“Hey! Come here!”

Devyansh immediately brought her to his side and pulled her into his embrace. 

As soon as she felt his warmth, she broke down. She sobbed in his arms. Clung to him and cried. Devyansh couldn’t hold back his tears and cried silently with her.

Their babies were a sensitive topic for both of them. He kissed her head and rubbed her back. 

She felt a little calmer after a while. He got her some water and let her have a moment to herself.

“My doctor told me that…that there were traces of two drugs in my body. Drugs which cause abortion.”

Devyansh looked at her in shock. Taashi wiped her face and continued.

“Mujhe laga…ki shayad maine kuch…khaaya hai jiski wajah se…but she said that the drugs are not naturally occurring aur na hi kisi food mai paaye jaate hai.”

(I thought…maybe I…ate something that caused…but she said that the drugs are not naturally occurring and neither found in any food.)

She then looked at him and said in a broken whisper.

“They were being given externally to me.”

He kept looking at her trying to process whatever she was saying.

“Mujhe samajh nhi aaya ki kaise hua? Kisne dia? Kaun de skta tha? Phir kuch time baad…”

(I didn’t understand how it happened? Who gave it? Who could give it? Then some time later…)

She took a deep breath and continued.

“I found out about my pregnancy. I was so happy Dev. So, so happy. But then I remember the doctor’s words. Isliye maine kisi ko bataya nhi. And one day…”

(That’s why I didn’t tell anyone.)

Now comes the difficult part. She knew it would break him. But she also knew that he deserved the truth.

“Mummy ne mujhe…unke almirah se koi saree lane ko bola tha…and I found…those pills in her almirah…jab maine unse…unse puchha ki wo kya hai…toh wo darr gyi aur…unhone kaha ki wo papaji ki BP ki medicine hai.”

(Mummy asked me…to get a saree from her almirah…and I found…those pills in her almirah…when I…when I asked her what those were…she got scared…and she said that those were papaji’s BP medicine.)

Devyansh was completely blank. He had foreseen that sentence the moment she took his mother’s name. But his mother? Why?

“Mujhe kuch samajh nhi aaya Dev. Bas ye pata tha ki mujhe apne bache ko bachana hai. Ki mai iss baar kuch nhi hone de skti.”

(I couldn’t understand anything, Dev. I just knew I had to save my child. That I couldn’t let anything happen this time.)

She explained in a hurry and he finally met her eyes.

“Why did you not tell me?”

“I didn’t know how to. Uss waqt mujhe sirf apna bacha dikh raha tha. Kuch samajh nhi aa raha tha, Dev. I'm sorry. I’m so sorry, Dev.”

(I just saw my baby that time. I couldn’t understand anything, Dev.)

She cried and he held her close. He patted her head and held her tightly. Tears fell from his eyes as he rocked their bodies.

“Shhh! It’s not your fault! It’s ok! Shh!”

He kissed her head, dealing with the information himself. He wasn’t sure how to react. What to say or what to do. But one thing was for sure. He would not let the murderer of his babies roam free.

He pulled her head back and cupped her face. Her face and lashes were wet with tears and she looked at him with quivering lips.

“It’s not your fault, Taashi. And I promise you, if all this is not a misunderstanding and she is actually responsible for….I will make sure she gets punished.”

He whispered and her eyes widened.

“She’s….she’s your mother, Dev. Tum kaise-”

(How will you-)

“She’s the murderer of our babies. And if she’s done that. She is nothing more than a murderer to me. And I will get her punished.”

“Dev…”

“Shh! Sab thik ho jaayega. Ab kuch galat nhi hoga. I promise.”

(Everything will be fine. Nothing will go wrong now.)

He whispered and rested his head against hers. She sniffed and clutched his shirt. Taashi opened her eyes to his closed eyes.

She closed the distance between their lips and sighed against his, pecking them softly. Devyansh’s eyes snapped open and he looked at her closed ones with mixed emotions.

He didn’t know what to feel at that moment. He snaked an arm around her waist and the other threaded in her hair as he pulled her flush against his body and kissed her passionately.

The kiss was a mess but it felt like salvation to both of them. 

“I love you Dev.”

Taashi whispered before going back to kissing him. He deepened the kiss and sighed against her lips.

Their tears mixed between the kisses but neither cared. They broke apart hearing a soft knock on the door.

“Mumma!”

Taashi wiped her face and went to open the door. Devyansh too, wiped his face clean and smiled when he saw Taashi enter the room with Devyanshi in her arms.

The little girl had a pout on her face.

“Aapne mujhe waha sleepy kyu kalaya?”

(Why did you make me sleep there?)

“Mumma papa yaha baat kr rhe the na. Neend disturb ho jaati meri laado ki.”

(Mumma papa were talking here. Your sleep would be disturbed.)

Taashi said and kissed her little nose. The girl immediately turned her head to see her father smiling up at her. She grinned wide.

“Papa!”

She squealed and dived towards him, making Taashi almost lose her balance, trying to hold her steady.

“Arre! Aaram se!”

(Careful!)

Devyansh chuckled and held her in his arms. She immediately round her arms around his neck and kept her head on his shoulder, sighing happily.

Devyansh felt immensely emotional holding her in his arms after knowing the truth.

He held her securely and dug his face against her little shoulder. He placed soft kisses against her head and whispered.

“I love you princess.”

“I love you papa.”

She whispered back and he closed his eyes letting the tears fall freely. Taashi smiled through her tears, seeing them together.

He opened his eyes and motioned her to come closer. She did and he snaked his other arm around her waist, pulling her closer and kissing her head.

“Sab thik hoga na Dev?”

(Everything will be fine, Dev?)

She whispered in a fearful tone. He looked at her with a determined gaze.

“I’ll make sure ki sab thik ho.”

(I’ll make sure everything will be fine.)

He promised. Devyansh reached his home. His mother had opened the door but he didn’t bother smiling at her like usual.

“Kaha tha tu kal se? Tere papa bol rhe the ki kuch kaam hai. Aisa kya kaam tha jo raat rukna pada aur aaj bhi raat ko aaya hai?”

(Where were you since yesterday? Your father said you had some work. What work made you stay the entire night and you came back at night today also?)

Devyansh didn’t reply and started moving towards his room.

“Ansh kuch puchh rhi hu mai.”

(Ansh I am asking something.)

Devyansh gritted his teeth but didn’t bother turning around.

“Zaruri kaam tha.”

(I had important work.)

That’s all he answered before going to his room. He splashed his face with water and slumped on his bed. Exhaustion seeping into his body after a long day.