"Sirji! Sirji!" Ronnie waved his hands frantically, trying to get Abhi's attention. He stood at a safe distance from the punching bag Abhi had been pummeling.

Abhi stopped boxing and tugged off his headgear. "What?" His chest heaved as he panted to catch his breath. His tank was soaked with sweat, sticking to his skin. He felt hot all over.

And he wanted to keep punching his bag. Nothing in his life made sense and there was no one he could go to for answers. At least while working out his rage physically, he could escape his overburdened mind.

"Sirji, you've been at it for fifteen minutes. You need to stop, overexertion at this point will be dangerous for your recovery." Ronnie carefully caught the swinging bag, stilling its motion.

"Overexertion?" Abhi scoffed. "I can go twice as long -"

"Yes sir, when you're fully healthy. But for now, you need to take a break. A long break," Ronnie said firmly. There was a surprising amount of steel in the young man's voice.

Until now, Abhi had only seen the light-hearted side of Ronnie. His easygoing good humour made him comfortable to be around. This was the first time they were facing potential conflict, and Ronnie was showing more backbone than Abhi expected.

Abhi wanted to keep fighting, but he didn't want to argue with Ronnie. Regrettably, he had a point.

Abhi took off his boxing gloves. "Ok. I'll shower, how's that?"

"That's a good idea sir," Ronnie said with a smile. He took Abhi's gloves and headgear. "I'll just put these away for you."

"The bathroom here is small," Abhi said over his shoulder as he walked towards it. "Just stay by the door and I'll call if I need you."

"Yes, sir."

Abhi stepped into his shower, blasting the cold water to rinse down his body before moderating it to a comfortable temperature. He soaped up in distraction, his thoughts focused on the miserable swirl of his inner feelings.

He felt like a mess.

Working out had been a way to turn off his brain and blow off some steam, but it hadn't been enough. Rage still pulsed through his veins. Sorrow still clouded his mind.

Why did he feel like he was suffocating in secrets?

Not for the first time, he wished this new reality he had woken into was just a bad dream he could wake up from. He missed the certainty of understanding the world around him. He missed feeling comfortable in his own skin.

He just wanted to feel normal again. He would give anything to go back to the time before the accident.

Pragya's face flashed in his mind.

Well...maybe he wouldn't give any thing.

As he washed off his soap, he brooded on the thought of Pragya.

He was glad she was in his life.

He would never have picked a woman like her, if it was only up to him. She was too traditional, soft spoken, modest, quiet. She was also scary smart, with a sharp tongue when provoked.

No, he'd never have chosen a woman like that.

But having a woman like that, already, as his wife?

It was so comfortable he didn't want to do without it.

She was easy to be around. She cared what happened to him, and went out of her way to take care of him. To the point that he was starting to feel guilty that he didn't know how to take care of her.

What kept her going day after day, serving a husband who didn't remember her? How could he show his gratitude, when she turned away from every gesture of affection he attempted?

She was the biggest mystery in his post-accident life. But if he could change everything back, she was the one thing he wanted to keep.

Whatever happened next in his life, Abhi wanted Pragya there with him. As his wife, as his life partner, as the person he knew he could always count on.

He still felt guilty at the thought that he might've been cheating on her. He hadn't figured out what that was about. No other details had surfaced in his memory. But he had come to the realization that no matter what he'd been up to with Tanu before, it was in his power to just stop doing it.

His so-called girlfriend wasn't around now, and he wasn't about to go find her. If she showed up some day, he would tell her whatever they had was over. He didn't really care what had happened between them in the time he couldn't remember.

He wasn't going to waste time or energy keeping up a relationship he didn't want.

Not when there was one he did want, with Pragya, that he felt the need to keep strong at all costs.

Once he left the shower he actually felt a bit relaxed. Working out had helped, and it was nice to be alone - well, almost alone - for the first time since he woke up in the hospital. It was comforting to be in his bachelor pad, where everything was the same as he'd left it.

Even if he, and his life, were not.

Ronnie knocked on his bedroom door just as he was done changing.

"Yes?" Abhi called out.

Ronnie opened the door, holding out Abhi's phone. "Sir, you have a call from your sister."

Abhi took the phone and nodded dismissal at Ronnie. He sat down on his bed and held up his phone to look at Aaliya.

"Hi stranger," he said with a smile.

"Bhai!" she said, her eyes shining with unusual delight. "I'm so glad to see you, how do you feel?"

Abhi told her he was feeling much better and they chatted on general topics for a few minutes.

Then Aaliya's expression changed, and she said slowly, "And how are you getting along with Pragya?"

Abhi frowned. "You should call her Bhabhi, Aaliya. Were you at our wedding? Have you met her?"

Aaliya rolled her eyes. "Yes, yes, I've met Pragya...Bhabhi. How are you adjusting, since you don't remember marrying her?"

"She's really easy to get along with," Abhi answered with the first thought that came to mind. "She's very attentive to me. She takes care of me like Daadi would."

Aaliya's mouth was drawn tight, but she nodded. "I'm glad she's taking good care of you. You're...comfortable with her?"

"Yes. I was shocked when I woke up and they told me I was married. I don't know how I came to agree with Daadi. But Daadi was right...she picked the right person for me."

Aaliya looked like she was holding back her reaction. Abhi waited a moment, to see if she would say anything. When she didn't, he prompted, "You don't think so?"

"I think..." She looked away from the camera briefly. Then she met his eyes. "I think it's good that you feel comfortable. Daadi loves her."

"But you don't?" Abhi asked pointedly, picking up on what she was leaving unsaid. "You have a problem with her?"

Aaliya was slow and cautious with her answer. "I think I'm not used to the idea of you being married, Bhai," she said. "But what's important now is for you to recover your health, and if Pr - if Bhabhi is helping make that easier, then I am...grateful to her."

Aaliya did not look very grateful, but it was clear to Abhi that she wasn't going to expand on her thoughts about Pragya. He still wanted to know, but maybe she would be willing to say more on another day. In the meantime, there was another important topic he had to bring up with her.

"And how are you doing, Aaliya?" he asked gently. "After breaking up with Purab?"

A frown immediately slashed across Aaliya's face. "We didn't break up."

"You didn't?" Abhi asked in surprise. "Aakash told me I fell out with Purab because he broke his engagement to you. What really happened?"

Aaliya looked even more bitter than before. "He met another girl he liked better."

The words hit Abhi like a punch to his gut. Purab had chosen another girl over Aaliya? Betrayal surged through him, a sinking feeling that flooded his chest with acid. Maybe this explained his memory of going ballistic with his fists on Purab. Abhi could tolerate a lot of things, but someone being unfaithful to his baby sister was unacceptable.

But then again...Aaliya was his sister by blood, but Purab was his brother by choice. As disappointed as he was to know that Purab preferred another girl, a part of his rational mind was already accepting that Purab was entitled to do that.

Purab was allowed to like whoever he chose; Abhi couldn't expect him to control his heart. And whoever Purab chose would likely be as genuine and kind-hearted as Purab himself.

The next question at the tip of Abhi's tongue was about who Purab had found. He wanted more clarity on the matter. But one look at his sister's face sent his mind in another direction. "I'm sorry, Aaliya," he said softly.

Aaliya met his gaze, her eyes widening in surprise.

"I'm sure I said it before, but I don't remember, so I'll say it again. It's his loss if he chose someone else. You deserve someone who will love you more than anything, and when the time is right, you will meet him. Better to forget Purab and this engagement, and focus on being happy in your own life."

"Thank you, Bhai." She let out a sigh. "Easier said than done, but I'm trying."

"That's my girl," he said, and finally Aaliya flashed him a smile. He missed seeing her usual confidence and fearlessness. She didn't deserve Purab's rejection, and he hoped her heartbreak would fade with time. It was probably a good thing she was in Australia, getting distance from the whole situation.

"How's the new job?" he asked to change the topic. Their conversation continued in safer waters as she told him all about her new office and the strange experiences she'd had while camping in the outback.

Aaliya was just concluding a harrowing anecdote about river rafting, when Ronnie knocked on his door.

"Ek minute," Abhi said to Aaliya. "Yes?" he called out to Ronnie.

Ronnie opened the door, a regretful look on his face. "Sir, it's been twenty minutes. They said your screen time limit is -"

"Alright, yes, I know," Abhi said, waving his hand at his attendant. He turned back to Aaliya, "Let's do this again tomorrow, huh? My screen time quota resets in the morning," he joked.

A slight frown crossed Aaliya's face at the mention of the quota, but she gave him a brief nod. "Take it easy, Bhai. I want you to get well soon."

"You take care too, princess," he said. A smile flickered on her face at the endearment, which Abhi was relieved to see. "I'll talk to you tomorrow."

They ended the call, and Abhi dutifully gave his phone back to Ronnie.

"I'll put this back on the charger, sir," he said, quickly leaving to do that.

Abhi laid down on his bed, wanting to rest while he gathered his thoughts. It was nice to talk to Aaliya again. He was relieved to see with his own eyes that despite everything, she was doing ok. He couldn't help noticing that she had avoided telling him her true thoughts about his marriage to Pragya, and the details of her breakup with Purab. But perhaps it was all just difficult to talk about.

She had said she wasn't used to the idea of him being married. No doubt, it felt strange for her to know that even though she was still his princess, there was now someone who had more of a claim on him.

And just like that, his thoughts had circled back to Pragya again. It was like he was becoming obsessed with her.

Well. There were worse things a man could be obsessed with than his own wife.

Whatever else was wrong in his life, Abhi was not sorry that Pragya was his very own mystery to contemplate.

****

Pragya sat on the wicker couch on the balcony outside Abhi's bedroom, thinking about her day.

There were any number of things she knew she should have been thinking about, but her mind kept going back to that moment in the jewellery shop.

Abhi had held her in his arms, met her eyes, and leaned forward like he was going to kiss her.

And for the first time...she had wanted him to.

All of it was so unbelievable, she couldn't process it. It still felt strange that he even wanted to kiss her, but that wasn't new. The new strange thing was that she wanted to let him.

What was happening?

She hadn't forgotten everything that came before today. The insults, the lies, the many many times he had outright rejected her when he was in his right mind.

The man she was taking care of right now was not her husband.

He was an injured soul, the victim of a grievous attack that had stolen his memory, his identity...

She could not let this situation steal his dignity too.

She had no right to his kisses.

No matter how natural it had felt, to be in his arms. No matter that even now, her lips ached to feel his mouth on hers.

She closed her eyes, bit down hard on her lip. Anything to shake her body out of this terrible brooding, this feeling of being stuck in an impossible place.

This was all nonsense.

She was back in Abhi's life only to get him back to health.

Once he was himself again, their divorce would proceed, just as planned.

She could not let her feelings or any...inconvenient urges...get the better of her.

She owed him better than that.

She owed herself better than that.

She let out a deep sigh and opened her eyes again, staring up at the night sky. There was too much light pollution to see the stars, but the velvet darkness of the sky held its own charm.

It was much easier to be alone with her feelings at night, when the demands of the world fell away.

So here she was, sitting around feeling sorry for herself, daydreaming about kisses she could never let happen.

She glanced at her phone, wondering if there would be any new messages from Abhi. He had decided to stay at the flat for dinner. It was the first time since his accident that they had spent so many hours apart, and she felt restless.

She knew Ronnie would take good care of him, and she knew he couldn't get into much trouble at his private apartment.

But she hardly knew what to do with herself, in these few hours she had been granted when she did not need to focus all her attention on him and his needs.

She thought of how Maa had not wanted her to come here, to play nursemaid. Had she foreseen that it would be like this, that Pragya would lose her entire sense of self in this caretaking role?

But it hardly mattered. She could not have done otherwise. It was in her nature to step into the breach, to take responsibility, to throw herself into the service of others.

It was what she did, no matter the cost.

The sliding door scraped open behind her. She turned in time to see Abhi stepping onto the balcony, dressed in his joggers and a sleep tee.

"There you are." He walked towards her with a smile. "Scooch over." He slid onto the sofa with her, nudging her hip with his.

Before she could protest, he was comfortably seated, his arm firmly settled around her shoulders.

It was incredibly cozy. Tension rose in her blood, an uncomfortable electricity pulsing under her skin. It felt so good to be held by him, but it was wrong for so many reasons.

She should get up, move away.

She didn't want to.

"You're up late," he said softly. "Thought you'd be in bed already."

"You weren't home yet," she answered.

He made no reply to this, staring calmly up at the sky. She watched him from the corner of her eye, wondering what he was thinking.

He didn't remember her, but he was comfortable cuddling up to her like this. Ever since he'd woken up he'd treated her like she really was his wife, and she didn't know what to do about it.

"I'm remembering something," he said, breaking into her thoughts.

"What?" she asked. Involuntarily, she rested a hand on his chest, as if she could control something bad from happening to him by holding in his heart.

She realized it was a silly impulse. She kept her hand where it was anyway.

"We were sitting like this, laughing and...singing, I think? It was a full moon night. Did we fall asleep here?"

Of all things for him to remember! She really didn't think their drunken misadventures would have a place in his memory, but every turn of his recovery continued to surprise her.

"Yes, we did. It was Aaliya's mehendi, and we were drunk. We tried to catch the moon, and ended up collapsed on this sofa together."

"Sounds like fun," he said with a grin. "We were drinking together?"

She shook her head. "No, I don't drink, but...well, someone gave me the wrong drink, and one thing led to another so you decided to be drunk with me."

"That...makes no sense," he said, sounding bewildered. "But...if we had fun, it must not have been a bad thing."

"Hmm," she agreed, thinking that it had actually turned out to be a very nice thing.

He went silent again for several moments. Then, to her shock, she felt his lips on the crown of her head, as he pressed a casual kiss against her hair.

A flush raced up her cheeks, heating her skin. Again he was treating her with such simple affection, like she really was his wife. Was this what he would be like, with a woman he really wanted?

He was making a mess of her mind and emotions. She knew that she was the woman in his arms right at that moment. She was the woman he was treating this way. But she also knew that he had never chosen her, that this was not meant for her.

She didn't know whether to be happy to be receiving these attentions from him, or stressed because it wasn't real.

He cleared his throat. "Aaliya's mehendi, you said? Like, a wedding function?"

Instantly her heart plummeted to her toes. How had she let that slip? Aaliya's non-wedding to Purab was a subject to be avoided at all costs, as there was nothing about it that Abhi could be told without experiencing strong, likely negative, emotions.

"Pragya?" he prompted.

The sound of her own name in his voice was so strange. He hardly ever used it, and she knew that right then he was being completely serious.

"Yes," she said, realizing there was no way around telling him the truth, or at least as much of it as might be safe. "It was a function for her wedding."

"But..." Abhi turned to face her, worry written in the lines of his face, visible even in the dim light reflected from the hoardings. "I don't understand," he said, sounding troubled. "She and Purab broke up. They didn't get married."

"They almost got married," Pragya corrected. "They had several functions, before it...fell apart."

She realized that if she told him exactly how the marriage fell apart, she would have to tell him about the whole sordid episode with Puneet and Tanu and the false accusations that had made her walk out on him.

What a dangerous situation. Landmines at every corner. She held her breath, waiting to see exactly what he would ask next. Maybe if she focused on answering his questions, instead of volunteering all the information, they could get through this conversation without triggering any bad reactions.

"Aaliya told me Purab found a girl he liked better. And Aakash said I fought with Purab because he broke the engagement. When did all of this happen? Did he suddenly declare he had a girlfriend, in the middle of his would-be wedding functions? That doesn't sound like Purab."

"Uh..." Pragya stumbled, not sure where to start on answering these questions. "It wasn't...exactly like that. You fought with Purab, because Aaliya found out there was another girl. But then Purab decided to go through with the wedding, so there were several functions. But before it could be completed, he...realized he couldn't go through with it," she finished awkwardly. She sent a mental apology to Purab, for making it sound like he had backed out of the wedding without giving Abhi the