Alia looked at Dev's photo and cried. His clothes were scattered around her bed for his scent so that she feels near him but he himself wasn't there with her. She cried and cried until she was out of breathe and badly needed water but sadly she was on thirst strike as well, she coughed and fell on the bed and closed her eyes becoming unconscious. On the other side, Ishwari was crying unconsolably and Mauli was trying to pacify her. "Look Ishwari, who knows maybe there is something else as well which we don't know, Dev wasn't born by your womb, but still he is your upbringing. He loves you a lot, maybe he had some other reason to not tell you, maybe he took money for some other reason," Mauli said.

"What reason Mauli? What other reason it might be? He blackmailed Karan for money," Ishwari said and sobbed. "But do you know where did that money go? On what did he spend it?" Mauli asked and Ishwari shook her head as this question struck her. "I don't, but I think maybe Alia knows, let's ask her," Ishwari said and before Mauli could say anything, she stood up and went, Mauli stood up and followed her. The duo walked to Alia's room and became shocked to see her unconscious. "Alia!" Ishwari exclaimed and rushed to her followed by Mauli, she held her and made her lie properly. Ishwari touched her forehead. "Oh God, she has high fever," she said panicking badly. "I will call doctor," Mauli said and dialed his number and called him to their house. "I will just come," Ishwari said and went, Mauli sat by Alia's side. Ishwari came with cold water and a clothe dipped inside it. She sat on her other side and got the clothe out and squeezed it placing it on her forehead. She did it many times but to no avail. Doctor arrived and checked Alia. "Is she even eating properly?" he asked. "No she's not, actually her brother who's also my son disappeared and isn't found, since then she refuses to eat or drink anything, she's in a shock," Ishwari said. "Its all because of dehydration that she fainted, did she donate blood recently?" he asked. "Yes, she did, to her brother only, who was found but again disappeared," Mauli told him. "Then she should eat, its very necessary for her body right now, I am prescribing some iron medicines and some more medicines for her fever," he said and prescribed and after preparing an injection, he injected in her arm and left. Mauli accompanied him till the door. "Doctor, is it only because of dehydration?" she asked. "Yes, also she might be crying a lot, she loses all the water of her body, she might be vulnerable, so she needs proper food and rest right now," he said. "But what if she refuses? I mean she keeps refusing, she doesn't eats, she is on hunger strike," she told him. "Mix the medicines in some beverage then," he advised and bid adieu. Mauli got thinking.

************************************

Arjun entered his house with Preeta who was still trembling. She was in a shock after getting Karan's call. The duo were greeted by Sandhya and Gajendra, Arjun responded but Preeta didn't. Sandhya signed Arjun who placed his hand on her shoulder and she startled. "Calm down, it's just me," he said and she nodded gulping her saliva and looked at Gajendra and Sandhya and walked to them and hugged Sandhya. "Maa," she said and tears rolled down her cheeks. Sandhya hugged her back.

"Beta I am really happy that you call me maa from now only, you are really a nice girl for my son," she said and Preeta smiled through tears. "Thank you maa, for not judging me, a mother never rejects her child, she accepts her child with all her flaws," Preeta said and sobbed and broke the hug. Sandhya smiled and wiped her tears. "You shouldn't cry during pregnancy," she said and eyed her tummy lovingly. Preeta smiled and then went to Gajendra and hugged him as well. He hugged her back. "Won't you call me papa?" he asked and she smiled even more and forgot her fear. "Papa," she said and then broke the hug. "Beta, you're truly a gem who filled my son's life with happiness. After Kartika left him, he was really depressed, he stopped believing in love, he's happy just because of you," he said and she looked down while smiling. "Thanks papa, even you are the best in laws one can ever get," she said and he smiled. "Enough beta, don't stand for so much time, go rest," Sandhya said cupping her cheek and she nodded. Arjun came and touched their feet and they blessed him, he took Preeta with him to her room and settled her there.

He decided not to remind her about her fear and let her be happy. He sat in front of her. She looked at him while leaning her head on the bed board. "Preeta, I was just saying that, I want to see how Kartika's doing after her surgery, no one's there for her, after she gave me her baby, I should at least go and see her, you don't have a problem, do you?" he asked and she shook her head. "I don't have any problem," she said and he smiled and exited the room, she closed her eyes to sleep.

He went to Gajendra and Sandhya who were busy pampering Raunak. "Mom, dad, give him to me, I am going to meet Kartika, I want to see how she is," he said, Sandhya stood up. "Go but beta, don't you think it will give her a false hope that you still love her? I just do not want any stress for Preeta and I don't want Preeta's heart to be broken," she said out of concern. "Mom, she just had her ovaries removed, and because of that, she's always at high risk of getting illnesses, even her husband left her, she gave her child to me, so at least I should go and see her as a friend," he said.

"But beta...," she was cut in between. "Sandhya, let him go, take Raunak," Gajendra said and gave Raunak to him, he left. Sandhya sat back. "I don't have a good vibe about it, I feel some storm may come in their lives, why did you let him go?" she asked. "See, just like you care about Preeta, you cared about her as well, and she's all alone, if Arjun is thinking about her as a friend, then it's nothing bad, you're overthinking, relax," he said and she looked away worriedly.

************************************

Karan paced to and fro in his house. "Preeta got engaged and Ishwari left me that too with Alia, I miss Alia so much, Preeta might be at Mauli's house because I saw her talk to Mauli that day," he said and went and exited his house. He unlocked his car, sat inside and closed the door. He buckled his seatbelt and rotated the key in the keyhole starting the car and drove off with high speed.

He halted the car braking it outside Mauli's house and unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the door. He stepped outside and closed the door and immediately rushed to her house. He rung the doorbell multiple times and then got fed up, but then he saw the lock at her house. He kicked the door in anger. "Damn it, doesn't matter, I will wait, till when won't they both come back? I will wait," he said and went and sat again in his car.

************************************

Alia got conscious and sat up feeling weak. Ishwari hugged her tight. "Bacha, how did you faint baby?" she asked. "I was crying and then I felt the urge to drink water but didn't as I was on hunger plus thirst strike and then I fainted," Alia told her hugging her back. Ishwari broke the hug and kissed her forehead cryingly. "Baby, I am begging you to please eat, I already lost Dev, he disappeared, I can't lose you, please baby, please agree to me," she said and cried folding her hands. "Mom, I want bhai back, please bring him back, there must be some way, are you also not interested in finding him?" Alia aksed.

Ishwari shook her head. "I am, but baby, I just don't know how to find him, I complained to police only to get no lead," she said. Alia stood up and folded her arms. "So you sat back like dad did? Say clearly mom that you don't want to find him, all because I am your real daughter but he isn't your real son," she said getting annoyed. "What are you saying? Baby please don't be mad at me, I really want to find him," Ishwari said and sobbed. Alia sat near her. "And how exactly are you finding him?" she asked and Ishwari became speechless.

"You just used to tell dad to find him, right? Because he is his real dad, but you? You aren't his real mom? Fine, I understand, but he did call you mom, you too loved him, how can you forget him? Mom, I will find him on my own," she said and began to leave but Mauli came and blocked her way. She held her shoulders firmly and took her back to bed. "Beta, don't make mumma cry so much, she just got separated from your dad, understand baby, she is equally in a shock, if you are his sister, then even she is his mother," Mauli said to her.

"But Mauli aunty...," she was cut in between. "Say sorry, apologize, if you're in a shock, even she's in a shock, you aren't a mother but she is, and you will understand all this once you become a mother, not right now. Apologize beta," Mauli said making her understand sweetly. Alia turned to Ishwari and wiped her tears. "Sorry mom, forgive me please," she said holding her ears. Ishwari just hugged her. "Ishwari, you please go and rest, and don't worry about Alia and Dev, I will take care of Alia, and I will also help Alia to find Dev," Mauli said and Ishwari nodded and went from there.

Alia looked at Mauli. "Aunty, I remember some strange events from my childhood about bhai with dad, I forgot them all once I grew up but when bhai disappeared for the second time, I recalled them again," she said and narrated all of them. Mauli got shocked. "Alia, now its my biggest task to find out about this, don't worry, I will trick him and as I am his old friend, he won't even know, leave it all on me," Mauli said and hugged her.

Later at night, Mauli came to Alia and Ishwari with three glasses in a tray. All had chocolate milk, just that Alia's milk had medicine mixed inside. She came and placed the tray on the bedside table. "Umm, Ishwari, I thought why not have a race like we had in childhood just to see who finishes the milk first? I mean we will also relive childhood and Alia is also very hungry and thirsty, so both the targets would be fulfilled," she said, Ishwari smiled understanding her plan. "Yeah sure," Ishwari said, Mauli gave her the glass and also took hers.

Alia didn't pick her glass. "Aray aray, pick your glass baby doll, let's have a race," Mauli said and she shook her head. "Thirst strike is also included. No beverages for me, you both enjoy," she said and looked away. "Okay, Ishu, we both will win, Alia would be last, let it be, let's finish," Mauli said and Ishwari smiled and sipped it slowly, Mauli did the same. "Aray, why so slow? Mom, drink it in one go, that's not how you race," Alia said and folded her arms on her torso.

"Okay, so you tell, see Ishwari, now your doll will tell us how to race, learn ha," Mauli said and Ishwari nodded smilingly. Alia picked her glass and drank her milk in one go and placed the glass aside. "I am the first one, you both lost," she said and smiled. Mauli gave a victorious smile to Ishwari. "Alia is the winner, we are losers," Ishwari said pretending to be sad. "No no, you still can be on the second place mom," Alia reminded and with this, Ishwari drank the whole milk and raised it at the top.

"I am second, Mauli is a loser," she said teasingly and Mauli pretended to be sad. "Mauli aunty, last place," Alia said and Mauli drank her milk and shrugged. "I had to drink it anyways," she said and smiled, Alia smiled back. Ishwari also smiled. "Come on Alia, its time to sleep," she said and Alia nodded obediently and lied down to sleep, Mauli and Ishwari secretly high fived. Mauli went from their house and drove to her house.

************************************

Karan was waiting for Mauli and his attention diverted as a fast speeding car came and braked beside his car. He turned his head and saw that it was Mauli's car. He watched through the window as she unbuckled her seatbelt and stepped down the car and locked it. She moved towards her house to unlock it and that's when Karan also stepped down and went behind her. As she was done with unlocking her house, she sensed his presence and turned. "Karan?" she said getting surprised. "What happened? Didn't expect me to come here?" he asked and she smiled and shook her head. "I was just saying what a pleasant surprise, come inside," she said and opened the door, he entered inside followed by her.

After walking a few steps, he turned to her and placed his hands on his hips. "Now without wasting any second, I would come to the point Mauli, I doubt Preeta lives with you only, she does, doesn't she?" he asked, she pretended to be thinking while looking away and then looked at him. "Who is Preeta?" she asked and he titled his head. "Come on Mauli, you know who Preeta is," he said and pulled out his phone from his pocket and opened the gallery, he clicked on her photo and showed it to her.

She took the phone and looked at her photo. "Oh yes, she's the one? I mean, yes, that day I was talking to her, she was telling she's pregnant, but just as she was about to tell me her boyfriend's name, she met with an accident and I just took her to hospital, that's it," she said pretending to not know further. He put his phone back in the pocket. "But why? Why are you asking? How did you know that I met her?" she asked and he shook his head. "Doesn't matter," he said and began to leave but she held his arm, he sighed and turned to her.