Everyone knew what happened with Tara's sister and he was scared of losing his wife to the same. But when he saw the doctor come out with the baby he froze. Tara walked towards him and forwarded the baby.

"Bhaiya! Beti hui hai. Bhabhi bhi bilkul thik hai."

The man looked at his daughter and burst out crying. He fell on his knees and cried.

"Mai-mai aapka kaise shukriya ada kru-mai-"

"Please don't! It's our duty as doctors."

Shiv said with a smiled and held the man's hand which were joined together in gratitude.

"Bhaiya! Lenge nhi isse. Apne baba ka intezaar kr rhi hai."

"Mai-ye bhut chhoti hai-lag gyi toh?"

"Nhi lagegi. Pakdiye!"

Shiv smiled seeing the interaction and looked at Tara. The way she talked to everyone. The way she worried for everyone. As if all of them were her family.

Their eyes met and she mouthed a 'thank you'. He shook his head as if it was nothing.

Something changed, the next day she took extra efforts to get ready and Shiv noticed her movements a little more.

Her parents also came to visit the camp and Tara introduced Shiv as the head doctor.

He had noticed how she found excuses to be near him and blushed everytime they made eye contact.

It was their last night in the village and then they would move on to the next one. Tara wanted to talk to him.

But it was past midnight and she didn't know how. They would leave early morning next day. Gaining courage, she got out of bed, took her slippers in her hand, covered herself with a shawl so that nobody could see her face and sneaked out of home.

Shiv couldn't sleep either. They would leave the next morning but he felt like he was leaving something behind.

His eyes fell on a figure entering the hotel sneakily. Was it a thief? He got out of his room and hid in a corner.

The thief was short heighted and the way he was walking it seemed like it was a she. The woman got closer but couldn't see Shiv because he was standing in a corner and it was too dark.

When she was about to pass him, he held her hand and pulled her closer. He pinned her to the wall and covered her mouth with his hand.

"Don't shout! Who are you and why are you here? Chori krne aayi ho?"

He hissed in a low voice and heard muffled sounds from below his hand. She wiggled in his hold and he pulled the shawl away from her face. He got shocked to see the woman who was the cause of his sleepless state. He removed his hand from her mouth but didn't move back.

"Tum? What are you doing here so late at night? Aise choro ki tarah kyu aa rhi thi?"

She bit her lip and looked down with a slight blush. Her chest was heaving and both of them were acutely aware of their positions. But Shiv made no move to back off. Instead, he kept his hand on the wall beside her head caging her completely between him and the wall.

She gulped and looked at him through her lashes.

"Wo-wo mai-"

"Ummhmm? Tum?"

"Mai-aapse-"

"Mujhse?"

He prompted her to continue but his voice held amusement and a hint of teasing in it.

"Aap-aap sab kal jaa rhe hai na wapas. Toh mai ek baar sabko dekhne aayi thi."

She closed her eyes at her stupid excuse and he bit the inside of his cheek to control his laughter.

"Subha bhi mil skti thi."

He countered and she looked away, embarrassed.

"Ji! Mai jaati hu."

She tried escaping but he held her wrist and pulled her back. She gasped and collided into his chest. He tucked her hair behind her ear and she closed her eyes.

He held her hand and took her phone from her hand. He asked her to open it and she did so while frowning a little.

He punched his number and saved it as Doctor Shiv.

"Kabhi mann kre toh call kr lena. Nhi toh number delete kr dena."

With that he left her wrist and she didn't take a second to scurry off. He chuckled and went back to his room to continue his sleepless night.

Tara reached her room and got inside the duvet. She couldn't believe what happened. She just wanted a glimpse of him from far.

He gave her his number? She squealed in the pillow and quickly opened her phone to make sure she wasn't dreaming all of that.

She edited his name and saved it as Shiv❤️. She giggled and sighed dreaming about him.

Shiv and his team had left their village the previous morning. Tara knew they must have reached the next village by now.

Should she call him? But what if he didn't pick up? Or what if he had given her his number in the heat of the moment?

She couldn't decide and kept contemplating. Finally, she gained courage by noon and dialed his number after taking a deep breath.

The phone got disconnected automatically after a full ring. He didn't pick up. She felt disappointed but then reminded herself that he must be on the drive in the camp.

It was almost 12 in night when her phone rang. Her heartbeat rose seeing his name being displayed.

Taking a deep breath, she picked up the call.

"I had a missed call from your number. May I know who is this?"

"Umm-wo-mai-"

"Tara?"

His voice came out as a whisper. She hummed and blushed.

"I-I didn't expect you to actually call. I'm sorry I couldn't pick the call earlier. Camp pr tha."

She smiled and said.

"Mai samajh gyi thi."

He hummed and they fell into a comfortable silence.

"So? Koi khaas wajah call krne ki?"

She bit her lip and said.

"Nhi-wo aapne kaha tha ki agar mann kre toh call kr lu-"

"So you missed me huh?"

Ok! Now he was teasing her.

"Nhi! Maine aisa kab kaha?"

"So you didn't miss me?"

Where was she stuck?

"Aisa nhi hai-mai-"

"You hurt me Tara. Because I missed you."

She blushed at his words and spoke in a small, shy voice.

"I missed you too."

"So you did miss me huh?"

Now he was back to teasing.

"Tsk! Tang kyu kr rhe hai?"

She whined and he laughed.

"But seriously! The camp was not the same without you, without your laughter and smile. I did miss you."

He confessed sincerely and she felt her heart skip a beat and butterflies in her stomach.

"I missed you too."

They talked about random things while he flirted with her in between.

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