Following the heated argument with Mitali Pathak, Adhrit Sinha had absolutely no interest in heading to work and making his already upset state even worse. He knew that if he showed up at his consultancy firm in his current foul mood, he would most likely take out his frustrations on some unsuspecting interns or the entire office.

Adhrit couldn't believe the nerve of that girl. His grip on the steering wheel was so tight, his knuckles turned white. As he approached the Sinha Mansion, with its sprawling lawns and majestic trees surrounding the towering three-story building, Adhrit made a sharp left turn and slammed on the brakes with unnecessary force, causing the car to screech loudly. The security guard immediately saluted him and came over to take over parking duties.

As Adhrit stepped out of the car, he handed the keys to the valet and forced a polite thank you, even though he was feeling irritable. He quickly made his way inside his home with determined strides. The sharp pain building in his head was a warning of the nightmare he would face later that day.

His grandmother and sister were deep in conversation about him and the source of his current frustration - Mitali Pathak.

"Oh, there he is. We were just talking about you and..."

"Ms. Pathak. That's my guess, Di. Unless I need to address something important, I'm going to take a break for a while. Is that okay?" he inquired. Purvi and Shanti could tell from his formal tone that his patience was running even lower than usual.

"Kaddu, there's something we have to discuss with you." Shanti, standing in a relaxed manner like her grandson, suggested he take a seat. Adhrit didn't argue, as both he and his grandmother were not in the mood for any interruptions.

Adhrit tossed his blazer onto the couch as he settled in. "What's on your mind?" he asked, rubbing his eyes and draping his arm over the back of the couch. He wondered if his grandmother had concocted a plan for their public wedding ceremony, even though it was simply a show to satisfy her desire to see him married. With a sigh, he wished they were discussing something else instead of the looming topic that was causing him stress.

"Dr. Singh called us, as I had requested updates on the surrogacy process. She informed us that Mitali is a virgin, and further questioning revealed potential complications if we continue with our original plans," Shanti relayed in a detached manner, concealing any emotions from her face or tone.

"What did she suggest we do instead, Dadi? Di?" Adhrit prodded, his instincts telling him to prepare for his family's reaction.

"Kaddu, we think..." Under her brother's scrutinizing and challenging stare, Purvi stuttered and couldn't complete her sentence..

"You think?" Adhrit's raised eyebrow prompted her to continue her statement, as if he had anticipated what she was going to say.

"My suggestion is for you and Mitali to spend a night together. Caesarean section is not recommended without medical indication, and normal delivery is risky for a virgin."

"And you agree with her, Di?" he asked, turning towards his sister, who appeared consumed by a quandary beyond his knowledge.

"It seems like we don't have a lot of alternatives..."

Adhrit's voice boomed as he stood up, his eyes glaring down at Purvi and Shanti. He couldn't believe they would suggest something so absurd. With a mocking glint in his gaze, he scoffed at their proposal.

"Are you serious? This isn't a choice, it's madness. How could you even think of such a thing?" Adhrit exclaimed.

"Don't get upset," Shanti maintained her calm demeanor as she calmly explained the reasoning behind their suggestion and encouraged him to understand it.

Shanti's voice remained steady and calming as she tried to diffuse the situation. "Kaddu, please don't get so upset."

"Dadi, I am shocked that you would even consider such an outlandish idea. If this becomes an issue in the future, we can find a more suitable girl. But going down this path is not an option."

The woman in question valued her self-respect above all else, and this was evident through her arguments. She held herself in high esteem and refused to compromise on anything that would diminish it. "We have explored all possible options, Kaddu. However, surrogacy by a third party is now prohibited under the latest amendment to the Surrogacy Act, and we cannot offer any financial incentives to a surrogate. Our contract is currently legal since it was signed before the amendment, but if we break it and look for another surrogate, we will be breaking the law."

Purvi gazed at Adhrit with pleading eyes, hoping he would understand the difficult situation she had found herself in. She reached out to touch his bicep, but he shrugged her hand away. "We have carefully considered all options and this is the one we have decided on, Kaddu," Adhrit said firmly. Though Purvi's gentle touch had calmed his anger, he was still unwilling to accept their proposal. He felt a strong desire to protect her, which was quite different from his previous feelings of wanting to argue with her. And so, he acted on that desire.

"We can't bring this up to Mitali, Di. She agreed to be our surrogate, not our object of disrespect. This would go against her values and damage her self-worth, which she holds dear."

"Kaddu, how can you be so certain? Do you have inside knowledge or do you simply care about her?" Shanti questioned, reading her grandson's thoughts.

As his family continued to betray their values in pursuit of their goals, he could no longer protect her. He burned with anger at the thought of them forsaking their humanity for a mere wish. Adhrit's patience wore thin and he left the decision up to her.

"Dadi, you don't have to care for someone in order to defend them. The key is understanding their personality and being able to anticipate their actions. Our conscience guides us towards what we believe is right. If you feel like I am preventing you from achieving your dream, and you are determined to make it come true, then go ahead with your plans."