Ruhana is awestruck and touched at the moment by Vineet's lingering presence around her. His words echo in her mind.

She's glad to learn that he has made her a priority and that he has made it clear he can wait for as long as it takes for her to accept his love. He has also made it clear that society doesn't matter to him; her happiness matters the most to him. On the other hand, her daughter has made her position clear. She has once again accepted that Vineet is better than her biological father and wishes to see her mother and Vineet together.

Ruhana sighs deeply, feeling many emotions building inside her. She doesn't know what her next step should be. However, she's quite scared of the tantrums that society might throw at her, but she knows it's high time she makes a decision.

Meanwhile, the doorbell rings, and Ruhana answers it. There's a middle-aged lady at the door. Ruhana sighs, thinking she's here to ask for something again. It's her habit; whenever she needs something, she asks for it instead of buying it. Ruhana fakes a smile and invites her inside.

"Jee kahiye, Kamini ji, kya chahiye?" Ruhana asks.

"Vo, mujhe thode aalu chahiye they. Tumhare paas hai?" Kamini asks, while looking around the house.

"Jee, hai na! Vaise aap kya dekh rahi hain?" Ruhana asks.

"Vo...vo tumhare ghar abhi koi aaya tha na...." Kamini asks.

"Vo! Vo mere dost hai aur boss bhi. Vaise kya aap mujh par aur mere ghar pe nazar rakhti hain?" Ruhana asks, feeling a rage building inside her.

"Nahi nahi, vo main aa hi rahi thi tumhare paas, par maine kisi ko aate dekha, toh pehle nahi aayi." Kamini makes an excuse.

"Oh, toh ab kyun aayi ho? Ye jaanne ki kaun aaya tha mere ghar mein?" Ruhana asks, her voice turning rude as she faces her neighbor.

"Ye kis tarah se baat kar rahi ho tum?" Kamini says, raging at the moment.

"Waise hi jaise mujhe karni chahiye, Kamini. At least with you and the ladies who always have eyes on me and my daughter. Savita, Preeti, darwaaze ke peeche chhupne ki zaroorat nahi hai." She says, surprising Kamini and the two ladies.

The ladies feel embarrassed as they come out and face Ruhana. She glances at them, actually, glares at them. She knows they keep an eye on her because they think she's having an affair. However, they also believe Ruhana must not mingle with men, as she's a divorcee after all. This is the thinking these women possess, and right now, something is cooking in Ruhana's mind.

"Hanji, toh bataiye kyun aaye hain aap log? Kamini, ye cheeni, aata, kabhi oil, ye sab maangne ke bahane chhod do! Seedhe se puch lo na, ki main kisse milti hoon, kyun milti hoon? Hmm? Yahi jaanne aai thi na tum teenon?" She yells at the ladies.

"Aisi....aisi baat nahi hai." Kamini stutters.

"Toh samjhaiye! Kya baat hai? Main hamesha tum sab ko dekhti hoon. Aise dekhte ho mujhe jaise main koi alien hoon! Am I? Itna hi shauk hai toh aaine mein apne aapko kyun nahi ghoorte! Jab dekho kisi na kisi baat ke liye mujhe sunaati hain!" Ruhana says sharply.

"You know what? Tum logon ko lagta hoga na ki main divorcee hoon toh mujhe toh rona chahiye, hai na? Khush kaise reh sakti hoon main ...hai na! Haq hi nahi hai mera khush hone ka ,nahi? According to your mindset! Isliye dekhti hoon, jab bhi mera dost aata hai yahan, tum sab mere flat ko hi dekhte rahte ho? Tumhare ghar mein kaam nahi hai? Ya ghar wale bhaav nahi dete tumhari harkaton ki wajah se!" Ruhana says, mad at them and seizing the chance today.

Every time Vineet visits, these three keep an eye on her flat and often ask about him. She's heard them talking about her, saying she's roaming around with men and shouldn't be doing this. Right now, Ruhana wants to reply to them all. Vineet's words from earlier are lingering in her mind. She is determined to reply to them today. Now that they suspect she has an affair with him, why not make it a reality?

She looks at the three ladies. They're silent at the moment. They now know that Ruhana knows everything they talk about behind her back and has always stayed silent.

"Tumhe kya lagta hai? Mujhe kuch nahi pata hai!! Aisi baat nahi hai, pata mujhe bhi hai sab kuch, bas main tumhare level tak gir nahi sakti. So, tum sab ko ye jaanna hai na ki wo kaun hai jo frequently mere ghar pe aata hai? Jaanna chahte ho na ki kaun hai wo! Chalo aaj bata hi deti hoon, shayad tum sabke kaleje mein thandak pad jaaye."

"Toh jo gossip tumhe chahiye, vo main tumhe deti hoon, aur haan, sabko batana ki, main, Ruhana, bahut jald shaadi kar rahi hoon aur kisse pata hai? Mr. Vineet Shergill se! Vo mera dost hai, mera boss hai aur haan!! Mera aashiq bhi! Jaise tum log kehte ho!" She says sharply, and the other three women look at her in awe.

"Aur haan!! Jisko bhi batao, usey kuch explain mat karna, kyunki tum jaise logon ki aadat hai kuch bhi assume karne ki. Tum jaise logon ki wajah se hi mere jaisi auratein zindagi naye sire se shuru nahi kar paati. Haan, main apne pati se alag hui hoon, meri zindagi khatm nahi hui hai. Aur na hi ye ek gunaah hai jo tum log mujhe aise dekhti ho ki main kisi ka murder kar diya hai aur main yahan chhupne aai hoon. Aur jo mujhe karna hoga, main karungi. Main jaanti hoon ki mere liye aur meri beti ke liye kya sahi hai? Aap logon ki salaah ki zaroorat nahi hai." Ruhana blurts out her anger of eight months in one go while the ladies are shocked at her sudden outburst, and she's well aware that they didn't expect her to speak like this.

"Jaanti hoon, soch rahi hongi ki 8 mahine se jo ek shabd na boli, aaj itna bol rahi hai! Bolna padta hai, sach kehte hai log, aurat hi aurat ki sabse badi dushman hai. Aur tum log toh ho hi aurat ke naam par kalank! Ab jao yahan se! Aur haan Kamini ji, hamari floor pe na ek nayi ladki aai hai, pregnant bhi hai, ab kuch maangna ho na uske paas jaana! Abhi tak tum log mere peeche thi na, jao ab pata karo us ladki ke bache ka baap kaun hai! Hmm! Pata chale toh batana mujhe! Mere ghar ke aas paas toh nazar tak mat aana tum teenon!" Ruhana taunts them and closes the door in their faces while the ladies are shocked.

As Ruhana closes the door, she sighs deeply. She has blurted out all her anger at the ladies and also accepted that she's going to marry Vineet. Hey, she has just realized it now. All her words echo in her mind. She's exhausted at the moment, yet a surreal smile lights her face. Maybe she has found her answer.

*****
Vineet reaches his home and finds Mrinal waiting for him. She also has some questions, as she's the other person who has felt the distance between Ruhana and Vineet. She asks her son to sit beside her and tries to read his expressions.

"Kya baat hai? Kahan gaya tha?" Mrinal asks.

"Ruhana se milne, kuch kaam tha." He responds plainly.

"Achcha, sab thik hai na? Vo pichhli baar jab aai thi, uske baad se wo aur Ruhaani toh ghar pe aai hi nahi." Mrinal expresses her concern.

"Sab thik hai, Ma. aur ek baar Ruhana maan gai toh sab bahut achcha ho jayega." Vineet murmurs the last line, but his mom hears it.

"Kaunsi baat? Kuch baat hui hai kya tum dono ke beech?" Mrinal asks, eyeing her son.

"Ma, main...main aapko baad mein bataunga, sahi waqt aane par!" Vineet says and tries to excuse himself.

Meanwhile, Mrinal says something that leaves him stunned, unable to grasp his mom's words at the moment.

To Be Continued.