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A Few Days Later,

Today, Aaliya was about to be released from jail, and her father, Mr. Khurana, had come to pick her up.

As soon as Aaliya stepped outside, her eyes fell on her father. The moment she saw him, tears welled up in her eyes, and she ran to embrace him.

"How is my little girl?" Mr. Khurana asked while patting Aaliya’s back.

Through her tears, Aaliya replied, "I'm fine, Papa, absolutely fine… and happy too. I never expected that I would get out so soon."

Then, composing herself, she said, "You must have worked really hard… it must have been very difficult… to help me, right?"

She looked at Mr. Khurana while saying this.

Shaking his head, he said, "No, my child, I didn't help you… You didn’t get out because of me, Hardik, or anyone else. In fact, you got out of jail because of Rishabh and Anokhi."

"Rishabh and Anokhi?" Aaliya looked at her father in shock.

Wiping her tears, Mr. Khurana said, "We'll talk about everything later… first, let's go home!"

The Next Morning

Standing outside the college gate, Aaliya kept staring at the college building. The girl who used to arrive every day in stylish clothes, looking like a model, was now dressed in simple attire. The arrogance that once adorned her face had been replaced with nervousness, embarrassment, and hesitation. Her father’s words kept echoing in her mind,

"Aaliya, I know that stepping out of the house and going back to college will be scary for you. You'll hesitate, feel ashamed, thinking that people will taunt you. But that doesn’t mean you should lock yourself inside. I won’t let you stay locked in your room for even a day. I've already spoken to the principal and requested that they allow you back, and they agreed. So, starting tomorrow, you will go to college and face your fears. Yes, students will try to insult you, but you will face them. Aaliya, you won’t change colleges just because you’re afraid that in a new place, no one will say anything to you. Apologize to the students you mistreated and start fresh."

Taking a deep breath and gathering all her courage, Aaliya stepped inside the college. As she walked in, students around her stared in shock or amusement, whispering among themselves.

Some said, "Hey, isn’t this Aaliya? She doesn’t even look like herself! Her entire appearance has changed!"

Others mocked, "Seems like jail had a big impact on her. Just look at her—what a state she’s in!"

Someone else added, "But why is she back at this college? Doesn’t she have any shame? After everything she did, she’s shamelessly returned!"

Another voice sneered, "Her two friends left the college, left India itself. Why didn’t she leave? At least we wouldn’t have to see her face! Every time we see her, it brings back old memories."

Listening to these comments, tears filled Aaliya’s eyes.

She took a deep breath, looked at everyone, then lowered her gaze, bowed her head, and, with deep regret, said, "I know I have always treated everyone badly. I have wronged many. I sincerely apologize for every single thing I have done. I’m sorry."

"Aaliya Khurana is apologizing, that too in front of the whole college!" a girl remarked.

Another girl smirked, "But don’t you think, Aaliya, that you’re apologizing the wrong way?"

"If you really want to apologize, do it properly! Get on your knees, rub your nose on the ground—then maybe we’ll believe that you're truly sorry!"

A boy laughed, "Exactly! Even if your family never taught you manners, you should have at least learned something after going to jail!"

Each of their words pierced Aaliya’s heart like thorns. Tears streamed down her face, but she couldn't say anything. She knew she had to face this—she had to endure it, and she would have to endure more in the future.

Suddenly, she noticed that everything had gone eerily silent. She looked up and saw that all the students had stopped talking and were staring at something beside her.

Turning her gaze in that direction, she saw a familiar face—Anokhi. Anokhi stood behind Aaliya, her head slightly tilted, smiling at the students.

Seeing her, Aaliya was stunned and instinctively took two steps back, staring at Anokhi in shock.

As soon as she stepped aside, Anokhi stood upright and, widening her smile, looked at Aaliya.

Aaliya didn’t know how to react. Seeing Anokhi appear so suddenly made her anxious. She stepped back, and before Anokhi could say anything, Aaliya turned and ran away.

"Hey, Aaliya, stop!" Anokhi called out, but Aaliya didn’t listen and ran inside the college. Anokhi sighed in disappointment, then turned back to face the crowd. The expressions on everyone’s faces were uncomfortable.

Just then, the lecturer's bell rang. As soon as the bell rang, the students started dispersing, but Anokhi’s voice rang out—

"Stay exactly where you are!"

Everyone stopped in their tracks and turned to look at her.

Anokhi put a smirk back on her face and, scanning the crowd, said, "Honestly, listening to you all, I felt like I was watching an evil mother-in-law from a drama series! Your taunts were just as sharp and cruel—just like a mother-in-law taunting her daughter-in-law!"

Her words left the crowd unsettled, and they exchanged nervous glances.

Then, Anokhi’s smirk disappeared, replaced by a serious expression. In a cold tone, she said,

"I hope this was the first and last time I heard such taunts from you all. I know Aaliya has done a lot of wrong—especially to me. But if I can forgive her, then so can you. Don't use her past mistakes as an excuse to make your own. Just because she bullied others doesn’t mean you get to bully her now. By now, I’m sure you all know very well what I do to students who harass or rag others! So, I hope there won’t be another Aaliya among you.

"And one more thing—I have no problem with Aaliya. In fact, she’s like a sister to me, because I consider Aaliya’s brother my own brother. That makes her my sister, too. And I never let anything wrong happen to my family. Aaliya has already paid for her mistakes as per the law. She has suffered her punishment, she regrets it, and, most importantly, she publicly apologized to everyone today. So, open your hearts a little and forgive her."

After delivering what was both a speech and a warning, Anokhi walked away.

Meanwhile…

Aaliya had run to the garden area behind the college. After crying for a while, she composed herself and returned to the classroom.

When she entered, she saw that students were still whispering about her, but no one had the courage to say anything to her face. Ignoring everyone, she quietly went to sit in the corner.

Two days passed this way. During these two days, students continued taunting her behind Anokhi’s back, trying to provoke her. But Aaliya remained silent. Meanwhile, Anokhi kept trying to talk to her, but Aaliya always made excuses and avoided her. This frustrated Anokhi and even made her a little angry.

In the Classroom

The teacher entered, started the lecture, and soon finished it. The moment he left, Anokhi entered the classroom and walked straight to Aaliya’s seat.

Seeing Anokhi in the classroom, whispers spread again.

Without looking at her, Aaliya asked, "You… what are you doing here?"

"Me? What do people do in a classroom? Attend lectures!" Anokhi replied playfully.

"So why are you here?" Aaliya asked again.

Anokhi grinned, "Oh, we have a common lecture today!"

Aaliya looked at her in disbelief and said, "How can we have a common lecture? I’m a Science student, and you’re in Business Management! There’s no way we have a common lecture!"

"Ah, right, we’re from different streams!" Anokhi scratched her head, as if caught in a lie.

Aaliya sighed deeply and whispered, "Anokhi, please leave."

Anokhi looked at her for a moment and then said, "Fine, I’ll leave. But promise me you'll meet me in the canteen during the break."

Aaliya said nothing and buried her face in her book. Anokhi frowned but before she could say more, the teacher entered.

Seeing Anokhi, the professor said, "Miss Anokhi, what are you doing in this class?"

Hearing him, Anokhi stood up and, instead of answering his question, corrected him, saying, "Sir, not Miss Anokhi, it's Mrs. Anokhi, I am married."

The way Anokhi said it made the other students burst into laughter. The professor shot them a glare, making them fall silent. Then, he looked at Anokhi and said sternly, "Yes, Mrs. Anokhi, now tell me, what are you doing in a science class?"

"Sir, I came here to meet my friend."

"If you are done with your gossip, then you may leave."

"Yes, sir, of course, I will go. Thank you so much!" Anokhi bowed slightly with great respect. Then, leaning toward Alia, she whispered, "If you don’t come to meet me, I will be waiting in the canteen!"

Saying this, Anokhi turned toward the door, but before leaving, she stopped by the professor and, bowing again, said, "Thank you so much, sir, for letting me meet my friend, and I’m sorry if I caused you any trouble!"

Saying this, Anokhi quickly ran out of the classroom, leaving the professor staring at her.

Anokhi was famous throughout the college—not just because she was Rishabh Shergill's wife, but because she was number one in mischief. However, even though the professors sometimes got annoyed with her, her grades and studies were so good that they couldn’t say anything to her even if they wanted to. And another reason was that she was Rishabh Shergill's wife, so no one really dared to say anything to her.

Break time—

Aaliya was sitting in the classroom. She knew Anokhi was waiting for her in the canteen, but she couldn’t gather the courage to go.

She told herself, "Aaliya, stop this nonsense! You were going to talk to Anokhi anyway, right? You planned to meet her personally to say thank you and sorry—everything! Now that Anokhi is directly asking you to meet her, just get up and go!"

Gathering courage, Aaliya stood up and walked toward the canteen area.

Aaliya entered the canteen and saw Anokhi sitting on a chair, working on her laptop. Standing there, Aaliya kept wondering what she should say to Anokhi. Just then, Anokhi suddenly looked up and saw her.

When Anokhi found Aaliya standing there silently, she closed her laptop, put it in her bag, picked up the bag, and walked straight toward Aaliya.

Anokhi grabbed Aaliya's hand and started leading her away. At that moment, there was no expression on Anokhi's face. She took Aaliya to that part of the college where hardly anyone ever came.

Once there, she let go of Aaliya’s hand and stared at her.

After staring at her for a few moments, she spoke in a stern voice, "What exactly do you want to do? Do you think all of this is a joke?"

Anokhi's voice was sharp, as if she were scolding her.

Aaliya looked up at her, confused. She couldn't understand what Anokhi meant by what she had just said. "What was I doing?" she wondered, feeling puzzled.

Anokhi, however, could tell from Aaliya’s face that she hadn’t understood anything.

Anokhi scolded her again in the same sharp tone, "This—this act you're putting on, standing here like an innocent, quiet, scared girl—this is what I mean! Why are you doing this? You were never like this! So why are you acting this way now? Crying all the time, apologizing to everyone, walking around with your head down, looking scared! Yes, I agree, you should apologize—it’s very necessary because you were wrong! You wronged everyone, especially me! But apologizing and living like this, with your head down in fear—these are two completely different things!"

Hearing this, Aaliya's eyes filled with tears again. She said, crying, "Then what should I do? I don’t want to be the old Aaliya anymore! I don’t want to trouble people! I don’t want to be arrogant about being the only daughter of the Khurana family, about being rich! And after everything I did to everyone—especially you, Anokhi—how can I even live with confidence? This is a punishment for me! It was you... you who lessened my punishment! I am grateful to you! I want to say thank you... and sorry too!"

"Enough! Aaliya, stop this nonsense!" Anokhi said, frustrated. "Do you know? Seeing you like this reminds me of my past!"

Hearing this, Aaliya looked at her.

Anokhi laughed and said, "What happened? Surprised? Are you wondering, ‘Her past? And me? When was she ever scared?’ Because when you met me for the first time, I shut all of you down! But that wasn’t always the case! My past was even worse than yours! Living in fear, apologizing to everyone for everything… I couldn’t even walk properly! I used to limp on one foot! I thought I was useless! Just a burden to others, but a burden to myself! But… Rishabh Ji taught me how to live! He taught me right and wrong, gave me confidence. But you don’t even need confidence. You were born a confident girl, Aaliya! So what happened? What’s done is done. Don’t ruin your present and your future by clinging to your past. And you’re scared of what people will say? Talking is what people do. Today they’ll say something, tomorrow they’ll forget. So leave all that and focus on your life. And don’t think I’m saying this for you—I’m saying it for Hardik Bhaiya. Hardik Bhaiya has endured so much since childhood. First, he lost his parents, then his home, then you and Chachu, then his first love—he lost everything. He finally found some happiness. Now what do you want? That he lives in sorrow seeing you like this? Be happy, and make others happy too. I’m asking you one last time, Aaliya—will you be my friend? But yes, I don’t want this loser Aaliya as my friend."

Saying this, Anokhi extended her hand toward Aaliya. Aaliya, crying, looked at her, then ran into her arms and started sobbing loudly. Anokhi smiled and gently patted her back.

Evening—

Anokhi entered her room carrying a large bowl filled with chips. She sat on the sofa, eating chips, and picked up her phone to call Shivaay.

On the other end, as soon as Shivaay picked up, Anokhi didn’t even give him a chance to speak before bursting out—

"Shivaay Bhaiya! I never expected this from you! Have you settled in Gujarat? You were supposed to go for three days, and you still haven’t returned? Do you even want to marry Swati Didi or not? We had only planned three days so you could leave without telling her and make her a little worried. And she did worry! Do you know? Yesterday, I invited Swati Didi home with Shwet… and she was looking for you! And then she found out you left for Gujarat without telling anyone! Her face completely fell. But you don’t care at all! Don’t trouble Swati Didi so much that she outright refuses this marriage! She had already refused once, but this time she’ll refuse for sure if you keep acting like this! Now, tell me—what were you doing in Gujarat for so many days? Speak up!"

" Are meri maa Tu chup rahegi to kuch bolunga na. Ek dum rajdhani express hai, ek baar shuru hoti hai to band hone ka naam hi nahi leti. " ( Oh God, will you shut up so I can answer? You’re like a Rajdhani Express! Once you start, you don’t stop! )

Anokhi pouted. "Fine, fine! I won’t say anything now! Speak!"

She fell silent and waited for Shivaay’s response.

Shivaay took a deep breath and said, "I was supposed to return after three days, but Papa’s health suddenly deteriorated, so I couldn’t."

"What? Prafull Uncle is sick? What happened to him? Is he okay? Is it serious? You should have told me earlier! I scolded you for no reason. Anyway, how is he now?" Anokhi asked, worried.

On the other side, Shivaay’s frustrated voice came, " Tu fir shuru ho gai. " ( You’ve started again! )

"Okay, okay! Sorry, sorry! I won’t say anything now, promise!" Anokhi said.

Shivaay replied, "He’s fine now, and don’t worry, his condition wasn’t too serious. After Shivika’s wedding, he was missing Shivir and Maa a lot, so he felt a little unwell. But now he’s completely fine, and I’ll be back in a day or two."

"That’s good! The others will be back in a day or two as well," Shivaay added.

Then, after a moment’s pause, he asked Anokhi, "By the way, did she say anything?"

"Who?" Anokhi pretended to act clueless.

Shivaay said, "Don’t play dumb. I’m talking about Swati."

"Ohh, you mean her! Well, whatever we talked about, I’m not telling you! I’ll tell you when we meet! Okay, fine! Bye-bye! Take care of yourself and Prafull Uncle, and come back soon!" she said, quickly hanging up before Shivaay could say anything. Then she happily turned on the TV and continued enjoying her chips.

On the other end, Shivaay smiled at his phone, placed it on the side table, and started cutting an apple. He was sitting on the sofa in Prafull’s room, while Prafull sat opposite him, looking at some designs Rishabh had sent—designs created by Anokhi.

Seeing Shivaay put his phone down, Prafull smiled and asked, "Was it Anokhi?"

"How did you know?" Shivaay asked.

Prafull laughed and said, "You literally said on the phone, ‘ Tu chup rahegi to mai kuch bolunga na ’ And she’s the only one in that house who never lets anyone talk and just keeps chattering away!"

Shivaay laughed too.

Then Prafull said, "Instead of leaving in a day or two, why not just go back to Mumbai today? I’m fine now, and your work must be piling up there."

"Papa, don’t worry about my company. Everything is running smoothly there," Shivaay said, handing Prafull the plate of sliced apples. Looking at him, he added, "And one more thing, Papa, take care of yourself. If you keep falling sick like this, I’ll transfer my office to Gujarat and stay here permanently."

"There’s no need for that. I just missed your mother a little. If she had been there at Shivika’s wedding… But I’m perfectly fine now, and you don’t need to stay. I just want some peace," Prafull said. So Shivaay made a face.