Apparently, Dr. Walia was a founding member of the Kochi Hospital. Apparently, he was also a friend of Sonal's dad. And apparently, they both had decided it was right to leave the decision to the discretion of the attending surgeon, who, in this case, was Dr. Aditi Sharma.

All they had to do was remove Dr. Reddy's unnecessary presence, which they achieved by sending him off to a conference. In the end, Aditi got to decide what was right for the patient, and accordingly, she received her final grades.

That was two months ago. Aditi had passed her exam with flying colors and was now a qualified surgeon. Dr. Walia was quite impressed with this student, not just by her skill, but her temperament and conviction.

"Can you imagine?" Aditi was chuffed. "I was sick with worry that day, but enter Dr. Walia and everything fell into place. It was such a stroke of luck that Ashish was called away for a conference."

"Yes." Darsh kept his smile as his eyes darted to Zorawar. The man too had a twinkle in his eye. It had taken them some clever planning to make it look 'natural' but in the end, things did end to everybody's satisfaction.

The 'conference' Aditi was talking about was in truth a disciplinary hearing. The night before the surgery, someone had reported on Ashish Reddy, sending the hospital authorities a thick folder of all his misdeeds. Ashish was suspended for three months and was awaiting a hearing as of now. Needless to say, Dr. Walia was grateful. He had offered to supervise the surgery himself and made sure the student was assessed based on her merit.

Darsh watched fondly as she bounced around finishing all the chores. It was a lazy Sunday morning. They had just finished breakfast. Neev played with his toys, and Zorawar sat in a corner shelling peas(!). He smiled as he flexed his leg. It was improving drastically. Within the month of the surgery, he was up on his feet and a few more will see him walking normally. There might be a slight limp sometimes when he overstressed it, but otherwise, it would be healed completely.

It was all due to this woman, who was busy at the moment tidying the mess made by their toddler. Her clothes were covered with dried food from Neev's breakfast. The oil from the massage she gave his leg this morning had splotched her clothes. Her hair was piled up in a messy bun that she hadn't had time to comb since she got up.

"Neev, come on baby. It's bath time!" Aditi called as she finished picking the last of the toys. Neev promptly ran away to hide under his bed.

"Let me give him a bath today." Darsh chuckled and got up. "You get ready. We'll go out somewhere."

"Are you sure?" She gave his leg a suspicious look, her face immediately transforming to a professional assessing their handiwork. Darsh sighed.

"You know you insist on treating me like an invalid, but I am perfectly fine. I have a beautiful personal attendant who takes care of me twenty-four cross-seven. She loves me so much, she works, cleans, cooks, and takes care of a toddler while I sit here doing nothing. Don't you think it's time for us to reverse the roles a bit?"

"Not yet." She shrugged his protests away. "You haven't recovered yet. All you are allowed is walking and light exercise. The rest I'll take care of."

And who will take care of you? He wanted to ask but couldn't. In the last two months, he had gotten a fair idea about how she lived here. It was a small two-bed house, within commutable distance from Kochi Hospital. Nearby was a crèche and a Montessori school. Gomathi Amma, the lady who looked after Neev lived two doors away. A grocery store nearby delivered fresh milk, bread, and green veg right to your doorstep. What more could you ask for?

In his opinion, it was a crowded, obscure, frankly dangerous place for any woman to live alone, but Aditi didn't think so. The benefits far outweighed any risks, who in their right mind would let go of such a convenient place?

His hackles raised every time he remembered that conversation. He knew why she didn't live in a better area. She could not afford it. In the last three years, she hadn't once used her credit card, nor accessed her bank account. It was so he could not trace her. Such was the ferocity of her feelings, she didn't mind suffering herself, yet she had waited for him to come to her.

His head hung in shame. Getting up, he marched to the quiet backyard. This was his favorite place to brood nowadays. The sun was warm on his face, and the shade of the coconut trees was soothing, yet thoughts clamored his head, making him dizzy.

A few minutes passed, or maybe an hour. He heard a footstep behind him.

"What are you doing alone here?"

He turned to find her standing behind him, wiping her hands on a towel. Not much of an heiress she was at this moment. Her face was red with heat. Her clothes stuck to her soft skin, wet from Neev's bath and sweat. His eyes traced the edge where the curve of her breast ran along to lose itself in a slim waist. A bolt of lightning ripped across his body, right from the tip of his toes to the edge of his muddled brain.

"Nothing," he shivered. "I was just... thinking."

She narrowed her eyes. "You don't look right. Let me get you a drink. It's so hot here."

She scurried to the sideboard to pour him a glass of water. Transfixed, he watched her. How lovely she looked, how...womanly. Motherhood had softened her edges; filled her in ways he hadn't thought possible. How he craved to trace those curves, but she wouldn't let him. Apparently, he was too weak yet to try anything funny.

He shook his head in irritation. "I'm fine. You have a drink. You look like you need it."

"Are you okay? You are so quiet this morning. Is anything the matter?"

"It's just the heat." He grunted and looked away. Something antsy was crawling up his nerves, he didn't know if it was the heat or his irritable thoughts. It did not help that she came closer to touch his cheek.

"Darsh? Are you angry? Did I say something..."

Scalded, he took a step back. "Where's Neev? Is his bath done?"

"Yes," she looked surprised. "He went out with Zorawar. But..."

"And cooking? All done?"

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"Yes, but.."

"What about groceries? Is everything we need here? My medicines? Do you need to buy anything?"

"We have everything." She sighed and crossed her arms. Her face had changed, having gauged the mood he was in. "Now, may I know what's wrong? Why are you so snappy? Is it because I didn't let you bathe Neev? I only did it as you are not recovered yet. Neev can be a bit handful and the bathroom is a bit slippery. I'll give it a scrub tomorrow and then you can bathe him."

He stared at her, his head pounding. He didn't know if he was angry at her or himself or the situation she insisted to put herself in despite claiming everything was okay. Was his addled brain just winding him up? Was it the heat or the effect of those drugs she insisted he took every day?

"Darsh? Say something. Are you..."

"Are you not tired of being a show-off?"

She looked dumb-struck. "What?"

"I asked, Aditi, are you not tired of being a show-off? Because if that is your point, I get it completely. I know I have been an asshole to leave you alone to suffer by yourself. I have been a bad father, not caring for my child. I get it you raised him all alone, living in this hovel, with no help, no means to support yourself except for some jewelry that you sell to make ends meet. I get it completely that I have been unfair. I just want to know how long this is going to go on. How long are you going to rub it in, how long before we leave this place and go back home, which for some reason, I don't see you wanting to do at all."

The bile of his heart gushed out in a wave. His brain cleared a bit and he felt much better. It took him a moment though to process what he'd said. Until then it was too late.

*****

The day passed silently. In the evening they all went to the beach. It was a promise they had made to Neev and could not break, but otherwise, it was anything but a family picnic.

Zorawar watched them suffering. Sometimes he played with Neev, sometimes he sat with Darsh. Sometimes he sat with Aditi, none of them in the same place at the same time.

"I don't get it," he said to Darsh after hearing the tale. "Why would you say that? You yourself know how Aditi Bitiya is. How could you accuse her of such a thing?"

"I know." Darsh sat on the sand, his eyes on Aditi playing with Neev. He ran to catch the waves. She ran behind him but let him have his play. "It was stupid. I don't know what came over me. I guess it's the heat. I miss Palampur. I am just used to being busy. This inaction is eating me up."

Inaction! Zorawar gave him a knowing look. "I get the frustration, but remember you are unwell. You haven't recovered yet. The inaction you are talking about is not work but there was no point taking it out on your wife. She only means well. She is a doctor and knows what's best."

Yeah, maybe. Darsh colored. He didn't know when he had come to trust this man, but he was glad he did. Zorawar was the unlikeliest friend he had found. Without him, the last three years were impossible.

"So now what?"

Zorawar sighed. "Now we wait and watch and pray she doesn't hand you divorce papers a second time."

"We are already divorced." Darsh reminded gloomily. Zorawar snorted.

"Yeah. But she might just give them again to get rid of you one final time. Who needs a horny, lame-duck moron to babysit when they have better things to do? Mind you, she might just kick you out of her house. I would do the same if I was in her place."

Darsh grimaced. "You are such a sunshine."

"I know right?" Zorawar shrugged.

*****

Sometime later, they had swapped places. Darsh joined Neev in the water, and Aditi left there promptly to sit on the sand. Zorawar stayed in his place watching the exchange. They were like two bulls raging for a fight. He was the only buffer in between and he did not relish the place.

"You have become quite chummy," Aditi commented dryly as he passed her a drink. "I can't believe you are the same man who hated him before."

"People do come close after spending difficult times together. The last three years were testing. We had to support each other, or everything would have been lost." Zorawar replied calmly. "And about hating - I know what you are referring to, but I can explain it. It wasn't me who sent you that folder on your wedding day."

"Then who did?" she raised a quizzical eyebrow. He wet his lips.

"It would have been me had I found it in time. I was angry with Darsh Sir for snooping on us about the bridge incident. It was the first time ever I got a lashing from Bade Malik and I was boiling. That night, I went to the Hunter's Cottage to find proof against Darsh Sir. I looked and looked but didn't find anything. The reason of course was that someone had already searched before me. It was that person who sent you the folder, not me."

She frowned. "Who?"

"The one who handed it to you. Mohit baba. I don't know why he chose that time. He had had the folder for two days by then. Maybe he wanted just to spoil your marriage, not stop it. After all, Vivaan Raisingh was out of the race by then."

Aditi sat there, clenching, and unclenching her fists. The evening was cool, yet her face was blotchy with rage. On the horizon, were two people chasing each other in the water. Darsh stopped in the middle to throw her a glance. Her rage boiled, as a hot tear rolled down her cheek.

"So Mohit is an A-grade scoundrel, but that does not mean Darsh is blameless. He caused Jeevan Chacha's accident. Abdul saw him talking on the phone that day in Rajpur Hospital."

"Umm...about that. Abdul didn't see anything."

Aditi gritted her teeth. "Abdul said he saw a man in a white t-shirt and blue jeans on the day of Jeevan Chacha's accident. He spoke to someone on the phone asking them to bugger off. He was unhappy as it was supposed to be a small accident, but they had ended up hurting Jeevan Chacha quite badly."

Zorawar cleared his throat. "I am coming to that. As I said, Abdul didn't see anyone, nor did he hear anything. It was I who forced him to give you that false report. You see, I was quite disappointed at not finding anything in the hut. So I thought I'd make up something against Darsh Sir."

She looked flabbergasted. "So you made Abdul lie to me?"

Zorawar looked red-faced. "Yes. It was not difficult. People fear me, they do anything I ask of them. And I wanted to warn you against Darsh Sir. It was only a day before your marriage and I hoped you'd call it off if you hear something as nasty as that."

For the next few minutes, she fell silent. The sun was sinking now the two shadows looked alluring. The little boy, her Neev, laughing, running around, and splashing water. And the man - a tall, well-built, handsome stranger. He had filled up in the last two months. His health was nearly back, but at this moment he looked no more than a shadow.

"He tried to kill me." The words escaped her clenched lips and she stared defiantly. "That day, at the racecourse, when I was checking on Grandpa Raisingh's horses. He used a laser gun to unsettle the horses. I could have died."

Zorawar shook his head. "It was not him. He did watch you from the thicket, but it was Mohit Baba's doing. Apparently, he was just testing his laser for fun. Had it harmed you in any way, he would not have minded. Darsh sir did not mean to save you then, but it was not his plan to harm you either."

She stood up with a jerk, shrugging the sand off her dress. She had had enough.

"And did he ask you to say all this to me? How much did he pay you for this? I can't believe I am saying this to you, Zorawar, but you have disappointed me today."

"I am not lying, nor has anyone paid me anything. You know me better than that." Zorawar stood up calmly. "It was only after Darsh's Sir's accident that we came to know about this. We investigated and found Mohit Baba was involved in all these things. There are other matters - the wrongdoings at the site, instigating people against Darsh Sir. Believe me, the list is long."

"I can't. Mohit was never that kind of a person. What is the guarantee you are not making this up now?"

"You know I am not. I have been loyal to your family, and have served your grandfather, your father, and then you. I have your best interests at heart." Zorawar sighed. "Believe me, once you reach Palampur, you will know the truth yourself. You will have new troubles waiting for you, and the only person who can get you through it is Darsh Sir. You need him."

"I don't need him!" She simmered with rage. He shrugged.

"You do. You need him, he needs you, and we at Palampur need you both. In the last three years, if I have learned anything, it's what a Godsend Darsh Sir has been for us. Bade Malik had a vision. He knew what was to come and prepared for it. If it was left to Ravi Sir or Mohit Baba, the family would have sunk by now. It's only Darsh Sir that's holding it together. So, if you care for your own family, you'd rethink your position and come back to Palampur. Otherwise, everything is lost. Everything, including you and Darsh Sir."

***** *****