It's midnight. Baaaa, Bapuji, Toshu, Samar, Pakhi, Adhik, Dimple, Ankush, Barkha, and AnupaMaa are all waiting in the hall for Anuj. He left the school auditorium hastily after the prize-distributing ceremony got over. AnupaMaa thought he had been upset about CA not being able to perform, so he had gone to his home to process his emotions before facing CA. But, he did not come to his home. CA slept after asking for him multiple times. AnupaMaa called him numerous times, but he did not answer. Everybody is tense about him. MAA had a few panic attacks. She is crying at the top of her voice, blaming herself for the mishap.
At sharp 1.00 a.m., Anuj enters the house carrying his coat in his hand, forcing his numb feet to move forward. His messy hair and red, puffy, and swollen eyes are testaments of his inner state.
Bapuji: Where have you been, Beta? We all were worried about you.
Anuj: I am sorry to see all of you worried. Please go to sleep now. And you don't have to worry about me. I am an independent adult. I can take care of myself. My parents did not coddle me throughout my life. They let me grow up and face the world on my own. So, please, next time, don't worry if I am a bit late. For a change, for once, try worrying about kids instead of physically and mentally healthy adults.
MAA(Her voice is breaking): Surry, surrrrrry, sury. I know you are angry at me, and your anger is totally justified. What I did today is inexcusable. I deserve the harshest punishment. Everybody is here. You, please, shout at me, curse me, scold me, taunt me, and do whatever you like in front of everyone. I deserve every bit of your anger.
Anuj: I am not your Mishter Shah. I don't shout to express my anger. I know you miss his anger, his shouts, and his threatening. But, what can I do? I can't never be like him. And, today I, with folded hands seek your forgiveness for forcing motherhood on you. You gave some very valid reasons for not opting for adoption, but it's because of my emotional appeal; you had to shoulder a responsibility which came between your other responsibilities. You had to bear the displeasure and dissatisfaction of your kids and Baa because of one selfish decision of mine. Blood is always thicker than water. I am so sorry that I came in the way of your happiness. You were living happily with your family. You did not live SH even after your divorce, but because of marrying me, you had to leave your comfort zone. I feel so guilty for pulling you out of the nest you weaved with so much love and dedication for 26 years. Why did I not notice that you always felt out of place in this house? You were a bird ripped out of it's nesst to survive in a cage. I am so sorry for chopping off your wings. You always had a boundary. It's me who stepped in to your zone. I came between you and your kids. The "MAA" had to divide between her kids and me, and I am wholeheartedly sorry for exercising my rights on the "MAA." I promise that from this moment I will never request not order you to do anything for my daughter and me. You are free from all those burdens I inflicted on you. I will become the only parent of my kid as having no parent is better than having an absent parent. I will drop her to school and pick her up, I will take her to dance and art classes, I will take her for ice cream and snacks, and I will participate in all of her school programs. You can be that loving aunt of hers who visits every year for a few days with lots of gifts. You don't need to be her mother anymore. You can do whatever you like. You can go wherever you like. I will neither stop you nor accompany you. Thanks for trying to be AnupaMaa Kapadia. Today I free you from the onus of carrying the Kapadia surname. You were, are, and will always be a Shah, and I promise never to snatch your surname from you.
He storms off in his bedroom without looking back, leaving AnupaMAA Shah with the family she truly belongs. He has drawn an invisible line between them, and he will never cross it. He will never step in to her zone; he will never let her step in to his zone.