Arun and Radhika returned home after two hours of wandering in the city but still all the time, her mind had been rotating between that mafia story and Savitri as a pendulum.

This time, Radhika had driven the car on the return journey. After parking it, they walked towards the entrance door of the home and unexpectedly found it wide open.

Soon Savitri's shout was heard to their ears. They frowned looking at it other and rushed inside to know what the matter was!

As soon as Radhika witnessed the scene inside the living room, her eyes went round and she froze at her place. She fearfully wrapped her fingers around his. Meanwhile, he slightly tightened the grip with comfort.

Her widened eyes were fixed at Sneha's back, in shock, who was facing her mother's hostile stare with lowered head.

What was she doing here when she was supposed to be in my captive? Radhika thought.

Though she couldn't see her face Savitri's furious face had a clear and enough view for her to witness the drama being unfolded. Had those stares fixed at her, she would have already died of a heart attack. She terrified concluded.

"What are you standing here as a ghost? Answer me. What are you doing here?" Her nostril flared as her loud angry voice boomed in the living hall.

Radhika shivered at the intensity, but it didn't ever slightly affect her. She was standing like a statue with her head hung low. Savitri moved a step forward which made Aruna grasp in fear of her response and tried to make her understand.

"Jiji..."

But as soon as she opened her mouth to say, Savitri cut her off in a taut voice, not diverting her gaze even an inch from the visitor's physique.

"Aruna, don't interfere when I am talking."

"Why were you disappeared these months? Why did you run away as a coward from your wedding when everything happened was according to your choice?"

Arun not able to watch the drama silently anymore, came forward and requested in a soft pleading voice.
"Savitri. Let her at least take a rest. This talk shall be continued later." His eyes casually set on her and continued, "And her wounds need to be treated too."

Radhika's eyes bludged out of the socket in shock and her anger reached her peak, thinking the goons she had hired, used force on her, despite her denial. Her heart was carving to see her once, but her rational mind demanded her to enjoy the free show being a silent audience at the corner. Tit for tat.

Savitri turned deaf to his pleads as expected. She grabbed her shoulders and shook her vigorously in seek of explanations.

"I want my answers now, Sneha. Why are you standing still? Explain yourself. Say something."

"I have nothing to say," Sneha said in a meek as well as tired voice which was soon followed by a loud bang of tight slap, as Savitri imprinted on her daughter's cheek which made her startled and lost the balance a little.

"Jiji, please."

"Stand there silently in the corner." Savitri pointed her finger threateningly at Aruna who tried to step forward, trying to intertwine in the matter.

"Today is the day I am hurt the most because that day had a trust that you will never let our heads down deliberately. Kudos you left no stone unturned in proving me wrong."

Sneha slowly raised her gaze to the level of her mother's fierce one. Couldn't able to hold the vigour of hatred from the person who once had loved her unconditionally, which made her eyes flooded with tears as she lowered her head ashamedly.

"Maa.."

"Your mother is dead today."

Her meek voice was suppressed with her loud and inhospitable voice. She startled hearing her roaring and her lower lips trembled, understanding the depth of the words.

Not able to watch the drama any further, Arun with a slightly stern voice said, "Savitri. It is too much. She is an adult and can choose what is right and wrong for her."

Although her stare was fixed at Sneha as prey since her entry, his comment made her snap her head in his direction, unbelievingly.

She huffed in incredulity and frustration.

"It is not a hotel that whenever you want, can shamelessly come and go." She summoned with her hard stare on Sneha that gradually turned towards Radhika, standing behind leaning on the wall casually which made her conscious of her position and promptly straighten up, keeping a distance from the wall.

"If I am crossing the line, you ask her where she was all this time?"

It made him shut, knowing his daughter was not in want of revealing any secrets. She scoffed at his silence. She turned her attention to her.

"Have a yearning of wandering na! Please go a favour and Don't return until you have a proper excuse to give."

Everyone in the room was beyond shock hearing her. No one could have expected it witnessed her praising her daughter as a goddess. Aruna quickly approached her.

"Jiji, you are doing wrong, again. She is our child too. If she doesn't return here, where will she go? Why are you trying to destroy the coming happiness of this house? Be thankful at least she is safe and sound." She continued.

"She or anyone else has the same right to be under this roof as much as you have. Jiji, what will do with the principles and ideals when our children get separated from us."

Just as she ended, a slap landed on her cheek which made her eyes went around in shock. The colour drained out of her face, realising what happened.

"Without moralities, a person is just a spineless creature."

She hissed in a venomous voice. All the while Aruna's eyes bored into hers in scepticism. Her palm slowly covered her redden cheek and said in a painful yet angry voice.

"You were and are really very selfish. You don't care about anyone. If it continues, you will ever find yourself alone in the end."

When she saw no change in her demeanour, she shook her head with a fake smile and silently receded to her room. Seeing her hurriedly exiting, Arun tried to stop her, calling her name but Savitri stopped him.

"Let her be. After some time, she will understand."

He grimaced his wife's thinking. It had been Aruna's stature, who always approached her not out of guilt or apologetically but out of love and care for her and she all the while, definitely misunderstood her actions.

"You never changed. You are still the same. Savitri you should not have-"

She cut him off, showing her a palm with finality.

"Don't teach what should I do and don't."

Radhika's jaw went slack, witnessing her badi maa's this version. She never thought her to hit her mother. She shivered as the scene replayed in her mind. As the couple was arguing without realising the surrounding, Sneha slowly retreated towards the main door.

She frowned at her actions. But Savitri's voice terrified her from behind.

"Where do you think you are going?" She questioned, witnessing Sneha moving towards the main door. When she found herself being ignored, She took a few steps forward to chase her.

"I will show this girl..."

Arun restrained her from moving. She struggled to try to set herself free, in the meanwhile, her elbow too hit his abdomen area, but it didn't make the grip loosen. Witnessing the nuisance, he concluded that it was better, the mother-daughter duo to be away, thus let Sneha go, with a belief she had been mature enough to take of herself. As he watched her get disappeared from his sight, he set her free from the clasp of his arms.

"Calm down." He muttered while he painfully witnessed her taking deep breaths with her icy stare fixed on the door. She clenched her jaw.

"She can't leave from here without giving answers."

Arun tried to make her sit on the sofa and passed a glass of water which was knocked to the entrance in sheer anger, passing by Radhika who had been standing a few feet away and gawking her actions completely terrified.

"What children nowadays think, whatever comes in mind they will do and parents have not even had a right to get informed." She muttered angrily shaking her upper body in unrest on the sofa.

When his attention fell on fearsome Radhika, he asked her to go to her room and take some rest.

Ignoring his advice, she too rushed outside the house behind her cousin. As she moved outside the house, she didn't find her sight. Deciding she couldn't go somewhere far, she ignited the car and went outside in her search.

Luckily, she found her limping in the next lane. She drove her car parallel to her way and pressed her car horns to grab her attention. But driving the car with her speed and getting ignored for around 500m distance, she crazily turned her car and encrusted into on the footpath diagonally, in front of her. Sneha shocked at the sudden action and stilled at her place.

Radhika got out of her car and walked towards her. She ordered her to sit inside but she ignored it and turned back to cross the car. She recklessly came in front, blocking her way.

"Why are you not understanding a simple meaning, huh?" She asked irritatingly but when she witnessed her struggling to pass her from sideways, she forcibly grabbed her wrist and dragged her towards the car. Ultimately after opening the door of the passenger seat, she pushed her inside and when she was to oppose, she cut her off.

"I want no arguments."

After an hour drive, filled with uncomfortable and suffocating silence, they reached her apartment.

Radhika opened the lock and unlocked the door wide open. Without waiting for her, she entered inside and disappeared into the kitchen.

Sneha stood at the threshold in a dilemma of what to do. She looked inside, wondering after how many months, she was going to be here.

Nevertheless, she entered the living room and roamed her eyes around the walls astonishingly. When her eyes halted at the portraits of the couple, her eyes swam with tears. She painfully smiled.

"Don't cast your evil eyes on my happily married life."

Radhika's sudden voice from behind terrified her. She took deep breaths and nodded with a sad smile.

She scoffed at her actions and grabbed a seat on the sofa, eyeing her silent drama with a smirk. Sneha looked around uncomfortably but when she saw her sister gesturing to take a seat on the one-sitter sofa, kept aside, she gradually but nervously followed the command.

"You are really ill-omened. Wherever you go, tribulation follows. Mom who follows Badi maa as a shadow, today was slapped because of you. For the first time, I saw anyone arguing with her, all thanks to you. Once settled lives with happiness got derailed today, the credit goes no one other than you." She clapped mockingly with a huge scowl on her face. While Sneha heard every taunt with eyes squeezed shut and head hung low.

"Congrats, you are excelling in spreading sadness around you nowadays. Why don't you die! Such a disgrace on humanity you have become!" She shrieked making her jump at her place.

"I tried. I tried innumerable times. I seek the endless concord but the sudden breathlessness, the consciousness of being able to take the last breath and the want to live a little more selfishly, stops me every time. I am too weak to end this pathetic life. I hate this helplessness. I hate myself the most." Her irrational words hit her deepest wound which she couldn't help to conceal and ultimately all the emotions burst out with yelp and never-ending tears. She tried to suppress her emotions, but for the first time, her consciousness wanted them to flow and let the other person being aware of her inner turmoil.

Saying shock was an understatement for Radhika because she was beyond panic. The person whom she had always witness with a strong persona was this much broke today. She wanted to hug her for the old-time sake but the change of time and drastic modification in the equation, stopped her to act foolishly.

"Woah! You have also improved your dramatic skills for the last five years."

Her pretentious laughter drew her attention. She frowned.

"Choti..."

"No, don't you even dare. You have lost your right to call me with that endearment years ago." She turned her gaze away ashamedly.

"I am sorry, Choti..." She sneered, hearing her apology which technically lost its meaning eras ago.

"If you are feeling this much guilty, go and tell Badi maa the truth. Whatever reason there might be, if it can obligate all my pain, sufferings and bad naming, I may try to forgive you. But not before it. Never."

Sneha forwarded her hand to caress her cheek but when she witnessed ber taking a step back, her eyes went glossy and she stated in a pained voice.

"I have hurt you the most, right?"

Sadness clouded her feature but she faked a smile and shook her head.

"No, you didn't hurt me but our family and most importantly Badi maa the most. Apologise to her first. If she ever forgives you in this birth, consider me forgiving your sins too."

Radhika hastily wiped the traitor tears and looked away. She cursed herself for turning weak by letting her emotions control her. She took a deep breath.

"Why did you return?" The sudden question shocked her. She nervously turned her gaze away and replied, "I have no reason." She pressed her lips together.

"Absurd. Okay, let me reframe the question? Why were you hiding in a small village of Shimla with Aryan Mehta's mother? What are your relationship with him and you connect with his death? How you are involved with the mafia." Sneha's froze at her place. Her uncomfortableness increased with her eyes burning holes in her.

"Y-you must have m-mistaken. There is nothing about w-what are you thinking. Forget it. It is for your own good." She shuttered but to the end, she fearfully grabbed her palms.

"Promise you will stay away from the matter."

She frowned at her actions but the urge to hurt her overpowered her and with a strong pull, snatched her palm away from her clasp and smirked evilly.

"And let your ugly secrets buried?"

Sneha's face paled and her lower lip quivered in pain with the knowledge of her sister being aware of her forbidden past.

"You know-"

Though Radhika had just guessed about it but watched her this helpless, her ego enhanced.

"Answer my question." She ordered, ignoring her painful pleads.

She shook her head vigorously, wiping the sweat from her forehead. "There is nothing."

"What did you think, I let a serpent reside, roam in my home and let her attempt to destroy my life again. Nah. Answer my question and get out from here."

Sneha quickly got up from the sofa and made her way towards the entrance door.

"Where do you think you are going?"

She turned her face towards her and with a small smile replied, "This world is very big. I will surely find a place a roof somewhere."

But her steps halted with her sister's loud satire voice.

"Interesting without a single penny in the pocket, who is going to even let you stand on his doorstep."

However, she chose to ignore it and clumsily took a few more steps forward to exit the apartment and her life but her next words made her stop in her trace and eye her in disbelief.

"Dare you to step your foot outside, I will myself reveal all your dirty secrets to the family."

"Why are you doing it? Please let me be in peace." She asked with a very heavy heart.

"You destroyed mine and now it's my turn. Don't worry the sooner you answer the question, the faster you will be freed."

Her scrutinized gaze fixed at her, she slowly muttered, "You have changed a lot, Choti."

"Credit goes to you, the world's best sister." She pushed her with force and rushed inside her room.

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As soon as she entered the room, she called a person. After a few rings, he graced her with his voice.

"How she got freed from your clasp." Radhika hissed in anger. The person other side shivered at her dangerous voice.

"Madam..."

"Why was I not informed?"

"Madam..."

"What are you being paid for!" She yelled to the best of her energy level.

"At least listen once" She vigorously breathed, planning thousand of the murder of that person in her mind.

"Till last night, we saw her but when we got up today, she was missing. We had been trying to contact you in the morning. But your number was not reachable." She rolled her eyes at his dumb explanation.

"Done. Or want to give more excuse. Arrey, you are a shame on the name of goons! Couldn't even handle a girl." She taunted him. As he was to speak something she cut him off and threatened him, "I don't want to hear any filth from your mouth. All the time, I have religiously done your payment. Now see what I do."

"Why did you beat her?" The person on the other side frowned at the accusation.

"What are you saying, madam?" She shrieked at his acting.

"Why are there bruises everywhere on her body? She was not even able to walk properly." Although she couldn't see him, he shook his head negatively, saying, "Madam, trust me. neither I nor my men have touched her. Using force is a next-level thought. We are highly professional." She grimaced at his worthless excuses and cross-countered him.

"How can you explain it otherwise?" A prolonged silence followed.

"Done. Don't you dare you to show your face again! Your type of people just knows how to extract money anyhow." She cut the call furiously.

She ran fingers over her hair frustratedly and roamed her eyes around the room and at last, it landed on the mirror that reflected her tired, weak and defeated version. Her eyes burned with rage witnessing herself in that frame.

She was not weak. Definitely. She will not let Sneha or anyone else destroy her self made world. Before anyone tries it, she will ruin him. Yes, she will.

The phone in her hand in outrage, collided with the plane mirror, making it shatter into a hundred pieces. She laughed as a manic watching the dispersed pieces, considering it to be her cousin's life.

But soon watching the pieces scattered, She concluded those broken pieces to be her life, not Sneha's and her eyes got flooded with tears. She instantly regretted her actions.

She screamed in frustration of slipping the matter out of her hold.

She missed her carefree days. Why couldn't they return?

Why was she surrounded by fake people?

And most important and above all - How and when did she become this toxic?

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That night around midnight, the lock of the door was opened, and Vivaan entered inside the living room.

He thought the flat to be swept in darkness but night bulbs were glowing which made him conclude Radhika didn't listen to his advice and remain here alone for two weeks. He sighed tiredly.

He sat on the sofa, untieing his shoelaces when he heard the sound of utensils coming from the kitchen.

"Radhika, bring a glass of water." He said