Badi Maa and Aradhya had gone out shopping. Suraj had already called the mall in advance to inform them of their arrival. Therefore, security at the mall was tightened, and the crowd there was minimal.

Aradhya and Badi Maa arrived at the mall. It was Aradhya's first time at a mall; she had never shopped at such a large place before. She was amazed seeing the entire mall. Badi Maa held Aradhya's hand and took her straight to the fourth floor. After reaching the women's clothing section, she asked a saleslady to bring clothes for them. About an hour passed shopping.

Suraj stood outside the shop, keeping an eye on everyone. He hadn't taken his eyes off for a single minute.

An hour later, Suraj's phone rang. He saw it was a call from Rishi.

He answered, "Hello."

Rishi: "Where are they?"

Suraj: "Sir, both ma'ams are in a jewelry shop right now, shopping quickly."

Rishi: "Hmm… everything alright? No problems?"

Suraj: "No, sir. I had already called and informed the manager that ma'am was coming, so mall security was tightened and there are few people here as well."

Rishi: "Okay, call me if there's any problem."

Suraj: "Yes, sir."

Three hours later, their shopping was finished. Aradhya had no hand in this shopping; she was just admiring everything in the mall. Badi Maa did all the shopping for Aradhya. After shopping was done, Badi Maa asked for all the items to be delivered home and left with Aradhya to return to the mansion.

Evening time, at the mansion.

Aradhya was taking a walk in the garden in the evening. She had come to the mansion's garden for the first time. She liked the beautiful flowers and plants very much. Aradhya felt happy seeing the flower beds.

While looking at the flower beds, Aradhya wandered to the back of the garden. Then her gaze fell on the outhouse ahead. Aradhya suddenly remembered Rishi coming here in the morning.

Aradhya looked around; she saw some bodyguards in the distance, engrossed in their own conversation.

Aradhya slowly started walking towards the outhouse. She was just five steps away from the outhouse. Many questions were running through Aradhya's mind. She was wondering if she was making a mistake by going there. Just as Aradhya took another step forward, a hand landed on her shoulder from behind.

Aradhya turned back in panic and saw Rishi there.

Rishi was angry seeing Aradhya there, but he had thought that he wouldn't get angry at Aradhya. So, in a slightly stern tone, he said,

Rishi: "What are you doing here?"

Aradhya shook her head.

Rishi: "Go inside."

As soon as Aradhya saw him, she ran inside the mansion as if escaping from a lion's cage.

As soon as Aradhya entered the mansion, Rishi shouted in a harsh voice,

Rishi: "Guards!"

At Rishi's shout, three or four guards came there. Rishi shouted angrily,

Rishi: "Didn't I tell you people that only I and Badi Maa are allowed to come this way? Then how did Aradhya get this far?"

One guard said nervously, "Sorry, sir. Perhaps our attention was elsewhere."

Rishi: "Sorry my foot! If you people don't want to do your job, get out of here! If I see such carelessness from you people next time, I'll throw you out. Understand?"

All the guards nodded their heads in fear.

Rishi looked towards the outhouse once and then walked towards the mansion.

Rishi went straight to his room. His meeting had ended early today, so he had come home early.

Badi Maa came to Aradhya and said, "Aaru, I am going to my friend's house. Her daughter-in-law has a baby shower (godh bharai). I might be late at night. Neemo is coming with me. You come with us too."

Aradhya gestured that she wouldn't be able to come because Rishi had come home.

Badi Maa: "What? Rishi came home? Oh, never mind then. I won't go either."

Aradhya gestured for her to go and said that she would manage everything.

After Aradhya said this, Badi Maa agreed. When Badi Maa came downstairs, she saw Rishi sitting on the sofa working on his laptop.

She said to Rishi, "Rishi, Neemo and I are going out. You take care of yourself. We'll be back home soon."

Rishi: "Okay, Badi Maa. You go comfortably. And take the driver with you."

Rishi thought that Aradhya would have gone with them after Badi Maa left.

Ten minutes after they left, Rishi heard the sound of anklets (payal). Rishi looked up and saw Aradhya descending the stairs.

Rishi thought to himself, "Why didn't she go with Badi Maa?"

Aradhya quietly went into the kitchen. About five minutes later, Aradhya came out. Rishi could still hear the soft sound of her anklets.

Aradhya slowly came to Rishi and placed a coffee mug on his table.

Aradhya was heading back towards the kitchen when she heard Rishi's voice from behind.

Rishi: "Aradhya."

This was the first time since the wedding that Rishi had taken Aradhya's name. He never even looked at her properly.

Aradhya turned around and looked at Rishi. He looked at her with his deep brown eyes.

After two minutes of silence, Rishi said to Aradhya,

"Can we talk?"

Aradhya froze upon hearing this. She couldn't believe her ears that Rishi was calling her to talk.

Rishi said softly, "If you're not busy, we can talk for two minutes."

Aradhya nodded her head.

Rishi gestured for her to sit on the sofa. Aradhya sat on the sofa opposite Rishi.

Rishi didn't know where to start, but it was important for him to talk to Aradhya.

Rishi: "Aradhya, I know I made a mistake by marrying you like this. My method was wrong, but my intention was not wrong. That Gautam was marrying you only for his grandfather's will. He didn't love you or anything."

(When Rishi said that Gautam didn't love her, Aradhya looked at Rishi, as if asking with her eyes, "Don't you love me either?")

Understanding Aradhya's gaze, Rishi lowered his head and continued,

Rishi: "I admit that there is nothing in our relationship that would require us to explain things to each other. But let me make one thing clear to you. I married you only because I want to destroy that Gautam Aggarwal. The day Gautam is destroyed, my purpose of marrying you will be fulfilled, and on that day, you will be free from this relationship."

(On hearing this, the ground slipped from under Aradhya's feet.)

Rishi: "If I let you leave from here now, Gautam will use you against me. So until my purpose is fulfilled, you will have to stay here. Don't worry. You won't face any problem with anything here. But please, keep some distance from Badi Maa. If you stay close to her like this, then when you leave my house someday, she will be the one who suffers the most. I hope you understand what I'm saying."

(Aradhya bowed her head and nodded, hiding her sorrow.)

Rishi: "Thanks for understanding."

After saying thank you, Rishi took his laptop and went to his room.

After Rishi left, Aradhya lifted her face; tears were streaming down her eyes.

Aradhya had sent Rishi's food to his room, but today she didn't feel like eating anything herself, so she went to her room without eating.

She hid her face between her knees and cried loudly, but she covered her mouth so that her voice wouldn't go outside.

Aradhya said to Mother Goddess (Mata Rani) in her heart, "Why, Mata Rani? Why have you written so many trials in my life? You took my parents, you took my voice away, you took away every support to live… yet I never lessened my devotion to you. When my marriage was happening to Gautam ji, I accepted it as your will… then suddenly you sent Rishi ji into my life… I accepted him too as your will. In this relationship, I never asked for anything from Rishi ji or his family. In the name of this relationship, I never asked for any right, never asked for any claim. I was just living like this… but today Rishi ji took away even my right to live by telling me what's in his heart."

Today Aradhya was very sad. She was cursing her bad luck in her heart. Today she felt that she was just a burden on this world.

Meanwhile, in Rishi's room, Rishi had said all these things to Aradhya, but for some reason, he was feeling a heaviness in his heart. He thought that if he told Aradhya everything, his heart would feel lighter, but instead, his restlessness had increased. To calm his restlessness and anxiety, he went to the bathroom, took off his shirt, and stood under the shower.

The shower water could only cool his body, but neither could the shower water cool the turmoil in his mind, nor could Rishi himself calm down.

Rishi spoke to himself, "Why am I feeling so restless? I didn't say anything wrong to Aradhya, I didn't lie. This relationship wasn't made by her choice, so why should she remain a burden in it? I need to finish my work as soon as possible. Lest Aradhya builds some expectations from us that we cannot fulfill."

He hadn't eaten yet. His mind was getting messed up. He lay down on the bed and fell asleep planning for the next day.

But Aradhya couldn't sleep today. She had cried her heart out, and by morning, her eyes were swollen.