Armaan stood frozen in the grand hall of Poddar Mansion, the opulent chandelier above him casting eerie shadows on the walls. The place that was once his sanctuary, his home, now felt like a cold, soulless structure made of bricks and cement. 

He remembered the countless times he had run through these halls, laughing and playing with his family members, feeling like he was part of something bigger than himself. But now, those memories seemed like a distant dream, a fantasy that had been shattered by the harsh reality of his family's deceit.

The memories of laughter, of love, of family, seemed to mock him, echoing off the walls. He felt like a stranger in his own home, a home that had been built on lies and deceit. Every step he took, every corner he turned, reminded him of the secrets that had been hidden from him.

 The portraits on the walls, the expensive artwork, the lavish furnishings - everything seemed to be a reminder of the wealth and privilege that had been built on the back of his family's lies. Armaan's heart ached with the realization that he had been living a lie, that his family's love and acceptance had been a facade.

As he gazed around the hall, Armaan's eyes settled on the faces of his family, their masks of love and loyalty slipping, revealing the true nature of their relationships. His stepmother, Vidya, his grandmother, Kaveri, and the others, all seemed like disguised enemies, waiting to strike.

 He saw the way they looked at him, the way they smiled and pretended to care, and he felt a wave of nausea wash over him. How could they have deceived him for so long? How could they have kept the truth from him, and pretended to be something they were not? 

"Haaan maine door kiya tumhe tumhari maa se!" Vidya confessed, her voice cracking as she broke down into tears. The words cut through Armaan like a knife, leaving him breathless and reeling. He felt like he had been punched in the gut, his lungs emptied of air, his heart shattered into a million pieces. The pain was overwhelming, threatening to consume him whole.

He stumbled backward, his eyes wide with shock and pain, but Abhira's firm hands grasped his shoulders, holding him in place. Her eyes locked onto his, filled with a deep understanding and unwavering support, as she nodded slowly.

As he gazed into Abhira's eyes, Armaan felt a spark of strength ignite within him. He took a deep breath, his shoulders squaring, and turned to face Vidya, his voice firm and resolute. "Why?" he demanded, the single word echoing through the hall like a challenge. He wanted answers, needed to know why Vidya had kept him away from his mother, why she had lied to him, why she had manipulated him. 

The revelation hit Armaan like a ton of bricks, shattering the very foundations of his existence. The fact that his stepmother, Vidya, and his grandmother, Kaveri, whom he had worshipped like gods, were behind all his sorrows was a bitter pill to swallow. He felt like he had been living in a dream world, where everything he thought he knew was a lie.

Kaveri's words hung in the air like a toxic cloud, poisoning the very atmosphere around them. Armaan's eyes widened in horror as he listened to his grandmother's confession, his mind reeling with the sheer audacity of her crimes.

"Madhav, Armaan, and Shivani were in an accident," Kaveri revealed, her voice devoid of emotion. "We admitted Madhav and Shivani to different hospitals, and sent Armaan to an orphanage. And when Madhav regained consciousness, we told him that Shivani and Armaan had died in the accident."

Armaan felt like he had been punched in the gut, his breath knocked out of him. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. His own grandmother, the woman he had trusted and loved, had conspired to tear his family apart, to destroy their lives with her lies and deceit.

He looked at his mother, Shivani, and saw the tears streaming down her face. He saw the pain and the anguish etched on her features, and his heart went out to her. He knew that she had suffered unimaginably, that she had been forced to live a life of lies and secrecy, all because of Kaveri's machinations.

Kaveri's words dripped with malice as she continued to reveal the depths of her depravity. "We told Shivani that Armaan and Madhav had died, and the news sent her into a mental breakdown. We took advantage of her fragile state and sent her to an ashram, where she's been living in isolation, unaware of the truth."

Kaveri's words continued to spill out, revealing the intricate web of deceit and manipulation she had woven. "I arranged Madhav's marriage to Vidya, and although he went through with the wedding, he never loved her."

Armaan's eyes flashed with anger as he listened to his grandmother's callous words. He couldn't believe that she had forced his father into a loveless marriage, sacrificing his happiness for her own selfish desires. He thought about his father's life, the way he had been trapped in a marriage without love, and his heart went out to him.

Kaveri's words dripped with malice as she revealed the extent of her manipulation. "I told Vidya that Shivani was alive, and she was so afraid of losing Madhav that she accepted Armaan as her own, thinking that if she showed love to Armaan, Madhav would love her too." 

He looked at Vidya, and saw the guilt and shame etched on her face. He realized that she had been trapped in her own web of deceit, forced to make choices that went against her own heart. But that didn't excuse her behavior, didn't justify the way she had used him and manipulated him for her own gain.

Abhira's hand tightened around his, offering a comforting presence as he struggled to process the complexities of his family's dynamics. 

Kaveri's words were laced with venom as she spoke about Madhav's failures as a father and husband. "But Madhav was neither a good father nor a good husband!" she spat.

Abhira's eyes flashed with anger as she turned to face Kaveri. "Toh kya aap ek achhi maa ban paayi hai, Dadisaa?" she asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Were you a good mother?"

 The room fell silent, with all eyes on Kaveri. Armaan's grandmother shifted uncomfortably in her seat, her eyes darting around the room as she searched for an escape. But Abhira's words had struck a chord, and Kaveri knew she had to face the consequences of her actions.

Abhira's words cut through the air like a sharp knife, each sentence a precise accusation that struck at the very heart of Kaveri's being. "Neither were you a good grandmother nor a good mother. You not only deceived your grandson, but also your own son. You didn't just ruin one life, you destroyed four!"

Abhira's voice rose with each word, her anger and indignation boiling over like a pot left unattended on the stove. The room was electrified with tension, the air thick with the weight of Kaveri's deceit.

Kaveri's words were laced with a desperate attempt to justify her actions, but Abhira was having none of it. "Humne jo kiya woh sirf apne bete ki zindagi sawarne ke liye kiya," Kaveri said, her voice trembling.

Abhira's eyes blazed with anger and hurt, her words dripping with accusation. "You kept my Armaan away from his mother, and now you're trying to justify it?"

Abhir's words hung in the air like a challenge, a stark accusation that cut to the very heart of Kaveri's actions. "How did you fix Papa's life, Dadiji, by destroying 4 lives?" Abhir asked, her voice laced with anguish and anger. The weight of her words was crushing, a stark reminder of the devastation that Kaveri's manipulation had wrought.

Vidya's words poured out in a desperate attempt to justify her actions, to make Armaan understand why she had lied to him, why she had kept the truth from him for so long. "Armaan, I did everything for your father's love, to gain his affection," she said, her voice trembling with emotion. "I know I lied to you, but beta, I have always loved you."

As she spoke, Vidya reached out to grip Armaan's shoulder, to try and connect with him on some level, but he backed away, his eyes cold and unforgiving. He didn't want to hear her excuses, didn't want to be swayed by her words. He had been hurt too deeply, betrayed too profoundly. All he wanted was the truth, and he wanted it now.

Vidya's hand fell to her side, her eyes filling with tears as she realized that Armaan was beyond consolation. She had lost him, lost the one person she had claimed to love above all else. And in that moment, she knew that she had lost everything.

Armaan's voice thundered through the room, his words a scathing rebuke to Vidya's attempts to justify her actions. "Just stop, Mrs. Vidya Poddar!" he shouted, his eyes blazing with anger and hurt. "Do you expect me to understand and accept your lies?" he spat, his voice dripping with contempt.

Vidya took a step back, her face pale and shocked, as Armaan's words cut her to the quick. She had never seen him so angry, so hurt, and it shook her to her core.

Armaan's words continued to flow, a torrent of emotion and accusation. "You claim to have done everything for love, but did you ever try to understand my love for Abhira?" he asked, his voice heavy with pain. "Did you ever try to see things from my perspective, or were you too busy manipulating and controlling everyone around you?"

Armaan's words dripped with bitterness and hurt as he confronted Vidya about her manipulation. "Aapne mujhe apne pyaar ko paane ke liya zaariya banaya," he said, his voice heavy with emotion. "You used me as a means to gain your own love." 

Vidya's face crumpled, her eyes welling up with tears as she realized the extent of her own selfishness. She had used her own son, manipulated him and controlled him, all in the name of her own twisted desires

Armaan's words continued to cut deep, a scathing indictment of Vidya's actions. "Aur maine aapke liye aapke kehne par apne pyaar ki qurbaani di," he said, his voice cracking with pain.

As Armaan turned to Abhira, his eyes locked onto hers, filled with a deep regret and longing. He joined his hands together in a gesture of supplication, his voice cracking with emotion. "I'm sorry, Abhir... I'm so sorry, Abhira," he whispered, his words barely audible.

Armaan's eyes searched hers, seeking forgiveness and understanding. He knew he had hurt her, that he had broken her trust, but he hoped that she could find it in her heart to forgive him.

Abhira's arms enveloped Armaan, holding him close as she rubbed his back in a soothing gesture. The warmth of her hug was like a balm to his soul, calming the storm of emotions that had been raging within him.

Armaan felt a lump form in his throat as he wrapped his arms around Abhira, holding her tightly. He buried his face in her shoulder, letting out a deep sigh as he felt the weight of his guilt and regret slowly lifting. 

Vidya's words were laced with a sense of entitlement, as if she expected Armaan to be grateful for the sacrifices she had made for him. "Armaan, maine bhi toh tumhare liye itne sacrifice kiye hai naa beta," she said, her voice dripping with self-pity.

Armaan's words were laced with a deep-seated bitterness and hurt, as if he had been carrying the weight of his sacrifices for far too long. "Yaha khade kisi bhi ek insaan ne koi sacrifice nhi kiya hai, sabke liye maine sacrifice kiya," he said, his voice cracking with emotion. "No one ever acknowledged it." 

The room fell silent, the only sound the heavy breathing of the people present. Abhira's eyes were fixed on Armaan, her expression a mixture of sadness and understanding. She knew that he had sacrificed a lot for his family, for Vidya, and for Madhav. And she knew that he had never been appreciated or acknowledged for those sacrifices.

Armaan's voice cracked as he spoke, his words tumbling out in a desperate, anguished cry. "Mujhe nhi rehna hai yaha, mera dum ghoot rha hai yaha," he sobbed, his body shaking with the force of his emotions.

The room seemed to fade away, leaving only the sound of Armaan's ragged breathing and the echoes of his pain. Abhira's eyes welled up with tears as she watched him, her heart aching with compassion and love. She knew that he had been holding on for so long, carrying the weight of his family's secrets and lies, and it was finally too much for him to bear. 

Armaan's words were laced with a deep-seated pain and betrayal, as he spoke about the ultimate sacrifice that a mother is supposed to make for her child. "Arrey log toh kehte hai ki maa apne baccho ke liye sab kuch luta deti hai," he said, his voice cracking with emotion.

But then, his words took a bitter turn, as he spoke about his own experience with his mother. "Par meri maa ne toh mujhe hi loot liya," he said, his eyes welling up with tears. The weight of his words hung in the air, a stark accusation that his mother had taken everything from him, leaving him with nothing but pain and heartache.

Abhira's eyes were fixed on Armaan, her expression a mixture of sadness and outrage. She knew that Vidya had hurt Armaan deeply, that she had taken advantage of his love and trust. And she knew that Armaan would never be able to forgive her for what she had done.

Kaveri's voice was shrill and urgent, her words tumbling out in a frantic attempt to silence Armaan's anger. "Bass karo Armaan, Vidya ko dosh dena band karo," she shouted, her face twisted with anxiety.

"Arey jo hua aaccha hi hua, tumhe itna accha parivaar mila, taalim mili, acchi parvarish mili hai, poddars kaa naam mila hai, poddar firm mein itni acchi position mili aur tumhe kyaa chahiye?" she asked, her voice rising to a crescendo.

But Armaan was beyond consolation. He laughed, a harsh, mocking sound, and clapped his hands together in a gesture of ridicule. "Accha parivaar!" he repeated, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "This isn't a family, Dadisa, these are just disguised enemies."

The room fell silent, the weight of Armaan's words hanging in the air like a challenge. Kaveri's face was red with anger, her eyes flashing with indignation. 

Armaan's words were laced with a deep-seated bitterness and resentment as he spoke to Kaveri. "If you're going to count favors, then do it properly, Dadisa," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

He walked over to a nearby shelf and picked up a small jar, his movements deliberate and calculated. "Just like people train pets, you trained me to feel good about myself only when you gave me these treats, these toffees" he said, his voice heavy with contempt. 

The jar was filled with small, colorful candy wrappers, and Armaan's eyes seemed to bore into Kaveri's soul as he held it up. The implication was clear: he had been conditioned to respond to rewards, like a pet, rather than being treated like a human being with feelings and emotions.

"I've kept these wrappers carefully, because I thought they were a symbol of your love for me," Armaan said, his voice cracking with emotion. The words hung in the air, a poignant reminder of the deep-seated pain and hurt that Armaan had endured. 

The candy wrappers, once a seemingly insignificant gesture, had become a powerful symbol of the manipulation and control that Armaan had suffered at the hands of his family.

" But what kind of love is this, when you abandoned me in an orphanage?" Armaan asked, his voice heavy with pain and accusation.

"You made me feel every time that your love for me was just a favor," he continued, the words spilling out of him like a dam breaking. The hurt and betrayal that Armaan had carried for so long was finally pouring out, and Kaveri's face was a picture of shock and guilt.

Armaan's eyes blazed with anger and sadness as he confronted Kaveri, the woman who had claimed to love him, but had ultimately abandoned him. The truth was finally out, and Armaan was determined to make Kaveri face the consequences of her actions.

"I've been living in constant fear of losing your love, of making a mistake," Armaan said, his voice trembling with emotion."Because I knew that you would give everyone else a chance, a second chance, but for me, it would be straight to punishment," he continued, the words pouring out of him like a confession.

Armaan's eyes were filled with a deep-seated pain and vulnerability as he revealed the true extent of his fear and insecurity. 

He had been walking on eggshells, constantly trying to avoid making a mistake, constantly trying to prove himself worthy of Kaveri's love. But it had all been in vain, because no matter how hard he tried, he was always going to be one mistake away from being rejected and punished. 

"I always tried to be perfect for this family, to make my place in this family," Armaan said, his voice laced with a deep-seated sadness and longing. "But you always reminded me that all the other children in this house are your own, but I'm just a stepson," he continued, the words cutting through the air like a knife.

"But now, Dadisa, I'm exhausted," Armaan said, his voice barely above a whisper, as he dropped the glass jar on the floor. The movement was almost mechanical, as if he had finally reached a breaking point and didn't have the strength to hold on any longer.

 The jar shattered into a hundred pieces, the sound echoing through the room like a scream. It was as if the jar had become a symbol of Armaan's heart, fragile and broken, unable to withstand the weight of his emotions any longer. 

As he stood there, surrounded by the shattered remains of the jar, Armaan's eyes seemed to glaze over, his expression a mixture of pain, sadness, and resignation. He looked like a person who had been stripped bare, his defenses broken down, his emotions raw and exposed. The room around him seemed to fade away, leaving only the sound of his own ragged breathing, and the faint whisper of his own heart breaking.

"Keep your love to yourself, Dadisa. I don't want it," Armaan said, his voice cold and detached, as if he had finally reached a point where he was willing to reject the very thing he had once craved the most. The words hung in the air like a challenge, a defiant rejection of the conditional love that had been offered to him for so long.

"With this, I free myself from the rope of favors that you had tied me with," Armaan said, his voice firm and resolute, as he symbolically broke free from the shackles of his family's conditional love and acceptance.

"Armaan, calm down. You're angry right now," Abhira said, trying to soothe him as she rubbed his shoulder. But Armaan was having none of it. "Yes, I'm angry, Abhira!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the room. "I have the right to be angry, more than anyone else standing in this room. Only me!" The words poured out of him like a torrent, fueled by years of pent-up emotions and hurt.

"They've treated me like a lifeless doll, assuming I have no emotions, playing with me whenever they wanted and discarding me whenever they felt like it," Armaan said, his voice cracking with pain and anger.

He felt like a toy that had been used and discarded, a mere plaything for the people around him. The pain of being treated like an object, rather than a human being with feelings and emotions, was evident in his voice, and the tears that welled up in his eyes.

"I considered her my own grandmother, but she turned out to be my biggest enemy," Armaan said, his voice heavy with betrayal and hurt. "Some people had to save their reputation, some had to save their marriage, but no one bothered to save me," he continued, the words pouring out of him like a bitter lament. The pain and resentment in his voice were palpable, as he recounted the ways in which he had been failed by the people who were supposed to care for him.