By the time the evening approached, Aditi had again lost her appetite. The little relief her sister had brought her had been replaced with anxious guilt. She still hadn't been able to talk to her Dadaji. She had tried again after lunch, then an hour later, then every hour after that. But first, he had stayed locked in his study, then in his room.

Chewing her lips, she stared out of Darsh's car as they zoomed through the winding hill paths. The damage was done, all she could do now was to somehow find a way to apologize and hope for his forgiveness.

"You don't seem very excited about the surprise," Darsh said glancing at her pale face.

Aditi stretched her lips in an obligatory smile. "Of course, I am excited."

He gave her a look and pursed his lips. "I told you not to overthink. Dadaji will come around, just give him some time."

Her smile faded as her fingers curled tightly in her lap. How much time would he need? She wished he would hurry; she wasn't used to Dadaji being upset with her for so long. It made her desperately lonely, the way she'd felt after her parent's demise.

"Relax. Everything will be fine." Darsh moved his left hand to cover her right. She felt herself calm.

Shaking her head, she stared at his hand, at her father's ring sitting proudly on its third finger. It must be fate. The moment her parents were snatched away, her Dadaji had stepped in to take their place. And now that her Dadaji was distancing himself from her, she'd got this man to fill in the void. Maybe it was a sign that she should put her insecurities away and accept him wholeheartedly. Not because she was trapped or forced, but because she needed him with the same desperation with which she needed her parents and her Dadaji.

Cradling his hand in her palms, she lifted it to her lips to place a gentle kiss. Darsh startled, then raised his eyebrow.

"And to what do I owe this honor?"

"For being there for me," Aditi smiled. "Thank you."

A fleeting something passed over his face before it broke into a reassuring smile.

"I'll always be there for you."

Aditi smiled. An inexplicable calm spread through her being as she leaned her head back. They were climbing up the hill through the green forest. She remembered another such journey when she was with him. It was similar, serene, safe, inexplicably happy. Sighing to herself, she thanked her stars. She was lucky to have met him when she did.

"May I ask you something?" she said after a while as she contemplated her future husband.

He glanced at her. "Sure."

"I was wondering. You use your mother's name...," she swallowed uneasily. It wasn't like she cared, hell, she didn't care and neither did her Dadaji. But it felt like it was the key to understanding him. That was the first thing that caught her eyes when Dadaji told her about him. Darsh Karuna Rathore. The name stood out as uniquely as the man who owned it. It showed how much he was proud of his mother, and at the same time, it also hinted at something else.

Darsh shrugged. "It's because I don't know my father's name. My Ma was twenty when she went to a friend's party. Her drink was spiked. She doesn't remember anything after that, who it was or how many."

Aditi shuddered, her eyes threatening to tear up. His face was cool.

"Yeah, she didn't get rid of me. She should have, but she didn't. Women are such emotional fools sometimes. She left her parent's home and moved to Delhi with a friend. Today I am what I am because of her."

His tone was calm, unaffected as if it was someone else's life story. It was a mask, she could tell. After all, she too had used her disguises for years.

"I am sorry." She choked her apology out and went quiet. He shrugged and focussed on the road.

*****

Twenty minutes later, the car turned onto a mud path and trundled a few meters before jerking to a halt. Aditi squinted out in surprise. The Hunter's Cottage.

"You live here?" Stepping out of the car, she stared at the cottage. "I used to come here when I was little. It was a run-down place then, quite dilapidated. Kanta Chachi said it was haunted. She used to tell me scary stories to stop me from coming but..."

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"But you came anyway?" Darsh smirked. Aditi huffed and walked on.

The place now looked quite different. The broken roof was fixed. A fresh brown coat of paint gleamed on the exterior walls as a brand-new decking surrounded the entire cottage.

"It's not spooky anymore," she said, sounding disappointed.

"No, not unless you count me as a ghost," Darsh chuckled as he held the door open for her. "Your Dadaji's estate manager has refurbished it to let it out to tourists."

Of course! Shaking her head, she removed her shoes and entered. Again, it hit her how much the place had changed. The main living area was divided into a large sitting room with an open-plan kitchenette. On one side, she could spy a large master bedroom. On the other side was a smaller guest room/utility room. A beautiful vase of fresh wildflowers sat on a windowsill, adding a splash of color. The whole place was squeaky clean, and Aditi could see how her fiancé had spent his afternoon.

Her cheeks flushed. "So, is this my surprise?"

He came closer. "No. I want you to meet someone - my mother."

"Your... mother?" Aditi blinked.

Darsh pressed his lips. "Yes, my mother. I have told her about us. She'd wait for my call at seven, which is about in...," he glanced at his watch, "five minutes."

*****

Darsh watched as Aditi sat on his sofa, ramrod-straight, staring at his laptop screen. Her face flamed in embarrassment as she kept her fingers laced tightly in her lap. On the screen in front of her was his Ma, being her usual gentle self, trying to make small chat. Aditi answered whatever she could though her discomfort was evident.

Darsh smirked. This was the same place where Balwant Sharma had interrogated him the first time they met. Then he was in the same state as Aditi, although not as literally trembling as she was.

"You should have told me before. I would have put on something more appropriate!" - was her first reprimand.

Darsh had to reassure her she looked just fine. His Ma was used to seeing girls wearing all kinds of attires, Aditi's fluffy high-necked sweater and jeans were no big deal. If he was being honest, she looked cute, like a newborn baby swaddled in their warmest, cuddliest, coziest of jumpers. Her nose was red with cold, and her hair was mussed up from their ride. He felt like pinching her chubby cheeks but thought the better of it.

"But what will we talk about? What if she asks something and I answer wrong? She would think I'm a fool." - was her next terrible worry.

"This is not an exam, Aditi. You don't need to prepare answers in advance. Just be yourself. And I am here to help if you need me." He'd tried placating her again.

Even then, the girl hadn't stopped fretting. Next, she asked him the same question Rajeev had asked - "Why didn't his Ma attend their engagement?"

His answer too was the same - he didn't want to alarm his mother considering the risk with the Raisinghs. And also, at the time, he didn't trust Aditi to behave.

Her face had flamed further before she gave him an annoyed look and fell silent. He was amused, yet absurdly happy. He felt like pulling her in another hug for a snack or two but again curbed his urge.

Shaking his head, he got up to make his special ginger tea. He had done some food shopping that afternoon, getting some fresh supplies in preparation for tonight. A dish of pasta was currently in the oven, slowly baking itself to perfection. It smelt delicious; the whole cottage was full of a divine aroma of cream cheddar and herbs.

Ah! The things a man had to do to get his heart's desire! But then he had to admit he was enjoying it immensely.

Minutes later, he came out holding two mugs of hot, piping tea to find the two ladies chatting away happily. As expected, his Ma had worked her magic. Aditi had finally relaxed and was sitting on the sofa cross-legged with a pillow in her lap, regaling her stories of Aron, her racing, her clinic, and, naturally, her Dadaji. His Ma listened happily; she'd always complained his calls were too short, abrupt, and to the point.

At last, when they were done, he said his goodbyes and cut the call. Aditi sat beside him, looking flushed with happiness.

"Your mother is really nice. She reminds me of my Ma."

"All mothers are the same," he smiled and handed her the tea before taking a place beside her. "But mine is special."

Aditi hummed, eying him unsurely. He readied himself for the questions that he knew would start coming.

"I understand why you didn't tell her about our engagement," she cleared her throat and placed her mug on the coffee table. "But now that she knows... shouldn't she be upset about it? You are her only son, after all."

He shook his head. Of course, his Ma was angry. Rather, furious was the better word. Darsh had never put his mother down for a violent person but now he knew better. The way she had lashed at him, he felt lucky he was in Palampur and not in Delhi facing her. But that was before he took matters into his own hand and played his trump card. He told her his brother's vile truth. That was enough to remind his Ma of her own ghastly past, then everything fell into place. Her soft heart melted like butter on a hot pan, he didn't even need to remind her not to mention Vicki in front of Aditi.

Sighing slightly he raked his fingers through his hair. He knew he was being a despicable son, using his mother's past to forward his own agenda, but he was helpless. He needed this girl. He needed her in his life to fighting his own demons. In return he'd help her heal, that was his deal, a gentleman's promise.

"Darsh?" Aditi watched him, holding her breath. "What did you tell her?"

"I have found the best way to convince my mother is to tell her the truth."

Aditi paled. "The truth?"

"Yes. I had to tell her the truth, to make her understand why I got engaged so suddenly..." Pursing his lips, he set his mug down. Aditi looked at him wide-eyed, her face flaming in shame.

"What did you tell her Darsh?" She asked holding her breath as if her life depended on it.

Darsh exhaled. Leaning forward he pulled her closer enveloping her in his arms. He had to set her heart at ease, tonight her healing would begin.

"That I fell in love. That I met a girl unlike any other, who captured my heart, my mind, and my soul. And once I found her, it was impossible to let her go. I had to have her in my life, there was no other way. I couldn't go on living without her by my side."

Aditi watched in stunned silence. Her face slowly cleared of its clouds, breaking into a tender smile.

He bent down and planted a kiss on her cheek, his much-needed snack.

"And on that note, I have another surprise for you."

***** *****