Vidhushi rushed towards her kneeling mother. Her mind completely ignored the presence of Kunal for the time being. For now, her mother was her priority right now. She made her stand by pulling her from her shoulders and then quickly took her to the bathroom.

Hastily, she cleaned her mother's wounds. Her hands shook as she took care of her. The major wound was on her forehead. She didn't talk to her while she cleaned the wounds. She couldn't speak. Her heart was seized in fear. She knew Kunal's potential but never had she believed that he would actually practice his threats on her for real.

Putting two bandages on her mother's face and three on her hands, she couldn't hold back her sob anymore.

"Why?" She asked her mother as she cried.

Her mother finally looked at her daughter.

"I don't know! He came here and started asking where you were. He was so angry! I didn't know the answer as well. Where were you Vidhushi? What did you do that he is so angry?" Her mother asked, pulling her hands back and cupping Vidhushi's face.

Vidhushi's eyes narrowed. She couldn't tell her mother that she had spent the night with Advith. If Kunal heard this, he would go on a rampage. But what she didn't understand was why Kunal was so angry that he dared hurt her mother! He couldn't possibly know her whereabouts. Then, why was he so furious? She wondered.

After making sure that her mother was fine, she asked her to go back to her room and lock it from inside. Of course, her mother denied but she convinced her by saying that Kunal would hurt everybody except her. She wasn't sure of it today though.

She locked her mother's room from outside too so that her mother won't come out if things go out of control with Kunal.

Taking a deep breath, she decided to teach Kunal a lesson for life. No one messes with her mother. That was her limit.

She walked back into the living room where Kunal still sat on the sofa with his eyes closed and the gun pointing on his forehead, as if he was in deep thoughts.

He must have sensed her coming back because he opened his eyes and looked straight at her. She stared back as she walked near him and stood in front of him. Kunal slowly stood up and threw the gun on the sofa.

Caressing her hair with no emotions on his face, he pulled her hair in a warning.

"Where were you?" He asked about the night that she spent outside.

"How dare you hit my mother?" She asked back.

He glared at her as she returned the favour.

"Don't test my patience, Vidhushi. Tell me where were you the whole night?" His voice turned edgy.

"Why... did you... hit my mother? I have told you million times that you can hurt me...but never ever hurt my mother." She asked getting angrier. Her voice shook as the images of her hurt mother kept on flashing in her mind.

"And what did I tell you? That if you betray me, I will kill every single person you love and make you suffer throughout your life." He replied, his brows getting narrow.

"I didn't betray you. Did I say 'no' to our marriage?" She almost shouted.

"Then tell me where were you?"

"I was at a club! Damn it! "

"With?" He asked quickly.

He knew everything. He just wanted to hear it from her.

"Kunal! What's wrong with you? You come home, hurt my mumma and then expect me to answer everything like your pathetic prisoners! I am not someone who works for you!" She raised her voice. She was irritated beyond words.

"Then I guess I should finish this once and for all." He said frustrated as he picked up his gun from the sofa and started walking out of the living room towards her mother's room.

Vidhushi panicked. She confirmed that Kunal had completely gone insane today. It was time to drop her anger if she didn't want bloodshed. Why is it that she always has to submit to him! She felt weak and pathetic.

She quickly grabbed his arm using all her strength and forced him to stay in the living room.

"Kunal! Please! Don't!" She begged.

"Then tell me who were you with?" He asked as he turned around tucking the gun behind him in order to not create threat for her. No matter how angry he is, he would never let her life be in danger. He could kill the world for a silly reason but he would never hurt Vidhushi beyond repair.

Vidhushi gulped, thinking what she should say. The truth or a new-made story.

"And if you lie Vidhushi, I swear you won't like what I'll do."

"You know it, right?" She asked. Her eyes welling up with tears because she didn't know what to say. But she wondered how he'd know this.

Kunal didn't say anything. He just stared at her slowly crying form. It hurt him...a lot. But he had made up his mind for what he had planned. She would be his forever by the end of this day and he knew it...he had planned for it. No one would dare to come in between them after today. He had given her enough freedom. Now it was time to take what is rightfully his.

"Tell me." He stated in a monotonous tone.

Vidhushi wiped her eyes. Her heart raced as she decided to tell the truth.

"I was with Advith. But, we met by coincidence, Kunal! I swear." She dared to cup his face so as to make him believe. He let her touch him as he controlled the burst of anger arising in every vein of his body.

"Then what happened?" He asked.

Vidhushi hated herself for remembering everything. How nice it would have been if she had forgotten everything in her drunken state.

"I was drunk before I met him. And you know that I lose my senses easily. I...." She couldn't word the sentence. She was ashamed of herself.

"You?" He encouraged.

Vidhushi looked at the floor before she answered.

"I kissed him in the drunken state. But, it does not mean that I have any feelings for him! Really, Kunal! I fell unconscious and he brought me to his home so that I can sleep peacefully. But nothing happened between us. I just slept in his house." She spoke quickly.

"What did you tell him?" He asked patiently as he recalled the conversation himself in his mind. He had heard everything after all!

"Kunal, I really was drunk." She stalled, not having the courage to tell him the truth.

"What..did you tell him?" He asked slowly as he touched her forehead with his. His patience was running so thin and she had no clue about it.

Vidhushi couldn't breathe. She was scared. She was terrified. 

"I said...'I love you' to him." She finally blurted out as her tears threatened to fall. She closed her eyes quickly because she didn't know how Kunal would react to it.

She was horrified more when she saw him smile.

"And do you love him?" He asked after a long pause.

Her heart almost stopped beating. This was pure torture for her.

She quickly shook her head.

"No, Kunal." She answered.

His smile grew.

"Good. What about him?" He asked.

"He doesn't love me either." She answered, clearly building blocks of lies.

"But, I heard something entirely different! I heard him confessing his feelings to you too." He played along.

It was now that she understood how Kunal knew everything. She remembered cancelling Kunal's call yesterday. She realised that she had mistakenly accepted it instead of cancelling it. How can someone be so stupid! She wondered.

"He loves you, right?" He asked as he continued to smile. It all appeared funny to him now. He wondered how can a normal person who had no protection at all, come and threaten his love life so easily.

Vidhushi still remained quiet. She feared that if she confirmed this, Kunal won't hesitate to take a dangerous step.

"Don't be scared, darling! It is not your fault. You are so beautiful and unique that any man would want you! It's not your fault that he loves you. I couldn't stop falling in love with you too. How can I expect others to not fall for you! Now, do you understand why I always keep you hidden from others?" He asked.

Vidhushi gulped and nodded. She had nothing to do now. She could only say 'yes' to his everything.

"Kunal, please don't be angry. I won't meet him again. Everything will be back to how it was earlier. Trust me." She said and she was completely honest. She will never ever think of threatening her mother's life like that again. She would be a moron if she gave Kunal another reason to kill her mother.

"Of course, Vidhu! Everything will be back to how it was before. Don't worry. Pack your bags." He said plainly.

"What?" She asked, completely shocked.

"Yes. We are going back to Goa and we are getting married this Friday." He announced.

Vidhushi merely stared at him. She couldn't believe her ears. Her mind went blank. All her dreams and desires were going to vanish.

"But...but you promised that...you will let me complete this project here and then only we will get married!" She stammered.

Kunal caressed her cheeks again and smiled.

"Why do you always remember what you have said? Why don't you recall what I have told you? Didn't I tell you that if anything goes wrong, I will bring you back to Goa? Didn't I tell you that if you give me one good reason, then I will change the date of the wedding according to my will! Haven't I given you this much freedom?" He asked.

"I am sorry, Kunal. It won't happen again. But please, let me at least complete my project! What will I show the University? They will not approve my degree till I show them this project's result!" She literally begged but all the pleas fell into deaf ears.

"Pack your bags, Vidhushi. This is my last warning." He finally warned as he stepped backwards.

Vidhushi now realised the meaning of 'falling dreams'. Her tears fell as she nodded. She couldn't change his mind now. She knew it. Nothing would change Kunal's mind.

"Just pack your essentials. I don't have much time." He said as he saw her going back to her room to pack her as well as her mother's stuff. 

She wanted to ask why he was in a hurry but she decided to keep her mouth shut.

After an hour, her mother and she stood out of the building where they had spent almost three months. Vidhushi kept her bag in the backseat as she saw Kunal busy talking to someone on his phone. She asked her mother to sit inside as she assured her that everything would be fine. 

Her mother didn't understand what to do either. She cursed internally and blamed herself for ever letting her daughter come near this man right from their childhood. But who would have known that he would get so insanely attached to her to this extent?

Vidhushi walked near Kunal to inform him that they were ready. He had asked her to do so. But as she walked near him, his voice became clearer and she was able to comprehend what he was telling to the other person on the line.

"....don't care how you do it! I want him killed today......... What do you mean he is powerful? He isn't immortal......... Just kill him! You have done this before! .............Why is it difficult now? I would have done it myself but...." Vidhushi couldn't hear anymore.

"Kunal!" She almost shouted. She predicted whom Kunal was talking about. 

Kunal turned around quickly.

"What?" He asked.

"Wh..what are you going to do?" She asked as her hands started shaking. She had thought that Kunal would forget Advith as a mere man and not think of him as his competitor! Because she knew that Kunal hated competitors.

"What do you think?" He asked irritated.

"Just do as I say." He said to the man he was talking to on the phone.

Vidhushi quickly grabbed his phone from his grasp.

"Whosoever you are...Please don't do this. Kunal doesn't want this. Don't....please...don't kill Advith!" She spoke on the phone and cancelled the call.

"What..." Kunal began to ask for this audacity but she interrupted him.

"Why are you doing this, Kunal? I am coming with you! What more do you want?" She shouted at him, frustrated that he was being so immature.

"I have to teach him a lesson. No one dares to touch what is mine! And he had the balls to kiss my wife. He is as good as dead." He said as he snatched his phone back.

Soon the phone rang and she knew that it was the same man...who was appointed to kill her sweet Advith.

She had to think fast.

Kunal answered the call and was about to speak when she spoke.

"There is a better way to hurt him." She blurted out quickly. She wanted to cry so badly at what she was about to say. She would never forgive herself, she knew. But it was the only way to let Advith live. Perhaps he will soon forget her and marry another girl of his own culture and be happy. But for that, it was important that he lived. She won't let Advith die. Not because of her...never.

Kunal stilled hearing this. He gave a look to his fiancee and nodded to encourage her to continue. 

Vidhushi walked near him and spoke softly.

"Let him watch me getting married to you." She said.