jokes....not once he looked at her direction.....or speak to Choti ma who always sat beside her ....

Mishti had deduced that Abir deliberately kept himself away from home to avoid Chotimaa...and maybe he has more reason now.....to avoid her.....

A deep sigh escaped her and she let herself out of the bed.

As she came out changing into an embellished pink Kurti and blue skinny jeans...she heard Kunal knocking at her door impatiently....

"Kya Kunal itna shor kyu...! "

," Chalo... today we have to do a lot of work..."

" Par kahhaan..."

"You tell me..." Kunal circled her bed and took her purse and spectacles...found her bracelet beside the mirror..he also took that...

" Massima kab admit ho rahe Hain?"

" On 17 th..3 days.."

"Aur August 16 th ko....?" Kunal paused as Mishty answered.. instinctually

" Abirr... Abir's Birthday..."

"Wah Mishty...tumhe toh Sab yaad Hain..." Kunal admired her quick response..

"aur iss baar hum pehle see badhiya plan karenge... surprise party !!!.."

"Surprise party!.. badimaa bhi Khushi hojaayegi!!"

" Sab Khush ho jaayenge...kyunki..Bhai kabhi birthdays manathe nahi Hain...college days mein friends ke saath thode celebration karthe the...ab woh bhi nahi....work work..and work"

Mishti remembered all the years she drilled holes into calendar on that date with looks...

"Toh chale.." kunal said as he clasped her bracelet around her wrist.

"Kuhu....??"... Mishti..looked at Kunal...

" Are... I said Surprise party... Kuhu ko batadiya to Kya woh do din chup reh sakthi hai??!"..

Mishti laughed

" woh toh hai...!"

"Ab jaldi chalo...if anybody asks we are going to my college.okay!!."

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

"Damn..!!! "

Abir hit the punch bag with frustration mounting up each second....

Past two days he had tried hard to school himself away from Mishty.. and her thoughts...he left for office even before she got up.....and reluctantly came back home for dinner for massima's sake...and those hours was excruciatingly painful ....Abir sighed ..

The intimacy between Meenakshi and Mishti was one which was gnawing him slightly...of course no one else could fault with their interaction...... Mishti was treated like a princess the moment she stepped into their home ages back......and Abir had to admit reluctantly that after their quarrel years back,it was the intimacy and bond shared by Mishty and Meenakshi which made him insecure and irritant.....

And he had avoided both during the dinner hours as the insecurity creeped back from the corner of his heart.....

Moreover he was confused......

About Kunal and Mishti..

Though he saw them less ....Abir... could only find their interactions as close buddies....they were intimate in the sense that they seemed comfortable with each other ....and then always Kuhu was with them .....

Did he mistook Kunal and Mishti's relation?

Abir had no way to know that for certain.....

He could not ask Mishti..obviously she will rip him off with both answers.....

If she said yes...he will be ....Abir sighed in desperation.....and if she said no.....she would leave no stone unturned to make his life miserable then on....

And Kunal...no way he is going to ask him about their relation.....he didn't want Kunal to get Ideas about Mishti if they were just buddies....

But now what...?

He was at his gym as usual for his 30 mts workout in the evening and Nanu had sent for him....

Nanu....Mr.Yashpal Rajvansh...

The night of their return Nanu had come to his room...

'Abiiirr...tum theek ho?.."

Of course Nanu knew him like the back of his hand...Abir never felt so transparent with anyone...

But he can't afford to be transparent now...

"Haan Nanu...theek tho hoo....Abhi itne din office see door Raha hai...backlog thoda zyaada hogaya..uska tension thoda hai.."

Nanu listened to the sound of laughing and talking from the hall...

"Iss Ghar mein itni chehak pehali baar hai..mujhe bada acha lag Raha hai...halaki Rajshri ki tabiyath ko leke mein bhi pareshaan hoo...lekin donon bachiyaan bohot susheel hai...aur Mishti ko tho pehle se hi jaanta Hoon....Waise...tum..dono....???"

Nanu was fishing.......

Abir looked at Nanu and replied offhandedly....

" Hum ..donon...Kya...hum Chote Bache thode hai ab..we are adults and we have agreed to disagree...Sab theek hai....aap hum donon ke baare mein tension mat lijiye....waise bhi...in donon keliye meenu ka Munna Haina...mein kahaan unke saath time.spent karne Wala hooo.."

Nanu...had given his " mujhe Sab pata hai "look that Abir started fidgeting with the pen...

"Okay...tum keh rahe Hai toh... lekin jab bhi baat karna hai toh mere paas aajana".

"Done ..Young man..!"

Now two days have passed and his heart and mind were totally at war...

Another hard punch...!!!

A mocking giggle erupted from the open door....

"My..my....seems someone is eager to punch holes into the punching bag....!"