Screen starts from the Inspector's face,

Karan - Inspector aap batyenge...meri Preeta mili yaa nahi?kaha hai wo?

Inspector - Mr Luthra wo.....

Rakhi - wo kya?aap sab bata kyu nahi rahe?meri bachi mili ki nahi?

Inspector - hume Mrs Luthra mili to hai par.....

Karan - par?par kya?

Inspector removes his cap and looks down,

Inspector - we are sorry to inform you Mr Luthra...hume aapki wife ki dead body mili hai!

All looked at him being shocked,while Karan started laughing,

Karan - inspector aapko koi aur nahi mila kya ye waahiyaat mazak karne ke liye?kuch bhi...agar aapko Preeta nahi mili hai to ye behuda bahane to mat banaiye!

Inspector - ye koi bahana nahi hai Mr Luthra...hume aapki wife ki body bridge ke neeche se mili hai!

Karan(angrily throws a vase) - stop calling my wife as a body!smjhe aap...aapke pass mujhe batane ke liye kuch nahi to aap bakwaas kar rahe hai!mere pass itna time nahi hai yaha waste krne ke liye...aapse nhi ho raha to thik hai....I can find my wife myself!

Inspector - hum smjh skte hai Mr Luthra...but....(signs the constables)

Constables nod and went outside,

Karan(angrily) - kuch...kuch nahi smjh skte aap...agar smjh skte to ye bakwaas nahi kar rahe hote!

Shristi - dekhiye Inspector...aapko meri di nahi mil rahi to aap jaa skte hai...par ye sab baate yaha mat kijiye!

Inspector's sighed,Constables came in with a body inside,they laid the dead body on ground,it was covered with white cloth,

Karan(angrily) - ye kisse le aaye hai aap?aap kisi ki bhi laash yaha le aayenge aur bolenge ki wo meri Preeta hai aur mai maan jaaunga?le jaaiye isse yaha se...mai apki betuki baate nahi sununga!

Inspector - constable!

Constable nods and removes cloth from the body,Karan turned other side in tears,while all gasped seeing it,

All were in tears seeing the body, Shristi fell with a thud numb,Sameer consoled her himself being in tears,Avni stumbled Rishab held her,Rakhi and Dadi fell on sofa with a thud,Mahesh stumbled,Rohit held him making him sit,he was himself seeing the body in tears,

Karan - ye kya kar rahe hai aap log?mai jaanta hu ye jo bhi hai Preeta nahi hai!nahi hai ye meri Preeta!(in tears)

Rohit - Karan...e...ek baar...(whispers tearfully)

Karan(crying) - tera dimag kharab hogya hai Rohit...wo Preeta ho hi nahi skti!nahi!

Mahesh stood and turned him towards the body,

He saw the dead body and was numb,he fell near it,

Karan(whispers) - nahi hai...ye...ye meri Preeta nahi hai!maine kaha tha na Preeta ho hi nahi skti!

Inspector - Mr Luthra I know iska chehra bigda hua hai...par jo details aapne batayi thi aur ye kuch chize hai...jo hume body ke pass se mili!

He gave him a packet,there was a ring and a pair of earrings in it,

He took the earrings in his hand and saw it,

The previous night,when Preeran came with Tara in room,

Preeta was standing in front of mirror,Karan came and back hugged her,

Preeta - kya hua Mr Luthra?

Karan(kissed her cheek) - Mr Luthra ko Mrs Luthra par bahot pyaar aa rha hai!

Preeta(smiles) - acha ji!

Karan(nods) - ek second! tumhare liye kuch hai mere pass!

He went to cupboard and took out something and went to her,

Preeta - kya hai?

Karan - aakhein band karo!

Preeta nodded and closed her eyes,

He took out a pair of earrings and made her wear it,she opened her eyes and saw them surprisingly,

Preeta - Karan ye....

Karan - meri khubsoorat si wifey ke liye ye khubsoorat se jhumke!pasand aaye?

Preeta(turned and kissed his cheek) - bahot bahot bahot pasand!

They were the same pair of earrings he gifted her last night,tears were continuously flowing from his eyes,

Karan(whispers being broken) - nahi...nahi ye meri babydoll nahi ho skti!nahi hai ye meri Preeta!nahi!

Shristi came and snatched the packet from him,she saw the ring,

Shristi - y...ye to papa ki ring hai..isse di kabhi khud se alag nahi karti...iska mtlb..ye...ye di hi...(falls and starts crying miserably)

Sameer held her and tries to calm her down,all starts crying,

Karan(shouts tearfully) - chup rahiye...chup rahiye aap sab...ye meri Preeta nahi hai...kuch nahi hua Preeta ko!mai jaanta hu meri babydoll zinda hai!wo bas...bas kahin chali gayi hai!par ye meri Preeta nahi hai!

Rohit - Karan try to accept this!she is Preeta!

Karan(shouts) - maine kaha na ye Preeta nahi...nahi hai meri Preeta!mai nahi maanta ye!bas...bas nahi maanta...meri babydoll zinda hai!mai jaanta hu!

Rakhi came and slapped him,

Rakhi - hosh me aa Karan!beta Preeta hume chor kar jaa chuki hai!

Karan looked at her and then at the dead body,he starts crying miserably,

Karan(holding the body in his arms) - Preetaaaaaaaaaaa!nahiiiii.....you can't do this to me! babydoll please....please mai jaanta hu tum...tum apne bajarbattu ke saath aisa nahi kar skti!chalo utho...utho aur inn sabko batao ki tum ho...yahi mere saath ho!utho Preeta!tum ye nahi kar skti...you can't...you just can't...utho na please babydoll...Preetaaaaaaaa(starts crying holding her closely)

Screen blurs......

All were shown crying, Preeta's body was kept on the pile,Karan was standing in corner,numb...too numb,

Rakhi - Karan aaja...Preeta ko...aa..akhri vidaai dede!

Karan looked at her and nodded in no,

Rohit(held him) - chal Karan!

Karan gave fire to the body and fell on ground with a thud,

Karan(broken) - humne to hmesha ka vaada kiya tha na ek dusre se...to tum kyu chali gayi mujhe chor kar...kyu apna promise toda tumne babydoll!tum to jaanti thi na ki tumhara bajarbattu kuch nahi hai tumhare bina...nahi reh skta mai tumhare bina...I...I just can't live without you...wapas aajao please..mujhse sehen nahi hota ye...please aajao...(cries)

He stood and was walking towards the fire but Rohit and Sameer held him back,

Sameer - kya kar rahe ho bhai?

Karan(broken) - mujhe...mujhe meri babydoll ke pass jaana hai...(points towards fire) maine usse vaada kiya tha ki uska saath kabhi nahi chorunga...mujhe uske pass jaane do...jaane do mujhe!(was about to go but stopped listening Rohit)

Rohit - aur phir Tara?uska kya hoga socha hai?maa khoi hai usne apni...ab kya tu uss ek din ki bachi ko anaath banana chahta hai?(Karan looks at him) Preeta gayi hai par apni nishaani tere pass chor kar gayi hai...tum dono ki beti chor gayi hai wo...taaki tu uska khayal rakhe...sirf apne hi nahi Preeta ke hisse ka bhi pyaar de usse!smbhaal khudko Karan...Tara ke liye!

Karan(fell with a thud) - wo aise nahi jaa skti...wo nahi jaa skti mujhe chorkar!Preetaaaaa!(shouts cryingly)

Sameer - Karan bhai smbhaalo khudko!

Karan(faint voice) - Preeta....Preeta wapas aao...Preeta...Pree....(he falls unconscious)

Screen shifts,

Same night,

Karan woke up in his room,he saw around and sat on bed,his eyes fell on Preeta's photo,his eyes brimmed with tears,

Karan - mai nahi maanta ki tum mujhe chor kar gayi ho!Karan Luthra kabhi nahi maanega ki tum...ki tum mar chuki ho! zinda ho tum...zinda ho tum mai jaanta hu!uss laash ka chehra bigda hua tha...wo tum ho hi nahi skti!mai jaanta hu tum mujhe chorkar kahi nahi gayi!

He took out alcohol bottle and was about to drink it when he heard Tara's crying voice,

Karan - Tara!

He threw the bottle,stood and ran outside and saw Kritika coming towards his room with Tara crying to calm her,

Kritika(with tears) - bhai mai aapke pass hi aa rahi thi...Tara kabse chup hi nahi ho rahi...bhai mai jaanti hu ki aap abhi shi haalat me.....

Karan - kyu shi haalat me nahi hu mai?kuch nahi hua mujhe na Preeta ko....de mujhe mai Tara ko smbhaalta hu!meri princess abhi chup hojaayegi!

Kritika nods and gave Tara to him,he left,she see him with tears,Rohit came and kept his hand on her shoulder,

Kritika - ye sab kya hogya Rohit...ek hi din me sab bigad gaya...bhai tut chuke hai...koi bhabhi ke bina apni life imagine tak nahi kar skta...aur Tara...Tara to bas 1 din ki bachi hai!kaise...kaise wo bin maa ke...kaise bhai usse akele smbhaalenge!

Rohit(with tears) - wakt lagega Kritika...sab thik hone me wakt lagega...par Karan se pehle hum sbko smbhalna hoga...agar hum sab iss tarah tut jaayenge to Karan ki himmat aur kam hojaayegi!iss wakt sbse jyada himmat ki jarurat usse hi hai...usse khud ke saath Tara ko bhi sambhaalna hai!aur wo abhi bahot buri tarah tut chuka hai!

Kritika nodded,he hugged her with tears.

Preeran's room,

Karan came in room with Tara trying to calm her,

Karan(with tears) - shaant hojaao princess...please shaant hojaao!shh...kuch nahi hua...sab thik hai!hmm!

He sits on bed with Tara in his arms,

Karan - kuch nahi hua aapki mumma ko...wo bilkul thik hai!aur bahot jld yaha hogi bhi hamare saath...mai usse dhundh laaunga...meri Preeta ko wapas lekar aaunga mai...kyuki mujhe pura vishwaas hai ki usse kuch nahi hua!

Tara stops crying and sees him,

Karan - aap meri takat ho princess...Papa ko iss wakt Tara ki bahot jarurat hai!bahot!aur Papa Tara se promise karte hai ki wo apni babydoll aur Tara ki mumma ko wapas lekar aayenge!I promise!

She snuggled into him more,he held her and patted her head trying to make her sleep,he himself was in tears.

promise me Karan you will be the best dad!the bestest person for her!Tara ke liye tum uske hero hone chahiye!mai chahti hu ki hamari princess...mujhse jyada tumhe pyaar kare!sbse jyada tumhe!

Karan(whispers tearfully) - I promise...I promise princess jab tak aapki mumma nahi aa jaati...mai aapka bahot khayal rakhunga...apko saari khushiyaan dunga...aapko ek real princess ki tarah treat karunga...papa ki jaan ho aap! Mai babydoll ko kiya hua promise pura karunga...I will be the best dad!but yaad rakhna babydoll..Tara Luthra apne papa se jyada apni maa ko pyaar kregi!ye mera vaada hai tumse!mai tumhe dhundh laaunga Preeta...dhundh laaunga!(kissed Tara's forehead)

He saw her asleep and then saw Preeta's photo tearfully.

To be continued.