~Want to live in your eyes and die in your arms~
‘What happened to her? How she died?’ Ishita asked Shivani looking at Shanaya’s photo. ‘ While saving me, she died,’ Shivani replied and tears dripped out of her eyes. ‘ Saving you from what?’ she asked. ‘ Saving me from Sakshi mausi,’ Shivani said and palmed her mouth crying badly. ‘Calm down and tell me what really happened?’ Ishita asked holding her shoulders and she looked at her cryingly. ‘ You remember? You remember everything right? You’re my Shanaya di right? That’s why you’re just like her. When that monsters were torturing me, you came to save me. When that jailor threw water on me, you closed my nose and now you’re concerned just like you used to be,’ Shivani said wiping her tears smiling at her and hugged her.
Ishita was shocked by the sudden change in her behavior and how she hugged her and smiled at her. She looked down at Shivani who had her head buried in her and felt comfort in her arms just like a child seeking warmth of its mother. She kept her arm on her back and hand on her head hugging her by one arm. ‘I know you’re my Shanaya di,’ Shivani said hugging her tighter.
‘Lo re lo, vo log jo ab tak larr rahay thay, un mein achanak humdardi agayi, wah re wah, kya jaadu kiya hai ek doosray par?’ (The people who were fighting till now, suddenly they got sympathy between them? What magic have they done on each other?) said the monstrous lady who always tortured Shivani. She broke the hug and stood up along with Ishita. ‘ Real relationship doesn’t need magic,’ Shivani said enraged and the lady came to Ishita. ‘ How do you tolerate this psychic girl?’ she asked. ‘ Psychic my foot, you all are psychic and not her,’ Ishita said.
The lady held her hair and laughed. Shivani slapped her hard and the lady grabbed her neck. ‘I am Kaali, and don’t you dare to slap me,’ she said and Shivani laughed pushing her away. ‘ Did you hear what she said? She’s Kaali, means she’s black,’ she said to Ishita while laughing but she was so confused to laugh with her. ‘Arey I mean, when did I say you’re snow white? Don’t praise yourself,’ she said and Ishita too laughed. Sorry Nandini, if you see me laughing with her, you’ll take me wrong, but I m doing all this for you, Ishita said in heart.
‘Nandini, I have loved you only. Please don’t go leaving me again, nothing will happen to you again, Manik won’t let anything happen to his Nandini,’ Manik said holding her close and she moved back. ‘ Yeah right, that day Sakshi tried to burn me alive, but you remained quiet, why?’ she asked angrily.
Flashback:
Sakshi: (holding Nandini’s hair tightly) woh chip kahan hai jis mein tumne humari baatein record ki hai? Bata do nahi to asli saas ki tarha jala doongi.
(Where’s that chip in which you recorded our chat? Tell else I will burn you like real mother in law)
Nandini remained quiet as that chip was the proof of her innocence. Manik looked on.
Sakshi: (tightening her grip) batao!
Nandini: main aapko kabhi nahi bataungi. (I won’t ever tell you)
Sakshi: achha, toh aisay nahi maano gi tum? Theek hai. (Oh so you won’t agree like this? OK)
She threw her to Rajnaath, her fake husband and he palmed her mouth and twisted her hands behind her back. Then she drenched Nandini with kerosene and Shivani came in front of her lighting a matchstick showing it to her.
Shivani: toh bolo Nandini, kahan hai vo chip? Nahi to abhi abhi marr jao.
(So tell Nandini, where’s that chip? Else die right now)
Manik got tensed seeing this and came forward to Shivani and blew the matchstick.
Manik: nahi Shivani, itni aasani se nahi, itni bhi kya jaldi hai? Usay bolnay ka mauka toh do. (No Shivani, not so easily, why are you in a hurry? At least give her a chance to speak)
He said and moved away Rajnaath from her. He held her arm and her face but he held lightly as compared to Saakshi and Nandini cried by their betrayal.
Flashback End.
‘If I would’ve remained quiet, they would’ve burned you that’s why that day I came in front. How would I say directly that I love you? Did I pull your hair like they did? No right?’ he said. ‘Yes you didn’t. But you did sent me to jail, didn’t you? You acted to love me but actually you didn’t, that Saakshi who is Shivani’s mausi acted to be your mother, you had fake siblings too. Wow, if someone wants to learn how to act, they should learn from you,’ Nandini said enraged. ‘No Nandu beta. He really loved you and still loves you,’ Shanno said.
Rishab came forward and pointed at Manik then made heart with his hands and pointed at her telling her that Manik loves her. Nandini got thinking. ‘Leave it. It’s of no use, if she wants a proof then it’s OK, I m ready to give any test,’ he said. ‘No need, just tell me where is inspector Cabir? Did he really die?’ she asked and he nodded in negative. ‘How could I? I just hid him somewhere so that he becomes a witness when your case reopens,’ he replied. ‘Oh, thanks for that, did you also murder someone like Malhotras’ did?’ she asked. ‘No. Else my hands wouldn’t have shivered to kill you or your whole family.’
‘Why were you pretending to love Shivani before I came?’ she asked. ‘Because she was a psychic patient and to make her okay, love was very necessary,’ he replied. ‘Why were you against me in the court?’ she asked. ‘Because if you would’ve stayed in front of them, they would’ve tortured you to death, loving you is a beautiful mistake and I will keep repeating this mistake, do you want to ask something else?’ he replied. ‘No. Nothing at all, but why did you say your hands wouldn’t have shivered to kill me or my whole family? Does that mean my chacha is alive as well?’ she asked with a hope in her heart and he hugged her burying her face in his chest.
‘Tell me please. Is he alive?’ she asked still in the hug. ‘Nandini, that day when your brother’s body was to be sent for post mortem, I went alone and got to know that he’s still alive, I know I m a big liar, and I deserve your hatred,’ he said patting her head. ‘You didn’t told them also about this? Manik you kept us in pain? Ek baar, ek baar nahi socha tumne humare baaray mein?’ she said angrily. ‘So what could I have done? Sorry,’ he said and she moved back and turned to Rishab. ‘Our chacha is alive, God never does bad with good people, now everything will be fine, we won’t be without fatherly love, ‘ she said and smiled at him kissing his forehead.
Meanwhile in the prison, Shivani got into trouble again as the monsters tortured her and this time Ishita too got troubled by them. She thanked God in her heart that Pihu didn’t got to confess her mistake else she would’ve died by now. The monsters were trying to make them eat cockroaches, Ishita slapped the woman and looked at them with furious eyes. Now was the time to show them that she wasn’t weak. She beated them black and blue along with Shivani and left them until they were fallen on the floor. ‘Think before you all try to torture us again,’ Ishita said and went away followed by Shivani. Nandini and Manik went back to Malhotra Mansion and walked until they were in their bedroom. He closed the door. ‘In few days, Shivani’s birthday is about to come, its on 3rd April, I m telling you so if anyone asks, you don’t get confused.’
‘OK Manik, but I will celebrate my birthday too secretly, but I just realized something, I and Shivani share same birthday dates,’ she told him. ‘What? Are you kidding me? How can it be? You both are just lookalikes and not sisters, then how come?’ Manik said getting deep in thoughts. ‘Leave, what do I have to do even if she’s my sister? I won’t forgive her even though. Important is I got back my family,’ she said and smiled looking down. ‘Does it hurt?’ she asked cupping both his cheeks asking about the slaps.
‘It did hurt, but not now as you touched my cheeks lovingly, now promise me we won’t ever separate again?’ he asked holding her face. ‘No, we won’t, this time we will be together, we will be like each other’s shadow,’ she replied and he kissed her forehead and shared a hug. They slept cuddling each other that night. On one hand, that night had become heavenly for someone and on the other hand, it had turned a living hell for someone else i.e, Shivani, she couldn’t sleep that night. She wanted to bid bye to this dark paradise and banged her head continuously on the wall until she was knocked unconscious on the floor with blood oozing out of her forehead.