Sanju stepped out of the room, her eyes welling up as she took in the sight of the home Aryan had sent her to. Every corner whispered his love. Her gaze moved over the simple three-bedroom house. She peeked into each room, her heart heavy with longing. The next door led her to a cozy multimedia room, and beside it, a compact gym. Her lips curled slightly, he remembered every detail of her dream.
In the kitchen, though not grand, everything was neatly arranged in a way that screamed comfort. Just like she liked it. She stepped outside, her bare feet touching the stone path that led her to the side garden. Her breath hitched when she saw the rose garden—roses of every color blooming around two swings in the center. She walked towards them, settled onto one, and let her legs push the swing gently. The movement, the breeze, the silence—it all felt like Aryan.
She slowly made her way to the backyard and stopped in front of a small swimming pool. Sitting by the edge, she dipped her feet in. Her tears mixed with the cool blue water.
“I told you how I dreamed of my house,” she whispered. “And you remembered it all, Aryan. Everything… except being here with me.”
She closed her eyes, trying to control the ache inside.
“Aryan, no one can love me as you do. You’ve built my dream house… but my real home is wherever you are. I can’t be happy without you. Please come back and take me with you. I’ll walk into fire if you’re there with me… Please, Aryan, I need you,” she sobbed.
As her tears continued to fall, a gentle hand touched her shoulder. She turned around startled, and saw an elderly woman standing there with a warm smile.
“Who are you?” Sanju asked softly.
“I’m Deepa,” the woman replied kindly. “Mother of Bala, who works in your mansion.”
“You are Bala brother’s mother?” Sanju asked, surprised.
Deepa nodded. “Yes, child. Sir has spoken so much about you. Don’t worry. I’ll take care of you like my own daughter. Bala always says you’re like a little sister to him—so that makes you my daughter too. You’re not alone. Sir will come back and take you with him. Now come, let’s have some food. You haven’t eaten in a long time.”
Sanju couldn’t hold back anymore. She stood up and hugged Deepa tightly, tears pouring down again.
“Thanks, maa,” she whispered.
Deepa cupped her cheek and said, “Why are you crying? It’s not good for the baby.”
Sanju nodded, wiping her face. “This home…?”
“Sir completed construction a month ago,” Deepa explained. “He chose everything himself. Every single item. He video called every day to check the progress. He built this house with so much love.”
Sanju’s lips trembled. Fresh tears welled up again.
“Sanju, enough,” Deepa said gently. “Sir wouldn’t like to see you cry. Just a few more days and everything will be alright. Bala said he would call me, and then you can see Sir. But remember, you won’t be able to speak with him. Even Bala’s phone is being tracked. We have to wait for his call.”
Holding Sanju’s hand, she led her inside. Dr. Banu was waiting for them at the dining table, where a simple yet nourishing meal had been arranged.
“Sanju,” Banu said as they sat, “after you eat, we’ll do a general check-up. You’ve travelled, you were unconscious last night, and you haven’t eaten properly. It’s better to make sure everything is okay.”
“Fine, doctor,” Sanju agreed softly.
She ate just enough to ease the hunger, and afterward, Banu performed a basic examination. Everything seemed normal.
Elsewhere, in a private room, Chandrasekar was seated when Nanda entered with Lekha and Riyaa.
Chandrasekar turned to his assistant. “Rajesh, take them to see Maya first. Then bring them back here.”
Rajesh guided the girls to Maya’s ward. Their faces fell the moment they saw her condition. Both Lekha and Riya were teary-eyed.
“What happened to her?” Riya whispered, shocked.
Rajesh said nothing about the miscarriage, only the accident, and quietly brought them back to Chandrasekar’s room.
“You both are Maya’s best friends, right?” Chandrasekar asked firmly.
They nodded.
“I need some answers. I hope you’ll be honest with me.”
“What do you want to know, sir?” Lekha asked nervously.
“Tell me about the people Maya met after returning from Canada.”
“Only us and Vivaan,” Riya said quickly. “He’s our friend.”
“Your friend?”
“No, sir,” Riya clarified, “He’s Maya’s friend from college days too.”
“And who went with her to Ooty?”
“Maya, Lekha, myself, and Vivaan,” Riya replied.
“Why Vivaan?”
“He’s reliable,” Lekha explained. “We took him for protection.”
“Protection? From what?” Chandrasekar pressed.
Riya hesitated. “He’s helped us before… especially when Maya was drunk and lost control. He saved her more than once.”
“And you still let her drink?” Chandrasekar asked angrily.
“She was often stressed about Aryan and his wife,” Lekha said, looking away. “We couldn’t always stop her.”
“Did you see Aryan in Ooty?”
“No, sir,” Riya said. “Maya said she saw him, but we didn’t.”
“What happened there?” Chandrasekar leaned forward.
The girls looked at each other, nervous and silent.
“Did you see Maya’s state now?” he asked firmly. “Please tell me everything.”
Lekha lowered her head. “We went to a pub. Maya was drinking at the bar. Vivaan went to meet a friend. When he came back to pick us up, Maya was missing. We searched and found her… in a room at the pub…”
She couldn’t speak further. Her voice trembled.
Chandrasekar’s face darkened. “Continue.”
“She was in a bad state,” Riya said with a broken voice. “It looked like… she had been harassed… or raped.”
“What the hell?” Chandrasekar’s voice thundered in the room.
Lekha and Riya flinched, stepping back in fear.
“What did you do then?” he asked, controlling his fury.
“We dressed her up, and with Vivaan’s help, brought her to the resort,” Lekha explained. “She was obsessed with Aryan. If she found out what had really happened, she would’ve collapsed. So we told her she passed out drunk and we brought her back.”
“What did Maya say after that?”
“She said she met Aryan and he promised to marry her,” Riya said. “We convinced her and left Ooty the same day.”
“Where is Vivaan now?”
“He left to UK a week ago to meet his parents.”
“Did you notice anyone suspicious at the pub?”
“No, sir. No one,” Lekha replied.
“Rajesh, send them back,” Chandrasekar ordered. “We’ll call them again if needed.”
Rajesh nodded and opened the door—only to freeze.
Standing there, eyes blazing with rage, was Naren.
“R… Naren sir…” Rajesh stammered as he saw him.
Chandrasekar turned sharply towards the door, hearing Naren’s name. Naren stood there, his eyes blazing with fury. He looked at the girls, his face twisted with disappointment and disgust.
“If you girls were her real friends,” Naren began coldly, “then you should have stopped her from being mad at Aryan in the first place. You should never have taken her to clubs when she was frustrated or angry. And you definitely shouldn’t have taken her to a pub in Ooty when there are so many other places to clear one’s mind.”
His voice grew harsher. “You should’ve told her exactly how you found her in that room. Instead, you kept her in the dark. Don’t you dare call yourselves true friends. Just get lost.”
Ashamed and silent, Riya and Lekha left the room.
Naren then turned his fury on his father. Chandrasekar, who looked more defeated than ever, barely met his son’s eyes.
“I hope you’re happy now,” Naren snapped. “I told you so many times to stop supporting her. I knew something like this would happen one day. But the last thing I ever expected was for her to end up in a vegetative state. Are you satisfied now?”
Chandrasekar growled, “Shut up, Naren. If Aryan had accepted her proposal, none of this would’ve happened. Everything happened because of him.”
“Still blaming him?” Naren asked in disbelief. “Why the hell should he accept someone he’s not even interested in? You knew he was married. You knew it! But still you pushed Maya into this delusion and supported her! It’s because of you that she’s in this condition today.”
“Stop protecting your friend now,” Chandrasekar warned. “Nothing is going to stop me from taking revenge on Aryan.”
Naren stared at his father in disgust. “Even after all this, I thought you might finally act like a human being. But I was wrong. You’ll never change. You’ll never be human.”
With that, Naren turned and walked out of the room.
Later, while driving aimlessly, his phone rang. He checked the screen — Aryan.
“Tell me, Aryan,” he answered shortly.
“Naren, I want to meet you,” Aryan’s voice came through, steady but heavy. “I know you’re angry with me. But please, let us talk. I have something important to discuss with you.”
“Not today,” Naren replied flatly. “We’ll meet tomorrow.”
“Okay,” Aryan agreed. “I’ll let you know the place.”
Naren hummed in response and cut the call.
Back at the private room, Chandrasekar turned toward Rajesh.
“Rajesh,” he asked, “what happened? Did you get any information about Sanjana?”
“No, sir,” Rajesh replied. “Our men are searching every place where her mobile was last tracked.”
“Track every number from Aryan’s mansion,” Chandrasekar ordered. “Watch every person. Keep Aryan under your eye at all times.”
“Sir, I’ve already done everything as you instructed,” Rajesh said promptly. “Each and every person from his mansion is being watched, and their calls are being tracked. Even the ones from ARC Towers who are close to Aryan — they’re all under surveillance.”
“We’ll find her soon,” Chandrasekar muttered.
“Definitely, sir,” Rajesh assured. “He’ll try to contact her by some means. Just wait — we’ll trace the call and get her.”
Chandrasekar nodded grimly. “Make sure you do. I want her in our custody. No matter what.”
“Sure, sir,” Rajesh replied. “Very soon, I’ll bring her to you.”
