Sehgal House,

Evening,

Mahir came into the house and instantly started looking for his eldest daughter in law but couldn't find her.

"Bela,Bela"Mahir then called his wife who appeared from the kitchen.

"Kya hua?"Bela asked sensing his urgency through his tone.

"Iknoor kaha h?"Mahir asked and that got everyone's attention.

"Kyu?kya hua h?"Bela again asked.

"Jaake Iknoor ko bulakr lekr aa Aashu"Mahir said looking at his younger daughter who sat with the other members of the family.

"Okay papa"Aashu said and left to get Iknoor.

"Kya hua h Mahir?"Andy asked.

"She has resigned from the hospital!"Mahir said and everyone gasped hearing that.

Resigned!

Why?

"Kyu?"Bela asked surprised to hear that.

Iknoor came downstairs with Aashi upon hearing that Mahir was calling her,she knew what he wanted to talk to her about.

"Yaha aao beta"Mahir said and Iknoor did as asked.

"Betho"Mahir said and Iknoor sat on the couch placed in front of him.

"Yeh kya h?"Mahir asked showing her the resignation letter she had typed and sent through a peon to his office instead of coming herself and talking to him.

"Re.. resignation letter"Iknoor said.

"Kyu?aur tum khud kyu nhi aayi isse dene?"Mahir asked.

"Aap busy the tab,isliye mein peon ke through bhijwa diya tha"Iknoor said.

"Puttar pr tu resign kyu kr rahi h?koi aur job offer aa gaya h kya tujhe"Dadi asked and Iknoor shook her head in denial at that.

"Did something happen at the hospital?is someone bothering you? Gynaecology department mein koi issue h kya?"Mahir asked then and she again shook her head in denial at that.

Nirvair who had just then arrived back from his work too saw Mahir interrogating his wife and frowning at that.

"Kya hua?"Nirvair asked.

"Bhabhi ne job se resign kr diya h"Hriday said and Nirvair was surprised hearing that.

"Kyu?"Nirvair asked looking at his wife this time.

Had she done this because of him?

"Iknoor beta koi problem h toh batao Mahirji ko,woh thik kr denge,tumhe job chodne ki kya zaroorat h?"Bela intervened talking softly to her and that was enough for Iknoor to burst into tears.

Everyone was surprised seeing that too.

This was the second time she had gotten emotional in a span of two days.

What was happening to her?

"Iknoor, it's okay beta,you can share it with me,I promise mein sab thik kr dunga"Mahir said as he couldn't help but patt her head.

But Iknoor didn't said anything to him instead tears kept pouring down her eyes silently making everyone worried for her.

A new bride crying at her in law's place isn't a good sign of her happy married life.

"Mein baat krta hu papa"Nirvair said understanding that Iknoor maybe wasn't comfortable sharing anything infront of so many people.

Nirvair went and gently held her hand,making her stand up,she didn't protest and followed him as he took her towards their bedroom.

The family didn't protested on that too,it was better if he talks to her,maybe he can get through her the way they can't.

"Kya hua h?"Nirvair asked as he made her sit on the bed and sat infront of her.

He couldn't help but reach out to wipe her tears but Iknoor moved back not letting him do it.

"Tumhe farak nhi padna chahiye"Iknoor said as she proceeded to leave from there but he was quick to stop her and make her sit again.

"I know I am the last person you would want to share anything about yourself,but please can we keep all our differences aside just for now?"Nirvair asked softly but she shook her head in denial,more tears falling down from her eyes making him feel sad for her.

Somewhere he was the reason behind those tears.

"Iknoor,just talk to me,I promise to listen"Nirvair said giving her his undivided attention,his blue eyes shining with honesty.

Iknoor stared into his eyes for once, trying to decipher any lies in them,but there was none.

"Please Iknoor"Nirvair again said but Iknoor still shook her head in denial.

She cried more,she had wanted to since the moment she had left the hospital in the afternoon.

She couldn't cry because she knew there was nobody to console her then,also she didn't wanted to grieve about it.

Nirvair sighed.

He can't force her to share things with him when he is the person who has hurted her the most since she has come here.

He went downstairs and asked his mother to come with him.His mother anyways was a real mumma bear,no matter who the person is,they automatically get attracted to Bela because of the motherly feelings she shows all the time towards every kid.

Bela was worried about Iknoor,seeing her cry like that had made her curious at the same time vigilant about what was bothering her.

Are things that worse for her that she has to resolve to breaking into tears?

"Iknoor,beta kya hua h?"Bela asked getting concerned seeing her crying self.

Nirvair did stood beside them but then Bela gestured him to leave them alone.

She wanted Iknoor to feel comfortable sharing whatever was bothering her.

"Kya hua h beta?tum mujhe bata sakti ho,I promise mein thik krne ki koshish karungi"Bela said and Iknoor burst into more tears.

Hearing her loving yet caring words Iknoor was reminded of her mother who if would have been alive would have talked to her the same way.

"Mujhe bataogi?I promise mein samajhne ki koshish karungi?"Bela said and Iknoor then nodded her head as if she was a lil kid.

"Me..mer..meri ek patient ki... delivery....t..thi aaj...I..I... couldn't...sa..save...her!"Iknoor said,not knowing why she was sharing this with her of all people but she wanted to get this off of her chest for now,it felt like a burden to her.

"Sh..she...was..ex...expec... expecting...tw....twins....n..non..none...of...the...them sur.. survived!"Iknoor said and burst into fits of tears,she couldn't handle herself.

It was too traumatizing for her to declare the death timing of three lives together.

The babies were too small,they had a whole life to live, their chance at life was snatched away from them.

The mother just cared about her babies,she was ready to herself die just to give birth to her babies.

Iknoor couldn't do anything!

Things slipped from her hands so fast there was nothing she could do to save atleast one of them.

The family was devasted hearing that news,their hallow cries filled with pain still is fresh in her mind,no matter how much she tried she couldn't shake off the painful screams of the father from her mind.

It was all too much for her!

It was her fault after all!

She was supposed to save them!

None of them survived!

What the hell was she doing then?

Nirvair didn't wanted her as his wife!

She couldn't tell the truth to her family!

She wasn't even doing justice to her job!

Wife!

Daughter!

Daughter in law!

Doctor!

None of the roles fit her!

She wasn't good at anything!

She doesn't deserve to be a doctor!

No one else should lose their lives because of her mistakes!

Her job was to make them survive,bring new lives into this world,if she couldn't do it,she should just quit doing it.

And so that is what she had done!

"Iknoor,tumhari galti nhi thi!it can happen to anyone"Bela said breaking the chain of her depressing thoughts.

She understood what she was thinking,she was thinking bad about herself,she thought she was an incompetent doctor.

Which she wasn't!

"You weren't there to watch it!you don't know what happened at the OT!they three died!died at my hands and I couldn't do anything!"Iknoor said as angry tears poured through her eyes.

She was done!

Done with this job!

No one else would die at her hands now!

She had enough of this!

"Ikn..

"No!you don't understand! nobody does!"She said as she harshly wiped her tears trying to stop crying.

Bela sighed.

She understood it was all too much for her,watching three lives die at her hands is a nightmare.

"Right,I don't understand it,I can never understand it either.....but I know beta it's difficult....but life is difficult right?kuch bhi aasan thodi hota h.....aur hamesha sab sahi thodi hota h?"Bela said and Iknoor stared at her trying to understand her words.

"I am supposed to save lives! that's what doctors do!......uss aurat ne...mujh..mujhse be..beg kiya tha...to..to..save..he..her kids...I

.I.... couldn't...do..do...it"Iknoor said as the trauma of not being able to save any of them still haunted her.

Seeing her crying so profusely,Bela understood only one thing could work for her.

Bela went and embraced her tightly,patting her head softly as she held her close trying to ease her up.

At first Iknoor was motionless,she didn't do anything,but then she clutched onto Bela for dear life.She wanted this the most right now.

She wanted to be hugged by someone,to hide into someone's protective embrace.

The warmth radiating off from her mother in law was soothing for her,she needed this the most.

She cried,cried and cried till her tears didn't dried away and no more tears were left in her eyes.

Bela didn't stopped her either,she let her cry so that all the pent up emotions could come out of her and she would feel light.

As she broke the hug,Iknoor was embarrassed on crying like a baby infront of her mother in law,she shouldn't have acted like that.

"I..I..I..am..sorry"Iknoor said but Bela shrugged it off.

"Apne emotions show krne pr sorry nhi hona chahiye"Bela said.

"I know it's very difficult for you to come to terms with it beta....but jo ho gaya usse hum change nhi kr sakte....haa tum doctor ho...tumhara kaam jaan bacahana h...pr at the end you are just a person too...bhagwan thodi ho ki sabko bacha sakte ho....but that doesn't means tum incompetent ho,you have given your best,it was just in their destiny"Bela said but Iknoor didn't say anything in response.

Bela understood that she would take time to cheer up again and realise that what she was saying was right,so she didn't force her thoughts onto her for now.

"Ab jao muh dhokr aao"Bela said.

"Uncle mujhse bht gussa h na?"Iknoor asked thinking about Mahir,she did realise that immediately resigning like that wasn't a way to deal with things but she wasn't in a state to deal with them now.

"Koi tumse gussa nhi h,you don't worry at all....jao muh dhokr aao,mein khana lekr aati hu"Bela said with a kind smile and though Iknoor wasn't in a mood to have anything,she nodded because she didn't wanted to trouble them more than she has already done.

Bela went downstairs and shared whatever had happened with the family.

"I think aapko usse baat krni chahiye papa!she is demotivated right now,you have had such experiences in your profession,you can get through her"Nirvair said because Mahir was a doctor too,he too might have lost patients.

Mahir nodded hearing that.

"Pehele usse kuch khaane dijiye Mahirji,usne lunch bhi nhi kiya tha"Bela said and Mahir nodded at that.

"Send it up to her room,she needs some space"Andy said and Bela nodded at that.

Bela took two plates of dinner towards her bedroom and kept both of them in front of Iknoor who sat on the bed.

She had calmed herself down and wasn't crying anymore because her tears couldn't change things.

Iknoor quietly picked up one plate,she didn't question why her mother in law was having dinner with her instead of the family and the two silently had dinner.

Though Iknoor didn't eat much Bela didn't force her to eat more because at least she had something and hadn't skipped her meal.

"Mein lekr chali jaati hu aunty"Iknoor offered when Bela picked up the plates.

She felt bad seeing her mother in law do all the chores while she sat there doing nothing.

"It's okay,mein kr lungi,tum so jao ab"Bela said and Iknoor nodded but didn't make any move to sleep which made Bela narrow her eyes at her.

Iknoor couldn't sleep on the bed,she slept on the couch but she couldn't let her mother in law know about it.

"So jao Iknoor"Bela again said and Iknoor immediately nodded and got under the covers.

Bela turned the bed side lamp off and gently patted Iknoor's head once before she left the bedroom.

Iknoor closed her eyes as she felt the gentle patt on her head.Her eyes were stinging now because of all the crying and no matter how much she tried she couldn't keep them open.She closed her eyes thinking she would shift to the couch once her mother in law left but soon enough she fell asleep.

The happenings of the day were too much for her,she hadn't eaten well,had cried a lot and all the over thinking and all had left her tired and so she fell asleep in mins.