Pratap sat clutching onto the side of his seat as the hospital staff ran about. Nurses and a group of doctors were attending to the girls. Udai Singh and Rathore made sure that their names and power would help the girls get the best treatments.
Phool had regained consciousness, and her mother and Vishal were by her side. It was Roshni they were worried about. She was being checked and tested by the doctors as she had not regained consciousness. Ram and Udai ran about talking to the doctors while Jaivanta sat holding Hansa's hand.
Pratap seemed to be in a haze, as if this were another nightmare he was having. He always thought his life was cursed; everyone he loved was hurt and unhappy. Today, he was sure. His Roshni was in there, fighting for her life, that's all he could gather. He didn't remember how he got her into this mess. I should have driven her home myself, I should have. I shouldn't have let her go to that woman alone. It's all my fault! In his anger, he punched his fist at the wall, hurting himself.
Jaivanta rushed to her son.
" What are you doing?"
" This is all my fault." His voice shook cause of the tears he was fighting to control.
" No, it is not."
" Yes, I shouldn't have let her go, I should have... It's all my fault; everyone I love leaves me alone." He hugged his mother in the hope of releasing a bit of his pain. The last words hit her like a bullet; she had always thought Pratap was like his father, very composed and strong. She now knew the deep scar her son carried.
" Pratap... She will be fine. Listen to me."
" I know who did this." His voice was angry." I won't spare her."
" Her? Who is it?" Jaivanta was shocked. He was accusing someone of actually trying to harm Roshni. Her question made him look at his mother. He did not have enough strength to take her name. He ran off.
" Pratap, Wait!"
Udai turned at her cry to see his wife look at their son running off.
Pratap found a bench outside the hospital. He sat there by himself, and now he could cry; no one would know. He held his face with his palms and burst into tears. I can't lose you, I just can't. He heard footsteps and wiped away his tears quickly. It was his father. In the last 12 years, he had never even faced this man one-on-one. He stood up to leave.
" I understand how you feel." His father's voice seemed calm.
" No, you don't! You never can." He said sternly. He loves you... Roshni's voice played in his head.
" When your mother was very ill before you were born, I used to stay awake all night for over a month to be with her, to see her sleep. I was so afraid she was going to die in her sleep someday."
His voice seemed distant and sad. His mother's topic made Pratap stop and look back at the man he hated for hurting his mother.
" The day the doctors said she was out of danger and so were you, I was the happiest man on earth. I couldn't wait to hold you in my arms. I... I know how you feel... I saw a reflection of your mother in Roshni. She is such a nice girl, nothing will happen to her... I just hope she understands you more than your mother understood me."
His last words made him choke. Pratap realised his father was as lonely as his mother; he preferred to work himself to sleep to hide his loneliness.
" Dad, I... I am sorry." He faced his father for the first time in a decade.
" Sorry? Why?" Udai was surprised.
" I... I thought you were hurting, Maasa. I... I searched your room..."
"You... What?" Udai Singh couldn't believe his son!
" I found some court papers, and that is why we are here today, Dad, it's all my fault!" He sobbed.
" What papers?" Udai feared the worst.
" Some woman named Dheer...." A slap resounded across his face.
" How dare you? Just how dare you dig up my life?" He was angry. Not because Pratap knew, but because he knew that Dheer was cunning enough to hurt Pratap.
" Dad... " Udai was walking away.
" Dad... She did it, I'm sure, this is no accident."
His words stopped his father. " What have you two done?" He demanded to know.
He was telling everything when his mother came up behind them. She put her hand on his shoulder and looked at his father. Pratap didn't remember the last time they had a family moment. This was something he always wanted, just not like this!
" Let your father take care of the mess; you come with me. Roshni has regained her consciousness." A smile curved her face as he rushed off, leaving his parents behind.
" I won't let her hurt my son and ruin his life." Udai dialled a number. Jaivanta waited for the call to end. " Don't worry, your son will be fine." His tone was formal. He was about to leave.
" And what about us?"
" Us?" he turned back, surprised.
" Pratap and Roshni did so much to see us happy, but are we?" Her voice was teary.
" I can never make you happy again." Udai shook his head.
" I should have listened to your explanation and not pushed you away." Jaivanta sobbed.
" No, I should have judged your position and not expected you to support me blindly." Udai shook his head.
" I shouldn't have believed her."
" Don't worry, I heard her stepson is after her. I called the commissioner. He will use her stepson to catch her; he, too, alleged that she blackmailed his father to marry her and give her his property."
" I am sure you will take care of this." A smile curved on both faces; they regretted the fact that in all these years, they had not once tried to put aside their egos and talk it out. They regretted the scar Pratap had suffered.
Pratap rushed into the room where Roshni lay in bed, her head bandaged, her arm slung, she had broken it from the fall out of the car. She looked at him at the door and murmured, "Pratap?"
Hansa saw him come in and left them alone.
" Roshni...." He smiled at her as his eyes twinkled in joy.
" I am fine... What happened to your hand?" No one had noticed his hand was badly bruised from the wall fisting.
" It's nothing."
" Nurse! Nurse!"
" Husshhh! Am fine." He put his finger on her lips. " I was so worried."
" I know, you cried, didn't you?"
" No... I was very strong." Pratap looked away, embarrassed. She smiled weakly.
" Come here..." She stretched out her other hand to him. He held it tight as if to say I am never letting you go... He got up from the chair and sat facing her on the bed, helping her to sit up, holding her shoulders.
" Does it hurt?"
" A little, I will be fine."
" I know you will be, but will that be in a month? I'm not giving a ring with these bandages on!" He teased her.
" It was her, wasn't it?" Roshni asked, his smile disappearing.
" You think so?" He asked.
" Yes, our car was driving fine, and a white car came from behind and hit Phool's side. The car tilted, and I think I fell out of my side, this seems no accident." She recollected. He shut his eyes, even imagining the horror she went through.
Jaivanta and Udai interrupted their conversation. The Commissioner was with them.
" How are you doing, Beta?" Jaivanta kissed her forehead.
"I'm feeling better." Pratap stood up to greet the Commissioner.
" Beta, this is the police. Tell them everything."
After asking about the accident, the police asked, " Do you have any enemies?"
Roshni looked at Pratap, confused, as Jaivanta and Udai shared a stare.
" Yes and No... Actually, I have an enemy." Pratap replied.
" Come with me, I will tell you everything." Udai escorted the man out. Jaivanta followed.
Roshni looked at Pratap, confused and amazed. He smiled.
" I wanted to surprise you. You did it! They talked to me together for like five minutes! And Dad even told about..."
" OMG! You said, Dad!" Roshni hugged him in joy the moment he sat down beside her.
" Ouch!" She retreated in pain.
" Careful!" He looked anxious.
She put her head on his shoulder and held his hand. " Now I am happy."
" Anything else I can do, Ma'am?" He smiled at her.
" Yes, ask the doctors when I can go home, and come every day to see me!"
" Your wish is my command!" He bowed to make her smile. " And?"
" Always be this way!" Roshni smiled.
" Always and forever!" He replied.
In a week, Daadi saw the news and called Pratap as he went to Phool's place to see her.
" Dheer has been caught, and her stepson has filed a case against her."
" That's good."
" He called your dad for support."
" I can't wait to tell Roshni this."
" When will she go home?" Phool's mother asked, handing him a glass of juice.
" Tomorrow, they will release her. But she will have to be on bed rest for almost a month."
Phool's mother left the room as Pratap noticed Phool and Vishal smiling at him.
" What?" He asked, surprised.
" Sagaai mubarak ho!" Both taunted as he got red and blushed.
" Stop it, guys, let her be okay first!"
" Ohho, she will be more than ok, and then we will go shopping and then...." Phool went on and on as Pratap and Vishal looked at each other, hoping one of them would make her stop!
