"Namaste" Bani Luthra said feeling slightly uncomfortable under Sarla's glare. Although no one out right said anything she realised that she and her family were no longer welcome in this house.

Sarla glared at the Luthra's as they stood in her living room. Although she didn't throw them out of her house, she didn't bother replying to their greetings either. Clearly they were here to say something and she wanted them to say their piece and leave!

"Namaste. Aap yahaan?" Knowing her Daughter-in-Law would not initiate a civil conversation, Daljeet Arora addressed Bani. However even she was not able to keep the coldness out of her voice. Her heart and mind kept reminding her that this was the woman who could have done something when Karan had cheated Preeta – she could have corrected Karan's mistakes but instead she had not only supported her grandsons crimes but had also been party to them!

"Hum yahan Preeta..."

"Aap Preeta se nahi mil sakti!" Sarla spat before Bani could finish. Hearing the hostility in her voice shocked not only the Luthra's but the Arora's too. Sameer looked at Shrishti but she just shook her head.

This was not her fight Shrishti thought to herself and today she would not intervene, today she wanted to see what the matriarch of the Luthra family had to say. Today Bani Luthra would either take a step towards fixing the mess that her family had made or she would forever snap the last few delicate threads that were holding the two families together!

"Sarla mein..." Bani tried again but Sarla raised her hand to stop her,

"Meine kaha na aap Preeta se nahi mil sakti hai! Jo bhi aap kahene aaiyi hai woh mujse kahiye!"

"Sarla zaara shant rahegi tu" Biji replied before Bani could.

"Aap mujhe shaant rahen ko kahe rahi hai? Aap janti hai..."

"Ha janti hoon lekin tu ek minute chup rahe... Shrishti..."

"Ha Dadu?"

"Tu aapni Maa ko zaara bitha" Daljeet ordered.

"Biji aap.."

"Maa app aaiye yahan" Shrishti led her mother to the dining table and sat her down. Although Sarla wanted to protest she bowed her head and sat in silence where she had been sitting before the Luthra's arrived.

Daljeet turned to Bani and continued once she was satisfied that Sarla wouldn't interrupt.

"Toh kahiye aap log yahan kaise?"

"Woh hum..." Bani took a quick glance at Sarla who didn't look at all impressed "... Hum Preeta ko ghar lejane aaiye hai"

"Ghar lejane aaiye hai? Kis Khushi mein?" Janki asked annoyed at the audacity of the woman standing in front of her – not even one apology at what her family had done to the Aroras and Preeta in particular and she just barges in and simply says we are here to take Preeta.

"Janki Aunty app Dadi se aise kyun baat kar rahi hai?" Sameer raised his voice not liking Janki Auntie's tone.

"What do you mean Sammy?" although she had decided not to say anything Shrishi jumped in, her love and respect for Janki aunty not letting her watch the Luthra's talk down to her "Janki Aunty neh toh ek simple sa sawal pucha hai... aap log meri Di ko ghar lejane aaiye hai ka kya maatlab hai? Aur meri Di aap logo ke ghar kyun jayegi? Aap logo ki naukari toh woh bohot pahele chod chuki hai, aur jise jhoothe rishte ka dikhava karke aap log meri Di ka istamaal karte the woh toh aap log tor chuke ho! Toh aab kyun aaiyegi meri Di aapke saath?" she looked at Bani Luthra as she spoke seeing the older woman drop her head in shame not knowing what to say.

Bani hadn't been expecting this, she had expected that it would be difficult to convince the Arora's to come to Luthra house but she had expected that her presence would have made it easier. She was beginning to wonder whether she should have made Rakhee come instead, knowing that Preeta considered her a mother and didn't hold any grudges against her!

But it was too late she thought, there was no way that she could leave without Preeta! The press would have a field day making up all sorts of stories! She knew that if she demanded to see Preeta she still had a chance but how could she make any such demand when she had long lost that right.

"Shrishi, Preeta Luthra parivaar ki bahu hai! Karan Bhai ki patni!" Sameer stepped in seeing Dadi not saying anything

"Aacha? Bohot jaldi yaad aagayi tumhe ke Di Karan Sir ki patni hai! Mujhe toh laga tha ke Mr Karan Luthra ki shadhi aap jaise kis ameer paraivaar ki bigari beti ke saath ho rahi hai? Kya huwa bhagh gaiyi woh chipkali?" She taunted

Before he could reply Daljeet intervened. She was getting tired of all the drama.

"Shrishti maine abhi abhi teri Maa ko shant rahene ko kaha tha aur aab tu shuru ho gaiyi?"

"Biji aap Shrishi ko kyun daant rahi hai sahi toh kahe rahi hai woh!" Janki came to Shrishti's defence

"Lo aab yeh bhi shuru hogaiyi! Tum dono chup raho aur agar nahi rahe saakte to andar jao!" the seriousness and slight anger in the ever jolly Daljeet's tone caused both Shrishti and Janki to step back and stand in silence.

"Baniji aap aaiye baithiye" Daljeet sat opposite Bani and gestured for her to continue.

"Daljeetji, woh mein... woh..."

"Baniji mein maniti hoon ke hamare parivaaro ke beech pahele jaisa rishta nahi raha hai lekin aap humari mahemaan hai... aap baijijak kahaiye aapko kya kahana hai"

Sensing her discomfort Daljeet looked towards Preeta's room where she could see her granddaughters fingers clutching the door as she pressed herself against the inside of it.

"Preeta..." she called to her only to have Preeta snatch her hand back realising she had been caught. Daljeet smiled at her innocence "Preeta putra yahan aa" she called this time asking her to come out.

"Biji yeh aap..." Sarla tried to object but Daljeet stopped her.

"Preeta!"

Preeta reluctantly came out of her room hearing the direct order in the way Dadi called her name. She took small steps and took a peek at her mother who didn't look happy but didn't stop her either.

"Ji Dadi" she almost whispered as she stood in between Daljeet and Bani.

If anyone saw Preeta now they would have thought that she feared her mother but Daljeet looked at her knowing that it wasn't fear... it was the love and respect she had for her mother and more so her own guilt that stopped her from defying her mother's words.

"Preeta, Baniji tumse milne aaiyi hai, woh humari mahemaan hai, kya tum unse nahi milogi?"

Preeta looked at Daljeet and then to Sarla not knowing what to do. She felt guilty for everything that had happened... for all the pain and hurt her family had suffered because she had refused to listen to her mother when Sarla had asked her to stay away from the Luthras!

"Woh kuch nahi kahegi" Daljeet smiled at Preeta encouragingly as Preeta looked at her before turning back to Sarla. Seeing the desperation on her daughters face Sarla finally relented, nodding slightly she gave Preeta permission to speak to the Luthra's.

Preeta's face lit up at her mothers nod and with a smile she turned around and moved closer to Bani before touching her feet to pay respect.

"Dadi... aap kaise ho?" she smiled at the older woman as she straightened up and moved to sit beside her. "Aapke paair ka dard kaisa hai? Aur Mahesh uncle... woh kaise hai?"

Bani looked a Preeta feeling more ashamed, this was the same girl that her family had insulted time and time again. The same girl that her grandson had broken so badly yet she was concerned about her and her family. As Bani looked into her eyes she saw the truth staring right back at her – Preeta would never wish for anything bad to happen to her family no matter what they put her through. How could she have believed Preeta would have done anything to hurt Mahesh?

"Dadi aap theek toh hai na?" she panicked seeing Bani not replying.

Sensing his Dadi's pain Sameer began,

"Pree..."

"Nahi Sameer" Bani stopped him realising that she should be the one to have this conversation.

"Preeta main tumse maaphee mangna chaahti hoon... jo Karan neh kiya hai... jo mere parivaar ne kiya hai usske liye"

"Nahi Dadi aap yeh kya kahe rahi hai? Mein..."

"Nahi putar mein sahi kahe rahi hoon, aur maaphee toh mujhe bohot pahele mang leni chaahiye thi! Hum ne bohot galat kiya hai tumhare saath"

The Arora's heard Bani's apology loud and clear but remained silent unsure whether she was being genuine or whether this was all because of the press standing outside. But as soon as Bani looked around the room they could clearly see her truth reflecting in her eyes – she was finally regretting their actions.

"Maaphee toh mujhe aap saabse bhi mangni hai" she said folding her hands and speaking now to Daljeet "Humne jo bhi kiya hai, main jaanti hoon ke woh maaphee ke layak nahi hai lekin ho sake toh mujhe aur mere parivaar ko maaph kar dijiye" she requested

Daljeet got up and moved to her and taking her hands into her own she said

"App yahan tak aaiyi aur humse maaphee mangi yehi bohot hai humare liye. Mein..."

"Yeh aap kya kahe rahi hai Biji? Inlogo ne jo kiya hai... meri beti ke saath..." Sarla said looking at Preeta "... Aap innhe kaise maaph kar sakti hai?"

"Lek..."

"Nahi Biji yeh log sirf hamari bachi ko dukh dena jante hai. Yeh bhi unki koi chal hogi, Preeta ko apne saath lejaiyenge aur phir usski phirse bezatti karenge! Mujhe to lagta hai ke yeh yahan bhi Preeta pe ek aue ilzaam lagane aaiye hai ke ussne hi yeh Press walo ko yahan bulaiya hai! Meine Preeta ko hamisha inn logo se dur rehene ko kaha tha lekin yeh hamisha inn logo ki madaat karne ke liye chali jati thi! Jab Karan aur Rishabh jail me the... jab Karan pe uss Monisha ne ilzaam lagaiya tha tab bhi Preeta ne aapni izaat ki parva na karte huwe innke bete ki madaat ki thi! Aur badle mein inn logo ne Preeta ko hamisha beizaat kiya hai! Jab zaroor padi toh usska istamaal kiya aur jab kaam khatam hogaiya toh usse kachre ke samaan ghar se phek diya!"

"Sarla..."

"Nahi Biji aap kuch maat kaheiye! Ek waqt tha jab maine inn logo ko aapna maana tha aur yeh hi wajay hai ke yeh log abhi taak mere ghar mein khare hai, lekin mein aab inhe meri beti ko choot phochane ki ijazaat nahi dungi! Mein nahi chaahti ke koi gair meri beti ke pass aaiye aur usse bewaja dukh de!"

"Sarla! Preeta sirf tumhari beti nahi hai Luthra parivaar ki bahu bhi hai!" Bani declared worried that Sarla wouldn't let Preeta go to Luthra house. She had realised that her grandson wouldn't survive without her and she could hear a ring of finality in Sarla's words.

Sarla whipped around to face Bani Luthra angered further by her declaration.

"Bahu? Kaisi bahu? Mein nahi maanti iss rishte ko!" she snapped

"Woh Karan ki patni hai aur Luthra parivaar ki bahu aur mein Bani Luthra yeh manti hoon aur iss naate Preeta ko lene aaiyi hoon".

"Karan? Kaun Karan? Hum kisi Karan ko nahi jante!" Sarla too was stubborn

Sarla aunty aapne khud Karan bhai ke haato mein Preeta ka haath diya tha...

"Diya tha lekin woh meri zindagi ki saabse badi galti thi! Isse toh bahtar yeh hota ke mein aapne hi haatho aapni beti ko zahar de de ti!"

"SARLA!" Daljeet shouted seeing the situation getting out of hand. Everyone looked at Sarla in shock.

Bani couldn't stop the tears from dripping down her face at the venom that laced Sarla's words. She finally understood the gravity of the situation that they had created!