Nalini closed the door and locked the car. She stared at the closed rusty door of the house and walked towards it hurriedly. She saw the latch because of which the door was locked from outside and she knew if she entered inside by the door, Karan would know about it. But she had to take the risk and so she held the latch and unlocked the door in one swift movement and entered inside and saw many empty wine bottles lying here and there. She coughed due to the dust and several spiderwebs here and there, almost at every corner. She heard someone moaning and followed the sound and walked towards it cautiously and finally found the person who was tied to a chair and had a cloth over his face. She removed the cloth from his face and got shocked. It was none other than Dev, her beloved boyfriend who she loved dearly and who also loved her very dearly. The old scars left after wounds on her face made her eyes pool up with tears. She gasped looking at him after such a long time and when she least expected to see him. She couldn't help but cry seeing him.

He was somewhat conscious but too weak to speak. She cupped his face kneeling in front of him. "Dev? Baby? Where were you darling? Who was it who did this to you meri jaan? What were you and what has he made you my dear? I won't spare the person who did this to you Dev, no worries, I would take you safely with me, don't worry, don't be scared, I am here for you, I won't leave you alone no matter what," she said and sobbed and looked down. He opened his mouth to say something and muttered something under his breathe.

She looked up at him and stood up and bent over to him trying to listen what he wants to say. "Tell me? I am here, I am listening," she said and once again he said something. "Nalini, save me, I don't want to die, I want to see my mother and my sister, I can't die like this," he said by difficulty and she nodded. "Yes, I will save you, your Nalini will surely save you," she said and just as she was about to untie him, she heard a car halting outside.

She startled and froze for a mere second. "Shhh, don't speak anything, you're safe, okay," she said and then put her phone on silent with vibration, he looked at her fearfully and shook his head. "Don't go...," he was cut in between. "I am here only," she whispered and turned to the door and heard footsteps, she hid behind his chair fearfully, her heart pounded as if it would come out any second. The footsteps stopped coming as the person had finally entered the room where the lovers were. Nalini peeped a little from behind the chair and saw a silhouette probably of a man who had his arms folded on his chest.

Dev opened his eyes as his eyes finally adjusted to the darkness in the house though the moonlight did reach there. The man approached Dev and lifted his fists in the air and then suddenly placed them on his face loosening his fists and touching his face slightly and somewhat laughed. His laughter deeply scared him and her both. Dev was startled and scared, the man placed his finger on his lips. "Shhh," he said. Dev tried to control his fear but could hardly control himself.

Even Nalini's breathes were uneven because of the fear but then she remembered that she wasn't here to save herself but Dev. She widened her eyes and was about to stand holding his chair but then the chair creaked and she stopped. The man got alert. "Do I hear something? Is someone else also here besides the both of us? But where could the person be possibly hidden?" said the man in his robotic voice and then went behind Dev but found no one as Nalini was now near Dev's feet and assured Dev from her eyes that today none can stop him from being saved and escaping the monster's clutches.

Then the man came to the front again and once again Nalini hid behind Dev's chair. Keeping the phone's brightness low, she dialed police's number and placed it on her ear covering her mouth. "Hallo, I am here at this strange house," she said in a whisper and told the address and disconnected the call. The man heard her whispers and approached her slowly. Her phone vibrated but just as she was about to pick it, her phone was snatched from her hand and thrown away and it also switched off. Pragati got worried for her.

The man held her arm harshly and pulled her up making her stand and pinned her to the wall holding her neck shocking her, she looked at Dev fearfully who was also at his mercy, the man had a mask on his face. "You were playing hide and seek and hid very well from me when I tried to find the intruder who was none other than you, right? Now you would face the consequences," he said once again in his robotic voice which sent shivers down her spine as he looked around for something but when he didn't find anything, he left her neck and then pushed her to the wall slightly injuring her forehead.

She fell on the floor feeling dizzy, he left the room and she took advantage of that and opened all the knots of the ropes surrounding Dev. "Today even my epileptic seizures can't defeat me and keep me from saving you," she said gritting her teeth and just then a glass bottle was thrown at her and she had a narrow escape as the bottle trespassed her head and hit the wall behind her shattering and breaking into many pieces. "Nalini, you okay?" Dev asked and she nodded. The man got angry, Dev tried to open himself but couldn't due to weakness. The man pulled out a rifle which was tucked in his back pocket and aimed it towards Dev. "No no no no, please don't do that, please," she begged and stood shielding Dev. Just as he was about to press the trigger, he felt someone's presence behind him and turned to see a woman's silhouette pointing a gun at him, he too pointed his gun at her. Nalini untied Dev completely but still stood shielding him.

"When you are too brave, then why are you wearing this mask? If you have so much bravery within you so why are you showing cowardice by wearing this mask? Remove this mask and show your face," taunted the woman and stomped her foot on his foot making him yelp in pain. Police's siren could be heard and within seconds, several policemen came inside aiming guns at the man, the lights were switched on and the woman also had a veil over her face. "Now that we are here, please put your gun down madam," said one of the policeman.

"Not until he does it, the ladies first rule can't work here, because better safe than sorry," she said, the masked man was about to pull trigger but then one of the policeman pulled the trigger at his hand and the bullet hit him injuring his hand in which as a result the gun dropped from his hand. The woman removed his mask along with her own veil. "Karan, you?" she asked angrily, she was none other than Ishwari. Karan eyed her angrily and painstakingly pressing his wound with his other hand. "Yes me, dear Ishwari, wasn't it very much expected?" he asked.

"Yes, it was, but till the end I was hoping that it wasn't you. You tried killing me when I asked you to make me meet my daughter and dumped me on the street, right? Before that you captivated your own son like this? Seriously Karan? He was your blood, you made him consume so much alcohol that he vomited blood and hurt his throat? Didn't you even for once get the vibe that he's your own son and that you should have a little mercy on him? You even abducted Alia in lieu of making her meet Dev, right?" she asked gritting her teeth.

"I didn't abduct Alia, she came with me by her own wish, but she was also taken away by Mauli by her own wish, and then I don't know what happened of her and that if she's alive or not," he said and Ishwari slapped him hard and just then another police officer entered with a gun pointing at him, Alia appeared from behind him and ran to Ishwari hugging her tight. "Mumma," she said emotionally, Ishwari smiled and caressed her hair while still pointing gun at Karan.

"Alia beta, where were you?" he asked, Alia broke the hug and looked at him angrily. "Don't you dare call me beta. I am not your daughter, I disown you," she said and showed her her childhood photo with him and tore it and threw it at his face. Dev smiled hearing Alia and Ishwari's voice after long. "Mom," he called out in a weakened voice. "Bhai," Alia said emotionally and pushed Karan out of the way and ran to Dev and hugged him. He smiled hugging her back. "Ishwari, where were you till now?" Karan asked and Ishwari looked at the policeman who entered with Alia and smiled at him and then at Karan. "He's the one who saved me, he's police commissioner Rohit Sippy," she said.

Flashback:

Ishwari lied bleeding heavily on the street when fortunately Rohit's jeep passed by and he stopped noticing her. "You? Here?" he asked while Ishwari didn't even have the strength to speak. "Never mind, I am here and I will save you," he said and picked her in his arms and put her inside the jeep and drove off to the hospital and requested the doctors to treat her immediately and that he's a policeman only.

Ishwari was treated and came in her senses. Rohit came inside to her. "How are you now?" he asked. "Do I know you?" she asked. "I am the one who saved your life, but who did all this?" he asked. "My husband Karan, who else? My children are with him and they are in danger, save them," she said. "Sure I will," he said. "And also alert Mauli after saving Alia that I am fine," she said. "Sure," he said.

Fb end.