Abhi's daadi had gone through a mixed emotion when she came to know about Pragya and Raghav from Purab. True, Pragya deserved happiness more than anyone else she knew, maybe even more than her Abhi, but in the last few weeks when she saw Abhi, she felt he was content from within for some reason. Her Abhi never seemed devastated at Pragya's departure all those years back, it was true - in fact he was with that Tanu always. But now with Pragya around she felt, his happiness back then was somewhere superficial, his true contentment lay in Pragya's company. Her Abhi has laughed a lot in the last four years, but only Pragya's presence could make him smile.

Hence, deep down, even though it was in her subconscious, she had started hoping. Hoping that maybe Abhi and Pragya would reconsider their decisions of the past. She had finally decided to give Abhi a breather from the list of eligible girls she made him visit every other day, so that he could spend a little more time with Pragya - but the morning she decided to tell Abhi that, he had told her that he had chosen someone from the list - Samaira. Well daadi liked Sam. She was an intelligent mix of open mindedness and cultural heritage. She was confident and nurturing, she was the kind of girl who would be able to hold on to Abhi and his unruly lifestyle - now, that was all daadi was seeking for Abhi - someone to take care of him after her - love had come his way, but her grandson was to blind to hold on - now her expectations from Abhi was bare minimal.

Now, Pragya and Raghav's news were the last nails on the coffin. Daadi was silent - she had long since accepted that her Abhi and her Pragya weren't meant to be - had she only not dared to hope again this time, she would have been perfectly happy now. Nonetheless she invited Pragya and Raghav for dinner one evening - she wanted to meet Raghav and see for herself, who the lucky man was.

When Pragya and Raghav arrived at the Mehra Mansion, they were greeted by daadi, Sam, Abhi and to Pragya's surprise, Aaliyah. Pragya went ahead and hugged Aaliyah and greeted her. In all these weeks, and the number of times she had visited this house, she realized, this was the first time she was meeting her, after those four years - Aaliyah, the only person in Abhi's house who knew about Pragya's feelings for Abhi - those four years back.

"Aaliyah, I am so glad that I finally got to meet you. I thought even tonight you will probably not be able to take out time from work."

"Hello Pragya, I know, I have been keeping busy with work, but daadi told me today was special because we will meet your fianc and I thought I shouldn't miss this opportunity. I am very happy for you Pragya." she smiled. Aaliyah was still the same and yet she had changed. She was still cautious and curt towards Pragya, she was still not her friend, but she was her confidant.

That day, all those years back, Pragya had cried softly after the retreating figure of Abhi, when he was going to file their divorce. She had confessed her feelings that day, "Abhi, I am your wife. I love you, you can't leave me for Tanu, for anyone. I can't live without you" He never heard her, but Aaliyah who had come to see how she was doing, had heard her - it wasn't new to her, she had seen this in Pragya's eyes the night before when her brother was taking her for the surprise dinner at Kanheri Caves. She stood there silently until Pragya noticed her and tried to hide her tears. She came into the room and held her shoulders gently.

"Bhabi you are the strong woman I am trying to be, after losing Purab. Be that."

Pragya smiled back at the present day Aaliyah and turned to reach for Raghav's arm. She wanted to introduce Raghav to Aaliyah.

"Aayliah this is my finace --------"

"Raghav Chopra?!?" Aaliyah looked surprised.

"Aaliyah Mehra!! Of course, rockstar Abhi's sister - Abhi/ Abhishesk, how did I not see this" replied Raghav unexpectedly.

"You both know each other?

"Yes, Pragya. Raghav and I were in the same college. He was a senior and a f-friend"

"Yes and when we knew each other, Abhishek was still a struggling singer, so I didn't make the connection - Abhi/Abhishek.."

They sat in the hall with daadi and chatted happily. Sam was talking to Raghav and telling her excitedly about a celebrity case she was handling and how the evidences got manipulated against her client, he was listening closely. Daadi was talking to Abhi and Pragya about their respective wedding arrangements, and Aaliyah was just sitting there, awkward, lost for words, simply sitting there perched on the couch and staring at nothing in particular. Pragya noticed her. She was upset to see this side of Aaliyah's. She was present there, but she was just bodily present. She had kept herself away from socialising with people for so long that she had simply forgotten how to do it now. She wasn't the once confident Aaliyah gliding in the ravish Mehra party's like a warm hostess, today she was a social recluse sitting in a corner making no effort to be comfortable with the people around her. It was almost like she was sitting there, lost in her thoughts- but still sitting because daadi and Abhi didn't allow her otherwise. Seeing her in this state, brought tears in Pragya's eyes - no one deserved so much pain in love.

"Oi Pragya, I know you have over sensitive tear ducts, but at least wait till your wedding ceremony to begin at least - then start shedding tears at the mention of marriage - and if you're planning to flood my house this evening, tell me in advance, I will arrange for a few boats that will sail us to the dining area later!" chuckled Abhi and everyone laughed at an embarrassed Pragya. Abhi had no idea why she was crying.

"Uff Abhi, stop bugging her with your insane humour!" said Sam and came to talk to Pragya, soon she was discussing about the kind of clothes and jewellery she was planning to adorn for her engagement. Daadi was commenting on them too and Pragya was cheerfully trying to participate. Aaliyah made an attempt to turn towards them to pretend to be in the conversation Seeing Raghav free from Sam, Abhi decided to chance upon this opportunity.

"Hey Raghav, the ladies have started their usual small talk, let's go grab a few drinks"

"Sure Abhi"

They took the stairs and went upstairs to the small circular balcony on the first floor landing overlooking the hall below. There they settled in the two arm chairs while Robin served them drinks.

"So, Raghav my man, I have been waiting to meet you ever since Pragya told me about you. Congrats bro."

"Thanks Abhi. And Congrats to you too for Sam. She is a very smart lady"

"That she is, otherwise getting rockstar Abhi to marry her - isn't an easy task" winked Abhi

"Why does she have to get the rockstar to marry her, isn't the rockstar interested in her by himself?"

"It takes a fuggy to unlock emotions within Abhi the rockstar, dude" winked Abhi with a smirk. Abhi couldn't help gloating after giving it right back on his face. It felt good to claim rights on Pragya and verbally accept that he was attracted to her - he loved her. And this Raghav seemed to be too dull for Pragya. He would suit the Pragya of the past perfectly - but this Pragya was carefree, witty and loving at the same time - she was tailor-made for Abhi - not this guy.

Raghav smiled. "Purab and Bulbul have finally finalised on an official name - Ira"

"Ira Khanna. Nice." mumbled Abhi.

"So, how did your and Pragya's story start Raghav?"

"Nothing exotic there. We work at the same uni. Two Indian's, bonded over hunting down Indian restaurants that made good paneer. One thing led to the other and I realized I liked her"

"Nice, but paneer? Pragya hates paneer." Laughed Abhi. Yes one more score up he thought to himself. This silly fool, going to marry her and he doesn't know she hates paneer.

"Well, I would look out for paneer and she would look out for...what's that dish I forgot.."

"Must be Daal Makhni" supplied Abhi indifferently.

"Yes, daal makhni...God knows how she resists paneer though" put in Raghav, eyeing Abhi from the corner of his eyes.

"She is lactose intolerant of course. Didn't you know?" chipped in Abhi, sadistically flaunting his classified information about this man's would be wife.

"She might have mentioned. I missed it. I don't really care" replied Raghav carefully. Now he was setting the bait for Abhi to catch. His indifference towards Pragya irritated Abhi.

"Dude, you better remember this one. She is severely intolerant to lactose. I remember once we went to some restaurant where she had tofu. In a matter of a few minutes she had massive gastric issues and a severe chest pain, she had almost passed out and I had to take her to the hospital. She was had to be injected with immediate medication"

"Hmm.. must have been a rough night for you mate. But I can't bug my head in such small details. She needs to take care of the basics." Replied Raghav closely watching out for his facial expressions which were darkening by the minute.

"Why are you marrying her then?" asked Abhi coldly.

"Well, she is a good trophy wife. Pretty, highly educated, caring, loving. What more does a man need, you say? But you seem very caring, Sam is lucky."

Abhi exhaled deeply. Initially he thought this man was just dull, but now he saw him for what he really was - cold and uncaring. He was marrying her for convenience, he didn't deserve Pragya. Only if he could put it across without making it look like he was jealous and hence trying to hamper her wedding. He didn't want misunderstandings with Pragya again - but at what cost - at the cost of Pragya's happiness? He wasn't sure.

"Bunk me and Pragya, tell me about you and Sam. Honestly, I didn't expect the rockstar to have an arranged marriage"

"That's why I am the rockstar, I always do what people can't imagine me doing."

"Of course. Sam is very passionate about her work I guess, she was telling me about her client Jindal and their case, very interesting. What is your opinion on the case?"

"I don't know. She never mentioned it to me" replied Abhi clearly too impatient to be discussing silly cases. But Raghav clearly remembered his conversation with Sam starting with, "I was telling Abhi the other day about this very interesting case of mine..."

They both were finishing their last drinks when Aaliyah came up to them.

"Bhai, Raghav, daadi is calling you both for dinner downstairs."

As Abhi got up quickly to get away from this hopeless man he hated right now. He excused himself saying he needed to use the wash room. As Aaliyah saw her brother's figure retreating to his bedroom, she slowly turned to face Raghav.

"Raghav, how are you?"

"I am doing great Aaliyah, what about you?" smiled Raghav awkwardly.

"Fine, living on."

"You have changed drastically Aaliyah, I have noticed you all evening from here. You're not the same girl I had once..."

"Time changes everyone Raghav. Who thought after dedicating all your time in college to student councils and politics, years down the line you will be a sober professor?" smiled Aaliyah.

"So, you're married? Engaged?"

"None."

"That is surprising, considering you broke up with me because your brother had chosen his best friend for you and you were getting engaged"

"Yes. Well that didn't happen eventually."

"Why if I may ask? Sorry if I come across as intrusive. I am just curious."

"We were engaged and were in a courtship for a year. But he had fallen in love with someone else."

"And obviously he chose love over his friends commitment - are you sure you had followed his decision of choosing love above everything else?"

"Raghav."

"I am sorry Aaliyah, I didn't want to sound accusing. It's done and dusted with and all in the past"

"No Raghav, I owe you the truth. I owed it to you back then, but I guess with a decade's maturity more, I can explain things better. I know with Pragya in your life, it doesn't matter. But I am on a ride to repentance anyway, so one more burden I will be free of."

"Why did you not stand up for us Aaliyah?" asked Raghav with a hint of a deeply buried hurt.

"Raghav, my love for you wasn't fake. But then you left for Delhi to pursue politics for a year, and around that time bhai chose him for me. He did ask me if I liked anyone else. But he also made it clear that if the man wasn't well established, he wasn't going to give me away. Raghav you must understand bhai - he had undergone a lot of difficulties to give me a comfortable life - he couldn't imagine me with someone who wouldn't be able to cater to my needs. Hence I never told him about you - what would I have told him Raghav? That I loved you and you had no particular career path. That you were struggling to enter politics and nothing had worked out until then? How would you support me? He wouldn't have understood my feelings hence I never told him about you. Then I got engaged to his friend. I didn't have any feelings for him initially. So to avoid him and fix my mind, I had gone off to Australia for a year. By the end of the year, I had come to terms with my past with you. I had learnt to move on and accept my fianc. But Raghav, when I returned, he told me he loved someone else! I couldn't take that blow. I had given up on you for him, and he couldn't walk away from me now. He became my obsession. I lost all my self-restraint to win him, and in the process I was so engrossed in life that I never searched for you. But once all the fervour died down, I won't deny, you do drop in and out of my mind sometimes. And today when we come face to face, you come as that woman's finace whose life I have already destroyed once out of my lack of self-restraint, my ex-bhabi. Karma has strange ways of getting back to you" finished Aaliyah with a long sigh. And the Arora sisters have a strange habit for falling for the men she liked, she thought amused.

Raghav stood there silently as a storm was brewing in his heart. This was the same girl for whom, he never trusted anyone else for years. She was the same woman whom he had hated for a major part of these years, then learnt to forgive and finally forget. Just when he decided to start life afresh with no more expectation then that of companionship's, she re-entered his life and muddled his heart. He slowly walked down to join the rest of the family for dinner, where Pragya was waiting for him - the same Pragya who had loved Abhi at one time, as much as he had loved this woman. And the same Abhi, who is not aware himself, but who loves and cares for Pragya as much as she once did for him.

After the dinner, when everyone left. Aaliyah went back to her room. A single drop of tear escaped her eyes after a very long time. Her one wrong decision (of not telling bhai about Raghav) and turned the wheels of a gigantic karmic cycle, then everything was lost. Abhi after dropping Sam, went quietly to his bedroom and exhaled. Raghav wasn't good for Pragya - he could never keep her happy. But how could he stop this wedding when he knew Pragya chose him - if this was called off, what if Pragya shunned herself from happiness much the same way his Aaliyah had. Abhi was at a loss.

Back at the Khanna's, Pragya went back to her room and thought of Aaliyah and her state - a silent prayer escaped her lips - God please make her smile again. As for Raghav, as he sat in his room and Aaliyah's words echoed in his head, only one thought came - I had chosen Pragya, and now she has accepted me. I can't let her down. And Abhi is late.

Somewhere else in the city, Sam received a text message, "Sam, I am sorry."