Chapter 14

ASR's Office:

Arnav walks into his office to see his bodyguards were waiting for him there.

ASR (terse): What did you find?

Angad, the chief of his bodyguard, comes forward: We found that one of the temporary worker Navin hired is actually a fraud. Changing looks to defraud people is his job. He has warrant in his name and police once caught him but your brother-in-law fought his case and got him out.

ASR's eyes burn with anger: I should have known it was Shyam's doing. But how the hell did he come back? I thought I gave you guys instruction to ship him far away.

Angad: We did what you asked. We put him in the train to Cochin and instructed him to never come back. But he could have taken another train or flight and come back. I can look for him again. But he might be anywhere. So it will take time.

ASR: But how did he enter my home? We had the best security on my engagement party and I pre-screened everyone who worked for me including the invited guests? The rope cut was too clean to be torn.

Angad: That's correct. He could not have entered your house that night. That was someone else's doing. We have found a faint bloody finger stain beside the wall where the rope was and it was a smaller finger than a man. It seems whoever cut the rope might have injured himself and grabbed the wall for support. But later used a napkin or something to wipe off the stain. I have started the DNA and blood test of the sample. We will then narrow down the guest list and the hired help based on the result. But from my experience, that finger stain was a woman's, not man. It was too small to be a man's fingerprint.

ASR takes a deep breath and tells them to go home. After they leave, he leans back in his chair.

He remembers the incident of scorpion last time and this time. He starts to think: A scorpion was found in Di's room last time and it bit Khushi this time. So does it mean that if this one was done by Shyam, then he tried to take Di's life last time too?

He then one by one remembers all the "accidents" that his Di had in those days of Aakash and Payal's wedding and his eyes harden. He finally connects the dots and realizes that Shyam was more dangerous than he thought. He used to think that he was just a cheater and a lier. But he was a murderer as well, he did not know.

On top of that, it seems there is someone else, a woman, after his Khushi's life. And he does not even have a clue who might that be.

However, he knows one enemy...

He vows with bloodshot eyes: Shyam, wherever you are, you have just signed your death warrant and I will see how you can survive now. No matter how far or hard you run, I will find you. Your time starts now, save yourself if you can...

He grabs his suit jacket and storms out of his office.

When he was about to get into his car, he gets a text from Khushi: I'm waiting for you.

He squeezes his eyes shut and a drop of tear rolls down from the corner of his eyes.

He texts back: Don't wait for me. Just have dinner and go to bed. I will be late.

Arnav drives to the place where he met Lachhi. He gets down from the car and shouts her name.

But there is no one to answer his call.

He keeps shouting until he feels a presence behind him. He turns and sees Lachhi standing there with her eyebrow raised. This time, she is wearing a bright pink ghagro with same ornaments.

Arnav goes to her, grabs her arms and says desperately: Lachhi, you will have to save Khushi. Please Lachhi. She is my life. I can't live without her.

Lachhi smiles and releases herself from his iron grip: I can't do that. I told you before you agreed to the deal that you can't change destiny.

Arnav (desperate): But Lachhi, we changed the past. The incidents that are happening now, did not happen before. Then why can't you change destiny?

Lachhi (still smiling): Because changing your action does not mean that you have outrun fate. This is your second chance to right the wrongs. The opportunities you had missed or ignored before, have been given to you again. But that does not mean that the outcome will be different.

Life and Death create balance in nature. You can't stop life from coming into this world nor can you stop death from taking it away.

You can either waste your life in unnecessary petty fights and calculations of profit and loss, and leave the world with regret or live it to the fullest and die without any regret. The choice is yours to decide how your life should look like after you are gone. But the option to choose the time of death has not been given to any human being, so how can I give it to you?

Arnav stumbles back and shouts angrily: I don't care. I will not let Khushi leave me a second time. I will stop death with my life if I have to. But I will do it. You just wait and watch.

Lachhi smiles and seems to blend in the darkness.

Arnav climbs back into his car and drives home with a heavy heart.

Shaantivan:

Everyone had dinner except Khushi.

She insisted that she will wait for Arnavji.

After initial protest, Naniji agreed. Everyone went to bed while Khushi was waiting for Arnav in the living room.

Khushi picks up her phone to call Arnav when she notices his text and smiles.

She texts him: I'm waiting for you.

She gets Arnav's text back: Don't wait for me. Just have dinner and go to bed. I will be late.

Khushi (tensed): I don't know what is going on with Arnavji. I have never seen him working so hard before. There must be something which is troubling him. I need to find out what's bothering him... (she prays to her Devi Maiyya) Devi Maiyya, I don't know why Arnavji is so tensed. But whatever is the reason for his worry, give it to me instead. I can't see him so worried.

Up in the sky, a star shines bright...