Noor's mind raced as she pieced together the clues. "Kaake," she whispered, wide-eyed, "the stalker coughs at the end of every sentence. And the man said he wore something on his head... Loafer always had a habit of coughing after he spoke, and he wears a turban." She looked at Shubman, her heart pounding, as the realization sunk in.

Shubman frowned, his brow furrowed as he processed the information. "Are you saying... Loafer could be the stalker?"

Noor sat up straight, wiping the tears from her face as she nodded firmly. "Yes, Kaake. He's the one—Loafer is the stalker." Her voice was filled with conviction.

"No, no, Noor," Shubman shook his head in disbelief. "As much as I can't stand that loafer, he couldn't be behind this. It's just not possible."

He looked at her with a mix of frustration and doubt, unwilling to accept the idea.

Noor grabbed Shubman's hands, her eyes wide with certainty. "Shubman, listen to me. It all makes sense. The cough, the head covering—the man described it perfectly. You’ve seen how he acts. He always had that habit of coughing after every sentence, and he’s always worn that turban. You can't just brush it off."

Shubman sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I don’t know, Noor. It just feels... too extreme, even for him."

"But what if it's not?" Noor persisted. "We can’t just ignore this."

Shubman sat upright, running his fingers through his hair in frustration before flailing his hands. "Noor, are you serious? Lucky helped you recently when you were trying to get to me! Do you really think he’s capable of something like this? I know the guy’s cheap, but to stoop so low? I just can’t see it."

Noor bit her lip, her brows furrowed. "I know it sounds crazy, Shubman, but sometimes people surprise you. He’s got the motives, and the signs are all there."

Shubman shook his head, still not fully convinced.

Shubman stood up, pacing the room, his mind racing. "I just don’t get it, Noor. Why would Lucky want to hurt us like this? He’s never shown anything like this before. There’s petty, and then there’s…" He trailed off, trying to wrap his head around it.

Noor crossed her arms, her eyes narrowed. "He never liked us from school, and you know it. He was a bully, Shubman. Always trying to bring us down."

Shubman turned to her, exasperation in his voice. "Oh, woman, please! Not long ago, you were defending him, talking about how people change and how we were just kids back then."

Noor nodded, her expression resolute. "People can change, but sometimes they don’t change as much as we hope. Maybe his bitterness never really went away. We have to consider every possibility."

Shubman sighed, frustration evident in his voice. "Maybe. But that still doesn’t mean he’d go this far."

Noor banged her hand on the bed, frustration evident. "Why the hell are you so bent on proving him innocent?"

Shubman turned around, his eyes filled with a mix of anger and pity. "Because of Pammi Aunty!"

Noor, confused, asked, "Pammi Aunty?"

Shubman sighed and sat down, rubbing his face. "As much as we hate her, we’ve seen that woman working hard day and night to raise her kids and give them a respectful life, even when her husband was drowning in alcohol. Lucky doing this— I just can’t accept it."

Noor bit her lips, trying to control her tears as she thought about Pammi Aunty. As much as she hated her, she knew that the world, society, and her husband had made Pammi cruel. Whenever Aunty taunted her, it felt like a push to do better.

As Noor remembered the past, she recalled a scene from her childhood.

Little Noor, around six years old, was on her tiny bicycle, her face beaming with excitement. She was racing alongside Shubman and Lucky. Pammi Aunty, standing by the finish line with her stern expression, watched them with a mix of pride and tension.

In a burst of aggression, Lucky shoved her roughly, causing Noor to tumble hard trying to win at any cost. The push sent Noor tumbling off her bike, landing on the grass with a startled cry.

Pammi Aunty rushed over, her face a mix of concern and annoyance. “Noor, are you alright, beta?” she asked, her voice softening as she knelt beside the little girl.

Noor, tears streaming down her cheeks, looked up with a sniffle. “I’m okay, Aunty. Lucky pushed me...”

Pammi Aunty’s eyes narrowed in disapproval. “Lucky should have been more careful. It’s not right to push others like that.”

Noor, still sniffling, managed a small, determined smile. “I’ll be okay, Aunty. I want to race again. I’ll win next time!”

Pammi Aunty patted Noor’s head gently, her expression softening. “That’s the spirit, dear. Just be careful, alright?”

Despite her usual harshness, Pammi Aunty’s rare show of kindness left an impression on Noor. As she remembered this, she realized how those moments of cruelty and kindness had shaped her, fueling her drive to prove herself and rise above.

Shubman stared into the distance, lost in thought. He recalled a time when he had been mischievous, causing trouble at school and breaking a vase at home. His parents had punished him, making him sit out of the house for a while as a consequence.

While sitting outside, Shubman noticed Pammi Aunty standing by her house, beckoning him with a quiet gesture. Despite the distance, he could see the kindness in her eyes as she silently urged him to come over.

Shubman's little feet quickly carried him to Pammi Aunty's house. She greeted him with a warm smile and gently guided him into the kitchen.

"Here, Shubman," she said, placing a plate of rasgulla and sweets in front of him. "I thought you might need a little treat."

Shubman looked up at her with wide eyes. "Thank you, Aunty! I was really hungry."

Pammi Aunty smiled, patting his head. "It's alright, dear. Sometimes we all need a bit of sweetness to make things better."

As Shubman enjoyed the rasgulla, Pammi Aunty continued, "Shubman, it’s okay to be mischievous sometimes, but never let it turn you into a bad person. What you did at school was wrong. You shouldn't prank others like that."

Shubman nodded solemnly, wiping his hands at the sink. After drying them, he turned and hugged Pammi Aunty tightly. "I’m sorry, Aunty," he said softly. "I’ll try to be better."

Pammi Aunty hugged him back, her eyes warm with affection. "I know you will, dear. Just remember to always be kind."

Shubman lay on the bed, tears streaming down his face. "I know I hate that woman and still resent her taunts," he said between sobs, "but deep down, she’s not truly bad. I just don't have the heart to name the stalker as Lucky."

Noor, lying next to him, gently caressed his hair. "What do we do now, Shubman?" she asked softly, her voice filled with concern.

Shubman stared at the ceiling, his face etched with sorrow. He thought about how Pammi Aunty would feel if she knew Lucky had turned into a gambler. She had done everything to protect him from becoming like his alcoholic father, pouring her heart into raising him with care and respect. It was a waste of the effort she had put in, and the realization pained him deeply.

"Noor," Shubman said quietly, his voice trembling, "I keep thinking about Pammi Aunty. She worked so hard to raise Lucky right, to protect him from becoming like his father. And now… now he’s turned into this."

Noor looked at him, her eyes full of concern. "I know, Shubman. It’s hard to accept. She wanted the best for him."

Shubman sighed, his gaze fixed on the ceiling. "She put her heart into raising him, and this is what he’s become. It’s like all her efforts have been wasted."

Noor nodded, her voice soft. "But we need to think about what’s best now. We can’t let our feelings for her cloud our judgment. If Lucky is involved, we have to deal with it."

Shubman turned to her, his eyes filled with frustration. "But I don’t have the heart to accuse him. It feels wrong, especially after everything she did for him."

Noor sighed, seeing how pained and heartbroken Shubman was. She kissed his cheek gently and whispered, “You know what? Let the series end first. We’ll figure out what to do after that. Before we do anything, we’ll check with the man to see if Lucky was the one he saw or not.”

Shubman nodded and buried his face into Noor's neck, holding her tightly. As he tried to sleep, he couldn't shake the thought of how hurt Pammi Aunty would be when she heard the news.

Noor kissed the top of Shubman’s head and patted it gently, her own head resting on the headboard. She thought deeply about how to handle the delicate situation they were facing.