Oh, I'll let you set the pace
Oh, 'cause I'm not thinking straight
Though my head's spinning around, I can't see clear no more
What are you waiting for?

- Mridula
___________________

Yuvraj's POV

11:46AM IST, October 30th
Peace Apartments
OCF, Sector B Rd, Pocket 9, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi, Delhi 110070

The car stopped in front of the driveway with a loud screech sound and I climbed out of the car by pushing the door open. Leaving the door open, I rushed inside the apartment building. I walked into the elevator and pressed the button again and again, but my patience ran out when it took too long. The next moment I found myself rushing towards the stairway. 

Our apartment was on a separate floor where there were none other flats and it was a private floor where no one could enter without a security verification and any from our family's affirmation. Our penthouse was on the twenty sixth floor so it took me some time but at last I reached the floor, huffing for breath. I took some deep breaths by leaning against the door before rushing inside the flat. When I reached the living room, I heard glass breaking sounds and screaming of Mia from our room. 

"Mia!" I breathed out as I felt my eyes widening on their own.

Praying for Mia to be fine, I rushed up the stairs and ran down the hall before coming to a stop in front of our room where all of my family and friends were gathered.

"Mia! What happened to her?" I asked, breathlessly.

"Achha hua tum aa gaye, beta! Mia! She has been awake since half an hour but she is out of control. We didn't know what was happening to her so we called the doctor. She is inside with the doctor and nurses. They are trying to calm her down so they can sedate her." Mum explained. (Thank God, you came, son!)

My eyes widened at the word 'sedate' and I found myself turning to face the closed door in front of me. Sedate, means she was going to go to sleep again?!

"Sedate?! NO!" I muttered and pushed open the door.

The sight inside the room was enough to take my breath away. My wife, my Mia, was holding mine and her one picture which was put on the bedside table to her chest and was sobbing slightly. My vision started to get blurred, seeing her like this.

The top she was wearing was ridden up, showing a slight view of her bandage covered abdomen. And it broke me. She had the picture clutched tightly to her heart and eyes closed as tears rolled down her cheeks like a river. Her sleeveless top showed her bare arms which were covered in black and blue bruise marks because of the way she was manhandled. Some nail marks were also present on her neck and arms. Her bandage-covered forehead was looking neat which made me realise that the nurse had changed her bandages after I left for the office. But still she managed to look like the most beautiful person I'd ever seen.

Her big, beautiful, doe like eyes were swollen. She had cried out after getting up. Because I was late. It was all my fault. The scars, bruises and pain, my princess had to go through was because of me to a certain level, because I wasn't beside her. 

Gulping the lump formed in my throat after watching my princess in this state, I signalled the doctor and nurses to get out of the room who were ready to sedate my wife. When they didn't move and just blinked at me confusedly, I glared at them.

"Get out!" I hissed in a low tone, not wanting to scare my princess more than she already is.

They flinched and gulped, rushing out of the room. I closed my eyes whilst clenching and unclenching my fists to control my anger that I felt watching my wife crying and those heartless people were trying to sedate her. I opened my eyes when I felt my anger subsiding, hearing my princess who was still sobbing and cautiously moved towards Mia, not wanting to scare or alarm her. There were some broken glass pieces on the floor too which caused me to be extra careful.

I sat beside her on the bed and I guess she sensed someone's presence beside her which caused her to stiffen. I saw her hand moving back which made me frown and then the hand came forward to attack me but it wasn't alone, it had a pillow in her hands. 

"Aaaaaaahhh!" She screeched and opened her eyes whilst throwing the pillow towards me.

But stopped midway when she saw me in front of her. Her eyes widened and her hand froze in the air. Her grip on the pillow weakened and the pillow fell off her hand. I gave her a smile and softly held her hand which was frozen in the air whilst she stared at me with an unreadable expression on her face which was scaring me to an extent. When I held her hand in mine, it felt like I was getting my energy back. Like she is my energy source who provides me my energy, let it be physical or emotional or mental. My eyes watered up and I felt like I was back home.

She is home, my home. 

"You're awake!" My voice broke at the end as my fingers caressed her soft little hand.

I leaned in and pecked her forehead, causing her to close her eyes. Then I pulled back and leaned my head on her, looking into her eyes which were still closed. 

"Open your eyes, please." I felt my voice trembling and my throat paining, "It haunts me to see your eyes clos—ed. Ple—ase look at me."

A drop of tear rolled down from the end of a side of her eye and then she opened them. A huge smile broke out on my face and my eyes shedded tears of ecstasy. Her bright black eyes were open and looking at me with so much emotion. But the most in them was love, for me. A whimper left her mouth and the next moment, I felt her lunging herself at me by wrapping her frail arms around my neck.

My eyes closed on their own, feeling the warmth radiating from her body which made me feel complete again. My arms went along and settled tightly around her tiny waist, pulling her on to my lap. She clung to me like a leech and put her head on my shoulder, shedding tears which got absorbed in my black shirt. And trust me, I wasn't complaining at all.

"Shh calm down! I'm here. I'm here." I murmured, pulling her impossibly closer to me and hid my face in the crook of her neck which was bare because of the strapped, lacy camisole top she was wearing.

Alongside the camisole, she was wearing a pair of cotton shorts which was revealing her milky toned legs. She has lost some of her weight which was making her more fragile than before. Along with shedding tears, she was shaking a little which made me feel more guilt. I rubbed her back softly whilst leaning my back on the headboard. I sighed and took out my phone from the pant pocket. I texted Bhabhi, asking her to let the doctors and nurses go and leave us alone for sometime. Her reply came in an instant and I heard footsteps going away from the room. 

Sighing, I caressed her hair smoothly but stopped when I felt her wincing. Pulling my head out of her hair, I looked down at her cautiously and loosened my hold on her.

"What happened? Are you okay?" I asked, feeling concerned about her.

Mia looked up at me and nodded slightly before taking a hold of my wrist with her hands. She brought my hand in front of me which was resting on the top of her head till now and pointed at the rings I was wearing in my fingers.

"These are poking my head and it hurts." She pouted with her glassy eyes.

I was wearing two rings in my fingers, one was my engagement ring and the other was gifted to me by my in-laws during our wedding reception. I smiled softly at her before bringing my other hand to the front and removed those rings from my fingers.

"Then, we will have to take them off." I said whilst she looked at me curiously like a little baby, "I will keep every pain away from you from now on. And I will keep my promise this time."

My eyes turned watery, remembering that I didn't keep my promises which hurt Mia this much. I felt Mia putting her head back on my chest which brought me back to reality and I started to caress her hair once again.

"It wasn't your fault." I heard her whisper.

I looked down at her who was now playing with my shirt button oblivious of my eyes on her. I closed my eyes and tightened my hold on her, pulling her small frame as close to me as humanly as possible. A moment later, I heard her snoring softly which made my eyes open and I looked down to find her sleeping peacefully on my chest. A smile adorned my face, knowing that she is back to me. 

Picking my phone, I texted mum.

Hey, mum! Will you make something healthy for Mia? She is sleeping right now but I think she will be hungry when she wakes up again. And please send someone to clean the room.

Mum replied positively and asked me if I needed something else and how is Mia. I replied to her back and then laid down on the bed with Mia close to my chest, snuggling like a cute cat. I pecked her forehead again and again, feeling the warmth which had come back to her body and it felt magically surreal to my lips. Some time later, a maid came and cleaned the floor as quietly as possible before leaving the room.

12:29PM IST, October 30th

Peace Apartments
OCF, Sector B Rd, Pocket 9, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi, Delhi 110070

I was working on my laptop whilst Mia was snuggled up into my chest beside me. I had my one arm draped around her whilst she slept peacefully. A soft knock on the door grabbed my attention. Carefully putting Mia's head on the pillow, I got up, wearing my slippers and went to open the door. 

Opening the door, I found mum with a tray in her hands.

"Come in, mum!" I stepped aside for her to come in.

Giving me a smile, she walked in and put the tray on the table beside the couch before walking up to the bed to Mia. I closed the door behind her and walked back to the bed.

"You should have sent someone else, mum! You didn't need to come all the way up here." I said with a hint of worry in my head.

Mum scoffed, sitting beside Mia and glared at me.

"Are you indirectly pointing out that I am getting old now?" She accused, narrowing her eyes at me which made my eyes bulge out of their sockets.

"W—what?! No!" I said instantly whilst gaping at her.

She chuckled slightly before turning her attention to Mia who was now snuggled up to the pillow with the duvet covering her body. Mum caressed her hair before pecking on them and got up.

"Wake and feed her. I've made her favourite. And call me if you need something." Mum said to which I nodded.

"Sure. Thank you, mum!" I thanked her, kissing her palm.

She patted my cheek before leaving the room and closing the door behind her. I looked at Mia with a goofy smile on my face which hasn't left since she woke up before rushing to the washroom with my casual clothes. No more office today!

After a few minutes, I came out wearing a pair of tracks and a loose vest. Mia was still sleeping soundly and looking at her, I didn't feel like waking her up. But when my mind reminded myself that she hadn't had proper food for a day, my heart let go of the guilt of waking her up and I approached her. Sitting beside her on the bed, I lightly stroked her cheek which made her whimper and scowl in her sleep. A soft chuckle left my lips and I found myself pecking her cheek. Smiling softly, she opened her eyes and looked up at me.

"What are you doing?" She asked, groggily.

"I was about to wake you up but you woke up before that. So nevermind." I shrugged, "Now, get up. Mum has made your favourite food and you need to eat." 

Her smile vanished and a void look appeared in her eyes. I frowned, thinking about what I said to turn her expression so drastically. 

"What happened, baby?" I asked, cautiously.

Her eyes looked pained which made me panic. Gulping, she sat up and looked down at her lap making me more agitated than before.

"Mia! What happened? Please tell me! Did I say somethin—!" I was cut off by her placing her palm on my mouth.

She shook her head and then removed her palm from my mouth. This behaviour of hers was confusing me and was scaring me at the same time. 

"I behaved so badly." She muttered under her breath which was loud enough for me to hear.

"What do you mean?" I asked, confusingly.

She looked at me with guilt in her eyes.

"When I woke up—" She paused, gulping, "All of them were here and I didn't behave well with any of them. In fact, I misbehaved with them when they tried to calm me down. I even pushed maa away." She whispered the last sentence.

I sighed, knowing what she must be feeling right now. Running my fingers through her hair, I pulled her closet and leaned my head on hers whilst she closed her eyes, feeling our close proximity. 

"You do not need to worry about that, baby. Because I and everyone knows what you must have been going through and trust me, we all are proud of you. For being a strong woman I know you are. For being the most amazing girl in my life. And we all love you for that. So calm down because there is nothing to worry about." I reassured her.

She nodded meekly and opened her eyes, giving me a small smile. Giving her a big smile, I got up from the bed and wore my slippers which made her frown at me in confusion.

"So, do you want to eat here or downstairs with everyone?" I asked, cheerfully making her smile wide.

"Yes!" She said, excitedly which made me chuckle.

"Come on, then!" I said, grabbing a hold of her forearm and was about to get her to climb off the bed when she resisted.

"What happened?" I frowned.

"I want to freshen up." She said and I nodded, understandingly.

"Okay. Come on, I will help you." I said.

"What? No no! It's fine. I will be okay." She reassured me but I didn't agree.

"No, you are not. You have bandages over your body and I'm not leaving you alone. Come on now." I said.

She sighed but got down the bed with my help. I helped her to walk up to the washroom and once we were in, I lifted her up which made her squeal and hold onto my shoulders in surprise. I put her on the island and grabbed her toothbrush and toothpaste. I helped her brush and then patted her body clean with a wet cloth because she had the bandages still wrapped around her waist, arms, forehead and thighs. Mia wrapped a towel around her body whilst I went to the closet to get her something comfortable to wear. 

I brought a striped black and pink sleeveless romper with her undergarments. I insisted on helping but when she reassured me that she would be fine, I left her alone in the washroom to give her some privacy. After some time, she emerged from the washroom, looking as beautiful as ever. 

"You're looking beautiful." I complimented her whilst dropping a feathery kiss on her forehead.

"Toh chalein?" I asked, picking up the tray mum brought for us.(Shall we go then?)

"Wait." She stopped me once again.

"Okay. Now, what happened?" I asked, turning back to face her.

"Um, what date is it?" She asked, looking down which made me feel a little guilty.

Sighing, I walked back to her and wrapped my free arm around her waist.

"It's 30 October only, sweetheart. You were out just for a day." I reassured her.

"Oh thank God!" She sighed in relief.

"Come on now! I am starving." I said to lift up her mood once again.

"Oh yeah! Sorry. Let's go." She gave me an apologetic look.

I led her down the stairs and we walked up to the dining hall where I found everyone seated. The maids were serving lunch on their platters.

"Hey, guys!" I grabbed everyone's attention whilst Mia's grip on my arm tightened and she looked around nervously like she was meeting all of them for the first time ever.

"Mia!" Mum was the first one to react alongside maa who came rushing towards us and checked Mia everywhere if she was hurt or something.

Followed by them, the others also got off from their seats and approached us. 

"You okay?" Mum asked, "And Yuvraj! Why did you bring her downstairs? She is still not all good still now."

"Maa, mum, relax! It was me who wanted to be here with all of you." Mia said softly.

Abhi and papa came by her side and Abhi pulled her into a hug, pecking her temple.

"You okay, princess?" Abhi asked.

"Yes, Dada! I'm fine." Mia nodded.

"Hey bestie! Are you all good?" Shree asked as she and Sam wrapped Mia in their embrace which made her smile wide.

"Yes yes! I am fine, guys. Stop worrying." Mia said.

"We love you, that's why we were worried, sweetie." Papa said.

Mia turned to her father and I saw as her eyes turned a little watery. She nodded with a small smile.

"Um, I think we all should sit down. Mia shouldn't be standing in this state for long." I suggested to which everyone agreed.

Mia's mother and my mother led her towards the dining table and made her sit there whilst I sat on her one side and papa on the other side. 

"Hey Bhabhi. Where is Alia and Aan?" She asked Bhabhi.

"They have already had their food so they are playing together in their room now." Bhabhi smiled, "If you want, I will bring them here." 

Mia shook her head with a smile.

"It's fine. Let them play. I will meet them later." Mia said.

"By the way, Mia!" Varun said, grabbing her attention, "Aunty has made your favourites today. So aren't you going to have them? Or do I have to finish them all by myself?"

"Of course not. I will definitely have my portion of food. I am famished." She glared at Varun. Cute.

We talked whilst having our food just to get Mia comfortable with all of us once again like she was before the accident. Somehow I still felt that she was faking her smile and excitement sometimes. She had a little amount of food because she was full and didn't feel like eating and none of us pressured her to have more. She even asked forgiveness to all of them for behaving in that way when they came to calm her down which got her a lot of playful scolds and reassurances. 

After lunch, I brought her back to our room so she could take some rest. Pushing the door closed, I walked in.

"You lay down. I will come in a minute." I said, grabbing my phone from the nightstand.

"Okay." She nodded and laid down whilst I covered her with the duvet. 

Pecking her forehead, I moved towards the balcony. I dialed her doctor and filled her in with everything Mia did after she woke up. She gave me some instructions and asked me to bring her to the hospital tomorrow morning, to which I agreed and booked an appointment at the hospital. 

I came back inside to find her sleeping peacefully on the bed and I knew it must be because of the meds she took after lunch for the pain she felt on her abdomen. Putting my phone aside, I sat down beside her on the bed and grabbed my laptop from the bedside table. I worked whilst caressing Mia's hair occasionally. 

03:05PM IST, October 30th

Peace Apartments

OCF, Sector B Rd, Pocket 9, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi, Delhi 110070

'No. N—no, s—stop.' 

A frown appeared on my sleeping face when I heard some whimpering and felt something shaking beside me. I squinted open my eyes and realised that I've slept doing my work and my laptop was still placed in front of me, on the bed. I put the laptop away and turned to Mia, only to find her shaking like a dry leaf and sweating profusely whilst mumbling something in her sleep.

"Mia!" I scooted closer to her.

She was struggling to breathe properly. Her hands were shaking uncontrollably. My inner self went into panic mode, seeing her like this but when a drop of tear rolled down her face, it was like my last straw and I snapped back to reality. 

Cursing myself under my breath, I grabbed a hold of her arms and pulled her body into my chest, giving her warmth and safety by wrapping my strong arms around her tiny self. I noticed that her body was warm and she had chills too.

"Hey baby! Wake up, love." I tried to wake her up and succeeded after some attempts.

She opened her doe like eyes which were filled with unshed tears and clutched me into a tight hug.

"Shh sweetheart. Look, you're fine. It was just a bad dream, love. Calm down please. I've got you." I cooed.

"Y—Yuvi, he was tryin—g to k—kill me." My grip on her tightened, listening to her and my blood boiled.

"Shh baby! Just calm down, okay. No one is gonna be able to harm you, alright? I have got you." I cradled her shivering body on my lap, "I have got you." I kissed her temple occasionally, hoping that it could calm her.

After some time of consoling her with soothing rubs and sweet words, I felt her body getting limp in my arms again. I glanced down to find her eyes closed and soft breaths. I sighed, knowing that she slept so I gently laid her down on the bed and covered her with the duvet again. Putting my pillow beside her one side, I laid down on the other and pulled her close to my chest. Hearing her rhythmic breaths, I once again drifted off to sleep.

05:26PM IST, October 30th

My sleep was disturbed, hearing some sounds and someone calling my name. I groggily opened my eyes whilst assessing my surroundings. My eyes flew open when I didn't find Mia beside me. I got up in a swift and looked around the room but there was no trace of her. Even the washroom door was open which indicated that Mia wasn't inside either.

"Yuvraj!" I heard someone calling me from the other side of the door with occasional knocks. I wore my t-shirt which was beside me on the bed.

"Yeah! Coming." I rushed towards the door and opened it to find Bhabhi, "Bhabhi?"

"Thank god, you woke up! Main kab se tumhe awaaz laga rahi thi." Bhabhi rolled her eyes. (I have been calling you for so long.)

"Sorry bhabhi! But, where is Mia? She isn't here. Have you seen her?" I asked in a breath.

"Oh my god! Relax, Raj! Mia is my room with the children. Actually she woke up some minutes ago and was getting bored so I called her to my room so she could spend some time with her nephew and niece who seemed to miss her a lot. Sam is there too." Bhabhi explained.

I sighed in relief.

"This girl! She is gonna give me a heart attack some time." I muttered but Bhabhi heard me and smacked me on the bicep.

"Ow! What was that for?" I whined.

"That was for blaming my innocent devrani, when you were the one at fault." She scowled.

"Me?! And how is that? Will you explain?" I narrowed my eyes.

"No time for explanation. I came to wake you up because I had got a call from my not so dear husband and he was asking for you. Supposedly, he called you so many times but you were not answering his calls so he decided to let me check upon you instead. Now as you're up, go and call your brother. Because from his tone, I know he must be going all berserk right now." She said, dramatically flailing her hands and rolling her eyes which made me chuckle out loud. Snarky much?!

She explained all in a single breath and then huffed out a big exhale causing me to snicker. She narrowed her eyes at my snickering and smacked me in the same place again and damn, it hurt. Bhai was right, she surely has some strong hands!

"Ow! Stop hitting me, Bhabhi." I whined.

"Then, you stop laughing at me and go ahead, call your brother now. Will you?" Bhabhi said.

"Fine. Fine. I am going. No need to go all demonic on me." I muttered under my breath as I turned around, walking back towards the bed.

I picked up my phone and saw six missed calls from bhai. I sighed before calling him. I kept on tapping my foot on the floor with a hand on my waist whilst the phone rang.

"What the fucking hell, Yuvi?! I had called you a hundred times. Where were you?" Bhai's shrill voice almost made me deaf.

But thanks to my reflexes which brought the phone away from my ear and I sighed before putting it back on, when I heard nothing from the other side anymore.

"Whoa! Calm down, bro. And sorry for not answering your calls. Actually I don't know when I passed out." I said, rubbing the nape, somehow embarrassed.

"Hmm." He grumbled, "Listen, as Mia has woken up, Kartik was asking if he can come with his team to take Mia's statement about the attack on her. What do you think? What shall I say to him?" 

I ran my fingers through my hair and sighed, thinking carefully.

"Bhai! I need some time to explain it to Mia. I don't want her to panic because of the mention of that night. I—I will need some time." I stammered.

"It's understandable, Raj! Don't worry, I will talk to Kartik about it." Bhai reassured me which caused me to heave out a breath in relief.

"Thank you, Bhai!" I thanked him before hanging up.

Tossing the mobile on the bed, I rubbed my face some times before walking into the washroom. I did my business before wearing my slippers, grabbing my phone and walking out of the room downstairs.

When I came to the living room, I found chachi putting some plates and dishes on the tea table.

"Chachi!" I called out, grabbing her attention, "Is someone coming home?"

"Yea—Yeah! A—actually Adil is coming." She said.

My blood boiled hearing his name and I couldn't decipher why he was coming to our home. 

"What?!" I kind of snapped which made her jump, "Shit! Sorry, chachi. Are you okay?" 

I asked, taking the plates from her and putting them on the couch.

"Yeah, yeah! I am fine. We all kind of expected this reaction from you." She said, smiling sheepishly.

"Whatever! Now, will you tell me why he is coming here? I swear to god, I will kill him before he puts his feet in our home." I seethed in anger.

"Yuvraj!" I heard someone behind me and turned to find mum, glaring at me.

"Calm down!" She stated, coming closer to me and placed a hand on my bicep.

I was heaving breathlessly, feeling the storm inside my head.

"You need to keep your anger at bay." She said, "And about Adil, you shouldn't worry about him. And by his relation with Hina, we cannot just ignore them and their relation always."

I looked at mum in disbelief.

"Mum! Wha—! Are you serious?!" I said, "Adil! My arch enemy is coming to my home who is also a suspect of that night's attack and you're asking me not to worry about it?!" I exclaimed in disbelief.

"Yuvraj!" Mum took a deep breath, "Adil had called me yesterday about something and trust me, he is not the culprit behind the attack. And when he comes today, he will explain everything, hmm." 

"I don't understand. He said he is not the culprit and you trusted him, just like that?!" I said.

"Raj! She is right." I heard someone again and turned to find Sahil walking inside.

"Sahil! You don't know what she is talking about. She has invited Adil to our home, Sahil! The one who threatened me of killing Mia during our wedding rituals. You were there with me, don't you remember that?" I asked.

"Of course, I do! But please try to calm down because Adil is not behind the attack on Mia that night. Trust me." He said.

I sighed, rubbing my face.

"Fine!" I paused, "But Mia ain't no going to come in front of him." 

"Of course, Raj! Just listen to him once when he comes." Sahil said.

"Hm." I hummed.

"Mum! Serve some plates please. I will take Mia and others to the cinema room so they can stay away from that sick f— man." I cleared my throat in between when I saw mum giving me disapproved looks.

"Just a minute!" 

She packed the plates with different kinds of snacks that they had prepared for Adil and the others. I almost scoffed seeing all the dishes made for him. Mum sure knows how to treat guests but I think she went a little overboard because the guest coming wasn't someone welcomed to our house always. It was Adil, my sworn enemy for Pete's sake. I took the plates from her and went upstairs.

When I reached in front of the room, I could hear squeals and laughs coming from Alia with some occasional laughs from the others. What made me smile was Mia's giggle and I couldn't help but feel happy that she was getting normal once again. And the munchkins in our house are the main reason behind it. 

"Bhabhi! May I come in?" I asked which caused their giggles and squeals to stop. 

"Come in, Raj." I heard Bhabhi.

Pushing the door open with my foot, I walked in to find my favourite girls, Mia, Alia and Sam were perched on the Queen sized bed with Aan by their side. 

"Hey, girls! Look what have I got for you!" I said, walking towards the bed causing Alia to squeal and jump on the bed.

"Is it cheese toast?" Alia asked, cutely sniffing the air.

I laughed and nodded.

"Your favourite cheese toasts and many more snacks! There you go!" I put the plates on the bed, "Where is Bhabhi?" 

"In the washroom. This one just peed on his mother." Sam said, making me a gagging face.

I smiled at her, amusedly and turned my attention to Mia who was smiling at Alia whilst Alia gobbled down her toast. Mia was wearing a yellow lace sundress that reached just below her mid thigh and it was loose. Her hair was cascading down her back freely which made her look even more beautiful in her attire.

A throat clearing voice startled me and I glared at Sam who was now smirking at me. Rolling my eyes, I looked back at Mia who was looking at Sam, confusedly because she hadn't seen me gazing at her creepily. Thank god! 

"Mia!" I grabbed her attention.

She hummed, raising a brow at me questioningly.

"Do you have your medicine with you, that you are supposed to take after having something in the evening?" I asked.

She pouted and shook her head.

"No worries! I will bring the med. Guys, pick up the plates and let's go to the cinema hall. We all are gonna have a Disney movie marathon tonight." I said, causing Alia and Sam to squeal.

And seeing them squealing, Aan also got a big smile on his face and kicked his hands and legs up, squealing which made us laugh. Sam picked Aan and informed Bhabhi about us going to the cinema room whilst I and Alia picked up one plate each. I was about to pick both but Alia was very adamant to hold the cheese toast plate so I let her be and held the other plate. We skipped through the corridors and went to the end of the corridor where the cinema room was situated. We got in and I helped Mia to sit comfortably at her place. 

"Okay, girls! Choose the first movie until I grab Mia's tablets from our room." I said before rushing out of the room only to dash into Bhabhi.

"Ow, Yuvi! Sambhal ke." Bhabhi said. (Be careful.)

"Sorry, Bhabhi!" I gave her an apologetic look.

"It's okay. Where are you going?" She asked.

"Just to grab Mia's meds. You please go inside. I will be back in a few." I said and she nodded before going in.

I walked into our room and grabbed Mia's meds from the bedside table. I grabbed a bottle of water as well before walking back to the cinema room. I dropped the meds and bottle on the seat beside me and sat by Mia's seat. 

"So, what are we watching?" I asked, grabbing a fruit salad bowl, "And where did these come from?" 

I asked, pointing at the bowls of fruit salad kept along with the other snacks on the table.

"We are watching Frozen and about the salad bowls, badi maa sent them with a maid." Sam said and I nodded.

We watched the movie whilst having some snacks until I got a call from Sahil, after half an hour through the movie. I threw them an apologetic glance and picked up the call.

"Yuvi! He is here." I heard him from the other side and hummed before cutting the call.

"Guys! I have got some work so I need to leave." I said and saw Mia getting upset, "Don't worry, we will watch all of the movies some other time. Hm? Now, don't get upset and don't forget to take your medicines after having your food, okay?" 

She nodded and I pecked her forehead.

"Sam, take care of her and please remind her to have the meds if she forgets. I will come back before dinner." Sam nodded and I walked out of the cinema room.

Taking a deep breath, I walked down the stairs and found Adil sitting beside bhai, dad, Sahil and my rest family. Adil was perched down on the couch with his hands on his thighs. He was wearing a plain white shirt with blue denim pants and a pair of white sneakers on his feet.

"Yuvraj!" He exclaimed, getting up as I stepped closer to him, assessing him carefully.

"Adil!" I said and offered him my hand.

He shook my hand, not breaking the eye lock. We were both probably killing each other with our glares until Bhai interrupted us and asked us to take our seats. We parted our hands which were still in the vice grip of each other and took our places. I sat beside dad whilst he sat on a single seat.

"So!" I said, grabbing his attention which was on his cup of coffee, "What brings you here?" 

"Yuvraj!" Bhai gave me a look and I clenched my jaw.

"It's okay, Sir!" Adil cleared his throat and put the cup away before looking up at us, "I want to give you something!" 

I narrowed my eyes on him. He wants to give us something?! Strange?!

"And what would that be?" I asked, perching my elbows on my knees as I leaned forward whilst gazing at Adil, challengingly.

Adil straightened up and shoved his hand into his jeans pocket. After a moment, he fished out something which I couldn't see yet as it was clutched inside his fist. 

"What's that?" I asked.

"See for yourself." Adil said, getting up and forwarded it to me. 

I held out my hand and he put the thing on it. As soon as the thing touched my hand, I could feel the metallic coldness. I looked up at him, arching a brow whilst he went back to his seat. Rolling my eyes, I pulled my hand in front of my eyes and looked down at my palm to find a diamond earring. I clenched my jaw and looked up, glaring at him.

"What is the meaning of this, Adil?!" I said calmly, trying to control the anger that was trying to burst out at any moment.

"I thought you would recognise it. But—Nevermind." Adil shook his head, adding more fuel to my anger, but before I could snap, he continued, "Look carefully, Yuvraj. I think you must have seen this somewhere." 

I frowned, looking at him confusingly before tearing my gaze back to the earring on my palm.

"Show me!" Hrithik Bhai said, leaning to look at the earring on my palm.

"It looks familiar!" He said, frowning.

My frown deepened and I tried to remember the metal in my hand. 

"The mansion!" I blurted out, finally remembering the accessory.

"Mansion what?" Dad asked.

I turned to face him and showed him the earring.

"Dad, the police collected this earring in our mansion as evidence." My frown deepened and I turned to glare at Adil, "How the hell is it with you? Are you trying to sabotage the investigation now?! I swear to God Adil, if you even try to do that, I will fucking slaughter you alive."

"Yuvraj, calm down!" Sahil urged me and turned to face Adil, "How did you get this earring, Khan?"

"First of all, I am not trying to sabotage the investigation." He said, looking at me pointedly whilst I continued to glare at him, "And for your kind information, this is not the piece which was collected by the police. Contrary to that, it is the other piece of the earring. And if you still have any doubts, you can call the police and get assured of that."

"Woh toh main bilkul karunga. Because I do not trust you." I spat, fishing out my phone from my pocket. (I will surely do that!)

"Good for you!" Adil mumbled which made me glare at him whilst he gave me a bored look.

After a few rings, Kartik picked up my call and greeted me.

"Kartik! You remember, the earring your officer found yesterday at our mansion?" I asked.

"Um, yeah! The diamond earring? Of course, I remember. What about that?" Kartik asked.

"Uh actually, I wanted to know if you still have the earring with you?" I asked.

"Yeah, it is with me, Raj. Actually I sent a search party to the local jewellery shops so we could get a lead from this evidence. Why? What happened?"

"Uhm, nothing. Can you send me a picture of the earring? I want to try to recognise it again." I asked.

"Sure thing. I am sending you a picture right now." He said and I hung up.

After ten seconds or more, I got a picture delivered in my phone and opened the pic to find the same earring. I sighed and clutched the earring in my hand tightly, before looking up at Adil.

"How do you have this with you?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at him.

"Because, this earring belongs to my wife." He said.

To say I was shocked, would be totally wrong. Because I wasn't shocked at all. I expected this. But Adil coming to our house and expressing this thing is irking me the most. Why would he want to help us?! Worst, why would he confess the truth about his own wife?!

"Hina?!" Dad asked, somehow shocked.

"Yes! Hina, my wife!" Adil nodded.

"That fucking bitch!" I cursed her which caused Adil to clench his jaw and he closed his eyes for a fraction of second before opening them back.

"I can't believe she could harm Mia, that too so brutally." Mum said, shaking her head and she blinked her tear filled eyes.

"So, why are you here and confessing this in front of us?! Trying to act all honest and saint, huh?! I mean, what would you get by trapping your own wife?" I asked.

"It may sound weird and I am not asking you to trust me at all but I'd never want to hurt someone just because she/he is somehow related to my enem—rival." Adil cleared his throat in between when he was about to say enemy instead.

"But how did you get to know that it was Hina?" Bhai asked.

"The police officers came to my house to interrogate me, Baba and Hina. They showed me the earring at that time. It was the same earring I had given her after our wedding and that night when she came back home late, I saw her wearing the same earring. But one of them was missing and that's how I know it." Adil answered.

"When you already knew that it was her behind all of this, why didn't you expose her at that time in front of the officers?" I asked.

"I don't know." He looked down, rubbing his hair before looking back up at me, "Maybe I was caught off guard seeing the earring at that time. I knew she hated Mia but I never knew she would go to this extent because of her hatred." 

He sighed.

"I was here to let you know about this and as my work is done, I shall take my leave. Hina should be punished legally and I, Adil Khan, promise you that I won't be coming in between that!" Saying this he got up and bid us good-byes before leaving the penthouse.

"That was—" Sahil trailed off.

"Unbelievable." I completed him.

Sahil and I shared an eye lock and nodded at each other. 

"Mum! Dad! I have some important work to do. But don't worry, I will be back before dinner." I informed them as I got up from my seat.

"Sure, beta! Come soon." Mum said.

"Yeah!" I nodded before walking out of the penthouse beside Sahil.

07:01PM IST, October 30th

Abbas Warehouse

N Block, Greater Kailash I, Greater Kailash

New Delhi, Delhi, 110078

We walked into the Abbas warehouse, which is the main base of Sahil in New Delhi. Some of his men greeted both him and me, as they knew me because I've come here multiple times. 

Hassan, Sahil's right hand and the best sharp shooter in his mafia approached us and bowed.

"Boss! We have got them." He said, making both of us turn to each other and smirk in amusement.

Sahil turned back to his best man and patted his back in an appreciative manner. 

"Good job, Hassan! Now don't disturb us till we come out of the basement, yeah?" Sahil said.

"Sure, boss! Let me know if you want something!" Hassan handed a bunch of keys to Sahil before leaving us alone.

Sahil nodded and then we walked towards the stairs which would lead us to the basement. The basement was dark with some bulbs flickering at certain distances. There were some places where the ceiling was leaking. The whole place was filled with dust and dirt and it smelled so freaking bad. Just the perfect place for the prisoners. As soon as we reached the cell where our special guests were kept, Sahil fiddled with the keys and unlocked the cell. Pushing the door open, he bent his upper body and got inside followed by me behind. There we saw two figures tied to two separate chairs with ropes and black clothes covering their heads. A man and a woman! 

"Tch tch tch." Sahil tsked which made their worn out bodies jerk up and get tried to hear and look as much as they could but the black cloth was clearly restraining them from looking around.

"W—who is it?" The man asked.

I smirked, stepping closer to them. I walked around their chairs and grabbed a hold of both of the black covers on their heads, causing them to take a sharp breath and gulp audibly. 

"Count till three for me." I whispered, leaning closer to their ears whilst they shivered.

"Wh—who are you and what do y—you want from us? Why have you captured us? Tell me!" The woman sneered, making me look at her boringly.

"Damn, man! How did you even manage to be with them in a room for so long? They're so damn annoying." Sahil made a disgusted face, looking at the two figures in front of him.

He was mentioning about the time when I had a meeting with them during which they proposed to me a deal with their project. 

Looking at Sahil, I shrugged and made a face.

"I don't even know, dude! I guess, I have better patience than you." I said to which Sahil nodded in affirmation.

"That's true! If I was at your place, I would have beheaded them till now." Sahil snarled, making both of the figures flinch in fear and the girl whimpered.

"D—dekho, aap log j—jo koi bhi ho, ple—please let us go. Aakhir humne kiya kya hai? Aa—aap logo ko jarur koi galat fehmi hui hai, please l—let us go. And please take these blinds off. My eyes are hurting. H—have some mercy." The man stuttered. (See, whoever you guys are, please let us go. What have we done actually? You guys must have misunderstood something, please let us go.)

"Pehchana toh humne sahi hai, Raizada!" I gritted my teeth before snatching the clothes off their heads with a harsh tug which caused them to wince because of the elastic band rubbing on their skin and hair.

I stood behind them and saw as they blinked their eyes again and again to look clearly in the almost dark cell with just a bulb above their heads, which wasn't helping them at all. 

"W—who are you?" Dhruv asked, seeing the silhouette of Sahil in the dark.

"Your worst nightmare!" Sahil said from his place, never coming to the light.

"Show up, you bastard!" Avni screamed, making me scrunch my nose at her shrill tone.

"Shut the fuck up, bitch!" I snarled, grabbing a fist full of her hair and tugged them back harshly which caused her to yelp in pain.

Her closed eyes opened and she looked up at me. Within a fraction of second, I saw as her eyes widened with fear and terror clearly visible in them. From the corner of my eyes, I saw Dhruv gaping at me with the exact expression of his daughter.

"Y—Yuvraj!" Avni whispered, quite not accepting her eyes.

"Yes, bitch! Yuvraj! Yuvraj Singhania. Your death." I whispered back, making her shudder in fear.

"Let's start now, shall we?" I said as I walked around them and came in front of them.

09:05PM IST, October 30th

Peace Apartments

OCF, Sector B Rd, Pocket 9, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi, Delhi 110070

I smoothened my black button down shirt and rolled the sleeves as I entered the apartment building whilst walking towards the elevators. I got into the private elevator and pressed our floor. After a few moments, the elevator doors dinged open on our floor and I got out not before checking myself in the mirror of the lift. 

Because of the torture session, I was fully covered with blood which tainted my clothes as well so I had to take a shower at Sahil's penthouse before I came back. Sahil gave me a pair of jeans and a black shirt to wear and then I dumped the blood covered clothes in the trash can, so he could get rid of themater alongside his ones. 

I hurriedly walked into the penthouse and didn't see anyone in the living room so I went upstairs to check on Mia. Abhi, Mia's parents and Subho maa were staying in the other penthouse in the same building so they could check on Mia whenever they wanted. But as far as I know, they will be leaving tomorrow because maa and papa are needed there in Mumbai. Pushing the door open to my room, I walked in to find Mia sitting on the bed with her back leaning on the headboard. She looked up at me when I walked in and gave me a smile.

"Hey!" She greeted me, putting the magazine away which was on her lap.

"Hey, baby!" I walked closer to her and kissed her head, "Why are you sitting like this? It could add pressure on your wound. Come on, lay down!" 

"Yuvi! I am fine. Calm down. And I've taken my pain killers so I am not feeling any pain, I swear. And besides that, it's already dinner time so there is no need to lay down now." She said, wrapping her arms around my torso as she pressed her cheek on my abs.

I sighed and wrapped my arms around her before pecking her hair. Mia got out of my embrace and looked at my shirt, confusingly.

"Yuvi!" She called and I hummed, for her to go on.

"Whose shirt is this? This doesn't smell like you and you were wearing a white t-shirt, right?" She asked.

"Uh actually— My t-shirt got dirty so Sahil lent me his shirt." I said and her mouth formed into an o shape.

"Oh okay!" She nodded.

"By the way!" I said, grabbing her attention, "Don't you think you are becoming the typical doubtful Indian wife?" I smirked.

She scoffed and smacked me by rolling the magazine.

"No, I am not doubting you. Woh toh maine aise hi puch liya!" She lowered her gaze. (I just asked.)

I chuckled and sat beside her before pulling her to my chest, being careful of her wounds. We cuddled there on our bed whilst talking about things till mum called us downstairs for dinner.

"You wait here! I will be back in a few." I said, pecking her head whilst she nodded.

Then I got up and grabbed my sweats from the closet before walking into the washroom. I freshened up and changed into my sweats before coming out of the washroom. I helped Mia in wearing her slippers since she couldn't bend which could add pressure on her abdomen and then we walked down the stairs. 

We walked into the living room, took our seats and had our dinner with the others before retiring back to our room. 

"Do you wanna use the washroom?" I asked after I closed the bedroom door behind me.

"Yeah, but don't worry! I will manage." She said and I nodded.

She walked into the washroom carefully whilst I tidied the bed and kept her pillows properly so she could sleep comfortably. Then I plopped down on my side with my mobile in my hands. After a few moments, she came out, closing the washroom door behind her and sat down beside me. 

"Are you sleepy?" I asked, grabbing the TV remote.

"Not really!" She shook her head whilst I crawled closer to her. 

"Let's watch something then!" I said, leaning back on the headboard whilst she plopped her head on my chest and snuggled closer to me.

I covered us with the duvet and wrapped my arm around her body softly. We watched some animation shows and some football matches till she fell asleep so I shut down the TV. Then I helped Mia to lay down comfortably and laid down beside her, before turning off the bedside lamps. Covering us with the duvet, I kept her closer to me, being careful of her wounds and slept.

Mridula's POV

Next Day, October 31st

08:45AM IST

Peace Apartments

OCF, Sector B Rd, Pocket 9, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi, Delhi 110070

I sighed after gulping down the fresh fruit juice that Yuvraj gave me after I came out of the washroom. I was wearing a pair of black trousers with flared ends and a loose white full sleeved top with a back closure. I have kept my hair down with soft curls at the ends.

"How are you feeling today?" Yuvraj asked, caressing my hair with a smile.

"I am fine." I said with some hindrance because my throat felt sore.

Yuvraj frowned at my tone and sat down beside me whilst gazing at me with concern.

"What happened to your throat? Do you feel hurt somewhere?" He asked.

"I don't know." I shook my head, "Just a little soreness in my throat!" 

"Soreness?" He asked and I nodded, "Looks like you caught a cold. It's okay, we will get you some tablets for the cold after your check up, yeah?"

I nodded in yes.

"Do you want to eat something?" He asked.

I denied and he nodded.

"Okay, let's go and get you checked up now. So we can come home soon and you can rest!" He said.

I gave him a nod in reply and then he made me wear my sneakers whilst I smiled at him.

"Done!" He said and glanced up at me.

"What? Why are you smiling at me?" He asked.

"I am just admiring my husband who has given his days and nights to take care of me, in every way possible." I said with a wide smile as my eyes blurred with unshed tears.

That was true. Yuvraj did everything. He wouldn't even let me pick up a comb. From the early morning, he would wake me up and help me in brushing my teeth. Then he would help me in cleaning up my body with a wet towel and warm water, so I wouldn't feel uncomfortable all day. He would brush my hair and sometimes even feed me whilst talking to me about different things which would cheer me up instantly. Every time I would go to the washroom for my business, he would insist on helping and even did some times but most of the time, I'd deny him and he would respect my decision half-heartedly. From some small things like tying my shoes or tucking my hair behind or handing my water bottle after opening it's lid or giving me a scalp massage with warm oil and many more, he would do everything. Every fucking thing! Abhi dada is dealing with the company right now just like he did before me. 

I was shocked to know that my parents and Sam cut their trips off just because of me. Mum left such an important conference whilst Sam left her fashion week. It made me feel guilt that all of this was happening because of me.

"Well, it's my duty as your husband and trust me, I am loving every second of it!" Yuvraj said, smiling up at me and caressing my cheek with his thumb.

"Now, let's go or we are gonna be late for your check-up." He said and I nodded, getting up with his help.

I grabbed my phone and we both came out, walking down the stairs. He led me towards the dining hall where we saw Bhabhi feeding Alia her pancakes with fresh fruit cuts.

"Good morning, Bhabhi! Good morning, little one." I greeted both of them which grabbed their attention. Followed by me, Yuvraj also greeted both of them.

"Good morning, Mia, Yuvraj!" 

"Good morning, chachu, chachi!" 

Bhabhi and Alia greeted us back. 

"Where is Aan?" I asked.

"He is sleeping. That little lad kept me up all night by his blabbering. Neither he slept nor he let me sleep." Bhabhi said, which made me giggle.

"Mum! Bring me my breakfast please. I am gonna be late for Mia's check up." Yuvraj called out.

"Laa rahi hoon, baba!" Mas sighed as she shook her head whilst stepping into the dining hall with a crockery in her hands, "Good morning, beta! How do you feel this morning?" 

Maa kissed my forehead.

"I am feeling fine, maa." I assured her with a smile.

"Do not lie! Mum, she was feeling soreness in her throat just a few moments ago." Yuvraj butted in whilst he served some poha on his plate.

I gave him a glare but his whole attention was on his breakfast plate. I shook my head and focused on Maa instead who was looking at me with concern.

"Sore throat? Why so? Nevermind. Wait, I will be back in a few." Maa said and rushed into the kitchen before I could say something.

I sighed and then heard giggles from my side. I turned my face in the direction to find Bhabhi laughing.

"What? Why are you laughing?" I asked, feeling confused.

"Mia! You haven't gotten used to mum's protective nature yet?!" Bhabhi asked.

"I—well! I would say over-protective and it's not surprising at all." Yuvraj said from my side.

I just sighed and waited for her to come back soon. A few moments later, maa came back with a small bowl in her hands.

"What's that?" I asked, straightening up to get a proper look.

"Who knows? Maybe it is dead cockroaches!" Yuvraj commented which made me scrunch my nose in disgust and I looked at the bowl in wary.

"Here you go, have some honey! It will make you feel better." Maa said and handed me the bowl whilst I signed looking at the honey and turned to glare at Yuvraj who was now snickering.

Maa turned to face Yuvraj when she heard him sniggering and smacked the back of his head, making him choke on his poha.

"Ow! What the f—" Yuvraj cleared his throat when he noticed me, maa and Bhabhi glaring at him whilst pointing at Alia who was busy with her pancakes.

"Nevermind!" He shook his head and went back to his breakfast.

"And Yuvraj, get her throat checked as well." Maa said.

"Yeah, mum! I will." 

"Good! Mia, are you sure that you don't want to have anything? Not even some fruits?" Maa asked.

"No, I will pass." I gave her an apologetic look and she nodded.

"Yuvraj, make it fast! I want to meet my family before they leave." I whined, sucking some honey from the spoon.

"Yeah, I remember, love! I am done. I am done. Let's go." Yuvraj got up from his seat after wiping his mouth with a tissue.

Excitedly, I too got up from my seat and put the honey bowl on the table.

"Mum, we will stop by Abhi's apartment before leaving." Yuvraj yelled out so maa can hear him.

"Yeah, okay! Come back soon and take care of Mia!" I heard maa.

"Yeah, I will!" Yuvraj said, grabbing his car keys and mobile phone from the table before walking up to Alia who was on my other side.

He kissed her forehead.

"Bye, fairy! Take care, okay?" 

"Yes, chachu. You too take care of chachi!" Alia said, more like commands which made me laugh whilst Yuvraj looked at her with a raised brow.

"Who is teaching you all this?" Yuvraj asked.

"Varun chachu!" Alia grinned, making Yuvraj groan.

"That idiot! I will kill him." Yuvraj muttered under his breath as he straightened up and grabbed a hold of my wrist.

"Bye Bhabhi!" I waved at her and she nodded.

"Come on!" Yuvraj led me out of the penthouse and we took the elevator to the upper floor.

When we reached in front of the flat, Yuvraj rang the doorbell and the door was opened by Abhi dada.

"Princess! Come in." Dada led me inside by wrapping an arm around my shoulder.

I saw their luggages in the living room but didn't find anyone except us.

"Where are mum, dad and Subho maa?" I asked as Dada helped me to sit on the couch.

"They must be coming! Wait, I will call them." Dada said and I nodded.

He called them and the next moment, I found mum and dad coming out of their room whilst Subho maa emerged from the kitchen.

"Dad!" I hugged him, getting up from my seat.

"Aaram se, sweetie!" Dad cooed, caressing my back. (Be careful!)

"Can't you all stay for some more days?" I asked, pulling back from the hug and looked at them with puppy dog eyes.

"I wish we could, baby! But we will visit every week till you are all healed. Don't worry." Mum assured me and embraced me.

I sulked but nodded.

"How are you feeling now, Mia?" Subho maa asked, wrapping me in her arms after mum left me.

"I am fine. Why are you leaving? Your bakery is going all good with your employees, right?" I asked.

"Yeah, it is! But as the owner, I need to manage some situations as well. But as Devi promised, we would come to visit every week. So why are you upset?" Subho maa asked.

"Don't know! I just wanted you all here!" I pouted, looking down.

"Awh, my princess!" Dada wrapped me up in his arms and chuckled.

"We will be back before you know, okay? And till then, recover fast so we can go on a long vacation together!" Dada said and I nodded with a smile.

"Good." Dada kissed my forehead, "And Yuvraj! Take care of her. I will definitely kill you this time if something happens to her." Dada threatened Yuvraj who gulped but nodded nonetheless.

Dada hummed in appreciation before pulling out from the hug.

"You're going for your check up, right?" Dada asked.

"Yeah! We were just leaving but thought to meet you all before you leave. Sorry, I can't come to see you guys off!" I said.

"It's okay, beta! And are you taking your medicine?" Mum asked.

"Yes!" I nodded.

"Good! Let me know alongside your doctor when you feel any pain or uncomfort." Mum said and I nodded.

"Yuvraj! Keep us informed on her health everyday, so we could worry less!" Dad said.

"Of course, papa! Don't worry, I will let you all know about her everyday. You don't have to worry about that." Yuvraj assured dad.

Dad nodded appreciatively and gave him a hug. I hugged them all once again before we left the building. Once downstairs, Yuvraj opened the car door for me which was already parked in front and I slid in. He closed the door behind me and got in the driver seat. 

"Ready?" He asked after fastening his seatbelt.

"Yeah!" I gave him a thumbs up after I was done fastening my seatbelt.

And then we drove off. 

09:55AM IST, October 31st

Fortis Escorts Hospital

Okhla Road, Opp Holy Family Hospital

New Delhi, Delhi 110025 

Pulling out in the parking lot, we both undid our seatbelts.

"Stay!" Yuvraj said, getting a hold of my hand when I was about to open the door of my side.

I sighed but nodded whilst he got out and rounded the car, walking up to my side. He opened the door for me and held out a hand, which I took a hold of and climbed out of the car. Then holding my hand, he led me inside whilst some guards shielded us from the paparazzi and cameras. We got in and went to the receptionist.

"Welcome, Sir, Ma'am! How may I help you?" The receptionist asked, giving us a police smile which I returned.

"We have an appointment today with Dr. Pritha Srivastava." Yuvraj said whilst I looked around.

I saw many people looking at us and some even smiled at me which I reciprocated. 

"Mia!" I heard Yuvi behind me and turned to face him.

"Let's go!" I nodded and we walked into the elevator.

We reached the certain floor and walked through the hallway to a door which had a sign board saying, Dr. Pritha Srivastava, Emergency Physician. Yuvraj knocked and when we heard a positive response from inside. Pushing the door open, Yuvraj led me in and I found the same doctor when I woke up from coma inside, sitting behind the desk. 

"Hello, Mr. Singhania!" She got up from her seat and shook hand with Yuvraj and then turned to face me, "Hello, Mrs. Singhania!" 

I gave her a polite smile and shook her hand, nodding in acknowledgement. 

"Please take your seats!" She signalled us.

We thanked her and sat down. Putting her elbows on the desk, she leaned forward and looked at me. She looked like somewhere in her early thirties.

"How are you now, Mrs. Singhania?" She asked.

"I am feeling much better than yesterday. And please call me Mia." I nodded

"Sure thing. Then you shall call me by my name, Pritha as well." Pritha nodded, "So, Mr. Singhania, as per the nurse we've sent for your wife, she has gotten a fever yesterday with chills and had a upset stomach in the early morning today, right?"

"Yeah!" Yuvraj nodded, "Yesterday after lunch, she was taking rest but got up suddenly with a high fever and occasional chills. Her fever was of 103° F. And this morning, after she had the coffee I gave her, she threw up. Although she looked a little pale and weak when she woke up today, but when she came out of the washroom after vomiting everything, she looked more weak and her eyes were drooping. Her face was white like a sheet. And yeah, she had a sore throat as well." 

"Hm, okay! Any soreness or rashes on her wounds, especially on the abdomen?" Pritha asked, noting down the things Yuvraj said.

"There were not any rashes or red spots but about pain—baby!" Yuvraj looked at me to go on.

"Not really. I wouldn't feel much pain except when I wake up from my sleep and if I try to get up by myself after sitting at a place for long." I explained.

"Okay! I got it." Pritha nodded and grabbed her stethoscope, "Mr. Singhania, please help her to the examination table so I can check her."

"Sure, doctor!" Yuvraj led me to the examination table and helped me to lay down on it.

"Are you comfortable? Any pain or dizziness?" Pritha asked as she came closer to me whilst Yuvraj stood by my side, holding my hand in his.

"Yes, I am fine! No dizziness but I felt a slight ache when I was laying down." I said.

"Okay! Don't worry. I will do something for that." Priths said, wearing her stethoscope and checked my heart beats.

Then one by one she checked my vitals and noted them down on her writing pad. My body temperature, breathing rate, pulse rate & blood pressure. Taking my wrist in her hand, she pressed her first and second fingertips firmly on my arteries. After that, she checked my wounds and redressed them. Then she asked Yuvraj to help me sit up once again. 

"Okay, now relax for some time so I can take your blood pressure rate, yeah?" Pritha asked and I nodded.

After a few minutes, she wounded the blood pressure cuff around my arm and noted down the measurements. Then she unwrapped the bandage from my forehead and cleaned my wound with cotton swab and antiseptic cream which caused me to since a little and my hold on Yuvraj's palm tightened.

"Relax, it's done!" Yuvraj cooed in my ear.

"There you go!" Pritha put on a sticky bandaid on the wound along with a cotton swab.

"All done. Please follow me." Pritha walked up to her desk whilst Yuvraj helped me climb down and led me to the chairs.

We sat down whilst she scribbled down something on a paper.

"Okay, your vitals are nearly normal except for your pulse rate and body temperature. And I think it's because of the stress. So you should really calm down or meditate to calm your nerves." Pritha gave me a smile, "About your wounds, they are healing pretty well and I guess in ten days, most of the wounds will heal up. And yeah, you can take showers from tomorrow but do not soak your abdomen area in water for long. So neither swimming nor using the bathtub."

I nodded, understandingly.

"I will ask someone to get these tablets now. Um there are some highly effective pain killers to reduce your pain, some paracetamols for your high fevers and chill and lastly some antibiotic cream and tablets." Pritha paused, "Don't put much pressure on your stomach for the next five days and you will be all fine. Do not do any heavy work. And rest as much as you can. No alcohol consumption these days." I nodded.

"Excuse me!" She picked up the landline and called someone.

There was a knock after she put the phone back.

"Come in!" 

A ward boy came in and she gave him the prescription to get those tablets and medicines. After he left, Pritha turned to face me again.

"Um—as for your vomiting, there can be many reasons. And I would ask you the most important one first so we can take precautions to avoid future damage!" Her words kind of scared me and it made me feel a little anxious.

"W—what kind of da—mage?" I managed to ask with my wavering voice.

"Relax, Tesoro!" Yuvraj grabbed a hold of my sweaty palm and rubbed it with his other hand.

"What do you mean, doctor?" Yuvraj asked with a hint of worry and anger in his tone.

"It can be anything. But, there is still time and I promise you both that nothing is going to happen to Mia." Pritha turned to me and gave me a smile, "Sorry for worrying you, Mia. Please calm down. Nothing is going to happen. And uhm—I." She stuttered looking between me and Yuvraj whilst I felt Yuvi's hold tightening on my hand.

"You can speak without hesitation. There is nothing to hide from Yuvraj and me. We share everything with each other." I said to her.

Her mouth twitched up into a full blown smile.

"You both are more adorable than I have heard. Okay then—" She paused, "When is your next period cycle starting?"

I was flushed for a moment but realising how important it can be, I cleared my throat and answered her.

"Um— not really sure because it always comes a day or two after the actual date. So maybe 5th or 6th November." 

"Hm okay! That's good. Let me know if there are any problems with your menstrual cycles." She said and I nodded.

"We are done. But please wait here till the ward boy comes back with the prescribed items." 

"Sure." Yuvraj nodded.

We waited for some minutes, talking about other things related to my wounds, physical workout and my dietary requirements to Pritha until there was a knock on the door and came in the same ward boy from before.

"Here, doctor!" The ward boy said putting the paper bag on the table near Pritha.

"Did you get everything in the prescription?" Pritha rechecked everything.

"Yes." The ward boy nodded.

"Okay, thank you. You can go now and please ask Kritika to send the next patient in five minutes." Pritha said.

The ward boy nodded and left the room.

"Okay, here! This one is fo—!" And then one by one she explained me about the meds and other creams and all.

"Okay, I got it! Thank you." Yuvraj said, taking the paper bag from Pritha.

"Welcome, Mr. Singhania. And let me know if there is any problem." She said to both of us and we nodded.

"Thank you!" We thanked her before leaving the room.

"Come." Yuvraj wrapped his arm around me whilst in the other, he held the paper bag, "Are you hungry now?" He asked as we got into the elevator.

"A little!" I nodded.

"Good. Let's go to a cafe for your brunch then?" He asked.

"Nah! I am not really feeling like eating anything from outside. Can we go back home?" I asked meekly, not wanting to upset him.

"Of course, we can! Don't worry, I will ask chachi or mum to make something for you. Anything specific?" He asked, fishing out his phone from his pocket, whilst we walked towards the exit of the hospital.

"Mhm anything will do!" I shook my head.

"Okay, cool!" He signalled the bodyguards who approached us and gave one of them the paper bag, "Take care of her till I come back."

"Yes boss!" 

"Mia! I will be back in a few." Yuvraj said and I nodded.

Looking around, he walked up to a ice-cream store whilst I looked around. Surprisingly, there were no paparazzi which made me sigh in relief. But soon something caught my eyes and I found myself freezing at my place. I looked at the figure standing across the road with a gaping mouth and wide eyes and unknowingly a whisper left my lips.

"Boudi?!" 

__________________________

Word Count : 12,538

Author's Note

🎉Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!🎉

Happy Belated New Year to all of you & a very good year 2022 ahead!

Two to three more chapters left for this story to be tagged as completed.

So as you all have must noticed that I was absent for not so long (but long enough to make you guys irritated) and thanks to my uni and family who kept me busy all the time during my vacay. 

But in this time, I wrote a lot! Like a lot lot! That's why, I will be updating in weekly basis from now on. And I hope you guys are happy with this news.

Omicron is getting a troll on the country and there will be many more busy weeks coming for me in the future so expect me to not being able to reply you sooner. But I will reply to each of your comments and everything. Thank you for not giving up.

Love you x