Shivaay felt the faint feel of someone breathing over his head. He was so sleepy that he couldn't even open his eyes and look at the person. But it felt comforting to know that someone was around him and more importantly, that someone was not trying to harm him. He also felt like he was covered with something today. Something warm? Like a blanket. Even the touch was familiar. He had experienced it before. He just couldn't pinpoint it now.

A sudden painful spasm shot through his spine and he shuddered. The arms around him tightened. Shivaay felt a hand rubbing his back now. It made him feel marginally better. Yet not. He desperately wanted to sleep, stop the pain. Shivaay pressed himself more into the familiar warmth without really questioning who it was. He just needed some comfort.

As he moved in and out of consciousness, Shivaay saw a dream. It was strange but he saw himself as a child. Om was also there, sitting beside him and colouring in his book furiously. Rudra was in Shakti's arms sucking on a pacifier whilst Jhanvi definitely pregnant with Priyanka. He saw Pinky peeling oranges, offering him a slice every other minute. And strangely, he saw Annika, a full grown-up version sitting beside Pinky.

They all were sitting in the living room of the Oberoi Mansion. Everything was bathed in light and palpable happiness. It only multiplied when Tej walked in. Shivaay took an orange peel and squirted it in his eyes making him grunt. It made Om and him laugh like maniacs. As Shivaay's belly rumbled with laughter, Tej swooped down and picked him up. As Tej tickled him mercilessly, Shivaay laughed harder and harder, trying to catch his breath.

Shivaay sighed. This is what he wanted. A home and some smiles. What would he not give to get all of this?

********************************* 

Tej adjusted the coat around Shivaay and held him close to his chest. He was glad that he had decided to wear a suit before coming there. And he was more glad that Veer had locked him up there. He couldn't even imagine what would have happened to Shivaay otherwise.

"Are you still cold?" Tej asked Shivaay as he tried to cover his whole body somehow.

In response, Shivaay let out a sigh and let himself be fully supported by Tej. Something flickered in Tej's brain. A part of his heart that had forgotten how to feel, how to love; stared back at him. Jhanvi was right. Shivaay was their first child. How could he even think that it would be okay if he let him die?

Tej didn't know what was he thinking. Tears clouded his vision and he stroked Shivaay's arm in a hope of taking away the stiffness.

"I am sorry Shivaay..." he whispered and ran a comforting hand on Shivaay's back. "Forgive me."

Tej rested his head on the wall and begin to think of what he could do. If he told Jhanvi or Om or Rudra or Annika about Shivaay, they would definitely act on an impulse and then Veer would spoil everything. Tej needed to act smart. There had to be some kind of loophole in Veer's plan that could aid him. He thought about his earlier plan and went over the conditions Veer and Roop had posed before him now. He raked his head to find a loophole, anything that he could advantage of.

Shivaay whimpered then, mumbling incoherently. Tej looked down at him. Perhaps, he could think of everything later. For now, he needed to be with Shivaay. He kept a hand on Shivaay's chest. He wanted to have a constant assurance that his heart was beating. Tej sat back knowing that it was going to be the toughest night of his life.

*********************************

"So," Veer smirked. "How was the experience of spending the night with Shivaay?"

Tej ignored the question. He handed him the files to Veer and snarled. "Here. All signed. And you know what? I was a big fool to believe that you will not double-cross me."

Veer smirked. "I agree."

Tej just stared at him. Veer walked a little away from him while checking the signatures on the files. "Nice. Now go and announce your divorce with Aunty. And while you are at it, speak about Mom like our deal."

Tej sighed. "Yes."

From the corner of his eyes, Tej eyed Shivaay. He didn't have the heart to leave but he had no choice. He had to leave to be able to help Shivaay. Taking a deep breath, he started to walk out.

"Wait!" Veer commanded.

He came around and stood before Tej. He kept a hand on his shoulder and threatened, "Don't think that you can go and tell all of this to your family. Because if you do, I will know. I can see and hear everything. So don't try to act smart. Just quietly stick to the plan."

Even though his heart palpitated, Tej mutely nodded. Without a backward glance, he walked out of the apartment.

*********************************

"What the hell is this Tej?" Jhanvi screamed. "I told you that we need to wait for this. How can you go ahead and announce our divorce in the midst of all this? Does Shivaay mean nothing to you?"

Annika watched the older man flinch at Shivaay's mention. But then he hid it well. She was surprised to see him in Goa. He wasn't that good of a man to travel all the way to Goa to tell Jhanvi about the announcement either. There definitely was something more than what met the eye. Annika keenly observed him.

Tej crossed his arms and said, "It had to be told one day or the other."

"Yes but now the media will hound us Bhai saheb. We don't want that now. Don't you get it? It will slow us down..." Shakti argued. "How could you do this?"

"How?" Pinky mused bitterly. "Mein toh pehle se hi janti this that this man hates Shivaay. He has proved it now."

"You must be happy now, isn't it?" Om quipped. "Kids gone. Wife gone. Shivaay gone. The business is all yours. What a beautiful life."

Tej remained uncharacteristically quiet in the face of all allegations. Annika saw it silently. She knew that Shivaay was a reflection of Tej. And whenever Shivaay remained quiet, it always meant that someone was blackmailing him into doing things that were not supposed to be done. Was it the same for Tej right now?

If it was, then Annika also knew that someone was keeping an eye on him. Otherwise, there would have been a retaliation. She couldn't text Tej, nor call him. She couldn't openly ask him. She rubbed her head thinking of ways wherein she could have a conversation with Tej without actually letting anyone know.

"Why are you playing with Badi Ma's life?" asked Annika suddenly. She was just desperate now. She had to do anything, something to reach Shivaay.

Tej was not surprised to hear such a question. But when he looked at Annika's face, he was surprised. Her eyes were beseeching and it was bloody obvious that she didn't mean the question. She was hinting at something else. Perhaps, she had seen through his facade?

Feeling a little grateful and very hopeful, Tej told her, "I am not. I am not courageous enough to do that. But life is. This was destiny. This had to happen."

He looked at her with anticipation, praying that she would pick up the hint. She did. Tej saw her eyes glint when he said courageous.

Annika shrugged, "Don't blame this on life. You have a hand in all this. It's your fault. You let this happen to all of us."

"No Annika. I am equally helpless..." Tej stressed on the word helpless. "I don't have a choice. It's a tough decision but much needed. Trust me. If I could do anything else, I would have."

Om snorted. "As if."

Tej rolled his eyes. Om could really get thick at the wrong times. He sighed. "Listen, I know you guys are upset about Shivaay but this had to be done."

Then he walked around for a few seconds and informed them. "I also have something else to tell all of you. This is about Roop. Jhanvi, Pinky and Shakti already know this but you kids don't. She had a child before marriage that we forced her to give up. I think we should correct that mistake. I am going to put out a call to find that child. I think that child also deserves to be a part of us Oberois. And I am going to apologise to Roop too."

They all looked shocked. Except for Annika. She still keenly watch Tej and his micro-expressions. She was glad that she had picked this up from Shivaay. Observing more rather than speaking.

Om charged towards him. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Tej continued. "I am also thinking that I should handover the whole reign of the Oberoi Empire to Roop's son whenever he comes. My children are not interested in business. Shivaay is missing. Only Roop's son can handle everything now."

Jhanvi picked up the newspaper and hurled it at him. "Have you lost it?"

Tej didn't react. "I wish I had. But it feels like I have just opened my eyes."

But Annika saw it. His pretence. She knew that this wasn't Tej Singh Oberoi the businessman. This was just Tej; someone Shivaay might have known once upon a time. The Tej that existed for his family.

She got up and held his hand. "Don't worry Uncle. Everything that you said just now, will be done. I will sign whatever you want me to."

"Annika Bhabhi..." Om spoke.

"Annika..." Pinky intervened.

Annika put out her hand and stopped them. With tears swimming in her eyes, she croaked looking at Tej. "For Shivaay. Yeah?"

Tej barely whispered, "Yeah."

That was all that Annika needed to hear.

**************************************

Shivaay stared at the window. It was luring him right from the time he had noticed it. Maybe if he tried walking up to it, he could escape from the room.

When he tried to get up from the mattress, his limbs refused to move. With great difficultly, he openly managed to prop himself up a little. Even then, it didn't last. He went crashing back to the mattress and his breathing grew ragged. Darkness spread before his eyes and his head swam.

"When you escape from that window..." Shivaay's mind asked him. "Will you remember this physical tiredness?"

He grunted. He wouldn't. But damn, it was tough. All his life, Shivaay knew how much effort it took for him to sometimes wake up and stand straight. But this was different. He had never found himself this weak.

"Put me down Shivaay!" Annika's voice echoed in his ears. And then he remembered how he sometimes carried her around the house despite her zillion protests.

He wanted to do it again. Yes, he was strong alright. Pushing himself, Shivaay rolled his body off the mattress. Then again. And once again. He looked at the window. It appeared closer now. Perhaps, the room was not that big and his mind was playing tricks on him. If he tried hard enough, he would get to the window quickly. 

Sleek with sweat, his arms slid off to the side. Even this small action had tired him out. Shivaay took a moment to catch his breath. But his mind couldn't stop thinking. Rudra's giggles, his Mom's fussiness, his Dad's silent support, Om's empathy, Gauri's strength, Bhavya's grit, Jhanvi and Tej's pride over him...Shivaay saw it all. And the best gift of his life, Annika. Her eternal love. She was his everything. She was his best friend. She was his lover. She was his guide. She was his soulmate. She was his life.

She would be waiting for him, right? If he didn't pick up her call for five minutes, she raised hell. Now, Shivaay didn't know how many days had passed without talking with her. He needed to get up right now and move towards the window. He couldn't waste any more time.    

Thinking of everything and everyone that were waiting for him back home, Shivaay channelled all his remaining strength and got up. His legs wobbled like crazy but he managed to get to the window.

Holding the frame tightly, Shivaay looked out. A dazzling skyline greeted him. The sun was setting behind the tall skyscrapers and Shivaay squinted his eyes. His vision swam and the view went in and out. But one thing was sure. This wasn't Goa. It looked like Mumbai but Shivaay was not sure of it.

He looked downed and a sudden wave of nausea hit him. Shivaay squeezed his palm over his mouth and swayed on the spot. He was also in a tall rise. If he ever jumped down, his bones would crumble to dust. There was no way he could escape from the window.

"Enjoying the splendid view, are we?" asked the voice from the door.

Shivaay froze. He heard the door close and his legs shook again. He felt the person stand beside him. He slowly looked up and the air was knocked out of his lungs. The now-familiar nausea crept in from his stomach and lodged itself at the back of his throat. The ground beneath his feet suddenly felt soft and he saw stars in front of his eyes.

Just when he was about to hit the ground, Veer caught him. And then, Shivaay blacked out.

**************************************

When Shivaay woke up next, the sour bitterness at the back of his throat had intensified. He flinched and coughed hoping to get rid of it. It didn't help.

"Water..." he moaned. "Please..."

"Here..." 

Shivaay felt a cool liquid flow down his parched throat. He sighed in relief. This was nice. And thankfully, this time, the liquid stopped when he showed resistance.

Enjoying drinking water, Shivaay fell back on the mattress. For a few seconds, he let himself slip into that zone of thoughtlessness where only his body and his needs mattered. But then, his mind muscled back in. Who had given him water? And before he fainted, had he seen Veer?

Shivaay's eyes flew open. Veer was staring at him with a small smile on his face.

"Hey there brother!" he greeted. "I hope you are feeling better now. You just fainted."

The basic instincts that always existed in Shivaay's gut, made him flinch. This didn't feel right. What was Veer doing there? How had he found Shivaay? Why was he calling him a brother? Relying on those instincts, Shivaay moved a little away from Veer.

"Arre, arre!" Veer clicked his tongue. With a small movement, Veer pulled Shivaay right back. "Don't be afraid of me."

It was then that Shivaay realized how weak he had become. He just blankly stared at Veer. What could he say anyway?

"I know you have too many questions right now but before that, let me show you this..."

Veer turned the mobile towards Shivaay and showed him a few pictures and a police officer's testimony. Nothing registered in Shivaay's brain but Veer explained it to him. "Our Uncle Tej Singh Oberoi and Mr Kapoor started the Kalyani Mills fire. But they buried the truth."

Shivaay knew that whatever Veer was telling him was supposed to be serious but Tej's mention reminded him of the dream he had seen. Would he also laugh if he squirted orange peels in his eyes now? Would he still tickle him?

"Are you listening, Shivaay?" Veer patted his cheek furiously.

"What?" Shivaay groaned and held his head. "Speak slowly..."

Veer's eyebrow went up. "Are you really trying to order your elder brother?"     

Shivaay's head throbbed with pain. What was happening? He sighed, "Brother?"

"Yes!" said Veer.

Then like a parent, Veer put his hands under Shivaay's armpits and forcefully made him sit up. He rested Shivaay's back against the wall and sat in front of him. Due to sudden actions, Shivaay head spun more and he felt like he was going to faint again. But before that could happen, water was splashed on his face.

Huffing, Shivaay now sat up completely. He shakily wiped the water off his face and looked at Veer. "What?"

"Listen to me carefully," Veer made him look into his eyes. "I am your brother. I am your Roop Bua's son."

"Huh?" Shivaay gasped. "No..."

A sudden memory flashed in Shivaay's mind. He had employed people to investigate about Kalyani Mills. And during that search, he had come to know about Roop Bua's son. Well, illegitimate son. His mother had accompanied Roop to a hospital to get a child checked. It all could mean only one thing, Roop had a child. And Shivaay was sure that Kalyani and Tej would have forced her to give the child up. The family's reputation was a big thing for them.

But how could that son be Veer? Shivaay's headache intensified.

Veer clutched Shivaay's hospital shirt and shook him like a rag doll. "No? Dare you say that word! I will throw you out of the window you were looking out from at this very instance. I am as much a Oberoi as you are. Get it?"

"Slow..." Shivaay moaned, his head hanging in the air. "Don't shout please..."

"I will shout! Don't tell me what to do!" Veer screamed and threw him on the mattress.

The mattress wasn't that thick to cushion his body and Shivaay's head hit the ground. Blinding pain shot up in Shivaay's head. Holding his head, Shivaay cried out loudly. His vision swam with water as he tried to regain his bearing.    

"Aw does it hurt?" asked a female voice. "Veer is very rough. I agree."      

"Ugh..." Shivaay tried to look at her. He blinked furiously, ignoring the head-splitting pain in his skull. When his vision cleared a bit he was surprised to see Roop in front of him.

"Bua?" he asked, as if unsure and expelled a breath.

"Yes beta," Roop smiled. "It's me."

"He was trying to escape from the window, Mom..." Veer told her.

Roop laughed like a maniac. "Oh Shivaay, we are on the 40th floor. How can you escape from here? Unless you want to skydive. Sure then, be my guest."

Shivaay tried to sit up and ask her, "Is he your son?"

Roop's smile dimmed. "Yes. The one your family banished."

Shivaay's arms shook again. He fell back on the mattress with a whump. Now that he had heard everything, fear started to creep in Shivaay's veins. What were these two people doing in this closed room? Had they got him there? What did everything mean? But still, Roop Bua was his family, right? She wouldn't harm him.  

"Why am I here?" he managed to ask.    

Roop chuckled and pinched his cheek. "Arre mere golu molu, woh kya hai na, hume lena hai badla. Dekh, Om ko uthate, toh tu hume dundh leta. Rudra ko bhi uthate, to bhi hume dundh hi leta tu. Same with Annika or any other member of the Oberoi family. Is liye humne socha, tumhe hi utha lete hai. Your family isn't competent enough to find you. Good plan right?"

Everything in Shivaay's head went blank. But his lips quivered, "You..."  

"Yes," Roop caressed his head. "We did all this. Created a misunderstanding and got you banished from the Oberoi kingdom. Then poisoned you and now this..."

Shivaay's focus scattered and everything went hazy in front of his eyes. His ears heat up. He knew this. It happened when he was anxious and fearful. He had learned how to deal with it. But right now, his brain had switched off. Panic seized him whole and rendered him useless. He felt like a child again; helpless and terrified.

"Okay now let me feed you something," Roop moved towards him. "You must be hungry."

"No..." Shivaay scampered back knowing that it wasn't anything good.

Veer merely rolled his eyes. In one stroke, Veer grabbed Shivaay's hands and locked them over his torso. He didn't even move from his place. Roop laughed seeing Veer's strength. She removed three different pills from their wrappers and pressed open Shivaay's mouth. This time around, he screamed loudly.

"Ugh," Roop made a face. "You can scream all you want but it won't make a difference. No one can hear you. So, I