It's been a week since Akash's funeral and Mami's disappearance and a day since the discovery of her body and her last rites were performed.

Manohar sat down in his bedroom caressing a picture of Mami and remembered the first time he met Manorama and how their life started.

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Flashback.

Manohar had just completed his higher education at Harvard and come down to surprise his father and baby sister.

He was entering the mansion for the fist time in four years but instead of being welcomed with a warm and happy atmosphere, he was welcomed with his mother beating an old man with a stick.

"How dare you burn my saree...... Do you know how expensive it is. " Nani yelled and hit the man again.

Manohar wasn't surprised because his mother had always loved status and money more than anything.

He saw his sister crying and most shocking was his energetic father was in a wheelchair chair crying silently.

"Amma stop it. " Ratna yelled trying to pull her mother of the old man but she jerked her off.

She then stopped and threw the stick away and matched up her husband.

"This is all your fault...... You gave them too much liberty and respect and now they think they are equal to us...... These filthy middle class low lives are beneath us but you have given them the power to think we are equal to them by respecting and mingling with them. " Nani yelled at her immobile husband.

"Enough Amma." Ratna cried and moved closer to her father. "Papa respect for them paid off...... While you were busy entertaining your so called friends, they took Papa to the hospital when he suffered his stroke....... Papa would have died if not for them...... The man you are beating saved Papa and even if he accidentally burnt your saree, you should have spared him for saving Papa but you are too heartless to see. " Ratna yelled in tears at her mother.

Nani looked angrily at the man and he stood up with bruises all over his body and face.

"God will punish you. " The man cursed in tears. " Someday, you will lose everything you hold dear in your life because of you looking down on people because they are not of your status...... God will definitely punish you. " The man cried and limped away passing by Manohar and that was when they all saw him.

Ratna run and hugged her brother and Manesh smiled see this son.

Nani was also happy seeing his son and yanked Ratna off him and was about to hug him when Manohar jerked her off himself and moved closer to his father and hugged him.

He then scolded Ratna for lying about their father's condition and Ratna said it was his father's wish not for him to know before losing his speech.

He settled in and caught up with his sister and family totally ignoring his mother which irked him.

The next day Manohar went to visit the man who was beaten by his mother to apologize  and that was when he met Manorama and he happens to be the Manorama's guardian after her parents died.

It was love at first sight for both of them. He apologized and gave the man some money for his treatment.

To be closer to Manorama, he convinced his mother to hire Manorama as their father's caretaker and Nani agreed since she found her husband's immobility a burden to her social life.

Manohar after that tried to get closer to Manorama but she shunned him.

With time their love over powered them and Manesh also saw this.

He knew this wife wouldn't accept their relationship so he blessed them when Manohar told him he was eloping with Manorama.

They eloped and got married and only returned two years later to find out so many things had changed.

His father died two months after they eloped and his sister got married a month after that to Arvind Malik the son of his mother's best friend.

Manorama's guardian also died a month before they returned home.

Both were devastated and Nani blamed Manorama for the tragedies in their lives but Manohar stood by her and both helped each other out of their sadness.

Nani didn't accept their marriage and left no stone unturned to taunt and humiliate her for not being able to conceive after years of marriage.

Even though he stood by her, to Manorama the approval of Nani was her top priority and she started ignoring her husband .

Manohar tried many times to warn Manorama against pleasing his mother but she won't listen and he got feed up and stopped.

Even after Akash's birth, Nani didn't change his attitude towards Manorama.

And with time she changed and just like his mother, Manorama started caring more about status than anything. They started growing apart afterwards.

Manorama became obsessed and caught up with status, parties and materialistic things that she neglected her husband and son.

Flashback ends.

"We would have been so happy if you hadn't been obsessed with pleasing my mother...... I didn't care if Akash wasn't my son and you cheated on me to have a child thinking she would accept you because all I wanted was you....... I love you so much Manu...... And I wish that was enough for you...... I know you didn't commit suicide like they said...... I know deep down in my heart. " Manohar cried and remembered they found out about Mami's death.

Flashback.

Manohar and the entire family came back from Akash's funeral only for Kamala the house help to inform them that a man was here to see him.

They all entered to find Hari Prakash waiting in the hall.

He greeted them and handed a letter to Manohar.

"Mami asked me to give this to you before she went out this morning...... She said it's urgent and you should read it now. " HP said and Manohar took the letter and threw it away shocking everyone.

"Tell her I want nothing to do with her or her letter. " Manohar said sternly and  Khushi picked up the letter and called Kamala and handed the letter to her.

"Place this in uncle's drawer. " She said and Kamala run off to do it.

"Am not touching or reading that letter....... Am no one will convince me to do it. " Manohar exclaimed in anger.

"We all know it's not what you want ...... I don't want you regretting later that's why I asked Kamala to put it in your drawer for safe keeping. " Khushi said and Manohar knew she was right and walked away saying nothing.

"He's going to be okay right!? " Arnav asked no one in particular because he knew his uncle was hurting and was also angry Mami didn't show up for the funeral.

"We are here to help him through it....... But it will take time. " Abhishek replied.

Three days later, right after breakfast, the police showed up at the house and Kamala led them in.

Everyone sat down with the except of Manohar who was standing and so did the police.

"What brings you here? " Arnav asked the chief of police.

"We found a body....." He said with much difficulty.

"And what has that got to do with us? " Manohar asked confused.

"Am sorry Mr Raizada...... The body found belongs to your wife. " The policeman said and Manohar slammed on the floor in shock and Arnav rushed to him.

Aman joined and held him and together lead Manohar to the couch.

"She committed suicide and was found hanging from a tree five miles from the outskirts of Delhi...... We are really sorry. " The chief of police said.

Manohar was so numb and Mr Roy seeing this went with the police to handle the legal process needed for the body to be released and he and Aman prepared for the funeral.

Manohar with a heavy heart lit her pyre and saw it go up in flame.

No matter what Mami did, she was still the love of his life and will be forever till his last breath.

Flashback ends.
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He opened his drawer to find the letter Mami sent to him.

"Am glad Khushi kept this letter...... I would have really regretted it if I had disposed of it. " Manohar said and opened the letter and started reading.

"Dear Love.

It's been so long since I called you love.
You warned me several times not to get lost in pleasing your mother but I never listen and today it caused me my son's evil deeds and your rejection to realize the damage I caused because I was lost in the world of status.

I have committed a reprehensible crime again and may not live to stop it but I hope you do.

Akash is alive.

I went to visit him in prison and he said he will only forgive me if I faked his death and got him out of prison and I did by bribing the guards and having make up artist make him look dead and also brides the morgue people to play along.

The body you cremated was of another person with a special effects makeup face of Akash.

I realized my mistake when I come to the house with the police and saw how united you all were. I tried to tell you but it was too late.

I know he is planning his revenge against Payal, Natasha and Arnav.

Natasha he will surely kill and afterwards he will go after the one person whose death will break both Payal and Arnav beyond repair and that's Khushi.

Please protect them.

Don't see Akash as the boy you loved even though he wasn't yours but as monster who is after your family.

Please protect them.

I have one last favor to ask of you.

Incase you never see me or hear again from me.

Please remember me us your hello hi bye bye Manu than the Manu I became in my obsession.

I love you Manohar.

Your Hello hi bye bye Manu.

XOXO XOXO.

Manohar immediately rushed down in tears and started shouting Khushi's name drawing out everyone.

He saw Arnav and marched up to him and Arnav was shocked seeing his uncle looking like a mad man.

"Chote..... Where is Khushi? " Manohar asked not seeing her.

"She went out about twenty minutes ago to throw away the garbage in the dumpster but come to think of it..... She is keeping way too long. " Kamala who rushed out of the kitchen hearing the commotion replied and Manohar paled confusing everyone.

"Uncle you are scaring me....... What wrong? " Arnav asked but Manohar ignored his question and run out to the back of the house when the large dumpster was kept.

Everyone followed and saw him standing with a stick with slight blood on it.

"He took her..... He took her...... Am too late..... He took her. " Manohar chanted.

And Arnav panicked and immediately knew it was Khushi's blood on the stick and shook his uncle.

"Who took my Khushi? " Arnav  asked in tears.

And Manohar with tears cascading down his cheeks handed Arnav the letter and he read it and stumbled backwards almost falling down but was held by Mr Roy and Aman who took the letter from Arnav and read it out loud sending gasps of shock and fear amongst them.

"I knew it..... I knew he wasn't dead...... My instincts was right about him....... Oh my God...... What have I done?....... If I hadn't suggested this revenge thing then this wouldn't have happened. " Natasha cried

Arnav matched into the house and looked at the  CCTV footage on his laptop and say Khushi throwing the garbage in the dumpster and Akash coming from the exit used by the garbage company and hitting Khushi with a stick and placing an unconscious Khushi in a black van and driving off. He then took his car keys and was about to enter his car and drive off but Aman and Mr Roy stopped him.

"Stop Arnav...... You can't go driving around looking for her. " Aman said and Arnav slapped him with his eyes spitting fire at him.

"Don't you dare tell me not to look for my love...... That monster could be torturing her by now and you want me to sit down and do nothing. " Arnav bellowed in anger and his roar shook the foundation of the house.

"Don't misunderstand him Arnav. " Mr Roy said. "Akash won't hurt Khushi...... He will call and taunt you first and strike a deal with you and Payal and Natasha and that will buy us some time to track him down...... He maybe a psycho but he is not that smart....... I know it's difficult but you have to come down. " He concluded calming Arnav down.

They then entered to find Payal crying with her head on Abhishek's lap as he stroke her head.

Abhishek felt helpless in his condition and blamed himself for it.

Shashi was silently crying as Manohar consoled him.

Arnav was sitting down lost in thought as Mr Roy called the police and Aman got ready with the police and their gadgets to track Akash's call.

Somewhere on the outskirts of Delhi.

In an abandoned warehouse, Khushi was tied to a chair and was slowly gaining consciousness.

Khushi woke up and moaned in pain at the sharp pain at the back of her head and opened her eyes only to find out her hand has been tied from behind and her feet bound to the chair she was sitting on.

She tried freeing herself but failed and started yelling for help.

"No one will hear you from here Khushi. " A voice said and Khushi looked up and was shocked to see who it was.

"Akash!? "

She whispered in shock.

"Yes am alive and kicking. " Akash said with a sinister smile on his face sending chills down her spine.

"You were supposed to be dead.... The police and Mami said so. " Khushi said in fear seeing the murderous glint in his eyes.

Akash laughed like a maniac and looked back at Khushi frightening her in the process.

"You are absolutely right....... But it was all a plan...... I faked my death with the help of my stupid mother who was so desperate for my forgiveness....... I thought she will continue doing my bidding but she came to me the next day after my supposed body was cremated to stop me from taking my revenge...... She was even willing to expose me so I had to get rid of her. " Akash said and laughed remembering how he killed his mother without any remorse.

This shocked Khushi and she started wiggling out of her bondage but she failed.

"You are a monster Akash...... And you will be severely punished for it. " Khushi cried out and Akash took predatory step toward her and yanked a handful of her hair making Khushi yelp in pain.

She shivered seeing Akash's devilish eyes.

"Yes am a monster and I know that. " He said and let go off her hair. "Because only a monster will look his mother right in her eyes and hang her making it look like a suicide. " Khushi looked at him in shock. "Well I have to go now and make sure your husband, jiji and your new big sister Natasha know you are with me........ You my dear Khushi are their ultimate weakness and you will help me kill Arnav and Natasha and get back my love. "

Akash concluded and laughed leaving a pleading Khushi behind.

Back at the house.

Arnav's phone rang displaying an unknown number and he picked it and put it on loudspeaker as they started tracking the call.

"Akash......Where is Khushi? " Arnav asked in an angry tone.

"Hush...... ASR...... This is not the way to speak to the man holding your beloved wife hostage...... You are a bad husband that's why I was able to kidnap her right under your nose. " Akash mocked and Arnav closed his eyes in pain knowing he was right about that.

Aman and the police signalled him to strike a conversation with him.

"What do you want? " He asked.

"Now you are talking like ASR...... I want to trade Payal for Khushi and bring Natasha along and don't you dare call the police or she dies...... I will text you my location and no funny business or I blow her up....... You have an hour to decide and get here..... But remember no Payal and Natasha..... No Khushi. " Akash said and hung up.

"Well done Mr Raizada...... We got his location...... But we have to wait for the address to make sure it's correct" The chief of police said and Arnav's phone binged with a notification. "Is it Delhi Street 234 Malhotra warehouse? " The chief asked and Arnav nodded.

"We are ready. " Natasha and Payal with puffy eyes said in unison.

"We will be behind you but far enough not to be seen or you be harmed. " The chief said and Arnav nodded.

Payal kissed Abhishek and walked out with Arnav and Natasha who looked back to find Aman's worried gaze on her and she smiled at him and walked away.

Warehouse.

Khushi who was tried of crying was sobbing and praying to God to save her and protect her family.

She gasped when she felt someone untie her and was shocked to see who it was as the person came in front her and untied her feet.

It was the most unexpected person and both got out of the warehouse to find the goons guarding her unconscious on the floor.

She felt herself being dragged into the woods by this person.

To be continued.

Any idea who the person who saved Khushi is?

The clue is in the character sketch.

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٩(ര̀ᴗര́)ᵇʸᵉ.

xoxo xoxo.