“Yes! Miss! What are you up to this time?” he asked her and she raised her eyes just in time to catch that amused glint in those blue eyes that sparkled...
“Oh OK! What do we have here? A swollen ankle!” the doc said as he examined her leg, and turned to the Prince saying “Kunwar, I think it‟s a dislocation or worse still a fracture...”

“What?” Raina was worried...
“Ok... everybody! Get back to your seats now...” the admin head cleared the rest of the staff as the doctor put a crepe bandage and advised for diagnostics and left. “Call her people and ask them to take her home” Deepthimaan said to Raina as he made to go back...
Raina looked at Khushi and said, “Can I drop her home sir?”
“Why? Can‟t someone come?” He asked and added ... “or will that hurt her ego!”
“No!” Raina flinched and said, “I would like to go settle her at ...er...home...”
“You? Are you crazy? You need looking after first. You know that?” he asked the fully pregnant woman.
“Ahem...please sir” Raina pleaded with him.
“Why can‟t someone come from her home?” He asked glaring at her when Khushi glared at him and said coldly. “Coz there isn‟t anyone there to.”
He was stunned. Of course! Why didn’t he think of that before! She lived alone. So what? “Put me in a taxi and ....” she was still talking to Raina when he called out loudly, “SURI...” silencing her.
“No I don‟t need help....” She sputtered as he bent over her, his hands resting on the arm rests of the chair, and his eyes piercing through her heart and said, “You don‟t! But I don‟t leave any of my staff unattended to that way! So shut up and go home...” She made an „o‟ with her mouth, and saw that that amused him and his lips twitched as he said “Suri inkay gharwaalein...”

(Suri! Her family...)

“Nahee hai!”

(...aren‟t there) She said coldly making him to turn and look at her at the cold inflection in her voice. “Ok! Drop her home and intimate her people. She might be needing help at home” he told Raina this time.
“I told you there isn‟t anyone!” Her voice came steady and cold.

“Oh they must be at your hometown...which is...?” he inquired... “Er...nahi! Humaara...koi nahi hai”
(There isn‟t any family) She said reluctantly he realized.
He slowly turned and asked, “How did you descend on to the earth Ma‟am? You flew down from Heaven?”

Khushi smiled. HA! She did not know where she flew down from but she knew that she descended into hell for sure.
She instead said, “Not all of us are privileged to have a family sir”
Raina squeezed her arm saying, “Khushi...its ok...we will take turns and ...” “NOOOOOOO! No please! I hate to be a bother! I can take care of myself. Just put me into a taxi.” Khushi wailed embarrassed at the attention she was getting.

“What‟s your problem lady when she so sweetly is offering help? Just shut up and go home.” The prince hissed at her and walked out to a car that stood waiting and after throwing some keys at SurPal drove away making everyone breathe out in relief, at once.

“Aap theek rahogi?”

(Will you be alright?)

SurPal was asking her.

Khushi was staring at him as he took her home - she had to give him her address as her leg completely gave way and she could not risk calling for private help. He settled her on the bed. Made her comfortable. Got medicines as prescribed and when he found out that water needed to be carried from the owner‟s building, he went out and bought a can of bottled water for 25 liters and kept it handy on a small table near her cot. He made tea and now they were both having it.
For the second time, she felt threatened by tears over his genuine concern.
“Aur kutch chaahiye?”
(Do you need anything?) He was asking, and sounded so much like Suraj - her brother! She shook her head as a tear rolled down her cheek and stuttered, “Nai bhaiyya! Hum theek hain!”
(No brother, I am alright.)
SurPal looked at her sharply and she said “Muaff keejiye! I shouldn‟t have! I...er...remembered my brother.” (Forgive me!)
“Koi nai. Hum...er...humay accha laga.”
(No worries, actually felt good you did), he said smiling at her easily, and she liked him and said, "Thank you!"
“Khana? Khana kaun banayega?”
(Who will cook for you?) SurPal was asking...
“Will your prince grill you on this too? She tried to dodge him by making fun of the Prince.
“Kunwar kutch bhi pooch sakthein hain kyun ki...(He can ask anything coz...) He doesn‟t do things to please others. He does them coz they should be done.”

He said that so seriously that Khushi understood the Prince was off limits.
She shrugged and said, “Please thank him on my behalf.”
“Theek hain...” SurPal said and left. (Alright)