Everyone had left the house, only Raj, Nandini & Aliya were still there. Raj was resting in his room while Nandini was going housework. 

"Ganesh!" Raj called out to their servant. "Chaai bhejo kamre mein!"

"Kaka...aap rehne dijiye. Main bannati hoon." Nandini stopped the elderly servant and started making the tea. "Chal beta Nandini...bohot kaam hai tere paas. Pati ke saath saath susurji ka bhi dil jeetna hai."

Nandini then placed the tea on a tray and also made some snacks before going upstairs to Raj & Nyonika's room.

"Papa?" Nandini called out. Raj looked up and made a face seeing Nandini. "Aapka chaai."

"Tum kyun aayi? Maine Ganesh ko bola tha." Raj said.

"Ji Papa...par aap toh mujhe aapne ghar ki bahu nahi mante na? Phir mujhme aur Ganesh Kaka mein kya farak hai? Chaai ek naukar leke aaye ya phir dusra naukar...baat toh ek hi hai na?" 

Raj kept silent and took the tea cup.

"Papa, maine pakore bhi banaye hai." Nandini held the tray closer.

"Mera yeh sab khaana manna hai. Maarna chahte ho mujhe?"

"Maare aapke dushman...main kyun aisa chahungi Papa?" Nandini asked cutely. "Maine doctor se permission le li hai. Unhone ne kaha ki mahine mein ek-do baar khaana thik hai. Aur yeh main special, kaam tel mein banaya hai, woh bhi olive oil...toh zyada unhealthy nahi hai."

Raj looked uncertain.

"Arre lijiye na Papa, aapke favourie gobi ke pakore hai...Ma, Manik koi bhi nahi hai ghar pe aapko tokne ke liye. Toh yeh sirf humare beech ka secret rahega...main kisi ko nahi bataungi, sachi..."

Finally Raj gave in and took a pakora from the plate. Nandini watched happily as he took a bite.

"MMMnn...this is really good." Seeing Nandini grin, Raj controlled himself. "Itna kush mat ho, maine sirf khaane ki tareef ki hai."

"Chalega Papa." Nandini got up to leave. "Acha, agar aapko kuch bhi chahiye toh mujhe bol dijiyega."

She left as Raj continued drinking the tea and eating the pakoras. Aliya meanwhile was in her room, talking to Dhruv on the phone.

A: I know its tough Dhruv, lekin tumhe wahan rehna parega. Agar tum Manik ke haath lag gaye na toh....paata nahi woh kya karega.

D: God, aur kitna din yahan chupna parega mujhe? Yahan na koi dhang ka khaana hai na kuch karne ko....mere paas jitne bhi paise hai na...woh bhi khatam ho raha hai. Aliya baby...do something, jaldi uss Nandini ka kuch karo taki tum Manik se shaadi kar sako.

A: Relax Dhruv, mera plan already shuru ho gaya hai. 

D: Kaisa plan?

A: Nandini na ek achi bahu banne ke liye Raj uncle ke liye chaai bana rahi thi. Jab woh nahi dekh rahi thi, maine uss Chaai mein zehar mila diya hai.

D: WHAT?

A: Haan...iska ilzaam jaega seedha Nandini pe. Kyunki, chaai. toh usne banayi hai na? Ganesha Kaka witness hai.

D: But...what if he dies?

A: Toh? Mujhe usse kya? Picha chutega buddhe se. 

COUGH! COUGH!

A: Lo...lagta hai zehar ka asar ho raha hai. Chalo rakhti hoon. I wanna watch the show.

Keeping the phone away Aliya went to the halland saw Raj stumbling down the stairs, coughing badly and gasping for breathe.

"Papa!" Seeing Raj in this state, Nandini ran to him and helped him to the couch.

"Paata (Gasp)...Nahi...main...saans...nahi..."

Cough! Cough!

"Khoon...yeh..." Nandini panicked seeing Raj cough up blood. "Oh no.....GANESH KAKA! KOI AMBULANCE KO BULAO! PLS! Papa aapko kuch nahi hoga...main hoon na...kuch nahi hoga aapko."

"Ji choti bahu...hum abhi phone karte hai."

"Main...main..M...Manik ko phone karti hoon." Nandini took out her phone and dialed Manik's number. Unfortunately, his phone was on silent and he was driving so he didnt not. "Manik...phone uthao...pls...pls.."

One by one, Nandini tried calling everyone but nobody picked up the calls. Raj's condition kept getting worse by the second. "Kya karun main...koi phone nahi utha rahe hai...Cabir Bhai aur Navya bhi shehar se bahar gaye hai...kya karun.."

"Kuch bhi karlo Nandini...lekin agar tum by chance Raj uncle ko bacha bhi lete ho....tab bhi, tumhe koi nahi bacha payega. Raj uncle ko marne ki koshish main tum jaoge jail aur main karungi Manik se shaadi." Aliya smirked and then went back to her room and relaxed.

"Kaka....ambulance ka kya hua?" Nandini asked.

"Woh log bol rahe hai ki aadha ghanta lagega..."

"KYA?" Nandini grabbed the phone from Ganesh Kaka. "KYA MATLAB AAPKO AADHA GHANTA LAGEGA? AAPKA KAAM HAI VAQT PE LOGON KO HOSPITAL PAUCHANA. AGAR MERE PAPA KO KUCH HO GAYA TOH?"

Raj, still coughing up blood and gasping for air was shocked to see Nandini so panicked and worried for him.

"Chodiye...main hi Papa ko hospital le jaungi."

"Par Choti bahu...aapne kabhi driving ki hai?"

Nandini thought back to her past life as Jhanvi when she used to drive around in her brothers jeep. "Haan...bohot saal pehle...lekin humare paas aur koi raasta nahi hai. Papa ki jaan bachana zyada zaroori hai abhi. Chaliye Papa."

Nandini & Ganesh Kaka helped Raj to the car that was left at home. Nandini got into the drivers seat while Ganesh Kaka sat at the back with Raj.

"Kuch nahi hoga aapko Papa...main kuch nahi hone dungi. I promise..." Nandini said as she zoomed off towards the hospital.

As soon as they got to the hospital, Nandini screamed for help. The doctors came running and layed Raj down on a stretcher, taking him inside.

"Kaka...aap sab ko phone lagate rahiye..." Nandini closed her eyes and prayed. "Pls bhagwanji, Papa ko kuch mat kijiye..pls."

After a while the doctpr came out. "Doctor sab. Papa thik toh hai na? Kya hua hai unko?"

"Unko zehar diya gaya hai." The doctor informed them.

"Kya?!" 

"Bohot hi khatarnak zehar hai. Mr Malhotra hi halat abhi bhi critical hai."

"Yeh kaise ho sakta hai...zehar?" 

"Matlab hume sahi khabar mila hai." Nandini turned around to see an inspector standing with a lady constable and another male constable. "Mrs Nandini Malhotra....you are under arrest."

"Kya...kya matlab? Aa..aap mujhe arrest kyun kar rahe hai?"

"Apne Sasurji, Mr Raj Malhotra ko maarne ki koshish ke jurm mein." The inspector replied.

"Nahi...yeh jhoot hai. Main Papa ko kyun marne ki koshish karungi? Maine aisa kuch nahi kiya."

"Aapki aur Mr Manik Malhotra ki shaadi unke marzi ki khilaf hua tha....haan ya na?"

"Haan par-"

"Aur woh aapko bilkul pasand nahi karte....haan ya na?"

"Aap kaunsi baat ko kahan le jaa rahe hai? Maine Papa ko kuch nahi kiya!"

"Akhri baar aapne unke liye  chaai aur kuch pakore banaya tha...haan ya na." 

"Haan...aapko kaise..." Nandini was confused.

"Hum pehle aapke ghar gaye they...wahan ke servants se paata chala. Infact aapke kamre se...hume yeh..." The inspector took out a small bottle of poison. "Yeh zehar ki bottle mila."

"Yeh...yeh...maine maine kuch nahi kiya. Pls mera vishwas kijiye maine kuch nahi kiya!" Nandini sobbed.

"Jo kehna hai police station mein jaake kahiye. Constable Sushma, arrest her."

"Nahi! Nahi pls....Kaka..Kaka boliye na inko. Maine kuch nahi kiye. Main aisa kuch kabhi nahi kar sakti."

"Inspector saab, pls humari choti bahu ko chod dijiye...woh bohot achi hai. Bade saab ko hospital tak isne laayi...pls saab mat kijiye aisa." Ganesh begged the police but the lady constable handcuffed Nandini and dragged her out as she kept sobbing and begging to be released."

"Pls Inspector. Papa ko hosh bhi nahi aaya...ghar wale bhi nahi hai. Main nahi jaa sakti unko chodke...pls."

******************

SLAP!

"AAH!" Nandini screamed in pain as a lady inspector smacked her across the face. 

"Bol sach kya hai!"

"Maine kuch nahi kiya...kuch nahi kiya maine..." 

While the lady inspector tortured Nandini, The male inspector smirked and called a person...who was none other than Aliya.

I: Ji ma'am. Kaam ho gaya.

A: Good, acha inaam mila iske liye. Now remember....saare saboot Nandini ke khilaf hai. Agar mera naam tere muh se nikla toh main teri zindagi barbad kar dungi."

I: Dont worry ma'am. Chahe kuch ho jaaye, main kabhi aapka naam nahi lunga.

Aliya laughed as she hung up the phone. "Tsk tsk tsk......mujhe na actually burra lag rahe hai tumhare liye Nandini. Just think, agar tumne Manik se shaadi nahi ki hoti toh aaj tumhari yeh halat nahi hota. Anyways, ab jo tumhare supporters hai na...woh bhi tumhara saath nahi denge. Tumne Raj Uncle ko maarne ki koshish jo ki...ab tum Manik ki life se out aur main in! Aur phir...Manik ki saari property aur paisa mera aur mere Dhruv ka ho jayega. EEEE! Im so excited!"

---------------------------------------------

Note: So Aliya poisoned Raj and Nandini has been arrested. What do you think will happen next?

Will Manik & his family believe Nandini?

Will they support her?

Will Raj get better?