The scene shifted to the dining table, where the whole family was gathered, laughing and chatting as they waited for dinner to be served. The warm glow of the table lamps cast a cozy ambiance over the room, and the delicious aroma of Nivedita's cooking wafted through the air, making everyone's stomach growl with anticipation. Harshvardhan, the patriarch of the family, stood at the head of the table, a warm smile on his face as he surveyed his family, his eyes twinkling with excitement.

"Tomorrow, we have a special guest arriving," Harshvardhan announced, his voice filled with enthusiasm and anticipation. The room fell silent, with all eyes on Harshvardhan, as if everyone was waiting with bated breath to hear who the special guest was. The family exchanged surprised glances, their faces reflecting their shock and astonishment. Aadrika looked lost in her own world, her eyes gazing off into space as if she was a million miles away. Krishnaa seemed uninterested, her expression a mask of indifference, as if she couldn't care less about the upcoming visit.

Parth, on the other hand, looked nervous, his eyes darting back and forth as if he was searching for an escape route. Ekansh and Aashvika exchanged skeptical looks, their eyes filled with a mix of emotions. They were happy, yet skeptical, about the upcoming visit, their faces reflecting their conflicting emotions. Abhimanyu and Aarushi, on the other hand, looked thrilled, their faces breaking out into wide smiles as they exchanged excited glances.

"That's amazing, Dad!" Abhimanyu exclaimed, his eyes shining with excitement, his voice filled with enthusiasm. Aarushi nodded in agreement, her eyes sparkling with delight, as if she couldn't wait to meet Harshvardhan's parents. Nivedita rolled her eyes, her expression less than enthusiastic, as if she was resigned to the fact that her in-laws were coming to visit, but she wasn't exactly thrilled about it.

"I'll make sure to prepare their favorite dishes," Nivedita said, her voice dripping with sarcasm, her tone laced with a hint of resentment. "I'm sure they'll be delighted to criticize my cooking." The family laughed, and the tension in the room was momentarily broken, but it was clear that not everyone was looking forward to the upcoming visit.

Ekansh's announcement about attending the college reunion with Aashvika was met with a mixture of reactions from the family. He made the announcement with a stoic expression, his face a mask of calmness, but his eyes betraying a hint of nervousness. The way he said it, with a completely straight face, made it seem like he was trying to convince himself more than anyone else. Abhimanyu and Parth exchanged worried glances, their faces reflecting their concern for Ekansh's well-being. They knew that the reunion would bring back memories of Ekansh's painful past, and they were worried about how he would handle it. They had seen Ekansh at his lowest, and they knew that he still had scars from his past. The thought of him facing his past again was unsettling, to say the least.

Aarushi, Abhimanyu's wife, looked confused, her eyes darting back and forth between her husband and Ekansh. She didn't understand why Abhimanyu was looking so worried, and she was clearly puzzled by Ekansh's announcement. She leaned over to Abhimanyu, her voice barely above a whisper, "What's wrong? Why are you looking so worried?" Abhimanyu just shook his head, his eyes still fixed on Ekansh, his expression a mixture of concern and apprehension.

Krishnaa, Parth's wife, just sat there sipping her juice, her eyes fixed keenly on Aadrika, whose face had turned pale. Krishnaa's expression was unreadable, but her eyes seemed to be boring into Aadrika's soul, as if she was trying to read her mind. Krishnaa's gaze was intense, and Aadrika seemed to be shrinking under her scrutiny. Aadrika's eyes were fixed on her plate, her face a mask of calmness, but her hands were shaking slightly as she tried to take a sip of her drink.

Aadrika, meanwhile, looked like she had seen a ghost. Her face was pale, and her eyes were wide with fear. She seemed to be frozen in place, unable to move or speak. The rest of the family was too caught up in their own reactions to notice Aadrika's distress, but Krishnaa's keen eyes had picked up on it, and she was watching Aadrika with interest. Krishnaa's eyes seemed to be asking Aadrika a million questions, but Aadrika just sat there, her face a mask of calmness, her eyes fixed on her plate.

Aadrika suddenly pushed her chair back and stood up, her eyes fixed on some point across the room, her gaze seeming to bore into the very walls themselves. Without a word, she turned and walked away, leaving the rest of the family staring after her in confusion, their faces reflecting their shock and bewilderment. "Aadrika, wait!" Nivedita called out, her voice rising in concern, but Aadrika just kept walking, her back stiff and her head held high, as if she was trying to escape some unseen danger.

The rest of the family exchanged puzzled glances, unsure of what to make of Aadrika's sudden departure, their faces scrunched up in confusion. "What's wrong with her?" Abhimanyu asked, his brow furrowed in concern, his eyes scanning the room as if searching for some clue to Aadrika's behavior. Aarushi shook her head, her eyes wide with confusion, her face pale with worry. "I have no idea," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "She just seemed to... snap." The word hung in the air, a stark reminder of Aadrika's fragile mental state.

But Krishnaa just chuckled, a low, throaty sound that seemed to come from deep within her, a sound that was both amused and knowing. She leaned back in her chair, a small smile playing on her lips, her eyes glinting with mirth. "Don't worry about Aadrika," she said, her voice dripping with amusement, her tone laced with a hint of sarcasm. "She's just... sensitive." The word was drawn out, emphasized, as if Krishnaa was trying to convey some deeper meaning. Krishnaa's eyes sparkled with mirth, and she seemed to be enjoying some private joke, a joke that only she understood. The rest of the family exchanged puzzled glances, unsure of what to make of Krishnaa's enigmatic comment, their faces reflecting their confusion and uncertainty.

Krishnaa followed Aadrika, her eyes fixed on the younger woman's retreating back, her gaze piercing and intense, as if she was trying to see right through to Aadrika's very soul. She trailed behind Aadrika, her footsteps silent on the floor, as she made her way to the bathroom, her movements fluid and deliberate, like a predator stalking its prey. When she pushed open the door, she was met with the sight of Aadrika vomiting into the toilet, her body shaking with sobs, her face pale and clammy, like a person who had just seen a ghost. Krishnaa's expression remained neutral, but her eyes seemed to hold a deep understanding, as if she knew exactly what was going on, as if she had seen this all before.

Aarushi, who had also followed Aadrika, looked on with concern, her face pale with worry, her eyes wide with fear, as if she was witnessing something truly horrific. "Aadrika, oh my god, are you okay?" she asked, her voice trembling with anxiety, her words tumbling out in a rush, as if she was trying to fill the silence with sound. Krishnaa, however, remained silent, her eyes fixed on Aadrika's shaking form, her expression unreadable, like a mask that had been carefully crafted to conceal her true emotions. Her eyes seemed to hold a deep wisdom, a wisdom that was beyond the understanding of the others, a wisdom that only she seemed to possess.

Aadrika, meanwhile, continued to vomit, her body wracked with sobs, her face contorted in a mixture of pain and fear, as if she was reliving some traumatic event from her past. Aarushi tried to comfort her, holding her hair back and speaking softly to her, trying to calm her down, but Krishnaa just stood there, her eyes fixed on Aadrika's form, her expression unchanging, like a statue that had been carved from stone. Her eyes seemed to be boring into Aadrika's soul, as if she was trying to uncover some deep, hidden truth, a truth that only Aadrika knew. The air was thick with tension, and the only sound was the sound of Aadrika's sobs and the occasional retch as she vomited into the toilet, a sound that was both pitiful and terrifying.

Aarushi helped Aadrika, gently guiding her to the bed and making her sit down comfortably, her movements soft and soothing, like a mother tending to a sick child. She carefully arranged the pillows behind Aadrika's back, making sure she was comfortable and supported, her eyes filled with concern and compassion, as if she was trying to convey a sense of calm and tranquility. As Aadrika sat down, Aarushi handed her a glass of water, her eyes locked onto Aadrika's face, as if searching for some kind of reassurance that she was okay. The glass was cool and refreshing, filled with ice-cold water that sparkled in the light, and Aadrika took it gratefully, her hands shaking slightly as she raised it to her lips.

As soon as the glass touched her lips, Aadrika burst into crying, her body shaking with sobs, her face contorted in a mixture of pain and sadness. The sound of her sobs was heart-wrenching, a deep, keening cry that seemed to come from the very depths of her soul. She dropped the glass, and it fell to the floor with a soft clink, the sound echoing through the room like a tiny, insignificant thing compared to the storm of emotions that was raging through Aadrika's body. But Aarushi didn't even flinch, her eyes fixed on Aadrika's face, her expression soft and compassionate, as if she was trying to absorb some of Aadrika's pain and sadness.

Aadrika flung her arms around Aarushi, hugging her tightly, as if she was clinging to a lifeline, her body shaking with sobs, her face buried in Aarushi's shoulder. The hug was fierce and intense, a desperate cry for help and comfort, and Aarushi held her close, her arms wrapped tightly around her, her hands stroking her hair, her voice soft and soothing, as if she was trying to calm a frightened child. "It's okay, Aadrika," she whispered, her voice barely audible over Aadrika's sobs. "I'm here for you. You're safe now." The words were like a balm to Aadrika's soul, a soothing comfort that seemed to seep deep into her bones, calming her fears and anxieties, and slowly, gradually, her sobs began to subside, her body still shaking with occasional tremors, but her grip on Aarushi's arms slowly beginning to loosen, as if she was slowly beginning to let go of her emotions.