The big announcement happened the next day, as Khushi had predicted. Arnav and Javed tried their best to look surprised, but their happiness for Akash was genuine – there was no need to pretend.

Sure thing, Manorama took this news almost as a personal offense and made a whole speech about how she was "too young to be a grandmother". Her hysterics was going out of hand when Javed chimed in and saved the day – he convinced Manorama that in ten or so years she'd still be young and beautiful and will make all her contemporaries envy with how young of a grandma she is. This has put things into perspective and helped Manorama to make her piece with the situation – she'd even congratulated Payal and gave her some dietary advices so she wouldn't gain extra weight.

…

But the festive atmosphere was too hard for Anjali to handle; it was choking her with tears she could not shed because it would upset the family. Anjali made an excuse to leave the breakfast earlier so the family could keep on celebrating the news.

…

He cleared his throat to make his presence known, but there was no need for that – somehow Anjali already knew that Javed came to her terrace. Maybe she was expecting him to check on her after her escape this morning… or maybe it was wishful thinking…

His voice was hoarse, uneven:

- If you want me to leave, just say it. I just came to see if you needed a company, but if you don't – I will understand… Do you… - he sounded unsure, - do you want me to leave?

- I want you to stay, - Anjali scooted over on a bench so he could sit next to her.

Javed followed her lead and sat beside her. Anjali hasn't looked at him, hasn't spoke to him – and so he kept silent too. This was a moment for Anjali to decide on how she wanted to grieve her loss.

…

An explosion of laughter downstairs was a clear sigh that Raizada's kept celebrating… and not even yesterday shootings could keep them away from their joy of expanding family.

Once Javed remembered the shooting he searched the neighboring forest hill carefully for any sights of possible attack. But then again – the sun was too bright and Shantivan's numerous metal and glass surfaces created a great blinding shine to try shooting at them now.

Relieved with this conclusion Javed turned to watch Anjali – only to see that she was crying. Was she crying all this time?

It wasn't a kind of hysterical cry when women wrecked havoc around them in their sorrow. It was silent, almost peaceful… because the real storm was happening so deep inside that it drained every emotion from the surface. Anajli's face became a stilled beautiful mask… and only tears kept rolling one after another… She was crying her soul out and not a sound has skipped her white lips. It was excruciating to watch.

Javed pleaded:

- Anjali, what is it? Tell me, what's happening? Can I help?

To his surprise she responded – in a bleak, hushed voice:

- Can you work miracles?

Javed held his breath horrified with the way she sounded – like from a grave. Anjali took his silence as an answer – but she'd already known it beforehand. She turned a bit in the direction of happy exclamations and laughter – a picture of happy family… Anjali whispered – more to herself than to anybody else, But Javed had still heard her:

- I would never bring this happy news to the family. Never.

Javed touched her palm and she startled as if she'd only just now realized that he was sitting next to her. Anjali eyed him with sort of surprised curiosity and Javed took this as a sign that she's willing to talk:

- Anjali, but… why? You're still young, you can have as many children as you want to!

Her beautiful face was bleak before – now it went grey, overshadowed by some tragedy Javed didn't know about, but he hoped she would share it with him. Because whatever it was that was hurting his loved one – Javed was going to fight it to the end!

Maybe Anjali didn't care if anybody knew… or she wanted HIM to know… but she answered:

- I can't have kids. After I'd… - she made an effort trying to push these words out, - lost my princess… the doctor who was examining me… he said…

Anjali didn't realize it but she was clutching Javed's palm, digging her nails into his skin – like his hands were the only things keeping her afloat.

- The doctor said I couldn't have kids. I never should've gotten pregnant in the first place… but it did happen. He said… it was a miracle.

Anjali was gasping for air as she voiced her worst real-life nightmare:

- This was my one-time miracle… my baby-princess… and he'd killed her. He killed both her and my only chance to have a baby…

And then it surfaced – her angst, her sorrow, her pain and agony, her million of unfulfilled wishes and that one wish that was taken away from her. Anjali has fallen to Javed's chest and cried, cried, cried… He kept stroking her hair, embracing her tightly… and whispering "I love you, I love you, I love you"… Javed knew she wasn't listening, but he'd been saying this for himself – his love for Anjali was the deepest and the most powerful emotion in his body and he knew that somehow, someway that emotion would fix everything – because he loved her!

…

Anjali pushed Javed away and screamed:

- Don't! You hear me? Don't! Don't you dare loving me!

Javed was shocked – where was this coming from? And Anjali kept going, getting more hysterical and louder with every word:

- Why do you want me? You have so many women pining over you – young, gorgeous, healthy women! You would make a perfect couple with any of them! Have a perfect marriage, perfect kids, perfect family pictures, perfect everything! Because that's what you are, aren't you? Perfect!

Anjali's words became bitter, angry… maybe she was trying to hurt him… or maybe she was trying to hurt herself.

- You know what people would say, don't you? That you'd married me, your best friend's older sister, out of pity! Because nobody else would take a childless cripple whose ex-husband is a maniac on a killing spree! Or that you'd married me for my family's fortune, like Shyam did… Because no one would ever marry me for me! Do you really want people to think that of you?

Anjali felt dizzy – either from breathing heavily, or because she was finally saying all the harsh truth she was hiding from in her little palace of perfectness. The expire date for her child-like naiveté came today…

- You know what? My father drove my mother to a suicide and then killed himself too! My husband killed my daughter and tried killing my brother… twice! Everybody I ever loved dies! Because I'm cursed! Do you really want ME to love YOU?

Javed overcame the distance between them in few wide steps and grabbed Anjali into tight embrace. The sound of his pounding heart knocked her off her hysteria and she softened in his arms so Javed practically held her standing. His low rumbling voice – more like a growl – was mesmerizing, it was surging through her body, imprinting on her bones…

- Yes! Yes, Anjali, I want you to love ME! I don't care if you are cursed and your love would end my life – without it I don't live anyways! I don't care what people would say – I will cut my arm at elbow so they can say you took pity on me. I don't care that you can't have kids – if you want us to have a family, I will make it happen! I don't care for three billion women in this world because you are the only one I want to call "my woman"!

He begged her… begged her for his life… for both of their lives…

- Please, Anjali, don't do this to yourself! Don't let your fears be your prison, don't let them to take you away from life… from me. I know you are tired, love… Let me fight for you! I will win because my life depends on it! I love you, I love you, I love you…

As he chanted this mantra, Javed felt Anjali's hands on his back – she'd embraced him too. Her touch was the softest caress and he tried to keep it gentle, he really did… Until Anjali raised her eyes – they were so beautiful, so clear, like a night after the rainstorm – and she said:

- Love me, Javed. Please, just love me…

And the worlds collided! And everything seized to be…

Except for the softness of her lips, and her ticklish earlobes, and her sensible skin that reacted so gorgeously to the touch of his stubble…

And above all of that – the sound of her voice as it was deepening with passion and need… when she whispered "Love me, love me… Never stop loving me"…

And that he never did.