When Gauri entered the room, her breath caught in her throat. The walls were adorned with countless pictures of Shivaay, each capturing a different moment of his life. Her eyes welled up with tears as the realization of Anika's grief struck her.

She remembered Anika mentioning this room once, but seeing it in person was overwhelming. Gauri's heart ached with guilt for ever doubting Anika. She understood now, with a heavy heart, that being an author of one's life story is far from easy.

Next Morning:

Gathered around the breakfast table, the group began to discuss their findings from the previous day. Sayani spoke first, her voice cautious.

"Ok, Mrs. Oberoi, I don't want you to misinterpret this," Sayani began.

Anika, attempting to stay calm, replied, "Why would I do that?"

Sayani took a deep breath. "I found an article stating that Mr. Oberoi and Miss Winget were dating."

Anika's face went pale. "What? This is impossible."

Omkara quickly intervened. "Anika, don't jump to conclusions. Listen to my findings. Miss Winget always wanted that property. She has a personal vendetta against Shivaay."

"But why?" Anika asked, bewildered.

Sayani interrupted, "Shivaay married you."

"Shut up, Sayani!" Anika snapped, her frustration evident.

Omkara continued, trying to calm the situation. "In the business world, rivalries are common. Shivaay was more successful than her, and she couldn't stand it."

Anika, her voice filled with pride, said, "My Shivaay was the best."

Anika's mind drifted to a cherished memory. "In January 2017, Shivaay received the Best Businessman Award. He credited his success to me, his wife. It was one of the best moments of my life."

Sayani recalled a recent trend. "Remember those reels on Instagram, the ones about wives supporting their husbands?"

"Yes," Anika replied, her eyes glistening with tears. "Maybe Shivaay started that trend."

Omkara smiled gently. "After we resolve this issue, we'll watch all those reels together, I promise."

Gauri, her voice trembling with conviction, said, "I believe Miss Winget killed Shivaay out of revenge. She wants to take the property and rise to the top."

The room fell silent as they absorbed Gauri's words. Anika's heart pounded with a mix of fear and determination. The truth about Shivaay's death seemed closer than ever, and they knew they had to act quickly to uncover the full extent of Jennifer Winget's plans.

“Jennifer managed to enter the Oberoi mansion that day….”

“But we still don’t know what happened that night,” Omkara interjected.

“Right! To be honest, that night was the worst night of my life,” Anika said, her voice trembling with emotion.

“But Omkara, did you come home that night?” Anika asked, her eyes searching his face. “Please be honest.”

“Anika, how many times do I have to tell you it wasn’t me?” Omkara exclaimed. “I already gave my statement at the police station, and you were the one who found out the truth, Anika.”

“Wait! What? What was going on?” Sayani and Gauri asked in unison, confusion etched on their faces.

“Guys! Rajeev helped Anika to get me out of jail by finding the evidence that night it was not me who came to Shivaay’s room,” Omkara explained.

“Who was it then?” Gauri asked, her voice tinged with worry.

“We still don’t know,” Omkara admitted.

“Anika! It’s time to make a move,” Omkara said, his voice firm.

“Where?” Anika asked, still lost in thought.

“Anika!” Omkara stared at her, reminding her of their urgent task.

“Oh! I forgot…” Anika muttered, shaking off her reverie.

They quickly wrapped up their conversation, and Anika went to Shivaay’s study room to fetch the documents, but they were nowhere to be found. She frantically searched, turning the room upside down but still came up empty-handed. In desperation, she called Omkara. He rushed to the study room, followed by Gauri and Sayani.

“What happened?” Omkara asked, concern in his voice.

“I found nothing,” Anika replied, her frustration evident.

“I knew that,” Omkara said confidently.

“HOW?” Anika and Gauri asked in unison.

“Guys, think about it. These papers are highly confidential,” Omkara explained with a sly smile. “Why would Shivaay keep them in the study room?”

“Where could they be then?” Anika asked, perplexed.

“As far as I remember, they must be in your room or… that room,” Omkara said, his voice trailing off.

“I have a strong feeling it’s in that room,” Gauri added.

They all rushed to the room where Rajeev had been electrocuted and where the wall had opened. Omkara was about to press the switch, but Anika stopped him.

“Wait, it might electrocute you again,” she cautioned.

But Gauri reassured them. “I changed it to a new one. It’s safe.”

Omkara pressed the switch and pretended to be electrocuted.

“Omkara!” Anika screamed, panic in her voice.

“Gauri! What is this?” Anika scolded, her fear turning to anger.

“Guys! Relax, I’m fine,” Omkara said, breaking into a smile.

“Stop this behavior, Om,” Gauri cried, tears welling up in her eyes.

“Sorry,” Omkara apologized, holding his ear in a gesture of contrition.

The wall made a strange noise and opened in one smooth motion. Omkara instructed the ladies to push the bed towards the wall to keep it from closing.

“Omkara! Don’t you think it will stay up until we press the switch again?” Sayani asked, her voice tinged with skepticism.

“Let me try!” Omkara said, stopping the pressure on the switch. The wall collapsed back down.

“See! WHAT HAPPENED?” Sayani exclaimed.

“Sorry!” Omkara said, slightly embarrassed. “Do what I say?”

Omkara pressed the switch again, and the ladies pushed the bed with all their might. This time, when Omkara released the switch, the wall crushed the bed and remained open. They had succeeded.

In the corner of the hidden room, they found a large locker. Sayani examined it closely and asked for the password to open it.

“What could it be?” Anika wondered aloud.

“We need to think like Shivaay,” Omkara said, his voice steady. “What would he use as a password?”

The group pondered, knowing that the answer lay within their hearts and minds. The true test was to unlock not just the physical barrier, but the deeper secrets that bound them together.

“Shivaay wrote all his passwords and codes in a diary,” Anika said, heading to retrieve it. She handed the worn, leather-bound book to Sayani.

“We need the exact password,” Sayani warned. “It only allows three attempts.”

“It’s pretty obvious. It will be Anika’s name or her birthdate,” Gauri suggested confidently.

Sayani typed in Anika’s name, but the lock buzzed, denying entry. Anika’s face fell, her shock evident. Gauri put a comforting hand on her shoulder while Sayani stifled a chuckle.

“Let me try the second one!” Sayani insisted.

“No! Don’t,” Gauri intervened. “The first one returned an unknown error. We can’t afford another mistake.”

“Such is life,” Anika sighed, regaining her composure. “We need to think outside the box.”

“Let’s brainstorm,” Omkara suggested.

“But what do you have in mind, Omkara?” Sayani asked, her curiosity piqued.

“TYPE JW2017,” Omkara said decisively.

“You sure?” Sayani questioned.

“Yes, go ahead,” Omkara affirmed.

Sayani entered the code. To their astonishment, the locker clicked open. They stood there, stunned.

“How could Shivaay do this to me?” Anika’s voice quivered with hurt.

“I think he knew that using your name would be too obvious,” Omkara reasoned gently. “It was a way to protect you.”

“That’s...,” Anika struggled to find the words.

“Guys, what’s inside?” Gauri asked, breaking the silence.

“It’s an ornament wrapped in red cloth,” Omkara guessed, squinting to see inside the locker.

They wondered why Shivaay had chosen such a peculiar way to conceal it. Anika’s phone buzzed, snapping them out of their thoughts. It was Jennifer Winget. She answered, her voice steady but her heart racing. Jennifer’s response left her shaken.

“What did she say?” Omkara asked, his concern evident.

“She knows we’ve opened the locker,” Anika whispered. “And she’s demanding that I come alone, or she’ll harm Rajeev.”

The room fell silent as the weight of Jennifer’s threat hung in the air.

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