Thaltej, Ahmedabad

Anuj and GK returned home after a scrumptious dinner at Anupama's house. The ride home was a quiet one except for the engine and the whirring sounds of the magnet. Anuj was bubbling with myriad emotions. Anuj had freshened up and got ready into his night suit. He was sitting in his dimly lit study. His eyes were filled with remorse as his mind was still stuck on the fiasco created by Vanraj Shah. He had come face to face with the person who had left a scar on his Anu's heart in an unexpected manner. The altercation between Samar, Vanraj, and Anupama gave him an inkling about the changing dynamics of relationships. He felt proud of Anupama as he could see the fire within her. She had surely outgrown herself. She was different from the timid college-going girl that he had known. Samar, the young lad had left him tongue-tied with the way he gave back to that vile man, who was Samar's father. Vanraj Shah appeared as a self-centered and obnoxious person who lacked mannerisms along with decorum. Anuj found the elder couple to be contrasting opposites.

Anuj was brought out of his reverie when he felt a warm and affectionate hand over his shoulder. It was GK who had come to check on him. Anuj sighed and held onto his old wrecked hands. asked GK. The debacle had given them an insight into the nature of Anupama's ex-in-laws. Anuj nodded his head and spoke, He further continued, He trailed offand a tear rolled down his eye. GK wiped it off and completed Anuj's statement. and consoled him. GK wiped his tears and spoke, Anuj took a pause and removed his specs, GK covered him with Gayatri's shawl that was lying there on the couch. He cajoled Anuj lovingly and soon both of them fell asleep.

Satellite, Ahmedabad

spoke Samar as he back-hugged Anupama who was standing in the balcony seeking a moment of solace under the moonlit sky. Samar had noticed that his hug was left unreciprocated and he knew that she had been hurt. He knew he had acted out impulsiveness yet he was caught up in a dilemma that had begun to give him a burgeoning headache. He held onto his mother's warmth with one hand as he rubbed his temples with the other hand. The loosened hug made Anupama turn around and saw a flicker of discomfort on Samar's face. She held his hands and dragged him to his room. A little later she entered the room with the medicines as Samar lay on the bed with his eyes closed and head resting on the headrest. Samar looked at her and once again spoke softly, Anupama sighed and spoke,

The dance had drained off Samar albeit with his restricted moves and thus he was fast asleep as soon as he hit the bed. Anupama caressed his hair and wiped the tear that threatened to fall from her eyes. She was disappointed and hurt as she hoped that Samar would act sensibly. A mother's heart held onto courage as she continued with her silent treatment. She had seen the spark in his eyes when Anuj had showered him with unconditional love as her mind recalled the dance as well as the compliment. A crack had healed. There was a sense of contentment yet she was worried about the future as she could clearly see the thing that was next to impossible. It was something beyond her capacity and as a mother, she had given her share of love. It pained her heart yet she was helpless as it was Vanraj's deeds that had given rise to such a decision on Samar's part. The stark differences in the personality of Anuj and Mr. Shah when it came to parental love left her dazed. It left zero space for comparison. The way of dealing with spontaneous matters spot on represented opposites' calmness and chaos. She got up and made her way to the kitchen to fill up the empty bottle. Whilst returning back, her eyes fell on the beautiful marble idol of Kanhaji. She prayed earnestly and expressed her gratitude towards Anuj as she recalled the incidents of the day. "Dhyaan Rakhjo"

Ghatlodiya, Ahmedabad

Vanraj Shah sat in his dimly lit room with a morose expression on his face. He was lost and confused. He should be happy as he was freed from a loveless arranged marriage set up by Moti Baa. He went ahead and got married to Kavya whom he loved. He had never considered Anupama to be of his stature. It was a marriage that had started to suffocate him. However, here he was feeling raging and conflicting emotions. He was seething in jealousy. He was a known figure in the business field a few months back before everything went in for a toss. The issues in his life's personal and professional spheres had left him disgruntled. It irked him and deepened his bruised ego. The typical male chauvinist along with his regressive mindset found the leap of faith in Anupama's life to be cumbersome.

The final nail in the coffin was Anupama's close friendship with Vikram and now the ever-growing bond with Anuj left him in shambles. Though he was thankful to Anuj for saving Samar's life the priority gave rise to misplaced angst. The haughty outlook and approach denied him the liberty to swallow his pride. His mind was still stuck on the conversation with AK. A conversation that reflected the shrewdness and an aura like all other successful businessmen that warned him that he better be in his good books rather than messing with him or even being at the receiving end. His thoughts went back to the letter that he had received from AK Industries. The message had been loud and clear for him. He was all screwed up. Thus he had the only way out. He and Kavya would be meeting AK tomorrow at his office. A final decision had been taken.

Thaltej, Ahmedabad

Anuj stirred a little as soon as the rays hit his face. He blinked his eyes and sat up on the bed. There was a full-blown smile as he recalled the events of the last night. It was a birthday that had been etched in his heart and memory. It was an achievement indeed. He wore his spectacles and got freshened up. He wore a blue round-neck T-shirt paired with black sweatpants and made his way to the small makeshift gym. Anuj was working out on the treadmill whilst being updated about his office schedule by his secretary through bluetooth. He called up Saveer a little later as was the routine now. , asked Saveer Saveer scratched his nape and answered, and he trailed off. Anuj understood the implying question. He heaved a sigh and said, There was a moment of silence from both sides. Saveer was trying to absorb the information that he had just received. spoke Anuj, who wanted to give Saveer some lone space. The call was hung. Anuj got dressed up for the day albeit the difficulty due to the injury. He wore a white shirt paired with a lined blue coat coupled with white chinos. It exuded cold vibes paired with his basic essential- a smartwatch.

New York, USA

Saveer kept on playing with the switch of the light. It was ages since he had known about the unrequited love of his father. He had heard so much about her and had been wanting to have a glimpse of her. He was feeling a conundrum of emotions within him. The happiness was radiating on his face. Finally, his father did meet her. He swiped through the pictures umpteenth time now. A mere look at her and he could feel the motherly love touching his heart. He felt a homely connection. It was his heart that had been yearning for a mother's love. He smiled through his tears and kept on looking at the picture. A picture that spoke volumes about the relationship of man and wife redefining respect and love just like his grandparents about whom he had been hearing from GK. He kept that picture as wallpaper and slept off with a smile before making sure that his wish of the heart was being heard by the lord of divine plays.

Prahladnagar, Ahmedabad

AK Group of Industries

The Shah Couple were seated in the lobby. Vanraj recalled the conversation that he had this morning. He had coaxed Kavya into giving a try to sell out their rusty yet upscaled garage and made a call to the office there by taking an appointment with Anuj unknown to the fact that AK was personally vested into it. He also wanted to put forth his business proposal. The decision had been informed to the elders and now here they were awaiting the meeting to begin. Vanraj was dressed up in a cream-beige brown checkered blazer over a crisp pastel blue shirt paired with beige brown checkered chinos. Kavya had adorned a semi-formal attire and was giving final touches of makeup when Vanraj warned her of her stupidity. He said, Kavya sighed at him. Nevertheless, she nodded her head.

Anuj had his head buried in the files. He had been busy reading about the drones and their issues when the intercom rang. , he answered in a cold voice and spoke again after a pause of a few seconds, Anuj sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. The Shah Couple. He picked up his intercom and called up Vikram and Devika on conference passing on the message for them to be present in the conference room along with Anupama.

The conference room was sparsely designed. There was a natural play of light peaking through the blinds. The plants placed around the blinds gave the room a certain tinge of freshness. The teak wood rectangular table was well-varnished and it was surrounded by six leather chairs. A wooden panel affixed with the wall looked like a cabinet displaying the certificates and trophies won by the youngsters who had interned earlier. It had books and photo frames as well which shined due to the yellow lighting. The design of the panel was a camouflage for the projector. The opaque glass on one side gave the members much-needed privacy whereas the wall adjacent to the sprawling wooden door had a coffee table with a coffee machine on it. The furry rug beneath the table protected the wooden flooring. There was a separate glass cabin that was a resting place. The interiors were breathtakingly simple.

Devika had already arrived and was busy reading the tender on her tab. Vikram arrived a moment later and sat on the chair with his eyebrows furrowed. He called up the secretary on the intercom. He said in an authoritative tone, A few seconds later the Shah Couple stepped into the room. Vikram gestured for them to be seated. Anupama had been caught up in work that required her to explain to the younger intern working under her. She was late. Thus she was rushing her way to the room when she bumped into GK. She was surprised to see him here and bent down to take his blessings. queried Anupama. Anuj who had just reached the corridor was worried to see GK here. He took quick long steps towards them. asked Anuj in a frail voice. GK did look weary. Even before GK could speak up, Anupama intervened.

, spoke Anupama as she saw the cold sweat on his forehead. Anuj nodded in acceptance and pushed open the door of the conference cabin. The mere sight of GK made Devika and Vikram stand up from their chairs. The Shah Couple looked on cluelessly. Anuj made GK sit on the chair and handed over the bottle of water that he had carried with him. came the chorus question of Vikram and Devika. GK took a deep breath and held Anuj's hand firmly. He spoke, All three of them released the breath they had been holding onto till now. Vikram hugged GK and Devika spoke, Anuj was enraged yet he controlled himself and tried to free his hand away when the grasp got tighter. That's when Anuj and Anupama's eyes fell on the couple. There was a flicker of discomfort in Anupama's eyes which Anuj and GK noticed. Anuj decided to ask her out later on. Anuj turned to the Shah Couple and spoke,

The Shah Couple exchanged pleasantries with GK. Vanraj was all mellowed down considering the fiasco that he had created. Kavya was awestruck by the simplicity of the cabin and was over the moon as she was meeting the class apart businessman AK in person. Anuj spoke, as he pointed towards the sofa set that was visible from the glass partition. GK excused himself followed by Anuj. Vikram turned towards the couple and spoke, All of them settled down on the chairs and awaited Anuj who came back a few minutes later. AK settled down on the high-back leather chair when Devika passed him the glass of water. He took a pause for a momentary second and said, Vanraj nodded and removed his laptop. Kavya was enthusiastic so she slid the laptop toward Anuj in lieu of the presentation. Soon the peon entered with six mugs. It had green tea, Chai, and Coffee served to its respective owners.

, spoke Kavya in a sultry voice as she got up and moved towards Anuj. Vanraj interjected, He was clearly displeased at Kavya's lack of presence of mind. spoke Kavya in acceptance. The lack of finesse in her innuendos made Anuj uncomfortable. He had been observing the Shah Couple with narrowed eyes. The jab gave him an insight into the misogynist and narcissist nature that was deeply embedded in Vanraj. He saw Mrs. Shah near him through the corner of his eyes and so he got up. spoke Anuj giving a stern look. He realized the predicament that Vikram went through that day. She was outspoken and her gestures were loud overflowing with emotions. Kavya muttered a "sorry" and went back to her seat.

Vanraj sighed and began, He went on to explain the background search that he had done on his competitor restaurants as he pointed out to the figures and charts of sales in reference. He further put forth the finances that he had planned out. Kavya spoke up, giving Vanraj a break, finished Kavya.

The piercing tone had given Anuj a tough time and thus he had a migraine. He had listened to the proposal whilst twirling the magnets. Nevertheless, he spoke up pushing his frames to the bridge of his nose,. Anuj looked at Anupama, Vikram, and Devika. All three of them nodded their heads in approval. A few seconds later they found Anuj pressing his temples. The three friends shared a look at each other, though Anupama was clueless she knew the signs of discomfort. Thus Anupama spoke up steely, Vanraj fumed at the interference as he looked at Anupama, who was unbothered. The statement was backed by Vikram. AK had noticed the exchange and thus he spoke with certitude, The Shah Couple walked out immediately. Vikram and Devika left the cabin. Anuj got up and walked towards the partition in long strides followed by Anupama.

Anuj entered the room and found GK wide awake. He sat down beside him and kept his head on his shoulder whereas Vikram made his way to the drawer and rummaged through it. He caught hold of a strip and handed over the tablet to Anuj who gulped it down. Devika pushed the glass toward him and asked, Anupama inquired, Anuj answered wearily, The information left Anupama baffled. Vikram turned towards Anu and inquired, Anupama sighed and replied, The statement left everyone shocked which was masked well. Lunch was a silent affair and soon all of them were seated in the cabin.