"Are you sure?" Gauri helplessly asked the security in charge of the CCTVs in the mansion.

"Yes madam, I am sorry that this was not rectified sooner."

"How can you be this careless? A CCTV stopped working a week ago and the problem isn't corrected yet? What if something happens in the meanwhile?" she asked him angrily.

"I am on it madam. By today the work will be done."

"Is there any chance that I can get the footage of the day I mentioned?"

"No madam. The problem was with the camera recording. The lens was damaged and the technician could not arrange the spare part. That is the reason we got delayed," he explained.

Gauri sighed defeated as she walked out of the cabin not before instructing him to keep silence on her enquiry.

She had been wanting to go and check the footage since the previous day but was held up with the pooja and the drama that followed.

So, she made a point that she would do it first thing in the morning before the house got more active, to avoid giving reasons to people as to why she was interested in checking a video footage rather than attending to her morning prayers.

With a disappointed heart, she arranged her pooja plate and walked towards the mandir to ask her deity to help her in some way.

The only choice left was to ask the security head Khanna if he can supply a solution but she was afraid that the man was too loyal to Shivaay. A small doubt of her would lead to a big misunderstanding which she didn't need right then.

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

"How did you get it?" Karan asked taking the pen drive from Svetlana.

"The Oberois have enough internal conflicts that they don't need people out of their family to hurt them," she said smiling.

"Ahh, Pinky Oberoi helped you?"

"I just had to lure her saying I will stop Anika's marriage with Shivaay."

"How?"

"Sahil is the key," she said and he glared at her.

"I told you I will not be a part of this if any innocent is harmed."

"He will be kidnapped and nothing more. In few days, he will reach Anika. Don't fret over it Karan."

Karan closed his eyes and turned away, his mind still screaming that what he intends to do is wrong.

Svetlana neared him and squeezed his shoulder, "Don't you want to know what happened to your father? We need to know what is in those tapes."

"Your father served the Oberois all his life and when he was in need, none of them looked out for him. Don't you want to know what video tapes he was entrusted with?" She coaxed him.

"Believe me when I say I can relate to your pain Karan, I lost my father to these selfish people. My entire life I had only one goal in my life and that is Oberois' destruction."

"Sadly, that is not my goal sweety. That is not how things are done. You cannot punish everybody for the mistake of one."

"I see that you have developed a liking to the Oberois. Is it for Gauri?" She smirked.

"We are not exactly best friends sweety. I don't need to tell you everything now."

"No, but we are working together. I want to know where we stand."

"As I told you before, I want evidence first which proves that it is Tej Singh Oberoi who hurt my father. Once I get it, I will help you in destroying him and him alone. The younger ones are not even aware of what happened. I am not going to go barbaric in punishing them for no fault of them," he stood his stand.

"You are under estimating Shivaay, Omkara and Rudra. Until they are present, Tej cannot be harmed. Why don't you understand?"

"They are a bunch of dumbwits with big egos and messed up love lives. Too drowned in the soup, they won't know what hit them until I get to the main head. Even if you don't, I do trust my abilities," he said in confidence.

"Think Karan, once Omkara is out of picture you can have G...."

"Don't even dare to complete that sentence," he roared making her take a step back.

"I am not sick. I will deal with things my way. Don't expect me to turn into you."

Svetlana wasn't happy but she cannot be cross with the only formidable help she had in years. Not when she is too close in finding something big.

"Fine, we will think about it later. For now, let us get to work," she tried to placate.

Karan still seethed at the implication.

Why the hell did he even agree to work with a woman like her?

Right, he needed to know who hurt his father. He wanted to know how his father who was a simple middle-class man end up in coma after being beaten up by a group of gangsters. Those men who claimed that it was Tej Singh Oberoi who sent them to do the work.

Begrudgingly he started the system and inserted the pen drive to find his clue.

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

"Bhabhi, why did you call me urgently?"

Gauri smiled in relief looking at Bhavya. After much thought she decided to let out her doubt to someone sane and Bhavya was the first name that came to her mind.

"Come inside Bhavya," she said.

"So, you are not staying in the guest room then," Bhavya said wiggling her eyebrows.

"Yeah, I called you so that you could tease me," she rolled her eyes and the latter laughed.

"Meri pyaari Bhabhi. You look cute when you blush. I wanted to see that."

Gauri sighed and looked at the clock. She then silently went to the door and locked it shut.

"Is everything alright Bhabhi?" Bhavya asked, confused at the behaviour.

"Everything is more than fine Bhavya. But I feel something wrong is about to happen," Gauri said revealing her doubts.

"Karan? Why would he go to the storeroom?" Bhavya asked in confusion.

"Exactly, why would he? And even if he went, why would the CCTV get damaged on the same day?"

The cop thought for a second before she asked, "You said you brought the Murthy on the day before, right?"

"Yeah"

"Can I take a look at it?"

"It is in the mandir, but if we go and check like this then..."

"Right, when will Omkara bhaiyya return?"

"He said he will be back in an hour."

"Rudra is out as well and Shivaay bhaiyya said he has a video conference in some time with Papa ji," she further provided.

"Let us go Bhabhi, we won't get a better time. Are the morning prayers done? Daadi might..."

"I will watch out for you then. You go in first and call me if you find something," Gauri said and the latter nodded her head.

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

Gauri gasped as she watched Bhavya opening a secret rack in the idol. It took them a while but they were able to unravel the mystery.

"Is anything there?" she asked anxiously.

"No Bhabhi, I think he got it," she said still in shock.

"But why would we do this? He had no connection with your family. I wouldn't have sent just anybody to help Rudy. I did a background check on him," Bhavya justified herself.

"Didn't he say he is good at covering his tracks? It wouldn't have been much of a trouble for him Bhavya," Gauri said placing a comforting hand on her friend.

"Let us go back to the room. There is nothing else to see," she said and the latter nodded.

Bhavya silently pondered as to why her colleague would turn that sneaky. She recollected all the events from the time she asked him to help Rudra.

His easy friendship with the family, eagerness to help and his involvement with the inside matters did give her doubts but she believed he was a good man.

In all her years of experience, she came across a few who could be extremely focused when at work and then completely switch off that mode when at home. Karan had been amongst those few and she liked him for that.

Where did she go wrong in her judgement? ... she rebuked herself.

He was smart and she knew he will not operate singly if he had something against the influential Oberois. Once she started thinking in the right direction, it didn't take much time to connect the dots.

"Do you think Svetlana came for this as well? She came here after you went for bringing the Murthy and Shivaay bhaiyya went out of town."

"Oh my God!!" Gauri said in a whisper finally understanding.

"I can't believe Karan would work with that b**... sorry for the language Bhabhi."

"How will we know what they want?"

"We still don't know if he has a separate agenda or if he is working with her. I will try and check if I can find something. You just stay alert. Do you want to tell this to Omkara bhaiyya?"

"Do you think he will stay calm? He turns into an angry bull by the sight of him. Furthermore, I don't want Karan ji to get any doubt with their behaviour. Don't you think that?"

"Hmm, for now be alert Bhabhi. That is all I can tell you," Bhavya advised.

"But we should caution Bade bhaiyya. Omkara ji told me that Karan was helping them in getting information about Svetlana."

"I know what to do about it. Leave that to me," she assured and Gauri mumbled an okay sending a small prayer to her deity.

Don't let the situation go out of hands Shankar ji.

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

"Dad, can you please not lie again. This is important," Shivaay pleaded.

Shakti turned to his brother who slightly nodded his head gesturing him to speak as planned.

"I was not lying Shivaay. I really did miss the name. He worked as a manager yes. Why do you want to know about him now?"

Shivaay told them the cause of his worry and the brothers exchanged shocked looks.

"That is not possible Shivaay. The man is dead and he cannot have a hand in Svetlana's release," Tej spoke for the first time that morning.

"Bade papa, it is either someone using that name or the man himself who has a hand in her acquittal. Does he have a motive to harm us? Anything you could think of?"

Tej shook his head in a negative but he said in a placating tone, "We had more enemies than friends Shivaay. You know how the business world is. Jai Vardhan was a good employee, he did not have anything against us. If it is someone else that is using his name, then we should investigate it further."

Shivaay shook his head in disappointment.

"You know what? I will anyways get to the end of this matter. If you tell me, it will make things easier."

Shakti who was contemplating whether to divulge the facts, finally decided to trust his only son.

"There is a man who hated us Shivaay," he started.

"Shakti please..."

"Don't stop me Bhaisaab. We need to tell it to him someday and I think now is the right time."

Tej looked unhappy but his brother continued.

"His name was Harshvardhan Trivedi."

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

"For whom are you making arrangements O?" Rudra asked his brother hearing him giving instructions to the driver.

Omkara nodded his head with a smile as he said, "Gauri's mother."

"Oh? She asked you.."

"Vo kaha kuch bolti hai Rudy. She didn't say anything but I know she felt bad yesterday. Choti maa was ..." he shook his head in disappointment.

"True, why does she hate her so much? I never understood the reason behind it."

"Maybe because she supports Anika Bhabhi or because she isn't from a rich family."

"That is so prejudiced but Choti maa is such," Rudra agreed.

"So, you are inviting her to bhaiyya's wedding to lift her mood?" he asked and the former nodded.

"Aww, cho chweet. You are making me proud these days," he said.

Omkara raised his eyebrows as he said, "Really? My pleasure Rudy."

"Good. I am sure you are doing this out of goodness right? Of course, you don't love her," Rudra teased.

His brother flushed for a mini second before he did what he always did.

"Umm, I actually wanted to send the chopper but I don't think she would prefer that. Gauri herself was scared on our ride two days ago."

Rudra kept himself from scoffing.

How difficult was it to accept? Simple four-letter word.

"Hmmm. So, you are sending the car?" he asked giving up. He will let him come to terms on his own.

"Yeah, I am sending one of the staff with the driver. I just need to call maa and ask her to come. Richa said they went for the hospital for a health check-up and will be returning home shortly."

"I am supposed to keep quiet then. Is this a surprise?"

"Yup. That is the plan and I hope she likes it," his brother said with a wishful smile.

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

So here is the next update... kaisa lagaa.?

My mistake of thinking that I could blend my story in the original was a noticeably big one. I took time in reading episodes, watching a few of them until my stomach just flipped when I saw Abhay announcing Svetlana as his wife.🤢
Kitna time waste...

I mean come on man...🙄🙄

It was torturous to go through that stuff especially when you realize that after all that effort, no single thread was properly dealt with and no issue was given a proper conclusion.

Loopholes se bhara hua soup tha vo soap nahi. 🤦‍♀️

I gave up yaar. Ab mujhse bilkul nahi hota ye..

I decided I am not going to go through this tedious task of watching and scolding the makers like a derangedly angered woman, nor am I go on asking friends as to which thread led to what...

(I always get the answer "pata nahi" from them... though some are sweet enough to watch the episodes again just to give me a brief... Lakshmi😘😘)

Mein abhi apna story likhungi bas,. The decision itself was very reliving... pheww. 👻

I am sorry if I disappointed any of you who were expecting a strict show-based thing. I might add a few scenes here and there but other than that, this is not going to be ishqbaaz anymore.☠

Let me know your thoughts.😻

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