"So, do you think Ragini is lying about the necklace?" Sanskar asked, on their 'Me time' when Swara narrated events she had been observing these days.

"Hmm." His wife was lost but she hummed, nodding her head.

"Do you think something malicious is going on in her mind?" he asked again.

"Hmm." Her reaction was the same.

"Do you think it can be fatal for our family or for Ragini or for her baby?" He asked one more question looking at his wife still lost in her own thoughts.

"Hmm"

"And do you want to find out?" He asked, scrunching his eyebrows.

But this time, his question broke her chain of thoughts. She swiftly turned her head towards him with a wrinkled forehead.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, with this for sure Sherlock Holmes instincts inside you would have got triggered and you would surely want to know...."

"Are you mad?" She barked, interrupting him. "Why would I want to be CID again?.....And that too in Ragini's matters." She shook her head vigorously.

"Swara.... You have this tendency to find out the truth and your mind won't be at peace if you can't...." He tried his best to intervene.

"Sanskar, I know, I am a person who always wanted to fight for the truth... But over the last few months, I have understood one thing. Truth doesn't require anybody's help to come out. It has innate quality to come out at it's pace. But... But if someone tries to intervene at that pace, then your own hands also get burned in the flames of truth without even one's fault."

Sanskar could not voice out anything on listening to her words. He was left speechless.

"Don't look at me like this Sanskar, I have burnt my hands in the past... I am just being precautious enough this time. Unless and until her actions are not impacting us... I have nothing to do with her and her lies." Swara simply shrugged her shoulders. "It's good to be selfish sometimes." She winked at him with a small smile.

"Are you sure Swara?" He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, again knowing her in and out.

"I am much more than sure." She kept her head on his chest peacefully. Her satisfactory smile and shiny eyes conveyed her inner calmness to him which automatically brought a smile on his face.

Two more months passed with a blink of an eye. It was summer afternoon when Swara came downstairs after getting ready to leave for her school job.

"What time will you return?" Sujata asked as usual.

"Mom, you ask me this everyday." Swara rolled her eyes. "As usual, around 5 or 5:30."

"What should I do now Uttu is also not here?" Sujata sulked missing her dearest daughter.

Last month Sanskar and Swara were successful in convincing Ram and Sujata to send Uttara to Chicago for higher studies in law. When he confirmed Uttara would live with his best friend Neil Singhania and his family. There was a hidden motive of both families, that her stay could increase the chances of her match with the younger son of Singhania family, Niren boosted Sujata's approval. Swara has met Singhania's over her stay in US and had instantly connected with them in family relations.

"Mom... you talk to her everyday. And you know the special plans we are making for her." Swara mumbled secretly as the news about Uttara's hopeful alliance with Niren was still under blanket for the rest of the family members.

"Hmm, only because of that one thing I agreed." Sujata replied with hope.

"Laddoo, are you eating mangoes again?" Swara and Sujata's conversation was interrupted with Parvati's loud voice. Both followed the voice to see Ragini was sitting on the dining table and a plate of cut mangoes was in front of her.

"Haa Dadi. You know how much I love mangoes." Ragini replied, still concentrating on her mangoes.

"But you know you are not allowed for it." Parvati took away the plate from Ragini. "You know Laddoo, mangoes are not good for your baby...." And she started bombarding a long lecture to Ragini over do's and don'ts during pregnancy. She was totally supported by Annapurana.

"ENOUGH Dadi." Ragini bursted out loudly, turning deadly silent in Maheshwari's dining area for a moment.

"I am pregnant and not sick. Baby... Pregnancy... do this and don't do that... I am fed up with this daily ranting of yours. I feel like why am I pregnant? This is not a baby but a big problem for me... everybody is just behind me keeping their eyes on everything I do. I don't know when I will get rid of this." She harshly grabbed the plate of cut mangoes and left storming her feet towards her room.

"Ragini, be careful." Annapurna shouted from the back when she saw her dearest daughter in law was climbing stairs hurriedly. She left a deep relaxing sigh when Ragini safely reached upstairs.

"Don't feel bad about her words. You know that mood swings keep happening in this condition." Annapurna tried to normalise the temperature of the room.

"Haa, you are right Annapurna Bahu. I understand her frustrations and mood swings but what should I do? I kept on worrying about her." Parvati confessed neglecting her granddaughter's harsh words.

"And Laksh's absence from home for the last two weeks has added to her irritation." Annapurna seconded.

Yes, Laksh was out of Kolkatta. He was in Delhi for the last two weeks for his new project deal.

"Chalo Mom, I am leaving." Swara started to move after the daily drama. "Mom" she called back when Sujata had turned into a statue.

"How can she say something like this?" Sujata mumbled audibly to her daughter in law only.

"Mom, I have heard, pregnancy boosts hormonal changes which lead to mood swings."

"Mood swings are bound to happen, Swara. But no mother would curse her unborn child like this. And it's not the first time she had used harsh words for that little soul." Sujata shook her head, capturing Swara's all attention.

Later, Swara left for her school, she was in her class teaching her students when her phone vibrated, displaying "Ma calling." She ignored for the first time concentrating on her class. But when her phone kept on vibrating, reluctantly she picked up the call.

"Ma you know I am...." Swara could not finish hearing Sharmishtha'a cries from the other side.

"Ma, what happened? Why are you crying?"

"Shona... Shekhar... Shekhar met with an accident." Sharmishtha spoke between her sobbings. "I just received a call from Gujarji, whose shop is next to our shop. They are taking him to Civic Hospital. I am just on the way."

"Ok Ma, calm down. Nothing will happen to Baba. I will come there immediately." Swara cut the call after calming her mother down.

Swara after taking permission from school authorities left for hospital while sending a quick message to Sanskar.

'I am on the way. Swara, please don't worry, and take care.' His reply came instantly.

At the hospital, Shekhar was inside the room and hospital staff filed a police complaint. Trio was waiting outside for the doctor along with an aged person who brought Shekhar to the hospital.

Doctor came out informing that nothing was serious, there were multiple bruises on his body along with a fractured right hand. But one thing that widened their eyes was the lightly blackened face of Shekhar with some wounds on his forehead and cheeks.

Sharmishtha ran to him shooting back to back questions. Shekhar tried his best to give her answers when the Police constable intervened to take his statement.

After a long statement from Shekhar, Constable passes the pad to him where he recorded his statement. "Shekhaji, I am taking this on the face value as I don't want to bother you but your wounds do not look like they were caused by an accident."

Constable left after finishing formalities to close the case.

"Ma, you please take Baba home. I will finish the hospital formalities." Sanskar spoke, helping Shekhar to get up from bed. "Swara, you can go with Ma and Baba."

"Sharmishtha, let's go." Shekhar spoke adamantly, he was still on no talking terms with his elder daughter.

"It's ok Sanskar. I will come with you." Swara covered up with a casual reply.

Shekhar left with Sharmishtha whereas Sanskar left to finish hospital formalities.

"Uncle, what happened?" Swara asked Gujarji.

"Swara beta, even I don't know, few people have come to your Baba's shop. Earlier they were discussing something but later on their discussion turned into an argument. Those people started cursing and thrashing Shekhar ji. They were blaming him as a betrayer and fraudster. They broke down the shop as well. They even blackened his face." Gujar, the neighbouring shop owner replied.

"Who were those people?"

"I don't know many of them but few of them were your neighbours in Badi." He replied. His words baffled Swara for a moment. Both talked about the event before he took leave.

"Let's go, Swara." Sanskar's words broke her trance. "Hey you ok?" He asked, seeing her lost in her own thoughts.

"Yes... I am.." She could hardly reply but could not contain her perplexities from him, resulting in informing him about her talks with Gujarji.

"I have no idea what would have happened?" She finished her narration still drawing in her thoughts.

"I have a gut feeling that this is related to Laksh's Badi reconstruction project." Sanskar spoke about the possibility.

"What?" Swara was shocked to the core. "But now everything is going well. Or do you know anything?"

"No Swara, I just thought it's a possibility... And I am so busy with Karma. I have no time to look into Lakhs's issue. And on top of it now Bade Papa is involved means he will keep a tap on Laksh." Sanskar reasoned out.

Both returned home to see the entire Maheshwari and Gadodia family assembled in the living room.

"He is not picking up my call." Ragini's words fell on their ears. Earlier, Sharmishtha and Shekhar had asked her to call her husband. "Papa, I guess he is busy with some meetings."

"Why don't you tell us Shekhar, why suddenly you want to talk to Laksh so urgently?" Parvati asked inquisitively. Along with Parvati, everyone's state was the same, their faces were covered with sheer amount of confusion.

"Please Ragini, try to call him once. Please ask him when he is coming back?" Shekhar asked again ignoring his mother's words.

"Papa please tell us what had happened?" Ragini stressed. "You have my swear."

"Today our neighbours visited the shop here. They informed me that Badi's work had stopped since last month. The Municipality and Court has brought a stay order on further construction. When they checked with nearby people, they found out that workers had not received a salary for the last 3 months. Hence workers have also stopped working from the last two months." Shekhar's words stumbled each one of them.

"They thought... They thought I conspired with my son in law to grab their land and make profits. They said... I am living in this palace where as they are roaming on the roads with no future. They were cursing me, blaming me. They called me with names. They humiliated me in front of the local market. They even... they even blackened my face calling me a betrayer." Tears started streaming over Shekhar's cheeks remembering the insult he had faced a few hours ago.

Parvati and Sharmishtha started consoling Shekhar whereas Ragini started calling Laksh again.

"Court brought a stay order but why?" Durga Prasad asked, he regretted for not being vigilant around Laksh's activities after the investor fiasco. He believed his son's words blindly once again.

"I will check with our family lawyer." Ram had to take charge of the situation looking at his brother mentally collapsing after the news breakout. Adarsh and Sanskar also started digging out the mess created by their own blood using their own sources.

Swara took a step to console her mother whereas Ragini was with her grandmother and father.

Few more hours passed with deadly silence, it was almost 11 at night when Sanskar called everyone to assemble in the living room.

"Bade Papa, court has brought a stay order on the Badi Project because the permissions and approvals Laksh's partnership firm had acquired was after bribing few of the corrupted officials. They got caught by the invigilation team and whichever projects they have approved, the court has sent a stay order for those projects. SIT is raising a request for Laksh and his friend's arrest warrant on the charges of bribery."

His every word was acting like icy water thrown on the entire family members.

"My security chief informed me that Laksh's friend, Ashish, has left India three months back. And... and... He ... before absconding he had transferred all the investments of the firm on his name. In short, Laksh's partnership firm has been bankrupt from the last few months." Sanskar held his Bade Papa's hand finishing his words. He knew his revelation would break the strong headed man.

Sanskar's words earned a loud gasping sound from everyone gathered over.

"It's... It's all over Bade Papa." He kneeled down in front of his uncle holding his pale wrinkled hands.

"Do you think Laksh was aware about all this mess up and he is fleeing away to escape on  the pretext of this new Delhi's project." Durga Prasad connected the dots.

"I don't know Bade Papa." Even though Sanskar knew the answer he preferred to stay silent.

"Whatever you have just said is a lie. I don't believe you. You are just taking advantage of the situation and again blaming my Laksh." Ragini rebuked holding her baby bump.

"Stop it Ragini." Swara came forward in defence.

"Ragini, what would I get accusing Laksh unnecessarily?" Sanskar shook his head, "Bade Papa, I just stated what I got to know from my security chief. Believe it or not it's your choice." He stood up and stepped to stand besides his wife.

"Hey mhara Khatu Shaam ji. We are destroyed now... Shekhar, we came on road '' Parvati started crying over her fate whereas Shekhar and Sharmishtha lost strength of their body. They slumped down on a nearby couch, whereas Ragini was still in denying mode. Annapurna was rooted to her place.

Ram's family was in dilemma, if they stepped up to support, his brother's family would call them as 'taunters' over their situation, if not then the same family would name them as cold, ignorant or ungrateful towards their family. They reluctantly finalise it to stay in their place and watch the drama.

Two more days passed in acute stress and anxiety in Maheshwari House. Durga Prasad sourced up all his security force to find Laksh, same was with Sanskar. On a side note, Durga Prasad also had asked his legal team to prepare for anticipatory bail in case of arrest but it couldn't work out due to Laksh's absconding.

Ragini was crying a mess whereas Gadodia was worried about their future.

"Shekhar, for Ragini and Laksh's betterment you have staked our future, our house. How could you forget we have a child to look after. Now, where will we go? We all knew Laksh is so impulsive and reckless, still you came in his words. Ragini... Ragini... Ragini... you don't even see anything when it comes to her. Now what are we going to do? " It was for the first time, Shekhar could not backlash at Sharmistha over her outburst.

"Now tell me Ma, what do you have to say now? Your favourite son-in-law has put us on the road. And where is he? He has just run away like always." Sharmishtha's true words left Parvati's mouth sealed.

It was later in the  afternoon, when a phone call was enough to shake the foundation of Maheshwari House.

"Papa, SIT team arrested Laksh from Kamala Nagar." Adarsh announced carefully after cutting the call. "He was hiding there. He is been taken into SIT custody"

"JI, please take me to him." Annapurna spoke cryingly. Her eyes were swollen and had dark circles.

"No... No one is going to meet Laksh. Or going to do any effort to take him out of jail. He needs to be punished for his crimes." Durga Prasad announced straight away.

"Ji, how can you say it? I ... I know... he has committed a crime..." Annapurna tried to convince but was interrupted rigidly.

"Not anymore Anu... Your tears are not going to weaken my knees this time. My decision is final."

"Papaji, please please think about your decision, please think about me and my baby. What and where will we go?" Ragini folded her hands in front of her father in-law.

"Ragini you are daughter in law of Maheshwari family, this unborn baby is heir of this Maheshwari's. You have not committed any crime so why will you have to worry about it? This is your home." Durga Prasad declared.

"A wife has no status when her husband is not with her." Ragini tried to persuade.

"This should have been thought carefully by Laksh." Listening to his final verdict Ragini collapsed on the ground but Annapurna and Parineeta ran to her to provide support.

Durga Prasad started to leave when Parvati came in front of him with folded hands.

"Where will we go now Durga Prasad ji? Because of your son we have lost our house. What will happen to us?"

"Whatever has happened with your family cannot be changed but this is why it is important to seek advice from experienced people before taking any major decision. At present I do not have an answer to this question of yours. I can only show you sympathy, not the way." Durga Prasad left the room leaving everyone stunned at their places.

When at night Sanskar returned back, Swara informed him about the happenings.

"I knew it would happen in a day or two." He replied murmuring.

'Roger, increase the security of the home.' He sent a message to his security chief.

"Swara, don't mind but please for a week or two just take a leave from school. Or else take security with you. Don't step out of the home if not urgent." He was concerned about what happened to Shekhar.

"I am just concerned about our neighbours, they are going to lose their household. For any family, their home is their everything." She kept her head on his shoulders, but tears were streaming over her cheeks.

Two more days passed, Annapurna entered the study room where Ram and Durga Prasad were discussing about something.

"I am begging in front of you. Please please take out Laksh on bail... bring him home. Ragini has not eaten a single morsel of food from the last two days. She is lifeless, and has no strength in her body. If anything happens to my grandchild.... I will never forgive you." She stormed out of the room without giving any chance for her husband to reply back.

Yes, it was true, Ragini has ditched food from the time Durga Prasad has announced his decision. Her hunger strike was a way to emotionally convince everyone to bow over her unrealistic demands.

"What should I do Ram?" Durga Prasad slumped down on the chair helplessly.

"Bhaisa, you have always given priority to your principles and virtues. But, when relations are at stake everyone's hands are tied up." Ram could very well understand his brother's condition, his brother was fixed between family and ethics.

After a long thought, Durga Prasad came out of study and went to Ragini's room. Annapurna, Sharmishtha, Parvati were already present besides Ragini. She was lifeless, her eyes had dark circles and she was half lying on the bed.

"Ragini, I was not expecting this from you. This is the second time you are using this unborn soul for your benefits. I hope this unborn soul will not pay for his parents' misdeeds. Anyway... I am ready to see if I could arrange bail for Laksh or not. But then he has to obey my conditions. If he doesn't then I won't be bailing him out." Durga Prasad firmly spoke earning a smile on his daughter in law and wife's face.

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