Arnav's Penthouse.

Khushi and the others were entertained as Lulu and Kiki fed Arnav in his bed.

"Come on open your mouth. " Lulu ordered, and Arnav obeyed, and she fed him chicken noodle soup.

"Here, have some water." Kiki pushed the Stanley cup towards Arnav's mouth, but he leaned back in confusion as Lulu and Kiki stared at him.

"Wait, is that not your favorite cup, which you do not let anyone touch?" Arnav expressed surprise, and Kiki nodded.

"Yes, it is my favorite sippy, and it contains magic that will help you heal faster." Kiki explained convincingly, and Lulu nodded in agreement.

"Wow..... I can feel the magic." Arnav exclaimed, flexing his muscles.

"See I told you so. " Kiki exclaimed, beaming, as she set the Stanley Cup aside while Lulu fed him.

It had been three days since the incident at school, and Arnav was discharged last night. He was now living in his penthouse with Akash and Payal, who had moved in with him.

The girls missed Arnav, and Khushi had no choice but to take them to his penthouse. She had been yearning to see him since leaving the hospital that day, and this was the perfect opportunity for her.

Despite her reservations about the revelation at the hospital, she could not deny that seeing Arnav pale and attached to multiple wires broke something in her.

Flashback.

City Hospital.

Everyone, with the exception of Mami and Anjali, who had been sent home by Manohar, was sitting in the emergency room corridor, waiting for answers.

It is been two hours and they have not heard anything about Arnav's condition.

"What in the hell just happened?" The silence and tension in the corridor were broken by Sahil's unexpected question.

"It's normal. " Akash responded calmly as the others turned to face him.

"What the hell do you mean, it is normal?" Manohar inquired vehemently.

"He did not want anyone to know.... It happened frequently until three years ago, when he learned to control and deal with his emotions effectively...... Remember how, two weeks after Shyam was arrested, he left the mansion and stayed away for more than six months?" Manohar nodded in response to Payal's statement. "It was happening to him at least twice a week, and the doctor warned him that if it was not controlled, he would go into a diabetic coma......  He has been controlling his emotiins since the doctor's recommendation and advice...... He is been fine for three years, but I guess the revelation triggered it again."

Khushi was taken aback by this because he had only fainted once before, due to a drop in his sugar levels.

"This is entirely my fault." Nani cried out, drawing everyone's attention to her. " I ignored him and focused on Anjali, thinking she was a woman and fragile from losing her parents and a broken marriage, forgetting that Arnav had been more traumatized by his mother shooting herself in the head in front of her thirteen-year-old son...... I concentrated more on Anjali because a part of me saw her as Ratna and a chance to relive my motherhood..... Subconsciously, I ignored Arnav because he resembled Arvind, and I could not bring myself to console and support him...... I did all of this.... If I had raised Anjali to be more self-sufficient, people would not have avoided telling her the truth..... I did this....... You were correct, Manohar; you said that someday, prioritizing Anjali over Akash and Arnav would destroy our family, and I did not listen, just as I always took your authority for granted, causing you to give up...... I am sorry.....I sincerely apologize."

"You finally admitted your mistakes, Maa, but it is too late...... Please leave here and gi and pamper your beloved granddaughter, because I know her husband is about to yell at her." Manohar expressed his utter disgust.

"She is on her own....... I need a break from all of this, but please notify me when Manu's family arrives.... I want to properly send her away." Nani exclaimed "broken," and Manohar nodded.

She took one last look at everyone before walking away, leaving the family behind.

"Well, I better leave. He is got his family with him." Khushi whispered softly, but it was audible to everyone.

"Please, Khushiji, do not leave." Sahil begged, prompting Khushi to stare at him.

"Why would I stay here?" Khushi inquired rudely, and Sahil closed his eyes, knowing that he was about to betray Arnav.

He knew Arnav would probably drop him as a friend, but after seeing the misunderstanding between Arshi and Khushi's responses, he knew he had to do something.

"That night was staged...... Everything about Arnav calling you the greatest mistake of his life was staged." Sahil revealed.

"Sahil!" Akash, Payal, and Aman yelled in unison as Khushi and Manohar appeared perplexed, but Preeto moved away from Khushi's view, not wanting to reveal her emotions.

"Akash, Payal, and Aman, explain yourselves now." Manohar commanded, and everyone knew there was no turning back.

"Arnav discovered hidden cameras in his room a few days before the incident.... We knew it was Shyam's doing, but we had no idea how long he had been recording Khushi bhabhi and Arnav...... We devised a strategy to get Khushi out of the house and out of the country until we could confiscate all of Shyam's footage......During Anjali's suicide stunt, we called it an opportunity. I asked Arnav to intentionally hurt Khushi in order to drive her away. He did not want to do it, but I pressed him, and he did...... We assumed Khushi would go to Laxmi Nagar in the meantime until we could tell her the truth, but my plan failed...... According to the guards we sent after Khushi to protect her, they saw her go to Laxmi Nagar, but the guards in disguise, who were intentionally positioned to protect Khushi until we revealed the truth to her, didn't see her enter the house."

Khushi was completely taken aback by the revelation; it was all Aman's plan.

"What a ridiculous plan? ............ I always thought you, Arnav, and Akash were extremely intelligent because of how you three raised the bar in business, but it appears that your brains are only good at making money and not applying them personally for better results." Manohar reprimanded Akash and Aman, who appeared apologetic. "Akash here has been groveling for his mother's attention when his intelligence should have made him realize she will never love him but will only want to control him and as for Arnav, that boy was traumatized and I will give him the benefit of the doubt but he is equally as idiotic as Akash putting his time, love, wealth, and affection into people who do not give a damn about him and you Aman, the one I always admire because of your ability to put those  two idiots in the places without fear ended up being another idiot." Manohar exclaimed with defeat. "Who am I to judge when my silence indirectly contributed to all this chaos?"

"I know Mr Raizada...... I have never forgiven myself for making a huge mistake..... Arnav simply wanted to protect Bhabhi."

This drew attention on Khushi, and she immediately composed herself.

"I am not bothered anymore...... He is no longer my concern...... Take care of him..... Am out. " Khushi replied casually and walked away, leaving the family stunned, and Preeto quietly followed her.

Aman attempted to follow her, but Sahil pulled him back.

"Let her be Aman; this is too much for her, but do not worry, Preeto will be there for her." Aman sighed and nodded in response to what Sahil said.

The next day, Arnav awoke to find the family, with the exception of Khushi, beside him, and he left disappointed not to see her but did not express his feelings.

Throughout this, he noticed the family members Payash, Sahil, and Aman acting strangely and failing to meet his gaze.

"What is the problem?" Arnav inquired with concern, and everyone smiled nervously.

"What is wrong is with your stupidity?" Manohar responded angrily, walking from behind the others and standing in front of a perplexed Arnav. "We know everything about that ridiculous plan that Aman dragged you into."

Arnav turned to face them, and Sahil apologized and revealed everything which made Arnav angry.

"Your stupidity cost you your wife and more than three years of your daughter's life....... Khushi has become so desensitized to all of the pain we have caused her that she no longer cares after discovering the truth...... You broke her Arnav....... You broke that sweet child. "

Arnav looked down, ashamed by Manohar's words, knowing they were true, but hearing them hit hard, especially after learning about Khushi's reaction to the revelation.

"Papa please let's let him rest...... The doctor advised him not to become overwhelmed." Manohar nodded in response to Payal's plea.

The doctor came in, examined Arnav, and released him the next day.

Flashback ends.

"Yay...... Papa finished mama's soup. " Lulu exclaimed with delight as she clapped, and Kiki joined her.

Arnav was caught off guard finding out  Khushi made the soup and turned to her, mouthing a thank you, but she glared at him in return, making Arnav laugh.

"Mama, where is big boss medicine? " Kiki inquired, turning to Payal, who smiled back at her daughter.

"We need to wait a few minutes before giving it to him." Payal responded. "And Khushi will be the one to administer his medication because she prepared this delicious soup for your big boss...... Won't that be great Lulu baby. "

Everyone, except the girls, was astounded by Payal's words.

Before Khushi could respond, the girls cheered, jumped off the bed, and dragged her to Arnav.

"Come on, girls, help me prepare for lunch." Payal exclaimed as she picked up the tray, and the girls nodded and followed her out, as did Sahil and Aman, who understood what Payal was doing.

"Payal don't you think you have gone too far. " Akash whispered to her as they walked to the kitchen with the girls trailing ahead.

"They need to talk even if they will not be together; they need to air their grievances, and that is the only way they can coparent peacefully and without awkwardness."

"Payal is right. " Sahil concurred, and Aman nodded.

They all moved to the kitchen with waddling in front.

Meanwhile, at the Raizada Mansion, Mami's parents, Savita and Vijay, looked disappointed when Manohar revealed all of her wrongdoings.

Mami's mother was in tears after learning her daughter had caused so much harm to the family.

"We understand you, Damadji, and we support your decision to divorce Manu." Vijay commented.

"Papa? " Mami exclaimed, shocked.

"Shut up. " Vijay yelled looking disgusted. " You have ruined the family who took you in and showered you with prestige, wealth and status and yet you plot against them....... I feel disgusted having you as a daughter....... Be grateful that you are not in jail...... Now get ready because we are returning to the village where you will live during and after your divorce. You want to brag, right? Now you will feel the same way you did about people you thought were beneath you.

Mami cried as she realized she was about to be taunted in the village because she had literally made enemies of so many people because she married rich, which made her look down on her.

"Damadji, please ask your housekeeper to bring back only a few clothes for her...... Give away all of her jewelry and sarees because she will not need them where she is going." Savita's statement surprised Mami, who assumed she could not live on the small amount of jewelry she had after leaving RM.

"Sasuma, there is no need for that and don't worry will send money every month. " Manohar retorted not wanting Mami to be a burden on her elderly parents.

"We insist damadji....... Manu needs to learn and will farm the land; do not worry, the land you bought for us in the village is making so much money from crop and vegetable sales that we are content..... Please do not send us or Manu any money." Vijay insisted, and Manohar nodded in agreement.

"Before we leave, could we please see our grandson, granddaughter in law, and great granddaughter?" Savita beams, and Manohar nods with a smile.

"Let us get you two settled in for now, and then we will go to Arnav's penthouse to see them."

Savita and Vijay nodded as Manohar led them to their room to rest until they were ready to meet Akash. 

Anjali sat in the dinning pissed off hearing the conversation between them.

She knew once Mami left, all her support was gone with her.

"It appears that your only support is leaving, leaving you completely alone." Shruti mocked, sitting at the table with Anjali and a smug expression on her face.

"Why do you hate me so much?" Anjali asked, her gaze fixed on her mother-in-law.

"I will never love a woman who has baby trapped my son." Shruti exclaimed, gritting her teeth.

Anjali's eyes widened in surprise when she heard this, but she kept her composure.

"I did not baby trap him." Anjali argued, but Shruti rolled her eyes at her.

"My son does not remember sleeping with you that day, and I know he is not lying, especially after learning about all the atrocities you have committed against your family; you are capable of anything...... I will definitely find out the truth, and when I do, I will ensure that he divorces and you never see Naina again."

Shruti stood and walked away from the table, leaving a terrified Anjali behind.

Anjali's phone went off, breaking her reverie, and she checked the message, her eyes widening in surprise.

"Tiktok tiktok Anjali, your husband will soon discover the truth."

Anjali began to panic, and fortunately for her, no one was in the kitchen.

"I need to find a way to steal Payal's jewelry quickly. Whoever is doing this is not lying...... "I can not lose Naina; she is my only reason for living." Anjali exclaimed in terror.

Back at Arnav's penthouse, Khushi sat on the bed and gave him his medicine, which he took without complaint.

"The doctor says you need a few days off, and the teams are coping without you...... "You should rest and get well soon." Khushi replied and stood up, but Arnav grabbed her hand and she glared back at him.

"Please can we talk..... Please. " Arnav pleaded, and Khushi sighed and nodded before returning to her seat.

"I realize everything that happened that day was staged, but it does not change anything between us." Khushi spoke firmly.

"I get it...... What happened that night was the final nail in the coffin..... We had been having problems even before that night, and that night was the final straw, and it all happened because of me...... To be honest, I was the biggest mistake of your life...... Everything horrible you have gone through started with me, either directly or indirectly...... From the humiliation you experienced when I released the video to meeting Shyam, I accept full responsibility for everything that occurred afterwards. I hope that someday you will find it in your heart to forgive me, but if not, I will not hold it against you...... I deserve so much worse for everything I have done to you. I caused you pain, but it also opened my eyes to the façade I had been maintaining for nearly three decades...... It did not end there; thanks to you, I have Lulu and Kiki. I know you do not need me, but if you do, I will always be there to help."

Khushi was stunned and speechless by his admission.

She expected him to use his past as an excuse for his behavior, but he has instead accepted full responsibility.

"I know you are uncomfortable around me, so you can leave now if you want, and I will tell Payal not to use the girls against you again."

Khushi nodded, stood up from the bed, and approached the door.

She opened it but turned to see Arnav smiling sincerely at her before closing the door.

She held the handle to support her weak knees while resting her hand on her chest to control the erratic heartbeat.

"Keep your cool, Khushi." She whispered and walked down the stairs towards the family.

The girls seeing her dragged her into the kitchen to find Sahil, Preeto and Aman helping with the cooking and she joined them.

No one said anything becatof the girls but Payal knew Khushi was mad at her and she was ready to face the music.

RM.
Evening.

Sheetal arrived at the mansion after a long day of work; she had worked extra hours due to an impending promotion, and she was one of the few chosen to compete for the position.

This could help her resume and increase her chances of getting a higher position at ARD.

She was about to take the stairs to the mansion door when she heard a loud thud and felt a wet sensation on her leg.

When she looked down, she noticed red liquid on her led and a stain on her white stilettos.

She lifted her gaze slightly, only to scream at the top of her lungs, attracting everyone from all directions of the mansion to her.

Everyone rushed to her, only to find Mami on the floor, blood oozing from her head and twitching.

Siddharth screamed for an ambulance to be called as he used his paramedic experience to control the blood flow.

"Who was responsible for this?" Siddharth screamed.

To be continued.

Don't forget to hit the ⭐⭐⭐⭐ button, comment and follow for more.

Bye for now.

Xoxo xoxo.