Manik ran past Nandini and tried to call Alya. "Alya, please pick up the call" he said. "Ab Alya kaha hogi" he thought and called her maid who said she hasn't come home yet. "Yes GPS tracker ke through main usse find karunga" he drove off to Alya's live location. He tried to call her on his way but her phone went not reachable. Far away he could see a car in a deserted street. It took a few seconds for Manik to identify it as Alya's car. The tracker exactly showed it as her location. The sight that caught Manik was horrifying.

He got down and pulled Alya and her driver out of the car. Manik beat the blue out of him. "How dare you?" Manik held his collar and thrashed him. He used pepper spray on Manik to divert him and he succeeded. Manik left him and Alya came near Manik. "Manik wo bhaag raha hai" she said. Alya gave water to Manik to wash his eyes. Manik regained his sight after few minutes and asked Alya if she is OK. "Kya hua Alya? Tum theek tho ho na?" he asked her. Her wrist had bruises and lips were chapped and were bleeding. He found Alya in her most vulnerable state.

"Pata nahi kya hua Manik achanak uss driver ne mujhpar attack kiya like someone said. It was all of a sudden and all I could think was to call you but you didn't pick up the call. Then he asked me to message you, then I messaged. Thank God tumne time par aaya agar tum nahi aaya tho" the fear was clearly evident on her face to make Manik believe that she wasn't lying. "What? He had let you call me and he advised you to message me?" Manik asked her wondered. "Yes, mujhe bhi ye yakeen nahi hua" Alya said.

"Morning Navya ke saath jo hua wahi same ab Alya ke saath bhi hua. How could it be possible? Are they both lying? No, it didn't seem to and Navya's dad bhi tho aaye the waha" several thoughts ran across his mind. "Hum uss driver ke ghar chalenge Alya" he said to Alya. Manik took Alya there. They both got down. "It's locked" Manik said to Alya. "Should we ask neighbours about his family" Alya suggested.

Manik and Alya went to the neighborhood and enquired about his family. "Wo log tho 3 din pehle hi ghar kaali kar diya" a woman said. "Do you have any idea where did they go?" Manik asked her. "Wo log Mumbai mein tho nahi hai par kaha gaye ye mujhe nahi pata" she said. "OK thank you" they left. "Strange, his family has moved to some other town but he still came to work, it's not a regular thing and that too ab wo bhaag gaya, ho sakta hai ki ye sab planned hai. He might have already shifted his family earlier but Alya ko hurt karke usse kya milega? Milna tho dhoor unki naukri chali jayegi na" Manik was in deep thoughts. He decided to investigate into the matter.

***********************************
"Why did you call me so urgently?" Saraswati asked as Chandra Shekar opened the door. She came in and he didn't speak anything. "Shekar main tumse kuch pooch rahi hu" she asked again. "Navya ki maa kuch Mahine pehle mar gayi thi tum jaanti ho na" he said hesitantly. "Ha main jaanti hu" she said sadly. "Navya mujhse kuch bol nahi rahi thi. Uske liye koi aur hai nahi baat karne ke liye, kya tum please usse baat kar sakti ho kya?" he asked hesitant. "Kya hua Navya ko?" she asked worried and went to meet Navya.

"Navya, kya hua beta? Tum aur Shekar aisa kyu hai? Kya hua?" she asked Navya. Navya was horrified and unable to speak anything because of the trauma. "Tum dono kuch bolo?" Saraswati is getting impatient to know what happened. "Navya beta please batao" she asked her again. Navya told her how Aditya tried to molest her. Saraswati is deeply moved seeing Navya vulnerable. "Aur tum logon ne uspe complaint kiye bhager ghar bhaag ke aayi gaye?" she asked Chandra Shekar.

"Aisa nahi hai! Unhone galat kaam hi tho kiya par agar main complain kiya tho Navya bhi problems mein fas jayegi. Isne bhi tho usse milne gaya na?" he said pointing at Navya. They all heard someone clapping and looked at the source. Shekawat Singh is clapping for them. "Tum ab kyu yaha aaye ho?" he asked. "Main yaha ab kyu hu main abhi bataunga par aap dono waha se aa gaye ye mujhe samaj mein nahi aaya?" Shekawat asked.

"That's none of your business" he stomped. "Then I will ask the same question. Tum mujhe Navya ki ek maa samaj kar yaha bulaya par yaha ho kya raha hai? Out of everything happened you're blaming Navya for it?" she exclaimed. "Maine usse baar baar bola ki beta ladko ke paas mat jaana, wo log hai he aise ek chance diya tho wo log advantage lete hai par Isne suna nahi ab nateeja dekhegi" he said. "Sir, galat nahi samajna, aap ek school teacher hai aur bahut saari ladkiya hoti hogi tho aapne kiske saath aise advantage liya?" Shekawat earned a slap from Shekar for this question.

"How dare you?" he said as he slapped Shekawat. "Aap ke hisaab se har ladka kisi na kisi ladki se advantage lena hi padega, thank God aapka ladka nahi hai warna aap usse kya sikhaate hai main soch bhi nahi sakta" Shekawat accused Shekar. "Ladki ko aisa ghar mein bitaana mat sikhao balki ladko ko ye sikhana hai ki wo kisi ladki se kaise behave kare aur agar aisi gandi kaam kiya tho usse kya punishment milega" Saraswati said. "Aur aisi kaam ka saza yeh hona chahiye ki uss ladka ka punishment milna aur yaha tho aapne khud apni ladki ki career daw pe laga diya" Shekawat accused. Shekar is speechless and Shekawat continued to speak.

"Maine suna hai sir yaha aapke neighbors baat kar rahe the ki aap apne beti ko kaise treat karthe hai, Shayad aap jaante nahi honge par aaj jo hua wo physical assault hai aur jo aap itne din se kar rahe hai wo mental assault hai" he said. He left from there unable to control his anger over him. Saraswati sat by his side and Navya came to him. "Papa, when I got married to Harshad it was not my choice, I had no other option. I was so innocent then I needed you to support me but you were not there and now I'm in such a situation where I have to choose between you and my career. I want to choose my career now, Maine tab bhi aapko choose nahi kiya ab abhi nahi kar rahi hu, mera Mann maan nahi raha hai ki main job chod du. Why should I leave my career papa? Galti tho usne kiya na! Please papa, mujhe jaane de" she pleaded sitting at his feet. Shekar was deeply moved by Navya's confession and felt sorry for never understanding his daughter.

************************************

"Abhimanyu! Kya hum ghar chalein?" Mukti asked him. "No Mukti, you go now. It will take time for me, ek surgery hai kal subah I'll have to stay here in the hospital" he said. "But anyway you can come in the morning also for the surgery itna pressure mat daalo khud pe" she said. "No Mukti, this is a bit complicated and I don't even have an assistant doctor tomorrow I'll have to do it" he said. "Itna seriously work karne se kya milta hai yaha, maine bhi bahut din aise hi yahi so gayi thi. This used to be my second home everything is changed now. Yaha kuch bhi nahi milta" she said angrily. "Paise tho mil rahe hai na" he said.

"Tho money isn't everything right, humare personal life bhi kuch cheez hoti hai" she said in a pleasing tone. "But ye cheez hume ye loans chukaane mein help nahi karte hai Mukti, ghar ki EMI ke liye, humare future ke liye sabke liye Paise chahiye" Abhimanyu tried to convince her. "But money isn't everything" Mukti mocked at him.

"Mere liye money is everything. You know how I lost my flat, naye ghar khareedne ke liye mujhe loan leni padi, bonds and shares ye sab mein bhi invest karna hai. I want to secure our future, for you and for our kids too" Abhimanyu said but Mukti wanted to spend time with him. "Mujhe tumhara time chahiye" she made an appeal. "Mukti, why are you making it look like we've never spent time together? It's just tonight and waise bhi yaha meri koi responsibilities hai I can't come now" he said. "Bye" she said stomping her feet making her way out.

"Mrs. Mukti Abhimanyu Thakker" she stopped halfway as she heard someone calling her. "Ya Dr. Mukti Shrivastav! Yahi hai na aapke naam?" she saw Aditya coming near him. "Excuse me" she said. "You're already excused" he said. She ignored him and walked away but he followed her. "I was talking to you and how can you leave like that?" he asked. "Do I know you or do I need to? Please let me go" she said. "But I know your husband main uska classmate tha" he said. "I know you both know each other but please mujhse dhoor rehna behtar hoga hum dono ke liye" she said.

"Tumne uss aadmi se shaadi kiya and you're expecting to be at peace, wow what a joke?" he laughed. "Excuse me?" she is confused. "Abhimanyu ke baare mein baat kar raha hu, what did he say? Tumhare liye uske paas time nahi hai na" he said. "Were you eavesdropping on our conversation?" Mukti asked him. "No I have just happened to listen as I was passing by but I want to talk to you about him" he said.

"Kya baat karna chahthe ho Abhimanyu ke baare mein?" she asked. "Bahut kuch hai but you'll not trust me now. And Aditya saboot ke bina kuch bolta bhi nahi. Aaj usne kaha ki tumhare liye time nahi hai because all he need is just you and not your time" he said. "Bullshit! He is busy now and I'm not going to believe all your crap" she ignored him and left. "Jao jao, kal jab EMI nahi bhar paogena tum dono ghar ki then you'll be on road" she turned back to see him. "How do you what we've been discussing?" she asked him. "I know how he lost his flat, I know how he could buy a new flat. How do you think that Abhimanyu ke paas itne paise achanak kaise aa gaye?" he asked. "Kaise?" Mukti asked him innocently.

"Poor Mukti, tum bhi meri behen jaisi ho boli baali. He is a man just for money. He said that Manik and he had a bet on you, why should it be you? Why not some random girl? Because you are the daughter of Raman Shrivastav jiske paas paisa aur power dono hai. He can get both name, fame and money if he marries you. Usne tumhe impress karne ke liye ghar khareeda in fact to impress your dad. Jab situation ulta ho gaya, he will have no gain with you ab tho tum hospital se bhi jaa rahi ho. All he want is to be the next heir of your dad" he said and Mukti cut him off. "Stop it, I'm not a fool to believe all this" she said and left from there.

************************************

Manik waiter for Nandini at her home. "Nandu ko aane mein der hoga usne abhi call kiya Manik" chachi said. "It's okay chachi, I'll wait. You didn't tell her that I'm waiting here right?" he asked. "No I didn't tell her tumne mana kiya tho maine kuch nahi bola" she said. "Yeah, let her do whatever she wants to" Manik said. They waited for an hour and chacha also have come back by then. "Nandu ko ab tak aana chahiye tha na?" he wondered and took his phone to call her and she just arrived then.

Chachi opened the door and welcomed Aryaman who had come along with Nandini to drop her. "Hi sir, aap yaha iss waqt?" Aryaman wondered. "Nahi Nandini se kuch baat karna tha so I came here" he said looking at her. She didn't pay attention to him. "Bahut bhook lagi hai chachi let's eat na" she said as she went inside to change. Manik was eagerly waiting to talk to her while she ignored him.

"Khaana bahut hi acha tha aunty I loved it" Aryaman complimented her. "Thank you beta" she smiled. "Chachu main Aryaman ko gate tak drop karke aati hu" she said and Manik followed them. "Are you coming with us?" Aryaman asked. "Yeah main bhi ghar chalunga, after I speak to her" he said referring to Nandini. "OK then I think I should make a move now, bye guys good night" he left from there and Manik stopped her holding her hand.

"Manik leave it" she said. "Kya problem hai Nandini? Can't we just sit and sort out?" he asked. "No Manik, kyuki problem kuch aur nahi tum ho. Yes you are the problem, you always jump towards me or Alya according to the situation and according to your convenience and I don't like it" she said irritated. "Wo meri friend hai" he justified. "But she is your ex girlfriend too" she said equally strong. "Being with Alya is your problem then?" he asked straight away.

"No, being with a confused person like you is a problem. Agar wo tumhara friend hai tho make us friends, we'll both take care of her, we'll try to find a solution for her mental peace but aise karne se even my mental peace is at stake now" she said. "Ek relationship mein do logon ke beech trust ho na zaruri hai and I don't see any trust for you on me. Shayad isliye tumne kisi ko humare baare mein nahi bataya?" he said. "Oh please don't point back at me and I think we aren't playing the blame game" she said tired of him. "Yes we aren't tho bolo kya chahiye tumhe? Bolo" he asked holding her tightly in his grip.

His eyes were red and she sensed something is going to be really bad. She never saw Manik like that till now. She was a bit scared of him and tried to free herself. "Kya chahthi ho tum?" he intensified his looks. "Stop it" she shouted as she freed herself. "Have you gone mad? You're hurting me Manik, I can't believe that I loved you" she said. "Yes, it's you who made me like this. Paagal ki tarah pyaar kiya tha tumse, mere liye pyaar unconditional hota hai, nahi ki har condition mein doubt karna, it's over Nandini" he said and she looked shocked.

"Break maangi thi na! Yes, let's have a break. I feel useless ki main doosri baar bhi pyaar mein fail ho hi gaya" he said leaving her and she looked on. Surprisingly, he didn't turned back.