Maya was lying on her bed on her stomach, swaying her legs in the air. Her laptop, dairy, and some papers and pens were scattered before her. She was busy scribbling something on paper while looking at her laptop when Vani entered the room and stood near the door. She looked at her daughter-in-law, who was busy writing something. It's been a long time since she's seen Maya get herself out of the bubble that she had built all these years.

Vani knocked on the door. Maya stopped her work and looked at the door. She saw her MIL standing near the door.

"Arey, attayya, why are you standing there? Come inside." Maya said, clearing the mess on the bed.

"What are you doing?" Vani asked, sitting on the bed.

"Nothing, attayya, just some notes. So, tell me how the meeting went," Maya asked her.

"Good. We got the deal. Sorry Maya, we three couldn't come because of the meeting. We couldn't even postpone it as it was very important and scheduled before your wedding. Did you feel comfortable there?" Said Vani.

"Offo attayya. You talk too much. Don't worry, I can understand the situation. Otherwise, you guys would have come right. And about the comfort, I was with Anu akka all the time. So, just chill," said Maya.

"Did you enjoy it there?" Vani asked her.

"Yup! I had a great time. Harsh bhai is so caring and cool, even for their family. Actually, Harsh bhai took me to meet his family. You know, Attayya, his niece is so cute and little," Maya said with a smile.

Vani smiled, listening to Maya. She looked at her and again got lost in her smiling face. She still remembers the innocent smile she gave her when she took her in her arms for the first time.

"Attayya?" Maya called her.

"Haa," Vani said, looking at Maya.

"Where are you lost?" Maya asked her.

"Nothing." She caressed Maya's face and said, "Always keep smiling like this, Ammu. Your smile makes our day," and she kissed her forehead.

The smile on Maya's face grew wide, looking at the love showered by Vani. She doesn't remember the last time she shared a loving conversation with her parents. Her parents were strict and they would be busy with their work every day. Even if they talk, it's usually regarding her studies and health. That's it.

She smiled, looking at Vani.

She took Vani's hands in hers and asked, "Attayya, I want to ask you something. Can I?"

"Sure, tell me what's bothering you," Vani asked.

"Are you angry at me?" Maya asked.

Vani looked at her confused.

"I mean, that day."

Looking at Maya, who was stammering badly and looking down, Vani understood about which day she was speaking.

"Ammu, look at me," Vani said, caressing her face.

Maya looked at her.

"Why do you think that I will be angry at you?" Vani asked her.

But Maya didn't say anything. Vani sighed, looking at her.

"See, Ammu. I'm not all angry at you. In fact, I'm proud of you. That day, you stood up for yourself and fought for your love all by yourself. I don't know what happened between you and Rajesh, but I trust you. I know you will never do something that brings disrespect to our family. And you do know the difference between right and wrong. So, I'm not angry at you, but I'm disappointed with my brother and SIL. I just couldn't believe the fact that they trusted him over you," said Vani.

Maya's eyes pooled with tears as she listened to her.

"You know, Kanna, you were a pre-mature baby, and I still remember the day when I took you for the first time in my arms. Everybody thought you couldn't make it up just like your brother, who was born six years before you," said Vani.

Maya looked at her, stunned, because she had no idea she had an older brother who had died.

"Even your mother gave up on you. Doctors said you have a weak heart. It was the third pregnancy for your mother. She had a baby boy in her first delivery who died after 2 months of his birth due to a blood clot in his brain, and the second one was a miscarriage. You were there in the incubator for two months. But Peddamma, Attayya and I never lost our hope. We thought you would fight. And see, our hope didn't fail."

"Remember one thing, Maya. There will be people who will take advantage of our helpless situation, just like Rajesh. And sometimes we ourselves create such situations for them unknowingly. You created that situation for him. You thought he would change, but see what he did. He made you distant from your own parents. Of course, it's their mistake, but see the result. He stood in the position of the victim when it was you. I don't know what happened in the past, nor would I force you to say it. You know what Chytra did to Arjun? And when her brother was bothering you, you could have told one of us. I know the situation we were facing at that time was hard. Yes, you shared it with Arjun. But he was depressed at that time, and he was fighting with his own demons. The way that you both thought was good, but you analysed the situation wrongly. And look where it landed you. Are you understanding what I'm saying, kanna?" Vani asked, looking at Maya.

Maya nodded her head. Before they could continue their talks Avi entered the room.

Maya got up from the bed and took his bag from and placed it on the study table.

"Did you drop dad in the airport?" Vani asked Avi.

"Yes, amma. He said that he would call once he had reached", said Avi.

"Did mavayya go somewhere?" Maya asked Vani.

"Yeah! He has a meeting in Mumbai in the early morning", said Vani.

"Oh!" Said Maya.

Meanwhile Avi went to freshen up. Maya took Avi's nightwear from their closet and placed them in the dressing area. Vani smiled, looking at her.

Maya and Vani got busy in thier talks.

******************

On the other hand:

We could see a woman slapping a boy and a girl. Behind her stood a girl in her late 20's with her head down and tears flowing down her eyes continuously, and a man in his mid 50's was trying his best to console her.

"Just because of both of you, today her married life was destroyed." She said, pointing Vyshali who was crying. "And also, because of her blind love towards both of you. She destroyed her marriage with her bare hands."

"Amma, what did we do? And what happened?" Rajesh asked his mother.

"Stop Rajesh. Just stop it. Your bava sent divorce papers to your sister. He cut all his ties with this family. He supported our family during the time of Chytra's mishap, even though he knew the fault was on our side. And now again, both of you were plotting to destroy a girl's life without any mistake of hers. He warned her not to support you guys. But she didn't listen, and she came here, leaving her husband and her in-laws. It's been months since she came here. He tried his best to convince her, but she wouldn't listen. And his patience broke with the stunt she pulled last time. So, he decided to divorce her. And I don't think he has done anything wrong. Just answer me. Why are you guys doing all this? I never thought you would do something like this. I thought I had given you a good upbringing. But every time you guys prove me wrong. Why? Why are you doing this to us and to them?" Gauri yelled at Rajesh.

"Amma, you don't know anything. You don't know how cheap she is. She used my brother and left him. And now she has trapped Avinav. You don't know how depressed my brother is. Who knows how many men she has entrapped with her charms till now? And who knows with whom she has slept", Chytra said, annoyed.

She fell on the ground because of the huge slap given by her father. She got up and placed her hand on her cheek.

She looked at her father angrily and asked, "Did you just slap me because of that bitch, nanna?"

"Don't you dare raise your voice in front of me? And look who is talking about trapping men. You don't even have the right to talk about her. What did you say? She used your brother and left him. Why don't you ask your brother the truth? Chi, I'm ashamed of myself for having children like you both. Chytra, are you even a girl? And you, Mr. Rajesh, you still didn't say the truth to your sister", Kishore yelled at his daughter.

"Anna, just tell them the truth. Then, they will understand your pain. Tell them what that bitch did to you", said Chytra.

"Just stop it, Chytra. Just stop!" Vyshali shouted at the top of her voice. "Both of you just stop your wicked plans to destroy Maya's marriage. Maya is innocent. She didn't accept Rajesh at all. She rejected him the moment he proposed to her. She neither took the gifts sent by him nor met him once whenever he went to her college. She never demanded anything from him. It was him who built his hopes high. It was he who harassed her mentally every day. He was the one who snatched her peace and made false allegations against her. It's him who made her the culprit in front of her parents. It's him who made her look low in front of you. Even though I knew the truth, I became selfish for my brother's happiness and became one of the reasons for her pain." Her voice got cracked by the end.

"What the hell, akka? It's all rubbish. Anna, did you listen to what akka was saying?" Said Chytra.

"She is saying the truth, Chythu", Rajesh said, bowing his head down.

Chytra stared at her brother in disbelief.

She thought that Maya was taking revenge on her brother for what she did to Arjun. That's why she supported her brother all this time.

"What are you saying, Anna?" Chytra asked him, coming out of shock.

"Akka is saying the truth. She never accepted my proposal. It's me who did all those horrendous things to her", said Rajesh.

"Then why did you lie to me? You could have told me the truth", Chytra asked him.

"For you", said Rajesh.

"What?" Chytra asked him, confused.

"I thought that if I put Maya as the culprit, then her parents would get her married to me. And then, I could put a condition that Arjun had to marry you if I had to marry Maya", said Rajesh.

Everyone stood there, shocked, listening to him.

"Then you and I could get married to the people we love", said Rajesh.

Chytra just couldn't believe what her brother was saying, while Vyshali closed her eyes in pain. She became the reason for an innocent girl's pain. She still remembers the look on Maya's face when her parents trusted them over Maya. And now, she is receiving punishment. God has snatched her baby from her, and her husband left her. A thought ran through her mind. Did her brother really love Maya? No one wants to see the person they love in pain, but her brother is the reason for the pain that Maya has gone through. Gowri left to her room and Vyshali moved to hers silently.

"I hope you have realised what you have done? If you still haven't learned your lessons, then get ready to pay for the sins you have committed." Kishore went to his room after saying that.

( Kishore - Rajesh's father

Gouri - Rajesh's mother

Vyshali - Rajesh's elder sister

Chytra - Rajesh's younger sister)

Stay safe and keep smiling.