AnuPre FF:Game Plan-Part 46 & 47 - Page 15

Lovely! I loved both Anurag's and Prerna's dreams!

Sorry double post

Originally posted by: rp5127

Lovely! I loved both Anurag's and Prerna's dreams!

Recap:When Prerna opened her eyes, she had a smile on her face.That smile vanished when her eyes fell on the nightstand which had Anurag's picture but not the breakfast tray she had dreamt of.Getting up, leaning on the headboard she recollected what happened last night and what she had just dreamt of.Why couldn't she always have that life from the beginning?Why did things have to get complicated between them?She picked up Anurag's picture from the nightstand and said,"Jo maine dekha... kya yeh ab bhi sach ho sakta hai"?

Part 22:A Happy Reunion

"Kya Sach ho sakta hai?,a voice asked.Prerna looked up to see Anurag standing at the door holding a tray filled with tea and biscuits.
Stunned to see Anurag standing at the door, Prerna stammered,"Tu-tum?". Anurag entered the room saying,"Haan, tum so rahi thi maine socha ki main tumhare liye breakfast lekar aayu".He kept the tray on the nightstand.He smiled as his eyes fell on Prerna's hands holding his framed picture.Noticing this, Prerna quickly kept the photo back in the nightstand.Sitting next to her in the bed he said,"Haan, to tum kya keh rahi thi?"Kya aisa ho sakta hai?"Kya ho sakta hai,Prerna?".Prerna looked down in nervousness.Should she tell him about the dream? And exactly what will she tell him that she just dreamt of their happily married life
when she was going to leave him.It would break his heart.Moreover, Prerna herself didn't know what she should make of this dream, how can she explain it to someone else."Prerna", Anurag's voice broke into her thoughts,"batao na tum Kya soch rahi thi?". Recovering herself,Prerna said,"Arre Kuch nahi(giggling) woh maine sapna dekha tha ki hume ek gol matol sa baby hua hai, aur main bas soch rahi thi ki aisa kaise ho sakta hai, hum dono do itne slim hai.".Anurag laughed at this,he said,"I really hope ki humara bachcha bohot mota ho,mujhe mote bachche bohot cute lagte hai".Prerna smiled back,"Mujhe bhi".Anurag's eyes fell on the breakfast tray.He said,"Are tumne breakfast to start bhi nahi kiya...(handing her the teacup) yeh lo"
Prerna smiled gratefully at him.Main tumhe apne pura sapna abhi nahi Bata sakti Anurag,she thought.Kyuki main ab khud hi confused hu ki jo decision maine liya hai woh sahi bhi hai ya nahi?Ya main tumhe chhorkar ek bohot bari galti kar rahi hu?Jab tak main khud apne faisle ke baare mein sure nahi hoti tab tak main tumse Kuch nahi kahungi.
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Mohini was coming out of the kitchen when she saw Suman who blocked her way.She smiled,"Good morning, Kakimoni."
"Good morning, beta", Mohini said warily.Saying this Mohini was about to walk away when Suman's words stopped her,"Kakimoni humare inaam ka Kya?".This was exactly what Mohini was dreading- Suman blackmailing her for every damn thing.Suman continued,"After all, humne aapka itna bada kaam kiya hai.Humare wajah se Prerna didi iss Ghar mein-".Mohini cut her off,"Ruko yaha nahi agar kisi be sun liya toh.(Grabbing her hand)Chalo mere saath".Mohini took Suman by her hand and led her to Mohini's bedroom and shut the door,"Kya baat hai ab bolo?".Suman started,"Kakimoni humne aapka itna bada kaam kiya.Aaj humare wajah se Prerna Didi iss Ghar mein hai, aapke bete ke saath aur woh bhi ek kamre mein.Prerna Didi aur Anurag ke beech ab sab Kuch bas theek hone hi walaa hai...Aapko itni badi khushi dee hai humne, Hume bhi toh iske badle mein Kuch milna chahiye na?".Mohini glared at her,"Pehli baat toh agar Onu aur Prerna ek kamre mein reh rahe hai woh tumhare wajah se nahi meri wajah se(pointing at herself).Maine Prerna se jhoot bola ki Onu ko fresh paint ke smell se allergy hai iss liye woh log ek kamre mein reh rahe hai.Aur doosri baat tum Prerna ko Ghar le aayi uska inaam maine Pehli hi tumhe de diya tha, woh panne ki anguthi tumhe yaad hai....poore paanch lakh ki thi woh.Zindagi mein kabhi dekhi bhi hai itni keemti anguthi?",Mohini said condescendingly.Suman said squarely,"Nahi.Nahi dekhi hai.Waise aapne kabhi apne bete ko itna khush dekha hai?Yeh khushi kis liye hai?Prerna Didi ke Ghar mein aane se.Prerna Didi ko Ghar mein kaun leke aaya (pointing to herself)hum!".Mohini glared at her insolence.In a casual tone Suman continued,"Haan...lekin agar aapke liye apne bete ki khushi ki keemat sirf paanch lakh hai toh...theek hai.Aapne uski khushi ka daam hume de diya.Baat khatam!Abse hum aapki koi madat nahi karenge.Ab chahe Anurag aur Prerna Didi ek ho ya alag ho hume usse koi farak nahi padhta.Hum chalte hai!".Saying this Suman was about to leave when Mohini's voice stopped her."Ruko",Mohini commanded.Suman smirked at the success of her bluff.Mohini closed her eyes and took a deep breath trying to contain her anger.Desperate times called for desperate measures.Just because Prerna and Anurag are on amicable terms now doesn't mean Prerna has changed her mind about the divorce.Her son's happiness is at stake here.Mohini cannot afford to take any chances. If Prerna finds out that she was tricked into staying at Basu Bari and staying in the same room as Anurag.Then, she might blame her son for it and go ahead with the divorce.No, Mohini thought stubbornly,Abhi bhi unn dono ka rishta kaafi nazuk hai.I cannot leave anything to chance.Onu ki khushi ke liye mujhe iss blackmailer Suman ki madad leni hi paregi.At least tab tak jab tak Onu aur Prerna khud aakar mujse yeh nahi kehte ke woh dono apne rishte ko phirse mauka denge.Suman clicked her fingers in front of Mohini's face saying,"Kya baat hai, Kakimoni?Hume rukwake aap kis soch mein per gayi?".Mohini quickly recovered,"Ek minute".She headed to her cupboard and opened it.She took out a gold necklace she had recently purchased.Handing it to Suman, she said,"Yeh lo, Prerna ko iss ghar mein laane ke liye tumhara inaam.".Suman excitedly took the necklace from Mohini's hands,"Wow!",she exclaimed. Trying it in front of the dressing table she said,"Kitna khoobsurat hai yeh aur kitna achcha lag raha hai yeh humpe!Not bad Kakimoni aapki choice itni bhi buri nahi hai.".Mohini let out a frustrated sigh,"Ab agar tumhara ho gaya ho toh hum breakfast ke liye chale agar kisine Hume aise dekh liye na toh unhe shak ho jayega.".Saying this, Mohini opened the door and left the door.Abhi toh bas shurwat hai Kakimoni,Suman thought admiring her reflection in the mirror,Abhi hume aapse aise bohot saare tohfe nikaalne hai.Aur woh bhi jald se jald.(frowning)Warna Prerna Didi ka kya bharosa kab unka Mann badal jaaye aur phirse naaraz hoke Basu Bari chhorde.Aur unke aur unke bachche ka saara boj humare pati par aa jaaye.
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The Basu's and Sharma's were having breakfast at the dining table when Moloy asked Mahesh,"Toh, beta tumhare cricket ki training kaisi chal rahi hai?".Mahesh replied enthusiastically,"Bohot achhi Kakababu.In fact mere coach ka kehna hai ki agar main issi tarah practice karta raha toh iss saal ke national level under 19 tournament mein meri selection pakki hai".Moloy beamed"Wow!beta that's great." Shekhar frowned,"Lekin yeh kaise ho sakta hai Mahesh?Agle saal tere board exams hai.Waise bhi tere marks iss term bhi bohot kam aaye hai.Agar tu abhi se padhayi nahi karega toh tu boards mein fail bhi ho sakta hai.Mujhe lagta hai ki at least tujhe iss ek saal ke liye cricket-wicket ke baare mein bhool jaana chahiye aur apne padhayi mein focus karna chahiye.". Mahesh protested,"Nahi bhaiyaa yeh ek once in a lifetime opportunity ha mere liye. Agar abhi maine yeh miss kar diya toh shayad aisa mauka mujhe phir nahi milega.Aur waise bhi main boards mein achche number laake kya karunga agar mujhe apna future cricket mein banana hain toh?". Veena intervened,”Mahesh, beta hum tumhari baat samaj rahe hai. Lekin Shekhar bhi kuch galat nahi keh raha hai. Humne tumhari report card dekhi hai, tumhare marks lagataar giret jaa rahe hai.Aur maths mein tum fail ho gaye.Agar tumhare 12th ke marks achche nahi ayenge to tum aage ki padhayi kaise karoge beta? Maana ki tumhara jhukaav cricket ki taraf zyada hai lekin graduation tak toh tumhe padhayi karni hi padegi.”. Seeing his mother and brother united against his cause, Mahesh appealed to his favourite sister,”Priyu Di”,he pleaded ,”Aap ma ko kuch samjhaiye na”. Prerna sighed,”Mahesh, Ma aur bhaiya ko tumhare future ki chinta hai iss liye woh log aisa keh rahe hai. Aur tumhe graduation toh karna hai na”. Angry and frustrated, Mahesh got up,”Mujhe bhook nahi hain main room mein jaa raha hu”.Saying this, he stormed upstairs paying no heed to his mother and sister’s voices calling him.”Ma main jaake use dekhti hu”,Prerna was about to get up when Anurag stopped her. “If you don’t mind kya main jaake usse baat kar sakta hu.Woh abhi tumse naraaz hoke gaya ai, I think he will respond to me better”. Suman encouraged him,”Haan, Anurag aap jaake Mahesh se baat kijiye after all Mahesh aapko kitna maanta hai. Aur upar se aap uske jijaji bhi hai, toh aap ki baat toh woh maankar hi rahega. Hai na, Shekhar?”With Anurag expectantly looking at him, Shekhar had no choice but to nod weakly. Anurag got up from the table and headed upstairs. As everyone in the dining table resumed their conversation, Prerna gave a stern glance at Suman.”Bhabhi”,she whispered,”Aapko iss tarah usse aisa nahi kehna chahiye tha”.Suman pretended not to understand what she was implying at,”Humne aisa kya kaha Prerna Didi. Aapko bhi toh pata hai na, ki Mahesh Anurag ko bilkul apne bade bhai ki tarah maanta hai aur woh kabhi uski koi baat nahi taalega”. Prerna countered,”Mera matlab woh nahi tha.Woh jijaji wali baat-”. Suman replied casually,”Oh woh...jab tak aap logo ka talaak nahi hota Anurag toh humare ghar ka damaad hi kehlayega na?Toh uss hisaab se woh Mahesh ka jija hi hua na?Yehi to sach hai.Toh iss baat ko sabke saamne bolkar humne aisa kya gunah kar diya Prerna Didi hume abhi bhi nahi samaj aa rahe hai”. Prerna gave up,”Offo bhabhi main aapko nahi samjha paungi, aap rehne dijiye”. Watching their whole interaction from the corner of her eye Mohini smirked, Chalo,Mohini thought, Mere pandra lakh ka haar iss Suman ko dene ka kuch toh faida hua. Bas, ab iss hi tarah mera Onu inn logo se aur close ho jaaye taaki zaroorat parne par yeh log Prerna ko roke Onu ko chhorne se. After a while, Mahesh and Anurag came down. Addressing his brother and mother, Mahesh said,”Ma, bhaiya, I am sorry aise behave karne ke liye. Main aap logo ki baat samajta hu aur main boards ke liye mann laka ke padhunga taaki aap logo ko mera report card dekh ke kabhi koi sharmindgi na ho.”. Veena beamed.”Hume khushi hai ke tum humari baat samaj gaye beta. Tumne cricket chhorkar-”.Mahesh cut her off,”Nahi ma.Main cricket nahi chhor raha.Main bas ab se apne padhayi ko lekar pehle ki tarah la parwahi nahi dikhaunga”. Shekhar replied annoyed,”Mahesh, tum agar din mein cricket training aur school jaoge, aur shaam ko coaching centre, toh tum ghar aake padhayi kab karoge?”. Mahesh replied,”Bhaiya main shaam ko coaching centre nahi ja raaha.(looking at Anurag)Maine apne liye ek naya tutor dhund liya hai, jo na mujhe sirf padhayega balki padhayi aur cricket balance karne mein meri help bhi karega”. Mohini understood what Mahesh was implying and said,”Tumne bohot achcha decision liya hai Mahesh.Mera Onu ne naa hi sirf boards mein top kiya tha, balki usne 12th standard mein, Inter State Football Tournament bhi jeeta tha.Tumhe Onu se achcha mentor aur kahi nahi milega” . Prerna, who now finally understood what Mahesh meant objected,”Mahesh aisa kaise ho sakta hai.Anurag koi tutor nahi hai aur uski bhi toh kaayi zimmedaariya hai. Woh kaise tumahre liye time nikaal sakta hai?”.Moloy spoke up,”Kyu nahi parha sakta woh,Prerna?After all Mahesh uske bhai jaisa hai.Aur agar Mahesh usse seekhna chahta hai toh mat rook usse.(addressing Anurag)Onu tumhe koi problem toh nahi hai Mahesh ko parhane mein?”. Anurag shook his head,”Nahi baba, in fact maine usse yeh baat khud hi suggest kiya”. Moloy smiled,”Well then it’s settled then, aaj se Onu Mahesh ko parhayega.Aur Mahesh, beta tum mann laga ke parna.Tumhe cricket aur boards dono mein hum sabka naam roshan karna hai”.
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After breakfast, back in their bedroom Anurag handed Prerna her medicines when Prerna said,"Are you sure tum Mahesh ke liye time nikaal paoge? ". Anurag turned to look at her,"Kyu?". Prerna replied,"Anurag abhi kitna kuch chal raha hai, kakababu ki tabiyat theek nahi hai, tumhe naya investor dhundna hai. Inn sab mein tumhe kaha se Mahesh ko parhane ka time milega bolo?". Anurag reassured his wife,"Prerna don't worry main sab kuch balance karlunga .Main business aur ghar ke saath Mahesh ki parhaayi bhi sambhaalunga trust me.Agar abhi maine Mahesh pe give up kar diya toh shayad usse abhi cricket chhorna parega aur yeh baat usko bohot hurt karegi.Iss liye mein har haal mein Mahesh ko help karna chahta hu, chahe iske liye mujhe extra mehnat hi kyu na karni pare.".His words touched her.Tearing up she said,"Why are you doing this?Humare beech itna kuch ho gaya.Hum alag hone jaa rahe hai....main tumhe talakh dene waali hu.Tumne mujhe rokne ki kitni koshish ki..main phir bhi nahi maani.Aur uske bawajood tum meri aur mere gharwalon ka humesha khyaal rakhte, unhe protect karte ho, kis liye?Maine Ronit ko leke tumhe kitna bhala bura kaha...tumhe kitna sunaya.Lekin phir bhi tumne Shivi ki madat ki, usse protect kiya, aur aaj tum Mahesh ko uske sapno mein support kar rahe ho.".Anurag sat next to her, wiping her tears he said,"Prerna, tum kyu ro rahi ho?Maine tumse pehli bhi kaha tha na, main tumhare aasu nahi bardasht kar sakta.(cupping her face)Aur kya tumhari family meri family nahi hai?Kya Mahesh aur Shivani mere bhai behen nahi?Prerna, maine tumse pehle bhi kaha hai, aur baar baar kahunga.I love you.Meri sabse pehli priority tum ho.Aur agar koi baat tumhe pareshaan karti hai toh main kaise chup baith sakta hu,bolo? I know tum apni family se kitna pyaar karti ho, unki kitni parwa hai tumhe, toh main kyu na unka khyaal rakhu?".Taking his hands from her face ,Prerna tightly clasped them in her own. She decided to reveal the truth."Anurag",She said,"Maine tumse aaj subah jhoot bola tha.".Anurag looked puzzled at her words.Prerna continued,"Maine sapne mein kissi bachche ko nahi dekha.Maine apne sapne mein hum dono ko dekha tha.Ek doosre ke saath bohot khush.(crying)Humare bachche bhi the, Sneha aur Prem.(smiling through her tears)Tum unhe school chhorkar aaye the.....Mujhe bed tea se saath utha rahe the......humare shaadi ko dus saal ho gaye the".Her voice had a hint of wonderment in them. After a moment's silence, Anurag replied, wiping a lone tear in his eye,"Yeh wakaayi bohot khoobsurat sapna hai. Agar yeh sapna sach hota toh mujse zyaada lucky insaan iss duniya mein aur koi nahi hota.".Nodding Prerna said,"Aur jab maine aanken kholi, tab kuch nahi tha....(with a soft chuckle)Uske baad tum aagaye, haath mein mere liye chai leke theek jaise mere sapne mein lekar aaye the.". Anurag let out a deep sigh before saying,"Ab samjha tum kyu meri photo dekh ke poochh rahi thi, "kya aisa ho sakta hai?". Prerna nodded,"Haan,jaisa maine dekha main bilkul waisi zindagi guzarne ka sapna dekha tha tumhare saath.Lekin jab maine apni aankhen kholi tab woh sapna toot gaya, aur main soch mein par gayi.....kya hum sahi kar rahe hai?...Kya main sahi kar rahi hu?.....Kya wakaayi humare rishte mein koi umeed nahi bachi?..... ya ab sab kuch khatam ho gaya?".Anurag gently tucked a hair behind Prerna's ear and he lifted her chin"Jab tak main zinda hoon main humare beech iss umeed ko kabhi marne nahi dunga,Prerna.",he said earnestly."Main jaanta hu ki humare beech abhi kuch theek nahi hai, humare rishte ki shuruaat waise nahi huyi jaisa ki hum chahte the.Kya pata?Hum kabhi ek ho payenge bhi nahi, (shaking his head)woh sab main nahi janta.Main bas itna jaanta hu ki main, tumhare lautne ke intezar, mein apni poori zindagi bita sakta hu. Aur doosri baat, tum bas ek baar kehdo ki tum mere pas wapas aana chahti ho, toh iss duniya ka koi shaks, koi bhi riwaz, koi bhi kanoon hume ek hone se nahi rok payega, jab tak tumhare dil mein mere liye pyaar hai.". Prerna looks at him intently, he returns her gaze with equal passion. Before being betrayed in love, Prerna Sharma had always listened to her heart. She believed that while the brain told people the reality, the heart guided people to be more good,optimistic and hopeful. And what was life without hope? She had never doubted her belief that the heart always did the right thing until Anurag hurt her and left her. His betrayal and humiliation had taught her a very important lesson: your heart is special, save it for those who are worthy of it. After Anurag's wedding to Komolika and everything that happened between them in these three months, Prerna had stopped listening to her heart when it came to Anurag and the Basu's. She had come to realize that Anurag was her blind spot and her heart couldn't be trusted when it came to him.But today, after knowing everything, seeing him like this, every instinct in her body was telling her that she should trust him. Come on,Prerna her heart said, Zara dekho usse, kitna pyaar hai uski aankhon mein tumhare liye. Kya tum wakaayi aise insaan ko chhorkar jaana chahti ho? Anurag iss rishte ko naye sirey se shuru karna chahta hai, aisa rishta jaha pe ab kissi bhi misunderstanding ya miscommunication ki koi jaga nahi hai. Tumhe phirse Pyaar mein doosra mauka mila hai, isse mat jaane do, aur sunlo apne dil ki baat.And so, Prerna Sharma the girl who was scared to listen to her heart took a leap of faith. Clasping his hands in her, in a calm voice Prerna said,"Anurag, I love you aur main tumhe kabhi chhorkar nahi jaana chahti (crying).Main apni aakhri saas tak tumhare sàath rehna chahti hu. Main tumhe chhorkar nahi jaana chahti.".The moment she completed her sentence, Anurag engulfed her in a bone crushing hug."I love you!I love you! I love you so much for this!!",he exclaimed.Prerna hugged him tightly. When they broke apart, it was Anurag who had tears in his eyes,"I can't believe mera sapna sach ho gaya!",he said cupping her face. Prerna took his hands in hers and said,"Lekin Anurag promise me, humare beech ab se aur koi secrets nahi rahenge. Tum ab kabhi bhi mujhse kuch nahi chhupaoge.Promise me!".Anurag met her eyes earnestly," I promise you, Prerna.Humare iss rishte ab kissi bhi terha ke secrets ya misunderstandings ki koi jaga nahi hogi. Chahe kuch bhi ho jaaye. Main ab kissi bhi haal mein tumhe nahi khounga.Hume ab koi alag nahi kar sakta".
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Precap:"Mrs.Basu", the man said, "Flowers from Mr.Bajaj."............
........"Prerna, you can't do this to me!!",Anurag said angrily,"Meri ek chhoti se galti ke liye tum mujhe chhorkar nahi jaa sakti.I won't let this happen!!!"

Ohkay, more the entire chapter the precap has got my heart beats racing. Damn you, this was aesthically done and brought out with whole of emotions I can feel from the deepest corner of me. It was touched to reality at many instances from all those last chapter be it Prerna's nausea and AnuPre settling in one room. Prerna and Shivi's bit was really beautiful and cozy; it was an efficient trigger for Prerna to realize Anurag's worth in her life and give herself sometime to chose. The latest chapter of her confessing things out to him finally made my heart bloom in joy. It was ecstatic. Anurag taking up Mahesh’s responsibility for tutoring is really a great deal for Prerna and I am glad it happen triggering the best out of her. Suman's nasty character is full of greed and has got me completely disgusted–credits to your writing skills. Mohini now seems much devoted to her son's happiness but to find her looking out for Prerna to stay seems too superficial to her acceptance of Prerna in the house.

PS: I guess Anurag's dialogue is actually a bit from flashback when Prerna declared of divorcing him. Am I right? U can PM me the answer🤪

Originally posted by: Tranquility07

Ohkay, more the entire chapter the precap has got my heart beats racing. Damn you, this was aesthically done and brought out with whole of emotions I can feel from the deepest corner of me. It was touched to reality at many instances from all those last chapter be it Prerna's nausea and AnuPre settling in one room. Prerna and Shivi's bit was really beautiful and cozy; it was an efficient trigger for Prerna to realize Anurag's worth in her life and give herself sometime to chose. The latest chapter of her confessing things out to him finally made my heart bloom in joy. It was ecstatic. Anurag taking up Mahesh’s responsibility for tutoring is really a great deal for Prerna and I am glad it happen triggering the best out of her. Suman's nasty character is full of greed and has got me completely disgusted–credits to your writing skills. Mohini now seems much devoted to her son's happiness but to find her looking out for Prerna to stay seems too superficial to her acceptance of Prerna in the house.

PS: I guess Anurag's dialogue is actually a bit from flashback when Prerna declared of divorcing him. Am I right? U can PM me the answer🤪

Mohini's life revolves around her son, be it the ITV one or this one.But the only difference here is that for this Mohini her love for her son won over her hatred for Prerna. She has seen what losing Prerna could do to her son, thus now she's doing everything she can to ensure that Prerna stays because it's important to Anurag.But she also knows that Prerna isn't the same girl whom she blackmailed to marry Naveen Babu, which is why she has to resort to such tactics.

As for the precap, it's not a flashback.

Part 23 Promo

Suman said angrily"Shayad aap bhool gayi hai, ki aaj agar aapke bete ko uska pyaar mila, woh humare badaulat usse mila hai......." Mohini was about to retort back when she saw someone standing at the door......

.........Mr. Gupta watched his employer of many years closely. For some reason,(till now he couldn't pinpoint what) this Basu deal seemed to affect Bajaj more than the usual deals

PART 23 WILL BE RELEASED ON 11/01/2020

PART-23 : A punishment for betrayal

~Afternoon at Taj Bengal~

Mr. Rishabh Bajaj and his right hand man Mr. Gupta were having lunch at the outdoor restaurant of the hotel.Sitting at their poolside table, Mr.Gupta absent mindedly pushed his food around, with his eye fixed to his smartphone,he said to his boss,"Sir, aaj raat Mr. Mukherjee ne aapke honor mein party rakhi hai, apne Ghar mein.". Annoyed,Mr.Bajaj rolled his eyes, "Honestly, Gupta yeh sab aur kab tak chalta rahega? Basu's ki kya khabar hai?". Mr.Gupta replied, " Sir, unlogo ko abhi Tak koi investor nahi mila.". Mr. Bajaj smirked, "That's good.Main soch raha hu, ek do din mein, main khud ek baar jaakar Mr.Moloy Basu se milkar aau.". Mr.Gupta cleared his throat, and said,"If you don't mind me saying so sir, I don't think ki yeh ek achcha idea hoga.". Mr.Bajaj frowned,"Kyu?". Mr.Gupta chose his words carefully,"Aapne khud unse yeh deal break kiya hai, agar abhi aap personally unke pass jayenge toh shayad aap unhe bohot weak lagenge. Unhe aisa lagega ke aap unke saath wapas deal sign karna chahte hai.Aur unka aisa sochna humare plan ke favor mein nahi hoga.". Mr.Bajaj agreed grudgingly,"Hmmm....I guess you are right.". Trying not to look disappointed, Mr.Bajaj focused his attention on his food. Mr. Gupta watched his employer of many years closely. For some reason,(till now he couldn't pinpoint what) this Basu deal seemed to affect Bajaj more than the usual deals. He had never made such a foolish suggestion on any of their previous deals.It was a thumb rule:Once you walked out on a deal, THEY came to you first, you never went to them offering peace. That would be perceived as a sign of weakness. This wasn't the first time, they had planned schemes like that. Why was he so restless about this one? Their plan was simple after he would break the deal with the Basu's, they will pretend to be interested in a potentially lucrative but smaller company like the Daily Blitz. Till then the Basu's will have a hard time finding an investor as generous and credible as Bajaj.But they will not find an investor like them,(Mr.Gupta will make sure of that). Finally they'll come back to them with a better offer. But Bajaj will only accept the deal on his own terms. Mr.Gupta shook his head pitifully, Yeh sab hume nahi karna parta,he thought,Agar yeh Basu's pehle hi hume sab kuch bata dete.(glancing at Bajaj)Unn logo ko pata bhi nahi hai ke unki yeh ek galti unpe kitni bhari parne wali hai. He had known Rishabh Bajaj for almost ten years now. Rishabh Bajaj wasn't a dishonest man. But if someone tried to cheat him he would make sure that they paid for it.When Mr.Gupta had first told him about the Basu's company and property being mortgaged, they had made a decision: Rishabh Bajaj will not just invest in Basu Publications he will be a majority shareholder in it. The Basu's will still run it but he will be the power behind them, pulling their strings at his whim.

And that would be their punishment for trying to cheat him.The first step towards realizing this plan would be the Basu's coming to him with a better proposal.Their initial offer had been of a holding of 30% shares with buy back offer .Mr.Bajaj and Mr.Gupta were looking to make them increase it to 45%.The rest of the shares could be eventually bought from the market. And even before they know, Rishabh Bajaj will hold the controlling stake. They only have to be patient and play their cards well.

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~Basu Bari~

The Sharma and Basu families were having lunch at the dining hall, when they saw Anurag and Prerna, hand in hand coming downstairs. Both of them had wide smiles plastered to their faces. Standing in front of his family, Anurag started,"Ma, Baba, Veena Aunty(looking at Prerna) to hum aap logo ko ek good news dena chahte hai. (Looking at Mohini) Prerna aur Maine phirse ek hone ka faisla kiya.Hum divorce nahi lene waale.". The moment he said this, the entire dining hall in erupted in smiles.Getting up from his seat, Moloy hugged Prerna and said,"Prerna beta, I am so glad ke tumne hume beeti baaton ke liye maaf kiya.Aur iss rishte ko ek aur mauka diya.".Prerna shook her head,"Kakababu, jo kuch bhi hua mere aur Anurag ke beech hua tha.Maine uske liye kabhi kissi aur ko blame nahi kia.Aur aap toh mere liye bilkul mere Baba jaise hai, (tearing up) main aapse kabhi naraaz ho sakta hu, bhala?".Saying this she hugged him.Anurag touched Veena's feet.Blessing him she said,"Khush raho beta, hum bohot khush hai, tum dono ke iss faisle se.(patting his face)Hum toh pehle se hi tumhe apna beta maante hai.".One by one, Nivedita, Anupam, Mohini congratulated the newly reconciled couple.By the time everyone else got seated at the table, only Moloy and Anurag were left standing. Anurag awkwardly shuffled around. His Baba and he didn't have a one on one interaction since that day in the office when Mr.Bajaj broke the deal. Swallowing his own tears, Anurag started,"Ba-baba....I am so-". Cutting him off, Moloy tightly hugged his son.Anurag, too held him tightly. "I love you, beta."Moloy said. Anurag responded,"I love you too, Baba.". Breaking apart from him, Anurag said,"I promise you, Baba main Basu Publications ko kuch nahi hone dunga. Humari company Kal bhi top mein thi, aur humesha top mein hi rahegi.". Moloy patted his shoulders,"I know beta, tum yeh kar sakte ho.Mujhe tumhare aur Nivi ke kabiliyat pe poora bharosa hai.Ab chalo khaana thanda ho raha hai."

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~The next morning~

Standing outside Basu Bari, Anurag waved at the car going away from him, feeling a little guilty. Today was Prerna's appointment with her doctor, he really wanted to go with her. But he had a meeting with a potential investor in his office so he had to go be there as well. Of course, Prerna was an angel about it, saying at this point his company needed him more than her, and this was just a routine check-up, Shekhar can accompany her. Next time se, I will make sure ki mera kaam Prerna ke appointments ke saath clash nahi kare.Abhi abhi toh humare beech sab kuch theek hua hai, I don't want to make any mistakes with her, Anurag thought, as he headed back to the house.

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Mohini was sitting in her dressing table getting ready for the day, when Suman entered the room."Wow Kakimoni",she exclaimed,"Maanna parega, iss umr mein bhi aapne khud ko kitne achche se maintain karke rakha hai. Hum toh fan ho gaye hai aapke.".Mohini rolled her eyes at the obvious flattery.She said, "Ab zyaada buttering karne ki zaroorat nahi, main jaanti hu tum yaaha kis liye aayi ho, lucky you, mera mood aaj bohot achcha hai, iss liye tumhe yaha se(pointing at the jewelry boxes in front of her) jo chahiye woh le lo.". Hearing this, Suman was about to reach for the ruby and diamond necklace in front of her, when Mohini grabbed her hand. Giving her a cold and condescending smile Mohini added,"Lekin yaad rahe tum jo bhi chunna, soch samaj kar chunna beta.(smile turning into a scowl) Kyuki aaj ke baad tumhe mujhse aur kuch nahi milne wala.Yeh aakhri baar hoga jab tumhe mujhse kuch milega.". Stung by Mohini's words, Suman yanked her arm free from Mohini's tight grip. Glaring at her she warned,"Humare beech yeh baat nahi huyi thi, Kakimoni-". Mohini cut her off, "Humare beech yeh baat huyi thi ke tum Onu aur Prerna ko kareeb laane mein meri madad karogi, uske badle mein main tumhe inaam dungi. Woh maine tumhe de diya hai. In fact, jitna tumne kaam kiya usse kahi zyada tumhe inaam mila hai.". "Zyaada?!",Suman scoffed,"Zyaada?! Waise maanna parega, Kakimoni. Aap baahar se jitni high class dikhti hai, andar se utni hi kanjoos hai aap!".

"Suman!", Mohini thundered,"Mind your language!". Suman replied unfazed"Shayad aap bhool gayi hai, ki aaj agar aapke bete ko uska pyaar mila, woh humare badaulat usse mila hai.Agar hum tab Shekhar ko jaan boojhke late karake, Komolika ka darr sabke mann mein nahi baithate. Kakababu ke saamne aasu baahakar humare iss darr pe unhe yakeen nahi dilaate.Toh aaj Prerna Didi aur Anurag ek nahi hote." Mohini was about to retort back when she saw Anurag standing at the door, looking shocked. "Ma",he said,"Ma...Kya yeh sab Sach hai?".

Part: 24.1: Kashmakash

Mohini was about to retort back when she saw Anurag standing at the door, looking shocked. "Ma",he said,"Ma...Kya yeh sab Sach hai?". Mohini and Suman stood frozen in their places as Anurag entered his mother's room. Standing in front of her, he asked her, "Ma?Please, aap mujhe bataiye aapne kya kia?.". Stammering Mohini tried to explain herself,"Onu...beta.Uss-uss din maine Prerna ko bohot samjhaane ki koshish ki, ke at least jab tak Komolika ko sazaa nahi milti, woh humare saath rahe, apne aur apne bachche ki safety ki liye. Lekin usne meri ek bhi nahi suni. Onu...mujhe darr tha...mujhe darr tha ki kahi Prerna ke zidd ke wajah se usse aur uske bachche ko kahi koi nuksaan na pohoche. After all it's Komolika we are talking about.......Tumne suna na, ki kaise usne apne cell mate pe attack karaya.Onu I was just so scared(pretending to cry) for her and my grandchild ke mujhe yeh step lena para beta! After all, prevention is better than cure.". Anurag closed his eyes and sighed. He said,"Ma, I don't believe ki aapne itna bada jhoot bola.".Mohini opened her mouth to defend herself but he raises a hand saying," Nahi!Main aapki feelings samajta hu. Lekin, phir bhi aapko aisa step nahi lena chahiye tha. Aapko tab mere paas aana chahiye tha,main baat karta Prerna se, I am sure woh meri baat-". Mohini cut him off, "Woh nahi maanti! Kyuki tab woh tumse bohot naaraaz thi Komolika se Shaadi karne ke liye. You know jab maine usse kaha ki at least apne bachche ke salamati ke liye mere saath aane ko usne mujhe kya jawaab diya? Yeh ki "jab teen mahino se woh akele iss bachche ka khyaal rakh rahi thi, toh woh aage bhi rakhe gi". Can you believe it, Onu? Woh apne gusse aur ego ke liye, iss ghar ke waaris ki jaan bhi khatre mein daalne ko taiyyar thi!". Anurag took his mother's hands in his,"Maa, aapka iraada galat nahi tha, lekin iss tarah aapko Prerna ko trick karna woh sahi nahi tha. Aur upar se aapne Suman bhabi ko bhi involve kar diya issme.". That's when Suman spoke up, "Nahi, Anurag. Kakimoni ne hume involve nahi kiya. Humne apni marzi se unka saath diya.(putting on a righteous tone) Aap nahi jante ki aap kitne lucky ki aapko Kakimoni jaisi maa mili hai. Yeh aurat nahi saakshaat devi hai! Devi! Inhone sirf Prerna Didi ko nahi, hum sabko apna liye. Ek Ghar ke member ki tarah humari madad kar rahi hai. Jab inhe(walking towards Mohini)pata chala ki itna achcha kaam karne ke bawajood, Shekhar ko pichhle teen saal mein koi promotion nahi mila, tab Kakimoni ne humse waada kiya ki woh khud Shekhar ke boss se baat karengi Shekhar ke liye.Kyu?Hum sahi keh rahe hai na, Kakimoni?",Suman looked at her meaningfully. Mohini had no choice but to agree with her."Haan, Onu",Mohini said."I am really surprised ke Shekhar jaise itne bright aur talented ladke ki koi kadar hi nahi hai Willocks Finances mein.I think mujhe khud Sudipto se iss baare mein baat karni paregi.". Suman turned to Anurag and said, "Party ki raat jab hum neeche Prerna Didi ka intezar kar rahe the, tab humne Kakimoni ko chhup chhup ke rote huye dekha. Humare bohot zid karne par inhone humse apna dukh bata, ki yeh aapke liye kitni pareshaan hai. Aapka pyaar aapko chhorkar ja raha hai, aur yeh kuch nahi kar pa rahi hai. Tab hum hi ne inse kaha...ki jo darr inke dil mein aapke liye hai wohi darr hum sab ke dilon mein Prerna Didi ke liye hai. Woh aapke alaava kisi aur ke saath khush nahi reh sakti, kyuki woh sirf aapse pyaar karti hai! Tab humne inse kaha ki hum dono ko milkar kuch aisa karna chahiye jisse aapko aur Prerna Didi ko yeh ehsaas ho ki aap dono ek doosre se kitna pyaar karte hai. Aur dekhiye, aakhir kaar wahi hua! Aap aur Prerna Didi aaj phirse ek saath hai, ek naye seere se apne rishte ki shurwat kar rahe hai. Aapko kya lagta hai, Kya yeh mumkin hota agar hum aur Kakimoni aisa nahi karte toh?". Anurag addressed her politely yet firmly ,"Bhabi main aapke bhaavnao ki kadar karta hu, aur mujhe aur Prerna ko milane ke liye I am very grateful to you. Lekin phir bhi jo aapne kiya aapko woh nahi karna chahiye tha. Uss raat aapko Veena Aunty aur Prerna ko, Komolika ke naam se nahi darana chahiye tha.". Suman defended herself,"Dekhiye Anurag, hum mein se koi nahi chahta tha ki aap aur Prerna Didi ka talaakh ho. Yaha tak ki Ma bhi nahi chahti thi. Haan, yeh baat sach hai ki unhone apni marzi Prerna Didi pe nahi thopi. Lekin andar hi andar woh bhi unke iss faisle se kaafi dukhi thi. Humare paas aur koi raasta nahi tha, hum chup chap khare hoke Prerna Didi ko unke aur apne honewale bachche ki zindagi barbaad karte huwe nahi dekh sakte the. Aur rahi baat Prerna Didi ko Shekhar ke liye darr lagne ki.(Putting on a self deprecating smile) Jab unhone suna ki Kakababu ki tabiyat kharab ho gayi, tab woh daure daure yaha chali aayi. Uske baad unhone ek baar yeh bhi nahi puchha ki Shekhar kaha the, unhe itni der kyu huyi. Lekin woh sab hume pehle se hi pata tha, woh kya hai na Anurag, jabse Prerna Didi aapse mili hai, unhe aapke aur aapke parivaar ke alaava kuch dikhta hi nahi. Woh aapse pagalo ki tarah pyaar karti hai. Aur iss liye humne yeh sab kiya, kyuki hum nahi chahte the ke apne gusse aur aiham ki wajah se apne pyaar ko kho de. Iss liye humara yeh kadam lena bohot zaroori tha.". Anurag looked at Suman with sympathy,"Bhabi, aap apni jagah bilkul sahi hai. Lekin jab Prerna ko iss baare mein pata chalega tab woh bohot naaraaz hogi.". "Toh phir mat bataiye yeh baat unhe",Suman quickly replied. Shocked, Anurag said,"Main aisa nahi kar sakta. Abhi abhi toh humare beech sab kuch theek hua hai-". Suman cut him off,"Iss liye toh hum keh rahe hai, abhi toh aap logo ke beech sab kuch theek hua hai. Papa ke maut ke baad, aaj pehli baar Prerna Didi ke aankhon humne itni khushi dekhi hai. Woh finally apne ateet ko bhulakar aapke saath apni poori zindagi bitaane ka sapna dekh rahi hai. Agar aap abhi unse yeh sab kahenge toh woh phirse dukhi ho jayengi.". Mohini chipped in,"Haan, Onu. Plus Prerna maa banne waali hai. Abhi uska stress lena theek nahi hai. Already itna kuch ho chuka hai, ab hume bas Prerna ko araam dena chahiye. Aur rahi baat usse baat chhupane ki, mujhe toh yeh samaj mein nahi aa raha isme usse bataane waali kya baat hai? I mean to say ki, usne apne marzi se tumhe apnaya hai usse kissi ne force to nahi kia na? Maine aur Suman ne toh bas rasta dikhaaya, lekin woh tumhare paas apni marzi se lauti, hai na? Aur woh kitni khush apne iss faisle se. Agar abhi tum usse yeh sab kahoge toh Prerna ka mann phirse past mein chala jayega. Waise bhi itne mushkil se usne apne past ko bhulakar, wapas tujhe accept kiya hai. Kya pata yeh sab sunkar woh wapas tujhe chhorde?". Anurag sighed his head reeling from Mohini and Suman's words. He couldn't deny that their words held merit. He knew Prerna loved him. But their relationship was still at a fairly delicate stage? What if he told her the truth and she misunderstood him? What if she thought he was somehow involved in his mother's plan and left him again? Nahi, Anurag thought, Itne mushkil se mujhe tum mili ho Prerna, main tumhe wapas nahi kho sakta. Na chahte hue bhi mujhe abhi ke liye tumse yeh baat chhupani paregi. Ho sake toh mujhe please maaf kar dena. In a calm voice, Anurag said, "Theek hai, Ma, bhabi, main Prerna se kuch bhi nahi kahunga. Lekin meri ek shart hai.". Mohini answered ," Ha bolna, beta.". With a firm voice he said, "Aap log aisa dubara kabhi nahi karenge.". Suman quickly replied, "Haan, bilkul. Hum jo bhi kar rahe the aapke aur Prerna Didi ke khushi ke liye kar rahe the. Ab jab aap aur Prerna Didi ek saath khush hai, toh hume aisa karne ki kya zaroorat, hai na Kakimoni?". Mohini nodded in agreement, "Haan, bilkul.".Saying this Anurag quietly walked out of the room, still feeling uncomfortable about having to hide the truth from Prerna

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After the doctor's appointment, Prerna and Shekhar were driving back.Prerna was surprised to see that they stopped in front of a jewelry store."Bhaiya",Prerna asked,"Aapne gaadi yaha kyu rok diya?".Shekhar said embarrassed, "Woh, Priu, Suman ka birthday aa raha hai.Toh main uske liye ek gift kharidna chahta hu.Tu please meri madad karegi?". Prerna smiled back at him. "Oh",she said teasing him,"Toh iss liye aap mere saath aana chahte the. Bhabi ko ek romantic sa gift dene ke liye. I have to say bhaiya, life mein pehli baar aap mujhe interesting lag rahe hai.". "Priyu",Shekhar warned his cheeks reddening. Prerna decided to show some mercy, "Achcha theek hai, main aur nahi tang karungi aapko." Unfastening her seatbelt she said, "Chaliye, bhabi ke liye ek shaandar sa gift lete hai".

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In his bedroom, Anurag felt a huge weight lift off his shoulders as he finished telling Anupam everything about Mohini and Suman's plan. After a moment's silence, Anupam finally said something, "Bhai, mujhe toh yakeen nahi aa raha hai, kal tak jo Shashurimaa Prerna se itni nafrat karti thi, woh aaj Prerna ko iss ghar mein rakhne ke liye itna desperate kadam uthaengi.". Anurag said, "Woh sab toh theek hai, Anupam Da. Lekin mujhe Prerna se sab chhupake bilkul bhi achcha feel nahi ho raha hai. Andar se bohot hi guilty feel kar raha hu main. Ma kehti hai ki mujhe usse kuch nahi kehna chahiye, kyuki yeh bohot hi chhoti si baat hai. Chhoti si baat?!Maa aur Suman bhabi sabse jhoot bolkar, dhoke se Prerna aur uski puri family ko iss ghar mein lekar aayi yeh chhoti si baat kaise huyi? Pata nahi Prerna yeh sab sunkar kaise react karegi? Main usse ab kabhi bhi kuch nahi chhupana chahta, main usse sab bata dena chahta hu. Lekin darrta hu, ke kahi sach jaan ne ke baad, woh mujhe phir se chhorke chali gayi toh?". Anupam put his hand on Anurag's shoulders,"Dekh Onu, main tera darr samajta hu. Lekin agar yeh baat tune Prerna se chhupayi, aur baad mein usse kahi aur se pata chali, toh woh tujhe galat bhi samaj sakti hai. Iss se better yeh hoga ki tu khud usse sab kuch bata de.". Anurag responded,"Lekin, Anupam Da yeh sab sunkar woh mujhe chhorkar chali gayi toh?".Anupam replied, "Woh tujhe kyu chhorke jayegi? Agar Prerna tujhe zara bhi samajti hai, toh usse achche se pata hoga ki tu aisa kuch kabhi nahi kar sakta.Lekin agar tu usse yeh baat chhupayega aur usse baad mein yeh sab kahi aur se pata chalega to woh tujhe hi galat samjhegi.". Anurag sighed,"Aap sahi keh rahe hai, Anupam. Aur waise bhi aise Prerna se sach chhupakar main kabhi usse nazre nahi mila paunga, mujhe humesha lagega ki woh mujhe dhoke se mili hai aur main sach mein usse deserve nahi karta.Main Prerna se aaj hi baat karunga.". Just then, Basu's domestic help Debu Da entered the room looking for Anurag,"Dada",he said, "Neeche interior designers aapka intezar kar rahe hai". Anurag's face lit with excitement at this, "Debu Da, aap unhe West wing ke pehle waale kamre mein le jaiye. Main abhi aata hu." Anupam asked, "Onu, west wing ke kamre toh abhi abhi remodel hue hai, toh phir interior designers kis liye?". Anurag answered excitedly , "Woh, Anupam Da, main apne bachche ke liye kamra ready kar raha hu. Main chahta hu jab mera bachcha iss duniya mein aaye, usse kissi bhi cheez ki kami na ho. Iss liye maine socha ki abhi se designers ke saath kaam pe lag jaata hu. Jab Prerna lautegi, main usse designs aur color schemes dikha dunga." Anupam smiled at his enthusiasm, "Achcha theek hai tu ja, lekin yaad rakhna maine jo kaha hai.". Anurag nodded determined, "Haan, Anupam Da. I've decided ki main aaj raat hi Prerna ko sab bata dunga."

Chapter 24.2-Two rings and an anklet

"Priyu", Shekhar said nervously as they drove from the jewelers, " I just hope Suman ko yeh payal achchi lage.". Prerna reassured him, "Of course, achchi lagegi bhaiya, after all aapne itne pyaar se unke liye yeh tohfa liya hai, unhe yeh pasand kaise nahi aayegi.".Shekhar hesitated a little before confiding in his sister,"Tu nahi samjhegi Priyu. Woh....Suman, thodi alag hai. Usse keemti gehne, designer kapdo ka bohot shauk hai. Kabhi kabhi mujhe darr lagta hai ki kahi main uske yeh shauk kabhi pura nahi kar paunga.". Prerna put a reassuring hand in his, "Lekin mujhe pura yakeen hai bhaiya aap bhabi ke yeh sapne zaroor poora kar payenge, bhaiya.Aur agar nahi bhi kar paaye toh kya?Bhabi aapse bohot pyaar karti hai, unke liye inn sab se bhi zyada aap aur aapka pyaar hai". Shekhar decided it was time to lighten the mood,"Usually ladke ladkiyo ko ring gift karte hai. Lekin meri behen shayad iss duniya ki pehli ladki hai, jo apne pati ko engagement ring de rahi hai aur woh bhi shaadi ke baad". Prerna blushed at the mention of the gift she just bought for Anurag.It wasn't much, just a simple gold ring, but the moment she saw it, it made her think of Anurag "Bhaiya...",Prerna replied coyly before explaining, "Aap toh jaante hai na, humari shaadi kin haalaato mein huyi thi. Itne misunderstandings aur mushkilo ke baad ab hum finally ek saath hai. Main chahti hu, ke humare naayi zindagi ki shuruaat ek dum perfect ho. Ab bas iss rishte mein pyaar aur bharosa ho, raaz aur galat fehmi nahi.". Shekhar smiled reassuringly,"Main Durga Ma se prarthna karunga ke woh teri yeh murad puri kare.".Saying this Shekhar halted the car in front of Basu Bari. Taking out the gift wrapped jewelry box he said," Priyu, mera ek kaam karegi, iss gift ko humare kamre mein rakh ke aayegi?". Surprised, Prerna asked, "Kya? Bhaiya, main kyu? Aap bhabi ko yeh gift office se laut kar bhi to de sakte hai?". Shekhar smiled impishly, "Haan, main de toh sakta hu, lekin phir woh surprise nahi rahega. Suman mujhe dekh ke samaj jayegi ki main uske liye kuch laaya hu. Iss liye main chahta hu ke tu jaake yeh gift uske takiye ke neeche rakh ke aaye. Taaki raat ko jab woh sone jaegi, uski nazaar uss gift pe pare, aur woh chauk jaaye.". Taking the gift from him, Prerna said, "Achcha theek hai, bhaiya main jaake gift aapke kamre mein rakh aaungi.". Saying this, Prerna got down from the car when Shekhar stopped her, "Aur Haan, Priyu, Suman left side mein soti hai, toh please gift ko left side waale takiye mein chhupaana.". Chuckling, Prerna nodded, "Jee bhaiya."

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Prerna entered Basu Bari smiling to herself. Yeh pyaar kitna ajeeb hai na, she thought, Logo se kya kya karwa deta hai. Maine kabhi nahi socha tha ki mere seedhe aur parhaku bhaiya bhi kabhi pyaar mein par sakte hai. Aur main bhaiya ko kyu bol rahi hu, iss pyaar ne mujhe bhi toh kitna badla hai. Kaha main Anurag se door jaane ki soch rahi thi, aur ab uske saath ek naye sirey iss rishte ki shuruaat kar rahi hu. She entered Shekhar and Suman's bedroom. As Prerna lifted the pillow on the left side of the bed, she was surprised to find an emerald ring. And not just any emerald ring, it was the ring Mohini had bought for herself right before the party. Prerna took the ring and closely examined it. Yeh dikhne mein toh Kakimoni ki hi ring lag rahi hai, she thought.Lekin yeh bhabi ke paas kaise?Kahi bhabi ne isse chori-nahi! Bhabi jaisi bhi ho woh kabhi chori nahi kar sakti. Toh phir yeh anguthi yaha aayi kaise?Kahi aisa toh nahi, bhabi ko yeh ring mil gayi aur unhone isse apne paas rakh dia?Haan, shayad yahi huwa hoga.I think mujhe abhi jaake yeh ring Kakimoni ko lauta deni chahiye, isse pehle ki koi misunderstanding create ho. Prerna hid the gift as instructed by Shekhar headed towards Mohini's room

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Mohini took a sigh of relief, Thank God, she thought, Suman ne Onu ko handle kar liya. I just hope ke woh Prerna ko kuch na bataya. Just then she saw Prerna enter the room. Before Mohini could say anything, Prerna showed the ring to her. Oh my god! Mohini thought in panic, Yeh ring toh maine Suman ko dia tha, yeh iske paas kaise aaya?Kahi isse sab kuch pata toh nahi chal gaya. "Kakimoni",Prerna started,"Aapki ring, shayad kho gayi thi.".Her words startled Mohini at first, then she decided to play along. "H-haan",Mohini said,"Main isse kabse dhund rahi thi. Tumhe yeh kaha se mili, beta?". Prerna said,"Mmm...mujhe nahi yeh Suman bhabi ko mili, maine dekhte hi pehchaan liya yeh aapki ring hai, iss liye main hi le aayi.". Mohini studied Prerna's face closely. Lagta hai, she thought relieved, Shayad isse kuch nahi pata. Shayad Isse wakayi yeh ring galti se mili. Thank God. Mohini took the ring from Prerna. "Thank you, beta",she said. Prerna nodded and left the room without another word.

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Prerna left Mohini's room feeling uneasy. Pata nahi kyu, she thought, Mujhe aisa kyun lag raha hai ki yeh mujse kuch chhupa rahi hai. Jis Kakimoni ko main jaanti hu, woh ek anguthi khone par pura ghar sir par utha leti. Lekin inhone toh kisi ko bataya tak nahi ki inki anguthi kho gayi.Kyun? Yeh kuch toh chhupa rahi hai mujse. Aur shayad iska connection Suman bhabi se hai, warna inhone ek baar bhi kyun nahi poochha ki Suman bhabi ke paas yeh ring kaise aayi? Just then she bumped into Anurag, who quickly gripped her. Surprised, to see her husband Prerna said, "Hi.". Anurag smiled brightly "Hi. Look I know tum mujse pyaar karti ho, lekin mere khayalo mein itna bhi kya khona ki tum gir hi jaao.". Prerna embarrassed by his flirting tried to remove his hands from her waist, when his gripped tightened pulling her closer. She looked at him questioningly. "Kya?" Giving her an incredulous expression "Ab jab tumne finally mujhe accept kar liya hai, kya tumhe sach mein lagta hai ki main tumhare kareeb aane ka ek bhi mauka chhorunga?". Turning a deaf ear to her protests he picked her in his arms and took her to their bedroom. He gently placed her on the bed, taking off her shoes one by one. He sat at her foot. "Bataao", he said, "Doctor ne kya kaha? Tum aur humara bachcha theek hai, na?". Prerna smiled, "Haan, humara bachcha bilkul theek hai." Gently massaging her foot with his fingers, he said, "Aur meri biwi?". "Aur tumhari biwi bohot khush hai.",Prerna said her cheeks reddening. "Good",Anurag whispered softly. "Actually",Prerna said,"Appointment ke baad main aur bhaiya jewelry shop gaye the." Prerna took out the jewelry box from her purse,"Main tumhare liye yeh laayi hu". With a shy and nervous smile she opened the box, "Jab maine isse shop mein dekha mujhe tumhara khayal aaya.".Anurag excitedly took the gift from her, "Wow" ,he said examining the ring,"I love it.".He was about to put it on when Prerna stopped him. Avoiding his questioning look, she came closer to him and took the ring from his hand. She, then, placed it on his ring finger and sealed it with a sweet kiss on his hand. Intertwining her fingers with his she gently whispered"I love you. Tumhare paas wapas aana mere life ka best decision tha.". Anurag's smile faltered at her words, as they reminded him of the secret he was keeping from her. I love you so much, he thought, Main tumhe kissi haal pe nahi kho sakta. I have to tell you the truth. He was about to say something to her when Debu Da came to the door. "Onu Da, Boudi lunch taiyyar hai.". Prerna replied, "Haan Debu Da, aap jaiye hum aa rahe hai." Prerna got up from the bed and said, "Anurag tum lunch karne jaao, main fresh hoke aati hu.". Anurag replied, "It's ok tum fresh ho jaao main wait karlunga.". Prerna said,"Nahi, tum lunch karne jaao main aa rahi hu.Aur waise bhi tumne aaj breakfast bhi theek se nahi kiya. Iss liye tum neeche jaao main aa rahi hu. Ok?". Anurag said ,"Jaldi aana", as he left the room.

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As Prerna was heading towards the dining room, she stopped suddenly. She heard Mohini's voice inside Suman's room. "Yeh lo tumhari anguthi",Prerna heard Mohini say.She peeped inside and saw it was the same ring she had returned to Mohini a while back.Prerna's eyes fell on her brother's gift lying on the floor. Suman snatched the emerald ring from Mohini's hand. "Humari anguthi!",she exclaimed, "Hum isko pata nahi kaha kaha dhund rahe the. Yeh aapke paas kaise?". Mohini replied through her gritted teeth,"Yeh mujhe Prerna ne dee hai. Seriously, tum itni careless kaise ho sakti ho? Aaj hum phirse tumhare wajah se pakre jaate.". Stunned at her accusation, Suman protested,"Kya?! Humara wajah se. Kahan aapko hume shukria kehna chahiye, aur aap hume hi suna rahi hai?". Mohini retorted,"Shukria? Aaj tumhari wajah se Onu ko humari sachchayi pata chal gayi. Prerna ke haath meri dee huyi yeh ring lag gayi. Aur tum kehti ho main tumhe thank you kahu?". "Haan",Suman retorted,

" Kyuki agar hum nahi hote toh abhi tak Anurag Prerna Didi ko yeh bata dete ki (gesturing at herself and Mohini) hum dono ne chaal chalkar Prerna Didi ko iss ghar mein le aaye the.Ulta unhone humara saath dia. Yaha tak ki Prerna Didi ko unke paas wapas laane ke liye unhone humara shukriada bhi kiya tha, aur aap keh rahi hai, humne aapko khatre mein daala hai?". Suman's words shook Prerna to the core. Kya, Prerna thought devastated, Bhabi ne aisa kiya? Her mind went back to the day when Mohini had come to Sharma Niwas asking Prerna and the whole Sharma family to come to Basu Bari with her. Aur uss hi raat bhaiya ko office aane se der huyi thi, Prerna thought her mind connecting the dots, Unka phone nahi lag raha tha aur bhabi humare paas darr kar aayi thi. Unhone kaha ki unhe darr tha ki Komolika ne bhaiya ko kuch kar diya hai. Lekin baad mein jab bhaiya laute tab unhone kaha tha ki bhabi ne hi unhe office se ghar aate waqt electricity bill bharne ko kaha tha, iss liye unhe deri huyi. Toh kya yeh sab Bhabi ne mujhe aur Anurag ko ek karne ke liye kiya? Kyu? Iss mein bhabi ko kya hasil hota? Prerna's peered into the room again as Mohini said,"Yeh lo, tumhare kaam ki keemat." handing Suman a ruby necklace. "Ab iske baad tum kabhi mujhse aur kuch nahi mangogi. Mere bete ko uska pyaar dilaane ke badle mein tumne mujhse yeh haar manga tha, woh ab tumhe mil gaya hai. Aaj se humare beech saara len den khatam". Oh, Prerna realised disgusted, Toh Kakimoni ne bhabi ko gehno ka lalach deke yeh sab karaya. Yeh kabhi nahi sudhrengi! In that moment all Prerna wanted was to storm inside and put her mother in law and sister-in-law in their places. But before she could do that, Suman spoke, "Aur Anurag ko jo maine humare plan mein shaamil kiya, uska daam toh hume abhi tak nahi mila Kakimoni?" Suman's words sent a shock wave through Prerna. Anurag! Prerna thought angry tears forming in her eyes, Tumhe bhabi aur Kakimoni ke iss deal ke baare mein pata tha?!Aur tumne bhi mujse sach chhupaya?Kyu Anurag?!Phirse kyun?!Jab hum finally ek naye sirey se apne rishte ki shuruaat karne wale the?!! "Aapne Anurag ke saamne humse waada kiya tha, Shekhar ke boss se baat karke unhe promotion dilaane ka.Agar aapne hume double cross kiya na-" Deciding that she'd heard enough, angry and upset Prerna rushed back to her bedroom.Unknown to both Suman and Mohini that their secret had been uncovered, the duo continued to argue.

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Prerna ne kaha tha woh fresh hoke aayegi. Usse itna time kyu lag raha hai, Anurag thought as he headed towards their bedroom. He entered his room, only to find Prerna sitting on the bed and weeping. Deeply concerned, he rushed to her side and said, "Prerna!Kya hua?Sab theek hai na? Tum ro kyu rahi ho?". Prerna looked at him angrily, through her tears she said,"Main iss liye ro rahi hu, kyuki tumne mujhe phirse dhoka diya.Tumne phirse mere pyaar aur emotions ka mazaak udaya.". Her words shocked Anurag. "Kya?",he said, kneeling down at her feet "Tum yeh kya keh rahi ho?".He tried to reach for her. Prerna angrily slapped his hands away,"Bano mat!" she exclaimed,"Tum achche se jaante ho main kis baare mein baat kar rahi hu!Ek baat batao!Mere feelings ki tumhare nazro mein koi value nahi?!".

Worried, Anurag grabbed both her hands in his. Prerna tried to resist but she didn't succeed. She angrily looked at his eyes,"Mera haath chhoro."she said with gritted teeth."Nahi",Anurag said desperately,"Jab tak tum mujhe yeh nahi baati ti ki tum mujse naaraz kyu ho?". "Kakimoni aur bhabi ne plan karke mujhe aur mere poore parivaar ko yaha laaya hai.Kya yeh baat tumhe paata tha?"Prerna asked. Her question shocked Anurag,"Tumhe yeh baat kaise paata chali?".She took his shocked reaction for a yes. "Maine khud Kakimoni aur bhabi ko iss baare mein baat karte huye suna." Prerna answered,"Aur maine yeh bhi sunah ki unke iss plan mein tum bhi shaamil the.". Stunned, Anurag said,"Prerna?!Yeh sab bilkul jhoot hai, I am sure unhe koi misunderstanding huyi hogi.". Prerna retorted, "Lekin yeh baat toh sach hai na, ki sab kuch jaankar tumne uska saath diya, warna tum unhe thank you kyu kehte, aur mujse sach kyu chhupate?". Anurag pleaded,"Prerna please trust me, main tumhe sab bataane waala tha. Aur rahi baat meri bhabi ko thank you kehne ki....agar woh tumhe yaha nahi laati to shayad hum ab tak ek nahi hote, maine iss liye unse thank you bola aur koi baat nahi hai, I promise. Mujhe toh unke aur ma ke plan ke baare mein pata bhi nahi tha. Mujhe aaj hi pata chala. Aur main yeh sab tumhare saath share karne waala tha, lekin isse pehle tumhe hi sab kuch pata chal gaya.". Prerna studied his face, until she decided that he was telling the truth. Anurag who saw the look of understanding in her face finally let go of her hands. He knew Prerna was upset with him and probably needed time to process the truth but as long as she didn't misunderstand him he could deal with everything else. Anurag got up to fetch her a glass of water, when Prerna held his hand.He turned around as she looked up. She motioned him to sit next to her. He obliged. After a moment's silence, she said, "Aaj bhaiya ne mujse pehli baar apne dil ki baat kahi.(wiping her tears) Unhone mujse kaha ki unhe darr lagta hai ki woh bhabi ke jo mehnge gehne, designer kapde pehen ne ka shauk woh kabhi poore nahi kar paayenge? Maine unhe vishwas dilaya tha ki woh aisa zaroor kar payenge.Aur agar aisa nahi bhi hua, Bhabi ko koi fark nahi parega kyuki woh bhaiya se bohot pyaar karti hai.(scoffing) Aur yaha aake maine kya dekha? Bhabi apne sapne poore kar rahi hai aur mere bhaiya ka diya hua tohfa zameen mein para hua hai, shayad anguthi dhundte waqt unhone uss payal ko notice bhi nahi kia hoga." Prerna looked at Anurag, "Main nahi chahti ke humara rishta mere bhaiya bhabi ki tarah ho jaha uss zameen pe girey hue payal ki tarah mere feelings ki koi value nahi hai". Anurag shook his head, "Aisa kabhi nahi hoga I promise." He took his hands in hers, "Prerna ho sakta hai ki tumhara iss ghar mein aana bhabi aur Ma ka plan ho, lekin mera pyaar, humara wapas ek saath aana bilkul bhi planned nahi tha. Prerna, I love you, I need to you in my life. Jab tum yeh ghar chhorkar chali gayi thi main bohot hopeless ho gaya tha, main bilkul toot chuka tha. Tumne meri life mein wapas aake mujhe nayi zindagi dee hai, jisse mujhe bohot pyaar hai, aur jisse main kissi bhi haal mein khona nahi chahta.". Prerna stroked his cheeks,"Tum kuch bhi kar sakte the na, mujhe apne zindagi mein wapas laane ke liye.". "Haan",Anurag said. The conviction in his voice matching the intensity in his eyes."Tum nahi jaanti ke tum mere liye kya ho, meri zindagi- nahi!Meri zindagi se bhi barkar ho tum mere liye.Maine ek baar tumhe chhorne ki galti ki thi, aaj tak pachta raha hu. Jis raat mujhe laga tha ke tum mar chuki thi, aur phir maine tumhe wapas dekha tha, uss raat apne aap se ek waada kiya tha: ki chahe jo kuch bhi ho, jaisi bhi situation ho, main tumhe kabhi bhi apne nazro se door nahi jaane dunga. Tum meri ho!Mere liye bani ho, main mar jaunga lekin kabhi bhi tumhe khudse door nahi jaane dunga".Entwining her hands with his, she looked deep into her eyes, "Main tumhari feelings ko samajti hu, kyuki main bhi tumhe utne hi shiddat se chahti hu (Anurag smiled at her words)

Iss liye toh yeh jaan ne ke baad ke tumhari aur Komolika shaadi ho chuki thi, ki yaha aakar mujhe zillat aur nafrat ke alaava aur kuch nahi milega, main phir bhi sab kuch bhoolkar tumhare paas aa gayi. Apne dil ke haaton majboor hona kaisa hota hai yeh main samajti.".Prerna suddenly snatched her hands away from his, startling Anurag. She got up, as did Anurag. "Agar main pehli waali Prerna hoti toh shayad main tumhari baaton ka yakeen kar leti. Shayad main Kakimoni aur Bhabi waali baat ko bhi jaane deti. Lekin Anurag, (shaking her head)main ab woh pehli waali Prerna nahi hu.Waqt ne mujhe practical hona sikha diya hai". Confused, Anurag asked,"Wait...Prerna tum kya keh rahi ho?". Prerna answered,"Main yeh keh rahi hu, ki I am sorry Anurag. I am so sorry lekin main chahkar bhi tumhari baaton ka yakeen nahi kar paa rahi, shayad iss liye kyuki tumne mujse pehle bhi baaten chhupayi hai, ya shayad iss wajah se ki jo kakimoni mujse nafrat karti hai, jo mujhe tumhare layak bhi nahi samajti, woh mujhe iss ghar mein laane ke liye itna kuch karegi yeh main kaise maan loon?Unhe zaroor tumhi ne kuch kaha hoga!".Anurag continued,"Prerna please, main humare past ke liye bohot sharminda hu, and I am sorry for that. Par please, tum humare past ko humare present pe matt haavi hone do. Abhi abhi toh humare beech sab theek hua hai, main nahi chahta abhi hum jhagre.Main maa se baat karta hu-".Prerna cut him off,"Nahi uski koi zaroorat nahi, kyuki main wapas apne ghar jaa rahi hu-abhi.Iss hi waqt.".Her words brought Anurag's world to a standstill.

Precap: Anurag's eyes shone with determination and anger, "Tumne aaj tak Anurag Basu ka pyaar dekha hai Prerna, ab tum mera pagalpan dekhogi."he whispered, "I promise you, main tumhe wapas zaroor lekar aaunga, agar iske liye mujhe tumhare lagaye huye har jhoote ilzaam ko sach bhi karna pare, toh main woh bhi karunga, lekin tumhe khudse alag nahi hone dunga"he said before handing her the suitcase and storming into Basu Bari