Chapter 26 The Return and The Reunion

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Vikram sees his daughter's expressions even through the glass window. Along with everyone, Shree and Vikram approach the car as it pulls up on the driveway.

When Shree casually called Savitri in the evening to catch up on Anu's engagement and the rest, she didn't expect to hear the devasting news about her own daughter. Mahi is missing. She is probably being kidnapped, dropped Shree's heart. Thankfully Vikram was next to her when she heard Savitri breaking down on the call. Vikram got hold of his wife as he spoke to Savitri and Maan about the situation. It didn't take more than a couple of seconds for Vikram to decide to leave for Pune immediately.

And here they are after a one and half hour flight from Ahmedabad. When they reached the house, Maan updated Vikram and Shree about the police efforts, also Dev's whereabouts. Vikram also makes few calls to his contacts to increase the police effort to find his daughter faster. A couple hours later, they receive Dev's call telling them that Mahi's on her way home. He'll tell the details when they'll reach home.

Within half an hour of that call, a white sedan enters the premises. Everyone leaves their seats to approach the vehicle. Mahi gets down from the back door of the car. Shree almost runs to her and fills her in a hug. It's been a year, she has seen her daughter. Mahi too gives in to her mother's embrace as her mother breaks down when she sees Mahi dishevelled. Even while hugging her mother, Mahi keeps curious eyes in the direction of her father. Vikram stood right next to his wife. As soon as Shree breaks the hugs, Vikram welcomes his only daughter with a firm embrace. Mahi becomes emotional seeing her parents here, waiting for her. Eventually, Mahi notices everyone as the sky become lighter.

She could see Amit, Shruti, Ekta and Rohit as the addition to the crowd who were already home. But, she couldn't locate Dev in them.

Savitri notices Mahi's wandering eyes,' Dev and Arjun are on their way. It will take them another half an hour to reach. They went a little far looking for you.'

Mahi nods lightly to an answer to her silent query. She immediately turns towards the couple and introduces them to her friends and family. The pain from her sprained leg makes her limp as she starts to walk towards the house. She finds her father next to her, holding her and helping her walk with a smile.

Soon after she settles on one of the sofas, the family physician arrives to check on Mahi. He cleans the wound on the corner of her mouth and takes care of her sprain by injecting some sedatives. The doctor asks her that she should relax a bit and let the sedatives do some healing. Mahi just agrees verbally, but she becomes restless as she waits for Dev. Meanwhile, she fills everyone with the details of what all happened and how she escaped.

Mahi is seated on the sofa next to her mother, holding her hand as everyone else stood or sat surrounding her. Even the doctor stood silently on sides waiting for sedatives to kick in so that he could relax a little. Within the next twenty minutes or so, the sound of a car entering the gates reaches Mahi's ears. Soon after that, Dev enters half running, followed by Arjun behind him.

The moment Mahi sees Dev's face, faint smile forms around her mouth that Vikram quietly observes. Vikram also notices Dev stopping briefly at a distance to see Mahi seated and losing his tensed expressions as he takes urgent strides towards Mahi. He takes her in his arms, sitting down next to her, without giving any heeds to the audience he might garner. At this moment, his only concern is the woman in his arms. The one he can feel breathing in his embrace.

'You are alright?' asks Dev, not breaking the embrace.

Mahi nods, smiling and wrapping her arms around him. 'Yes.'

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