"Bacche ke liye.. hone waali maa ke liye kya safe hai, kya nahi— tumhe kaise pata hoga?" Vidya asked coldly. They were standing in the newly decorated nursery for the Ruhit baby.

She had assured Vidya that the pain was fume free, not at all harmful for the baby. But the anger of Vidya Poddar didn't stem from paint. Or decoration. Or really anything. It was just a manifestation of her stubbornness.

She didn't want Abhira to feel welcome in this house. Now. Or ever. She was yet again the unwanted bride she had tried so desperately not to be. She looked around herself. No one responded to her quip or protested when she so blatantly insulted Abhira.

She led Roohi out of the room while she looked at Abhira with something akin to heartbreak. She had been an unlikely ally, Roohi Poddar especially after the wedding day. She wasn't sure what to make of her at first but once she had let go of her obsessive behaviour regarding Armaan, Roohi had genuinely formed a bond with her.

Abhira liked Roohi. This Roohi at least. She was happy for Roohi and Rohit and the new life they were starting. She was trying to show her happiness through gestures, decoration, gifts, everything.

But Vidya didn't want to see their bond growing. She was an obsessive woman who had weak and pathetic sons.

One of them had fled at the first sign of trouble with his marriage. The other was here, in a marriage and still not quite there.

She gathered herself and walked out of the room. In the hall, another argument was starting. Argument, she was sure would end in Armaan and her making another sacrifice to soothe a vindictive woman's ego.

She touched Armaan's arm, trying to draw his attention. Armaan looked back, obviously intending to tell her they'd talk later after he had placated his mother, but something— a look on her face stopped him.

"What happened?"

"I have questions. I want you to answer honestly." She said firmly.

Armaan nodded.

"Do you love me?"

"This is not the time for that conversation Abhira." Armaan started to respond answer irritatedly but Abhira squeezed his arm in protest. "Yes or no."

"Yes."

"Will you back me up if I do something to ease this situation, right now?" She asks gently.

"What are you going to do?" he asked nervously.

"Honestly, I'm done with your mother. But unfortunately, I love you. It's pathetic but I know that you would blame me forever if I don't do something to placate your mother. She will never be anything to me even after I sort this out for you. I promise you I will hate that woman till my last breath but I have fought too f**king hard to not give you and me one last chance." she said quietly.

"What are you trying to do?"

— "Abhira and Armaan will move into the guest room and Rohit and Roohi will take their room. It's bigger. It's more.. spacious for their growing family." Vidya said curtly.

Abhira scoffed. "I knew it."

Vidya looked at the two of them expectantly. She was confident that Armaan will agree readily.

Abhira, however, gave him a look that stopped him from speaking out.

"Humein iss arrangement se koi issue nahi hai Vidya aunty. Lekin ghar ka har insaan yeh jaanta hai ki iss injustice ki root kahan hai." She said coldly.

"Ladki.. tum yeh kya kar rahi ho? Vidya ko kaise bula rahi ho."

Abhira sighed. "Dadi Sa.. mene Armaan se shaadi karne se pehle aap sab ki permission li thi. Aap sab ka dil jeetne ki koshish ki thi. Aap.. ap logon ka har kaha mana, har cheez ki.. jo mere bas me thi, phir bhi shaadi ke dinn.. mehendi ke din kya hua sab jaante hain."

"Abhira—"

"Mai Maa manti thi Vidya aunty ko aur bahot izzat karti thi. Lekin jo aurat, apne hi bacchon ki barbaadi ki dua kare, unhe Maa kehna mujhe manzoor nahi hai. Mujhe maa na bann paane ka taana.. kisi na kisi bahane se.. har roz dia ja raha hai. Mera pati.. mujhse aise door door rehta hai.. jaise Maa na bann paana meri marzi hai."

"Abhira aisa nahi hai betu.. please aise mat soch." Armaan said softly.

"Mujhe betu mat bulao Armaan. Meri Maa kehti thi mujhe woh.. woh chali gayi hain, unke baad yeh haq tumhe sirf tab mil sakta hai jab tum meri dhaal ban'na seekh jao." Abhira said calmly.

She shook her head, turning back to Kaveri Poddar. "Dadi Sa.. mere bacche nahi honge, yeh mujhe bhi tab hi pata chala tha jab aap sab ko. Believe me, kisi ko itna dhakka nahi lag sakta jitna ek ladki ko lagta hai, jab usse yeh bat batayi jaati hai." She said softly.

"Infertility simple nahi hoti dadi sa. Straight line nahi hoti aur ek test toh definitely confirm nahi ho sakti. Mera aap logon ke saamne sirf ek test hua hai. Ek. Blood. test. Koi ultrasound nahi. Koi CT Scans nahi. Koi nausikhiya doctor bhi ek blood test ke basis pe kisi ko infertile declare nahi kar sakta."

"Tumhe lagta hai kisi ne mazaak kia hai humare saath? Tumhaare saath?" Roohi asked.

"Mai nahi jaanti Roohi. Mai.. pata karna bhi chahu toh bhi, iss waqt pata nahi laga sakti." She said softly.

"What do you mean, that you're not infertile?" Vidya asked hopefully. "Tum Maa ban sakti ho Abhira?"

She ignored the woman, instead she continued to address the matriarch. "Dadi Sa.. mene khud jaake kuch follow up tests kiye hain. Unke reports se.. doctor ki yeh baat zaroor confirm hoti hai ki mere Maa ban'ne me.. kuch complications aayengi. Par mai pregnant nahi ho sakti kisi doctor ne nahi kaha. But jo situation iss waqt hai, main iss duniya ki sabse fertile ladki bhi hoti, toh bhi maa nahi bann paati."

"Kya matlab hai tumhara Abhira?" Kaveri Poddar asked.

"Dadi Sa.. Maa ban'ne ke liye, jo cheeze karni hoti hain, woh hum dono me hui hi nahi hain. Mai.. pregnant ho sakti hoon ya nahi.. yeh pata karne ke liye, mera mere pati ke saath, ek basic rishta hona zaroori hai Dadi Sa. Har doctor, har obstetrician, har intimacy expert, gynaecologist, ek aise couple ko treat kar sakta hai, jo try kar raha ho. Issues tab samne aate hain, jab normal tareeqe haar jaate hain." Abhira said calmly.

"I'm sorry. I know yeh baatein shayad aapke saamne karna proper nahi hai. Par band kamre me, Armaan aur mai phir se ajnabee ho gaye hain. Kyonki Vidya Poddar ne kabhi hamaari shaadi ko shuru hone hi nahi dia." She says.

"Mere ander problem hain, mai Maan jaati hoon Dadi Sa. Mai uss problem se nahi lad paayi, toh woh meri kismat. Mai Maa nahi bann paayi.. toh woh meri sazaa, lekin agar mai patni bhi nahi bann payi.. iss ghar ki bahu bhi nahi bann payi, toh teen maheene pehle jo kuch hua, woh sab sirf mazaak bann ke reh jaayega."

"Mene aapki har kasauti poori ki hai Dadi Sa. Mene yeh prove kia hai ki mai iss ghar ki bahu hone ke layak hoon. Mai Armaan ki patni hone ke layak hoon. Mai Maa hone ke layak hoon ya nahi.. yeh koi doctor nahi.. koi report nahi, sirf bhagwan tay kar sakte hain." She said quietly.

Kaveri walked over to Abhira. "Tum kya chaahti ho?"

"Izzat chahti hoon Dadi Sa. Apne pati ko tadapte hue nahi dekhna chahti. Apne pariwaar se ladte nahi dekhna chahti. Isiliye itni koshish ki thi mene sabka mann jeetne ke liye. Mene apka pariwar jodne ke liye apne rishte ko daav pe laga rakha hai, Dadi Sa. Mai.. poori koshish kar sakti hoon, apni jaan laga sakti hoon, par har roz kisi apne ko baar baar nahi jeet sakti Dadi Sa. Mai roz imtehaan nahi de sakti Dadi Sa." She says.

Kaveri looked back at her family. Her daughter in law stood confused. "Maa sa.. mai sirf Armaan ka bhala chaahti hoon."

Abhira sighed softly. "Mai.. iss ghar me rahoon ya nahi iska faisla aaj bhi aapke haath me hai. Mai.. poori zindagi Armaan ke liye lad sakti hoon, lekin mere liye kisi ko toh ladna padega na? Agar aapka pariwar mujhe izzat bhi nahi de sakta, agar aapka beta, mujhe chunke bhi mujhse anjaan rehke khush hai. Mai iss ghar se jaana better samjhungi."

"Abhira.." Armaan wrapped his arms around her. "Mai.. tumse anjaan nahi hoon."

"Pichle teen maheene se tum mere apne bhi nahi ho Armaan." She said sadly. "Iss se acche toh hum shaadi se pehle the. At least tum mujhe smile karte dekhne ke liye effort toh karte the. Ab toh iss ghar me mai jiyuin ya mar jauin tum mud ke bhi nahi dekhte."

"Ball is in your court Dadi Sa." She turned back to Kaveri Poddar. "Mujhe bas izzat chahiye. Aapne mujhse vaada kia tha agar mai aapke har imtehaan par khari utri toh aap mujhe iss ghar ki badi Bahu ban'ne ka aashirwad dengi. Apna vaada nibhaiye. Ya phir mujhe ek aakhri baar, iss ghar se hamesha ke liye vida kar dijiye."

"Tum patni ho meri Abhira. Tum iss ghar se kaheen nahi jaogi." Armaan said firmly.

"Tumhare mangalsutra aur sindoor ke waade ke bharose 3 maheene mene Vidya aunty ka aashirwad paane ki koshish ki hai. Har koshish ki hai ki mai apne dard ko bhool ke unke pain ko kam kar sakoon. Par yeh Ghar katputliyon ka hai Armaan aur iss ghar ki har katputli ki dor, Kaveri Poddar ke haath me hai. Toh aaj me ek aakhri koshish kar rahi hoon. Tumhaare liye. Apne liye. Agar dadi sa mujhe woh nahi de sakti hain, jo mene maanga hai, toh mai chup chaap iss ghar se chali jaungi."

"Mera kya Abhira?" Armaan asked.

"Tumhare vaadon ka mol ussi din toot gaya tha jis din tumne gathbandhan tod kar Vidya aunty ka peecha kia tha. Apni suhaagraat ke din, apni Maa ki baddua li thi, aur apni biwi ko baanjh kehte suna tha unhe aur chup rahe the. Tumne roohi ke saamne jo kuch bhi kaha ho, shaadi ke din. Tum phere lete hi, mere pati se Vidya Poddar ke bete ban gaye the. Mere pati ki koi zimmedari tumne nahi nibhayi hai." She says calmly.

Kaveri sighed. "Tum humse kya chahti ho."

"Aapko mujhse Poddar khandan ka baccha chahiye. Mai bhi baccha chahti hoon. Mujhe 18 maheene chahiye.. 6 maheene, hum naturally bacche ke liye try karenge. 3 maheene fertility treatments karenge. Agle 9 maheene hum IVF try karenge. Aapko Armaan ko iss sab me ek willing participant ban'ne dena hoga. Mera pati sirf mere liye available rahega."

"Agar kisi ek tareeqey se koi bhi positive result aata hai, aur mai pregnant ho jaati hoon, toh aap Vidya Poddar ko mujhse aur mere bacchon se door rakhengi. Meri poori pregnancy. Unki poori zindagi. Unki chaaya bhi mujhpe ya mere bacchon pe aayi toh mai iss ghar se uss hi din chali jaungi aur aap apne ghar ke baccho se kabhi nahi mil payengi. Agar me pregnant nahi hoti hoon. At the end of 18 months, mai iss ghar se chup chap, ap se kuch bhi maange bina, kuch bhi kahe bina chali jaungi."

"Inn 18 maheene me. Mujhe kisi ne koi bhi taana dene ki koshish ki.. deal is off. Mai aap par aur aapke pariwar par mental harrasment ka case karungi, apke bete ko divorce doongi aur yahan se chali jaungi. I promise you. Akshara Abhimanyu Birla ki beti ka gussa aap sehen nahi kar payengi. Agar mujhe Roohi se ya bacchon se door rakhne ke liye ya outcast ki tarah rehne ke liye majboor kia gaya, toh bhi yahi hoga."

"And why do you think we'll agree?" Vidya Poddar asked. "Tumhe 18 maheene aur..."

"Deal aapko offer ki hai mene, Dadi Sa. Aapke pas 3 din hain. Soch ke mujhe bata dijiye. Clocks ticking. Agar aap meri sharte naamanzoor karti hain. Mai aapke ghar ko chodkar teen dinn baad chali jaungi. Mene apni taraf se apke ghar ko sambhaalne ki har mumkin koshish ki hai. Par meri izzat mujhe bahot pyaari hai. Pyaar me mai kabhi itni andhi nahi hongi, ki apni izzat ko daav pe laga doon."

"Why do you think you're allowed to set the rules?" Kaveri Poddar asked.

"Because you made a promise you have to uphold, or free me from. If I stay in this house anymore, I stay because I am respected. If I don't feel safe, in any situation, I will leave and you can not stop me anymore."

"Where will you go?"

"That is none of your business right now. You have a decision to make" 

We have established in the last several episodes that Abhira is trapped in a marriage with a spineless Craphead. 

Mainly, I am writing this because I wanna give Vidya Poddar a piece of my mind. It may have 3-4 parts. Depending on how much Vidya and Armaan piss me off. 

Love

Vinny