When the Sun meets the Moon

Not far enough!

Ann ran out of the hospital. She needed fresh air to breath. Night neighed out loud sensing her presence. The adamant steed was being dragged back home by Khanna. Ann walked up to Night and placed her palm on his face. The steed nuzzled on her hair apologetically. "It's okay buddy...It's not your fault! It's mine!". Khanna kept pulling the reigns and Night refused to budge. "Khanna Ji...Is it okay if I walk him home? I'll make sure he get's home!" Ann offered to a relieved Khanna who swiftly handed over the stubborn stallion's reigns to Ann. Ann walked silently holding on to his Maine. Images of the day flashed by her. The carriage exploding...Shivaay's bones cracking...his cries of pain...his seizures all haunted her.

She didn't even realise she was walking Night back through the Oberoi mansion gates, and towards far deeper grounds, where Shivaay's lake of solitude lied. She let Night grace for a bit, and she sat on the shallow bank. Sun was setting and the skies were succumbing to the dusk. She realised, she perhaps wasn't afraid of darkness as much as she was afraid of losing him today. How...or when did he get this important to her she did not know. There was something between them...something more than friendship...he felt like a part of her...her own. Whatever it was between them, it was painful...terrifying...and confusing for her. She decided the best course of action was to flee from it all. She walked Night back to his stable and placed a kiss on him, "Goodbye Night!"

"Didi....Didi Gauri came running and hugged her tight, as she was about to walk out of the mansion gates, avoiding meeting the Oberoi's. "I..I..just came to drop Night...He wasn't heeding to Khannaji...I should go home..." She said. "Didi it's getting dark...Please don't go by yourself...Daadi is so upset...She is just crying from the time we got the news...Please...Until Om comes home...please stay!" Gauri pleaded. Ann hesitatingly stepped  inside the mansion. Tia was seated next to the old matriarch, who was visibly distraught. Daadi, seeing Ann jumped up on her feet, and hugged her. "Oh Putter...Look what happened to my Billu...He...He ran in the middle of his engagement saying something important came up...They say he saved the governors life...but how?...I am so worried Ann...So worried about him!" He...He's there because of me...it's my fault...Ann couldn't say it out loud; she looked at her feet instead.

"Daadi please eat something!" Gauri brought over a plate of food, and Daadi refused. A worried Tej, and a rather jovial Mehra joined them in the drawing room. "Shivaay has really flipped the coin on to our side! He's a smart smart Boy!" Mr. Mehra blew a whiff of smoke into air, and everyone looked at him flabbergasted. "Mr.Mehra...My son is lying in a hospital bed with broken bones...and you are thinking about the political advantage our business's are going to get?" Tej shook his head in disbelief. "Well...His broken bones are from something else entirely...as my sources tell me!" Mr. Mehra met Ann's eyes with a suspicious smirk, and Ann looked away.

"What do you mean Mr.Mehra?" Daadi asked him. "The impact I meant...He probably would have jumped out just in time..." Mr. Mehra sat beside his daughter who was fidgeting with her gold ring with an emerald stone on her ring finger. "Papa...Is Shivaay going to be okay?...I mean he will be okay by the time of the wedding won't he?" Tia asked. "I'll make sure he will be darling! The governor has even offered his personal physician to treat him! He'll come back home soon! To where he belongs...to you!" He blew a puff of smoke in the air again. Ann hugged Daadi, and Gauri, bidding them goodbye. She knew she had no place here... She didn't belong here...

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Shivaay kept coming in an out of consciousness. Oberoi's had brought him back home, and he had the royal physician visiting him as per the governors instructions every day. His room was filled with gifts, and well wishes. Tej and Mehra proudly accepted the compliments, and praise the retired governor kept bestowing on Shivaay for saving his life. "I told you Tej...Your boy has a great future! He saved the right man!" Mr. Mehra winked and shook hands with Tej.