Author's note: I am back!!!😎 I don't know if you guys missed me but I missed you guys A LOT. I hope you enjoy reading the chapter. Please don't forget to vote and comment.

P.S. For those who haven't already, do follow me on Instagram- thebutterflyeffect31. You can know me little outside Wattpad. I am planning to do little sneak peeks, precaps and some other fun stuff for my followers. So, if you haven't already then go ahead and follow me. I would really appreciate it 😊

She took an instinctive step back and felt the ground beneath her tilt. Thankfully Shaurya held her by her shoulders when her steps faltered. "Papa?" She whispered.

Hariprakash Mishra's smile dropped as soon as he noticed Shaurya. Before he could say anything, Dhruv took over. "Mumma! Shaurya!" He screamed in joy and climbed the couch so he could hug his mother. "Why didn't you tell me you were bringing Shaurya with you?" He demanded as he bounced on the sofa.

When neither Shaurya or Dhvani said anything, Dhruv spoke again. "Mumma, look at what Nanu brought for me. All these gifts for my birthday." He screamed in joy as he hopped off the couch to throw his arms around his grandfather. "I love you, Nanu!" He said in absolute pleasure.

Hariprakash Mishra finally got up and walked towards Dhvani with a smile.

The older Dhvani who would not have let him do that, instead she would have run into his arms a long time ago. All the older Dhvani would have seen was her father's smile, but this new Dhvani could also see the hatred and distaste for Shaurya in her father's eyes.

Hariprakash tugged at Dhvani's arm, and Shaurya slowly removed his arm from her shoulders. "How are you, my princess?" He asked as he embraced his daughter. "I missed you so much." He said as his voice broke.

Dhvani didn't hug him back instead, she fisted her palms and gathered all the strength she could not to blast off.

Hariprakash pulled back and ignored her cold response. With a smile on his lips and tears in his eyes, he leaned forward to peck her forehead. "I am so happy to see you and this little monkey." He said with a nod to Dhruv, who was gathering all his presents.

"Dhruv, what are you doing?" Dhvani snapped when she saw her son carrying the toys towards their bedroom.

"Putting away all my toys," Dhruv stated and continued his journey.

"They are not your toys." Dhvani walked up to him and began pulling out them out of Dhruv's hands.

"Nanu got them for me, so they are mine," Dhruv said as he hugged them tightly, so Dhvani had to wrestle them out of his little hands.

"Dhvani, Dhruv is right. I bought them all for my grandson." Hariprakash said as he walked up to the mother son duo. "You go, beta. Put them all in your room. I'll talk to your mom and calm her down. Okay?" He said to a sulking and in almost tears Dhruv.

Dhvani watched her father help pick up all the toys Dhvani had forced out of Dhruv's hands and thrown on the floor. Once Dhruv seemed to be out of earshot, she turned to her father. "This is the last time you are buying my son anything."

Hariprakash was startled by how cold and impersonal his daughter was. He knew that it was because Shaurya was back in her life, but he would get everything taken care of.

"I don't want my son to think that his grandfather loves him."

"I do love him." He said, almost immediately.

Dhvani scoffed. "Do you really?" She asked sardonically. "Is that why you blackmailed me to..." She couldn't finish the sentence. The thought about her baby being hurt wouldn't let her. "And you are here for the first time in the last seven years. Why?"

"Dhvani. Bacha." Haripraksh tried to touch his daughter, but she stepped away from him.

"Don't touch me." She demanded. "I was so stupid to show my son pictures of you hoping that maybe one day you would leave your anger and-" she hurriedly wiped her tears when Dhruv ran out of the room to grab the next lot of his toys.

"Shaurya, I'll show you my room," Dhruv said, tugging at Shaurya's arm.

Shaurya smiled down at his son. "Not now, Dhruv. I'll see it later. After you are done putting away all your toys." He said, trying to appease the young boy.

Dhruv was about to demand Shaurya see it now, but then being an intelligent little boy, he sensed the tense atmosphere of the room. He walked up to his mother and looked up at her.

Dhvani tried really hard not to cry as she smiled down at the boy. Dhruv studied her face for a few minutes before he turned around and held out all the toys in his arms towards Haripraksh. "Nanu, I don't want these toys."

Hariprakash felt like he was fighting a losing battle. He had expected a little resistance from Dhvani, but not to this extent. His hatred for Shaurya grew when he realized that he might lose his daughter forever.

"It's the pizza!" Haripraksh said with a grin when he heard the doorbell ring. He picked Dhruv up and walked to the door.

Dhvani closed her eyes in an attempt to stop her tears. They could all hear Haripraksh narrating an incident of Dhvani's childhood to Dhruv.

Shaurya, who had been a silent observer, took two quick strides towards her before gathering her in his arms. "It's okay." He murmured against her temple as he rubbed her back.

"That's why I was trying to call you. He just came in like an hour ago up and began talking to Dhruv. I didn't know what to do." Trupti whispered.

Dhvani and Shaurya broke apart when they heard Dhruv and Hariprakash returning.

"Dhvani, why don't you go freshen up till we get everything ready?" Hariprakash instructed. "I also ordered the pasta you really like." He said, patting her cheek.

She almost felt sick. Why was her father doing all this? Hadn't he done enough? Nodding, she began walking to the bedroom, not because she wanted to but because she needed some time alone to compose herself. However, when she heard her father say, "I ordered food for only four people because I didn't realize Dhvani was bringing a guest." She stopped and quickly made her way back to the dining table.

"If you don't have enough food for Shaurya, then you don't have enough food for me either so I won't eat." She said, rattling her father even further.

This is what she should have said every time her father insulted her husband. She had been to blind and wound up to see her father's true colours. All she cared about was her father's approval, and she didn't even realize that it was going cost her her marriage.

Shaurya released the breath he had been holding. This is all he ever wanted. Dhvani telling and demonstrating to her father that Dhvani and Shaurya weren't separate. They were a team. He didn't care what her father had to say, but just the fact that Dhvani was standing up for him meant the world to him.

Hariprakash sighed and changed his tactics. "I was just saying that it was a good thing I ordered extra. Now come on quickly before the food turns cold."

Both Dhvani and Shaurya shared a look where they both wanted to make sure the other was okay before Dhvani walked away once again.

"Dhruv, run and get ketchup and glasses for Pepsi. Your mother really likes it." Haripraksh instructed when Trupti too excused herself to answer a call.

When Dhruv was in the kitchen, Hariprakash Mishra turned to Shaurya and looked at him with the same condescending smile he had passed him numerous times. "I see you have crawled your way into my daughter's life once again." He spat out bitterly.

Shaurya refused to play his dirty game. "I see you haven't changed." He said sarcastic smile. "And yes! I am back in Dhvani's life, but this time around, I will not leave."

"You will have to leave. My daughter-"

"How can you call yourself a father?" Shaurya snapped. "Instead of helping your young daughter and son-in-law through the complicated journey called marriage, you played on our insecurities and broke of marriage. What you did to me I can forget, but you hurt my family and-"

Dhruv entered the room with two glasses in his hand and had an inquisitive expression on his face. He could sense the tension and sourness in the mood, but he wasn't sure how he could ask.

"I can't reach the other glasses," Dhruv said when both the men stared at each other.

"Let me help you," Shaurya said and picked up Dhruv only to toss him in the air and grab him before he hit the floor. This was his attempt to cheer his son up. He didn't want Dhruv upset because of the mayhem.

"Aah!" Dhruv laughed and hugged Shaurya.

Twenty minutes later, they all sat down on the dining table to eat dinner, with Dhruv sitting on Shaurya's lap. Shaurya, Trupti and Dhvani took one slice of pizza each but ate it very slowly.

"This is going to be my best birthday ever!" Dhruv exclaimed with his arms raised in the air. "I am so excited. All my friends are going to be at my party. My Nanu is here and my Papa is going to be coming too." He said taking the bite of the pizza Shaurya was feeding him.

"Nanu is not going to be at your birthday party." Dhvani stated plainly.

Both Dhruv and Hariprakash looked taken aback at Dhvani's announcement.

"But why?" Dhruv whined.

"Because he has things to do." Dhvani said. "Which is why he is gave you all these presents today because he is going to go back tonight. So right after dinner and you and Maasi go and buy your Nanu his favorite paan. Okay?"

"But... but... Nanu?" Dhruv pouted at his grandfather.

"Dhruv, what did I tell you about being understanding?" Dhvani asked.

"But...." Dhruv said unable to say anything valid in return other than mumbling "It is my birthday though."

Hariprakash cleared his throat and looked at Dhruv's sullen face. "If Dhruv really wants-"

"Dhruv is a big boy now." Dhvani interrupted her father because by now she had understood how manipulative her father could really be. She wouldn't let him use Dhruv's innocence for his benefit. "He is going to be seven years old. And he understands that adults have work. Right, Dhruv?"

Dhruv pouted up a storm but nodded half heartedly.

"Get the best Paan for your Nanu. Okay?" Shaurya instructed Dhruv and held out his wallet to Trupti. "I insist." He said when she shook her head. "Please."

"Okay." She acquiesced because she knew how much this meant to Shaurya. To finally be able to prove to the man who insulted him time and again that now he was a man who was financially stable and could provide for his family.

"What is this behavior, Dhvani?" Hariprakash yelled as soon as Dhruv and Trupti left. "I thought you would be happy to see me and what are you doing? Insulting your father like this?"

Dhvani didn't say anything in return instead she kept sitting on the chair looking at him blankly.

"It is all because of this guy, Right?" He asked bitterly, pointing at Shaurya. "He hasn't been in your life for more than a few months and you are back to your naive self. Have you forgotten what all he did to you?"

Turning around to give Shaurya a look that was so full of hatred and anger that it almost made Shaurya's stomach drop. "Whenever you come into my daughter's life you snatch her away from me."

Before Shaurya could give him a piece of his mind, Dhvani stood up and stepped in between the two men. "It was you who didn't contact me for the past six years despite my countless attempts to reach out. Why? Because you didn't agree with my decision of giving birth to Dhurv." She reminded.

"Why can't you see it from my perspective, sweetheart." Hariprakash said holding Dhvani's shoulders. She flinched and stiffened but she didn't pull back. "How could I let my daughter give birth to a child whose father had ruined my daughter's life?" He asked, beseeching for Dhvani to believe him.

"You know what-" Shaurya yelled, but stopped when Dhvani placed a hand on Shaurya's chest to stop him.

"What did Shaurya do to me, Papa?" She asked looking at Hariprakash in the eye.

For a minute he was taken aback by how resolute she sounded, but quickly collected himself. He needed to get his daughter back to him. "Do you not remember?" He asked. "Shipra confirmed it too. He asked me for money. Threatening me that he will leave you if I didn't give him the money."

Shaurya scoffed loudly. He literally couldn't believe this man.

"Dhvani," Hariprakash lightly shook her shoulders. "You trust your father right? I don't know what this guy has said to brainwash you, but trust me."

When Dhvani didn't reply, Hariprakash grew more panicked. "Dhvani. Beta, you... he had an affair with that Priya and you... and..." He paused and stammered as his words fumbled. Not being able to meet Dhvani's hurt and betrayed eyes.

Dhvani couldn't stop herself from breaking down into tears anymore. Shaurya wanted to hug her and soothe her pains away, but right now he knew that's not what she needed. "After everything...." Dhvani sobbed. Sniffling, she used the back of her hand wipe her nose. "After everything... Instead of apologizing to Shaurya. To me. You are still playing this game of yours." She screamed. "What did my husband and I do so wrong that you went to such great lengths to destroy our marriage?"

Haripraksh immediately rose to his defense. "I didn't do anything. He was-"

"Really?" Dhvani asked. "Look me in the eye, Papa. And I want to see you lie to me again like you lied to me all those years ago. I want to see the great lawyer Haripraksh Mishra who manipulated his young emotionally vulnerable daughter for his benefit once again."

Haripraksh opened and closed his mouth, unable to say anything.

"The more I think about it the more I see it now. You played so many games to try and separate Shaurya and me. Everytime you passed a rude or snide comment about Shaurya instead of standing up for him I let it pass because I wanted to appease you. You were my whole world Papa. Shaurya came into my life later. You were my first love." She cried and placed on her head against her father's shoulder. "And this is how you used my love for you, Papa."

"Dhvani. Listen to me." Haripraksh said patting the back of her head.

"No!" She said loudly and stepped away from him. "I listened to you every single time which is why I am here. At this point in my life I am so angry and frustrated at myself that I let you into my marriage and you used every single insecurity of mine and exploited the entire situation in this manner. Why, Papa? Why did you do all this?"

"Because you were not right for each other. This boy wasn't good enough for you. You deserve much better." He replied cupping her face. "Everything I did was for your benefit."

Dhvani laughed incredulous and shook her head. "Is this what you are telling yourself when you look in the mirror, knowing completely that you ruined your daughter and son-in-law's lives?" She asked. "Shaurya kept telling me that you were trying to drive a wedge in between us, but I never listened to him," She rubbed her forehead harshly. "God I was so stupid. I kept arguing and fighting with him for blaming you. You know why, Papa?," She asked as she looked at her in the eye almost emotionless. "Because I thought you loved me."

"I do love you, Dhvani." He said instantly. "More than I can ever tell you. You know that."

"No!" She cried out loudly. "You don't love me. If you loved me. You would have loved Shaurya because I loved him. He was my husband, Papa. You tried to buy him off. How could you be so cruel?" She faced Shaurya with an almost defeated expression. "I am sorry." She said to him. "If it weren't for me then you wouldn't have to face this pain and humiliation that my father... and sometimes I put you through."

Shaurya shook his head and wiped her tears. "I am sorry too. I should have thought from your perspective as well. I shouldn't have hidden those cheques and letters from you. I should have been more proactive and explain my relationship with Priya instead of wanting you to be understanding all the time." He said feeling equally disappointed for letting their relationship turn out like this.

"You say you love me?" She asked her father. "No, you loved the perfect little doll who quietly and blindly did everything you asked her. You loved the fact that I was ready to do everything and anything to make you happy. One decision I took out of my free will. You didn't agree with it so you went to these great lengths to prove how wrong I was about my decision of marrying Shaurya."

"I was right, Dhvani. Why don't you understand? You and Shaurya are not made for each other." Haripraksh said. "If I hadn't intervened then... you still would have broken up sooner or later."

"Which father says this to his daughter?" Shaurya asked Haripraksh in utter disbelief.

"I am not talking to you." Haripraksh snapped. "I am talking to my daughter."

"Still?" Dhvani asked with an exhausted sigh. "Papa, the more we talk the more I feel like our relationship will never get back to what we had years ago. And who gave you the right to decide for me and Shaurya? You ruined our lives. Our marriage. And most importantly you ruined my Dhruv's chance of having a normal family. What if Shaurya hadn't come into my life again? I would blame and curse him for things he wasn't even responsible for."

"I think it's best if you leave." Dhvani said after taking a deep breath. Wrapping her arms around her stomach, she continued to watch her father as he looked at her in astounded. "And if you can do it before Dhruv comes back I would appreciate it. I really really don't want him to think you love him." When he opened his mouth to argue, she added, firmly, "Because you don't. You only love your ego and your need to be right all the time."

"Dhvani, Please." He begged, but she turned to face away from him.

"Please leave." She said with her voice breaking just as much as her father's.

He had lost his daughter for ever. The one and only person who he loved.

Haripraksh picked up his bag which was still in the living room and began dragging it across the titled floor. The sound of the wheels rolling across the titles echoed in the room along with Dhvani's sobs and labored breathing.

"Just a minute." Shaurya called out to his father-in-law but kept his arms wrapped around Dhvani, who was crying on his shoulder. "Was... Was..." He took a deep breath before he spoke hurriedly, "Was Priya a part of all this?"

If he was going to go down, so was she Hariprakash thought. "She needed the money to become an actress. I gave her the money and she created situations where Dhvani was forced to think that you both were having an affair. Those pictures she gave them to me."

Dhvani gasped and shook her head. Did she even know her father? Who was he? Was this the same man who had walked barefoot to guru's ashram when she had fallen sick? Was this the same man who cried like a baby when they watched disney movies together? Was this the same man who ate burnt rotis and spicy curries only because she had made them? Was that her father? Or was this her father?

"She says she loves you which is why she stuck around for so long. Otherwise according to our plan she was supposed to leave and become an actress with the money I gave her right after your divorce with Dhvani."

"Wow!" Shaurya breathed out. "You can leave." He said much to Hariprakash's annoyance, but he couldn't say anything because Dhvani was there.

As Haripraksh Mishra closed the door to his daughter's apartment, the last thing he heard his daughter say to him was "I am so disappointed in you, Papa."