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Author's Pov

Janisha's phone rang.

She stared at it for a moment, not wanting to talk to anyone. Right now, she didn't have the strength to explain anything.

The phone stopped. Then it rang again.

This time, when she glanced at the screen, she saw Achint's name flashing.

After a moment of hesitation, she answered the call.

"Hello!" Achint's cheerful voice came through immediately, followed by Abhishek's voice as well. They had put the call on conference.

"Janu! " Achint chirped. But Janisha didn't respond. The silence stretched. "Janu?" Achint called again.

Still nothing. Then both of them said her name at the same time.

And suddenly, A sob escaped from Janisha's lips.

Both Achint and Abhishek straightened immediately on their sides.

"Janisha, what happened?" Abhishek asked quickly.

"You're at your bhabhi's house, right?" Achint asked, her voice turning serious.

"I'm tired..." Janisha whispered shakily. "Very... tired."

Her two friends went completely silent.

"Once again he misunderstood me," she continued, her voice breaking. "And again he decided everything without even hearing my side. How can he do that?"

Achint's voice softened instantly. "Janu... please don't cry. He's always been like this. I'm sorry for teasing you about him earlier. Please don't take his words seriously. We know the truth."

Abhishek's voice turned sharp with anger. "I always knew he was a jerk. That's why I told you not to go there."

His breathing sounded heavier.

"Janisha, I'm coming to take you," he said suddenly.

"No, it's okay, Abhi. Everyone will...."

"I don't care what they think," he cut her off firmly. "If my friend isn't okay, then nothing else matters. I'm coming."

"Abhi, listen..." Achint tried to intervene.

"No, Achint," Abhishek said stubbornly. "Why should we wait? So she can keep suffering there?" Achint fell silent. Abhishek spoke again, his voice calmer but firm. "You and Janisha are really important to me. I can't watch anyone hurt you both. And if someone does... they'll have to face the consequences." There was a pause.

"Be ready, Janisha. I'm coming," he said, before cutting the call.

Achint sighed softly. On the other side, Janisha sat frozen. "Janu," Achint spoke gently, "Abhi is right. Please go with him. And don't take Dev's words seriously. He really is a jerk. Maybe we should've listened to Abhishek earlier." Janisha didn't respond. She just stared ahead blankly. "Janu? Are you there?" Achint called again.

"Y-yes... I'll talk to you later," Janisha murmured weakly. "Bye."

She hung up. Her heart felt heavy... burning with too many emotions. She didn't tell them about that unknown number. She lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Tears slipped silently from the corners of her eyes.

And memories,

Memories she tried so hard to forget, Started replaying in her mind.

"Dev ji, that was the worst icecream i have eaten. Why don't you try from.." she was blabbering when suddenly his voice came.

"Wait, Why do you always call me Dev ji?" He said tilting his head.

"Because you're elder na!" She said sincerely. "I'm not an old uncle!" He said.

Suddenly her eyes twinkled with mischief. "But you're really older...than me" she said and turned to walk pressing her lips to stop herself from smiling.

But before she could take another step, he caught her wrist. In one swift motion, he pulled her toward him until she collided with his hard chest. A soft gasp escaped her lips. One of her hands instinctively rested on his bicep while the other clutched his shoulder to steady herself. This time, his eyes were gleaming with mischief.

"Oh... so you're saying I'm old?" he murmured slowly. "And yet this old man..." His gaze dropped to her lips.

His hand slid lightly over her waist, grazing the fabric of her clothes, sending a shiver racing down her spine.

"...can still make you feel-" He deliberately trailed off.

Her breath caught in her throat as she waited for him to finish the sentence. But instead, he suddenly released her and walked ahead with a teasing smile.

"Feel what, Dev ji?" she asked quickly, hurrying after him.

"You don't know?" he asked, tilting his head slightly. She shook her head innocently.

"Then leave it. When you feel it, you'll understand," he said casually, continuing to walk.

She groaned in frustration and followed him. "Tell me!" she insisted again.

"Why should I? To you I'm just an uncle... an oldie, remember?" he said, pretending to sound offended.

"Okay fine, sorry, Dev ji! I was just teasing," she said quickly. He stopped walking.

"Alright then," he said, turning toward her. "Stop calling me Dev ji, betu."

She blinked. "And what exactly is betu supposed to mean?"

She placed both hands on her hips.

He studied her for a moment before answering.

"Everyone calls you Janu," he said softly. "So I'll call you betu ... something that belongs only to us."

Her heart skipped a beat at those words.

But she quickly straightened her posture, refusing to show the effect he had on her.

"Why betu though? Why not something else?" she asked suspiciously, narrowing her eyes.

He stepped closer, closing the distance between them.

"Ji..." he murmured, his voice dropping slightly,"bulana toh Jaan chahte hain, bulane dengi?" Her heart started pounding wildly. A blush crept onto her cheeks, but she tried to act normal.

("Well...I'd actually prefer to call you Jaan. Will you allow that?")

"Oh really? And why is that?" she asked, pretending to be genuinely curious.

"You don't know?" he asked.

She shook her head again.

"Then I'll tell you someday," he said playfully, imitating the same head tilt she often used. "That works, right... ji?"

She couldn't help it and chuckled.

Janisha's phone rang again cutting through the dreamy haze. She looked at the screen, Abhishek. Her fingers trembled slightly as she answered.

"Janisha, I'm on the way," his voice came immediately, firm and protective. "Don't worry. Just a few hours... and you'll be away from that hell."

Janisha closed her eyes. Tears slipped silently down her temples.

"I don't know Abhi..." she whispered, her voice fragile.

Abhishek didn't interrupt. He knew she needed to let it out.

"I never tried to hurt him," she continued slowly, every word heavy. "Not once. I loved him with everything I had... with every part of my heart." Her voice shook.

"I changed myself for him. I became the person he wanted me to be. The way he liked." A broken laugh escaped her.

"I was so stupidly in love that I didn't even realize when I stopped being me."

She paused, trying to breathe through the ache tightening in her chest.

"And still... still I'm the one who's wrong in his eyes." Her voice cracked.

"He looks at me like I'm some kind of sin... like I betrayed him... like everything was my fault."

Her grip tightened on the phone.

"He didn't even try to listen to me, Abhi. Not then... not now. He just decided I was guilty and walked away."

Tears slid endlessly from her eyes.

"And the worst part?" she whispered weakly.

"I still can't hate him." Her voice broke completely. "I tried... God knows I tried to at least forget him." She swallowed hard.

"I thought time had healed everything. I thought the pain, the betrayal... even the love... had faded." A painful breath escaped her. "But it didn't."

Her voice trembled harder.

"When I saw him again after all these years... it felt like nothing had changed. Like my heart had just been waiting for him all along. And it started beating his rhythm again. My traitorous heart was always on his side."

She pressed her hand over her chest.

"I realized the truth, Abhi... my love never disappeared. I just buried it so deep that even I convinced myself it was gone." Her sobs grew heavier.

"And now every time he looks at me with hatred... every time he accuses me... it burns. I feel hundreds of daggers in my heart."

Her voice dropped to a broken whisper.

"It burns so much... that I started hating myself but I can't hate him. I hate love but I don't hate the person whom I love, why?"

On the other side, Abhishek inhaled sharply.

"Janisha..." his voice turned softer but firm, "he was never worthy of that kind of love. Not then. Not now."

He paused before speaking again.

"Just hold on for a few hours. I'm coming. I'll take you away from there."

Janisha closed her eyes.

Her chest rose and fell slowly as she tried to breathe through the pain. Without trusting her voice, She quietly ended the call.

Dev walked out into the garden.

The night air was cool, quiet, but his mind was anything but.

He pulled a cigarette from the pack and lit it. The flame briefly illuminated his face, tired, strained, and angry. He took a long drag. Smoke filled his lungs before he exhaled slowly into the dark sky. His eyes were red. From everything he refused to admit.

After a moment, he sat in the garden, staring at nothing in particular. The silence around him only made the chaos inside his head louder.

His jaw tightened.

Then his gaze slowly lifted toward the sky.

"Can't I have a single moment of peace?" he muttered bitterly.

His voice carried frustration, anger... and something far more fragile.

"How did she change so easily?" he continued, his brows knitting together. "She had my heart... and she played with it however she wanted." His chest rose sharply.

"How can everything be a lie?" he whispered, almost to himself.

"Why?"

His eyes burned now, rage and helplessness mixing together.

For a moment it looked like he was arguing with the sky itself.

With fate. With God.

"This bloody traitorous heart of mine," he scoffed, pressing a hand roughly against his chest, "still... still beats for her."

His breathing grew uneven.

"You know how difficult that is?" he said hoarsely, staring upward as if someone might answer.

"When you want to hate someone with everything you have... but your heart only knows how to love them."

He inhaled sharply and took another drag from the cigarette.

Smoke curled into the air.

His chest heaved with suppressed emotion.

"Pata bhi hai kaisa lagta hai..." his voice rose in frustration, before suddenly breaking into a quiet whisper.

His palm rubbed slowly over his chest, as if the pain there was real, physical.

"Jab dard bhi wohi... aur marham bhi wohi..."

(When the person who hurts you... is also the only one who can heal you.)

A bitter laugh escaped him. Empty. Mocking.

"The only person I ever desired for my whole life..." he muttered.

"...is a liar, a traitor."

He shook his head slightly, as if trying to throw the thought away.

As if denying the possibility of loving her could somehow make it true.

He took another slow drag of the cigarette, staring into the darkness, pretending that the ache in his chest didn't still belong to her.

He slowly lay down on the fresh grass, exhaustion weighing down every muscle of his body. The cigarette had long burned out between his fingers, forgotten. His eyes closed heavily, and without even realizing when it happened, but his mind wanted a shut down for a while.

Some time later, Faint noises reached his ears. At first they blended into his dreams, distant and unclear. But then the sounds grew louder, shouting, crackling, something breaking. His eyes snapped open.

Dev pushed himself up, confusion clouding his mind. Then realization struck him like a blow. He jumped to his feet. The mansion was on fire.

Flames were roaring through the structure, devouring everything in their path. Thick black smoke poured into the night sky.

His eyes widened in shock. Without wasting a second, he ran toward the main entrance.

Outside, chaos had already unfolded.

Shivraj was helping Preet out, holding her protectively in his arms. Daksh had Maya beside him, steadying her. Veeranshu stood close to Nia, trying to calm her trembling form.

Dev's eyes moved frantically across the scene. Dadi sat nearby while Roop handed her water. Shankar stood stiff, his face pale with tension.

When everyone noticed Dev, a collective breath of relief escaped them.

But Dev didn't relax. His gaze searched desperately.

"Where is Janisha?" he demanded, his voice rising sharply.

Everyone froze. Their eyes darted around instinctively.

Then the horrible truth dawned. Veeranshu, who had been focused to relax Nia, suddenly stiffened. The realization hit him like lightning. Dev slowly turned back toward the mansion.

The flames were growing stronger. The house was turning into ashes. Veeranshu suddenly rushed forward.

"I'm going inside!" he shouted hoarsely.

Daksh grabbed him instantly, holding him back with force.

"Don't you dare!" Daksh said firmly. "You can't go in like this. We'll find Janisha but not this way!"

Veeranshu struggled violently against his hold, his eyes filling with tears.

"Leave me!" he shouted desperately. "My sister is inside... please... leave me!" All attention shifted toward him.

In that moment, Dev ran.

Before anyone could stop him, he had already disappeared inside the burning mansion.

"Bhaiiii!" Nia screamed.

Everyone's eyes widened in horror.

Inside, the heat was suffocating.

Flames licked the walls, devouring furniture and curtains. Smoke filled the air, stinging Dev's eyes and lungs.

But he didn't stop.

He ran upstairs, ignoring the burning railings, ignoring the falling embers. His heart pounded wildly.

"Janishaaaa!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the burning house. No answer. Dev rushed toward Janisha's room. Empty.

He searched frantically, moving from room to room.

"Janishaaaa!"

Suddenly, a burning window frame collapsed beside him with a loud crash. Dev instinctively stepped back.

Smoke had blackened his face by now. His breathing had become rough and uneven. He shouted her name again.

This time his voice cracked. And suddenly, His own words from earlier rang in his mind.

"Don't you dare show your face to me again." Self-loathing stabbed through his chest. But there was no time for guilt.

He had to find her. Panic surged inside him.

He looked around wildly, like a man losing his mind, calling her name again and again as if she was his last breath, his only anchor. As if without her, he wouldn't survive.

Then, His eyes caught a figure near the staircase. His heart stopped.

"Janisha!"

But beside her, a curtain had caught fire and was spreading rapidly. Dev ran toward her.

But just as he reached, The staircase collapsed. Without thinking, he leaped forward, shielding her with his body as the burning debris crashed down. They rolled across the floor.

Dev quickly pushed himself up. And finally saw her face. Covered in soot. Eyes closed and Unconscious. Panic exploded inside him.

He immediately cradled her in his arms, patting her cheeks desperately.

"Jaan... Jaan please wake up!" he pleaded.

The word slipped out before he even realized it.

He held her like a fragile child. For a moment, the weight of his own harsh words crushed him, but right now only one thing mattered. Her.

Looking around quickly, he grabbed a cloth and wrapped it around her protectively.

Then he lifted her in his arms, shielding her completely with his own body as he carried her through the burning hallway.

The heat burned against his skin.

His shirt began to catch fire in places.

But he didn't stop. Suddenly he noticed water spraying somewhere ahead. He rushed in that direction.

Firefighters had finally entered the mansion. They ran toward him immediately. Dev stepped out of the flames, still holding Janisha tightly.

One of the firefighters quickly poured water over his burning shoulder. Outside, the entire family stared in shock. Dev didn't pay attention.

"Doctor!" he shouted hoarsely. "We have to take her to a doctor!"

Everyone stood frozen.

But suddenly, Abhishek rushed forward, his eyes wide with fear.

"Sit in the car," he said quickly.

Dev didn't argue. He climbed into the back seat, still holding Janisha securely in his lap.

Abhishek started the car immediately and sped toward the hospital. His jaw was tight, anger burning in his eyes but he said nothing. In the backseat, Dev held Janisha close.

His hands trembled slightly as he brushed the soot from her face.

"Betu... just a few minutes, okay?" he murmured softly, more to himself than to her. For the first time in years, Dev was truly afraid.

He kissed the top of her head gently.

Then he adjusted her hair away from her face again and again, as if assuring himself she was still there.

"Please, Jaan... hold on," he whispered brokenly.

"Just a few more minutes... please my baby. We're almost here. Just hold on okay!!" his words came rushed out, he kissed the top of her head. He didn't care about anyone at that time.

But his words never reached her.

Janisha was already unconscious in his arms.

At the hospital, Dev rushed inside carrying Janisha in his arms.

"Doctor! Someone call a doctor!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the emergency corridor.

The staff immediately reacted. Two nurses hurried toward him with a stretcher while a doctor followed behind.

"Put her here," the doctor instructed quickly.

Dev carefully placed Janisha onto the stretcher, still holding her hand for a second longer before the nurses rushed her toward the emergency room. The doors swung shut behind them.

Dev stood outside, his chest rising and falling heavily, his hands trembling slightly. The smell of smoke still clung to his clothes.

Inside the emergency ward, the medical team immediately began examining her.

They placed an oxygen mask over her face to help her breathe better since she had inhaled smoke. One nurse checked her pulse and blood pressure, while another attached a pulse oximeter to her finger to monitor the oxygen level in her blood.

"Pulse is stable," one nurse reported. "Her oxygen saturation is slightly low," another added.

The doctor nodded. "Smoke inhalation. Start oxygen support and monitor her breathing."

They checked her airway and lungs to ensure there was no severe damage. A small IV line was inserted into her arm to provide fluids.

Meanwhile, outside the emergency ward, the rest of the family arrived at the hospital. Everyone looked shaken and exhausted.

Shivraj noticed the burns on Dev's arm and shoulder immediately.

"Sit," Shivraj said firmly.

Dev tried to ignore it, but Shivraj called a nurse. The nurse gently cleaned the burns with antiseptic and applied a burn ointment and sterile dressing over the affected areas.

"They're superficial burns," the nurse explained. "Nothing too deep, but you should avoid dust for a few days."

Dev barely nodded. His eyes never left the emergency room doors.

After what felt like an eternity, the doctor finally walked out.

Everyone stood up immediately.

"Doctor, how is she?" Veeranshu asked anxiously.

The doctor removed his gloves and spoke calmly.

"She's stable now," he said.

Everyone released a breath they didn't realize they were holding.

"She inhaled a significant amount of smoke," the doctor continued. "That's why she lost consciousness. Smoke inhalation reduces oxygen supply to the body and can irritate the lungs."

He folded his arms slightly while explaining.

"We've given her oxygen support and fluids. Her oxygen levels are improving, but we want to keep her under observation for a few hours to make sure there are no delayed breathing complications."

"Is she in danger?" Nia asked nervously.

The doctor shook his head reassuringly.

"No, nothing critical right now. But smoke exposure can sometimes cause breathing irritation or dizziness later, so we'll monitor her lungs and oxygen levels for a few hours."

He then added,

"If everything remains stable, you can take her home later tonight."

Relief washed across everyone's faces.

"Thank you, doctor," Veeranshu said sincerely.

He sat down heavily on a nearby bench, exhaustion finally catching up to him.

Soon after, the family decided to return to Rooh Mansion to rest since everyone had already been through too much. Dev quietly said he would stay at the hospital. But Abhishek was already there. And Veeranshu didn't like the idea of, Dev staying with her, so he nodded at Abhishek. For a moment, irritation flickered in Dev's eyes, but he suppressed it.

Instead, he turned toward the glass window of the ward.

Janisha lay on the hospital bed with an oxygen mask over her face, machines softly beeping beside her.

She looked fragile. Dev stared at her for a long moment.

Then he slowly turned away.

Without saying anything, he walked out of the hospital.

Only Abhishek stayed behind.

Even Veeranshu had wanted to stay with his sister, but Abhishek firmly assured everyone that he would take care of her.

Reluctantly, the family left.

The night darkened, heavy and quiet.

Abhishek sat outside Janisha's ward, leaning back against the bench with his eyes closed. Exhaustion weighed down on him, but sleep refused to come. The events of the night kept replaying in his mind.

Inside the ward,

Dev had slipped in silently through the slightly open window. The room was dimly lit, the soft beeping of the heart monitor the only sound breaking the silence.

He stopped the moment his eyes fell on her. Janisha lay motionless on the hospital bed, an oxygen mask resting over her face, machines quietly monitoring her vitals. Her skin looked pale under the white lights.

Dev's chest tightened painfully.

Slowly, he walked toward her and sat down on the small stool beside the bed.

For a long moment, he simply stared at her. Then a tear slipped from the corner of his eye.

"I... I'm sorry," he murmured weakly.

His hand slowly reached for hers. Her fingers were cold. He cupped her hand gently between his palms, as if afraid she might disappear if he held her too loosely.

"Please say something, betu," his voice came out hoarse.

His throat tightened painfully. He could endure her anger. Her shouting. Her accusations.

But this silence, This lifeless stillness, It was slowly tearing him apart.

"I didn't mean those things," he whispered brokenly. "Please... come back. I know I'm a sinner, but please..."

He swallowed hard, fighting the storm inside his chest.

Outside the ward,

Abhishek's phone suddenly rang. He opened his eyes and looked at the screen.

Achint.

With a tired sigh, he answered the call.

"Hello?"

"How is she?" Achint asked immediately, worry clear in her voice.

"She's fine," Abhishek replied quietly. "Just unconscious."

Achint listened carefully and immediately noticed the heaviness in his voice. "Abhishek... is something bothering you?" she asked gently.

"No," he said quickly. Achint exhaled in relief.

"Oye sundari, don't sit there with that sad face, okay? Janisha needs us."

A groan escaped Abhishek. "Stop calling me that," he muttered.

"Stop what, sundari?" Achint teased deliberately. "Nothing, ribbon panda," he shot back.

"How dare you call me that!" Achint gasped dramatically.

"The same way you call me sundari," Abhishek replied with a smirk. She huffed loudly on the other side.

"Okay, okay. Now go check on Janisha... Sundari," she emphasized the last word mischievously. Abhishek rolled his eyes and ended the call. He stood up and walked toward Janisha's ward.

But the moment he pushed the door open, His eyes widened. Dev was sitting beside Janisha's bed, holding her hand.

And in that instant, Abhishek's anger shot to its peak.

Abhishek stepped forward.

In one swift motion, he grabbed Dev's arm and pulled him away from Janisha's bedside. The sudden force caught Dev completely off guard.

For a split second he stumbled.

But the moment he saw Abhishek standing there, glaring at him with burning fury, something dark snapped inside him.

Before Abhishek could react, Dev moved.

His hand shot forward, grabbing Abhishek by the collar before sliding up to his throat, slamming him hard against the wall.

"HOW DARE YOU."

Dev's voice came out low, dangerous, shaking with suppressed rage. His taller height was making him dominant over Abhishek. Abhishek's back hit the wall with a sharp thud. Dev's grip tightened around his neck.

But even as breathing became difficult, Abhishek didn't look away. His eyes stayed locked with Dev's.

Defiant and Furious.

"I dared because I'm the one who actually cares about her," Abhishek forced out, his voice rough but steady despite the pressure on his throat. "Not the one who keeps hurting her."

Dev's grip tightened instinctively. "Don't test my patience," he warned.

"I was there," Abhishek continued, anger boiling through every word. "When you were breaking her."

His veins strained under Dev's hold, but he didn't try to escape.

"I know what you did to her." That did something to him. Something flickered in Dev's eyes. Just for a moment. His fingers loosened slightly.

That was enough. Abhishek shoved him away with force. Dev stumbled back a step. Abhishek let out a cough, soothing his neck.

"You told her to never show her face to you again, right?" he said coldly. His eyes burned with anger.

"So fine. I'll personally make sure she never has to see your face again." The words landed like a direct blow to Dev's chest.

But he said nothing. His jaw clenched.

"You have no idea what she endured because of you," Abhishek continued, his voice rising now, years of anger spilling out. "And yet you stand here pretending to care."

His eyes narrowed. "When you never even loved her."

Dev froze.

"I... never loved her?" he repeated slowly, disbelief in his voice.

"Yes," Abhishek snapped immediately.

"Because if you had loved her..."

His finger pointed toward Janisha's unconscious figure on the bed. "You would have given her one chance. One chance to explain. One chance to tell her side of the story. But you didn't."

Dev stood rooted in place.

"Instead you judged her... punished her... and walked away."

Abhishek's voice shook with anger.

"And even today you did the same thing."

He took a step closer.

"You burst into her room, accused her, humiliated her... without knowing the truth." His chest rose sharply.

"And you call that love?"

A bitter laugh escaped him. "I despise this kind of love." His eyes hardened.

"Because it's not love. It's a sickness disguised as love."

His voice dropped, sharper now.

"Where you don't love the person... you just want to own them."

Silence fell. Heavy.

Dev stood there as if the ground beneath him had disappeared.

Every word pierced through him like a blade. Just then, The door opened.

A nurse stepped inside, clearly irritated.

"This is a hospital," she said sharply. "If you want to argue, do it outside. Don't disturb the patient."

Abhishek took a breath and nodded. The nurse left. The room fell silent again. Abhishek turned toward Dev one last time. His voice was quieter now But colder.

"You're still hurting her," he said.

"Even now. Just pain. That's all you've ever given her."

Then he walked to a chair a little distance away from Janisha's bed and sat down.

Dev remained standing where he was.

Frozen. Abhishek's words echoed loudly in his head.

You never loved her. You just wanted to own her. Something inside his chest twisted painfully.

Finally, Dev turned. Without saying another word, he walked out of the hospital room. His steps were slow. Heavy. As if Abhishek's words had struck him harder than any punch ever could.