A requested shot from @Colin_Creevy_6

Some modifications in the story:-

• Prachi is NOT pregnant.

Seriously, the unplanned/sudden pregnancy track is one of my most despised tracks and amid these misunderstandings and vicious plottings, it seems nothing but some nuisance side plot just to increase the melodrama.

• Rhea/Aliya/Pallavi did not send any divorce papers to Prachi, nor did they get any of them signed by Ranbir because they did not think that Prachi would come back, and hence, they just didn't feel the need for that.

• Abhi and Pragya, I apologize to the fans already, are very much dead in my timeline, thank you.

~*~

Prachi blinked her eyes into focus. The thick file of papers needed her attention. Taking a deep breath, she nodded. The chatting of her office staff filled her cabin momentarily as her assistant slid out of the glass door.

Gulping a long drag of water, she slid open a drawer of her table side chest. Taking out an envelope, she peered at the legal papers. The content is the same as what she's been reading for the entire last month.

Her cabin door burst open and Prachi held the urge to roll her eyes.

"Are you sure Prachi?" Aryan stood before her, the file she has just signed clutched in one hand and a frown set on his face.

"Hello to you too, have a seat." Prachi smiled at him.

"You know that this is not right." He waved the file in the air, clearly frustrated.

"We'll have profit from this deal, Aryan. Lots of it." Prachi replied, calmly.

"But it's not a sure deal. If Miss James refused to agree to our terms, there will be no time to compensate. The deal will be lost, and so will the two best options for new branches in Queensland." Aryan said.

"But in that case," Sushma Aunty, the lady who had helped her mother come back from the rubbles, and had also helped Prachi on her lowest, said, coming into the cabin. "Miss James would have lost her most profitable asset for her sister's music company, leading to us being able to buy one of the most sought lands in Perth."

"It's a win-win. Now it is up to Miss James to decide if she wants to have a loss in the Music Co. that is run by her sister or to have a loss in her own estate business." Prachi called her assistant in to finally take the file before Aryan come up with another problem in the deal.

Honestly, over the past two months since... things happened, he had acted like a strict parent more than her actual parents had.

"You called Prachi?" Sushma Aunty asked, settling on the forest green sofa in the far back of the cabin.

"I wanted to talk to you about something." Prachi moved to sit in front of the lady who's taken care of her just like her own. Helping her, nurturing her, guiding her. Training to make the strong woman out of the heartbroken wife. "I've decided not to shoulder the false accusations." She breathed, afraid.

Afraid that Sushma may think that all she's done for her, all she's done to her, was a waste of her time and energy.

Sushma smiled, a proud look in her eyes, "And how do you plan to do that?"

"You're not stopping me?" Prachi asked, surprised. She was fully prepared to coax Sushma for the next few weeks to let her do as she pleased that the thought of her agreeing so easily hadn't even crossed her mind.

"Would you stop if I refuse?" Sushma asked rhetorically, crossing her legs.

"I-" Prachi bit her lip, "Not really."

"I know you wouldn't. But promise me one thing Prachi," Sushma stood up and Prachi followed, passing around the coffee table to hold the prior's hands.

"Anything," Prachi said, resolve clear in her voice.

"You won't make the mistakes your mother did." Sushma said sternly, "I don't really want you to go back to that hellhole of a place, and I really don't care what those Kohli's think about you. But I do know that you care. That's the only reason I am allowing you to go back. But promise me that you will not let your heart take over your mind. Promise me that you will not fall for their drama and tactics again."

"I promise," Prachi replied without missing a beat.

"So, how are we doing this?" Aryan asked, finally speaking.

"We?" Prachi asked.

"Duh," he said, "of course, I'm gonna join you, there are some things I owe my ex-best friend." Prachi smiled, pointedly ignoring how her cousin's hand twitched on his side.

"Let's go home" Prachi handed him the papers that her mother had worked hard to get. The papers that are gonna help her get what she wants.

~*~

"Mom, this is high time." Rhea barged into Pallavi's room, followed closely by her aunt.

"What happened Rhea?" Pallavi asked, giving the younger girl her undivided attention.

"That's the problem, Mom, that nothing is happening." Rhea said, infuriated, "It's been two months, and instead of letting me into his life, Ranbir has near about left our lives. All he does is work, work and in the little bit of time when he is free, he drinks and passes out cold."

Pallavi looked down, ashamed of her son's recently picked habit.

"Give him some time, Rhea. He is heartbroken, please give him some time." Pallavi said automatically.

The words she had been repeating since her son had come home with a tear-stained face and body shaking like a leaf.

For the last two months, Pallavi Kohli had been asserting her heart, mind and soul that whatever has happened was only better for her son in the long run. She had been adamant that Prachi leaving her son's life was the best thing that has happened to him in the last four years.

And every day since, as she was witnessing her son drowning deeper and deeper in repentance, her hatred for the girl has only increased manyfold.

She left the room, only to come face to face with her mother-in-law, who had, upon Prachi's leave, taken it upon herself to mourn the loss of her family.

Pallavi was about to say something but her words were cut short due to the sudden sound of commotion from the part of the house that's been deserted for a long time.

"Looks like we finally have new neighbours."

~*~

If Prachi got a penny for every time she willingly came to her father's house. She would be broke.

Not that it's a bad thing considering her past with this palatial house. But rather odd the fact that she was the legal heir of this mansion that she had bought for more than its original price.

She sat in her car with the AC blasting as heavily as the music in her headphones.

I am in control of this.

She cursed her ancestors under her breath and got out of the car.

"All set?" Aryan asked, seemingly enjoying this way more than she was.

Good thing someone was not as pissed off as her with this plan of hers.

"Not really," she breathed, fixing her dupatta, "let's go."

Loud screaming and accusations being thrown was the first thing that greeted her as soon as she crossed the threshold.

There stood Shahana, eyes ablaze as she stared down the very much unwelcomed intruders.

Her eyes shifted slightly and a blinding smile tore past her lips as she ran towards Prachi, engulfing her in a bone-crushing hug.

A string of "missed you"s were exchanged between the girls and when they separated, the silence was deafening. Shahana paved the way and Prachi smiled sweetly at the dumbfounded audience in front of her.

"Dida!!" Prachi went to hug the old lady who opened her arms for her. Hugging her close and giving a long string of blessings to the younger girl.

"How have you been? See how thin you've gotten. Last time I saw you, you were more than this twig you have become." Dida gushed over Prachi, like any other dotting grandmother.

"You know that I'm not so fond of the bland foreign foods, and the entire last month consisted of it." Prachi mimicked the best whining tone she had picked from her younger sister.

"Don't worry, I'll make you get back to shape in no time," Dida assured.

"What on the goddamn world are you doing here Prachi?" Pallavi bellowed.

"Damn!" Aryan cursed, handing over a couple of thousands to Shahana. "You had to be the one to speak before Rhea haven't you?"

"What are you doing with her Aryan?" Rhea exclaimed.

Aliya, feeling left out, decided to add rather unimportant information, "This house has already been sold out to-"

"-to Thappars, who in turn sold it to me." Prachi completed.

"Now considering how none of us invited you over, leave." Prachi pointed towards the way they had surely entered through.

"But- but how!?!" Rhea's eyes started turning red.

"You have Internet? Use it!" Shahana answerd instead.

"You have already ruined my son's life!" Pallavi screamed, "And now you are here to ruin whatever has been left of him. You are obliged to answer us."

"I.Am.Not.Obliged.To.Do.Any.Such.Thing" Prachi gritted through clenched teeth. "This house was a property of mine that I wanted to use, and that's what I am doing."

"This house was auctioned to the Thappars." Aliya said, "bhai suffered a loss in business and we lost everything."

"Nuh-huh," Prachi shook her head, "You caused a loss in business and made everyone suffer."

"Honestly, Miss Mehra," Shahana gave her a pitiful look, "for someone as obsessed as you were with taking over the business, you turned out to be a total waste."

Aliya turned red, "You do not talk to me like that girl-"

"And you do not talk to my girlfriend like that, lady!" Aryan's voice drowned out his mother's.

"Girlfriend?" Aliya stepped forward, "this girl? You're making a mistake Aryan. She's not worthy of you."

"Wish someone had said that to dad." The boy crossed his arms.

"I am asking you guys last time, leave my house," Prachi repeated.

"You can not own this house." Aliya repeated.

"Oh, but I do."

It took all she had in herself for Prachi to not sneer at them, "Now please be a nice neighbour, and let us set our house up."

Rhea was about to unleash at Prachi but Pallavi held her back. She shared a look with Aliya and upon getting a nod, tugged Rhea back to their part of the house.

"I'll visit you soon children." Dida smiled warmly, following the way she entered.

"That was not even closely as dramatic or abusive as I've expected from any three of them," Aryan said, not taking his eyes off of the direction the women left.

"Rhea and Miss Mehra are the silent, manipulative strikers. They usually don't know how to handle anything surprising. And they had no idea of us shifting here." Prachi stalled towards the newly arranged charcoal-coloured sofa.

"It's gonna take some time for them to digest all of this, and then they'll be waiting for us to act first."

~*~

The thing that shocked Ranbir the most was the sound of his father and grandmother laughing.

The past couple of months may have passed in a blur for him, but the gloomy look on his Dida's face was pain strikingly clear. The look of dejection his father passed him was all the more reason to not come home till glaringly late hours of the night.

So the sound of them laughing at eleven in the night was something that pulled him away from his room.

"He said that? Really?" Vikram's voice flowed from the kitchen.

"He did! Right in her face." Dida confirmed. "The look was worth capturing, only if I had carried my phone."

They sniggered, placing another spoonful of ice cream in their mouths.

"Who said what?" Ranbir asked, making his presence known.

The mother-son duo looked up at him in comical sync.

"Dida?" He stalked forward into the kitchen. "Dad?" He asked and caught Dida shaking her head from the corner of his eye.

"Nothing." Vikram said quickly, clearing his throat, he added, "Just something she saw on a tv serial."

"Yeah? And- and what. What was it that you saw in the serial?" Never in his lifetime had Ranbir thought that striking up a conversation with his family would be this awkward.

But then again, never had he thought that he'd lose his perfect little life with his Prachi either.

"The- uh- the evil vamp manipulated the hero's family into believing that the heroine is bad. And the mother-in-law kicked her out of the house. And then there is a time jump and now the heroine is back." Dida stuttered out the first thing that came to her mind.

"Yeah," Ranbir smiled, "And what did the hero do in all of this?"

"Nothing much to be honest. Bas office main apni raatein kaali kar raha hai." Dida said with a straight face that made Vikram chock on his ice cream.

Ranbir cleared his throat, "I- I'll go change." He left, not sparing a glance back.

"That was a low blow," Vikram muttered, concerned for his son

"I know," Dida stated, placing her bowl down, she left.

Ranbir slammed the door to his bedroom shut with much more force than intended. His chest constricted as tears burned behind his lids.

He dumped his suit jacket, unbuttoning his shirt as quickly as he could while his hands shivered.

He blindly made his way under the shower, the chilling water forcing him to gasp. Slowly easing his breathing, he let a strangled sob escape past his lips.

This was not what he wanted.

Sure he missed his family, he missed them a hell lot. But if he had been given the chance to either reconcile with his family or have a life with Prachi in his small abode six months ago. He would have been content with being the dotting house husband he was at that point.

Being away from his family was tough. Changing from being the rich spoilt only son to a sensible man who had to cut off expenses was tough. Learning how to start from scratch was tough when he was served on a silver platter was tough but it didn't seem tough to him at all.

Because she made it fun. She made it easy. Her being there made it natural.

His present was far from it.

The expensive suits bit his skin. What was the comforting bed worth when the only time he lay on it was when he had more alcohol in his veins than actual blood? His family was nothing more than a cluster of persons who seemed to be together just for the sake of it.

He still hadn't got the guts to tell his mother that the delicate cuisine she gets specially made for him repulsed him. His spacious house was almost always as silent as a morgue.

The only exception was when Rhea tried to convince him to move on. With her.

For some time he had completely forgotten why he had left her on the altar in the first place. Now he remembered.

He had wished this upon himself. He knew what he would get reduced to if he ever did what he did and he still went on with it. He removed Prachi from his life.

That had happened before. When Prachi took it upon herself to give her parents the happy ending she thought they deserved. That time had been torturous to the extreme level.

Or that he had thought.

Prachi was still in front of his eyes then. And he knew that she loved him. And most of all, at that time he hadn't had the taste of what their lives could have been. What it was.

Now, That he had tasted the forbidden fruit, it had been taken away from him. No. Scratch that. He had thrown it away.

And for that, he could never forgive himself.

~*~

One thing Ranbir craved from his family after Prachi left was space and silence. Okay, that were two things, but still.

Although his father and grandmother provided him with an abundance of both, his mother, his sister-in-law and the 'guest-they-were-hosting-for-god-knows-how-long' were not very eager to comply.

So when his bleary red eyes arose no questions at the breakfast table. He felt somewhat eccentric. But still not curious enough to ask himself, he chugged down a glass of juice before picking up a toast and nodding in pleasantry before moving out of the house.

Prachi hated when he left the house on an empty stomach.

Dropping the toast in front of a stray puppy who he had once fed and who had since been living somewhere around his house, he drove off, unknown of the fact that that won't be the only day things are going to be strange.

~*~

The entire week following Prachi, Aryan and Shahana's move to the 'Arora' Mansion had kept each resident of Kohli mansion on their toes.

Dida and Vikram felt giddy, Pallavi and Aliya were frustrated while Rhea was descending into madness. Aliya had to talk Rhea out of murdering Prachi three times in the last seven days.

Ranbir was downright delighted.

Not only were the women of the house off of his back from constant chants of moving on. There was something that had him feeling positivity around himself.

And he very much enjoyed that aura even though the reason was unknown.

"I'm telling you buji, they are planning something huge to expose us." Rhea bit her nails, the dark circles under her eyes prominent.

"Even though they are Rhea, we can't do anything until we have some lead on what they are up to." Aliya rubbed her temples. It was too late for her to be awake. She didn't want to twin Rhea's bruised-looking eyes.

"But how do we know what they are up to?" Rhea pressed.

"I've got to know that the money Prachi is flaunting is from some Australian company. I couldn't get the owner's name out, but my best guess is that Prachi may be their Indian representative or something." Aliya enlightened.

"But how did she get such a big company to appoint her?" Rhea asked.

"I don't know that, but the only name I could get out was some Sushma. She seems to be a partner." Aliya straightened her back, "Tomorrow I'm going to meet her and maybe talk her into terminating Prachi from her job."

With the promise of some action, Rhea finally left Aliya's room, growing impatient about how to get Prahi out of their lives.

~*~

After three weeks of shifting, Prachi had fallen into a smooth set of routines. And as time passed, Rhea, Aliya and Pallavi's growing frustration felt like a soft buzz in the background. She knew it was only a matter of time before Rhea snapped and come for her blood. Might even be literally. She knows she needs to act quickly but it could only be possible when Ranbir knows where she is.

"How can you be so sure that he is still unaware of you being here after so many days?" Shahana asked around a mouthful of cereals on one Tuesday morning.

"The fact that he hasn't shown up to check for himself is pretty convincing," Prachi answered, pushing around the fruits on her plate.

"And I don't think Rhea has much confidence in Ranbir to go and tell him that the girl for whom he left her was back. She knows he won't be able to hold himself from seeing you and she also knows that it won't be a very good idea to let that happen." Aryan added.

"So how are you going to let him know that you are back." Shahana's eyebrows furrowed, "You can't just waltz in his room."

"Of course, I can not!"

...

At ten minutes to eleven that same morning, Prachi waltzed into Ranbir's office.

"Ah, Miss Arora," Felix, the cheery partner that handled their Australian clients, introduced her to the room. He was the biggest shareholder in her company, counting to about 30%. She had met him only a handful of times before, but each time she saw him, he had an uplifting aura emitting from himself.

"This is Miss Ester James,"

Ester stood up to shake hands with her. "Nice to meet you, Miss Arora," The fact that Prachi had singlehandedly managed to make a crack in her financial department, that would take several months to mend, didn't let her take her words at face value.

"Her younger sister Minnie James."

Unlike Ester's static face, Minnie smiled at her brightly.

"And Mr Ranbir Kohli."

The guy was too stunned to speak, so, Prachi herself offered him a hand to shake. Ranbir, coming out of his trance, looked around. He softly took Prachi's hand in his, expecting her to disappear in thin air the moment he touched her. When she didn't, much to his relief, disappeared or much worse, flinched away from him, he exerted a little pressure on her hand.

Prachi pulled her hand back, bringing it back to her side, and she saw a fleck of disappointment pass in Ranbir's eyes, before they moved to his hand.

For the entirety of the next three hours, Ranbir glanced at Prachi forty-three times. She counted.

And when they were bidding goodbye, she could feel his nerves all around her. Miss James however, were unaware, thankfully. As she was about to follow Felix out of the cabin, he called for her.

"Prachi?" His voice was tentative, and as much as Prachi had thought about this moment, her breath hitched.

Felix left, duly closing the door without any word.

Prachi turned, her face set emotionless.

"Hi- How are-" Ranbir took a deep breath. 

A tear escaped his eye as he closed the distance in three long strides. At one moment Prachi was looking at his eyes moistened and in the other she had his face buried in her hair. His arms wrapped painfully tight around her and his sobs shook both of them.

"Prachi," She heard him chant over and over as his tears wet her shoulder.

"I missed you so much," He pulled back, taking her face in his hands. "How are you? Where have you been? I missed you so much! Why didn't you reach out? You know how miserable I have been without you-"

"Did you look for me?" Prachi asked, looking in his eye. And that's when he saw the coldness in his demeanour.

"Huh-"

"Did you try to find me?" Prachi shrugged his arms off her.

"I- I-"

"No, you didn't."

"Yes, but-"

"You kicked me out of the house, out of your life. What did you expect?" Prachi asked, "Did you expect me to come crawling to you and beg you to take me back? Is that what you have been waiting for for three months?"

"I didn't know where to find you," Ranbir said in a small voice.

"Yeah right," she scoffed, "Was I a multi-millionaire who could have fled the country without any trace? 'Where to find you' Where did you think I would have gone when you refused to let me in the only place I had."

"But you could have come back to me." Ranbir gulped.

"After you accused me of infidelity and adultery? You know me better than that Ranbir." Prachi spat. Even after all these months, uttering those words was painful.

"Now please, as I try to navigate my life back on track all by myself, do try to stay out of it and leave me be." Prachi left with an even face. Knowing that reverse psychology will make him do anything but that.

A/N:- Hey sugarplums, how are you all doing? Damn, time does fly fast doesn't it? How long has it been since I completed entangled lives and had posted request for OS ideas. 

And I know I said that pre-marriage pranbir will be my priority in the requests, this particular request was the one to pull me out of the brain freeze. It just opened a floodgate of ideas and scenerios that were too good to not be written.

Do tell how you liked it and make sure to vote.

Lots of Love,

Simran