Lavanya run up to Akash and the others who were startled by the entry of a panting Lavanya. Akash rushed to her and made her sit down. Khushi offered her a bottle of water which she drank without pause. After a few minutes she calmed down and looked at Akash who was squatting in front of her holding her hand with a worried look.

"Akash.... We have to find your mother.... " Lavanya said making everyone confused.

"Lavanya.... Why do we have to find her if she is at RM? " Meera asked.

"She was here a few minutes ago and dragged me away and told me something but the tone in which she spoke scared me. " Lavanya replied.

"What did she say to you? " A curious Meera asked.

And Lavanya narrated her encounter with Mami and everyone realised Lavanya had a valid reason to worry. Akash even though he hated his mother deep down he still loved her. Everyone's attention was on Akash and they understood his silence.

"We have to get to the house now. " Arnav said and they all rushed out to their cars and drove away.

Lavanya looked a quiet Akash who was sitting near her. Even though he had a poker face on Lavanya knew he was worried for his mother, she then held his hand breaking his reverie and he looked at his hand which was joined with Lavanya's and looked up to her and smiled while rub his thumb on Lavanya's hand.
Within a few minutes they arrived at RM and got down and rushed into the house to find Hariprakash and his brothers with a worry lines on their foreheads pacing back and forth.

"Hariprakash.... Where are the kids..... And where is Mami and the others? " Arnav asked breaking the Prakash brothers reverie.

"Arnav bhai.... The kids are watching cartoons in their room... The police came here to arrest Mamiji, Buaji and Naniji..... And according to the police the three of them turned themselves in.... Luckily the kids were in their room" HP replied and Akash slammed himself in couch.

Everyone knew it was for the best that they turned themselves in. The others sat down and Lavanya moved closer to Akash and sat by him and placed her hand on his shoulder making Akash look at her.

"Are you alright Akash? " Lavanya asked in a worried tone because of Akash's silence.

Akash held Lavanya's hand in his hands and kissed her knuckles.

"It's hurts but i will be alright because I have you and Shivani..... And it was better this way.... She is my mother but she betrayed me.... Just like Payal, I was also a meal ticket to status for her.... The only motherly love I got was from Ratna maa.... But she also left me.... Today I will confess something to all of you.... I hate Ratna maa too... And bhai I know deep down you also do (Arnav looked at his little brother and nodded shocking everyone) She never thought about us or Arnav.... She witnessed at first hand how cruel the world was but chose to kill herself for a worthless man like Arvind Malik when she could have stayed even if not for herself but for bhai.... But then she choose the easy way out.... And I hated her for that. " Akash said making everyone realize he was somehow right.

After Akash was done there was an eerie silence in the room as everyone was lost in thought.

Their reverie was broken by the adorable sound of  giggles. Shivani and Aarushi run over to their respective parents. Aarushi climbed on top and sat on her father's lap playing with his beard making Arnav forget everything seeing his princess.

Shivani also climbed onto Lavanya and started poking Lavanya's cheeks. Lavanya immediately knew she wanted to see her dimples so she smiled exposing her dimple and Shivani also smiled at her exposing her dimples too. This warmed Akash's heart seeing his princess get the love she deserves from Lavanya. Akash was scared in the being because he knew his bhai was definitely going to have Payal arrested which could have traumatized Shivani but the presence of Aarushi and especially Lavanya made his fear vanish.

"Daddy.... When ish ma baby brother coming? " Aarushi asked Arnav who smirked at her and said.

"Baby is in mummy's tummy. " Arnav replied making Aarushi gasp and looked at her mother.

"Mummy eat ma baby brother.... Mummy you so foodie you eat ma baby brother....  Me and daddy no talk to you again. " Aarushi exclaimed while glaring and flaring her nose in anger at her shocked mother and the others laughed at them.

"What the!... Aarushi.... What makes you think your mother eat your brother? " Arnav asked bewildered at his daughter's assumption and Aarushi looked her father and replied.

"You say baby ish in mummy's tummy so mummy eat ma baby brother that why he is in mummy's tummy. "

Arnav shook his head and chuckled at her daughter's understanding of what he said.

"No baby..... Mummy didn't eat baby.... Baby will grow in mummy's tummy before he will come out like you also came out of mummy's tummy. "

Aarushi went into thinking mode for a few seconds.

"So I also come from mummy's tummy. (Arnav nodded)  but who but me and baby brother in mummy's tummy? " Aarushi asked looking Arnav and everyone turned away leaving him to explain. Akash was thankful Aarushi asked that question and not Shivani.

Arnav thought for sometime thinking of how to explain this to his inquisitive daughter.

"Baby.... Devi Maiya... Put it there.... And in a few months baby brother will be born." Arnav explained to Aarushi who squeal yay.

She turned to Shivani.

"Shishi... Ma baby brother will come soon. " Aarushi exclaimed and Shivani smiled and nodded. Arnav sighed in relief that Aarushi didn't ask him how the baby will be out because he had no idea how he would explain it to Aarushi's understanding . Shivani then turned to her parents.

"Mummy... Daddy.... I pray to Devi Maya put ma baby brother in mummy's tummy." Shivani exclaimed in joy.

Lavanya stiffened at Shivani's request and Akash noticed it.

The family had night teasing each other and laughing because of the antics of Aarushi and Shivani with the exception of Lavanya who was absent minded all this time which didn't go unnoticed by Akash.

Delhi Police Station.

Anjali, Payal and Garima sat in their cell together lost in thought.

Anjali's POV.

How dare you do this to me Arnav. You are nothing but a child born out of a drunken night. I was born out of love and because of you and Dadi, my mother couldn't be with my father. Dadi killed my father just because of you. I was living like a princess but because of that Khushi I lost everything. If Khushi hadn't come into our lives then Shyam would still be my husband and you will still be my puppet but she just had to come into our lives and destroy everything.
Today you and them humiliated my sister, mother and I . And I will never forgive for it. Am happy your son died and if I had been in the house long enough and known about your daughter I would have killed her and Khushi.
And from now on that will be my life's mission. The only way of destroying Arnav is by killing his lifeline which is his daughter and Khushi.

Payal's POV.

Khushi Kumari Gupta. The name I hate the most in this world. First you stole babuji's love from me. Everyone love you more and each time you were around I became invincible. Everyone thought I was innocent but what they didn't know was that I was two face which helped me get away with so many things. I trapped Akash in my fake love so that I will be the  his wife. But you had to make Arnav fall in love with you. I knew about Arnav's love for you the day he brought you home unconscious. The look on his face wasn't guilt it was love and I couldn't let you be above me. I already knew about Shyam being the husband of Anjali before you found out. I wanted you to marry him that way Arnav will hate you when he finds out because he was obsessed with making Anjali happy. I also was the one who convinced you Shyam to still pursue you since he was a fool in love. Everything was going well until you showed up with Arnav married.
Again you made me invincible. And my hatred for you increased after Shyam was exposed,Arnav loved you more and never hid his love for you anymore. I was so happy when you and Arnav fought  and broke up because I finally get to be the only bahu of the Raizada family. But then you had to get pregnant and that why I immediately made buaji agree to Anjali's evil plan. For four years I was the queen of RM but now because of you I lost everything including my daughter who now loves and calls Lavanya her mother. That bitch also stole Akash from me. Akash's eyes has never shined for me like it did for Lavanya. When I degraded her in front of everyone, he defended Lavanya with such love that I immediately knew he has fallen in love with her. But I won't let it anyone steal Akash from me. Be prepared Khushi Kumari Gupta and Lavanya Kashyap. Both of you will pay for snatching what's mine.

Garima's POV.

Subhadra Malik.
I hate you soo much. You are the reason why I couldn't marry Arvind and became the mistress of Sheesh Mahal. You just had to expose me and thank fool Arvind had to leave with me but since I trapped him in my fake love I was able to convince him to come back and stage our breakup so that he won't be disinherited. I was the one who also pushed him into having a relationship with Ratna since you became suspicious of him and it worked and for years we were lovers but I wanted more especially when one of my daughter was living her life as a princess and other as a pauper. That's why I come to Sheesh Mahal that day.  I was so angry when you killed yourself  but my happiness knew no bound when I found out that Subhadra killed you. Am so sorry Arvind. You loved me until the very end and if your mother hadn't killed you then we would have been happy living with our daughters in luxury. But that Ratna and your mother snatched everything from me and now your son and that accursed orphan Shashi adopted snatched everything from my daughters. I promise to make your lives a living hell when I get out.

The three witches were lost in thoughts and soon it ended when their reverie was broken by opening sound of a cell door. Out of it emerged Subhadra Malik with two police women.
The trio was shocked to see her there in the same prison and left alone she was opposite their cell which they didn't know because they come in from the other side and she stopped at their cell and looked at them.

"Finally.... You people got what you deserve... That is locked up and away from my family.... I wish you well....  Sorry where you are going is hell where your kind belongs.... Am leaving now... And I wish to never see you three again" Dadi said and walked away leaving the trio in shock.

"Amma.... They released her.... Why did the release her.... She killed our father. " Payal said in shock and immediately she was done a police man passed by and Garima called him.

"Why is that old woman who just left here released.... She murdered someone." Garima asked and the police man stared at them in disgust.

"You have the nerve to ask me.... I know you are not that dump not to know innocent people can't be held her for more than 24 hours.... But why are you asking when you and your disgusting daughters framed her up because you couldn't get you way..... Such disgusting women.... You are a disgrace to woman hood. " The man said in disgust before walking away.

"That bastard.... Who does he think he is to speak to us like that.... This is all that Arnav's fault... I will make him pay." Garima said fuming.

"And for that we have to get out of here and the only person who can help us betrayed me. " Payal said in  tears.

"Just shut up Payal... That guy never loved you so you better get that into your head.... And let's think of how to get out of here" Anjali said in annoyance.

Immediately she was done they heard footsteps and looked up to see Mami, Buaji and Nani in handcuffs being lead to the cell where Dadi was held.
They now knew they were doomed and sat down in defeat.

A few minutes later, a police woman came in to tell Payal she had a visitor making them curious and in walked Abhishek with a smile on his face. Payal's face immediately lit up seeing him. She moved closer to touch him but the bars prevented her from touching him.

"I knew it.... I knew they forced you to say all those things.... You love too much to betray me. " Payal exclaimed in happiness but it soon turned to shock when Abhishek spoke afterwards.

"No one force me.... I did myself as payback for betraying me and running away with your other lover. "

"It not true Abhi.... I never betrayed you... It's all lies... We love each other... Please help us out of here. " Payal cried out.

"I don't love you Payal.... I never did... You were just a meal ticket and good for warming my bed... Anyways I have better and richer women who are willing to give me more money than you and all I have to do is fulfill their sexual needs.... So good bye and one more thing... Thanks to you and the little stunt that happened in the afternoon... I have been receiving model contracts all over.... Who would have thought even now that you are useless to me, you will bring me good luck.... So bye my not so dear Payal. " Abhishek said and walked away laughing and a shocked  Payal slammed on the floor with and thud and started crying hard.

Garima and Anjali stood there not knowing what to do.

The next day.

The television was buzzing with the news of the arrest and humiliation of the three witches and also the arrest of Lavany's parent for for trafficking and abuse.

Manohar came back to India to support his son and nephew at this trying time. The entire family thought he will be hurt but were surprised when he said he supports them in all of their decisions. He was also amazed by the sudden change in Shivani and felt proud of Akash.
Aarushi was introduced to him and he vowed to always be there for his granddaughters in way he never was for his son and nephew. For old time sake he hired a lawyer for Nani and Mami and Shashi hired one for Buaji. And since the three witches didn't have any money to pay for the legal expenses the court appointed one for them and they were to stand trial in six weeks.

Lavanya was scared to face her parent whose trial was also scheduled in six weeks, on the same day, same court house but different rooms as the witches and their accomplices.

To be continued.

Teaser for next update.

"Am so sorry Akash but I have to betray you.... I want you to know that I love you and wished we had met in a different way."  Lavanya said in tears and kissed Akash on the cheek.

Here is another update.
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