Garima walked into the house Payal had purchased in secret a year ago still shocked by what Payal had done and what frightened her the most was that she seems unfazed and had no sense of remorse on her face.

They had managed to take the car to a repair shop and I had given an excuse that they had accidentally hit a car and luckily for them, there was no blood on the car to arouse any form of suspicion.

Payal ordered an Uber which brought them home.

Madhumati was instructed by Payal to go and buy some foodstuffs for them to prepare food since she was hungry and as if Buaji was now in Payal's command, she agreed without hesitation and run to buy it.

It was the first time Buaji has ever obeyed a command which wasn't from herself and this scared Garima even more.

"Amma."

Payal's scream jerked her out of her reverie and she looked at Payal who looked pissed and she shuddered.

"I have been calling you for the past five minutes and you look lost..... If you are thinking about that scumbag then don't..... He has always had the habit of disappearing so no one will suspect anything and even if they do, we can expose his infidelities and say he run away with one of his lovers after Arnav cut his wife off and his wife was arrested for assault and kidnapping...... Understood. "

Garima nodded fearful of Payal and she sighed and glared at her mother's weird behaviour but ignored it since she had better things to do now.

"Shyam is out of our lives now and so will Anjali because Arnav will never allow her to live at RM again..... I hate her so much and she has ruined my entire plan to tell Akash that I am pregnant. " Payal revealed slamming herself onto the couch and Garima looked at her stunned.

"You said Akash couldn't have kids so how are you pregnant. " Garima asked even though she had surmised Payal could be cheating.

Payal smirked, stood up and walked up to her mother and stared her straight in her eyes.

"I know you know that I am having an affair and it's with Abhishek and this is his child and I think it's about time you knew the truth, my dear beloved mother. " Payal confessed with malice laced in her voice which sent shivers down Garima's spine.

Her daughter ended up just like her.

Payal held her arms and dragged her to sit on the couch and sat down on the centre table facing her mother.

"Three months after we come to Delhi, Abhishek had come and apologized to me and we decided to get back together but he was broke because his parent cut him off when he refused to marry the woman they picked for him and as fate will smile upon us, Akash started showing interest in me and we hit the jackpot. " Payal said to her mother and started laughing hysterically seeing her shocked face. "And Khushi working with the Raizadas unknowingly helped me..... So I planned on marrying Akash and getting a lot of money from him but that witch he calls a mother has been monitoring everything I do and how much money I spend but I was able to get some for myself and my Abhi........ Akash is boring and had never really satisfied me but with my Abhi. " Payal closed her eyes and moaned as she remembered all the erotic moments she had with Abhishek and she wasn't even embarrassed that her mother was sitting right in front of her.

Payal opened her eyes and smirked at Garima and she stood up and started pacing back and forth.

"I am getting tired of having to tolerate that thing called Akash so I decided to finally allow Abhishek to get me pregnant and we will use it to make Mami look bad and Akash will come into my total control...... I will tell you about my plans but you will have to wait and see. "

Garima stood up and walked up to her and slapped her.

"Do you think Akash or his mother will not find out the baby is not his when he or she is born? " Garima yelled at Payal who looked nonchalantly unbothered.

"You are right but by then I would have already divorced Akash, taken all the money his parent will give to him and left the country with my Abhi..... Don't worry Amma because you will also benefit from all this...... Ain't you tired of being with a poor man like Babuji and always being told what to do and not having any freedom from buaji?." Garima sighed and nodded. "Good..... So now you will help us with my plan. "

Payal then whispered her plans to Garima who was shocked to hear it.

"This is a small sacrifice I and Abhishek are making for a bigger and more lucrative result...... Are you in? "

Garima nodded and Payal hugged her.

"Let me go and change and let's cook when buaji brings the foodstuffs..... We will start celebrating our victory from today....... Now, where are the clothes that I left here the last time? " Payal asked and Garima replied it was in her drawer.

Payal left leaving Garima alone in the hall of the house.

She wanted to object to the crazy idea of her daughter but the greed for money overtook her sense and she smiled imagining her luxurious life after everything succeeds for them.

Payal was finally done changing and was closing her mother's cupboard when her ring accidentally got hooked to one of her mother's sarees she pulled it but this sent multiple clothes falling to the floor and she picked them up and started folding and arranging them.

She was done within a few minutes and was moving out when she saw a photo on the floor.

She picked it up and turned it around and was shocked to see Arnav's father and Garima together.

"Why is Amma in this photo with Arnav's father?"

Payal's eyes widened in shock as she started putting two and two together.

Her mother's nervousness when Sumi showed up at RM.

She disappeared with the excuse of visiting a friend that very night.

It wasn't a coincidence, her mother was hiding from Subhadra Malik because she knew her.

"Payal? " Garima called out and she turned to look at her mother.

"What is this Amma? " Payal yelled turning the picture to Garima whose eyes widened in shock. "How do you know Arvind Malik and don't you dare lie to me because I know you know him and his mother that is why you run away from the house when she comes to live there. "

Garima gulped down the lump in her throat while looking at her daughter with sweat adorning her forehead.

"If you won't tell me then am taking you back to RM and I know Subhadra Malik will tell me who you are and what your connection is between her late son and you. "

Payal yelled and walked up to her and held her hand dragging her towards the door.

Garima knew Payal was dead serious and yanked her hand out of hers and yelled.

"Arvind Malik is your biological father. "

A shocked Payal stumbled backwards with her back hitting the wall.

"I was tired of always being Madhu and Shashi's slave and living in poverty...... I met Arvind when I catered for his company and our affair started....... Three months later I found out I was pregnant and he didn't want anything to do with me and even gave me money to abort you but I couldn't....... I was able to pass it on as Shashi's but when you were ten years old, a woman who hated Ratna wanted revenge on her and was going to use Arvind Malik's affair with me to make her pay and you already know how it ended. " Garima cried out and bowed her head in shame but a burst of sudden laughter from Payal made her snap her head back to her.

"Wow...... I am also wealthy..... Who would have thought I am the half-sister of ASR...... This information will come in handy to me at the right moment. " Payal exclaimed with an evil smirk playing on her lips and she turned to Garima. "I finally understand why babuji always favoured that bitching orphan...... He already knows am not her daughter am I right? "

Garima nodded.

"He had followed me that day and found out the truth but I begged him not to reveal your real identity and he agreed but never touched me again. " Garima confessed and Payal looked at her with disgust.

"Anyway, I can't get mad at you because your promiscuity will pay off soon for me....... Now we better start putting our plan into action. " Payal said and walked away.

Garima was shocked to see this new Payal and realised she has given birth to a monster worst than her biological father.

Delhi Rehabilitation Center.

"Khushi..... One way or the other you have to see him...... Look how overjoyed he was when I told him about us and his granddaughter...... I know he will forgive you for going no contact all these years and look at Anu..... She is so eager to meet him. "  

Khushi who was sitting in the car of Arnav looked at her daughter standing outside with a huge smile on her face and she shook his head.

Arnav sighed and knew it was better not to force her.

"We will be inside..... When you are ready, you can join us. " Arnav said and kissed her forehead and closed the door leaving Khushi alone in the car.

Khushi watched as Arnav scooped Anaisha in his arms and they both walked into the centre with huge smiles on their faces.

Half an hour later, Khushi mustered up the courage and walked into the centre.

She asked for Shashi and one of the nurses walked her to the huge relaxation garden of the centre.

Khushi watch Arnav and Shashi laughing hysterically at something Anaisha might have said.

"Mummy? " Anaisha called out enthusiastically and the men looked up to find Khushi walking nervously towards them.

Shashi's blank and cold expression made Khushi regret coming there and even though she knew she did wrong for not contacting him all these years, but she didn't think he will be this cold towards her.

"Come here Khushi. " Shashi commanded and Khushi turned shocked to hear her father speak.

Her father was finally speaking and happy tears streamed down her face.

Shashi's cold expression turned into a smile and he opened his arms and Khushi rushed up to him and hugged her with all her might.

Father and daughter closed their eyes cherishing each other's presence and warmth after over three years.

"Am so sorry babuji." Khushi cried out and Shashi broke the hug and wiped her tears shaking his head.

"Enough of the tears...... I understand...... No more tears my dear... All that matters is that we are all together now and I am gradually getting better to help fight the enemies around us. " Shashi said in a serious tone and Khushi frowned but Shashi smiled at her.

"Why do I feel babuji also knows about the secret Arnav was hiding from me..... This curiosity is killing me but I have to calm down and trust, Arnav, Aman, Babuji and Mami. " Khushi thought as she reciprocated her father's smile.

Anaisha crawled between them pushing her mother away from Shashi and Arnav laughed seeing her so possessive of Shashi.

Khushi rolled her eyes seeing how her daughter will never let her have alone time with Arnav or Shashi when she is around but she was happy seeing her possessiveness of the men in her life and how much they all loved her.

Outskirts of Delhi.

A man in his early thirties sat in a chair facing his brother and mother.

It was none other than Rudra facing Samrat and Mohini.

"Bhai you have to forget Maithili and stay away from her because that ASR and Aman are deadly....... Look at what he did to me. " Rudra cried out pointing to his wounds but Samrat wasn't barging. "He managed to find out things we didn't think anyone knows about us and made me blame his sister for his crimes..... This own fricking sister, so imagines what he will do to us if we disobey him. "

"Your brother is right...... I wanted to put Khushi and Maithili in their place but after the beatings, he gave your brother and made her sister take the blame, that man will kill us if we do anything against Khushi and Maithili... Please listen to your brother and let's do what he wants us to do and leave from here and live our lives somewhere else. " Mohini begged his son but he stood up and left making Rudra sigh and Mohini shake her head at his stubbornness.

To be continued.

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