[So, buddies almost everyone guessed the caller to be Ranbir. And all of you are right. ;)]

"Who was it? And what did you agree to ?" Pragya stared at Abhishek questioningly as he replaced the mobile in the pocket of his jeans. 

"Let's go out. Prachi needs all the rest that she can get." Abhishek gestured to everyone to leave the cabin.

After every single one of them had walked out of the room, Abhishek soundlessly closed the door to the cabin and only then did he turn towards Pragya.

"It was Ranbir. He wants me to call Rhea and ask her to come here as soon as possible. God knows what your younger daughter has done now. But, Pragya, if she is in anyway connected to Prachi's accident, I am never gonna forgive her." Abhishek looked down at Pragya stubborn resolve in his eyes.

"Nor will I." Pragya looked up at him with a quiet determination.

Abhishek fished out his phone again and dialled Rhea's number. Aliya was the one to pick the call and inform him that Rhea was in tears. Abhishek sighed sadly but didn't forget his promise. He told Aliya to give the phone to Rhea and when Rhea came on the line, he informed her that Ranbir had asked him to call her to the hospital. Exhilarated that Ranbir had finally asked her to be there for him, Rhea instantly gave her consent. However, Aliya felt as if there was something fishy. Hence, she also decided to accompany Rhea to the hospital. 

As soon as they came around the bend, Aliya stopped dead as her eyes met the sight that chilled her to the bones. Abhishek and Pragya were engrossed in a conversation with each other. The only thought that occured to her was that Abhishek and Pragya had reunited and her brother probably knew the truth about Prachi being his daughter already. 

Unaware of the turmoil going on in Aliya's mind, Rhea and Mitali hurried over to the rest of them. 

"Dad, what happened? Why did you call me? And where is Ranbir?" Rhea feigned confusion but was really excited to know what Ranbir was going to say to her.

"I will answer the Whys and Wheres Rhea. And I am right here." Ranbir's voice was dangerously soft and it caused a chill to run down Rhea's spine.

Rhea whirled around and experienced the first frisson of fear as her eyes met with a pair of bloodshot eyes within the depths of which was raging a destructive fire. 

"Ra...Ranbir!" Rhea stuttered as an unknown fear was taking over her.

"Yes, Ranbir. But I have not come alone. I have brought some people with me. Bring them in." Ranbir's lips curved into a mirthless smirk.

As Rhea looked over his shoulder, her heart stopped beating for a moment. She experienced a terrible fear as if witnessing her inevitable doom walking towards her with slow steps. She stared in utter bewilderment and terror as the two truck drivers to whom she had given a contract to kill Prachi off came to a halt a few feet away from her. Those two ruffians were flanked by cops on either side and DCP Balbir Singh brought the rear of the group.

"What...What is this? I...I don't know them. I...I have never seen them in my life." Rhea instantly jumped to her own defense.

"But I haven't said till now that you know or have ever seen them Rhea. Do tell me why would you think that? And I have never known you to stutter. So, why are you stuttering now? Seems like I won't even have to do anything to prove your culpability. You are doing a pretty good job of it yourself." Ranbir smirked though his eyes remained glacial.

Shaking out of the searing frustration that seeing Abhishek and Pragya together had cast upon her, Aliya instantly hurried over to her niece's side.

"Well, obviously because you are scaring her like this Ranbir. What are you trying to prove anyway?" Aliya carried on her defense of Rhea without any contrition.

"Truth about their crimes does tend to scare criminals off, Mrs. Aliya Khanna. And I am not trying to prove anything. I will definitely prove what I have come here to prove. Rhea was the mastermind behind Prachi's accident and she was the one to give money to these two hooligans to kill Prachi off with their truck." Ranbir turned to look at the rest of them.

A collective gasp went through the Mehras and the Kohlis as they gaped at Rhea in utter amazement.

"They are lying, Ranbir. I didn't do any such thing." Rhea cried out in desperation.

"Of course you didn't, Rhea. You are as innocent as a new born baby. I guess someone else sent them Prachi's picture and called them numerous times from your phone, isn't it? Tell your cock and bull story to someone who is willing to believe it no matter how farfetched it sounds. Not only that, this younger man is smart enough to record your call. Let me play it." Ranbir looked at Rhea with extreme abhorrence.

As he played the recording, everyone present there, with the exception of Aliya, was stunned to hear Rhea ordering the goons to kill Prachi off and telling them to be ready as Prachi was coming.

"You know something, Rhea. I feel revolted that I had considered you a good friend. Let alone a friend, you couldn't even become a human. Do you know what you are? You are evil through and through. You are devil with an innocent face. The very sight of you fills me with revulsion." Ranbir shook his head in dismay.

"Ranbir, you can't talk to Rhea like that." Aliya protested.

"You are right Aliya. Ranbir shouldn't have done that." Abhishek walked towards Rhea and Aliya with determined steps.

Both Rhea and Aliya had felt a momentary relief when Rhea staggered back with the force of a slap that landed on her left cheek. The brute force behind the slap caused droplets of blood to ooze out of her left nostril. Aliya immediately steadied her beloved niece.

"Ranbir should have done this." Abhishek's eyes were burning with an intense fury.

"Bhai! What are you doing? Are you going to kill her?" Aliya shielded Rhea from Abhishek's fury.

"Why not? If she can try to kill someone off, why can't I do the same with her? Move aside, Aliya. (Holding Aliya's arm Abhishek almost pushed her away) Now, tell me, Rhea Mehra, why did you do this? Just when have you turned into such a hard core criminal that you can plan a murder in cold blood? Where did I go wrong in your upbringing? Probably I pampered you too much, even when you needed a strict hand. But my biggest mistake was to let your mother go away from our lives and leave your well being in the hands of a vicious being like my sister. Today you have proved, Rhea, that upbringing is more powerful than blood after all. You have Pragya's blood running in your veins but you have failed to acquire her goodness. Aliya's upbringing made sure to make you a replica of her. Not only had I failed as a brother, but today you made me realize that I have failed as a father too." Abhishek shut his eyes as a lone tear ran down his cheek.

Sobbing hard, Rhea raised her hand and tentatively placed it on her father's arm.

"Dad, I ...." Rhea began.

"Don't call me dad. I am not your dad. I don't have any relation whatsoever with a murderer." Abhishek jerked her hand off and moved away from her.

Rhea had just taken a step towards him when someone grabbed her arm and jerked her around.

She was stunned to see the fury in Pragya's eyes. She opened her mouth to say something but before she could do so, a resounding slap landed on her cheek.

"How could you? How could you try to kill Prachi? How dare you do that? I trusted you. I cared for you like my own daughter without even knowing your real identity. I had supported you inspite of everyone's opinions of you. And you have repaid me like this? When did my blood turned into such venom in your veins, Rhea?" Pragya glowered at Rhea with eyes brimming with tears.

"Your blood?" Rhea, who had been sobbing quietly till then, looked up in confusion.

"Yes, my blood. You have seen my love for and my yearning to be with my younger daughter, haven't you? That love, that yearning was for none other than you. Yes, you, Rhea Mehra for I am your mother, Pragya Abhishek Mehra. And the girl you have almost succeeded in getting killed is your twin sister, Prachi Mehra." Pragya's eyes showered fury over her younger daughter.

"My mom. My sister." Rhea staggered back as the truth registered in her mind.

With the truth came the shattering guilt and regret that rocked the foundation of the thoughts and beliefs that had primarily been fed into Rhea's brain by her beloved aunt, Aaliya.

Rhea turned towards Aaliya, realizing finally the devilry of the woman she had cared for as a mother. Her eyes were showering boundless repugnance and hostility on Aaliya.

"Yes. I am at fault. I did this crime. I tried to kill a girl. I didn't know she was my sister. But that does not excuse what I have done. I have disgraced my father's upbringing who had given me nothing but pure love and I have dishonored my mother's unconditional love who loved me even when she was away from me. I did this. But who made me do this? Who had fed so much venom in me? Who told me that my mother left me and my dad for someone else? Who taught me that what I want should be mine, no matter whom I have to hurt in the process? Who made me the way I am today? That woman. That Aaliya Khanna. And I can't hate you enough for this." Rhea gave vent to the emotions churning within her.

"Rhea..." Aliya stared at her in shock.

"Just shut up! Aaliya Khanna, you are the real culprit. More than me, it is you who is harmful for my family. This woman gave me the idea and convinced me to kill Prachi off. Balbir uncle, I deserve punishment for my crime. Arrest me. But arrest her too as she had been my partner in crime. May be when I return from the prison, I will rectify my ways and become a good person, someone of whom my parents can be proud of." Rhea smiled at her parents through tears.

"Why, Rhea? Why did you do it?" Pragya looked at her younger daughter, sobbing hard.

"For Ranbir, aun...mom. I wanted Ranbir. But he could only see Prachi. For him, only Prachi exists. He loves my sister too much. And I was too blind to see that even if I get him by crafty methods, he could have never been mine. But now I can see the truth clearly, mom. Now, the blinker of ego and selfishness had finally come off my eyes. And now, I am ready to serve my punishment so that I can emerge as a better version of myself." Rhea smiled tremulously.

"Rhea! You don't have to go. You have realized your follies and that's enough for you. We forgive you, I and your father both. And I am sure, Prachi will forgive you too." Pragya took Rhea's hands into her own, even as Abhishek put an arm around her (Pragya).

"You will not send me to prison even after all this? Mother's love really is unconditional. But no mom, I deserve punishment. I will return after fulfilling my punishment. Till then, take care of yourself, dad and Prachi. Bye mom and dad." Wiping her tears off, Rhea looked around at her family for a last time, memorizing their faces for the years that she would have to spend away from them.

Slowly, Rhea turned away and walked off with the cops while they had to drag away a screeching and screaming Aaliya who was trying to fight them off. Finally, Pragya's blood won over Aaliya's upbringing.

Pragya hid her face in Abhishek's chest and he, too, wound his arms around her and closed his eyes as they wept for the lost years, for their eldest daughter and for their youngest daughter too.

Wiping the moisture off his eyes, Ranbir entered into Prachi's cabin, unnoticed by the others. As he saw the girl he loved more than life itself was laying there covered in bandages and with multiple wires attached to her body, his eyes welled up.

He walked over to her bed and settled down on the stool beside it. With meticulous care, he took Prachi's hand into his own.

"Prachi, wake up. How long will you sleep? Don't you know I can't live without your lectures? I just can't see you like this. I always want to see you laughing, smiling, lecturing me over every small thing and fighting with me. I am missing your lectures, our fight, your laughter, your smile. I am missing you. I am missing my chikchiki, my lecture. Won't you wake up for your Baklu? Please?" Ranbir shut his eyes as tears cascaded down his cheeks and lowered his head to touch his forehead to her hand.

"I thought my lectures irritate you. Now I know better. I will make sure to give you more and more lectures." A frail voice said weekly.

Startled, Ranbir looked up to see his chikchiki was giving him a weak smile.

"Chikchiki!" Ranbir began to smile

"Yes, Baklu?" Prachi smiled back.

"I love you. I love you so much." Ranbir half laughed half sobbed.

Tears formed in Prachi's eyes too even as she smiled tremulously. For a moment, she just kept staring at the man who loved her so much and had always been there for her.

"I love you too." Finally, Prachi said the words which had been in her heart in a low but very clear voice.

Ranbir's blinding smile was enough to make her forget every single pain she was going through. Engrossed in each other, they failed to notice that their confession had not been as private as they thought it to be.

The elders who were about to enter the room and had stopped on the threshold seeing Ranbir talking to Prachi, smiled lovingly at the couple. Both the families felt as if Pranbir was their silver lining after such a dark phase. They blessed the couple with lifelong love and togetherness. 

This is the end. I hope you all like it buddies. Eagerly waiting for your feedbacks. Do let me know.