"Are wah ek bhikarhi aur ek waiter ki beti... daad deni paregi aapki choice ki Kareenaji" taunted Mrs Ahluwalia causing all the other women with her to laugh.

"Yeh kya bakwaas kar rahi hai aap?!" Kareena snapped feeling insulted

"Kareenaji aap ghusa kyun ho rahi hai? Me toh baas yeh kahe rahi thi ki jaab mere bete ne shadhi ki thi taab aapne ne ek muka nahi chora tha meri bahu ke status pe aapni rai dene mein kuynke aap meri aapni hai..." she stressed the last part throwing Kareena's words back at her, " Toh mein bhi toh aapki aapni huwi na? ha lekin aab bacho ki pasand ke aage kya kar sakte hai? Meri bahu ke Gharwale middle class hai lekin mere bete ne bhi usse pasand kiya waise hi jaise aapke beto ne inn dono ko" she laughed.

"Ha Kareenaji aap toh bada status ki baat karti rahti hai... aab kya huwa?" Mrs Bose also joined in finding this the perfect opportunity to get back at Kareena for all the times she has thrown her status around and put her down. "Mrs Ahluwalia aapki bahu middle class ki hai lekin bohot sansakari hai, aur kam se kam uske parivaar wale aap ke status ko use toh nahi karte"

Mrs Ahluwalia nodded in agreement giving Ramona and Mahira a once over while the other women laughed mockingly and Kareena stood in silence not being able to say anything.

"Yeh kya bakwaas kar rahi hai app!" Mahira snapped seeing her mother being insulted "App meri Mom se aise baat nahi kar sakte! Abhi ke abhi mafi mangiye un se!" she all but shouted

"Aahaha akkar to dekho isski" Mrs Bose spoke in a condescending tone "Naukar ki beti hoke hume order degi ye"

"Are jaab Karan Luthra jaisa ameer larka phasta hai na toh log appni asli jaga bhool jate hai aur aise hi baat karte hai" Mrs Ahluwalia laughed

"How dare you!" In her anger Mahira pushed Mrs Ahluwalia who was standing close to her causing the older woman to fall backwards. If it wasn't for Mrs Bose grabbing hold of her Mrs Ahluwalia would have ended up on the floor.

"Rakheeji yeh kaisi batameeze bahu chuni hai aapne apne bete ke liye?" Mrs Jha said witnessing Mahira's behaviour "Pagal hai yeh Pagal!"

"Mein Pagal hoon? Yeh..."

"Yeh kya batameeze hai?" Dadi who approached the group with Rishabh, Kritika, Sameer and Roo snapped having witnessed Mahira's behaviour

"Are Baniji aap iss batameez larki se kya pooch rahi hai, mein batata hoon..." Mrs Bose said before anyone else could speak, she explained how Mahira insulted Mrs Ahluwalia and assaulted her.

"Are assi larkiyo se aur expected bhi kya kar sakte hai. Bloody classless girls! Aur aap assi larki se Karan ki shadhi kararhe hai..." Mrs Ahluwalia added

"Zaroor Karan mein hi koi kami hogi warna aasi larki se shadhi? Na ji na!" Mrs Sharma too gave her opinion.

Kareena who couldn't tolerate the taunts being thrown at her family was about to speak but Bani Luthra folded her hands in shame before Kareena could say anything,

"Maaf kar dijiye hume..." she said looking at Mrs Ahluwalia and then turned to Marhira "... Mahira inse abhi ke abhi maafi maangoi!" Bani Luthra said with authority

"Mom..." Kareena started to protest seeing the smug look on Mrs Ahluwalia's face but Bani raised her hand and stopped her

"Mahira! Meine kaha maafi maango!"

Mahira looked around her to see if anyone would support her but her own father was standing with his head down

"Mahira!"

She looked at Karan who had once again moved next to Preeta and her anger raised further.

"Mahira... Tumne suna Mom ne kya kaha!" Kareena said moving close to her and shaking her a little not liking the way her family were turning in to a joke in front of these high society women. "Mahira Sorry bolo"

Ramona moved to Mahira seeing the situation getting out of hand and she too asked her to apologise. Reluctantly Mahira apologised.

"Maafi toh aap ko bhi maangi chahiye Mrs Khanna" everyone turned to look at Rajveer who stood enjoying the drama.

"Ji, I'm sorry mujhe maaf kar dijiye" she said looking at the smirking women

"Mr Khanna..."

"J...ji Sir"

"Aapki biwi ne mere bhai ki hone wali patni pe haath uthane ki galti ki hai..." Rishabh gasped and shot a horrified look towards Shrishti who stood besides Preeta and then to Ramona who began to sweat. Rajveer smirked getting the desired effect and continued "Tho aap batiye isski sazza kya honi chahiye?"

"Sir Please... Mein maafi maangta hoon... aapse bhi aur mam se bhi" he said folding his hands.

"Aap humse bade hai toh aap haath mat joriye!" Preeta stepped in her upbringing not allowing her to let Veer insult an elder.

"Di aap..."

"Nahi Shrishti! Jo galat hai woh galat hai" she turn her glare to Veer warning him to back off

"Ha Shrishti Pari theek kahe rahi hai... yeh bade hai. Lekin inki yeh beti badi nahi hai!" before Preeta could interrupt he continued "Meri Mom kahti hai ke maa baap ki galti ki saaza bache bhugate hai toh Mrs Khanna ki galti ki saaza aab yeh 'Pagal' larki bhugteji! Waise bhi issne mere guests ki bhi insult ki hai!"

Mahira looked at Rajveer ready to argue but Ramona held her hand and shook her head.

"So Mr Khanna..." The man looked down and said nothing in response... what could he say? He knew that the situation he was in today was because of his wife and daughter! These two women and their stupid whims had ruined him!

"Mr Khanna aap aapni beti se kahiye ke woh Shrishti se maafi mange"

"Mahira..." her father said in a broken voice

"Lekin Dad..." her shook his head at her and she looked at Shrishti and said sorry not really meaning a word and vowing to get even.

"Aise nahi Miss Khanna..." Rajveer grinned at a confused Mahira "Haath jord ke... saar juka ke maafi maango!"

A shocked Mahira looked at her father hoping he would protest and put an end to this madness but all he did was nod telling her silently to follow Rajveer's orders. Doing as asked, hurt her ego; it was like fuel being added to the fire that had ignited within her upon seeing Karan and Preeta making out. But she rained it in and apologised to a smirking Shrishti.

"Pata nahi kahan se aajate hai!" Mrs Ahluwalia said as Mahira turned and left the group feeling highly embarrassed followed shortly after by Sherlyn.

"Rakheeji mein toh aab bhi kahe rahi hoon iss pagal larki ko out karo aur Karan ki shadhi iss pyaari si bachi se karado!" Mrs Sharma said looking at Preeta.

"Mrs Sharma theek kahe rahi hai, waise bhi aasi maa ki beti se koi expectation nahi rakhni chaahiye!" Mrs Ahluwalia added throwing a condescending glare at Ramona who didn't know what to say.

"Are aap saab yeh baate chodiye..." Rajveer said breaking up the conversation "Sagai shuru ho rahi hai chaliye..." the ladies nodded and scattered across the hall. Rajveer turned to Shrishti gesturing for her to head back onto the stage and then he extended his hand for Preeta to take. She reluctantly looked at his hand and then at Karan who was standing next to her glaring at the extended hand. She was about to take his hand when Janki Aunty approached her in a panic.

"Preeta putar" she called

"Ji?" she replied taking her hand back

"Preeta putar tu jaldi chal mere saath Kapu bhai saab ko kitchen me madaat chaahiye" Janki said as she grabbed Preeta's hand and dragged her towards the kitchen.

Rajveer looked at the Luthra's and the Khanna's and asked them to move closer to the stage where the engagement was starting while instructing Mr Khanna to go back to the kitchen. As everyone began to move Karan stood, his gaze still transfixed on the direction Preeta went, but before he could follow her Rishabh steered him to the front.

The ceremony continued once Preeta and Janki Aunty joined the families on the stage and then everyone clapped as Akaash and Shrishti stood at the centre- Everyone except the Luthra's some of whom felt pain for their children and some who felt resentment towards the Arora's and Shergill's.

Just as Shrishti was about to slip a ring onto Akaash's finger the lights went out causing panic among the guests.

"Yeh lights ko kya huwa?" Sarla asked worrying about what the Shergills will think.

"Maa aap chinta maat kijiye mein dekhti hoon" Preeta volunteered and slowly and carefully started to make her way off the stage and to head towards the fuse box.

"Pari..." she turned to where the sound of Veer's voice was coming from "Mein bhi chalta hoon tumhare saath" he said.

Preeta smiled and reassured him that she was capable of sorting everything out herself and headed off the stage and out of the hall.

"Yajmaan saagi ka muhraat abhi saamapt ho jayega, toh hum intazaar nahi kar sakte" the Panditji said.

"Lekin Panditji light ke bina?"

"Dekhiye Sarlaji agar yeh sagai abhi nahi huwi toh agle che maheene keliye koi bhi muhraat nahi hai" he replied

"Koi nahi Sarlaji hum aise hi sagai kar lete hai" Janki Shergill spoke

"Ha Sarla Janki sahi kahe rahi hai" Daljeet Dadi agreed. Sarla reluctantly agreed and asked Shrishti and Akaash to exchange rings.

After a few seconds Shrishti spoke

"Hogiya Maa"

The families congratulated each other and the confused guests began to clap for the newly engaged couples causing everyone to miss the soft shuffling of footsteps.

As she approached the fuse box Preeta was shocked to find Karan standing in front of it holding the fuse in his hand.

"Tum!" she snapped causing him to turn around "Tumhari himaat kaise huwi fuse nikal ne ki! Janti hoon tumne yeh jaan booch ke kiya hai meri bahen ki sagai kharab karne ke liye lekin mein yeh hone nahi doongi!" she shouted moving closer to him. "Jaab bhi main yeh sooch ti hoon ke tum aur nahi gir sakte tum kuch aisa karte ho j..."

"Will you shut up!" he snapped "Meine yeh fuse nahi nikala! Mein toh yeh dekhne aiya tha ke lights bandh kaise hogaiyi"

"Yeh right!" Preeta snapped back

"Tumhari problem kya hai Preeta Aro... I mean Luthra... Preeta Karan Luthra?"

"Mera naam Preeta Arora hai!" she shouted exacerbated by his constant need to call her Preeta Karan Luthra "Tum baar baar mujhe galat naam se bulana bandh karo aur aapni yeh stupid harkate bhi bandh karo! Warna mein Veer ko bata dungi!"

"Warna mein Veer ko batadongi" he mimicked "Aur yeh 'Rajveer' ka bacha kya kare ga?" he continued emphasizing on Rajveer.

Preeta rolled her eyes at him and said "Veer ka naam tameez se lo" she smirked seeing the annoyance on his face and decided to annoy him further "Aur Veer ke bache abhi aiye nahi hai" she said coyly knowing her words and actions would anger him.

"Preeta Arora tum..." he said pointing his finger at her. Her smirk got bigger and she cut him off before he could continue

"Aab theek hai!" he looked at her confused "I mean aab tum ne mera naam sahi liya!" she said giving him a victorious look. Karan realised that in his anger he had called her Preeta Arora,

"Tum..."

"Mein kya Mr Luthra?" she took a step forward causing him to take a step back

"Mein..." he said getting lost in her confidence

Seeing his reaction her confidence increased further

"Tum na aisa karo mujhe Mrs Preeta Rajveer Shergill kahene ki practice karna shuru kardo kyun ki kuch din badh toh saab mujhe issi naam se bulayege. Aur tumhe pata hai mein khud koi kya bulaungi? Mrs Veer S..."

But she couldn't finish as his lips cut her mis-stride.

"Babydoll tum nah baar baar bhul jati ho ke maine tumhe kya kaha tha?" he smirked seeing her blush "24 hours Mrs Luthra! Chaubees ghante!" she looked at him confused, he smiled reading the question in her eyes

"Chaubees ghanto mein tum khud accept karogi ke tum Mrs Preeta Karan Luthra ho aur Chaubees ghanto mein tum mere saath mere ghar mein hongi! And that's a challenge Mrs Luthra" he whispered the last part in her ear giving her goose bumps.

Scared by the way her body was reacting to the closeness and his words she pushed him backwards and made a run for the hall. Karan scratched the back of his head and laughed before picking up the fuse he had dropped when he had grabbed Preeta. Turning to the fuse box he reinserted it. The action bought him back to the questions swimming in his mind before Preeta had shown up – Who had removed the fuse and why?