[Wish you all a very happy Diwali my sweet friends. This is my Diwali gift for you. coolnerdyguy asked me to write a story on the current track. So here goes. Hope you all like it.]

Prachi had been searching Ranbir for almost half an hour but to no avail. It was as if he had disappeared without any trace. She had looked for him in the gathering inside the mansion as well as the people scattered all over the grounds as the preparations of Dussehra festival were being given the final touch and the statue of Ravana symbolizing everything evil was scheduled to be set ablaze shortly. 

As she sauntered into the sole darker area amidst the beautifully lit ground that led to the canopy where the food for the guests was being cooked by Saritaji's catering team, her feet came to an abrupt halt. Was there someone standing in the even darker shade of the colossal tree? Prachi squinted her eyes to get a better view. Yes, there was someone beneath the tree. She knew she should not compromise her own safety by going after a stranger in a dark, isolated area but curiosity got the better of her. Curiosity as well as the curious fact that even though she could not see the person clearly, there was a strange sense of familiarity and instead of sending out creepy vibes, the person's presence filled her with a sense of security. Tentatively, Prachi took a few steps towards the person.

As her feet ate up the distance between them, the person who had been a mere silhouette till then began to transform into the tall, familiar figure of a male whose back was turned towards her. His shoulders were stooped as if they were carrying the burden of the world. His shoulders were stooped as if they were carrying the burden of the world. It took an instant for Prachi to know just who the solitary figure was. She hurried towards him and on reaching him, placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Ranbir" Prachi called out tentatively.

Ranbir turned around and Prachi was shocked tosee tears cascading down his cheeks and his eyes. 

"Ranbir! What's wrong? What happened?" Prachi cupped his tear stained face with both hands.

"Everything is wrong, Prachi. Everything and everyone are conspiring against us. I can't and won't live without you Prachi. I can't and won't give your place to someone else. I don't want to lose you Prachi. I have never felt so helpless in my life." Ranbir gave vent to all the pent up emotions of frustration, fury helplessness, fear and an intense dejection.

"Why are you saying this? Please tell me what happened?" Prachi entreated, her own eyes moistening as she could acutely feel his agony despite being unaware of the reason behind it.

However, instead of answering her, Ranbir took a step forward and wounded his arms around her petite waist, burrowing his face into the perfumed and silky softness of her hair.  

Worriedly Prachi wound her arms around his waist and ran her hand up and down his back in an attempt to calm him down and it worked like magic. Soon, he had calmed down. However, before she could ask him the reason for the sudden breakdown a shrill voice made them jerk apart.

"What on earth do you think you are doing? How dare you get so close to my son? Have you forgotten your place? Have you forgotten why you have come here? Instead of doing your job you are spending your time in enchanting my son with your fake concern? No wonder he is going away from us, rebelling against us. He no longer cares about the happiness of his own family. And all for what? A girl like you? I never knew you are such an enchantress, Prachi Arora. You are so disgusting." Pallavi gave vent to the fury bubbling within her as she witnessed her son in the arms of the girl she abhorred.

Prachi stared at Pallavi in stunned disbelief with wounded eyes brimming with unshed tears. However, it was just too much for Ranbir to bear.

"That's enough, mom. How can you say all that to Prachi? You are disgusted with her? Oh no, mom! I am disgusted with my family. I am ashamed of you and your behaviour towards Prachi. And I don't care about my family's happiness? Does my family care about mine? They say a mother's love is unconditional and that she can do just about anything for her child and her child's happiness. You have proved it wrong, mom, as you are doing everything possible to snatch my happiness away from me. I don't know how and why you have changed so much, mom. But the fact is I can't see my beloved mother in you anymore as she has proved by her words and actions that she loves her whim more than her son." Ranbir yelled, unable to suppress the agony any longer.

Stunned, Pallavi stared at her son, tears of amazement and anger began to cascade down her cheeks. She was witnessing this side of Ranbir for the very first time. She had never been the recipient of her son's fury and it was...horrendous.

"Ranbir! How dare you talk to your mother like that? What has gotten into you? I can't believe our son can take that tone with his mother!" Vikram glowered at his son even as he put an arm around the shoulders of his wife.

"Oh really! And what about the way she talked to Prachi just now? What about the words she said to Prachi just now? Is that how a person should speak to another person? And I have the same question for you dad. What has gotten into all three of you? Why and how have you changed so much? I can't believe that my family can mistreat someone like this!" Ranbir was just not ready to bow down to his father's diktats this time. 

"Ranbir! How can you talk like this to your parents? My goodness! This girl has brainwashed you so thoroughly that you have forgotten all the values we had instilled in you. You are going against your own family just because of this girl? I can't believe this. Why? Just why have you stepped into our life Prachi? Why can't you just go away and leave us in peace?" Daljeet rebuked Ranbir first and then turned on Prachi.

Ranbir was about to retaliate but Prachi held his arm and shook her head, tears now freely cascading down her eyes. She stared at the old woman with so much pain in her eyes. Even she couldn't believe the transition these people had undergone in the space of a few days. She just couldn't believe that these people who used to love her like a member of their family had started to hate her so much. But why? What had she done that was so dreadful to warrant such appaling transformation in the people she had thought she knew? She just had to know the reason behind this.

"Ranbir, please let me talk to them. I need some answers." Though her face was tear stained and her eyes were brimming with even more unshed tears, Prachi's voice did not waver and possessed a quiet dignity.

She turned to regard the three people in front of her with a determination in her eyes, a determination to find out the reason behind the chaos that her life had become.

"I thought you all loved me. Then why are you behaving like this with me out of the blue? Why have you started hating me so much? What did I do to warrant so much hatred from you? Please answer me." Prachi entreated in a soft but determined voice.

"Oh you don't know what you have done! Let me do the honours then. You are the one who came in between Rhea and Ranbir. Rhea is such a good girl. She is perfect for our son. but you snatched Ranbir away from her. you actually pushed her towards committing suicide. You are the reason why Rhea chose to end her own life. You are the one behind Maya's fake molestation case. Maya said herself that you are her friend and she had done all that as per your instructions. You did that so you can 'save' Ranbir in the nick of time and we will be eternally grateful to you and chose you to be the life partner for our son. I know girls like you so well. You just pretend to be docile and obedient and a girl of principle so that you can secure a rich husband for yourself. This is what your mother must have instilled in you since your childhood instead of values. No wonder your father has left your mother. Who can, after all, live with a woman like her and ...." Pallavi was spewing venom when a harsh rebuke stopped her.

"SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP! HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT ABOUT MY MA? LISTEN, MRS. PALLAVI KOHLI, MY MOTHER WORTH THOUSANDS OF YOU. YOU ARE NOT EVEN FIT TO CLEAN MY MOTHER'S SHOES. YOU ARE NOTHING IN FRONT OF MY MOTHER. YOU ARE NOTHING BUT AN OLD, RICH, SNOBBISH WOMAN. ALL THREE OF YOU ARE DUAL FACED HYPOCRITES AND NOTHING ELSE. OH YES YOU ARE. WHEN YOU HAVE TO FLATTER SOMEONE TO GET YOUR JOB DONE YOU WILL DO SO AND WHEN YOUR JOB IS DONE YOU WILL KICK THEM OUT. YES, THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE LIKE YOU ARE. OPPORTUNISTS. WASN'T IT TOO CONVENIENT FOR YOU TO BELIEVE MAYA, THE GIRL WHO HAD FILED FAKE MOLESTATION CASE AGAINST YOUR SON, OVER ME, WHO HAS RESCUED YOUR SON FROM THAT MESS? WHAT OTHER WAY WAS THERE TO ENSURE THAT YOUR SON MARRIES YOUR RICH FRIEND'S ONLY DAUGHTER THAN TO SHOW ME AS  A VILLAIN? HOWEVER, IF YOU THINK I AM ONE OF THOSE PERSONS WHO ACCEPT DEFEAT EASILY AND MEEKLY THAN YOU ARE IN FOR A SURPRISE. A SHOCK, RATHER. I WILL NOT LET THE LIKES OF YOU PAINT ME AS THE DEVIL HERE. I WILL PROVE MY INNOCENCE IN FRONT OF ALL AND TEAR APART THAT MASK OF BENEVOLENCE THAT YOU, YOUR HUSBAND AND YOUR MOTHER IN LAW WEAR IN FRONT OF THE WORLD. YOU HAD INSULTED ME IN EVERY WAY YOU COULD. YOU HAD BLAMED ME FOR YOUR SON'S WEDDING GETTING FIXED WITH MAYA EVEN THOUGH IT WAS DUE TO YOUR SON'S MISTAKE. I FORGAVE YOU. YOU HAD BLAMED ME FOR THE THEFT OF YOUR MONEY. YOU HAD SAID EVERYONE SHOULD CHECK IF ANY VALUABLE WAS MISSING FROM THE HOUSE. I FORGAVE YOU. YOU INVITED ME TO YOUR HOUSE AND MADE ME WORK LIKE A SERVANT. YOU MADE ME MOP THE FLOOR. I STILL FORGAVE YOU. YOU SAID THAT YOU HAD SOME OLD SAREES THAT I COULD TAKE HOME SO THAT MY MOTHER OR SARITAJI COULD WEAR THEM, MAKING ME FEEL LIKE A BEGGAR. I STILL FORGAVE YOU. BUT TODAY YOU HAVE INSULTED MY MOTHER SO HARSHLY. I CANNOT AND WILL NOT FORGIVE THIS. IF I FORGIVE MY MOTHER'S INSULT THEN I WON'T BE ABLE TO MEET MY OWN EYES. KNOW THIS ONCE AND FOR ALL, I AM NEVER GOING TO FORGIVE YOU. NEVER." Prachi finally gave free reign to her mounting fury.

The insults thrown at her beloved mother was the final straw, the final nail in the coffin of her slaughtered affection for the elder members of the Kohli family. The Kohlis, on the other hand, were stunned to witness this hitherto unseen avatar of the docile and obedient girl they had known till that moment. In front of them was a completely different person. In front of them was standing a girl whose eyes were burning with the scorching flames of a murderous fury. The raging fire in her eyes made the elder Kohlis break out in a cold sweat. With a last look full of disdain at the epitomes of hypocrisy, Prachi strode away without a backward glance. 

"You all made Prachi work like a servant? My God! Are you even human? No you are not . You are monsters. Oh yes, you heard that right. All three of you are monsters. Prachi is right. you want me to get married to Rhea so that you can get Chief's wealth for yourself. That is the only reason that you are forcing me to get married to that Rhea even after knowing that I love Prachi. That is the sole reason that you are showering so much love on Rhea. Because she is the daughter of Abhishek Mehra. Not because she is your friend Abhishek's daughter. The people who can't love their own son, how can they love someone else's daughter? You, all three of you, are just money hungry sharks and nothing else. You know what I hate all three of you. I hate you so much." Ranbir looked at his family with eyes full of repugnance. 

"Ranbir" Pallavi gasped.

But before anyone could say anything more, Ranbir strode away.

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As Prachi stepped out of the mansion and the cool breeze wafted over her face, calming her a bit, she stopped. She took a deep breath in a further effort to calm herself down. She needed to act with a cool head instead of a raging fury burning within her. She fished out her phone from the purse clutched tightly in her grip and called Saritaji's number. After a few rings, Saritaji answered the call.

"Prachi, where are you? I am looking for you. And..."Saritaji began.

"Saritaji, I want you to tell me something as accurately as you remember." Prachi cut across the old woman's words impatiently.

"Prachi, what happened? Is everything alright?" Saritaji became worried as she heard the grimness in Prachi's usually soft and sweet voice.

"Nothing is alright, Saritaji. But I will make them alright. Saritaji, can you tell me when and where Rhea confessed everything she dd with me to Ma and you?" Prachi did not want to waste time and cut to the chase straightaway.

"Uh...right. I remember. That Rhea confessed her deeds in front of your mother and me in the hospital corridor. It was probably 7:30 in the evening. 26th October." Saritaji replied.

"Hospital corridor. 7:30 pm. 26th October. Okay. Thanks, Saritaji. I'll talk to you later." Prachi cut the call.

"But...Prachi...hello...she has cut the call? What's going on?" Saritaji looked down at her phone worriedly.

Prachi was about to flag down a cab when she heard some low voices coming from left side of the mansion. She stealthily moved closer to the boundary wall and approached the left end. Then, making sure that she was well concealed by the wall, she peeped out. What she saw and heard stunned him. She immediately fished out her mobile and began to capture the scene unfolding in front of her in the video recorder of her phone.

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Prachi had reached the hospital where she had been admitted. Taking a deep breath, she sauntered into the hospital and asked someone where the cctv room was. Following the person's directions she reached the cctv room. A man was sitting alone and his eyes were moving from one monitor to another. Prachi knocked on the open door. The man turned around on his chair and frowned as he saw the young girl.

"Yes?" The man looked at her questioningly.

"Mr. Abhishek Mehra asked me to get the cctv footage of 7:30 - 8:00 pm of 26th October 2020." Prachi lied without batting an eyelash.

"How do I believe you are saying the truth?" The man was not easily fooled.

However, Prachi was determined to have her own way. 

"If you don't believe me than make a video call and ask Mr. Mehra if he knew me. Go on.  However, if after that he takes action against you for disbelieving his messenger and daring to bother in the middle of a family function." Prachi met the man's eyes confidently.

The man gulped hard and dithered for a moment. But then seeing the confidence in Prachi's demeanour and the way she confidently asked him to make the video call, the man finally gave in. After searching for a while, he found the required footage and handed it over to Prachi. Prachi thanked the man and walked out of the room. 

Walking out of the hospital, Prachi flagged down a cab and gave the address of Mehra and Kohli Mansions. As the car sped towards her destination, she stared out of the window unseeingly.

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Saritaji and Pragya had been searching for Prachi everywhere when Pragya careened into Abhishek. He steadied her before she tumble down.

"Pragya! At least see where you are going. Why are you so tensed?" Abhishek looked at Pragya questioningly.

"Abhishek, Prachi...I don't know....I can't find her....anywhere. What if something happens to her?" Pragya was very worried.

"Calm down, okay? Nothing is going to happen to her. She is our daughter. We won't let anything happen to her. Right?" Abhishek cupped her cheek and assured her.

"Right" Pragya agreed even as a stray tear escaped her eye.

"Your daughter? You mean our Prachi is Abhishek Mehra's daughter and Pragya, you are his wife?" Saritaji gaped at them in stark astonishment.

"Yes, Saritaji. But now we have to search for Prachi." Abhishek cut across impatietly.

However, a familiar voice caused them to turn around.

"You don't have to search for me. I am right here." 

All three of them sighed in relief seeing Prachi standing a few feet away from, unscathed. However, their relieved smile faded away as they witnessed the raging bonfire in her eyes. 

"Prachi, what's wrong?" Abhishek was the one to break the tense silence.

"Please ask your and Kohli family's members to gather here. Today, right at this spot, the unmasking of the evil will take place." Prachi instructed in a grim voice.

Perplexed, Abhishek made a few calls and soon the members of the Mehra and Kohli families gathered around them.

As soon as Ranbir saw Prachi, he strode towards her.

"Prachi are you alright?" Were the first words to come out of Ranbir's mouth.

"Don't worry. I am okay." Prachi smiled at him assuredly.

"Abhishek, why did you call us here?" Pallavi's glance shifted from Abhishek to Prachi.

"I will answer that for you, Mrs. Pallavi Kohli. You have insulted my mother. You have treated me as a thief, as a servant and as a beggar. And what did you accuse me of? Yes, I am in cahoots with Maya and I have pushed your darling Rhea towards ending her own life, isn't it? Now I will show you the difference between what you know and what the truth really is. Let me show you the true face of your darling Rhea and who pushed whom to death." Prachi smirked mirthlessly.

Prachi fiddled with her phone and finally played the confession video that she had acquired from the hospital.

Pragya closed her eyes as pain at how her younger daughter had turned out to be coursed through her while Abhishek looked at the evidence in front of him with utter disbelief. He hadn't believed when Pragya said that about Rhea but now there was no way to deny it. He was shaken. He just couldn't believe his beloved daughter could plan someone's murder so callously. He turned to Rhea and looked at her with eyes filled with abhorrence. It was as if he was looking at some stranger and not the girl he had raised since she was an infant. 

Pallavi and Vikram looked at each in incredulously and then at a very pale looking Rhea. Daljeet covered her mouth with her palms and stared at Rhea in fearful bewilderment. 

"Dad! Prachi is lying. I haven't ..." Rhea began but couldn't complete the words.

A hard slap landed on her cheek making her stagger back. She would have toppled over had Aliya not steadied her.

"Bhai, what are you...." Aliya began to protest.

"Not a word more. You aren't shocked by her deeds and that can only mean you knew about all of them beforehand and was probably in cahoots with Rhea." Abhishek glared at the woman who was playing the devil's advocate.

Aliya opened her mouth but before she could utter another word, a slap landed on her cheek too.

"I can't believe you are my daughter and sister. God! You, Rhea, can actually do all these things to spoil a person's life? And not even content with that, you actually plan to murder her and put it into action too? You know what Rhea? More than you, the fault is mine as I have left you in the care of a vicious woman like Aliya. You disgust me, both of you. From now on, I disown both of you and deny having any relation with either of you." Abhishek declared.

Aliya and Rhea began to protest and plead but were interrupted as Prachi began to speak again.

"However, their crimes don't end here. Here goes the 2nd round." Prachi played another video in her mobile.

This second video had captured a conversation between Rhea and Aliya. Here, Rhea was confessing about calling Sanju to kidnap and take Prachi away from their lives even after knowing that Prachi was her twin. And Aliya was saying that she would arrange everything. Also Aliya and Rhea were discussing about how they hired Maya to frame Ranbir in the molestation case so that Prachi goes against him and Ranbir hates her. However, the opposite happened and Prachi not only believed him but also fought till the end and managed to save him. And how this time, they made Maya to accuse Prachi in the video and this time their plan to make everyone hate Prachi won't fail. The video ended at this point.

Rhea closed her eyes as a feeling of defeat swamped over her. However, her eyes flew open as someone grabbed her arm and turned her around with a jerk. 

Rhea looked fearfully at a furious Pragya. Before she could even try to defend herself, Pragya slapped her, hard. She grabbed both of Rhea's arms and shook her.

"You actually were going to let a person like Sanju take your sister away, even after knowing that she is your sister? Are you even human? I regret the very moment I gave birth to you. Why didn't you die right at that moment? If God had to take one of my daughters away, why didn't He take you? You may not be dead for the world but you are dead for me from now on. A person who can give her sister away to a hooligan like Sanju, who can hire goons to murder an innocent, who can frame an innocent boy in molestation case can never be my daughter. I was so wrong to forgive you last time. I got carried away by my emotions. But no longer. From this moment I have no relation whatsoever with you. Nothing that happens to you affects me from now onwards." Pragya pushed Rhea away in disgust.

Rhea staggered back a few feet with the force of the push but before she could steady herself, someone yet again grabbed her arm and turned her around. This time she was facing a furious Pallavi. Pallavi, too, slapped her.

"You! You evil girl! You actually framed my son in that molestation case. You and that Aliya. Those two persons we have considered to be our family have backstabbed us. And you have the audacity to blame Prachi for your deeds. Just for you the innocent girl had to suffer so much. No, not just because of you. Because of us too who were naive enough to believe you. You stay away from my son. I don't want to see you near him even." Pallavi spat.

"Pallavi, how can you...." Aliya began to defend Rhea.

Before she could complete a tight slap landed on her cheek.

"Don't you dare utter a word, Aliya. How dare you turn Rhea into a monster, harm Prachi and get Ranbir into such a mess? Don't you have the slightest feeling of compassion for anyone? What am I asking? You are not human enough to do so." Pragya turned her face away in disgust.

"They are not fit to be left in the open. I have called the police to come immediately and arrest both of them." Abhishek declared.

Rhea and Aliya pleaded with him and Pragya but their entreaties fall on deaf ears. Soon, the police approached and dragged them away, protesting and screaming.

Pragya hugged Prachi and began to sob. Prachi calmed her mother down and after coming out of her embrace, looked at the man who was standing beside them but not quite a part of their cozy family. He was staring at them desolately with a yearning to be part of their family. Today he had lost everything, his sister, the daughter he had raised since infancy. In the midst of all these people he was alone. Yes, he had left them alone but he was also the one to always trust her over his family even when he was unaware of his relationship with her. Somewhere along the way he had become the father she never had and he had accepted himself that he loved her more than Rhea.

"Prachi, now that you know I am your father, will you accept me in your life?" Abhishek asked tentatively.

"If you do something for me." Prachi replied with a straight face.

"Anything. You name it." Abhishek looked at her eagerly.

"Keep my ma happy always." Prachi smiled.

"I will" Abhishek vowed.

Pragya smiled through tears.

"Then you can join the family group hug." Prachi beamed.

Chuckling, Abhishek engulfed both his beloved wife and daughter into a bear hug. Ranbir, Saritaji, Sahana and Aryan admired the adorable family.

On the other hand, Pallavi, Vikram and Daljeet were swamped with guilt. They were ashamed of themselves at the way they had behaved with Prachi and Pragya. They had trusted the wrong girl and punished the innocent one. They had turned away the girl who actually was the best for their son.

"Prachi" Pallavi called out tentatively.

Prachi stepped away from the family hug and turned towards Pallavi. The scorching flames in her eyes warned Pallavi that she had forgotten nothing and was probably never going to forgive them. Still she had to try to break the ice.

"Prachi beta, I..." Pallavi began.

"Don't call me 'beta', Mrs. Pallavi Kohli. It is an endearment but when spoken by you it sounds like a slang." Prachi cut across harshly.

"Puttar, please forgive us. Please don't hate us." Daljeet entreated.

"I would have had you insulted just me. But you have described insulted my mother and I can never forget that. By the way, why this volte face now? Because I am no longer the middle class Pragya Arora's daughter but the daughter of Mr Abhishek Mehra and Mrs Pragya Mehra now? Finally belonging to your high society?" Prachi raised a brow as she regarded the trio with utter disdain.

"Prachi beta, you are misunderstanding us." Vikram tried to make her understand.

"I misunderstood you, your wife and mother, Mr. Vikram Kohli but not anymore. Now I know your true faces. I will forever remain on my guard and can never forgive you." Prachi stated candidly.

"Ranbir, please make her understand." Pallavi requested her son.

"Why? I think Prachi is doing exactly what she should have done. I am ashamed to call you my family. Then why should she forgive you?" Ranbir glowered at his mother.

Abhishek cleared his throat, attracting everyone's attention.

"If no one have any objection, then I would like to announce Ranbir and Prachi's engagement in this dussehra party." Abhishek stated his intention.

"I don't care if Kohli family has any objection, chief. If they can force me to marry someone despite knowing that I love Prachi, if they can insult Prachi and Pragya aunty so harshly, if they don't care about my life and happiness, then I don't care about them too. They have ceased to be the family I used to love so much and are now just a responsibility to me." Ranbir clarified his stance.

"Ranbir" Pallavi tried to held his arm but Ranbir moved out of her reach.

Abhishek and Pragya took Ranbir and Prachi in the middle of the ground.

"Attention please. Today I have an announcement to make. I announce the engagement of my daughter Prachi with Ranbir Kohli. Give a big round of applause for them. Their engagement party will be a lavish one as soon as we get the auspicious day for their wedding." Abhishek announced.

Abhishek and Pragya joined Prachi and Ranbir's hands. Arhana and Saritaji were ecstatic and clapping like mad whereas Kohlis had been reduced to mere spectators due to their own lack of better judgement.

The End

4820 words 😮😮
This is what I would have liked to watch.