Dino's apartment

Knock! Knock!

"...coming!..." a heavily sleepy Dino opened to see a tired Rajeev on his doorstep, making him confused.

He glanced at his wall clock and back at him asking in his hoarse voice "...what do you want?!!..." rubbing his hair.

Rajeev pushed him lightly, walking inside and slumped on the couch. Dino looked at the doorstep, shrugged his shoulders shutting the door.

"...did you guys fight?!!..." asking he rested his head on the couch headrest.

"...No..." Rajeev replied with a short answer making Dino exhale deeply and catch hold of his hands.

"...its ok, son!...not everyone can handle marriage...its fine...you have just experienced the bad side of it...it will grow on you...best of luck...now can you leave?!!...." saying so he tried to move the heavy Rajeev out of his home to continue his sleep.

"...it's not that!...we are happy in our marriage...it's just that...*sigh*...can I sleep here?..." he asked Dino who opened his eyes fully, shaking his head.

"..." Dino backed a little looking him from top to bottom and raised his brows. Giving up he replied

"...fine...just don't...*exhales deeply*...ignore the baby cries...ok...he is about to get up...so, happy sleeping?!...." Saying so the tired Dino went to his room to have his short nap before the year-old child would get up for his night shift.

Rajeev scrunched his brows not understanding the context, but he didn't want to go back to his waiting wife.

He knew that his hormones won't allow him to not pounce on her, as he had got a mild taste of her – which was mind-blowing to him. His heart was not able to forget her shy and soft self which so needed his pamper after...

"...think I might as well...shift here...I mean ...*looking around*...it's not...that bad...hm?!..." he then relaxed himself and tried to sleep on the small couch for the night.

The next day

Rajeev woke up to the clitter-clatter sound of the utensils from the kitchen and mild gurgling of the child.

"...Dino!...get the binky from the room..." Tanisha called her husband while cradling the baby on her arms, baby talking to him.

"...here you go, babes...hey you remember the trip next week, right...don't forget...it's important for us...hm?" Dino then caught hold of his baby who enjoyed the father's little bounce and wide dimpled smile.

"...of course, I do!...Ami told me about it...and yes...we are going to enjoy it...aren't we...my bubba..." she went to pack her baby bag to have a small stroll in the park with her baby to have some fresh air and stretch some muscles as well.

Rajeev saw the entire scene with a weird face and wondered how can a mafia Capo known for his barbaric way of torturing his victim; was baby-talking!

"...dude!...get up!...don't you wanna go to office, huh?" he came to Rajeev who twisted his face and tsked at his words.

"...Raj?!!...I hope you like pasta, dear...I could only make this...Dino didn't tell me that you would stay back...otherwise I would have made some dosa or pottu...sorry, honey!!" Tanisha gave a sorry look to Rajeev who got up shaking his head.

"...No, Akka...its fine...I mean I know...taking care of the baby, the house...Dino!!...it's difficult...no sweat...I will manage...and by the way...your pastas...are out of this world...*chuckles*..." saying so he side hugged the smiling Tanisha who glared at Dino.

"...learn something from him!...humph!!" saying so she twisted her face at the clueless Dino and moved out of the house with her baby and the trolley.

Rajeev laughed when Dino held his hips at the way Tanisha would always sputter her anger on him for no reason at all.

"...Dude!...why are you here?!...don't you have a house!!!..." an angered Dino marched at him while taking his phone to go to office.

Rajeev went silent and proceeded to refresh for the office. But he wanted to go back home to change.

Nair Mansion

Mrunal couldn't understand why Rajeev didn't come home last night. It was only after she saw her phone with his message '...will stay at Dino's for the night...' that she was relaxed.

The room door opened with a tired looking Rajeev who saw the way Mrunal rushed to him.

The tight hug with her sniffles tensed him who couldn't hug her back.

"...what happened?..." she looked back at him who strayed his eyes away from her and replied

"...we had some office issue to discuss...that's why I stayed back...and you know he can't leave Akka and baby alone...so, I had to..." he then removed her hands and went to the washroom to refresh.

Mrunal thought about his words and understood the complications. She managed to drive off unnecessary thoughts from her mind about his distance.

Tigris HQ

The Nibbler was able to extract the real intention of Babita in the most gruel manner possible. But she had a doubt on the said information. So, she called in Amelia who still concluded on her stance of interrogating Mrunal aka NightRose.

But she knew the consequences of going against the Capo in turn with the Mafia heads favouring him.

So, she thought to keep a hawk eye vigil on Mrunal who would be not privy to the Associate being on her tail.

The Jewellery shop

Mrunal was selecting the one bracelet that she wanted to gift her husband on his birthday.

Sonia was sitting with Soumya and Ram checking on the gift from Sonia and Vinay. A gold chain for their lovely son.

Mrunal finally found the one bracelet that would define her fine man. 

As she was about to take the beautiful shimmery thing in her hands,

"...how much is this?..." a lady barged in her space and took the bracelet making Mrunal frown at the way the woman would just take the thing.

The manager too was amazed at the audacity of the woman to interfere with the Nair family's daughter-in-law. He apologised Mrunal who smiled politely and told him to show her any other designs.

But as the manager placed the glass display, the woman was adamant to barge in every one of them.

The manager eyed his assistant to take the shrewd woman away from the humble Mrunal who just smiled and let the woman take her choice of the jewellery.

"...Ow!!..." The woman yelled as the assistant pulled her away from the counter, making the people in the shop glance at the commotion.

"...just because you are the daughter of the prestigious family, doesn't mean that you harass us common people!!!..." The woman screamed at Mrunal even making the assistant to let go of the woman.

"...What is the issue?!!..." Sonia walked in taking Mrunal aside who got scared at the scene and tried to explain her Amma who signalled her to let her handle the situation.

"...So?!...what were you saying, Ms.?" Sonia asked the woman who was finally released from the assistant's clutches and replied.

"..Humph!!...and who are you?!!...the maid?!!.... *laughs*..."

Sonia scoffed at her attitude and told the manager to pick the bracelet that her daughter-in-law had initially selected.

As the assistant gave it to her, Sonia eyed the said gold thing and looked at the woman replying

"...Is this the one that you wanted, hm?"

The woman saw the way Sonia was mocking her, so she used her innocent self to capture her audience.

"...Oho!!..so, now you will belittle me, huh?...go ahead...that's the only thing I expected from filthy rich people like you!!!..." the people around seemed to agree to her words and saw the way Sonia was calm and composed at the situation.

Sonia then closed in the woman and whispered "...dear?...either you give up the bracelet that you had snipped from the counter, replacing this mock version or I disclose your thievery...you decide..."

The woman's eye widened at being caught and she gulped looking around the people who had been her saviours all this while. But she knew that her one whimsical mistake would turn the people against her in no time.

She backed with her fake smile and looked down for a minute. As she tried to escape out of the shop pushing Sonia, the assistant and guards caught her.

Mrunal was able to hold her Sonia mom in time, to not let her fall with the impact.

After a while, the manager apologised for the situation to the Nair family to which Sonia told them to be cautious of such cons, being evident in most of the high-end shops.

On the way, a curious Mrunal asked her Amma about her doubts of recognising the thief in the well-dressed woman.

"...*chuckles*...Buji!...I am a businessman's daughter and a mafia's wife, who has been taught very well to recognise treachery..." Sonia smiled at Mrunal who was in awe at her Amma's ability.

Little did she knew that Sonia was well-trained by none other than Vinay who was a master in his art and groomed many of his students in his shade, starting with his lovely wife.

SmartArt Business School

Prisha saw the way Mrunal was being cautious in her approach during the jewellery shop incident.

'Why didn't she react to the hard push?'

'Why didn't her mafia instincts act on the insults?'

'Why did she not capture the thieving woman herself to claim her position in the eyes of Sonia as being the best daughter-in-law?'

'She could have easily made a mark in Sonia's eyes as the smart wife of the Capo, then why?'

She pushed her cheeks with her tongue at not being able to bring out the scheming little devil of a mafia spy in Mrunal.

The setup was a perfect trap, but it was a failure. She need to try a different approach to bring out the traitor in the guise of a sweet and innocent woman.

"...get me the Rodriguez file..." She called in her secretary to bring her the details of the one person who was known for his treacherous approach.

Prisha had developed the undying urge to flash the devious Mrunal hiding in the caring shade of the Mafia Capo.

But she knew very well how to break the trust that the clueless Rajeev had on his wife who would not care for any of his lovey dovey praises on her. She was a crude assassin and will be that till her last breath.

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