Chapter-26: Hold onto this Forever.

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Even though Amish has rejected the idea of Maya's marriage in front of his Dadi, he could not help but keep thinking about what she said. Maya promised him never to put herself or anyone else in danger ever again, but with the level of resentment she holds for Kaku and Dadi, will she be able to control herself? Aditya's fainting has triggered her to do something so drastic. What if, in the future, something else triggers her and she ends up doing the same? He told himself to trust her. As her brother, he should trust her to do what she had promised, but even if she never breaks that promise, it is also a fact that no amount of hurting others can soothe the pain and agony that has been built in Maya since her childhood. No amount of revenge can dissolve the hatred in her. This hatred not only hurts others but also burns her own soul. Still, Amish believes that marriage can't be the answer. He should find a different solution.

After pondering on it for hours, Amish finally finds a solution. If there is anything in this world that can take all of Maya's attention, it's her work. He found that, despite all the drama in the house, Maya always finds time to study and prepare for medical practice. As soon as he gets the idea, everything clicks into place and he knows what to do. He picks up his phone and dials to the only person who can help him with his plan.

***

After returning to the house, Maya stays in her room, reviewing materials from her previous research project. She checked the practical results of the project that her professor back in London pointed out to her. The more she looked at it, the more she understood the crucial drawbacks of such practice. In the evening, when Kuhu finds Maya in her room, she is already too immersed in the project to notice her. Kuhu gently knocks on the door and Maya glances at her. Maya's frown deepens as she looks at Kuhu. Kuhu silently takes a step into the room and Maya stands up from the desk. Kuhu places a glass of milk on Maya's desk and smiles at Maya.

"You have been in your room all day and haven't had anything. You should drink this." Maya looks suspiciously at the glass of milk which disappoints Kuhu. "You'll be able to concentrate better. You seem to be struggling with something. Though I don't know anything about medicine, you can ask Dr. Abhimanyu for guidance. For now, you should drink some milk and rest your eyes. You have been looking at the digital screen for too long."

"Thanks for your concern. I am not hungry. I ate out with Ranav and I don't need rest. A doctor can never succumb to fatigue."

"I would feel relieved if you drank this milk. At least I will be assured that you had something." Maya wants to refuse again but she doesn't want to put up with this conversation any longer than she has to, so she rolls her eyes, lifts the glass and gulps the milk down. As soon as she finishes, she places the glass in Kuhu's hand.

"Are you satisfied, Ms. Kuhu? If you will allow me, I would like to get back to my work."

"Sure, I won't disturb your work. I am so proud of how diligently you work toward your goal. I hope that someday, I can take part in your happiness too." Maya's eyes flutter as her body tightens. She can't help the reaction due to the sincere look on Kuhu's face. If only it were that easy, Maya thought. If only Ms. Kuhu was just a normal aunt and Maya was just an ordinary niece. Unfortunately, their relationship is not so simple and Ms. Kuhu hasn't yet paid for her sins completely. At dinnertime, Ranav finds her to make her eat something but she refuses consistently.

"You should eat something." Ranav brings a plate with roti and raita with some onion rings. He had previously observed that Maya usually liked to pair her food with onion rings so he cut an onion for her.

"And you should leave it here, I will eat it later." Maya has to complete the report today and cannot afford any delay, but Ranav was having none of it.

"If you forgot to eat it and then fall sick, everyone would worry about you and if they worry about you, they will not be able to sleep peacefully knowing you probably haven't had anything to eat. And tomorrow, if you get sick, it'll only concern them more that despite being a doctor yourself, you were unable to take care of yourself. How will they ever trust you to be responsible for your health?"

"Where are you taking this?" 

"To you having this dinner that I got for you." Maya rolls her eyes in annoyance. Maybe she could spare some time for the food. She takes the plate from his hand.

"Fine, I will eat it." Ranav smiles cheekily as he finally wins against Maya and gets her to eat. He watched as she started taking bite after bite. She must've been so hungry, Ranav thought. Maya doesn't say anything throughout the meal and when she's finally done, Ranav attempts to take the plate for her.

"I will take it to the kitchen, I have to wash my hands anyway." She stands up and Ranav follows her downstairs.

"Maya," Ranav calls after her after getting downstairs and she turns around to look at him. "Eat regularly and be well. You will be a responsible doctor, so you can't afford to become a patient." Ranav disappears into his room as Maya is left thinking about what he said. She smiles lightly and leaves.

***

11: 29 PM...

Maya stayed at her desk for about 2 hours after Ranav left and she is still stuck in her paper but slowly her eyes itch. She has been looking at the screen for too long today. She was about to shut down the laptop when she heard a knock at the door. She gets up and opens the door to find Akshay standing in her doorway, with a bowl of noodles in his hand.

"Some midnight snack? You didn't even come down for dinner." Akshay and Maya loved to eat noodles at midnight together with Aditya. Akshay was always the one to sneak in the noodles without Abhir knowing. Maya felt at ease looking at Akshay as it reminded her of how constant Akshay is in her life.

"Thanks but no thanks. I had my dinner and I am full now, so you should eat it."

"What? You ate? When did that happen?" Akshay hadn't seen Maya at the dining table and from what he heard from Kuhu, Maya refused to have anything.

"A while ago. Ranav insisted I have something, so I couldn't refuse." The explanation didn't explain everything for Akshay. He couldn't understand why Ranav would be so concerned for Maya as they clearly weren't close. Moreover, Maya is not someone who couldn't refuse, so why did she go along with him? Despite the insecurity in his heart, Akshay tried not to make much of it and simply felt relieved that Maya had something. He could only convince himself that because he still lacked the courage to pursue his interest in Maya. But that day, Akshay finally realized how much he actually liked Maya. She is not someone he can give up and he doesn't want to be someone she can give up. He knew at that moment that he had to hold her hand and never let go of it. He had to make a move.

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