"Dekho isse larki ko... samajti kya hai yeh appne aap ko?" Ramona said keeping her hand on Sherlyn's shoulder. "Kiss tarah Sherlyn se baat kar ke gai hai? Are agar meri bahoo ke saath koi aasa karta toh mein uski jahn lele ti. Aur tum Rakhee, humisha uss Preeta ka saath de rahi thi na... dekh un dono middle class larkiyo ne iss ghar ke beti ki kya halat ki hai?" she said looking towards Roo, although her tone seemed more like a taunt. "Kareena theek kahti thi ke woh iss ghar keliye manhoose hai!" She snapped at Rakhee. "Tum jaisi bewakoof maine appni zindagi main nahi dekhi Rahkee!"

"Enough Ramona aunty!" Rishabh thundered losing his patience with the woman and also his family who were letting this outsider speak to his mother in such a way time and time again. "App apni haad par kar rahi hai! Yeh humare ghar ka mamla hai toh aap aapna mooh bhand rake toh bhetar hoga!"

"Yeh kya batameeze hai Rishabh? Ramona tumse bari hai or iss ghar mein mehamaan hai" Kareena interrupted"

"Mehamaan hai toh mehamaan ban ke rahe!" Karan to came out of the daze he had been left in "Jo mehamaan ghar walo se tameez se baat nahi karte unke saath asse hi baat ki jati hai!"

"Karan! Yeh tum meri mom se kaise baat kar rahe ho?" Mahira stepped in not liking the way her mother was being spoken to.

"Jaise woh mere ghar mein kadi re ke meri mom se baat kar rahi hai!" if you asked him later Karna wouldn't have been able to tell you why he didn't stop there; he was angry and he needed to vent and Ramona had given him the opportunity by insulting his mother. So he continued "Shukar manao ke mein sirf baat kar raha hu aur abhi tak inhe dhake mar ke bahar nahi phek diya!"

Sherlyn who had come to realise the hard way that messing with Rajveer Shergill had just ruined her started to panic at Karan's words. She had already lost her status as 'Sherlyn Khurana' and for what? Because she insulted Preeta – everytime 'Preeta, Preeta, Preeta!' and now Karan looked like he was on the verge of calling off his engagement with Mahira... and to make matters worse Rishabh looked like he would support him. With Rishabh's support no one would be able to force this marriage not even Kareena Bua! She couldn't let this happen, if Karan didn't marry Mahira there was a risk that at some point him and Preeta would clear their misunderstands and she couldn't have that! Preeta Arora was never coming back into this house! She looked at Ramona and cursed her for not keeping her mouth shut, why did she have to insult Mummmji she thought!

"Rishabhji yeh aap kya kar rahe hai? Ramona aunty Mahira k mom hai aur Mahira iss ghar ki hone wali bahu..."

"Tum toh chup hi raho toh bahtar rahega!" Rishabh didn't care to let her finish.

Kareena rebuked him for the way he spoke to Sherlyn and Sherlyn followed suit by telling him that she was only trying to tell him that Ramona aunty was older than him and he shouldn't insult her. Rishabh had snapped at Sherlyn and told her that if she couldn't support his mother who was the sole reason he had so unwillingly married her he wouldn't think twice about divorcing her. This had effectively shut her and Kareena both up. Kareena had turned to Rakhee hoping desperately that she would support her, but Rakhee had simply moved to stand beside her sons showing her support towards them. Her silence spoke a thousand words and only encouraged Rishabh, he turned back to Ramona and Mahira who stood not knowing what to say.

"Aap mehmaan hai... lekin mujhe kyun lagta hai ke aap aapne aap ko iss ghar ki malkin samajti hai? Shayad aap yahan itne time se muft me rahe rahi hai toh bhool gaiye hai ke iss ghar ki malkin aap nahi meri mom hai – Mrs Rakhee Mahesh Luthra, jin se aap itni batameezi se baat kar rahi hai"

Ramona didn't know how to reply, she felt humiliated

"Rishabh..."

"Mahira, Rishabh tumhari mom se baat kar raha hai tum se nahi!" karan aggressively move towards her causing Mahira to step back in fear, but Rishabh held on to his hand and shook his head.

"Ramona aunty, aap mujse badi hai lekin isska yeh matlab nahi hai ke aap mere saamne meri mom ki insult karegi aur mein chup rahonga."

"Nahi...mein... Rishabh beta mera yeh matlab nahi tha" Ramona turned to Rakhee trying to dissolve the tension for her daughters sake "Rakhee, tu toh janti hai nah mujhe? Hum toh bachpan ke dost hai... mein teri insult nahi kar rahi thi... mein toh... mein toh bas yeh kahe rahi thi ke Pree..."

"Aap har baat mein Preeta ko beech mein kyun lahrahi hai?" Karan snapped "Yahan baat aap ki ho rahi hai! Aap ko nahi lagta ke aap ko meri mom se mafi maangni chaahiye!" it was not a question but a statement.

Ramona looked at Karan in anger, she couldn't believe that this was the man her daughter wanted to marry. So much had happened and all he could think about was Preeta! Mahira sensed that her mother was losing her patience with Karan and Rakhee aunty but, she also knew that if she didn't control the situation now then she would never get to marry Karan!

"Tum..." Ramona began but was quickly cut off by her daughter,

"Mom aap maang lijiye na mafi" Ramona looked at her daughter as if she had lost her mind,

"Yeh tum..."

"Nahi mom... aap ne Rakhee aunty ki insult ki hai toh aap ko mafi maang ni chaahiye" she looked at her mother communicating her desperation. Romana seem to understand and even though she wasn't pleased about it she half-heartedly apologised to Rakhee.

Rakhee nodded in acceptance.

"Bohot raat hogayi hai..." Rakhee said realising that so much time had passed since Karan had walked into the house with Shrishti. Suddenly she felt exhausted, the stress the drama, the hurt everything was killing her. She needed peace and there was only one place she would get that! "... aap saab apne kamre me ja ke aaram kijiye" she directed "hum kal subha baat karenge" she added looking at Karan who looked like he wanted to say more. Everyone began to make their way towards their bedrooms, Rakhee turned off the lights and followed her family up the stairs.

They say that when you walk a mile in someone else's shoes you realise the wrongs you have done and today Rakhee Luthra realised to what extent they had wronged the Arora family. She could see in the way that the sweet and childish Shrishti had changed – the anger and hart they had filled her heart with! And she began to feel more ashamed at her family's behaviour. Her heart shuddered to this that Preeta would also hate her?

They say Karma has a way of going full circle and she guessed that this is what they really did deserve. Rakhee made her way towards her room with this thought and the tears she had been holding back in front of her children finally made then way down her face. She looked at her husband and prayed with everything she had for him to get better and hold her. She was desperate for someone to hold her and tell her everything would be fine... no not someone... she wanted her Maheshji to hold her because she knew that if he was her she would be okay.