Continue...

"It... it's Mom."

A beat of silence.
"It's from the hospital. We... we need to go. Now."

The way Ishaan's voice broke made everyone freeze. Their faces drained of color.
Mr. Mehra immediately stood up.

"Let's go," he said firmly.

No one asked anything else. No one had the courage.

The Mehra family rushed out of the house.
Aanya remained behind, watching Ishaan's shocked, pale face from the doorway-worry twisting inside her-but she couldn't go with them.

At Hospital

The car halted sharply outside the hospital.
Before mr mehra could even stop properly, Ishaan jumped out, panic written all over his face.
The rest of the family hurried behind him.

They rushed through the hospital lobby.

Ishaan ran straight to a doctor-their family's private physician.

"D-Doctor... Mom?" he asked, voice shaking, almost collapsing into the words.

The doctor didn't answer immediately.
He looked at the Mehra family gathering behind Ishaan... then back at Ishaan...
and a small, gentle smile appeared on his face.

"Come," he said. "Let's go, Mr. Mehra."

Ishaan followed him at once.
The others hurried after them to the private ward.

The tension was suffocating.

But the moment they entered the room...
everything changed.

Because there she was-
Mrs. Ishwari Mehra-sitting up on the hospital bed.
A nurse was checking her vitals.
Her eyes were open.
She looked weak, exhausted... but very much alive.

She looked at her family with a soft, fragile smile.

Ishaan froze.

His knees buckled, and he nearly collapsed before Mr. Dinesh caught him.

Behind him, Jay and Jiya burst into tears.

Jiya ran first.
She threw her arms around her mother and sobbed uncontrollably.

"Mo-Mom... you-you..."
Her voice broke entirely as she choked on her tears.
"Are you ok? I-i was so scared..."mom.

She held her mother's face gently, crying harder.

Jay reached them next.
He hugged Mrs. Mehra tightly, tears streaming down his face.

"Thank God... Mom... I-every day I was dying inside. Thinking... when will you come back to us..."
His voice trembled, breaking in the middle of every sentence.

Mrs. Mehra smiled through her tears.
She kissed their foreheads one by one.

"My babies..."
Her very first words after a four-month coma.

She began crying too.
Wiping Jiya's tears one moment, then Jay's the next.
Both held onto her as if letting go even for a second would make her disappear again.

Ishaan stood there, frozen, tears silently rolling down his cheeks.
Sikha and Dinesh rested a reassuring hand on his shoulders.

Then... Mrs. Ishwari's gaze moved to him.
Her smile deepened-soft, motherly, overflowing with love.
She opened her arms for him.

Ishaan walked to her with trembling legs.
Jay and Jiya stepped aside as he leaned down and hugged her tightly.

She immediately started crying again and whispered,
"My baby... how are you?"

Ishaan pulled back slightly, holding her face in his hands.
He let out a shaky laugh.

"Look at you... just woke up after four months, and the first thing you do is worry about us."

Mrs. Ishwari chuckled weakly.

Her eyes shifted to Sikha and Dinesh next.
They came closer; Sikha hugged her and started crying.

"I missed you so much, bhabhi... you took too long to come back."

"Oh, Sikhu," Ishwari whispered, stroking her back.
"No matter how long I take... I always come back to my family."

Dinesh took her hand gently.
"Yes, bhabhi... you have to. Without you, we are nothing. We missed you so much."

Ishwari smiled softly.

Then her eyes flickered to the door.
And back to her family. like she is finding someone.

"Where is my lady boss?" she asked.

All smiles vanished instantly.

Faces fell.
Silence stretched.

Ishaan looked at the doctor standing near the door... then at his mother.

She repeated, more firmly,
"Ishaan... where is my lady boss? I'm asking you something."

No one answered.

But the silence... the expressions...
they told her everything.

Something snapped in her memory.

Four months ago.
The doctor telling them-whispering-that Nisha was no more.
Her own body collapsing after hearing it.
That locked room...
Isaahn and Jiya begging to open it...
The door swinging open-

Nisha lying on the floor.
Blood everywhere.
The broken mirror.
Her wrist cut.
Her lifeless body.

And then the moment she had fainted.

One memory after another crashed down on her like waves.

"No... no... this can't be true..."
Her voice shook violently.
"My daughter... no-Nisha! You can't do this to us!"

She screamed, the pain tearing through her chest.

Ishaan grabbed her, hugging her tight as she broke down, sobbing uncontrollably in his arms.

The entire Mehra family cried with her-crying from a place so deep it felt like their hearts were being torn apart.

Overwhelmed, Ishwari's body gave up again.

She fainted in Ishaan's arms.

---

The doctor checked Mrs. Mehra carefully, adjusting the machines around her and monitoring her pulse.
After a few minutes, he stepped back and exhaled softly.

"She is okay," he said gently. "It was just the sudden shock that made her faint."

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

"You can take her home once she wakes up. Physically, she is completely stable."

But then his voice dropped, becoming firm.

But... remember one thing."
He looked at each member of the Mehra family.
"She is extremely sensitive right now. Do not give her any kind of shock. Not until she emotionally accepts everything that happened after the accident. Avoid stress of any sort. Otherwise, she could suffer another episode."

Their hearts clenched.
They nodded silently.

"She's sleeping now," the doctor added softly.
"Don't worry. When she wakes up, you can take her home."

He placed a comforting hand on Ishaan's shoulder.

"Take care of her, Ishaan," he said, his voice warm. "She is a very strong woman. She will recover from this trauma soon."

Ishaan nodded, trying to steady his emotions.
The doctor gave him a reassuring smile, then walked out.

--

The room became silent.

Ishwari lay peacefully, her breathing soft and even.

Ishaan sat beside her, gently holding her hand on his palm, his thumb brushing over her knuckles.
He watched her face with quiet devotion-as if afraid that if he blinked too long, she might vanish again.

On the corner sofa, Sikha and Dinesh sat quietly, exhaustion mixed with relief on their faces.
Jay and Jiya stood near Ishaan, watching their mother with wet eyes, still shaken by everything.

After a long moment, Ishaan inhaled deeply and stood up.

His voice was soft but serious.

"Uncle... Aunty... Jay, Jiya... please."
He looked at each of them.
"Don't tell Mom anything about Aanya."

They understood immediately.

Sikha rose from the sofa and walked to him, placing a comforting hand on his arm.

"Of course, Ishaan," she said gently. "We won't say anything. Don't worry."

Jay and Jiya nodded silently.

But Sikha wasn't done.
She looked straight into Ishaan's eyes.

"But, Ishaan... what will you tell her," she asked softly, "when she sees Aanya in the Mehra mansion? When she asks who she is?"
Her voice lowered.
"Will you... make her a maid again?"

The question hit him like a punch.

"No, Sikhu mom" he said quietly. "No. I'll handle it."
He glanced at his mother's sleeping face.
"But right now... she's my first priority."

Then he turned to Mr. Dinesh.

"Uncle..."
He straightened his shoulders.
"Please take everyone home. I'll finish all the formalities here. Once Mom wakes up, I'll bring her home."

He paused, his voice softening.

"You all start preparing for her return. Her room hasn't been opened for four months. Get it cleaned... aired out. And make sure all her favorite things are ready."

His eyes shifted to Sikha again.

"And... the food. Everything she loves."

Sikha nodded immediately.
"Don't worry. We'll take care of everything. You stay with bhabhi."

Mr. Dinesh placed a reassuring hand on Ishaan's back.

"We're going," he said. "Call us the moment she wakes up."

"Come, Jay... Jiya," Sikha said softly.

They both looked once more at their mother-still fragile, still precious-then at Ishaan.

Ishaan gave them a small smile.
He leaned down and kissed Jay on his forehead, gently brushing his hair.

Then he turned to Jiya, cupped her face, and placed a tender kiss on her forehead too.

"Go," he whispered.
"I'll bring her home. Don't worry."
He smiled softly.
"Mom is okay now. In just a few hours, she'll be with us again. Go start preparing for her welcome."

Jay and Jiya nodded, wiping their tears, and followed Sikha and Dinesh out of the room.

The door closed quietly behind them.

Leaving Ishaan alone with his mother...
her hand still safely held in his.

He remember the day everything fell apart.
It came rushing into Ishaan's mind like a storm-

--

FLASHBACK -

He remembered the backseat of the car first...

Mrs. Mehra was slumped sideways, unconscious, her head resting against Jiya's shoulder.
Beside her, Jiya clutched Nisha tightly, her hands trembling, her face soaked in tears.
Nisha's wrist was wrapped in a cloth that was quickly turning red.

"Mumma... di... please," Jiya sobbed, trying to hold both of them at once.
"Di, stay with me. Please!"

Ishaan kept glancing at them through the rearview mirror.
His throat had closed. His heartbeat was hammering so loud he could barely hear himself think.

He gripped the steering wheel and pressed his foot harder on the accelerator.

"Just hold on, di... nothing will happen to you," he said, voice shaking.

The city lights blurred as the car sliced through traffic.

---

When they reached the hospital, Ishaan leapt out of the car.

"NURSE! SOMEONE HELP!" he shouted.

Two nurses rushed with a stretcher.
They lifted Nisha carefully, blood dripping from her wrist as they pushed her toward the emergency operation theatre.
Another staff member brought a wheelchair for Mrs. Mehra and checked her vitals as they moved.

Within minutes, Mrs. Mehra regained consciousness.
Her eyes fluttered open-confused, frightened.

"Ni... Nisha... where is my daughter?" she cried weakly.

"Mom, relax... please," Jiya whispered, holding her tightly as tears streamed down her face.
Ishaan stood beside them-face pale, eyes red, shirt smeared with his sister's blood.
He kept staring at the closed operation room doors... praying they would open.

Minutes felt like hours.

Finally, the doctor came out.
Ishaan rushed to him instantly.

"H-how is my sister?" he asked, voice breaking.

The doctor exhaled deeply, his expression grave.

"Mr. Mehra... she lost a lot of blood. A piece of the mirror is lodged deeply in her wrist. She is in critical condition. We need to perform emergency surgery immediately."

The ground slipped beneath Ishaan's feet.

The doctor handed him the papers.
"Please complete the procedure. We will begin surgery as soon as the procedure is cleared."

Ishaan nodded rapidly.
"I'll do it. Start preparing."

He turned to Jiya.
"Take care of Mom. I'll handle everything."

She nodded, still crying.

---

Ishaan sprinted to the reception.
He filled every form, signed every page, his hands shaking.

"Payment, sir," the receptionist said.

He handed his card.

Few seconds.
A beep.

"Sir... this card isn't working."

"What?" Ishaan frowned. "Try again."

She tried again.
Same result.

Ishaan pulled out a second card.
"Use this."

She tried.

"Sir... this one isn't working either."

"What the hell..." he whispered, panic rising.

He took a breath, forced himself to stay calm, and opened his banking app to pay online.

A red notification flashed:

ACCOUNT BLOCKED.

His heart dropped.

"No... no... no..."

He tried every payment option he had-
every card, every wallet, every account.

All blocked.

His hands went numb.

That's when his phone rang.

Sunny.

Ishaan answered immediately, not even letting him speak.

"Sunny, come to City Hospital with cash-fast!"

But what Sunny said froze Ishaan completely.
His eyes widened.
His breath stopped.

He cut the call without another word.

He ran back toward the operation theatre, desperation taking over.

He grabbed the doctor's arm.

"Sir, please! Start the surgery! I-I'll arrange the payment! My bank is having issues, but I promise I'll pay-just operate! Please!"

The doctor looked genuinely pained.

"I'm sorry, sir. Without the formalities completed, we cannot begin. At least half the payment must be made. We cannot break protocol. I'm truly sorry."

He walked away.

Ishaan stood there, shaking-helpless.

Everyone he loved was slipping away.

And in this situation he remember only one person.

He unlocked his phone.

His fingers trembled as he dialed a number.

When the line connected, he whispered:

"...Hello, Aarav."

The flashback faded like smoke...
pulling Ishaan back into the present
and the silent hospital room where his mother slept.

Flashback End

--

Back at the Mehra mansion, Aanya paced the living room restlessly.
Her heart hadn't stopped pounding since Ishaan left for the hospital.
Every time a door closed or footsteps echoed in the hallway, she flinched-hoping it was news.

Minutes felt like hours.

She kept replaying Ishaan's shocked expression in her mind.
Something serious happened... please let everyone be okay, she prayed silently.

Finally-
the front doors opened.

The Mehra family stepped inside.

Aanya froze for a second, then rushed straight to Sikha aunty, her voice trembling.

"Aunty... what happened? Is everything okay?"

Sikha cupped Aanya's face gently, a small, relieved smile forming.

"Aanya... relax, beta. Mrs. Mehra- Ishaan's mom-she woke up."
Her voice softened with emotion.
"She came out of the coma. She's okay now."

Aanya's eyes widened, filling with instant relief.

"Thank God..." she whispered, placing a hand over her chest.
Her heart finally eased for the first time in hours.
"That's... that's such a big relief."

Sikha nodded warmly.

"Yes. Ishaan is completing the hospital formalities. He'll bring her home once she wakes up she is sleeping now. We need to prepare for her welcome."

Aanya nodded quickly, wiping the moisture from her eyes.

"Yes... of course. I'll help."
Her face brightened with Pure relief.
"I'm so glad she's okay."

And just like that, the atmosphere in the mansion shifted.

Everyone spread out-some to clean, some to decorate, some to cook.

Aanya joined them immediately, her steps lighter, her heart calmer, thanking God over and over as she helped prepare the mansion for Mrs. Mehra's return.

Mehra mansion buzzed with quiet excitement.

Fresh flowers decorated the entrance, soft lights glowed along the hallway, and the entire house smelled of sandalwood and home-cooked food. Everyone stood near the door-Sikha, Dinesh, Jay, Jiya, and Aanya-waiting anxiously.

And then...

The main gate opened.

Ishaan stepped inside, supporting his mother gently.
Mrs. Ishwari Mehra walked slowly, still weak, but very much alive-her eyes searching, absorbing everything like she had just returned from another world.

The moment Jiya saw her, tears spilled instantly.

"M-mom!" she cried, running to her.

Jay followed, hugging his mother's arm carefully.

Mrs. Mehra smiled through her tears and kissed both their foreheads.

"My babies... I missed you so much."

Sikha couldn't stop herself-she rushed forward, wrapped her arms around her bhabhi, and sobbed.

"You scared us so much" she whispered.

Dinesh folded his hands around theirs warmly.
Everything felt whole again.

The family stepped aside as Ishaan guided his mother into the living room.
She sat softly on the couch, her eyes wandering around the familiar space after four long months.

And then...

Her gaze landed on Aanya.

Aanya stood a little behind the family-hands clasped tightly in front of her, nervous, unsure, eyes lowered out of respect. She could feel her heartbeat everywhere-in her throat, ears, chest.

Mrs. Mehra blinked slowly.

Then she looked at Ishaan.

"Ishaan...?" she asked gently.
"Who is she?

____
Thank you for reading bye bye