"How was your day, Kabir?" asked GM in her gleeful tone as she saw Kabir coming toward the living area.

"Not really great," said Kabir while getting himself comfortable on the sofa and picking up his coffee.

"Like usual?" asked his GM, looking at his sky blue shirt as he wasn't wearing this shirt when he left in morning.

"Worse than usual! This wasn't the best day of my life. You know I wasn't in good mood after yesterday's fight, then I had to brief those new interns and an intern collided with me and she ruined my white shirt with my own coffee and her stupid chocolate pastries. And you know what, that girl was none other than Avi's sister," said Kabir tiredly, sipping his black coffee which his GM had already kept ready for him.

He shared everything with his GM, except a few things, like anything related to that unfaithful day which had a big impact on Kabir and his personality. The reason for him being so open with her about his life was probably because she was the only person in his family, who was always there to listen to him.

"Oh, Aarav's cute little sister, who recently returned from UK? What's her name umm ... Anaisha, right? So how's she now? The last time I saw her, she was 15 or 16-year-old, I guess," said GM with excitement.

She was eager to know about Anaisha as she was Aarav's sister, her grandson's best friend and she really was fond of Anaisha when Annie was a little girl as she reminded her of someone very close to her. And even after Kabir went to boarding school, she stayed in touch with the Gujrals as Aarav's grandmother, Aradhna was her close pal.

"She's completely like her brother, even worse than him. She didn't even apologise to me and defiantly I had to apologise to her. I got even with her by making her work as my intern. But I think I exceeded my limit and she really was terrified when Aarav brought her out of the morgue. I shouldn't have troubled her like this," said Kabir, with vague hints of guilt and embarrassment still obvious in his tone.

Gayatri or his GM, shook her head and sighingly said, "Poor girl! C'mon, Bir, it was her first day and you ruined her. She's really a sweet girl. And you ... ! Leave it there's no use of telling you all this. Anyway you can't undo what you did, so apologise to her tomorrow. I'm sure, she'll forgive you," she stopped and then added, "Now go and get freshened up, then come down. I'll ask the maid to arrange our dinner. Go fast!"

"Okay," saying this, Kabir left for his room with his coffee mug in his hand.

GM glanced at his retreating figure and prayed in her heart that at least today he have his food peacefully without any drama as he was already very tired. No more drama for him today!

But like every other day, he just had to endure it, even today.

He walked inside his room and unbuttoning his shirt, he threw it on the bed. Finishing his coffee, he kept the cup down on the bedside table and took out a grey sweatshirt and a pair of black track pants. Walking inside the bathroom, he took a nice, relaxing shower. Some ten minutes later, he walked out of the shower and got dressed in his night clothes. While wearing his sweatshirt, he felt a burning sensation on his chest and looked in the mirror to find a red burn mark, which he assumed was because of his hot coffee. He applied some ointment, and wore his sweatshirt.

Completely dressed up, he headed to the dining area. Walking there, he saw his parents sitting there at their usual places, far away from each other. Not only their seats but their hearts were far away from each other, as well. He sighed, already he was mentally and physically exhausted and now he has no energy for this daily drama. He was really tired today as his mental state had troubled him a lot, which was also because of his parents because of the fight yesterday. And all that had led him to become physically exhausted.

Kabir was glad that in morning his parents weren't there, as his mom wasn't over her jet lag so was sleeping in her room or simply because she didn't want to face him in morning after the ugly fight and his dad left before him, like always. Quietly, he went and took his place and started having his meal.

"So how are you, Kabir beta? It's good to see you after one long month! You look really dull," said his mother, acting completely forgetful of yesterday's fight, with a rather fake smile, he guessed. Surely there were things, he never really got to know about, nor did he care.

His mother, Shilpa's such behaviour irked him. Why couldn't she understand that he didn't need her fake concern? He was completely fine without her concern. Rolling his eyes, Kabir, in his usual sarcastic and cold tone replied, "I look exactly the same like yesterday, I guess. Haven't grown any horns or tails. So yeah I'm good!"

His mother, Shilpa frowned at him and with anger said, "At least talk properly to me, I told you this yesterday as well. Here I'm concerned for you and forgetting your misbehaviour of yesterday, asking you about your health but you! Unlike someone, at least I'm concerned for my son."

Why did she have to start that concern drama again? Kabir couldn't decipher that. "I don't need your concern, I reckon you know that well. I'll be more pleased if you just focus on your life and work as usual," said Kabir bitterly, without even looking at his mother once, continuing having his food as if nothing was happening.

His rude answer, infuriated Shilpa and she exploded at him, "You are just like your father! He never appreciated me and you too are doing the same thing. If you don't want my concern, it's okay but don't talk to me like this. I'm your mother at least for the sake of it, be nice and respectful."

His dad Karan, who was silently having his food till then, broke his silence when he heard his wife drag his name in the argument. "Oh wow! Such a concerned mother! You're trying to say I don't have any care and concern for my son. Don't even try to drag me into this! Everyone knows how much concern you have for me and your son. I've never appreciated you? What have you ever done in your life apart from ruining things? What do you think, that you're such an amazing woman? Let me give you a reality check, you are neither a good wife nor a good mother. It was your fault that our lives are like this and you are the main reason why that day we lost our everything and our ... "

But before Karan could even complete, Kabir stood up from his seat and in a disheartened tone yelled, "ENOUGH BOTH OF YOU! WHY CAN'T YOU BOTH LET ME HAVE SOME PEACE IN MY LIFE AND THIS HOUSE? YOU BOTH HAVE RUINED YOUR LIVES AND NOW ARE PLANNING TO RUIN MINE AS IF IT'S ANY BETTER. PLEASE FOR GOD'S SAKE DON'T GIVE ME ANY NEW WOUNDS NOW! MY PAST WOUNDS AREN'T HEALED YET AND MAYBE WOULD NEVER HEAL FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE!" His eyes were red and glassy by now. Already he was tired and now this. Didn't he deserve some peace and normalcy?

"WHATEVER HAPPENED IN OUR LIVES, YOU BOTH ARE EQUALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR IT. SO PLEASE STOP THIS DRAMA RIGHT HERE. HAVE MERCY ON ME AND LEAVE ME ON MY CONDITION!" Saying that he stormed off from there leaving only silence behind him! His parents just glared at each other and left to their respective rooms, without having even a morsel of their dinner.

GM pressed her lips together to stop herself from crying further and wiped her tears. This was the usual thing that happened when all three of them were present in home at the same time. Today also her grandson couldn't have his food properly. All because of his parents, like usual. This was how he lived in his home.

Home! Well it was just a house made of bricks. There was no feeling of home in this house. All their happiness and the homely feelings had vanished somewhere many years back, due to both Karan and Shilpa's mistakes.

And because of that, things will never be normal for her grandson. These arguments, drama had done nothing good ever. Why couldn't her son and daughter-in-law let Kabir forget the past and move on in his life?

Whenever he took one step forward, they made him move two steps backward. Even after so many years, their lives' were still stuck at the same place. Neither they could go further nor could they go back to the time when they were happy. Even after trying everything, they always ended up on square one. Countless times she had prayed to God to have mercy on her grandson and to not give him more pain, but seemed like God never paid heed to her prayers. He had his share of pain and wounds, atleast now he should have some happiness. Wiping her tears, GM too departed to her room with her food kept untouched in her plate.

Kabir slammed the doors of his bedroom and went to the balcony attached to his room. Why did they always have to remind him of his wounds and open them again and again? Hadn't they done enough damage in his life that they still want to do more? Two tears rolled from his eyes and he wiped them furiously. He was done with this drama! He couldn't tolerate all this anymore now. But what other choice did he have?

Being completely drained of his energy, he decided to sleep and even fell asleep as soon as he lied down on his bed due to his exhaustion but three hours later after falling asleep, he had a nightmare and woke up. The same nightmare that he was having for last one week and with these fights, the nightmare was increasing its impact and the extent to which it affected him! The scenes of that faithful day haunted him in his dream. He was sweating badly because of that nightmare and the images of his past. Feeling thirsting, he drank water and lied down back with his eyes wide open, staring at the ceiling.

People who were acquainted to him and had worked with him would never believe that the same Dr. Kabir, who was so calm, polite and sensible, was actually a wreck from inside! That was a mask he wore to fool people and protect himself and others from his inner demons and no one ever had tried to see beneath that mask except Aarav and GM, to an extent Shaina.

Never having allowed anyone to glance at the deepest chambers of his heart, he always tried to keep others happy because he didn't want them to have such miserable condition as him. He had no idea how to come out of the mess, he had been in for so long! In his non exiting heart, he so wanted someone to help him overcome his vulnerability but he had never let anyone come that close to him, not even Aarav or GM. Certainly as he just couldn't open his heart up and share all those things which he had been hiding since his childhood!

He was aware of the fact that his past will keep on haunting him and leaving trails of it unless and until he, himself tried to come out of it. Or if he'll accept someone's help! Only if he will let someone help him! Only if he will!

While staring at the ceiling, he recalled his GM's words this morning, when she was telling him that it was high time for him to settle down in his life. She had been telling him to settle down since a few months as she believed, marriage would help him move on in his life. Even many people too had come to his home with their daughter's alliances for him. Perhaps, he seemed to possess all the qualities of an ideal husband and ideal son-in-law. But he had turned down all the alliances politely. Only because he didn't have any place for marriage or love in his life after seeing where it leads oneself!

For the record, his own parents had a love marriage but after just few years of marriage their love evaporated, turning their marriage into a loveless one. Their relation turned even uglier after that one incident which had given him countless wounds and scars, which had led him to stop believing in love and marriages and decided never to get married or fall in love.

When his own parents had never given him anything apart from wounds, then he was their son only, he too will give only pain to that girl. And he really didn't want to ruin an innocent girl's life by doing so. Plus his life was enough complicated, he didn't want to complicate it further more by marrying someone. Growing up in a dysfunctional family, he believed that his marriage too would become like his parents and he won't be able to able to bear the pain of one more failed relationship in his life. He had his share. He had lost people as well as along with that having strained relationships.

This was why he had always kept to himself and created a wall to keep people away. He had enclosed his heart so that he won't get hurt and neither hurt anyone. And also to keep his darkest secrets away from everyone, even his friends because he had this fear, this insecurity that if his friends, who were very few in number, got to know about his past, their opinion of him would change. And he didn't want that. And so, he had masked himself really well. And this was proven from the fact that neither Aarav nor GM knew what he was actually hiding in his heart!

Despite of him being a doctor and knowing well that if the wounds are kept hidden and not treated properly in time, it will only become severe and would hurt even more! What he didn't know was that the same thing applied to his inner wounds. He need to open up and learn to let go of his past. Otherwise his past will keep on haunting him, damaging him even more!

Kabir was still lost in his thoughts when suddenly Anaisha's terrified face flashed in front of him! Her crying face when Aarav brought her out of the morgue. All of a sudden he started feeling guilty, again. What had he done? He had taken his frustration out on that innocent girl, who was starting her career today.

True, she had fought with him and pissed him but it was wrong to trouble her like he did that too on her very first day. Damn! He was annoyed with his behaviour with her, more because this wasn't him. He had never taken his frustration out on someone like he did today. Why her then? How she must be feeling because of his stupid behaviour?

Sitting up on his bed, he ran his fingers through his hairs, an old habit which he always did whenever he was upset or frustrated. Recalling all the things which happened in hospital today, he condemned himself even more. She had done her work really well but he, he just troubled her so much. Tch!

With his fist clenched, he gritted his teeth, upset with his own self. Just because she didn't apologise to him, he made her work like that. How could he trouble her, her who was so close to his ... ?

"Can please not talk? You have already made my first day a nightmare, atleast now let me relax."

Her words rang in his ears, as he felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Their fight wasn't a big deal but he had made a mountain out of a molehill. He closed his eyes in frustration and saw her face again, but this time a smiling one when she was listening to an old lady who was complaining about her husband's silly habits. She was cute by the way! He used to love pulling her cheeks when she was a little kid.

Unknowingly his lips curved into a smile and he felt ... peace! She had turned into a beautiful girl from that cute chubby toddler who always used to sit around protecting her prized possession, chocochip cookies. Even once she scolded him in her baby language because she mistook him as a predator waiting to snatch her cookies. Remembering her antics when she was this mischievous chubby girl, he chuckled. He then remembered how once Anaisha and his ...

He snapped out of his reverie and frowned. Why was he thinking about her that too right now when he was so worked up because of his parents? And why the hell did he feel better thinking about her?

Shrugging his shoulders, he tried to push these thoughts away but then felt bad as she didn't remember him like his did. But then laughed over his own thought as she was very small, probably 6 or 7, when he last met her. So stupid of him to think that she'd remember him.

His lips curled into a smile again, thinking once more about her and decided to follow his grandmother's advice and apologise to her. And not just that, he'd forward his hand for friendship as soon as he get an opportunity. Though this was strange as before this, he had never tried to become friends with anyone, reason for his friend circle being really small!

Clearing up his thoughts, he closed his eyes and drifted into a sound sleep. And for the first time, in last some days, without a nightmare!