Khushi entered her office after solving a problem with her team's design, only to find a nervous Preeto pacing back and forth before stopping and letting out a loud sigh of relief at seeing her and this perplexed Khushi.

"What is wrong with you?" Khushi inquired as she removed her coat, hung it on the rack behind her chair, and sat facing Preeto.

"You will not believe who came here and what happened to them." Preeto exclaimed, and Khushi frowned, prompting her to continue. "Anjali and her aunt came here to speak with you, but ASR refused, but they were not barging, so ASR called the cops, and Aman just revealed to me that her own husband had just approved her and her aunt's trespassing charges."

Khushi was overcome with emotion; she was angry that Anjali and Mami dared to approach her, but she was also taken aback by Arnav's actions and Anjali's husband's decision to support Arnav over Anjali.

She realised her assumption about Anjali's husband was incorrect, and he was not the henpecked husband she imagined.

"That is not our problem......As long as she and her wretched aunt stay away from me, I am fine because if I had met them, they would have ended up in the hospital." Khushi exclaimed indignantly as she returned to her computer and resumed typing.

Preeto was taken aback by her response, but shrugged and walked out of her office to finish her work.

Khushi's facade vanished instantly, and a sinister smirk took over her lips, accompanied by a devilish look in her eyes, as she took a new phone from her drawer, typed a message, and pressed send.

"Be prepared for my revenge. Anjali...... I promise to drive you and your aunt insane..... And when I am finished with you and your aunt, you will be sorry about that night."

Flashback.

Following Arnav's confrontation with her, Khushi sat on the floor sobbing.

She knew he was speaking from trauma and pain, but what he said will stay with her forever unless Arnav comes to her and apologizes.

She was about to enter the restroom when she heard the door open and smiled, thinking it was Arnav, but her smile faded when she noticed Mami supporting a pale Anjali and felt a bang in her chest.

"You see what you have done......" If you have any dignity left, you will leave this house and Arnav...... He does not want you because you are just an object on which he can vent his frustration...... A punching bag, and if you do not believe me, listen." Mami spat venomously, causing Khushi to bow her head.

Mami pulled out her phone, and Khushi raised her head, perplexed as to who she was calling.

"Hello Mami. " Arnav's voice has emerged.

"Hello hi bye bye....... Why is Pati Saree in tears?" Mami inquired, pretending to be concerned.

"Mami I do not want to talk about her or even breathe the same air with her........ I should have never married her then di wouldn't be going through all this....... I do not want the Guptas pointing fingers at her, so I am tolerating her for now...... Please Mami, take care of Anjali. "

The call and Khushi's fall to her knees occurred simultaneously.

"Now that you have heard him.... Leave now and never return. "

Khushi, shaken by the hurt and revelation, picked up all of her belongings, leaving everything Arnav and the family had given her behind.

Flashback ends.

"As much as I despise you two, you made me see the truth." Khushi reflected and returned to her work.

Meanwhile in RM, Siddharth sat in the lounge sipping on some tea and scrolling through his phone.

The sound of Nani panting and dropping on the couch in front of him drew his attention, and he immediately understood why.

"Damadji, Anjali, and Manu were arrested.... Please do something. " Nani expressed concern, but Siddharth just looked at her with his arms folded.

"I know...... I was the one who authorized the charge registration."

Nani was stunned into silence and slumped onto the couch, while Shruti stared at her son in surprise.

"Your granddaughter and daughter-in-law went to a busy organization and disturbed the peace while a ten-year restraining order was hanging over their heads........ They knew they were not supposed to get close to ARD, let alone enter, but they did and proceeded to disrupt the peace........ Naniji, I respect you, and you know I do not support wrongdoing no matter who is involved...... Anjali and Mami violated the law, and they will face the consequences."

Nani knew from the finality in his voice that he would not help Anjali and Mami, and because the family no longer cared about her or them, she was left to deal with this on her own.

All of this would not have occurred if Anjali and Mami had not barged into ARD after her miscarriage to confront Arnav for his lack of concern and failure to stop the rumors about her in their social circles.

Anjali went on a rampage that day, destroying everything on the ARD building's first and second floors.

Arnav was furious and immediately filed a ten-year restraining order against them, ordering them not to come within five hundred feet of ARD.

"Damadji, please...... I understand they were wrong, but they are family."Nani begged, but Siddharth was not having it.

"Naniji, this is your issue...... You know they are wrong, but in the name of family, you want their crimes to be overlooked...... This attitude is what destroyed this family, and you have not learned from it." Nani bowed her head, ashamed, because she knew Siddharth was correct. "You may sweep things under the rug in your family, but in mine, I make sure the perpetrators face the consequences of their actions. Anjali is my wife, so she is my family, and Mami is her accomplice, so I have the authority to punish them...... So they will go before the judge tomorrow, and he will decide what punishment they deserve..... I will not use my power to save them...... You can help them by hiring a lawyer...... That is the only assistance and advice I can provide."

Siddharth stood up and walked away, leaving Nani devastated. She turned to Shruti, who shrugged and returned to scrolling on her phone.

Siddharth could have gotten Anjali and Mami out with the snap of a finger, but he had decided to divorce Anjali. Unfortunately, his lawyer advised him to obtain solid proof that Anjali is unfit to be a mother, and this was one of the perfect proofs he required, so he refused to assist Anjali and Mami.

ARD.

Arshi and Akash looked stunned by the girls request as the others chuckled watching them.

"Kiki, you need to practice for your school's upcoming play......" How will you do that if you go to stay with Khushi aunty and Lulu?" Akash tried to reason with her, but she and Lulu, as experts at getting their way, responded flawlessly.

"Simple....... Kiki comes to my house and we will help her practice for her play. " Lulu responded, and Kiki nodded with a thumbs up to her.

"Akash, let her be........ I will ask Lulu's tutor to assist Kiki with her rehearsals..... Bring her school uniforms and accessories, and I will handle the rest." Khushi's words surprised everyone.

Kiki ran up to her, hugged her, and thanked her profusely, while Khushi kissed her, making her laugh.

The duo beamed and began dancing, making all adults laugh. Arnav mouthed a thank you to Khushi, but she glared at him, making him laugh.

Everyone left for their respective homes, with the exception of Kiki, who accompanied Khushi.

Payal nearly cried after hearing everything Akash told her about Kiki and Lulu's bond, but she was furious when Anjali and Mami arrived to cause a scene, and she blamed Sheetal for the incident.

Nani sat at the dinner table, stunned, when she learned that Khushi and Arnav had a child together.

Sheetal, on the other hand, looked nervous as she noticed Arnav and Akash's silence, knowing they might have realized she was the one who leaked Khushi's arrival and the existence of Lulu to Anjali and Mami.

"Akashji." Siddharth's voice broke the silence at the table, and everyone turned to face him. " I want you to know that I will agree to any disciplinary action you want to take against Sheetal. "

"Bhai! " Sheetal exclaimed in shock, but Siddharth's glare silenced her, and she bowed her head almost to the point of crying.

"Don't worry about that Siddharth........ As much as I wanted her out, she is good at her job and can continue to spy for Anjali and Mami." Arnav responded, then turned to Sheetal. " You." Sheetal lifted her head and gulped, seeing Arnav's stern expression. "If you know what is good for you and want to live a good life, you will avoid Anjali like the plague...... She is a bad omen, destroying everything she touches or comes into contact with...... You have a promising future in terms of your profession...... You will not get far if you become Anjali's minion...... Look at Mami and my so called grandmother...... Their lives are chaotic, just like mine and Akash's. We lived our lives according to her whims, and look what happened..... Yes, out of that misery came the most precious gifts, but we missed out on so many experiences due to our inability to grow a spine.... You have been warned, Sheetal. This is your last mistake, and you should be grateful because without Khushi, you would be fired and blacklisted."

Sheetal was taken aback when she learned that Khushi was the reason she was not fired.

Siddharth appeared upset after learning that Sheetal would not face any disciplinary action for what she had done.

"Siddharth, I know this is not what you expected, but this is what Akash, Khushi, and I have decided."

Siddharth nodded and glared at Sheetal, who was lost in thought.

"Was Anjali lying to me about Khushi being the problem and the reason for all these conspiracies?"

"Sheetal? "

She jolted out of her reverie to see her brother glaring at her and signaling her to apologize.

"I am sorry, ASR...... I promise to never give Anjali any more information, and please notify Khushiji that I want to thank her tomorrow for her reconsideration." Sheetal spoke earnestly, and Arnav nodded and resumed eating his dinner.

Shruti appeared disturbed by Sheetal's change in attitude.

She disliked the fact that Sheetal was going to humble herself by thanking and apologizing to Khushi, whom she saw as an impediment to her plan to marry Sheetal to Arnav.

Nani ate her dinner quietly, feeling defeated and hurt that she would never again be respected and loved.

Meanwhile, at Khushi's mansion, she was watching Kiki and Lulu arrange a massive floor puzzle, both of whom appeared ecstatic.

"Reminds you of Payal and yourself, right?" Preeto inquired as she passed the cup of tea to Khushi, who nodded.

"We used to be thick as thieves until she started separating herself from me, but at least I know in my heart Kiki and Lulu will not be like us...... Surprisingly, they did an excellent job raising Kiki." Khushi exclaimed.

"That is because Kiki is too self-aware and self-confident to see Lulu as a competitor. She will not be jealous of Lulu like her mother was of you." Preeto responded, and Khushi looked at her surprised but chuckled.

"Why in the hell would Payal, who had everything, be jealous of me?" Khushi fired back.

"She was Khushi, whether you believe it or not. She may have had a devoted father, aunt, and stepmother, but she was not you...... You had a stronger bond with Shashi than she did.... You did not grow up with insecurities, and even if you did, you handled them well, whereas she failed miserably...... I believe the reason she never defended you was her twisted way of feeling superior to you and winning at something...... Call it ridiculous, but that is how I feel about Payal."

Khushi sighed and took a sip of her tea but halted and smirked at Preeto who frown seeing her expression.

"What? " Preeto exclaimed.

"What going on between you and Sahil huh? " Khushi teased nudging her and Preeto rolled her eyes.

"There is nothing going on....... It seems you have forgotten that we are working together and me being around him often doesn't mean there is something going on between us. " Preeto retorted but her blush betrayed her words.

"Of course...... After all it's absolutely normal for him to bring you your favorite coffee everyday, steal glances at you and always wanting to pair with you...... It's absolutely normal." Khushi fired back sarcastically.

"Khushi you are impossible. " Preeto retorted trying to hide her real emotions but Khushi was no fool and caught on to it.

"He is a nice guy and will make a good partner to you. " Khushi said sincerely and Preeto smiled.

A few hours later, Khushi exited her closet dressed for bed after putting the girls to sleep.

Her phone rang and she picked it up but frown seeing Arnav's name on the screen.

"Mr Raizada, what do you want?" Khushi inquired angrily.

"Sorry for bothering you, Khushi, but I wanted to check on the girls." Arnav responded.

"Why do you think am incompetent or what? " Khushi yelled angrily, and Arnav exhaled.

"Khushi please stop. " Arnav begged, prompting Khushi to roll her eyes. "You know without a doubt that that is not what I mean...... Anyway, I would like to thank you for everything. Kiki and Lulu should not have to pay for my mistakes. They are innocent, and I am delighted to see the old you again..... I wish we had met under different circumstances." Arnav exclaimed sincerely, prompting Khushi to scoff.

"Oh, of course..... Then you would have believed me to be innocent because I am wealthy, and only wealthy people tell the truth...... Oh, I forgot: rich people and people associated with your sister tell the truth, right?" Khushi mocked, expecting Arnav to react negatively.

However, Arnav was no longer the impulsive man he once was.He had grown not only physically but emotionally as well and he knew this was a reaction to the new Khushi which he hates but can't blame her for it.

"I am sorry, Khushi." Arnav exclaimed in a cracked voice before hanging up.

Khushi stared at the phone, annoyed at his lack of reaction.

A few seconds later, Arnav's message appeared.

"Good night taekwondo queen. " Associated with a laughing emoji.

"What in the fuck?...... How dare you Mr Raizada....... You just wait and watch.
..... I will not spare you tomorrow." Khushi exclaimed and went to bed angry, plotting her revenge on Arnav.

The next day, Khushi got Kiki ready for school and Lulu for ARD.

Kiki fussed about going to school while Lulu goes to ARD but Lulu being the good big sister she is consoled her.

Kiki was dropped off at her preschool and Khushi arrived with Lulu at ARD and the first time she did was go straight to her father, gave him a hug and kissed him.

" I miss you Papa. " Lulu exclaimed happily.

"Miss you too baby. " Arnav replied and kissed her cheek.

"Lulu will be spending the whole day with you......Well I will leave you two, have fun" Khushi said innocently but Arnav was taken aback by the malicious smirk on her lips.

Arnav looked confused until he stared at Lulu who looked out of character.

She looked hyperactive and he immediately realized Khushi had intentionally made her so as revenge for yesterday and this made him laugh.

Lulu seeing her papa laughing frown.

"Papa..... What's so funny? " Lulu asked confused.

"Nothing baby." Arnav responded and kissed her cheek making her giggle. "Why don't we play chess. "

Lulu cheered and Arnav walked to the lounge in her office and arranged the chessboard for them to play.

Back at Khushi's office, she was beaming thinking Arnav might be having a hard time controlled an sugar rushed Lulu, only if she knew the father daughter duo were having the time of their lives and Arnav had caught on to her scheme.

Meanwhile in RM, Anjali and Mami had been bailed out by Nani who looked pissed.

The judge has set their trial for three days and the lawyer made it known to them that they better plead guilty so that they can get lighter sentence.

"Nani, where is Naina? " An exhausted Anjali slumbed into the couch as Mami groaning in pain sat by her.

Sleeping on the cold concrete and not being given blankets even after revealing whose wife she was but was scoffed at.

"Siddharth took her out and if I were you, I will stop causing problems...... That man seems fed up and I won't be surprised if he divorces you. "

Nani walked away after this as Anjali fumed.

"This is all Arnav's fault. " Anjali gritted her teeth. "I won't spare you Arnav........ I am done playing nice you....... It's war you want, get ready to get on. "

To be continued.

See you all on Monday.

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