She lifted her phone and kept it on speaker seeing the Unkown number.

" maa " she heard the soft voice of her daughter noor and her heart clenched.
Though she didn't want to leave them, but she knew that their father will not harm them. Though she wanted to go back and get her children but she can't... She can't go back into that hell and see that monster's face whom she buried deep in her......

It's not that she is going to leave them, she will come back. She will come back for her children and make sure that he wouldn't be able to reach her next time.

Her thoughts were disturbed as soon as she has heard noor calling for her again. There were many noises and murmurs heard from the background.....

'hush' one of her kid mumbled.

" haa noori " lakshmi said with tears brimming in her eyes for running away from them...
Leaving them behind...
She dosen't know when she will be able to see her children again...

" come...come " she heard noor calling for her and she bit her lip tightly to control the sob.
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The blinding lights from ahead made her take a sharp U turn by overriding on the empty highway and the phone slipped from her hand.
Within no time, she sped up seeing two black cars following behind her.

She heard her daughters scream for her through the speaker on her phone and lakshmi screamed back that she is fine and that they should cut it TYE call as they tracking her via the phone.

" maa
They are beating mamu and tied up maasi " as soon as she heard her son speak those words, she geared up the speed.
She tried to reverse track the location of their phone through her satellite connected watch but she couldn't trace it. She is frustrated and suddenly remembered aunty giving her the phone number of those people who came for her in the morning. She tracked the number's location and started speeding up following the directions shown in the hologram screen.

' Dammit
I should have gone for my children rather than going away.
That Rahul...
How is he caught first of all?
If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't go at all...
There is no use of thinking all this, I will make sure that those both leave that place safely. ' she thought because she knew that have nothing to do with this struggle of her and she shouldn't involve them....

As soon as lakshmi reached the location, she stopped the car outside the large mansion . The tinted glass of her car rolled down and she looked at the gaurd who quickly held a gun at her head while looking at her. She knew that they are no mere gaurds but trained ones.

Without speaking much, she stepped out of the car and he indicated her to put her hands behind her head.
She did as she was said to.
She looked back inside the car and the tall gaurd took the bait and bent down to take a quick look inside.

Lakshmi took this as an opportunity and kicked him hard in his jaw with her knee. He fell down and she shot him with a filler and he fainted.

She is angry.
Angry on everything in her life...
As to why her life is like this...
As to why she has to face this?
As to why she has to pretend to be dead in the eyes of the world...
All she wanted was a normal life but...

" I f**king got this rather " she yelled seeing red.
The few of the most important people of her life are now inside, in that mansion...
getting beaten up for her....

The screaching sounds of the gates got her out of her trance and she looked at the armed gaurds who are running towards her .
She didn't even give them a chance to react and now they are lying on the ground halfhazardly...

She is a deadly shooter
and no one can stop her when she is burning in her rage...

She heard foot steps from behind...... she turned around quickly to defend but recieved a large blow in her abdomen making her move back and fall on to her knees.
She clutched her abdomen and before he could come near her , she shot him and he fell down onto the ground.

She stood up with little difficulty and tried to walk. After slowly walking for a few minutes, she mounted the white marble stairs of the large entrance. She leaned on to the wooden door and tried to push it with her shoulder while gasping for air....
After alot of effort,
she pushed it with her both hands but it didn't budge open....

The pain in her abdomen is becoming unbearable.... She took in a shallow breath and was about to push it again but the door opened on its own.

She stepped in quickly and looked straight in front to see a man and a woman standing few meters away from her . They looked back at her questioningly and the man raised a pistol pointing towards her.
Suddenly the women gasped loudly and started walking towards lakshmi. Lakshmi moved back and held gun towards her while trying to keep her gaze focused which is becoming impossible because of her blurring vision.

" better put that down " lakshmi heard the middle aged man growl at her lowly and she looked back at him while trying to control her swaying body and trying to focus at them...

" give them back to...." before she could complete her sentance, she was pushed down and tackled roughly on to the floor from behind.
The excruciating pain from her abdomen spiked up.
She heard a women's scream and saw a pair of feet moving towards her with her half shut eyes before the darkness eloped her....
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Lakshmi POV :

I felt the soft sheets beneath me and I clutched the sheets with my fingers...  I opened my eyes slowly and looked around in the bright room.

White curtains , golden beige walls....
Carved antiques with paintings....
Wait...
This is not my room!!....

I removed the sheets from my body and let my feet touch the cool marble floor.
As soon as I stood up on my feet,
I felt pain in my abdomen but I guess I can bare it...

I felt cool breeze hitting my skin and I looked down at my self to be dressed in a white loose Kurthi and pyjama.
I pushed the pyjama band a little lower to my lower abdomen.
I looked around the room more keenly...
Royale....

I gulped in my saliva and walked slowly towards the huge double doors. I held on to the large carved metal handles with my both hands and pulled it.
It's Open?

I peeped through the narrow slit and closed it as soon as I spotted someone walking in those large corridors....

I kept my ear near to the door and after I heard those fading steps, I again opened the door slowly.
Before I could step out ,
I felt a tap on my shoulder and I jumped outside the room while turning around.

My eyes widened seeing the person standing in front of me....
I tried to take in a deep breath but I felt like my trachea is constricted....
I opened my mouth to take in air .
I felt my body burning and trembling.
I could hear many noises around me but I could only see him....my eyes couldn't move away from him....
I felt someone lifting me,
while whispering something in my ear but I could only see him infront of me....

And darkness eloped me again...

Arjuns POV :

(In jet)
I was on my way back to India after a conference in Malaysia.
As soon as the jet landed in Delhi, I was about to step out when I felt my phone vibrating in my vest.
I picked it up and looked at the caller. It was mother.

" yes mother " I said looking at the watch on my wrist.

" ar....arjun
We fo.....found h....her " she said almost gasping for air.
I asked her to relax and drink some water.

After I heard no sounds of her harsh intake of breaths and made sure that she realxed...
I asked her what it was again....

" la....lakshmi...
Lakshmi
W....we found her.... She....she came t...to our ma....mansion...su...suddenly.
I.... I still ca....can't be....believe ar...arjun.... " my mother stuttered and my hands were already shivering...
My heart was pounding and I felt the ground slip beneath me...

A lot of pain...
A lot of pain gushed through my body in a single blow... I still can't believe that sh....she is alive....

How?
I don't want to know...
I just want to go back and see her....
See her before she disappears again from my life... Hug her one last time and feel her in my arms...
Even if I die the next second,
I won't have any regrets...

I turned back and sat back in my jet and ordered them to go to palace .

All through out the journey
My hands were shivering
My body was trembling
And I was perspiring...

Something is pulling me back from seeing her...
An unkown fear...
Maybe I am sacred that she will vanish again like the last time...
But a much larger force is driving my heart towards her, to look at her atleast for ones...
Stare into those large doe like eyes
Listen to that addicting and not so sweet voice of her....
If possible, see her smile...
atleast ones....

I didn't know why I survived these many days without any aim in this life of mine...
But now,
I wouldn't regret after seeing her ones....
Even from a far...

I felt wet on my hand and looked down to see more falling from my face. I touched my eyes and rubbed them.
I tried smiling... A large one....
To show how much happy I am today...
To show the world that I am the most happiest man today...
A lump formed in my throat but I still smiled.... Because my wife is alive...
She is breathing...
She is still here....
and I need to go fast....

As soon as the jet landed, I boarded helicopter. Within half an hour, it landed on the helipad on the backyard of the plain grounds.

I pushed open the doors without waiting for anyone. I tried walking fast but I couldn't contain it anymore.... The need to reach her as soon as possible increased by every step I took towards the palace. The next second, I started running towards the entrance. The royal gaurd opened the door and I dashed inside without a care for the world because my world is inside , in between those walls.

" Arjun! " I heard my mother screaming for me and I looked towards her while panting...

" wh.....where maa?
Where? " I asked while taking in deep breaths to control this racing heart of mine which found a reason to beat again...

" she is in west chamber " mother said and I kissed her head while hugging her tightly. I ran up the stairs missing the steps, spraining my leg but nothing will stop me from seeing her... Nothing can stop me now...

As soon as I reached the doors of the west chamber. My hand halted from pushing it. I held onto the metal handle tightly and leaned on to the door with my head touching the metal surface....

If I cross this door
She will see me..
I will see her...
After many years...
And this heart still can't believe it...
That she is just behind these doors...
A door apart...
Our fate...

I gulped and pushed the door open.
I looked around in the empty room... She is not here?
Where is she?
Where is she!?

My eyes landed on a body lying on the bed. I went towards the bed slowly as my legs kept on moving towards the bed on it's own accord....

I halted near the bed and looked at the sheets covering her body...
I gulped....
My eyes couldn't move towards her face....
Something is stopping me from doing it....

But I forced myself and raised my head to look at her...
In front of me....My whole world...
My whole world is infront of me...
Breathing in slowly....
Sleeping peacefully....

My hand moved on its own to touch her hand laying on my side...
I drew back quickly scared of waking her up...
Is this a dream?
Is this all a dream?
Then I never want to wake up from this one...

I felt her flinch and I looked down to see my tears on her wrist....
She flinched again and I moved back... She can't even bare my tears...
The mere touch of them would burn her.... I gulped feeling pain in my throat.....

But....
I smiled again...
She is here...
She is here...
She is alive...
She is breathing....

I took a cloth from the table and wiped her wrist slowly...wiping away those tear drops of mine...

Third person POV :

Arjun finally saw her
The one who he has been searching in everyone and everything...
The one for whom he has been waiting for in every single second of his life even though he knew that she is not there anymore.....

Now he can't belive that she is lying infront of him peacefully...
He is even scared to touch her
Treating her like a delicate glass petal.

He hastily pulled a chair towards the bed not moving his gaze away from her even for a single second and sat on it....

He still couldn't get enough of her even after staring at her for 3 hours...

Anita entered the room and saw her son looking at her daughter in law without battling a lash...
As if she would disappear the moment he would close his eyes...
He was still dressed up in his suit and his hair was unkept with long beard.
Anita knew that she has to be strong...
Strong for both and as well as all of her family as she knew that this is Peace before the Storm...

" Arjun
Go and get fresh up " she said to Arjun softly while standing behind him but he shook his head and kept staring at her....

" why isn't she waking up? " he asked looking puzzled at his wife... He knew that his wife is a light sleeper...
Even a single sound in the room can wake her up from her slumber... 

" she is not well
she is under medication. " Anita said and arjun's hands shivered thinking....
' Not well?
Not well? '

" don't fret son
She is just stressed out
Now go and freshen up
I will tell about it later " Arjun nodded his head still not moving his eyes away from his wife while Anita sighed and left from there....

After another couple of hours of internal battle, he finally went inside the washroom to take a quick shower and come back to her sight...

He changed into his casuals in the bathing room and stepped out with a towel around his shoulder...
When his eyes landed on the empty bed, he was tensed.
He looked around to find her standing.....
bending and peeping out through the narrow slit of the door...
Her back facing him...

' She moved...'
This was the first thing that came in his mind...

He slowly stepped towards her and saw her opening the door and was about to step out of the room.
His hand moved on its own accord and before he could stop it, it already touched her shoulder. She screamed while jumping out of the room and turned towards him...

Her eyes...
Her large doe like eyes...
Before he could move towards her, she was already trembling...
She started sweating abnormally and her body was shaking continously...
with her eyes wide...

As soon as Veer and Anita heard a shrilling scream from the corridor. They sprinted on their legs quickly. Veer saw lakshmi and knew that she is having a panic attack. Anita pushed away Arjun from lakshmi's sight and Veer lifted his daughter in law in his arms while asking Anita to call a doctor quickly.

The couple were terrified by seeing seeing lakshmi's reaction towards their son. They did expect her to rescent them, but having a panic attack.....is something they haven't expected.....
This whole thing scared Anita....
Scared about lakshmi
Scree about arjun
Sacred about their relation....
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Soon the doctor left and lakshmi is now sleeping peacefully....
while the couple is worried about them....
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Lakshmi opened her eyes as soon as she felt wet cloth sliding on her legs. She kept her eyes closed while trying to assess what was happening with her....

She slowly opened her eyes and looked at a woman in a saree not more than 30 , cleaning her legs with a wet cloth.

The woman who was cleaning lakshmi's body felt a gaze on her and looked at lakshmi's face to see her wide awake. She gasped for a second and then quickly changed her expression while giving a small smile at lakshmi's direction.

" namasthe " she said softly and lakshmi nodded while trying to lean on to the bed. The woman helped her by arranging pillows behind her back with a small assuring smile still playing on her face...

" I'm Saraswathi Sanjay " she said softly as if those words were dipped in honey... Lakshmi nodded looking at the woman who is looking elegant and dignified....
'soft spoken for sure'...she thought....

Saraswathi still couldn't believe that Arjun's wife, whom everyone thought was dead, would come back one day that too knocking on their door at midnight....
Sure she didn't recognize lakshmi while she was bought to the palace by her in laws.......

" water " lakshmi asked in her hoarse voice making saraswathi snap out of her thoughts. She quickly went towards the table and poured her a glass of water her.

Though lakshmi can drink by her own, but the lady didn't allow her to, she made her drink slowly making sure that lakshmi won't choke...

" do you need anything else? " saraswathi asked and lakshmi nodded a 'no' while her thoughts were some where  else...

She has to escape this place
But not before she gets hold of her kids , Rahul and Anu.

After saraswathi helped lakshmi to dress up in a set of lose Kurti and pyjama, she kept a shawl beside lakshmi and left.

All the inner turmoil of lakshmi came to an end with
Now or never.

She knew she has to face it sooner or later but the sooner the better...
She pushed away the sheets and stood on the cold floor. She walked out of the room through the open doors.

The royal maids and servants stopped their work as soon as they spotted the intruder of previous night, now descending furiously down the stairs.
A few of them went back to their work while a few of them acted while sneaking to see the commotion...

As soon as lakshmi reached the grand hall way, she stood in middle of the hall and looked around to find no souls....

" Ibbu, arya, adhvaya,

Rudra, utkarsh,

Neelu , noor!!!!! " she screamed out but none of her children responded...
She was dreading in fear...thinking of something happening to her children...her stomach clenched at this mere thought....

Anita and Saraswathi ran down listening to the screams... She looked at her daughter in law perplexed as to whom is she calling out loudly...

" Lakshmi
You should take rest " she said softly while approaching her , trying to control lakshmi as she looks like she is about to faint any time soon.

" You !
You keep quite and give me back my children " lakshmi yelled gritting while looking at the woman who is so called mother her so called husband. Anita was scared for a second facing lakshmi's outburst. She surely didn't expect this from her.....

" What kids are you talking about? " Veer asked entering the hall while looking at his wife and listening to the commotion that has been going on.....

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