Purvi has reached Mumbai with Aarush and has taken a cab to go home. She cuddled Aarush in her arms and smiled when he hugged her. The driver glanced at her from the front mirror inside the car and smiled. Then, he again looked at the road and continued driving.

"Driver aur kitni der lagegi?"...Purvi asked while looking at him from the front mirror.

"Madam bas do ghante mein pahunch jaayenge"...The driver replied after looking back at her.

"Do ghante!...Achchha raaste mein koi hotel aaye to rokna, bachche ke liye doodh lena hai"...Purvi said to him.

"Theek hai madam"...The driver said before looking back at the road.

After sometime, they reached a hotel. The driver stopped the cab and came out of it.

"Laaiye doodh laaun"...He said after going near Purvi.

Purvi nodded. She took out her purse and opened it to give him money. The driver looked in her purse, his intention turned bad after seeing her money and jewellery. Purvi looked at him before giving him money and a bottle to buy milk for Aarush. The driver took the money and bottle and then went inside the hotel for buying milk.

Soon he returned back with milk. Purvi took the milk from him and fed Aarush while he sat inside the cab and continued driving. Suddenly the weather became unpleasant. The sky turned as black as the devil's soul. The surroundings became cellar-dark and the buckling, heaving sky looked fit to collapse down. Branched lightning lit up the sky and then there was an explosion like a sonic boom. And, suddenly it started raining. The driver drove to the other roadside.

"Idhar kahan le jaa rahe ho?"...Purvi asked when she realised that he was driving towards an isolated way.

"Is raaste se jaldi pahunch jaayenge madam...Shaam hone se pehle"...The driver replied while looking back at her with an evil smile.

"Idhar to jungle hi jungle hai...Tum pehle wale raaste se hi le chalo"...Purvi said anxiously.

The driver ignored her and continued driving towards that way only.

"Tumne suna nahin...Maine kaha pehle wale raaste se hi le chalo"...Purvi yelled anxiously.

The driver ignored her this time also.

"Main kehti hoon gaadi roko...Stop the car...Stop the car"...Purvi shouted at the top of her voice in anger.

The driver nodded in no and laughed loudly. Purvi tried to stop the car by holding the steering wheel but he pushed her back. Aarush looked at Purvi and started hitting the driver while crying.

"Madam agar apni aur apne bachche ki salamati chahti ho to apne saare gehne aur paise mujhe de do"...The driver said while holding Aarush.

Purvi took Aarush back from his hold and hugged him tightly.

"Help...Help...Somebody help"...She screamed while looking outside the window.

The driver stopped the cab and came out of it after snatching away her purse. Then, he started running away with it. Purvi looked at him running away in anxiousness. Meanwhile a young man in his early thirties reached there in his car. He came out of it and ran behind the driver to bring back her purse. Purvi saw him running behind the driver.

After chasing for around twenty minutes the man held the driver. He slapped him with his open left hand full across the face. It rocked him and he took a step back and then steadied himself, blinking his eyes and staring at him. The man took Purvi's purse from him and slapped him again. He was about to beat him badly but before he could do so the driver fled away from there. The man saw him till his retreating figure vanished, then he went near Purvi with her purse.

"Ye lijiye aapka purse"...He said while giving back her purse.

"Bahut bahut dhanyavaad"...Purvi said after taking her purse.

The man smiled while wiping his hairs with his handkerchief.

Purvi: Agar aap na hote to...

"Jo nahin hona tha uske baare mein kya sochna...Anyways, ab aap is cab mein to jaa nahin sakti, chaliye main aapko apni car se chhod doon"...The man said politely after interrupting her.

Purvi: Jee...

"Waise jaana kahan hai aapko?"...The man asked after interrupting her again.

Purvi: Jee mujhe...

"Waise is mausam mein aapko akele nahin aana chahiye tha...Baarish bahut tezz hai aur abhi aapko koi cab ya taxi bhi nahin milegi"...The man said after interrupting her again.

Purvi became anxious on hearing him.

Purvi: To phir...To phir main...Main...

"Ghabraiye mat...Main ek CID officer hoon, thodi door pe mera farmhouse hai...Agar aapko mujhpar yakeen ho, to raat bhar mere saath wahin ruk jaaiye...Kal subah hote hi main aapko aapke ghar chhod doonga"...The man said with a gentle smile after interrupting her again for the fourth time.

Purvi looked at him and then at Aarush. She nodded while taking him in her arms. The man smiled and they sat inside his car. After a while, they drove for his farmhouse.

"Waise aapka bachcha bahut pyaara hai"...The man said with a warm smile after looking at Aarush while driving.

"Jee dhanyavaad...I mean...Thank you"...Purvi said while hugging Aarush and looking at the man while smiling.

The man laughed slightly at her and continued driving. After sometime, they reached the farmhouse. They came out of the car and went inside.

It was late night.

"Aapka bachcha so gaya?"...The man asked when he saw her coming out of a room in which she was staying for tonight.

"Jee"...Purvi replied and sat on a sofa.

The man looked at her and smiled.

"Aapse ek baat puchhna chahta hoon"...He said before sitting in front of her on a sofa.

"Jee puchhiye"...Purvi said with a small smile.

"Jabse aap mili hain tabse mujhe aisa lagta hai shayad aapko pehle kahin dekha hai"...The man said while looking at her keenly.

Purvi's smile faded after hearing him.

"Jee?"...She asked anxiously.

"Na jaane kyun kabhi kabhi kisi ko dekhkar aisa lagta hai jaise pehchaan purani hai"...The man said while looking at her.

Purvi lowered her gaze and started fidgeting with the core of her saree in anxiousness.

"Kya naam bataya aapne?"...The man asked her.

"Preeti"...Purvi replied after meeting his gaze.

"Yahan Mumbai mein kahan rehti hain aap?"...The man asked.

"Rehti nahin...Pehli baar aayi hoon...Yahan mera sasural hai"...Purvi replied and tried to stay calm.

"Sasural hai...Aur aayi hain pehli baar?"...The man asked in confusion.

"Jee unhone apne maata-pita ki marzi ke khilaf shaadi ki thi...Isliye"...Purvi replied anxiously while looking down.

"Achchha"...The man mumbled.

Purvi looked up at him again while rubbing her palms in anxiousness.

"Kya main ye puchh sakta hoon, koun hain wo log?"...The man asked while looking at her.

"Jee yahan ke retired collector Dipankar Saxena mere sasur hain"...Purvi replied anxiously.

"Dipankar Saxena aapke sasur...Yaani ki aap Kartik ki patni hain"...The man exclaimed in surprise.

Purvi nodded in yes while looking at him.

Man: Lekin aap to train accident mein...

"Bach gayi...Kitni ajeeb baat hai...Hai na?"...Purvi asked with tears after interrupting him.

"Ye to bahut khushi ki baat hai"...The man said with a warm smile while looking at her.

"Aap mere sasural walon ko kaise jaante hain?"...Purvi asked after a while.

"Wo bhi to mera apna hi ghar hai...Mere papa aur Dipankar uncle cousins hain...Bachpan mein Kartik aur main ek saath khele, ek saath padhe, lekin jab bade hue to raaste alag ho gaye, un dinon main higher education ke liye Denmark chala gaya aur jab wapas India aaya to pata chala Kartik ne shaadi kar li...Aur uske baad wo accident..."...The man said with tears in a teary voice.

Purvi felt the pain in his voice.

"Kitni ajeeb hai ye zindagi...Aaj Kartik ki patni ko pehli baar dekh raha hoon...Wo bhi ek...Wo bhi ek vidhva ke libaas mein"...The man added with tear brimmed eyes.

Purvi lowered her gaze as her eyes welled up with tears after recalling Preeti.

"Itna nazdeeki rishta hai...Isliye mann baar baar keh raha tha ki shayad aapko pehle kahin dekha hai"...The man said while looking at her.

Purvi looked up at him and smiled a bit after wiping away her tears.