No proofread.

Khushi discreetly followed Arnav to the garden and noticed he was calling Akash, but he did not respond and appeared frustrated.

Another call, and Akash, who had left immediately after dinner to pick up Kiki and Payal, answered the phone.

"Akash, what is this nonsense about Sheetal working for ARD?" Arnav yelled, leaving Khushi wondering who this Sheetal was and why Arnav was so angry, but she was about to get a partial answer with what Arnav said next. "Well, that blabbermouth went to RM and informed them of Khushi's return...... I don't want anyone knowing she is back until she decides to show herself on her own accord...... What hell is wrong with you Akash?....... Your marriage is already on the rocks, and you continue to assist the associations responsible for the majority of our problems...... If you have not learned anything by now, you are hopeless...... Nothing good comes from assisting anyone affiliated with Anjali...... She is like a bad omen, ready to cast a dark cloud over everything...... Be warned, Akash: I will not tolerate your lack of control causing Khushi or Lulu any distress.

Arnav hung up the phone and ran his hand through his hair, pulling it and groaning in frustration.

Khushi was surprised to see him so upset, particularly about their safety.

She wondered what had happened to make Arnav so desensitized to Anjali, because the Arnav he knew would have set the world on fire if Anjali had told him to.

"What really happened after I left, and why is Arnav so upset about anything related to Anjali...... Did Anjali have a bigger role in our breakup than I realized?...... Wait, why the hell would I care?"...... Arnav is the only one to blame. Case closed." Khushi contemplated.

"Khushi? " Khushi jerked out of her reverie when she heard Arnav call out to her with a concerned expression on his face, but she responded with a glare, and Arnav sighed as he saw her return to her icy and cold demeanour. "There is something you should know....... Anjali's sister-in-law now works at ARD, and I am not sure how she recognized you, but the people at home do."

"I do not care if she knows....... As long as you and your family stay away from me, I do not care if they know about Lulu, but be warned, Mr Raizada....... If they dare to trouble Lulu, I will suck their breath away forever." Khushi threatened in a serious tone, and Arnav nodded. Khushi walked away, but stopped and turned to face Arnav. "Who is the fool who fell for your sister and turned himself and his family into ghar jamai?"

"He is the commander of the Delhi Police Department and he is not a ghar jamai...... His sister Sheetal ruined their house with some stupid experimental DIYs that will require some time for the contractors to repair...... Nani was the one who brought her and her in-laws into the house." Arnav clarified.

"And you allowed her to stay?" Khushi scoffed, while Arnav nodded.

"I do not care if they interfere with my life or bother Kiki. "Arnav responded truthfully, which surprised Khushi.

She walked away, leaving Arnav in the garden.

RM.

Payash arrived at the mansion with a sleeping Kiki, only to find the entire family, with the exception of Siddharth and Naina, in the lounge.

"Akash, Payal, Sheetal claimed Khushi was back..... Is this true? Nani asked, staring at them, but Payal rolled her eyes and walked away with Kiki, convincing Nani and the others that it was true, as Sheetal appeared offended by their insinuation that she was a liar.

"Hello, bye-bye, How could you have hidden something like this from us?" Mami asked, annoyed, and Akash glared at her, causing her to flinch.

"And why would I tell you..... What are you to me or Khushi bhabhi huh?...... Let me tell you something. Khushi is no longer the easily manipulated woman she used to be. Mess with this Khushi, and you will face not only her wrath, but also that of Bhai...... He is been itching to kick you all out, and if I were you, I would avoid Khushi." Akash warned and walked away, leaving Nani stunned, but the rest of the group, with the exception of Sheetal, were upset for a variety of reasons.

"Nani, I think we should speak with Shashiji......" He is the only person who can help us get to Khushi." Nani's glare caught Anjali off guard.

"I see you are deaf and did not hear what Akash said to confirm Sheetal's words...... Shashi cannot stand us, and you expect him to help us when he has not forgiven his own daughter, who had nothing to do with what happened?...... You are so self-centered that you only think about yourself. Your husband is getting frustrated, and I would not be surprised if he divorces you..... In fact, I will assist and support him through his divorce." Nani exclaimed angrily and walked away, leaving Anjali completely stunned.

"Anjali di, I believe your Nani is right...... "You have far worse problems than Khushi...... Bhai." Sheetal exclaimed mockingly as she stood up and left the lounge for her room.

Anjali glared at her, and Shruti joined in, looking angry.

"Mami, what do we do?Naina is missing out on Arnav's affection, and Khushi is the only one who can persuade him to love Naina as much as he does Kiki. My daughter is also worthy of a place in his heart." Anjali whined as she held Mami's hand and smiled, caressing it.

"Don't worry..... I have a plan to bring Arnav and Khushi together, and if Arnav finds out, we will tell him that it was because of you that Khushi gave him a second chance, and he will be forced to thank you." Mami said something, and Anjali smiled and hugged.

Payal, who was on her way to the kitchen, had heard everything without their knowledge.

"Over my dead body will you use my sister again....... Starting tomorrow, I will cause so much chaos in your and Mami's lives that you will not have time to plot against Khushi." Payal contemplated with a devilish expression on her face.

Back at Khushi's mansion, Arnav finally put Lulu to sleep and exited her room into the vast lounge, where Khushi sat on the couch with her arms crossed and an icy expression on her face.

"I will take my leave now, and thank you for allowing them to meet Lulu...... Goodnight, Khushi." Arnav exclaimed calmly but enthusiastically, which surprised Khushi, but she did not show it.

She simply nodded as Arnav walked away, but then returned to her and sat on the center table, facing her.

"What?" Khushi asked coldly.

"Don't be like me. " Arnav exclaimed, and Khushi scoffed, but he persisted. "I know I have caused you more pain than anything else in your life, which is why your old self is gone...... I understand what it is like to let hatred lead you...... It obstructs your good morals and ability to see clearly..... In the end, you end up unintentionally hurting people, and when you finally come to your senses, it is too late, and you will be plagued by guilt for the rest of your life.

Khushi rolled her eyes and later smirked as she pecked up.

"Do you mean to tell me you are living in guilt?" Khushi exclaimed mockingly, which Arnav detected, but he knew she was not to blame because he was once her.

"Yes, Khushi...... I live in guilt and will do so for the rest of my life..... I lost you, the experience of guiding you through your pregnancy...... I missed seeing Lulu's birth, her first roll, her first sit and crawl, her first everything, and I was not there to support you through it all...... This is because I let my hatred, obsession, trauma, and ego guide me...... Khushi That is not something I want for you...... I never thought humans could be saints, but you made me believe it...... You can be your old self while remaining vigilant.... I do not want my mistakes to ruin your life. Khushi, I love you....... Believe me or not, I love you, and I would hate for you to live the life I did in the past."

Khushi looked stunned, her shoulders slumped down with vulnerability, as Arnav leaned in and kissed her on the forehead before walking away, leaving her speechless.

Preeto, who was watching this, smiled, especially as tears streamed down her face.

It was tears of realization that Arnav was correct, and Preeto knew that, even if her hardened heart had not completely melted, she was on her way to becoming the old Khushi.

The following day.

Nani and everyone else, with the exception of Payash, were taken aback when Arnav returned to RM and sat at the table, feeding Kiki on his lap.

Payash smiled as they watched their daughter receive so much affection from her uncle, but they both wished Lulu had joined them.

Flashback.

Payal went to drop water in Kiki's mini fridge in her room after witnessing Mami and Anjali's conversation because she was always thirsty at night.

She walked into her bedroom to find Akash sitting in his recliner, typing away on his laptop.

"You said in the car you would tell me how you knew Khushi was back?" Payal said this while sitting on the bed, arms crossed.

Akash closed what he was doing and pushed the laptop away focusing on his wife.

On their way home, Akash received a call from Arnav over the loudspeaker, and Payal heard everything, so he promised to fill her in.

"You got that right..... Khushi is back as the brand owner of the company with whom we will be holding our next fashion show, and she also has a daughter with Bhai...... Her name is Lucrezia..... I met her just a few hours ago. But, bhai, I do not want anyone to know, and I know I can trust you." Akash explained, but was taken aback by Payal's expression, which then hit him. "You were aware? " Payal responded with a nod. "How, exactly?"

Payal revealed what Shashi had told her, seeing no need to hide the truth from him.

"I was overjoyed when I found out that my baby sister had given birth." Payal exclaimed happily.

"We will keep it a secret until they are ready to reveal her existence." Payal nodded in agreement with Akash's words.

"I envy you. " Payal confessed.

Akash stood up, walked up to her, and sat down, gazing into her shimmering eyes.

"Do not worry...... I know Khushi will one day allow us to be Lulu's uncle and aunt."

"Lulu!...... I like it. " Payal exclaimed happily, making Akash smile, and she returned the smile.

This was the first conversation they would had in years that was not about Kiki, and it was also the first time they had not faked their emotions around each other.

Flashback ends.

Arnav stared at Payash as they discussed Kiki's upcoming school play, and for the first time, he noticed no tension or fake emotions on their faces.

They appear to be having a genuine conversation, which made him smile.

Arnav was not the only one who noticed this, and while everyone's emotions differed, Nani was pleased to see the change.

Mami appeared displeased as their tension provided her with a twisted sense of satisfaction for her punishment of not being around Kiki, as did Anjali, but Shruti, Siddharth, and Sheetal were taken aback.

"Papa." Kiki spoke up to Akash, who smiled at his daughter. "I have no school today...... Can I come with you and big boss to office. "

Kiki immediately put on her cutest puppy face and pout, making Payal laugh, and with her adorable appearance, who could refuse her?

Kiki cheered and clapped when she heard this, but Anjali looked irritated as she looked at Naina, who was staring at them from her father's lap with a sad expression on her face.

Naina was extremely intelligent, even at the age of two and a half, and she understood many things and emotions that everyone else did.

"Chote? " Anjali called out to him but was rewarded with a cold glare that sent shivers down her spine but she wasn't going to back down. "I mean Arnav...... Can you please take Naina along too. "

Nani and Shruti rolled their eyes as Siddharth sat in his chair, enraged at what Anjali was attempting.

Mami smirked, thinking Arnav was trapped because he could not break a little girl's heart, but she was surprised when Kiki grabbed Arnav's hand and shook her head as she stared into his eyes, nearly in tears.

Arnav and Payash, who were perplexed by her strong reaction to this, both realized something was wrong.

"What is wrong, baby?" Payal asked, caressing her cheek, but she shook her head, alarming Mami and Anjali, who were afraid Kiki would expose them.

"I will explain why she reacted the way she did." Anjali turned to face her husband, pleading with her eyes, confirming their suspicion that something had happened behind their backs.

Siddharth ignored Anjali and revealed what he saw the day he arrived at RM.

Payash and Arnav appeared enraged, but they controlled themselves after seeing how upset Kiki was.

"It is better they stay apart, and besides, I am taking Naina to the mall." Siddharth revealed shutting down the request.

"No fair. " Naina cried.

"Naina, be quiet...... We are going to the mall, and that is it." Siddharth stated firmly, shutting her up, and she pouted sadly.

Siddharth realised he was losing his daughter, and Arnav was correct: he could not leave her upbringing to Anjali.

He needed to step up if Naina was to grow up into an honorable individual.

Everyone returned to their food because his words had closed the case, and Anjali and Mami cursed Siddharth for ruining their plan, which he sensed from their stares but ignored because his daughter came first.

Akash, Arnav, and Kiki arrived at ARD after dropping off Payal at the Shashi sweet shop.
Everyone began gushing over her as soon as she entered.

Sheetal passed by and gulped as she noticed Arnav's glare at her.

She was about to rush to her boss's office when she stopped hearing.

"Papa! "

She frowned and turned, and what she saw stunned her to the core.

A beautiful little girl ran up to Arnav, who was surprised but happy, and he opened his arms as she ran into them.

He kisses her all over the face, causing her to laugh uncontrollably.

"Baby, what are you doing here? " Arnav asked surprised and Lulu shared her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek.

"I begged mama to let me come here today to met you and her I am..... Surprise. " Lulu exclaimed enthusiastically and giggled.

Arnav kissed her cheek and hugged her which she reciprocated as Khushi and Preeto walked closer to them.

He broke the hug and expressed his gratitude to Khushi, who frowned as Arnav chuckled.

Everyone was stunned to see a girl call ARS papa, and to top it off, the new hot shot business woman was the mother.

"Hi Akki uncle. " Lulu waved at Akash who smiled and leaned in giving her a kiss on the cheek and she giggled.

Lulu gasped as Akash pulled away, staring at Kiki, who appeared perplexed to see a girl refer to her big boss as Papa.

Lulu wiggled free of her father's arms and walked up to Kiki, smiling.

"You must be Kiki. " Kiki nodded, as if dazed, and stared at Lulu. "Papa and Akki uncle told me all about you, and I am glad to finally meet you." Lulu exclaimed, her face beaming with delight.

"Who exactly are you?" Kiki inquired, confused.

"Uff...... Am Lucrezia Lombardi Singh Raizada....... He is my papa. " Pointing at Arnav. "Your papa is my uncle Akki, and your mother is my aunt Payal...... Mama said I am a few months older than you, so I will be your big sister."

Kiki's jaw dropped as Lulu explained, but it quickly recovered to a state of joy.

Kiki run around the office screaming.

"Yay..... I have a big sister. "

She ran back to Lulu and hugged her, and she reciprocated as they both giggled, making it the most wholesome scene for everyone as everyone gushed about them.

They broke the hug, and Kiki walked up to her father with a frown that surprised Akash.

"Did you know about my big sister? " Kiki asked, and Akash nodded sheepishly. She then turned to Arnav and asked the same question, to which he also nodded.

Kiki snapped back at Akash and kicked him, and before anyone could register what had happened, Arnav received his own, causing everyone to gasp.

"This is for not telling me about my big sister. " Kiki uffed and approached a stunned Lulu, exclaiming. "They deserved it."

Lulu giggled and nodded, startling Akash and Arnav.

"Where is your mama?" Kiki inquired, and Lulu pointed to Khushi, who held her attention.

"Wow...... You are more beautiful than your picture in the big boss's room." Kiki exclaimed, making Arnav look flustered as Khushi raised her eyebrows at him.

"Why don't we go upstairs?" Aman exclaimed as they were surrounded by workers.

He was aware that they would gossip, but the NDA clauses in their contracts would prevent this from spreading, and he had prepared his public relations team for this as well as any unexpected gossip that might reach the media.

All of the employees began whispering to one another, wondering when their boss had a child and what caused their separation.

Everyone looked to Sheetal for answers, and she smirked at the chance to set a trend while being respected and needed by them.

To be continued.

Precap: Siddharth charges Mami and Anjali with trespassing.

See you all on Monday.

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