Author's pov 

After a week 

As the car stopped in front of the hotel, “ The Paradise " , Saanvika took a sigh.

She is here for her work. As the new brand ambassador of the chain of hotels, she needed to come here more often. After a few months they are going to introduce her as the new brand ambassador of their hub so today she came here to finalise the dates of her photoshoot and all.

As she walked inside, people watched her in awe who was looking beautiful and classy in her black and white off shoulder dress.

Soon she was escorted to Avyaan's cabin by his secretary. 

"Hey Saanvika. Come. Have a seat. " Avyaan greeted her with a smile. But she sat down silently in front of her without returning his gesture. Avyaan internally rolled his eyes.

For the next two hours they discussed the photoshoot and everything with the photographer, the ad director who were present in the meeting.

After completing the meeting and finalising everything , everyone left except Saanvika and Avyaan.

Taking a sigh, Saanvika also stood up to leave the room.  

Before she could leave the room, she heard Avyaan saying, " How's your friend , Saanvika? Got another boy for herself or not?" 

As soon as Saanvika heard the question, she lost her cool. Turning around to face him, she said furiously, "You know what!!  Niyati is damn lucky that she didn't have to marry a cheap man like you. You should be ashamed for whatever you have done to her and her family. And if you ever try to insult her like this in front of me, trust me my fist would be talking to your arrogant face. " 

Saying this Saanvika left his cabin, leaving an angry Avyaan behind.

He opened the gallery on his phone and looked at Niyati's picture which was clicked during the Ganesh Puja. This was the only picture of her he kept in his phone. Rest of her six pictures which he had in his phone were deleted by him on the wedding day itself.

"Who knew there is a venomous soul behind the innocent facade? I hate…no no no…I loathe you ,Ms. Niyati Sehgal." He murmured looking at her smiling face.

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At noon Shefali was rearranging her clothes in the guestroom when someone knocked on her door. 

Closing the door of the wardrobe, she walked towards the door and opened it. 

"Mom, please come in." Seeing Ira, she opened the door properly and let her enter inside. 

Things have changed in this one week slightly. Niyati has begun to go to her college to continue her profession. Parthiv and Sadhika have started to go to the hospital as well to continue their work. 

Himanshu and his wife Shefali are staying in Malhotra's flat along with their children Sanjay who is working from home and Meeta who is on holiday. Ira and Tejraj are also staying here.

"What are you doing? " Ira said as she sat down on the bed. 

"Nothing. You tell me, will you have tea or something? Should I bring something else for you? Where is Papa ji?" Shefali asked her mother in law.

"No no..I don't need anything. Your papa ji and you husband are watching a movie in our room.. but I came here to make you understand something. " Ira replied. 

Shefali frowned, hearing the urgency in her tone. "What is it, Maa ji?" She asked her.

" That girl is still staying in this house…not only that ,she is roaming outside as well as if nothing happened. 

She has already tainted our image, reputation, everything…and neighbours are also talking about her and us. Then why are you and others allowing her here? For the whole week I am telling you to do something but you are taking it casually. " Ira said in a low tone.

Shefali shook her head and said, "Maa ji, don't listen to whatever they are saying. We know our Niyati…the allegations which are  on her are false .Moreover it is her house, obviously she will stay here.

Please don't mention it again and again, if it reaches your sons’ ears, they will be very angry."

Ira frowned in distaste and said, "They are fools. That's why I came here to make you understand. But you are also so naive who couldn't understand such small things. That Sadhika I don't know what she thinks of herself.

I don't know where I failed to raise my Parthiv who has become joru ka ghulam (wife's pet) now?" 

Ira never liked Sadhika. There were two reasons – one ,it was their love marriage and second one was that she was an educated, intelligent , working , straightforward and independent woman whereas Ira always wanted a non working, less educated woman who would easily bend in front of her according to her wish for her son…just like Shefali who is also highly educated but chose to be a housewife and doesn't argue much. 

Also, according to her, Sadhika took her son away from her.

Moreover she always wanted someone like Shefali to be Parthiv's bride. But unfortunately that didn't happen as such.

She also wanted Parthiv to have a son, but instead Niyati was born. They educated their daughter as well as made her professionally stable. Also Niyati is older and better than her favourite grandchildren.

She could not control their lives as well just the way she wanted. These are the reasons for her frustration towards Parthiv and Sadhika,  Niyati. 

She didn't like the friendly relation between Sadhika and Shefali. 

She also hoped secretly after whatever happened at the wedding Parthiv would be ready to throw his daughter Niyati out whom she hated to the core just like she did Sadhika.

But everything went in vain .

But today miraculously she has gotten a chance to poison her mind against Sadhika and Niyati. She has gotten a chance to get rid of Niyati from their life. She wants to get rid of her because Niyati is just like her mother…she is the shadow of her mother…independent, a lady full of self respect and professionally stable. She doesn't want her to get a part of her husband's wealth which he is planning to do soon. She wants Sanjay and Meeta to get everything so that their future remains secure.

Moreover, according to her Niyati is a bad omen for her family so she deserves to be outcasted.

And she isn't going to let the chance go.

So hiding from her husband and her sons , she is trying to brainwash Shefali for the last week .

"Maa ji, what are you saying? Parthiv bhai and Sadhika bhabhi know the best. And our Niyati is so good, beautiful and talented , I am sure when the right time will come,  she will get her part of happiness and luck.. Right now she needs our support to overcome her pain." Shefali said with a sad smile as she remembered Niyati.

Ira rolled her eyes internally. 

"Leave all these..you are just blind and naive. Okay I agree that it's her house and her right to stay here. But after  whatever has happened don't you think it will affect Sanjay…especially Meeta?" Ira asked her.

"What do you mean?" Shefali asked with a frown. 

Ira smirked internally as successfully gained her attention.

" I don't know whether the proof against her was right or wrong…it really doesn't matter. 

What matters is how society got to know that she is a bride who got rejected by her husband in a wedding mandap and she returned as unmarried. 

You also know how society blames only the girl in this kind of situation…like she is characterless, or maybe she has some dark past..maybe she has some inability. 

Most importantly the characterless tag becomes more famous. 

So if she stays in this house, do you think anybody would want our Meeta as their daughter in law and Sanjay..do you think his girlfriend's family would agree to give their daughter in a house where a characterless girl stays? 

My God!!! My heart is already falling in the pit of my stomach in fear ,thinking what would happen to my beloved grandchildren. " Ira said dramatically .

“But we stay in Delhi, they are here in Mumbai …how will this affect my children?” Shefali frowned .

Hiding her irritation , Ira tried to make her dumb daughter in law understand, “But we belong to the same family. Remember, guests were there in the wedding from our side as well.

Moreover, these kinds of news do not take much time to travel from ear to ear.” Ira said.

Shefali went silent after hearing her.

"I don't know what you will do after that…I was just telling all these,  thinking about my Sanjay and Meeta." Ira said and got up. 

She looked satisfied as she saw how Shefali drowned herself in deep thoughts.  Turning around she walked out of the room.

She wasn't far away from achieving her goal.

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"So what you wanted to say." Sanjay asked Vaani with a smile.

It's around 8 pm. Both of them were done with their work, so they decided to meet. Their love story started from their graduation days. Right now they were working in the same company but at different branches. 

" Umm…actually last night Papa was talking about my marriage. " Vaani said, fidgeting with her fingers.

"Hmm..then. What did you say?" He asked her with a frown.

" He was asking when you will talk about our marriage with your family." She replied. 

"Vaani, we are just 26…What's the hurry? Moreover right now it's impossible. My Di is going through a terrible crisis..I really can't think about marriage right now.. even in my dream." Sanjay replied honestly. He was shocked hearing the question from her because he knew that she didn't want to marry before 28. In fact she had convinced her father about that also.

Vaani just nodded lightly and started to play with the spoon in the coffee.

"What happened?" He asked her. He was finding her behaviour suspicious.

"Umm ... .did your Di really..you know..I mean.. " Vaani tried to say but couldn't complete the sentence. Sanjay started to guess where it was going.

" My Di what?" He asked just to confirm his doubt.

" Umm..Don't take it wrong..but umm..Did your sister really cheat on her fiancé?" She asked him.

Sanjay's jaw clenched in anger. He would tolerate everything but not anything against his family.

" What do you mean by that? And where is it coming from?" He asked her in a stern tone.

" No. I mean..actually Dad was saying…" Vaani left her sentence hanging.

" What was your Dad saying ? Let me guess, he was saying that he doesn't want his daughter to marry in a family where my sister belongs…right? He is having doubts? " He asked her. 

Vaani remained silent as he was right. Nevertheless she looked up and said , "He is not wrong in his place. " 

This made Sanjay furious. He was angry at her for questioning his sister's character and also doubting his love.

" Then why are you here? Go back..I am sure your dad won't like you meeting me. " He replied to her furiously.

She didn't like the way he was supporting his sister.

"Why are you getting so tempted? And how are you so sure that your sister didn't do anything like this!! I mean her friend also said that she was with her ex that night. 

Actually she wanted both — money and also …" Before she could complete her sentence , Sanjay slammed his cup on the table startling her and gaining attention from others. 

"Enough….enough is enough. One more word about her, I will forget that you are my girlfriend and I love you. Like seriously!!! You and your family don't know my sister more than I know her , then how could you comment on her like this? So many cheap thoughts on her !!! I am just shocked. 

I am sure and I know that my sister is innocent . That's it." Saying this he stood up to leave.

He knew that Vaani didn't know Niyati that much personally but that didn't mean she would say this kind of nonsense about her just like that. 

"Where are you going? Listen, we can sort it out." Vaani asked in panic. She didn't know he would get this furious. 

" After hearing your opinion on my sister, I don't want to sit here with you. So goodbye and come back when you change your opinion on her and on us as well." Saying this he left from there in anger .

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At around 8 pm, Niyati returned home from the college and after taking tutions.

Without saying any word to her grandfather and her chachu who were present in the living room, she went back to her room. 

" She has become so silent these days, Papa. Our daughter was not like this." Himanshu said.

" I know. I want to talk to her about it but I know that I have to give her some time. " Tejraaj said sadly.

Opening the door,  Niyati kept her bag and things in its place and walked inside her washroom which had been seeing her grief and pain for the last week. It was the place where she could cry her heart out. Her tears and screams of pain had been confined in this washroom .

Stripping off her clothes she stood in front of the mirror. 

In this one week she is trying hard to stay strong – for her father, her mother, for her family. But only she knew how hard it was for her to act like a strong girl when she was broken from inside…from her heart. 

She is trying to come back to her normal life but she knows everything is not going to be the same again.She understood that she was trapped badly. 

Luckily only Olivia, her colleague, was present in her wedding. Being a good person she is, she didn't tell anything about the wedding and the mishap.

Wiping the tear which rolled down her cheek, she sighed and decided to freshen up.

After freshening up she went to the dining hall to join her family for dinner.

"Princess, come." Sadhika said and made her sit between her and Parthiv. Niyati gave a small smile to her parents and sat between them

"How's work going, beta?" Tejraaj asked his granddaughter.

"It's going good ,Dadu." She replied. 

Soon Himanshu, Shefali, Meeta and Ira joined them.

"I don't know when the peace of our family will be back. But how is this possible? When the headache is still present. " Ira said with a sad sigh.

"What are you talking about ,Dadi?" Meeta asked in confusion as she didn't understand what her grandmother meant . 

Others also looked at her with curiosity except Niyati who was serving the food on her own plate after serving her father and mother. 

" I mean to say that the neighbours have started to talk about her cancelled marriage. Now taunts will come from here and there and we need to run around to save our prestige.

Just a cancelled marriage has started to raise a storm, imagine what will happen when the reason behind it would be out?

And all these are happening because of this girl sitting here..destroying our everything, she is living her life in her term as if nothing has happened." Ira said in distaste.

Hearing her grandmother, Niyati stopped playing with her food.

"Maa," Taking a deep breath, Parthiv continued, "I have told you thousand times and I am telling you again, Niyati has nothing to do with it so stop blaming her." 

"Yes, Ira. Niyati is innocent..she is just being trapped, nothing else. Don't say things like this .

It's a difficult time for her and as a family it's our duty to support her." Tejraaj said. Others nodded her head in agreement. 

" Innocent !!! Whatever. She is like this only….Don't go with her innocent face. 

See, how she is still sitting here and ready to eat her food. Aare how more shameful you can be !!!! If I were in your place ,I would have chosen to die for destroying everything in my family.

But here you are, shamelessly roaming around in the name of work..God knows what you are doing outside till late at night.

After all, she is her mother's daughter. This whoring ways are ……" 

"SHUT THE FUCK UP." 

Startling everyone, Niyati stood up, throwing her plate away and making her chair fall to the floor with a thud.

Ira stopped spitting venom with a gasp in shock.

Her bloodshot red eyes were full of fury which scared everyone present there. 

"Not a word against my Mom ..Did you hear me? NOT A SINGLE WORD AGAINST MY MOM… How dare you say such nasty things about her? Just because you hate her doesn't mean you would malign her name just like that. Don't cross your limit otherwise I will forget that you are older than me and my dad's mother.” Niyati said glaring at her, who looked scared. 

Not only her, everyone present there was taken aback seeing her like this because it's the first time she was looking so angry ... .She was furious. 

Leaving the stunned audience behind, Niyati went away and reached her room. 

After a minute of silence, Parthiv said, "Maa. This is my last warning. If you again do or say something against my Monali and our daughter, I am sorry but I will ask you to leave my house." 

"Just because of them you will throw your mother out of your house!!!?" Ira asked him in shock.

"They are the most important people in my life..if you want to stay here ,stop talking nonsense about  them . I won't say anything. But you again insult them, I won't tolerate it." Parthiv said to his mother sternly.

“ You deserve that, old lady. Don't play the victim card here. Remember, I am more dangerous than my daughter."  Sadhika said sternly to her mother in law.

Sadhika has stopped talking to her with respect years back after Ira crossed Sadhika’s limit of tolerance .

Ira remained silent but from inside she was fuming in anger.

Before anyone could say anything, Sanjay entered the house gaining everyone's attention. They noticed that he looked awfully silent.

Ignoring everyone he went straight towards his room.

Everyone shared a confused look with each other.

"Let me see," Shefali said and followed him.

Sanjay was sitting on his bed while looking down .

All of a sudden he felt a soft touch on his head. He looked up to see his mother. 

"What happened?" She asked him. Like every time, Sanjay shared his problem with his mother.

"Can you imagine they are talking shit about Di? In fact they don't trust me, Mom. For me my family is important.  I also left her for talking shit." He said angrily. 

Hearing him, Shefali started to feel uncomfortable. 

"Was Mom right?" She thought as Ira's words rang in her ears.

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After a month 

Things have changed slightly in this one month. 

Niyati is trying to get back to her normal self ignoring her heart break. She is keeping herself busy with her college and tuitions. She leaves the house at around 7 am in the morning and returns home at 8 pm. 

Her family only gets to see her during dinner.

Saanvika also needs to visit her college in order to meet her. 

Surprisingly Ira has stopped with her taunts too much to everyone's relief.

Parthiv as well as Sadhika are worried and  tense seeing his daughter like this. She has turned thinner than before, the glow on her face has vanished as well. She has turned hard to her own self. What hurts him most is the smile of her daughter which has turned fake. She doesn't smile from her heart now. He can clearly see how she tries to smile in front of everyone for the sake of her family but the eyes depict how much broken she actually is. 

But whenever he tries to talk about Niyati so that she opens up and lets go of the pain, she avoids saying ,"I am absolutely okay,Mom and Dad. Don't worry." 

But Niyati knows that she is anything but okay. In this one month she hoped that maybe Avyaan would try to talk to her and say that he trusted her but nothing like that happened. Nobody from the Malhotra family  tried to contact her. 

On the other hand, Himanshu has noticed Shefali's changed behaviour. Most of the time she remains lost in her thoughts and most importantly her changed behaviour towards Niyati has surprised him. He has noticed that Shefali is a bit cold towards Niyati.Sometimes she clearly tries to avoid her. 

He has dismissed it thinking that maybe she is stressed due to the tension in their family..maybe she doesn't have the intention to avoid Niyati,it is happening subconsciously. 

 But he has decided that he will talk to her if he notices her avoiding Niyati again.

Right now, in the evening they were having coffee there as today is Saturday so everyone was present. 

"Mom, tomorrow I need to go shopping. Actually my friend's birthday is coming so I need to buy something. I will buy her something from here itself before going back to Delhi." Meeta said. 

"Okay. Go with Sanjay." Shefali said to her daughter. 

"No…not bhai. He would be bored and moreover he doesn't have a taste of things." Meeta said, poking her tongue at Sanjay who glared at her. 

"I will go with Di." She continued.

"No, you will go with Sanjay.” Shefali declared. 

" Yes, Mom, let her go with Di. Di doesn't go out nowadays . If she goes tomorrow, she will feel fresh. She needs to come out of the shell in which she has locked herself. " Sanjay Said honestly.

"No. You will go with him. I don't care about anything. Either you will go with him or you will stay at home." Shefali said sternly this time. 

Her tone and words surprised everyone.

"Why don't you understand that Di is the best in closing things.?" Meeta said this time with irritation. 

"Stop it..stop doing Di, Di and Di. Why ? Don't you have your brother ? Why do you need your Di then?" Shefali said furiously. 

"Shefali ,what happened to you?" Himanshu asked her in astonishment. 

"Mom, what happened? Why are you saying this about Di?" Sanjay asked in shock.

" Nothing happened to me till now…but something will soon happen if Niyati stays here. Relatives, Neighbours are talking nonsense about our family just because of her. Our relatives are also avoiding us just because of her.

Now if my daughter roams around with her , do you think anybody will talk to her!! In fact in the future we won't get or send her marriage alliances for her when everyone will come to know what Niyati has done.

In fact, because of her, my son had a fight with his girlfriend and they are still not on speaking terms.

So I don't want any of my children to go anywhere with her and if possible they should keep their distance from her so that her inauspicious presence doesn't fall on them." Shefali burst out in anger.

"SHEFALI!!!!" Sadhika yelled out in anger making Shefali flinch.

"Mom ,how could you say these things about Di?" Meeta asked in disbelief. 

“She is telling the truth only.” Ira said.

Before anybody could say anything, Sanjay's whisper made everyone freeze in place.

"Di," 

Everyone followed his gaze to see a teary eyed Niyati standing on the hallway.Seeing her face they understood that she heard everything..every single thing.

Here you go.

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Next update will be : Next Week

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