OS: Intezaar- 'Saath Saal Baad' LAST PART: Pg 16 (22/11) - Page 10

Originally posted by: peeyara

when u'll update next part dear

jab Priya coma se bahar aayegi tab kya😆

waiting for next part😊

Originally posted by: ShazK.123

😆
Sorry :-(
main kal update kardungi, when I am back home from the hospital again. 😊

Hi everyone, I'm back with part 3... It's been so long... I've missed writing, but circumstances were such that I didn't get the opportunity to complete this update... but now it's completed... I hope you enjoy it...

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Part 3: "Ek Pal"

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As the sunsets, we are left with the realisation that we have one less day to live... But after every sunset, there is sunrise; we're given the gift of a new day, a ribbon of hope... With this gift, God sends a sweet message... "Let's start again".

In life, there are two types of people... Those who don't want to wake up because their dreams are better than reality; and those who don't want to go to sleep because finally reality is better than their dreams... In Ram's case, he fell under the first category for the last seven years... But last night, things changed... Reality was definitely better than anything he could dream about at night, all because his queen was back; that night, as she lay in his arms, all he could do was stare at her, admire her, and hold her tight... Wondering if all this was real... Fearing that if he went to sleep, he'd wake up the next day and everything would be how it had been for the last seven years... Priya would still be in a coma, and he'd still be waiting for her. Ram still reluctantly fell asleep with his arm wrapped around Priya in a possessive, tight hold.

As the night passed, Ram maintained his hold on Priya, not wanting to let go of her, he didn't 'let go' for the last seven years, so he definitely wouldn't let go now... Now that he finally had her in his arms.

Hours later, the sun commenced its daily routine of rising... Rich hues of orange, red and pink enveloped and stained the sky as the sun peeked over the horizon, prevailing the dark blue and purple twilight. As the sun rays peeped through the slightly open curtains of the Green Room; Ram stirred in his sleep. Before he opened his eyes, he said a silent prayer... Praying that what happened the night before wasn't a dream, hoping that he's waking up to a new day... The day after his anniversary.

Ram slowly and fearfully opened his eyes, as he looked around; he set his eyes upon the most beautiful view. The beautiful sunrise was nothing compared to the beauty of his wife. Her face was illuminated with the rays from the sun peeking through the curtain which added to her beauty... It was as if the two most beautiful things in the world joined forces, sirf us pal ke liye, ki jab voh uthega, toh yehi dekh kar, ek pal ke liye voh sab kuch bhool jaye, saare ghum, saare aasoo, sab kuch.

In that moment, he'd forget everything. In that moment, it was just him, her and the beautiful sunrise.

"What a beautiful sight to wake up to" he said as he stared longingly at his wife, who was sleeping peacefully in his arms. He lifted himself up slightly in order to move towards Priya to kiss her forehead. His mouth lingered there for a few seconds; waiting for a response... Saath Saal ka intezaar, Saath Saal ke liye tadap raha tha yeh ek pal ke liye...

After seven years, as he kissed her forehead that morning, her eyes flickered open, her eyelashes stroked his cheek, just like they did every morning before these painful seven years.

"Mmm good morning Mr. Kapoor" she said in a feeble, strained voice. He moved his face back; they stared into each other's eyes for a few moments, as Priya captured her bottom lip between her teeth... Ram gave her a naughty smile... She knew what his intentions were, so as he moved his face towards hers, she moved her face back, at the same pace... "Aapne brush kiya?" She asked. He nodded his head in negation. "Toh..." She said; he immediately knew what she was going to say, so he frowned and moved his face back...

"Ek kiss bhi nahi?" He asked in a childish tone. Priya nodded a no; she put one hand on his cheek and gently stroked it. "Aap jaakar fresh hojaaye..." She said.

"Saath saal hogaye, lekin yeh bilkul nahi badli!" He thought to himself, and smiled, shaking his head. He reluctantly removed his arm from around her waist and got out of bed to freshen up.

While he was in the bathroom, all he could think about was how finally after seven years things have changed for the better... His love was awake, his prayers were answered. He suddenly realised that now, seven years later... He will have a new routine, but he wasn't complaining... After all, he lives only for Priya, he's dedicated his whole life to her... His life revolves around her and her only... Nothing else mattered, no one else mattered.

While he was in the changing room, he saw Priya lying on the bed... Flicking through the photo album he left on the bedside table. He became slightly worried, as he still hadn't mentioned how many years have passed... She was still unknown to the fact that she has missed seven years of her life, her children's lives and her husband's life.

He closed the changing room door quietly, and used this as an opportunity to speak to the doctor.

He took his phone out and called the doctor.

"Hello Mr. Kapoor, Priya kaisi hai?" The doctor asked

"Hi doctor, she's doing fine, weak, but she's awake, which is better than nothing" Ram replied.

"Doctor, what do I do if she asks how long she's been in a coma for? I don't think I can delay it any longer... She asked me last night and all I could say was 'not long'. I don't know what to do." He said worryingly.

"Mr. Kapoor, this is the hard part, we have to be very careful, telling her suddenly could have a negative effect on her health, and we don't want that... We have to break it to her slowly and carefully. Try and delay it as much as you can, I'm on my way to see her now- so we can discuss this further. We also need to talk about further treatment." The doctor said.

"Doctor, how much longer? We have children, they haven't spoken to her for seven years, she will ask about them, she will want to see them, if she sees them, she won't recognise them... And I will have to lie to her, I can't lie to my wife, I'm just so confused... I have to tell her, I can't hide this for too long... She will find out somehow, but I want to be the one to tell her... It will hurt her even more if she finds out another way." He said at once

"Mr. Kapoor, please..." She paused for a few seconds and sighed... "Okay fine, just wait until I see her now, let me see how she is, and if she is strong enough to handle this..." The doctor said.

Ram replied "Doctor, I know how to handle my wife... Priya is strong... But I won't mention anything until you've seen her... Thanks Doctor"

As Ram hung up the phone; he heard a smashing noise followed by a loud thud coming from the adjoining room... He quickly ran out of the changing room and into the bedroom, to find Priya on the floor with a smashed photo frame lying next to her...

He immediately ran to her side... "Priya, yeh sab kya hai? What happened?" He asked in a worried tone.

"Voh... Mr Kapoor... Our photo" She was unable to speak properly already but the pain from falling hindered her from speaking properly.

"Tum photo dekhna chahti ti? Toh mujhe kyun nahi bataya? I don't understand, why did you need to get out of bed? You're weak right now; you know you can't walk... So why did you even try?" He anxiously asked, sounding slightly angry at her for attempting to walk without his help.

Priya finally mustered up the strength to speak... "Mr. Kapoor, I was trying to pick up our photo to look at it, but it slipped out of my hands and fell on the floor... So I got up to pick it up... Look... Dekho... Humara photo ko kya hogaya... I ruined it." Tears fell from Priya's eyes as she looked at the smashed pieces of glass from the photo frame.

Ram wiped some stray pieces of glass from their photo, picked it up and said in an attempt to assure her... "Priya, look darling... Photo theek hai, it's just the frame. We'll get a new one... Why are you crying baby?" He wiped the tears that fell down her cheeks.

Priya looked into his eyes... He gave her an assuring blink and flashed his million dollar smile... A stray tear fell from her eye... But before it had the chance to roll down her cheek, Ram came forward and kissed it away... Priya closed her eyes tight in an attempt to stop more tears from falling, as Ram moved his head back, he said "Mrs. Kapoor, stop this... Please, open your eyes... Priya look at me..."

"I'm sorry Mr. Kapoor, look at this mess... Story of my life... Jab bhi main kuch karna chahti hoon, I do things thinking it's the right thing but... I just make a mess of everything and now, like always, you have to clean up the mess behind me!" She complained.

Ram got up from the floor, and helped Priya up... He held her tightly, making sure she was secure in his hold and lifted her up into his arms; she put her hand around his neck for more support... As he walked to the bathroom with her in his arms...

"Priya, what are you talking about... Baat photo frame ki hai... It's just a photo frame darling, why are you taking it so seriously? And what have you made a mess of, if you're still talking about the photo frame that will take 2 seconds to clean... But main jaanta hoon, baat kuch aur hai, tum sirf photo frame ki baare mein baat nahi kar rahi"... He initiated her to tell him what was on her mind.

"Mr. Kapoor, sirf photo frame nahi, I've made a mess of everything... The situation with Neha" she said as she recalled the huge argument they had before she slipped into a coma "and also Pihu..." Her mind replayed the incident that happened just before the car accident... "I left you to deal with all that alone".

Ram placed her on the empty counter space next to the sink... He handed her a brush with toothpaste on it... And said "Priya... I was never alone darling, you were always there with me, in my thoughts, in my heart. Just thinking about you gave me the strength to carry on, how can you think I was alone, with you around, I'm never alone!"

Priya finished brushing her teeth, and Ram came towards her, untied the blue patient gown and carried her in his arms to the bath... Priya closed her eyes as she felt shy under his gaze... Her cheeks flushed a bright rosy, pink shade... Ram smiled seeing her current state... Even after so many years of marriage, he still had the same effect on her... He still managed to make her blush and she still managed to give him butterflies... As if they were teenage lovers.

"I wonder how long you'll have to carry on doing this for, bohot bura lag raha mujhe ke aapko yeh sab karna padta hai" Priya said to Ram.

"Priya, mujhe bura nahi lag raha toh tumhe kyun lag raha hai? Dekh darling, Patni ho tum meri... Main nahi karunga toh aur kaun karega?" He said and then continued in a naughty tone... "Vaise, Priya... main bohot selfish hoon, yeh karne mein mera faida hai... In saath sa..." Priya looked at him, scrunching up her eyebrows... "In saath mahino mein"... He quickly said as he rectified his mistake, "tumhare nurses mujhe tumhe chune nahi dete... Toh ab main kar sakta hoon toh karne doh na... Mujhe accha lagta hai, I'll do anything for you baby, you know that... And anyway baby, why are you acting like this is the first time?" He said and then winked at her, she smiled, blushed and looked down biting her bottom lip.

Ram continued to assist her in having a bath, once he had finished he wrapped a bath towel around her and lifted her in his arms... Priya began to shiver... "Baby are you okay? Thand lag rahi hai?" He quickly took her to the dressing room and placed her on a two seater, cushioned stool located in front of their large mirror. He ran to his cupboard and pulled out one of his suit jackets off the hanger and wrapped it around her... He sat next to her, pulled her closer to him and hugged her tight in an attempt to warm her up.

"Mr. Kapoor aap itna kyun darr rahe hain? I'm okay, just a little bit cold..."
He moved away from her slightly. "Sorry, darling... I just want to be careful". He said.

"Mr. Kapoor" she said slightly seductively... "Main shikhayat thori kar rahi hoon, aapko peeche hatni ki kya zaroorat thi, I was comfortable." She said biting her lip.

The butterflies caused havoc in his stomach as he watched her bottom lip being taken captive by her teeth. He brought his hand to her face, the position of his thumb near her mouth immediately made her release her bottom lip... She stared deeply into his eyes, behind all the pain, she saw passion and love. He traced his thumb lightly over her lips, causing her to involuntarily part them, bringing his face closer to her, her heartbeat racing, she closed her eyes in anticipation... She could feel his hot breath on her lips, that's how she knew how close he was... She brought her face forward to close the tiny gap between them... He placed multiple soft kisses on her lips... As much as Priya loved this, she became frustrated and impatiently kissed him properly, but gently... He understood by this that she too was yearning for this moment, maybe not as much as him... But still, knowing this, he immediately turned the kiss into a passionate one... Ek pal ke liye sab kuch bhool gaye, in that moment they forgot that there was a world outside the doors of the changing room... Uss ek pal ke liye, it was just the two of them, Ram, Priya in their own little world of passion...

They reluctantly parted to catch their breath, and he placed his forehead on hers and whispered... "I told you na, main bohot selfish hoon"... She replied "pata hai... Is liye aapne meri itni madat ki bathroom mein..." She smiled and then said "Thank you Ram"... Upon hearing his name from her mouth, the intensity of the havoc created in his stomach already, increased... He smiled at her and said "darling... Please, don't say thank you... I didn't do it for your thanks... But, if you really do want to thank me, there are other ways." He said as he winked at her.

Priya moved slightly back, and began unbuttoning his shirt... Shocked at her actions, Ram just stared at her as she continued.

"Priya... Yeh tum kya kar rahi ho"... She smiled at him naughtily, with a twinkle in her eyes. "Priya!" He said as he held her hands to stop her. "Darling, yeh sab kya hai?"

Priya replied "Karne dejiye na" she said as she continued to smile.
"Priya hum yeh sab nahi kar sakte... Pehli baat yeh hai, ki jaga kaafi chota hai yahaan" he said, they both laughed... Priya let him continue... "Aur dusri baat yeh hai, ki tum abhi bohot weak ho darling... Vaise Priya... Itna intezaar toh kar liya, aur intezaar kar sakta hoon... Baad mein baby, later!" He said and let go of her hands.

She carried on unbuttoning his shirt... "Mr. Kapoor, have you finished, ya kuch aur kehna hai aapko?" She asked and smiled... Priya began to remove his shirt from his shoulders and continued "gilla hai"... "Kya? Kya gilla hai?" He replied. "Aapka shirt... Gilla hai" she said and smiled.

He looked at his shirt, then looked at Priya as he realised his misunderstanding. She smiled at this and said "aap change kijiye aur mujhe bhi change karna hai..."

"Darling, let me help you." He said, pleadingly.

Priya just smiled and nodded. Ram changed his shirt and then went to Priya's cupboard and picked out an outfit for her... He skimmed her hung up suits and sarees... "Baby, a suit is okay na, saree will be too much for you to handle... And me!" He said and laughed.

He looked at her collection of suits and sarees that he had kept safely in her cupboard for the past seven years... He thought "finally, after seven years, these will be worn again". He picked out an orange and pink salwaar suit... "This is perfect..." Then mumbled to the suit "aapne bhi bohot intezaar ki hai na, main bhi... You've been waiting to be worn, and I've been waiting for the colour to come back into my life".

As Ram walked to her, Priya's eyes glanced up and saw a pair of glasses folded, placed on a table by the mirror... "Mr. Kapoor... Yeh chashme, aapke hai?". Ram realised that he left them in full view, and now he had to tell her, scared that she would question him about the truth of how long she'd been in a coma for... But he had to answer her, her eyes were searching for answers "yes darling... I just got them last week".

Priya asked... "Ram, tell me the truth now, how long was I in a coma for?"

"Darling, I told you na... Seven months. Now quickly, let me dress you!" He said as he attempted to change the subject. She could tell that he was lying to her, he was telling her one thing... But his eyes, they were telling her a different story. Knowing that he was lying to her hurt... But she knew there was a reason for it and she knew by the look in his eyes that he really didn't want to lie... so to stop him from having to lie even more she stopped questioning him...

"Ram main bohot upset hoon" she said as he pursed her lips... "Kyun baby? Don't you like this suit... I'll get a different one for you" he said... She smiled at his innocence "Nahi Mr. Kapoor, yeh baat nahi hai... Main isliye upset hoon, kyunki, sab ne aapko chashme mein dekha hai, lekin main, I should have been the first person to see my handsome husband looking even sexier in glasses. But I'm the last person, not fair Ram!" She said as she pursed her lips yet again, while playing with his shirt button.

"Mrs. Kapoor... You may be the last person, but you're the only person that matters to me... Your opinion is the only opinion I care about... And to tell you the truth baby, when I first got them... I came straight to you, and wore them for the first time in your presence" he assured her.

"Sacchi?" She asked "Mucchi baby" he said... She immediately hugged him, wrapping her arms around him... He hugged her back and placed his head on the crook of her neck... They stayed like that for a few moments... Ram then kissed her neck and trailed further gentle kisses up towards her ear, and whispered "I love you, Priya" and then gently bit her ear... Priya let out a gentle wince... "Ahh... I love you too Ram"

He thought to himself "kitna lucky hoon main, pichle saath saalon mein, main yehi sunna chahta tha... Aur pichle doh dino mein kitni bhaar kehdiya tumne Priya. I love hearing my name from your mouth".

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door...

"Bhai, aap dono andhar ho? Kitna dheer lagata ho aap dono... Mujhe Priya se milna hai, jaldi apna romance khatam kijiye please" Natasha said, teasing them both, all everyone wanted was for Priya to get some normality back in her life... So everyone decided to behave as they normally would with her... How they did seven years ago.

Ram and Priya both looked at each other as they realised how long they've been in the dressing room for... He said "Choti, give us a few minutes, we'll be out in a bit"

Natasha replied "bhai... Don't put a time limit on your romance... You two carry on, I'll come up to see her later" she laughed and walked out of the room... She bumped into the doctor at the bottom of the stairs

"Doctor, voh... Bhai aur bhabi... Kamre mein hain lekin why don't you sit down here and have some tea first and then go meet them?" She asked in an attempt to stall her, so that she doesn't interrupt her brother and sister in law while they were romancing.

"Yeah sure Natasha, why not? Actually it's been a while since we've all been able to speak properly... Everyone has been very tensed with Priya's situation, but thank God she's better now." The doctor is the daughter of the Kapoor's old family doctor and a close friend of Natasha, so she was very close with all the other family members too... This was a good thing, as it helped Natasha in successfully stalling her.

In the dressing room... Ram finished dressing Priya... He stepped back and admired her, tears were threatening to fall from his eyes but he managed to stop them... "You're looking absolutely beautiful darling... But there's something missing."

"What is it Mr. Kapoor?" She asked.

He walked to the table in front of the mirror and picked up a small pot... Opened it and pinched out some sindoor... He gently filled her maang and then pulled out his wallet from his trouser pocket, opened it and took out her mangalsutra from one of the compartments.

"I kept it in here for so long so that I always have a piece of you close to me... But now it's time for it to be in its rightful place" he said as he hooked it around her neck.

He went to table again, and picked up his glasses, he walked back to her... Priya immediately took the glasses from his hands...

"Let me Mr. Kapoor... Biwi hoon main aapki... It's my right na? Haq banta hai mera" she explained.

She unfolded the glasses and put them on her husband... She smiled at how handsome he looked. She couldn't stop admiring him.

He moved back from her, scanned her from top to bottom and said admiringly "perfect... Welcome back Mrs. Kapoor".

He then lifted her up in his arms and walked towards the door... "Priya, I didn't think this through properly"

"Kya Mr. Kapoor?" She asked. "Priya... I'm holding you in my arms, which means I have no hands free... Phir door kaise..." Before he could complete his sentence Priya reached up slowly and unlocked the door, then twisted the door knob.

"We make a great team baby." Ram said, winking at her.

He placed her on the bed, and fluffed up the pillows so that she could sit back comfortably... As he turned to walk away, Priya grabbed hold of his arm... "Where are you going Mr. Kapoor, please don't go anywhere, stay with me... Please" she pleaded

"Priya relax, I was just going to the other side baby... I won't go anywhere... I promise, I'll stay right here, with you." He assured her and carried on walking to the other side of the bed, he sat down close to her and put his arm around her... She positioned herself closer to him. For some time, they just sat there talking and laughing... Priya brought her face close to his ear and whispered... "Ram, I can't stop thinking about how sexy you look in glasses"... To which Ram responded "I'm glad... At least I'm the only person on your mind" as he kissed her cheek, "Always, Mr. Kapoor..." He then moved his face to the side of her head, and placed a kiss there, inhaling the intoxicating scent from her hair...

"Bhai, aap dono ka romance abhi bhi chalu hai?" Natasha said as she walked in with the doctor.

Priya and Ram separated immediately and looked at each other in embarrassment.

The doctor teasingly said "Natasha, tum toh jaanti ho, inn dono ka romance toh never ending hai..." Both, Natasha and the doctor laughed at them as they witnessed the two lovers doing what they do best.

"Doctor, voh, main... Voh, Priya." Ram struggled to string some words together to form a sentence.

The doctor smiled at Ram's state and said "Hello Mr and Mrs. Kapoor, how are you both?"

"Fine doctor, how are you?" Priya said, Ram remained silent as he was still embarrassed, Priya looked at him and smiled, then used it as an opportunity to tease him "Mr. Kapoor, aap chup kyun hai? Doctor aapko kuch pooch rahi hai." Ram squinted his eyes at her.

"Priya, aap bhai ko tease kyun kar rahi ho?" Natasha asked.

"Anyway Priya... How do you feel?" The doctor asked.

"I'm okay doctor, just obviously very weak right now, and also getting agitated... I can't do anything myself... Ra... Mr. Kapoor has to help me, I'm not able to walk, I tried and failed miserably... I just want to be able to walk around and do things for myself." Priya complained.

"Priya that will take some time... That is why I'm here now, to discuss with you what to do next... As you know, your muscles are weak right now, which is why you are not able to walk... There's treatment for this, you'll need some physiotherapy sessions, massages will help..."

Ram secretly smiled hearing this, Priya looked at him knowing what he was thinking and gave him her signature sherni look...

This didn't go unnoticed by Natasha and the doctor, who exchanged looks and smiled at how cute this couple is.

After the doctor did all the necessary checks, she said "Mrs. Kapoor, you'll be better in no time... I brought a wheelchair along with me for you to be able to go around with ease" She then said "Mr. Kapoor, do you have a minute?" She signalled for him to follow her out so that they can speak in private... Ram looked at Priya for approval, she blinked and nodded at him, giving him permission... "I'll be back in two minutes, I promise". He walked out with the doctor while Natasha stayed back, and she began teasing Priya.

Outside the room, the doctor said "Priya is a miracle case Mr. Kapoor, usually in cases like this, it takes time for the patient to get back into normal life... It takes a while for them to start talking properly, to make movement... But your wife is a fighter, a soldier... In my entire career I've never seen anything like this... I mean, she's talking and moving... This is why I believe Priya will be able to handle the truth... So I'm giving you permission to tell her... But please be careful, break it to her gently, or if you prefer, I could tell her for you"

"Thank you doctor, I hate having to lie to my wife... And no that won't be necessary, she needs to hear this from me." Ram said

The doctor replied, "your wife will have a quick recovery, I'm sure of it."

"Thank you again doctor" Ram smiled and walked back into his room. He signalled to Natasha to leave the room, he sat down next to her and Priya said "Ram, aap itne serious kyun..." Ram interrupted her, placing his hand on hers...

He said "Priya... Darling... You know I love you, right?" To which Priya responded "Ram, what kind of question is this? Of course I know... If there's one thing I'm one hundred percent sure of... that is it".

"Priya, I lied to you, baby I'm so sorry. I know I shouldn't have, but I had to... You know I hate lying to you, but I had a reason... Please forgive me darling..." He pleaded

Priya understood what he was talking about, so she replied... "How long, Mr. Kapoor?"

Ram looked deep into her eyes... "Seven... Seven years Priya." He said as tears rolled down his cheeks, upon hearing this, Priya removed her hand from under his.

"Priya, believe me, I wanted to tell you straight away... But I couldn't, doctor told me not to. I know you're hurt because I lied..." This time Priya interrupted Ram.

"You think I'm hurt because you lied? Ram that's the last thing I care about... Mujhe dukh iss baat ka hai, ki maine phirse aapko itne saalon se akela chhod diya... God knows how you coped; I can only imagine the pain you went through..." Tears came pouring out from her eyes... "Ram, aapko maafi maangne ki koi zaroorat nahi hai... Balki mujhe aapko maafi maangni chahiye... I'm so sorry Mr. Kapoor, once again, I've proved how much of a useless wife I am..."

"Priya, don't ever say that, you aren't a useless wife... I'm so lucky to have you in my life... And baby, You didn't leave me alone... Yahaan toh thi na?" He said to her, in an attempt to calm her down... "Priya, kal yaad hai na? 'I love you always, time is nothing'... Toh? Now stop crying."

"Pehle aap rona bandh kijiye, then I will".

They both smiled at each other, as much as Priya was hurting, she knew Ram was hurting more than her... "Ram... Mujhe neeche jaana hai, jaa sakti hoon?".

"Priya, you don't need my permission, hold on." He said, as he got up, and then lifted her in his arms... As he walked down the stair with her, he called out to Bansi Kaka to bring the wheelchair.

He placed her gently on the wheelchair and asked "comfortable?" She nodded... He wheeled her to where everyone was seated, looking around she said "you've redecorated!"... "Yes Priya, I did it just how you wanted it... Do you like it?" He asked.

"Of course I like it, this was what we planned before..." She stopped mid- sentence.

Everyone smiled at Priya, she looked at three girls standing in the corner... "Priya... Pihu, Myra aur Pari... Our daughters have been waiting for so long to speak to you again" Ram said to her... Myra and Pari ran to her and hugged her... She could immediately tell which one was which. Pihu remained at a distance... She couldn't bring herself to go anywhere near her mother, for the last seven years she held herself responsible for her mother's condition... Priya kept staring at her, but didn't say anything.

Priya remained quiet for the whole time she was downstairs, only speaking when she was asked a question... Ram noticed this, he came close to her and said quietly "darling, are you okay... Is this too much for you? Why don't we go in the garden for a little while?" He asked, and she responded with a nod.

As he wheeled her to the garden he said... "Priya, I'm sorry, I know this is all very overwhelming."

"It's okay, Mr. Kapoor, I just want everything to be normal, but I can't help but think... I've missed seven years of everyone's lives... Our daughter's lives... It's just so difficult to get my head around this" she told him.

"Darling, I understand that all of this must be very difficult for you... But I promise, I will try my hardest to make you feel like you didn't miss a thing... And I will start by showing you this..." As he handed over a diary, he said "I didn't want you to miss anything..."

3 months later...
For the past three months, Vikram was in charge of Kapoor Industries, Ram dedicated his entire time to Priya, making sure her road to recovery was a smooth journey... Every day he woke Priya up in the same way, with a kiss on her forehead. Their day consisted of him assisting her in the bath, then having breakfast together... Even though Priya could feed herself, she enjoyed it more when she was fed by Ram... Most of the time they would take turns feeding each other. The physiotherapist would then come to the Kapoor mansion... Ram paid extra for him to visit the house instead of taking Priya to him... Priya feared leaving the house, she wasn't able to step foot outside, because she was scared, scared to sit in a car again, scared to be outdoors again... She felt safer in the comfort of her own home. Each day, Ram would try to make her leave the house, he tried to make her face her fears, but this was all in vain as she would refuse. Once the physiotherapist left, Ram and Priya would spend the afternoon in the garden... He would assist her in walking around, then when Priya felt tired, they both would sit on the bench and would drink their tea outside, sitting close to each other... Ram's arm wrapped possessively around Priya, with her head leaning on his shoulder. Together, they would sit there reading a few pages from the diaries he wrote, mainly written about Pihu, Myra and Pari... But also with updates on the rest of the family. However there was never anything written about him... Ram noticed that Priya would skip the pages written about Pihu... He could sense the hostility... But he didn't understand why... And he never questioned Priya or Pihu about it, he just brushed it off as Priya being upset about not being there for her daughter when she needed her the most.

Priya, still hurt about the fact that she was absent from everyone's lives for seven years, kept her distance from everyone, she felt as though everyone was used to not having her around, she didn't want anyone to think of her as a burden. Priya felt very disconnected from everyone, a lot happened in the past seven years in Priya's absence... Because of this, she felt as if she didn't know anyone anymore... She felt like she was a stranger in her own home... The only person she felt connected to was her one and only, her husband Ram... Whose life was put on hold for the seven years she was absent from it.

Ram spent every second of the day with his wife, every waking moment was spent by her side... he knew she felt more comfortable when he was around her.. But there was no physical intimacy, apart from the usual kisses, soft and passionate, Ram controlled himself, as hard as it was... Her recovery was his top priority.

There would be times when their passionate kisses nearly led to something more... But every time this happened Ram would stop himself, much to Priya's annoyance... She would then get angry at him, feeling rejected and hurt. But he always knew how to handle her temper.

Flashback
After spending the evening having a candlelight dinner in the garden... Ram wrapped his arm possessively around Priya, as he helped her walk back to their room... Priya was dressed in a white, lace saree... And Ram was dressed in a white shirt and black trousers. Even though ram spent every second of the day with her... He wanted to do something special for her that day... So he arranged a dinner, for just the two of them... He wanted some normality back in her life, before she slipped into a coma, they would regularly go out for dinner... But because of Priya's fear of the outdoors, and of cars... This was impossible... So he arranged it in the garden... Although it was monsoon season, he thought that there was nothing more romantic than having dinner outside in the rain, under a shelter... He gave Priya his suit jacket to stop her from shivering... And instead of sitting opposite each other, they sat close together... In each other's arms, in an attempt to keep each other warm.
As they walked into the room, Ram said "Priya, thank you for your company tonight..."

"Ram don't be silly... Thank you kis baat ke liye... Aapki patni hoon main... Thank you kehne ki koi zaroorat nahi hai... Lekin agar thank you kehna hai, toh there are other ways." She said winking at him...

"Priya, did you just wink at me?" He asked.

"Haan kyun, nahi kar sakti?" She questioned seductively...

"No baby, of course you can... But I hope you know... I won't be held responsible for what happens after you wink at me"... Saying this they both sat at the foot of the bed.. Priya was removing her bangles and Ram sat beside her holding her close to him... He kissed her cheek while she continued removing her jewellery, he then trailed soft butterfly kisses down to her neck... A flustered Priya stopped what she was doing... She tilted her head to give him more access... They were both in a trance... With no control of their emotions... They both lay on the bed... Ram came over Priya and kissed her lips gently... The kiss then turned passionate... Both matching each other's intensity... Priya started to unbutton his shirt... Ram immediately realised where this was heading... So he stopped her.

"Priya, stop... We shouldn't. You're still weak." He said as he moved away from her.

"Ram! I am not weak! Stop saying that." She shouted.

"Priya, baby... I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that... I just want to be careful... I don't want to hurt you, Priya... We should wait." he said

"Whatever..." She said, feeling hurt and rejected.

Ram gave her a nightsuit to change into, and he changed into his kurta... knowing she was angry at him... He went downstairs... He knew his mission was to manna his wife before she fell asleep, as he hated it when she went to sleep angry at him.

A few minutes later, he returned to the room, with a plate of Gajjar ka halwa in one hand and kulfi in the other... Priya, who was lying in bed, smiled as she saw her husband walk into the room...

"I'm sorry" they both said to each other at the same time...

"Ram, let me speak... I'm really sorry... I didn't mean to get angry at you. I just want everything to go back to normal quickly, this is so difficult. I can't handle this anymore... I want to be able to do things for myself, I'm just so frustrated... And it hurts every time you say 'Priya, you're weak'... Ram I'm trying to be strong, for you... For us, I'm not weak Ram, I'm not." She said.

He walked towards her... Smiled and said, "You're the strongest woman in the world darling, I didn't mean it like that though baby, your body is still... I mean baby, you know what we're like... We're crazy lovers... And I've been waiting for this moment for seven years baby, I don't want to hurt you with all the passion that's been building up these past seven years... You still need to recover... We can wait a little bit longer can't we?"...She took the kulfi from his hand and said "You're a professional at handling your crazy wife aren't you?" She took a bite from the kulfi and then fed some to him... As she finished it... He fed her some halwa... She signalled for him to stop, and then she fed him the rest... Moments later, Priya fell asleep in his arms, listening to the most soothing sound... His heartbeat. As soon as Ram knew she was comfortable and fast asleep... He too, fell asleep after giving her a kiss on her forehead.

It took Priya, almost two months to walk alone, without any support and assistance... She would, however get tired quickly. In the third month of her recovery period... She was becoming more healthy and rarely felt tired... She'd go for regular walks around the garden with Ram walking beside her... Not having to hold her though.

There were also changes in Priya and Pihu's situation...

Flashback
One night... Priya closed her eyes, pretending to sleep until she knew Ram was in a deep sleep... She got up and started reading from the diary Ram had written about their daughters...

The most special thing about a mother is that no matter what their children do, their love for them never lessens... And what was so special about Priya and Pihu was that even though Priya was disappointed in her... At the end of the day, Pihu was the symbol of her and her husband's love... To the world, Priya was angry with her, but deep down, in her heart Pihu would always be her little princess, her baby.

She started reading the pages written about Pihu...

"Today, Pihu made me feel like a proud father... I know if Priya was here she'd be even more proud of her than me... Pihu is her little angel... And they both are mine. Pihu has always reminded me of her mother... But today I'm certain that she is her mirror... Today when I went to her room... I saw Pihu talking to a photograph of Priya... She was crying, as much as I hated seeing her cry, she was speaking to her mother, so I stood by the door... I know it's wrong to listen to a daughter speaking to her mother... But I needed to know what was going on inside her head... And Priya was the only person she shared her sorrows with...

I realised Pihu holds herself responsible for Priya's condition... She feels so guilty, that it's all her fault... I don't know why she's got it in her head that she's to blame... But she said it so many times during the conversation with Priya's picture...

While standing by the door, I heard Pihu tell Priya that she'd been putting money aside, she wants to open an NGO to help rape victims. I felt so proud... So I decided to help her, by giving her money to kick start it all, she didn't accept it at first but I told her I wasn't doing it for her, I was doing it for Priya... If doing this makes her happy... I'm happy, because I know my wife would be too.

Pihu barely spends time at home... But I know I don't have to worry about her because, if she's even one percent of what her mother is, then I know I don't have to be worried... She spends most of her time at the NGO, which she has named after her mother... And she spends time with the children at Priya's NGO too...

I know that if Priya saw her little princess now, she'd be so proud... After all, she is evidence of her perfect parenting..."

After reading the last line, tears began falling from her face... She slowly pushed the duvet away from her, and quietly crept out of the bed and the room... Making sure she doesn't wake Ram... She made her way to Pihu's room... Where she stood by the door for a few moments, staring at her, while she slept...

She walked in to the room, shut the door and then walked towards the bed, as she got closer she saw something in Pihu's arms... A photo frame... "Kisse larke ka hoga" she thought... As she sat down next to her, she got a closer look at the picture... It was of her and Pihu in Dubai when she was 5. In one hand she was holding on to a hair clip...

Priya stroked her hair... "How do I forgive you for what you've done Pihu? I'm trying so hard to fight my motherly feelings for you... But still, I love you so much! It hurts every time I turn away from you when you come near me... But I don't know how else to punish you. I don't want to tell your father- it will kill him, I don't want to send you to jail... It will kill me. My little princess... When did you change? Why did you change?" Tears fell from her eyes as she spoke.

"Pihu, not a day goes by when I don't think about running to you... And holding you in my arms... My baby! You were my special baccha... and now I can't even hold you how I used to... I just want to tell you how much I love you... But I can't, I can't get over what you did... But I can't forget that you're my flesh and blood... You're the product of mine and Ram's undying love... I don't know how much longer I can keep myself away from you..." As she spoke the last words, she got up from the bed and turned to walk away. She felt a tug from behind...

"Mumma..." Pihu grabbed Priya's dressing gown... Priya closed her eyes, the one word she's been yearning to hear... Finally! Her heart was telling her to turn around, but he mind was telling her to walk away... She decided to ignore her heart, she attempted to take one step forward...

"Mumma mat jao, please..."... Pihu pleaded.

That night, Pihu and Priya hugged each other and sobbed... Pihu apologised to her mother countless times in between her cries... Forgiveness was very far away... But that night Priya just wanted to hold her princess in her arms.

Most of Priya and Ram's time was spent in their green room, or in the garden. Priya finally started to feel more comfortable with the family, however at times she would feel left out when there were discussions about things that happened in the seven years she was absent.

...

"Hmm darling, you're looking so irresistible right now..." Ram said as he walked towards Priya, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind while Priya put sindoor in her forehead... He began placing butterfly kisses on her neck... Priya was dressed in a green and yellow saree, with her signature backless blouse and long dori.

"Mr. Kapoor... Why are you trying to resist me then?" She asked seductively as she turned to face him... Their faces were just inches apart... Priya put her arms around his neck

"Because if I start anything now Priya, we'll never get anything done... You know how excited I've been... You finally agreed for me to take you out... I've been waiting for this day for so long. Today I finally get to take you out for lunch..." Ram excitedly said.

"Mr. Kapoor, about that..." Priya was interrupted midway as Ram placed a kiss on her lips...

"No excuses today darling..." He whispered as he placed light kisses on her cheek, close to her ear.

He trailed these light kisses closer and closer to her mouth... But stopped as he got to his second favourite place to kiss... Priya closed her eyes... After he placed a few kisses on her beauty spot above her lip... He moved his face away from hers... He watched Priya breathing heavily with her eyes closed for a few seconds. He slowly brought his face closer to her again... And so as she felt his hot breath on her, she used this as her cue to part her mouth, ready for Ram to take control... Ram knew how irritated Priya would get with his soft pecks... So he opted to go directly to kissing her passionately... Ram's hands moved slowly up her smooth, bare back... While they were both in their trance... He involuntarily pulled on her dori, undoing the knot...

Their moment of passion was interrupted by an irritating ringing sound coming from an iPhone which had no intention of stopping...

"Ram aapka phone..." Priya said, still buzzing from the high Ram gave her with his kiss...

"Let it ring baby... I'm busy." He said as he recommenced the passionate kiss...

A few seconds into their kiss... Ram's phone rang again...

"Mr. Kapoor answer it, kuch important hoga..." She said

"Mmm, darling, nothing is more important than you..." Ram said seductively.

Priya captured her bottom lip between her teeth... She pulled his phone out from his pocket and handed it to him...

"Answer it Ram, it must be something important..." She said to him as she smiled at his disappointed face.

"Vikram!... Kya timing hai iska..." He said, irritated at the fact that he was interrupted while he was romancing his wife by his friend...

"Haan Vikram... Bol, kya baat hai?"
As he said this, Priya placed her head on his broad chest, Ram wrapped his free hand around her.

Priya was in the mood to tease Ram, so she began playing with his shirt buttons... Ram was barely paying attention to what Vikram was saying... She then brought her face close to his... And placed soft pecks on his lips... Ram tried to concentrate on what Vikram was telling him... As difficult as it was, a flustered Ram replied... "Vikram, can't you sort this?"...

Priya noticed the change in Ram's expressions, the lines on his forehead told her he wasn't happy... So to lessen his tension... She kissed his cheek... He smiled at her and moved his free hand and placed it lower down her back... Bringing her body even more closer to his...

Priya smiled at this... She was trying to tease him, fluster him so that he couldn't respond properly to Vikram... But he was replying fine... And was also getting involved in the romancing...

She tried once more to fluster him... So she tiptoed, gave him a soft peck and then captured his bottom lip between her teeth for a few seconds, before releasing it... She then winked at him, before attempting to move away from him... His hold on her became tighter, he remained composed and carried on listening and replying to Vikram...

"Vikram, try to understand... I was going to take Priya out for lunch today... She finally agreed, please handle it for today..." He said... Priya was struggling to free herself from his hold, he shook his head from side to side, signalling her to stop moving... She stopped, and smiled looking deep into his eyes... Ram smiled back at her and brought his free hand to her face... He grazed his finger along her jawline... And then his thumb hovered lightly over her mouth... He brought his face closer to her... Lightly placing kisses on her cheek, without making a sound... So that Vikram wouldn't realise what they were doing... He moved his mouth towards her ear and lightly bit it... She quietly winced... He moved away from her face and mimed "payback" and winked at her...

"Vikram... Please. Try to sort it out yourself, I can't come today..." He said... "Okay, thanks yaar, bye."

As he hung up the call, he said "now baby, where were we?"

"We were just about to..." She looked down shyly and then said "No... you were just about to go to the office..."

"Priya I'm not going anywhere, apart from lunch with you..." He said.

"Ram, I heard what Vikram was saying... You could lose this deal... Just go, we can go out some other day..." She explained to him.

"Priya no, I was looking forward to today... You finally agreed to go out..." She interrupted him saying "Ram, I only said that because I wanted you to kiss me... Remember... That night you said you won't give me a kiss until I agree to it..." She smiled at him and said "Ram, I'm not ready... I'm sorry."

Ram said... "Okay fine... I'll go... But you owe me now... Just remember that." She smiled at him and gave him a kiss before he rang Vikram to tell him he was on his way.

"Priya... I don't want to leave you, I haven't left you alone for 3 months, this is going to feel so strange... Come with me baby?" He asked...

"Nahi Ram, aap jaaiye..." She refused.

"Teekh hai, tum mera intezaar karna... I'll miss you... And I'll be thinking about you the whole time... Remember to think about me every second we're apart Priya... Bhool na math... Ek pal ke liye bhi nahi." He smiled and then hugged her and kissed her forehead... He was reluctant to leave her... But he gathered the courage to let go of her and leave the room.

...

Ram walked into Kapoor Industries, with a smile on his face... Everyone greeted him, they were happy to see him in the office after 3 months... And they also congratulated him as Mrs Kapoor was finally back. He smiled and thanked everyone and walked to his office... Vikram briefed him about what has been going on... And then handed him a file to go over, before the meeting in the afternoon.

Meanwhile, Priya walked down the stairs of Kapoor Mansion, everyone looked at her as she approached them by the sofas... She took blessings from Krishna and Dadi... That moment, everyone's eyes were fixated on Priya's back...

"Priya... Yeh new fashion hai kya?..." Natasha asked.

Priya looked at Natasha, confused at what she was asking.

"Bhabi... Aapki dori, Khula hai..." Saumya said...

Priya blushed as she remembered how her blouse dori opened...

"Mumma aap blush kyun kar rahe ho?" Myra asked.

Pihu walked to her mother and tied her dori for her... "Mumma, yeh papa ne kiya na?" She whispered...

Priya began blushing even more, as everyone teased her... "Aisi koi baat nahi hai, I just didn't tie it tight enough... Toh khul gaya, bas!" She said, in an attempt to cover up what really happened...

"Priya, you should teach fatty how to tie it, if you can't tie it properly... Lekin I don't think he'd be very interested in tying it..." Neha said.

"Neha, bohot bolti ho tum... Thora sharam toh kar... Sab ke samne kya kehrahi ho tum?" Priya said in embarrassment.

Somehow during the conversation, there was a mention of an event that happened while Priya was in a coma... During the discussion, Priya felt uncomfortable... She was feeling Ram's absence the most now... She needed him by her side as support... She wanted to speak to him... The rest of the Kapoor family was so immersed in the conversation they didn't realise when Priya had walked away...

Fifteen minutes later...
"Bhai, bhabi ghar pe nahi hai... We've looked for her everywhere... She's not answering her phone... Bhai we're all so worried..." Natasha said on the phone to Ram.

"Choti, where could she have gone, she won't have left the house alone, she's probably in the garden." He replied.

"Bhai, we've checked there, she's not there..." Natasha said, and then was interrupted by Ram...

"Choti, I'll call you back..." He said abruptly.

"Priya, where are you?" He said to himself before dialling her number...

Priya looked at her phone, 'Mr. Kapoor' flashed on the screen... She quickly answered it...

"Priya, God dammit, where are you? Everyone is worried sick... Where are you dammit?" He shouted.

"Mr. Kapoor..." She said... He sensed fear in her voice...

"Baby, I'm sorry, just tell me, where are you... I'll come to you darling... Just tell me where..."

"Ram, Everything looks different to how I remember it... I don't know where I am exactly... But I'm outside a small cafe, it's called 'Cafe Royal'..." He interrupted her as soon as he realised where she was.

"I know where that is... Stay there, don't move!! I'm coming..." He said quickly... Before he could hang up Priya said "Ram, phone mat kaatiye, please... Mujhe bohot darr lag raha hai..."

As Priya spoke, he walked quickly to the cafe she mentioned.

"Baby don't worry, I'm right here, you'll be fine... I'm 2 seconds away from you..." He said, trying to assure her.

As she saw him approach her... She quickly ran to him, and hugged him... Ram put his arms around her, hugging her back, he rubbed his hand on her back trying to soothe her and calm her down.

"It's okay darling, you're fine... I'm right here with you baby. You have nothing to worry about!..." He said

For a few moments they stood in the same position... He tightened his hold on her as he could still feel her tensed... "Priya, sab dekh rahe hai, chalein?" He asked.

Priya suddenly realised they were in public... She separated from him... And gently smiled in agreement...

"Lekin kahaan?" She asked.

"Darling, look there... Do you recognise that building?" He asked as he pointed.

She looked at him, smiled and nodded. They walked silently, hand in hand towards the Kapoor Industries building.

As Mr & Mrs. Kapoor walked into the building, the workers stopped in their tracks... Everyone dropped what they were doing. A smile appeared on everyone's faces as they were all genuinely happy to see a fit and healthy Priya walk into Kapoor Industries after seven long years.

Priya felt awkward, as everyone's eyes were on her... Ram noticed her uneasiness, which made him walk quicker toward his office... Vikram watched all this and smiled, before ringing Neha to inform her that Priya is safe.

As Priya and Ram entered his office... Priya breathed a sigh of relief...

"Priya pagal hogayi ho tum? Kya zaroorat thi yeh karne ka? You never leave the house with me, so why did you leave the house without me? Tum akeli kyun gayi... Kissi ko bataya bhi nahi... Phone bhi nahi kiya mujhe... Bohot darrati ho tum mujhe!!" He shouted, Priya continued to look at him with an apologetic look in her eyes...

"Mr. Kapoor, aapki bohot yaad aarahi thi... Bina kuch soche, samajhe maine kiya... Mujhe sirf aapke paas aana tha... Aapke bina ghar pe ajeeb lag raha tha... I was missing you..." She said, in an attempt to justify her actions.

Ram opened his arms out to Priya, instantly she walked into his embrace... "Priya... You could have called, I would have come home... Do you have any idea how scared I was?" He asked as he kissed her head.

"Seeing as you're here baby, why don't we have lunch together like we planned?" He asked, she simply smiled and nodded...

He took her hand in his and began to walk towards the door... "Mr. Kapoor, do you mind if we just order food and eat here?" She asked, as she stood stationary...

"As you wish baby! Kitni ajeeb ho tum... Akele aa sakti ho tum yahaan, lekin mere saath bahar lunch ke liye nahi jaa sakti!" He teased, and smiled at her as he caressed her cheek... "You don't know how happy I am to see you here darling... I've been waiting for this day for so long." He said, placing a kiss on the same cheek he had just caressed.

While Ram ordered the food, Priya looked around... Everything was the same... Nothing changed, apart from the large photo frame on the wall directly opposite Ram's desk... It was a oversized picture of Priya seated in a white saree, and Ram standing behind her with his hands on her shoulders...

Once Ram hung up, Priya said... "Yeh photo, ghar pe aur yahaan bhi..."

Ram interrupted before she could finish her sentence... "Our final picture together, before... I mean you look so beautiful... I had to have it here too... I had to have you here with me too darling..." He said, winking at her...

Priya walked towards the seats placed opposite him by his desk... Ram looked at her and nodded in negative... "Those are for employees... Not my queen." She smiled as he said this, He then instructed her to sit on the sofa and then walked towards her...

"Priya, why do you look so scared and why are you so quiet? Relax... I'm here, you're not in a strange place... You should feel comfortable here baby." He said as he sat beside her, opening out his arm for her to slide closer into his embrace, which she did instantly.

"Mr. Kapoor, everything is just too different, I feel like I'm stuck back in time, and everyone and everything has progressed or moved on... This is just too difficult to digest..." She explained.

"Priya, main hoon na... I'll help you through this... You trust me na?" He asked... Priya nodded "of course Mr. Kapoor, I trust you more than I trust myself..." She said... "Toh phir? Don't worry darling..." He winked at her and pulled her closer with his arm... Cuddling her tighter, kissing her head lightly.

They sat silently for a few moments, until their food arrived... Once they finished their lunch... Priya began wiping her hands with a napkin...
Ram looked at Priya and noticed a bit of food on the corner of her mouth...
"Priya..." He said pointing to her mouth... She questioned him with her eyes... He pointed again... She slowly lifted the napkin to her mouth, looking at him for direction... She wiped her mouth but missed the spot where the food was... Ram came close to her, pulled the napkins out of her hand and placed it on the table... Priya still staring into his eyes, didn't protest... His face moved closer to her... She closed her eyes in anticipation... He placed his mouth gently on the corner of her mouth, to remove the food... And then whispered... "Yeh haq sirf mera hai..." And then lightly grazed his thumb over her lips...

Vikram walked into the office, noticing their proximity, he cleared his throat to get their attention... Priya and Ram quickly separated.

"Sorry to interrupt..." He said with a grin. "Ram... It's time for the meeting... Everyone is there, waiting for you now... Chalien?" He asked...

Ram looked at Priya and sighed, looking into her eyes... "I don't want to leave you..." He said. "Mr. Kapoor, I'll be fine... I'll feel like you're right here anyway" she said, as her eyes directed towards their large photo on the wall... Ram smiled at her.

"Vikram, give me a minute... You go, I'm coming." He requested.

"Ram, I'll wait, we'll go together..." Vikram said smiling... As he knew Ram wanted a moment with his wife alone... But felt like teasing him.

"Tu jaa yaar!" Ram said loudly.

As Vikram left the room... Ram looked at Priya...

"Will you be okay?" He asked, Priya smiled and nodded a yes. "Sure?" Priya smiled again...

"Teekh hai, main jaa raha hoon... Mera intezaar karna... Don't go anywhere... Wait for me!" He said affirmatively...

"Aap mere liye saath saal ke liye intezaar kar sakte hain, toh main aap keliye itna toh kar sakti hoon..." She thought to herself.

"I won't go anywhere... I promise" she said.

He walked towards the door, turned back, then walked back to Priya... Grabbed her and kissed her passionately... They both wished ke ek pal ke liye waqt yaheen rukh jaye... Hoping time would stop for them in that moment... He then walked out of the room... Leaving a dazed Priya, standing in the middle of the office... She brushed her fingers along her mouth, and smiled widely...

She walked around the office, looking around... As she got to Ram's desk her eyes scanned it, she suddenly stopped as she laid her eyes on a photograph, from Ram and Priya's wedding... Half of it was sticking out of a diary... "Humari shaadi ki tasveer, iss diary mein?" She thought.

She sat down in Ram's chair... Opened the diary... And looked at the picture with a smile on her face... However, the smile vanished as she scanned what was written in the diary...

Meanwhile, during the meeting, Ram was finding it difficult to concentrate... "Priya, why can't I stop thinking about you? I need to concentrate..." He thought to himself and smiled... His thoughts then went back to their last kiss in the office... What Ram was unaware of was that maybe... That's exactly what it was; their last kiss...

Back in Ram's cabin... Priya started reading the diary from the beginning... And thought "another thing that's changed since I've been in a coma... Ram diary bhi likhne lage."
She looked at the date, it was dated back seven years ago, to the night of her accident

___

...I've never written anything like this in a diary before, but right now I'm so alone, I don't know who to speak to... The one person I want to speak to can't even reply back, there's so much I wanted to tell her... The doctor said my wife is in a coma... Priya, the strongest woman I know, my sherni is lying in this hospital lifelessly, and there's not a damn thing I can do about it. India's richest business man... And he can't even do anything to help his wife... I feel like such a useless husband.

How did I let this happen? If only I refused to go to London... It didn't feel right when I was leaving, yet I still got into the car... I left the house angry at Priya and Priya was angry at me... I came back to apologise to her... But it was too late...

Ek pal, ek pal mein sab kuch badal jata hai... One moment you think you have it all, phir dusre pal mein sab kuch... Sab kuch bikhar jata hai- sirf ek pal mein! When she was there with me, I felt like I had everything... I felt like I had the world and I didn't need anything more... But now saath hokar bhi voh mere saath nahi hai, and I feel like I have nothing... People may think I have everything, just because I have a lot of money... But to me, money isn't everything... Priya was... No Priya IS my everything... Is our love not strong enough to bring her back?
___

She looked at the bottom of the page, at a mark... Which looked like a wet patch that dried up, making that little area of the page rise a little... The writing was smudged slightly.

"He was crying..." She thought as tears threatened to fall down her cheek. Her fingers lightly touched the area where his tear drop fell...

She then read some pages and then stopped as tears clouded up her eyes... "Bohot dukh diya hai maine... Kitna pyaar karte hai mujhse... Aur main... I'm the useless one Ram!" She said as she cried...

She then wiped her tears and read further... this diary entry was dated 3 years later...

___

Ek pal, kahin baar kitna kuch hojata hai ek pal mein... kitna kuch kehna chahte hai hum but nahi keh pate, kitna kuch karna chahte hai hum lekin nahi kar pate. Zindagi Hume voh ek pal deti hai lekin hum usse gawa dete hai, aur phir us pal ki lautne ka intezaar karte hai... Par zindagi toh aage bad jati hai... Us pal ka pata nahi chalta kaun jaanta hai ki voh lautega ke nahi...

I've been waiting, it's been three years now... And she still hasn't come back to me. For three years I've not been able to tell her how much I love her, I've not been able to apologise to her for the argument we had before all this happened...

Ek pal ki keemat sirf un logon ko samaj mein aata hai jo voh ek pal ko kho dete hain... Jisko zindagi mein kahin mokhe milte hai, lekin us mokhe ka kadar nahi karte... Lekin jab hum voh ek pal ko kho dete, phir us pal ka lautne ke chances bohot kum hote hain... Kya pata ki hum jo kehna chahte hain hum phir se keh paayenge ke nahi, jo hum karna chahte hai, hum phir se kar sakte hai ke nahi?

Why is it that absence intensifies love? Why don't we realise when the person is right there, with us? Why does it take absence to make us realise what we have?

I'm a fool, a fool for not treasuring every moment she was with me... We lost so many moments by arguing over little things... And now all I want is for her to come back... I'd give anything to have her back with me, arguing or whatever... But at least I'd hear her voice; I'd see those beautiful eyes... Because even in our arguments... There was a lot of love hidden... her eyes spoke volumes... and all I ever saw in those eyes was love, pure love.

When she was here, I wasn't there by her side, and now I'm here, but she's not by my side... This is my punishment for not spending time with her, for taking her for granted... For spending too much time at work... But now I spend all my time with her, if only she could see me, speak to me... If only she knew that all my time is now dedicated to her...

Waqt aur halat ko badalne mein dheer nahi lagta... dekho, ek waqt tha jab Priya mera intezaar karti thi, aur ab, main uska intezaar kar raha hoon... pata nahi ab kitna dheer aur intezaar karwayegi...
___

Tears streamed down Priya's face... She couldn't read anymore, yet she really wanted to... So she skipped most pages and turned to a page, dated to the day before their anniversary, the day before she woke up...

___

Priya Ram Kapoor... The day my name joined with hers became the most special day of my life... From the second she entered my life... Everything changed... I wasn't alone, I was actually loved... True love happens accidentally, there's never a right time for it... It happens in an instant, in a heartbeat, ek pal mein hojata hai...

Despite our differences... I fell in love with her... When it happened, I knew that our love was the 'once in a lifetime' kind of love... It was something so special... Something that has only ever happened to me once... And I'm glad, she will be my first and last love- always. Every second, every minute we've spent together will always be embedded into my memory... Every moment, har ek pal uske saath, main kabhi nahi bhulunga. Despite our many differences, we had one thing in common... We were madly in love with each other... And that was enough to make our marriage perfect.

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage... That's what Priya is... My strength, my courage, my everything... She gives me the strength and courage to go on...

People keep telling me to let go... It's been so long, they think I should just give up, I should just let go... Lekin main maanta hoon, ki Priya mere paas zaroor aayegi... Chahe voh ek pal ke liye bhi kyun na ho.. Voh aise mujhe chhod ke nahi jayegi. Aur vaise bhi, if Priya hasn't 'let go' or given up for this long... Why should I? Main saasein lehna chhod sakta hoon, lekin Priya ko... Kabhi nahi.

Life is so difficult without Priya, when I'm alone... Which is most of the time... I look at her, wondering where 'she' actually is, why has she gone somewhere, where I can't be... But I know in my heart that she'll be back... Through every moment that goes past without her... I wait with bated breath... Kyunki har ek pal joh beetha hai uske bina... I see many more moments that are yet to come... Moments that we will spend together... Aur jab voh pal aayenge... Phir main usse kabhi nahi jaane dunga... Never.

When two people are meant to be together, no time is too long, no distance is too far... nothing and no one can ever tear them apart. Main Priya ko kabhi chodunga nahi, voh mujhe hamesha chod ke chale jaati hai... lekin main use kabhi nahi chodunga... I will hold on to her for as long as I live... Ek pal ke liye bhi nahi chodunga main Priya ko...

---

Priya closed the diary after reading the last line... Tears kept falling down her cheeks, with no intention to stop... Drops fell off her face, creating small puddles on the diary and the table...

She quickly got up from the seat saying "I don't deserve you Mr. Kapoor..." Before wiping her tears and heading for the door...

Life is full of moments and choices... We either chose to walk away from the moment, or we chose to live in the moment...

Ek pal... All it takes is one moment... One moment she's there, the next moment she's gone.. Kya Priya phir se Ram ko chhod ke chale jayegi? Kya uske saath har ek pal... Sirf 'ek pal' banke reh jayega?

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Part 4 is called "Vaada Raha" and it is going to be the last part :-( ...

Precap:

"Phir se chhod ke jaane ka iraada hai tumhara? Agar hai, toh phir mere paas vaapas kyun aayi? Tumhara vaada ka kya? "Humesha saath nibhaane" ka vaada ko thodogi tum?" He asked.

Originally posted by: peeyara

ok😊

pehle hospital se permanent holiday lelo uske baad update karna😊

Originally posted by: bpatil3

Omg you are such a fab writer yaar.

Ram's Emotions were beautifully portrayed it was so touchy. Rula diya yaar. Awesome writing👏

Preview seems to be interesting.

Update soon.

Originally posted by: tulshan1989

no words to describe the update it was just awesome

priya is fine and ram is helping her to settle and all family members are also helping her

their romance their teasing to each other and conversation all are beautifully written

especially the fb scenes in the diary was wonderful p;s continue soon with the next part

don't make us wait the os is just superb i am loving it very much and one more thing the update was so long pls give the next update soon as well as long one

Originally posted by: bpatil3

Fantastic ek pal n ram's diary n his feelings for priya fabulous touched my heart.

Romance n nutz teasing cool enjoyed it.

Pihu - how long can priya hide her feelings forvher daughter. Beautiful discomfort naration

Priya's insecurity n strange feeling vwhen every other person is involved in some talks she feels neglected n all alone sad irony of life when we are attached to something solely it hard to accept.

Facts perfectly pened down.

Looking forward.