Prachi was pacing around in her room.
Prachi to herself:”what should i do? I called him there but what about when he finds that Tanu aunty won’t be coming.”
Aryan came in seeing her worried.
Aryan:”Prachi, what happened?”
And Prachi told him everything.
Aryan:”and you think that that man will help us?”
Prachi:”i don’t know. Maybe… We should try.”
Aryan nodded and said that he will come with her.
To the said place:
Prachi and Aryan came there half an hour earlier.
Aryan:”Prachi, it’s dark over here. He might not recognize you and i will be there ok. I will record anything if it’s important.”
Prachi nodded.
And both took their place and waited.
Prachi grew tensed hearing footsteps.
Abhijeet:”Tanu, Tanu… you thought you could run away from me. Now, that the chase is over. Give me my money.”
Prachi and Aryan were confused.
Abhijeet continued:”why are you so silent? Answer me… Tanu (he screamed)”
Prachi turned around.
Abhijeet was confused seeing her.
Abhijeet:”who are you? Where is Tanu?”
Prachi:”i was the one who send you that message. Please hear me out. Please.”
Abhijeet agreed after a bit of hesitation.
Prachi:”thank you. Actually, Tany aunty is troubling my family and i was hoping you could help us….”
Abhijeet:”Tanu? Aunty? And why will I?”
Prachi:”obviously you want something from her and i can help you in getting your money back. Please help us. Or at least tell me what she did to you.”
Abhijeet looked on and said:”why should i trust you?”
Prachi:”see i am desperate to free my family from her, that’s why i am asking for your help.”
Abhijeet thought for a while:”you texted me from her number, you actually tricked her. Impressive for now. What do you want to know?”
Prachi smiled:”what did she do?”
Abhijeet:”she was married to one of my friend and when i met her, we grew closed. You could say i was attracted by her innocence.”
Aryan, who was recording everything, to himself:”innocent, that Tanu.”
Abhijeet:”well, she seemed innocent at that time. I met her on several occasions. And i saw marks on her. Beating marks.”
Prachi was confused.
Abhijeet:”we became close after some months. I knew she started liking me and i asked her about the marks. She bursted into tears and told me that her husband was abusing and beating her. That she wants to be free from that marriage. And i believed her. I thought to help her to be free and then i could be with her. And then she said that she was in desperate need of money for mother’s treatment and i gave her. Then she just disappeared. I thought her husband did something to her and went to confront him but she also took his money and signed the divorce papers.”
He continued:”he signed the divorce papers and set her free. But i won’t do that. I want my revenge and my money back. Tanu thinks that i still believe her when she said that she is doing this for our future. I am just playing along until i get my money back.”
Prachi:”what if we help each other. She is trapping my family, we can punish her with your help and you will get your money before that.”
Abhijeet:”and how are you planning to get my money back?”
Prachi:”i will think of something. But are you willing to help me?”
Abhijeet:”until it’s in my advantage yes. And if you dare to double cross me, you can’t think what i will do with you.”
She was scared but nodded nevertheless.
Prachi:”ok, thank you. I will call you when i plan everything.”
Abhijeet nodded yes and left. Aryan came out of his hiding place.
Aryan:”Prachi… we cannot trust this man. He seems dangerous and will do anything for money.”
Prachi:”yes, but for now he is the only leverage that we have on Tanu aunty.”
Aryan looked at her:”Tanu aunty, really?”
Prachi:”sorry, let’s go for now.”
Mehra’s house:
Prachi’s room:
Aryan:”we need to contact that Tanu’s ex husband. I will search information on him and see if we can meet or talk to him.”
Prachi nodded.
Aryan:”come on now, I am hungry.”
Prachi:”you are always hungry…” she chuckled.
Aryan:”we are growing boys, so we feel hungry.”
Prachi:”ok, you go. I will freshen up and come.”
Aryan left.
He was going in the kitchen when someone hit him slightly on his shoulder.
Ranbir:”where were you? I have been searching for you.”
Aryan:”i need to tell you something. Come.”
Aryan dragged Ranbir to his room and locked it.
He told Ranbir everything.
Ranbir:”what? And you guys went there? Without me? And Prachi…. and you? You didn’t tell me anything.”
Aryan:”bro, calm down. I couldn’t tell you at that time and i couldn’t leave Prachi alone. Now, I told you everything, we need to think about something.”
Ranbir nodded.
They went for lunch.
Lunch:
Rhea was excited as Pragya prepared her favorite food. Tanu was no longer there. She left.
Rhea:”today, mum will feed me.”
Pragya nodded.
Everyone smiled seeing Rhea and Pragya connecting to each other. Abhi was the happiest.
Prachi came there and sat down.
Rhea:”mum, we had fun today, just you and I. We should do this regularly.”
Pragya nodded.
Abhi:”ohh your father is also here. Include me too.”
Pragya:”no, only mother and daughter.”
Rhea:”we can include him too. Rarely. Then it will become family bonding time. Mum, Dad and daughter.”
Abhi:”absolutely correct.”
Abhi also fed Rhea.
Prachi was sad hearing/watching all this and only 2 people noticed it. Prachi felt their gaze on her and pretended like nothing happened.
She kept herself busy in looking at the dishes. But she wasn’t hungry so just took some and kept playing with it.
After lunch:
Prachi was in her room, lost in her thoughts. Ranbir came there and locked the door.
Ranbir:”what were you thinking when you went there?”
Prachi looked at him confused.
Ranbir:”We, brothers, do not hide anything from each other.”
Prachi understood that Aryan told him everything.
Prachi:”it was an opportunity to save Papa. I couldn’t ignore it.”
Ranbir:”i know, but you could tell someone. It could have been dangerous.”
Prachi:”that’s why i told Aryan and he went with me. He wouldn’t have let anything happened to me.”
Ranbir:”i know. That’s why i am not angry at you. What are you planning to do?”
Prachi signed him that she doesn’t know. Aryan already showed him the recording so he knows what they discussed.
Ranbir:”we have to think of something fast, court hearing is tomorrow.”
Ranbir’s phone rang. It was Aryan.
Ranbir:”yep…”
Aryan:”i found Tanu’s husband. He is willing to do a video call. Come with Prachi.”
Ranbir:”ok, we are coming.”
Both Pranbir came to Aryan’s room who was talking to a man.
Aryan:”he is Ranbir. Please tell us what you can on Tanu.”
Man:”i thought you were going to invest in my business.”
Pranbir looked at Aryan confused.
Aryan:”sorry, he wouldn’t have talk if i said it was about Tanu.”
Ranbir:”sir please, help us. Anything on Tanu.”
Man:”i don’t want to hear that woman’s name. She ruined everything.”
He was about to cut the call.
Prachi:”uncle… uncle please help us. You just said that she ruined you and she is doing the same with our family. Please help us so that she gets the deserved punishment. Please.”
Man:”ok… Look what she did to me.”
He moved back and that’s when they noticed the wheelchair.
Man:”she told everyone that I was abusing and beating her but in reality she was the one doing that. She used and married me for my money. And once everything was as she planned. She started torturing me. The day she left with my money, she had people beat me up so much that i have been on this wheelchair for all this time. That woman sees only money.”
Ranbir:”do you have any proofs against her. Anything to prove that she did this to you.”
The man nodded no but then remembered something.
Man:”i might have… she threatened me for more money some time back by sending me a video where she was beating me.”
Aryan:”why would she send proofs against herself?”
Man:”she is blinded by money, she needed it. So she didn’t think that it was a proof. She was trying to scare me by that video.”
Prachi:”Can you please send it to us?”
The man nodded.
Ranbir:”thank you so much.”
Man:”you are collecting proofs, but be careful. She is smart… she can turn this situation around.”
The three of them nodded.
Man:”if necessary, i can testify against her.”
Ranbir:”sure sir. We will contact you tomorrow for the court hearing.”
The man agreed and cut the call.
Ranbir:”he agreed, we have some proofs.”
All three had a group hug.
Shahana came there.
Shahana:”that’s not fair. Group hug without me.”
Prachi:”come here.”
The four of them hugged.
Shahana:”but please tell me the reason.”
Prachi:”i told you Aryan was trying to contact Tanu’s husband. Well, he has some proofs against her.”
Prachi explained her in details.
Shahana:”really? That’s nice. But, Prachi, this is about her wrongdoings. What about Mehra sir? That doesn’t prove he didn’t misbehave with her.”
Aryan:”oh, Sahana… we got one proof, we will manage more till tomorrow.”
Ranbir:”yes, everything is starting to fall in place.”
Prachi:”Maa Papa won’t have to sign the divorce papers also.”
Aryan:”Right.”
He checked his laptop.
Aryan:”he sent the video.”
All four of them sat to watch the video. They saw Tanu beating him with belt and threatening him for money.
They were now even more disgusted by her.
Prachi stood up not wanting to watch the video any further. Aryan also closed the laptop.
Prachi:”how can someone beat a person like this? And that too for money? She could have kill him for money. People are becoming blind because of money.”
Ranbir and Aryan looked at her.
Ranbir remembered the moment when Prachi told him that she wanted only his money.
Shahana:”you are right, Prachi. This is disgusting.”
Ranbir:”money is important….”
Prachi:”it’s not… money is not everything. Happiness, love, family… these are important. Not money…”
Ranbir:”really, Prachi? Money is not important for you.”
Prachi:”no. I don’t care about money. Why are you asking this?”
Aryan, whispered to Ranbir:”let it be, bro.”
But he didn’t pay attention.
Ranbir:”no actually, some days ago, a girl told me that she was with me only for my money. And that money is more important for her. (Prachi looked at him, realizing what she said) And today that girl itself is saying that she doesn’t care about money. So which one is true? That Prachi or this Prachi?”
Prachi avoided his eyes. Arhana looked on tensed.
Shahana:”we have lots of things to do. Let’s go, Prachi.”
Prachi nodded and both of them left.
Aryan nudged Ranbir.
Aryan:”what was this?”
Ranbir:”i want to know…”
Aryan:”we have time for that. After so many days, she was smiling and happy.”
Ranbir:”sorry… i just want to make everything alright.”
Aryan:”i know. I know. And I promise you that we will find out about her behavior.”
Shahana and Prachi went to her room.
Prachi:”thank you…”
Shahana:”no need. But remember Prachi, you will get tangled in your own lies. Because you are not that Prachi which you are trying to portray in front of Ranbir.”
Prachi felt sad.
Shahana:”ok, leave this. What about Mr. Mehra?”
Prachi:”we need to talk to the lawyer. To ask for another medical test. DNA’s everything. We will ask him to cross checked everything.”
Shahana nodded yes.
_______________
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