PreeRan Ff: Kashmakash

19~Room For The Baby

Mauli came with Alia outside Pragati and Nalini's house and rung the doorbell. Pragati answered the door and seeing them, she invited them inside without wasting a second. Nalini was busy playing with the budgie who was sleepy and climbed in her lap, she caressed its furry body to make it sleep. Meanwhile the trio settled on the couch. "Pragati, I would come straight to the point. Now that Dev disappeared for the second time, and that we strongly doubt that Arjun is behind it and even behind killing Ishwari, I think this is the safest place for Alia right now," she said.

Pragati nodded. "Sure, Alia would be safe here, but I am shocked about Ishwari aunty's death, how can uncle kill her like that? He didn't even think about Alia, most importantly Dev," she said sadly. "That's the irony Pragati didi, dad is being so shady, he's too mysterious, what to expect? I just want my bhai to come back, that's all I want, and I don't want dad to ever come back in our lives," Alia said and looked down as her eyes pooled up with tears, Mauli hugged her. "Baby, Alia, look, when there's a will, there's a way, we all are still willing to find Dev, right? He would be found, and, you both would stay with me and Sagar, safe and sound," Mauli said as she cried.

She let her cry for a moment, Pragati came and sat beside Alia as Mauli broke the hug. "Alia, everything would be fine, don't worry," she said consoling her. "Alia, I am going to Arjun's house right now, I would get his hair sample and get it matched with the blood sample on the handkerchieves we found, that ways we would know if its Dev blood or not," Mauli said.

Alia nodded, Mauli began to leave when Alia stood up and ran to her and grasped her hand, Mauli startled and looked behind and saw her emotional. She hugged Alia tightly. "Mauli aunty please be careful, if something happens to you as well, then I would be alone, I can't lose you as well, please stay safe," she said and sobbed. Mauli smiled and kissed her head. "Okay jaan, I will be safe," Mauli said and caressed her hair, Alia didn't break the hug and stayed in the hug, Mauli understood that she is adamant to not let her go.

"Alia, bacha, I will be okay," she assured, Alia broke the hug and shook her head. "Mauli aunty, I would also come with you," Alia said. Mauli shook her head. "No Alia beta, you think he can't harm you? He can, of course he can," she said. "And what about you? What's the guarantee that you would come back alive? Mauli aunty, understand, I lost my mom and my brother both, please don't ask me to stay behind, Pragati didi, please ask her to take me along," Alia said and began to cry even more. Pragati came to her.

"Alia, baby, what if he kidnaps you as well?" Pragati said. Alia looked down. "Okay, but if I stay back, I also won't let Mauli aunty go there, if my safety isn't guaranteed so is hers," she said. Mauli held her chin and made her look up at her. "Okay bubba, come, okay? You're so little yet you convince very well," Mauli said praising her and Alia wiped her tears and smiled a little. The duo exited the house. Pragati watched them walking away and closed the door and looked behind at Nalini who was asleep on the floor leaning to the couch with the budgie in her lap. She went to her and took the budgie in her hands without disturbing her sleep and put it inside the cage and locked it. She woke up Nalini as well and asked her to sleep on the bed. She lied on the bed and dozed off.

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Mauli and Alia entered Arjun's house through the window and the house was dead silent. They walked to Arjun's room and opened the door to his room and peeped inside, Arjun wasn't there but the whole room was messy as if a huge battle occurred there.

Well, of course it occurred, when Karan had come to free Preeta from Arjun's clutches. They walked inside the room. "What has happened here? Who fought so much?" Alia asked and Mauli shrugged. "God knows," she said and walked to the dressing table and picked his comb. She fisted the hair sample and placed it in a plastic bag and put it back in her bag. "Got it," she said and turned and saw Arjun standing behind Alia, she gasped and ran to Alia and pulled her away in a fear that Arjun would harm Alia too.