[So, buddies, start reading and find out if you were right. ;) Hope you all like this part]

Purab and Abhishek turned around to see Pragya standing at the door with a quizzical expression. Abhishek sighed in relief. He strode over to Pragya, clasped her hand, pulled her inside the room and shut the door.

"What's going on? Why are you behaving as if a secret meeting has been going on?"  Pragya raised her brows.

"Because that's exactly what was going on." Abhishek replied

"With the door wide open for just about anyone to walk in? No wonder you are the one holding the secret meeting." Pragya giggled making Abhishek's jaw drop and Purab smile.

"What do you mean exactly?" Abhishek frowned.

"We will fight later, okay? Now tell me what truth were you talking about." Pragya demanded.

Abhishek and Purab exchanged nervous glances, making Pragya even more anxious.

"What is it?" Pragya looked at them anxiously.

"There is a truth about Aryan that no one except me, Abhi and Aliya know. And this is the same truth she blackmails me with whenever I have tried to leave her in the past.  After Disha left me and took Sunny away with her, I was heartbroken. I had distanced myself from everyone and was living a secluded life in the farm house, drowning my sorrow in alcohol. Then one evening, Aliya came to meet me. She apologized to me and said that since it was due to her that the misunderstanding between me and Disha separated us, she will bring Disha and Sunny back to me. I was overwhelmed with gratitude. Never, in my wildest dream, did I think that it was just a trap laid by her. And like an idiot I had stepped into it. She offered to make the drink for us. When I wasn't looking she spiked the drink. Already it was alcohol and on top of that she had mixed some intoxicating drugs in it. As a consequence, immediately after having the drink, I began to feel dizzy. And the last thing I remember was Aliya taking me to my room and laying me down on the bed. After that, I don't remember a thing. When I came around the next morning with a heavy head, I...I found Aliya beside me, on the bed. When I woke her up, she said I had lost control the previous night and since she was already in love with me, she couldn't bring herself to stop me. I didn't want to believe it but the surroundings and the ruffled state of the room only corroborated her statements. On top of it, I couldn't remember a single thing about the previous night. I had to accept her statement. Trust me di, I had never hated myself more than I did at that moment. But Aliya said that if I don't want than no one needed to know about it and she would still help me to reconcile with Disha. Then she went away. After a few days, I received divorce papers from Disha. I was about to go talk to her but exactly at that moment Aliya returned. She was crying. She told me that she was pregnant. I didn't know what to do. Disha wanted divorce and Aliya was pregnant with my child. So, I decided to marry Aliya. Atleast, the baby would have a normal life. After a few months, Aliya said there are some issues with her pregnancy and her friend, who was also her obstetrician, adviced her to stay in the hospital for the last month. We were informed after Aryan was born and were told that it was a premature delivery, that's why they couldn't inform us beforehand. It was after 5 years, that I accidentally came to know that Aryan was not our own child. He was adopted. I was flipping through some files and came across the adoption papers hidden in Aliya's chest of drawers. When I confronted her, she accepted that Aryan was indeed adopted and that nothing happened that night between us. I was furious. I wanted to divorce her right at that moment, but she said she would reveal Aryan's truth to him. I had become so attached to him. He may not share my blood but he is my son in every way that matters. I had nothing to gain but if I continued the divorce I would have lost Aryan too. So, I decided to carry on the farce that our marriage had been from the very beginning for Aryan's shake." Purab recounted his painful past.

Pragya was in tears after hearing the truth of the past that had hurt so many people. She placed a comforting hand on Purab's arm.

"That's why I said that I won't be able to divorce that woman even if I want to." Purab sighed resignedly.

"What if you tell Aryan the truth yourself, make him understand how much you love him? May be he will understand and then Aliya will have no power over you." Pragya suggested.

"No, di. I can't take that risk. What if Aryan doesn't understand? I can't lose him too. I have lost Disha and Sunny already. I don't have the courage to suffer any more loses. So, let things be the way it is." Purab smiled sadly.

Abhishek and Pragya exchanged dejected glances. Pragya's heart was filled with despondency and compassion for this man, who was no less than a brother to her. The poor man had been suffering for far too long and due to no fault of his own.

Preoccupied in their own thoughts, they failed to notice the window which was left open or the person standing behind it.

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Mitali was looking around when her gaze came across the handsome couple who were about to cross the threshold of the living room.

"Here comes our newly wed couple, Prachi and Ranbir." Mitali announced, giggling.

Her words made everyone turn towards the entrance.

"Wait. Don't enter just yet. Pallavi bring the plate with ingredients for veneration. And Vikram, inform the others to come here." Dida instructed.

"No need to call us. We are already here." Abhishek called out as he began to walk down the stairs, followed by Pragya and Purab.

After everyone gathered around and Pallavi brought the plate, dida took it from her and did 'Aarti' of Prachi and Ranbir. Then they entered the hall together and touched each elder's feet one by one, starting from the oldest. All of them blessed the couple with long life and lifelong togetherness.

Prachi and Ranbir's happiness was almost a tangible entity in the room. Everyone could feel their happiness acutely. It was as if there was a glow on their faces from within which happens when the heart was at peace and was brimming with rapture. 

Sahana, who was standing nearby, smirked. It was time to tease the couple mercilessly.

"Just look at how happy they are! They are not being able to contain their happiness. If they are this happy now, we can just imagine how ecstatic they will be when they will get married again with all rituals and in front of all. Am I not right, Prachi?" Sahana wiggled her brows.

"Sahana! Shut up!" Prachi admonished.

"But why shall I? Anyone will be happy to get married to the person of their choice." Sahana giggled.

"Sahana! If you think so then let's get you married to the person of your choice." Prachi smirked.

"But how can you Prachi when you have married him yourself." Sahana looked at Prachi innocently and then burst into fits of giggle seeing Prachi's furious eyes.

"Sahana! You..." Prachi began

"OMG! Just see everyone how much jealous she is. Don't worry sister, your Ranbir will remain your forever." Sahana laughed merrily.

Everyone laughed at their antics. However, seeing Prachi sulking, Abhishek walked over to her and put an arm around her shoulders.

"No one will trouble my princess, got it?" Abhishek warned.

Prachi side hugged her father with a smug smile.

"Thank you, Papa." Prachi smiled at him.

"Anything for you, my princess." Abhishek smiled back.

Pragya discreetly wiped the tears that formed in her eyes after witnessing the father and daughter's bond.

"Now everyone should call it a day. But the problem is everything happened out of the blue. Therefore, we haven't prepared a room for Prachi. Where will she sleep tonight?" Dida looked around quizzically.

"Prachi can sleep in Rhea's room for tonight." Pragya suggested.

"There is no need. Come with me." Abhishek beckoned them to follow him and walked away with his arm still around his long lost daughter.

As they mounted the stairs and landed into the landing of the first floor, Abhishek led them towards Rhea's room but didn't stop in front of it. He crossed the room and came to a halt in front of another room a little away from Rhea's room.

As he opened the door, Prachi was astounded to see an aesthetically decorated room in front of her.

"Do you like it, princess?" Abhishek asked tentatively.

"This is so beautiful, Papa. Just like a dreamland." Prachi gushed with childish excitement.

"This is your room. I have always kept this ready and shining with the sole wish that it will be lucky enough to welcome you someday." Abhishek confessed.

The room was the manifestation of his yearning to have his elder daughter with him, living in this house like the princess that she was.

If Prachi was dubious about his love for her and his pain at the separation, the room which he had maintained as a shrine to the memory of an infant washed away every single doubt from her mind.

Silent tears cascading down her cheeks, she turned to her father and hugged him. Abhishek instantly reciprocated the embrace, his own eyes weren't dry.

"You missed me so much?" Prachi asked like a child.

"Too much, princess. Too much." Abhishek closed his eyes and finally the unshed tears escaped the confines of his eyes.

Pragya smiled through tears and walking over to the father daughter duo, caressed her daughter's dupatta clad head.

"Okay, guys. No more tears again. Come on, give me smiles everyone. Preferably with dry eyes, please." Ranbir endeavoured to lighten the ambiance.

Everyone, including Prachi and Abhishek, laughed.

"By the way, where is my dear brother? Why is he missing from this tearful reunion? Where is Aryan?" Ranbir looked around.

"That's right. Where is Aryan? Sahana, he returned with you, didn't he? Where did he disappear after that?" Purab looked at Sahana questioningly.

"No idea, uncle. He said that he would go freshen up. Then he went upstairs. I haven't seen him again after that." Sahana frowned, trying hard to remember if she had seen him again after that.

A slight cloud of tension began to take shape on their till then cloudless horizon.

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Aryan shut the door behind him and taking a few steps inside his room, he dropped down on the carpeted floor of his room.

He just couldn't hold himself together  anymore. The emotional onslaughts that he was being showered with had rendered him speechless. Finally, within the solitary confines of his room he went to pieces.

He squeezed his eyes shut and let the pain flow down through his eyes. He raised his tear stained face upwards and opened his eyes to glare at the ceiling as if his eyes were perforating the concrete structure and reaching the heavenly abode, silently complaining to the Almighty about the injustice done to him.

Today he had learned how unfair life was. The woman he had loved so much, trusted so much, turned out to be a vile and vicious person. Atrocity and venom run in her veins. His 'beloved mother'. As if that was not enough, he had learned that the two people who were closest to him, weren't his parents after all. All his relations with all these people around him were not ties of blood. 

A choked sob escaped his lips, followed closely by a whimper of pain, no matter how much he tried to swallow them back. Silently, he shed tears of an excruciating agony, of harsh truths, of bitter reality.

And then he recalled his father's sacrifice. Yes, Purab Khanna might not have any blood relation with him but he was still as much his father as he had always been her son, even after he came to know the truth. That man had sacrificed his love, his peace of mind, his happiness, everything for Aryan. That woman, however, manipulated everyone and everything around her to serve her own ends.

Finally, Aryan composed himself. There was a determined glint in his eyes. No more would his father suffer. He, Aryan, would bring back in his father's life his long lost love, long lost happiness and his long lost son.

Wiping his tears off, Aryan got to his feet. He was filled with a renewed vigour. His father had given him a wonderful life and in the process, had put his own life on hold. Now it was time to do everything within his capability to give his father that life back. To reunite the family that his mother's, no, not his mother, that Aliya Khanna's manipulation had torn apart.

Aryan sauntered into the washroom and splashed some water on his face, washing away the evidences of his distress. As soon as he had turned the faucet off he heard the knock. He meandered out of the washroom and headed towards the door. As he unlocked the door, he was taken aback to see the whole family there.

"What happened? What's wrong?" Aryan looked from one anxious face to another.

"That's what I want to ask you. What's wrong? Why have you shut yourself in your room while everyone is celebrating?" Purab stepped forth and placed a hand on Aryan's shoulder.

"Don't worry, dad. I am fine. Nothing is wrong. Nothing will be wrong any longer. From now on everything will be alright. And I came to my room because something went into y eyes and I had to wash my eyes." Aryan smiled at his father.

"Is that why your eyes are so red?" Purab frowned.

"Yeah, dad. Relax." Aryan assured him with a smile.

"Okay then, if you are all done, then let's go and freshen up. I am starving." Abhishek grumbled, making everyone laugh.

Everyone went to their respective rooms to freshen up and later gathered at the dining hall. Dinner that night was a joyous affair. Almost all the family members have reunited and Aryan was determined to unite the rest of them too. 

[LOL cliffhanger free part for a change. Aaj socha ki thoda rest de du. ;)]