The last guest steps out, leaving behind compliments, and finally only the Gulmohur family is left. The workers start to file out. Armaan comes up and slaps Raj on the shoulder.
Armu: Great job, yaar! Neha ko emcee banane ka idea perfect tha. Uske kaaran iss show ka impact aur bhi badh gaya.
Raj smiles and nods. He can see Maddy in the distance, kissing Neha's hand in admiration. Jaggy is trying to flirt with Pari, who is suffering pangs of jealousy seeing Nandu and Beauty laughing together in a corner. Jassi is sitting with the Walias, Vedika on her lap. The Suris are looking for Meghna, who seems to be looking for Vedika.
Raj: Armaan, main chahta hoon kit u kal hi Board meeting rakh kar Neha ko Creative Head bana de. Kuch hi dino mein tum log Amritsar chale jaoge, peeche saara kaam mujhe hi sambhaalna hai. Main akela sab handle nahin kar sakta, mujhe Neha ki help ki zaroorat padti rahegi..
Armu: (slyly) Of course, of course, main jaanta hun ki tujhe Neha ki hamesha zaroorat rehti hai…!😳
Raj looks at him with a "Oh come on now!" expression. Armu grins back and claps his embarrassed friend on the shoulder. "Ghar chal…bahut dino se tu aaya hi nahin…"
Raj: (sighing) Haan yaar….sab apni lives mein kuch zyada hi busy ho gaye hain…
Maddy spots Meghna and shrieks with delight. "Omigosh…is it really you ya main tumhara ghost dekh raha hun….??"
Meghna: (grinning) Yeh main hi hoon, Maddy…..par tum bilkul ghost jaise lag rahe ho….lagta hai stress bahut zyada hai!
Maddy: Don't ask, darling….iss collection ke liye extra effort lagana pada…but it was all worth it…by the way, tumhari dress ko dekh kar mera mann kar raha hai ki abhi ke abhi isse inspire ho kar ek naya collection launch karu…!
They get talking like a couple of kids. Ila smiles with satisfaction to see Meghna look so cheerful.
Finally, as JandA along with Raj, Puru, Ila, Meg and Angel are steeping out, Raj spots Neha still outside, looking for a taxi. The next moment he is by her side, offering her a lift. She protests but he insists. AS Raj comes back and tells Armaan he won't be able to accompany them home, JandA look knowingly at him. He leaves in a blush.😳
At home, JandA are behaving like lovebirds (which they are, actually….😉) As Vedika is sleeping with Meghna at her insistence, JandA seize the first opportunity to go to their room, arm in arm. Ila looks warily at Meghna.
Ila: Are you sure, beta, ki tumhe Vedika ko saath sulaane mein koi problem nahin hogi? Agar aisa ho to main….(which was in fact a way of saying she was nervous for Vedika!😉)
Meg: Nahin auntie…..in fact, mujhe Vedika ke saath sone mein bahut mazaa aayega…
She takes Vedika with her and the child, quite used to her by now, happily complies. After a round of aboriginal bedtime stories (thankfully not the ghostly ones…..Meg seems to have learnt a little sense!😆), she drifts asleep. Meg watches her for a while, unable to fall asleep. Finally she moves out into the garden. To her surprise, Angel is also there. She explains that she often comes here when she gets disturbing thoughts about the groom who ditched her.
Meg: (sighing) Angel, tumhare saath jo hua, wo kissi paraye ne kiya…he didn't belong to you! Achcha hai ki sab shaadi se pehle ho gaya….par mujhe dekho….mujhe to apne bhai-behn ke baare mein doosro se pata chal raha hai….i don't know what to believe! Angel….(looking anxiously at her)…kya Aryan aur Mallika ne sachmuch Armaan ke against itna kuch kiya?
Angel looks uncomfortable, but then proceeds to relate all that Ila has told her about Mallika's interference in JandA's life; which is essentially the same as what Puru had told Meg. Meg looks downcast when she finishes. "Aur Aryan?" she asks in a small voice.
Angel: I seriously don't know, Meg…tum jaanti ho ki Aryan hum sabse thoda alag hi rehta tha….i don't know much about him.
Meg: Mujhe vishwaas nahin ho raha…..
Angel: Meg, Mom-Dad ne jo bataya, usme kuch to sachchai hai….but frankly, yeh sab problems bahut aaram se solve ho jaati, agar Jassi beech mein na aati….jab se wo hamari life mein aayi hain, sab kuch gadbad ho gaya hai…!
Meg nods thoughtfully. They sit there, while shadows deepen over the Suris' mansion.
Tomorrow: Board meeting.
