Dazzling yellow lights are illuminating the couple's beautifully adorned room. An intense conversation is going on between Iris and Luna on the red velvety couch. Iris' shoulders are sluggish while Luna is talking with hostility.

"You can't always hide the truth Iris. He has the right to know. Why don't you understand?" Luna's sharp voice contradicts Iris' tired face.

"I understand Lu. I'm just waiting for the right time." Iris takes a long sigh.

"Oh really? For god's sake Iris! You guys are together for three years and still you haven't got your right time?" Luna screams out in frustration and jumps up.

Iris shuts her trembling lips tight as she clasps her palms together. Sighing, Luna takes her sit and says, "Look Iris, I know you are afraid thinking about the consequences but, have you ever thought what will happen if he comes to know from an outsider?"

"But you know him Luna. He is so sensitive regarding this matter. That was the reason I couldn't speak the whole truth out three years back." Tears well up in Iris' gloomy eyes. "And so, when he be... believed me, later I... I couldn't muster my courage. I couldn't." Iris wipes drops of tear from the corner of her eyes.

"Exactly my point darling. He believed you because he trusted you. He trusted his love. He didn't want to repeat the mistake that you both did ten years back on that unfortunate night." Luna shakes her head lightly as she continues, "Iris, I have seen you both broken when you guys separated just because of jealousy. My brother and my best friend was dying every day. You guys didn't even watched each other's face. And you also stopped me from telling him that you were---"

Iris grabs Luna's hands tightly preventing her to continue and whispers, "You know the reason Lu. I didn't want to force him to return."

"Yet he is here. With You. Iris, destiny has given you a second chance and few people get second chances in their life. Don't mess it up again. Please tell him and I'm sure he'll understand why she is here, with you, away from her own parents." Luna's voice also calms down seeing Iris in such a vulnerable state.

"But, then I'll also have to tell him about the mis... no, the sin which I made. My carelessness, because of which..." Iris' words get chocked in her throat and tears replace those unsaid words.

"Iris." With a sigh, Luna embraces her afraid friend. She comforts Iris and says, "Your fear is not wrong Iris. Maybe he'll not talk with you. One week, two weeks or maybe one month but," she grips Iris' arms firmly and breaks the hug, "At least you'll be free from your guilt, from all the stress. And, here we are talking about truth which always makes a way to come to light, no matter how much you try to hide it. Yes, maybe her father helped you but that will not change the truth that you separated a mother from her daughter. And to make him understand, you must tell him everything. Every. Thing."

"I don't know. I can't tell him. He'll leave me Luna. I can't lose him again." Iris' whole body trembles as she murmurs with broken voice, "I can't break my fa... family with my own... hand. I can't."

"Iris, before the cat gets out by itself and tears everything apart, just tell him, please. I'll be with you." Luna takes Iris once again in her embrace and rubs her back. "I'll make him understand. He'll not leave you Iris. You are not teenagers anymore. Your love has matured. I've seen that love in his eyes. Believe me. I know him well. After all, he is my brother."

Luna continues soothing Iris when she hears a whisper, "Okay, but after the baby's birth. And if he punishes me, you'll also bear the same punishment." A small smile appears on Luna's face and a drop trickles from the corner of her closed eyes as she whispers, "As you wish my bestie."

"Haw! You guys are hugging without me?" Honey dripping voice of Ciana eases the lingering stress in the room as she keeps two rectangular shaped gifts wrapped with glossy green wrapper on the bed. Slightly pulling away, they broadly smile and Iris softly utters, "Come here." Ciana jumps upon them and they have a warm hug.

As they break the embrace, Iris' eyes fall on the wrapped gifts.

"Cia, who gave you those gifts?" Walking for the bed, Ciana answers, "I don't know mommy." She picks up the gifts and gives them to Iris. "I found them under the Christmas tree along with the other gifts. One has your name and one has my name. Now open mine first please." Ciana fiddles with her gift's wrapper.

"Okay. Let me do it." Giving her gift to Luna, Iris opens Ciana's gift. Ciana keeps looking, mesmerized, on the unwrapped gift which is a painting. But, Iris' eyes widen in horror. Her grip slackens.  The gift is about to touch the floor, but Ciana catches it and shows it to Luna. It's a beautiful painting where a woman is standing in a rose garden with a little girl on a sunny day. The woman is holding the girl's hand. The backdrop of the painting is a small farmhouse but mosses are engulfing the walls.

Seeing the picture, Luna shots up a glance at a fear-stricken Iris as Ciana says, "Mommy, see! The lady and the girl in the painting has same black hair and green eyes like me!" Ciana gets excited seeing the similarity oblivious to her mother's reaction. Keeping the painting aside, she takes Iris' gift from Luna.

"Mommy, now its your turn." But Iris is shell-shocked to move. Seeing that, Ciana touches Iris' cold hand. Sensing her daughter's warmth, Iris looks at her emotionally.

"Mommy! Gift!" Iris returns to reality as her eyes wander upon the wrapped gift.

"Ye... yes gift." With shivering hands, she picks up the gift and peeks at a tensed Luna. Luna nods and encourages her to open it. With great difficulty, Iris finally opens it, but she restricts herself from seeing the picture.

"What's this? Such a weird painting." Hearing Ciana's words, Iris peeps at the painting and clack!

The wooden-framed painting hits the floor. Shocked, Luna picks it up. The painting has three invisible halves. The left and the right half comprises a cradle each and in between is standing a little girl. The girl is wearing a red dress and black school shoes. But what shocked Luna most is the striking long black hair of the girl and her two little green eyes. Turning the painting upside down, she looks at a freaked out Iris. Iris' eyes are closed and knuckles have turned white as Iris fists her palms. Luna is about to keep the painting on the floor when her finger pricks against something rough.

"Ah!" She looks down and her face turns white. On the back of the wooden frame something is roughly carved. It looks like a date which says, 01/01/2012. Frightened, Luna is about to throw the painting away but her eyes fall on a bewildered Ciana who is looking at Iris and Luna back and forth. As soon as their eyes meet, Ciana showers Luna with her questions.

"What happened Lu? Why is mommy behaving like this? Is she feeling unwell? Wait, let me call daddy." Without waiting for Luna's reply, she dashes towards the door.

"Wait, Ciana. Don't tell El." Turning around, Ciana frowns.

"But, mommy..." Her eyes fall on Iris who is now breathing heavily. Luna sprints up letting the wooden-framed apocalypse hit the floor with a clack and rubs Iris' back.

Luna whispers, "Iris! Open your eyes. Be steady, Cia is still here." Hearing Ciana's name, Iris flutters her eyes and tries to control herself. She clutches Luna's arms and smiles a little at Ciana. Luna, with a straight face, says, "See. Iris is now okay. I think you should go downstairs and enjoy with your friends."

Still not convinced, Ciana keeps on looking at Iris but at last agrees with a disheartened "Okay." She is about to open the door when Luna shouts, "Wait!" Ciana stops on her tracks and turns around. "Don't tell El. We'll tell him later, okay? Now there are so many guests so..." Luna doesn't know what believable reason she can give. But matured Ciana can understand that something is wrong. She slightly nods and replies, "Okay."

As soon as Ciana leaves, Iris loses all her control and hyperventilates. Her body gets limp and tears trickle from her already smudged eyes as she repeats like a maniac, "She is here. She'll take her away." Luna tries to hold Iris' faltering body as she keeps on whispering to Iris, "No, Iris. She is not here. How can she be? She is not here Iris."

Luna caresses Iris' forehead and tries to calm a frantic Iris with her words. "She is not here Iris. Don't panic. Think about your unborn child. The baby will be in problem if you continue behaving like this. Please Iris, just calm down." Realizing, that her fear can affect the unborn child, Iris takes deep breaths to calm herself down. Luna holds Iris firmly and keeps on repeating, "Slowly. Slowly. Take deep breaths. Slowly."

After sometimes, Iris steadies herself and everything hits her back again. She looks at Luna and immediately gets up. But her head gets dizzy and Luna holds her preventing her from falling.

Luna makes Iris sit on the couch. "What was that Iris?" Luna's voice turns a pitch higher.

"I have to talk with El. We'll leave this town tonight." Iris' impatience is clear in her voice.

"What? Have you gone mad? How can you leave? It's already night. Where will you go and that too in this condition? For god's sake you are 8 months pregnant Iris. The baby may come out any moment and you---"

"No." Iris cuts a stressed Luna and continues, "The doctor gave us the permission to go for a vacation." Grabbing Luna's hand she continues, "In fact, the doctor told us that a vacation will be good for my stress. She has recommended a place and has also given a brochure."

"But the baby?" Luna is a little shocked hearing it to be the doctor's suggestion.

"The doctor said the baby will take another half a month. But I should stop taking stress. And it'll happen only if we go on a family trip and get some fresh air. I'm sure the place she has chosen will have everything, if an emergency comes up." Exhausted Iris leans her head back and closes her eyes.

"Okay. But not now. We'll talk tomorrow. Tonight you'll only sleep." Making a sleepy Iris stand, Luna takes her to the bed and lies her down. She herself gets up on the bed and caresses Iris' forehead.

"Sleep Iris. Everything is fine." As slumber embraces Iris, Luna switches off the lights and shuts down the window curtain. Darkness is engulfing the room and the only thing illuminating is the blazing fire of the fireplace. 

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