Anupamaa: Anu Makes a Comeback in the Competition, Fails to Identify Sugar and Salt

Tonight's Anupamaa episode begins with Anupama breaking down as she thinks about the competition and the dream she has worked so hard to achieve. She looks towards God and questions why He never listens to her prayers. Anupama recalls asking God to keep all obstacles away from her dream, but feels that nothing has gone according to her wish. She wonders what mistake she has made that her prayers are never heard.

Prerna, Ishani and Banku notice Anupama crying. Banku decides to lift her spirits and asks if she would like to have some pizza. However, Anupama says that she has lost her sense of taste and therefore cannot enjoy the food.

Jaya then talks to Anupama about her dream house being destroyed. Anupama tells her that she too feels as if her own dream has been shattered. Jaya asks what they will do now.

Anupama assures Jaya that no matter what happens, she will help her rebuild her dream house. Meanwhile, Banku offers to drop Jaya to school. Before leaving, Jaya wishes Anupama luck for the competition.

Hasmuk asks Anupama to get ready for the finale, but she refuses to go. Anupama feels that there is no point in participating because God has already taken away her dream. Hasmuk tries to change her perspective. He reminds her that she always offers prasad to God without tasting it, and perhaps this situation is also a test of her faith and abilities.

Hasmuk praises Anupama for her cooking skills and reminds her how much experience she has gained over the years. He says that she has trained herself so well that she can perfectly balance sugar, salt and spices without even tasting the food. He asks her to trust her own abilities. Digvijay points out that the judges can give contestants challenging tasks in any round. He asks Anupama what she would do if she were specifically asked to cook without tasting the food. He questions whether she would simply walk away from the competition.

Ishani also motivates Anupama by reminding her that if she is confident about rebuilding Jaya's dream house, then she should have the same confidence in rebuilding her own dream. Anupama remains worried about whether the judges will discover her condition. Digvijay tells her that they will not know anything unless someone tells them. He once again assures her that she is the best.

Prerna asks Anupama to stop overthinking and come with them for the grand finale. However, Anupama remains emotionally shattered. She looks at Anuj's picture and talks to him about her fears. Anuj's memory gives her the strength to believe that she is capable of achieving anything, but Anupama still struggles to regain her confidence.

Eventually, Anupama decides that she cannot face the competition and refuses to participate in the grand finale. She admits that she is scared. Meanwhile, Paritosh is seen counting money when Pakhi catches him. She questions him about where the money came from and demands the truth. Pakhi warns him that if he refuses to explain, she will tell Anupama everything.

Paritosh finally reveals that Gautam had asked him to give the packet to Anupama and make her eat it. He insists that he did not know what Gautam was actually planning. Pakhi immediately fears that Gautam may have poisoned Anupama.

Paritosh assures her that Gautam could not have intended to kill Anupama and points out that the doctor had confirmed that she was fine. Pakhi then demands her share of the money and threatens to expose Paritosh if he refuses. With no other option, Paritosh gives her the money.

Soon, they notice Ishani and Prerna heading towards the competition. This makes Pakhi and Paritosh wonder if Anupama has changed her mind and decided to return. Paritosh worries that if Anupama participates, Gautam will ask him to return the money. Pakhi makes it clear that she has no intention of giving the money back, and Paritosh agrees with her.

The grand finale finally begins. Vasundhara tells Gautam that he had assured her that Anupama's team would not perform, yet they are already dancing. Gautam asks Vasundhara to remain calm. He points out that Anupama and Digvijay are still missing and claims that they will not make it to the stage. He assures Vasundhara that everything will go according to their plan. The host introduces the grand finale and reveals the coveted trophy along with the prize money.

Prem notices that the members of the other team do not seem excited. He questions why they are not celebrating the occasion. Rahi also becomes concerned about Anupama and Digvijay's absence. Gautam tells Vasundhara that an announcement about Anupama withdrawing from the competition will soon be made. Paritosh is confident that Anupama will not arrive, while Pakhi remarks that Anupama is capable of doing something unexpected.

The host announces that Anupama and Digvijay are late. Prem becomes suspicious and wonders whether Vasundhara has something to do with their absence. Rahi, however, refuses to believe that Vasundhara could have caused the situation. Rahi grows increasingly anxious as Anupama and Digvijay remain missing.

The judges, Manpreet, Roy and the others, warn that Anupama could be eliminated if she fails to reach the stage on time. Prem says that he wants Anupama to be present because he wants to defeat her fair and square.

The countdown begins as the timer starts ticking. Vasundhara thinks about how deeply she loves Prem and believes that she is willing to do anything for him, even if her actions end up hurting him.

In the precap, Anupama discovers that her sense of taste has still not returned. She struggles to differentiate between sugar and salt while preparing the food. As the pressure mounts, Anupama becomes nervous on the grand finale stage.