Saturday,Shantivan.
Dining Hall.
Morning.

The long dining table glittered with silver bowls and crystal glasses, but the atmosphere was heavy, almost suffocating. The Raizada family sat scattered, stiff, each carrying their own storm within.

But it was a whole different atmosphere for Arnav and Khushi.

Arnav entered with Khushi at his side, his hand resting lightly at the small of her back. They were talking quietly, their words punctuated with little smiles and glances.

Khushi spoke softly, as they sat down.

“If we move the opening night by a week from today, I can perfect the dessert menu and include them in the main menu.”

Arnav with a smirk beaming with pride, leaned close.

“Do whatever you want, Mrs. Raizada.......... Just don’t expect me to share my sugarfree jalebis with anyone else, it's only for me.”

Khushi blushed, laughing under her breath. Their world seemed untouched by the bitter air circling the table.

Mami stared, lips pursed, but she wisely kept her tongue still. She had noticed the steel in Arnav’s eyes lately towards her and one word out of line from her, and she knew her place in Shantivan could vanish overnight.

Payal sat across from them, fork clinking softly against her plate. Envy and sorrow churned within her as she watched Khushi glow under Arnav’s attention.

“Why is my sister getting everything I once dreamed of while I sit here invisible?”

Beside her, Akash shifted uncomfortably, shoulders hunched, avoiding his brother’s gaze. His failures at the office weighed on him, and he knew Arnav’s patience was thinning and one more mistake, he would he out and this will affect his father trusting him to take over his dealership when he retires.

At the head of the table, Nani’s eyes darted from one face to another. Her heart sank, this family, once united, now fractured, all because of secrets, silence, and misplaced loyalties.

Anjali sat clinging to Shyam’s arm, his hand caressing her swollen belly. She smiled faintly, but her eyes betrayed uneasely. Shyam, meanwhile, was half-listening to her chatter, his gaze stealing again and again toward Khushi, who was giggling softly at something Arnav had whispered.

“One day, I’ll rip her away from him. ” He thought, masking his fury behind a charming smile.

Only one pair of eyes noticed him, Dadi’s. She clenched her fists under the table, fury bubbling inside her.

She composed herself and deliberately cleared her throat. The sound cut through the tension like a blade.

Dadi coldly, fixing her gaze on Shyam.

“Tell me, how long do you intend to live under my grandson’s charity?”

The entire room froze. Even Arnav’s brows lifted in surprise. He had expected Dadi to defend Shyam, not cut him down.

Shyam looked around for help but no one came to his aid and he started stammering.

“I… woh… Dadi—”

Anjali, panicking, rushed in.

“Dadi, we’ll be staying here....... Our house,it was sold because.......because Shyam needed funds after he lost his job.........We had no choice—”

Dadi’s glare silenced her mid-sentence and with the sternly tone.

“That is no excuse......... You are your brother’s burden, Anjali and he has done enough........ Your husband is not entitled to my grandson’s earnings.”

Anjali’s lips trembled as crocodile tears began forming.

“But Dadi—”

Dadi cutt her off, her voice sharp as steel with finality.

“Enough Anjali, Arnav was the youngest, yet he carried you all on his back since he was barely out of childhood.........I will not see him dragged into the same toxic cycle with your child........If Shyam has even an ounce of self-respect, he will get a job and provide for his wife and child like a real man should......... Khushi and Arnav will one day have children of their own, and this house belongs to their future and it's their rightful legacy not to leeches who live off it and refuses to make something of themselves.”

Her words exploded like thunder across the table.

Shyam’s enthusiasm collapsed more into more shock, his jaw tightening as humiliation burned through him. Anjali sat frozen, eyes wide with tears streaming silently. Nani pressed her lips together, shame clouding her face.

But it was the moment that followed that silenced everyone.

Dadi turned her eyes briefly toward Khushi and winked. A small, unmistakable smile curved her lips.

Khushi’s jaw dropped and her eyes widened. She knew from what Arnav had told her that Dadi was not emotional or showed any emotions and here she was, the iron-willed woman soften up to her, left alone wink playfully.

Arnav caught it too, his suspicion sharpening instantly. He narrowed his eyes, staring after Dadi as she rose, lifted her silver platter with regal calm, and left the room.

Dadi turned to HP.

“Bring water to my room.”

She walked away briskly and Hari Prakash scurried after her, leaving the family in stunned silence.

Down the table, Anjali’s muffled sobs filled the void. Shyam sat stone-still, rage hidden under a forced calm.

And at the far end, Arnav’s gaze darkened.

“What changed? ” He thought, pulling Khushi closer instinctively.

Because whatever had just happened, it wasn’t the Dadi he knew and he vowed to get to the bottom of this.

A few hours later at Laxmi Nagar, Preeto knelt on the floor, her forehead pressed against her mother Kriti’s feet as tears streamed down her face.

“Please Maa take me back........ Take me back.........I can’t stay in that house anymore. He… he and his mother forced me to kill my baby just because she was a girl.........And now his mother, she tortures me day and night for refusing to get pregnant again just a month later.”

Kriti sat stiff in the old wooden chair, her lips curled into a scowl and she let put a cold response.

“And why didn’t you do what your mother-in-law asked?........What was the harm in becoming pregnant again?........If you had listened, you wouldn’t be standing here crying.”

Preeto gasped, staring at her mother in shock.

Preeto snapped through her tears.

“The doctor told me not to!.........He said after the abortion I needed at least six months to recover before trying again........Do you want me to die?!”

But Kriti’s face showed no compassion.

“You should have listened to your in-laws........Now go back to your husband’s house..........I don’t want neighbors gossiping that my daughter came back after a fight and she is a weak woman.”

Preeto’s heart cracked. She slowly rose, wiping her tears, clutching her small suitcase and duffle bag.

“I wish you had died instead of Papa, at least he would never have turned me away like this.”

Kriti rolled her eyes, unmoved, as Preeto walked out of the house.

The moment Preeto disappeared from view, Kriti muttered bitterly to herself:

“I should have never agreed when my husband adopted her from Garima’s deceased friend........ A mistake… a mistake I’ll regret forever.”

Laxmi Nagar.
Roadside, Evening.

Preeto dragged her bags aimlessly down the cracked pavement, her eyes blurred with tears. She had sat at the temple for hours and left there a few minutes ago. She didn’t know where she was going only that she could never return to her husband and her in laws.

Her phone buzzed in her hand. The name on the screen made her heart tighten.

Caller ID: Khushi 💕

Preeto’s lips trembled. Her best friend, her only confidant. The one she had lied to again and again, saying she was happy in marriage while hiding the abuse that had started just weeks after her marriage.

Her thumb hovered over the answer button then she pressed decline and whispered to herself.

“No… she’s finally happy with Arnavji, with her restaurant….......I won’t taint her joy with my misery.”

She shoved the phone back into her bag and kept walking.

Just then, a sleek black Maybach screeched to a halt in front of her. Preeto jerked back, her heart racing, about to shout at the driver.

The back door opened and out stepped Khushi, he eyes wide, panic on her face and behind her, Arnav followed, his usual composure cracking into worry.

Preeto’s lips quivered and the dam broke. She dropped her bags and collapsed in tears as Khushi ran forward, gathering her in a desperate hug.

“Khushi…!” Preeto sobbed.

Khushi voice trembling, stroking her hair.

“What happened, Preeto?.........Why are you like this?.........Who hurt you?”

Arnav watched silently, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles went white.

“My husband…..... He......he forced me to abort my baby girl......... His mother threw me out for refusing to get pregnant again and my mother wants nothing to do with me......... I have nowhere… no one…” Preeto cried out shaking in Khushi's embrace

Khushi’s tears fell into her friend’s hair as she rocked her gently.

Khushi firmly, whispered in her ear.

“Don’t you ever say that again........ You have me........You will always have me.”

Preeto shook her head violently.

“No, Khushi… I can’t be a burden......... You’re finally happy again, you and Arnavji are finally happy and your restaurant is coming put soon and I know it will be an instant success…........I don’t want my misery to ruin it.”

That was when Arnav stepped closer, his voice calm but carrying steel.

“Enough.........Do you really think Khushi will ever see you as a burden?........Every tear you shed is her pain too.........From today, you’re not just Khushi’s responsibility.........You’re mine too......... And I don’t leave what’s mine behind....... You happiness is Khushi's happiness and I would do anything for Khushi's happiness.”

Preeto blinked, stunned by the weight of his words. Khushi smiled and gave her hand a squeeze.

“Come with us......... From this moment, your days of suffering are over.”

Slowly, shakily, Preeto nodded.

Arnav opened the car door, helping both women inside. As the Maybach pulled away, Preeto leaned against Khushi, whispering.

“I lied to you so many times…......I told you I was happy in marriage...... But I was living in hell.”

Khushi stroked her hair

“It’s not too late, Preeto.........Now you’ll tell me everything.......... And together, we’ll end that hell.”

Meanwhile, at a posh apartment closer to ARD, Prateek, the husband of Preeto's lounged lazily on a leather couch, a glass of whiskey in hand. His shirt was half unbuttoned, and his mistress leaned into him, giggling as she popped grapes into his mouth.

“As for Preeto, poor fool must be weeping at her mother’s house.......... Not that it matters, she’s useless anyway.......... Couldn’t even give me a son.”

The mistress laughed, kissing his cheek and Prateek raised his glass in a mock toast.

“To freedom and real women.”

His mistress laughed and joined him.

What he didn’t know was that fate was already closing in. And this time, it wasn’t just fate, it was Arnav Singh Raizada and Khushi Kumari Gupta Singh Raizada.

And they would destroy him for every tear Preeto had shed.

Shantivan.

The Raizada family was gathered in the living room for evening tea. Payal carefully poured chai into delicate porcelain cups, setting the tray on the center table.

Just then, the heavy front doors opened. The guards walked in, carrying a suitcase and a duffle bag and some toiletries. Behind them came Khushi, holding tightly onto a trembling, tear-streaked Preeto. Arnav followed, his expression dark, protective, and unreadable.

The room fell silent and Payal froze, the teapot in her hand trembling slightly. Her eyes widened as she saw Preeto.

Payal softly, stepping closer asked worried.

“Preeto? What happened? Why are you—”

But before she could finish, Khushi tightened her hold on her friend, ignoring Payal’s question. Without a word, she guided Preeto toward the staircase.

Arnav’s voice cut through the silence, deep and commanding to Hari Prakash.

“HP, prepare something fresh for her..........Light and hot and have you done what I asked?”

Hari Prakash nodded instantly and hurried to the kitchen.

The family exchanged glances, whispering uneasily. Mami’s eyes narrowed, her lips curling in disdain as she spat out loudly.

“And who is this girl Khushi has dragged in now?......This isn’t a charity house where anyone can just waltz in with bags!”

Payal flinched and she stepped forward quickly, looking at her mother-in-law and then at the family and she explained nervously.

“She’s Preeto, my sister’s best friend.........She and Khushi have been like sisters since childhood.”

Mami rolled her eyes dramatically, letting out a sharp laugh and in a mocking tone said.

“Haan haan, best friend, sister, neighbor’s daughter… so what?.........Tomorrow she’ll bring the whole Laxmi Nagar here? We are not running a shelter!”

Her words echoed through the hall.

Arnav, who had just begun following Khushi and Preeto upstairs, stopped dead in his tracks. He turned slowly, his eyes sharp as daggers, the air in the room turning heavy.

Mami stiffened instantly, her throat going dry as his burning gaze pinned her in place.

He strode toward the family, his jaw clenched.

His voice cold cutting like ice boomed.

“This is my house......Khushi’s house.......And she can bring whoever she wants here........ No one will question that.”

He turned his head slightly, his eyes falling on Akash.

Arnav in low, commanding voice said to him.

“Warn your mother. And make it clear that if anyone in this family so much as disturbs Preeto, they’ll be kicked out of this house immediately and without mercy.”

Akash swallowed hard, nodding quickly.

Arnav’s glare swept over the room one last time before he turned and followed Khushi upstairs.

The room remained tense and silent.

From behind her teacup, Dadi smirked faintly, her eyes glinting with intrigue. She took a slow sip, hiding her expression behind the rim.

Across from her, Shyam watched intently, his brows furrowed. That smirk, he knew it well.

Shyam thinking and narrowing his eyes.

“What game is the old woman playing now?”

And he was indeed right, Dadi was playing a game that will shake the foundation of Shantivan very soon.

Laxmi Nagar.
Gupta House

Garima trudged into the modest living room, her face pale and worn from exhaustion. Weeks at the rehabilitation center had helped her steady herself, but leaving Shashi under Buaji’s care had taken a toll on her heart. She lowered herself onto the sofa with a heavy sigh, her body aching.

Just as her eyes fluttered shut, the sharp chime of the doorbell rang.

Garima groaning under her breath opened her eyes.

“I just sat down. ” She muttered and pushed herself up and shuffled to the door. The moment she opened it, her eyes widened.

Kriti stood there, fury etched across her face, her dupatta clutched tightly in her fist. Without waiting for a greeting, Kriti stormed inside, her heels clicking hard against the floor.

Garima closed the door slowly, already dreading the storm. She turned back just as Kriti spun on her, her voice sharp and demanding.

“Tell me, Garima, who is Preeto’s biological father?”

Garima froze, her hand gripping the edge of the chair for support.

Garima looking  shocked stammered.

“What?........Why are you asking this now?”

Kriti glared at her and spat out.

“Because that girl has left her husband!.........And I… I am done with her!........I never wanted her in the first place, but my late husband forced me to adopt her...........Now he’s gone, and I’m not going to waste my life playing mother to a burden..........I want to find her real father and return her!”

Garima’s breath hitched. Her mind whirled at Kriti’s cruelty.

“Kriti… please, don’t speak like this.........Preeto’s mother, she was my late friend......... A widow. I never even knew her husband.”

Kriti let out an annoyed grunt, rolling her eyes in disgust and she spoke coldly.

“Save your stories, Garima........ I was against this adoption from the start, and now I will not carry the weight of your friend’s child........ You have week to find out or I will expose the truth....... You better deal with it!”

With that, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind her.

Silence engulfed the room. Garima stood trembling, her eyes moist. She sank onto the sofa, clutching her sari tightly, her lips quivering as she whispered to herself.

“I will never tell anyone, that Preeto is my own blood, my niece. The daughter of my twin sister, Shanti...... What do I do now?...... Kriti is not a the bluffing type..... I have to find a solution to this.”

The words lingered in the quiet, like a forbidden truth finally spoken.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang again, loud and insistent.

Garima groaned, wiping at her eyes, irritation flashing across her face and muttering, frustratedly.

“Who is it now?..........Can I not have a moment’s peace…”

She pulled the door open sharply, ready to scold whoever it was.

But her voice died in her throat. Her eyes widened in shock.

On the threshold stood a woman identical to her,but strikingly looking more younger and just like in the past, her presence commanding everywhere she goes.

Shanti.

Her twin sister. The past Garima thought she had buried.

Shanti softly, yet with weight in her voice greeted Garima.

“Good evening, Garima.”

Garima’s heart stopped. Her lips parted, but no words came.

To be continued.

Next update will be on Friday.

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