Few hours before Noor came back to the palace.

“Please maa, stop crying.” Ashrit said to his mother who was weeping silently in her son's embrace.

Prisha broke the hug and looked up at her son's face “broke this unwanted marriage Ashrit!!” She exclaimed out of nowhere, making him and everyone stunned at her words.

“Please Ashrit,I can't lost my son, i already lost my daughter but i don't want to lose that child of mine— who made me a mother for the first time, who called me maa for the first time, I can't loss the son who is my first child, I can't loss that child who made me experience a beautiful phase of my life. Please Ashrit.” hearing her words the whole living room fell into utter silence. Ashrit closed his eyes at the mention of the particular person.

“Prisha beta, hosh Mai aau. Yeh shaadi Ashrit ke liye bahut zaroori hai. He can't break it,” Kalyani said, her voice a mix of softness and authority. Prisha shook her head at her mother in law “ nahi, maasa he need to break this marriage, or else —”

“ Prisha!!!” Ranjeet interfered in between stopping her from revealing something which could break his son beyond repair.

Ranjeet came near his wife and took her in a comfortable hug making her instantly feel relaxed and calm but her heart was not at ease. Thinking about her son's marriage which is unwanted, absurd and dreadful for her son for some reason.

“Jeet, take her to your room” Ranjeet nodded his head at his father's command and took a devastated prisha upstairs. Ranjeet’s heart clenched looking at his wife, who used to be a bubbly, shy wife and an extraordinary mother but now she is just a devastated and a wounded mother who wants her child to be safe. But in order to get things better for her son — she is losing her old self. That's what causes Ranjeet's heartache.

✧

Abhiraj looked at his grandson—Ashrit. Who stood froze in his spot with closed eyes. He knows it's not the right time to reveal the truth about his life which will definitely break him. But there is no right time either. However there is something which is stopping him from revealing the truth to Ashrit, maybe it's because he is already suffering from something which made him an emotionless person.

Abhiraj walked to his grandson and stood in front of him , he kept his hand on Ashrit's shoulder. Sensing a familiar touch Ashrit opened his eyes and looked at his grandfather who is having a determined look on his face

“Give this marriage a chance Ashrit” Abhiraj ordered him,his voice filled with authority.

Ashrit's jaw clenched at his words. “I'm not saying this because you are married, it's because Noor is a nice girl, she is hardworking and a passionate person and no one knows her better than you. She deserves to be happy” Ashrit curled his hand into a fist, his jaw clenched more as Abhiraj’s words sank in.

Ashrit closed his eyes momentarily before uttering “ dadu, she is nothing but a replacement to me, I can't love her. I married her to save our reputation, that's it.” His voice was harsh and filled with pain for some reason. His words made Abhiraj sign in disappointment.

That's when Kalyani noticed Noor and she widened her eyes as she acknowledged her “Noor?” Ashrit immediately looked in the direction only to see his wife standing at the entrance, his eyes widened a little before he went to his usual cold self.

“Noor beta tum?” Kalyani asked her, worrying about what if she heard Ashrit.

“Woh, dadi meri tabiyat theek nahi lag rahi thi toh mai ghar aayi” Noor replied and relief washed over Kalyani's face as she nodded and Noor instantly ran to her chamber. Ashrit looked at his wife's disappearing figure and he felt something was wrong. Very wrong.

✧

Ashrit went to his room after his big long talk with his grandfather. He tried to open the door as he usually does but it didn't open. He tried to knock but there was no response from the other side which made him terrified. Not that but the thought of something happening to his wife made him terrified. Ashrit instantly ran to his study room and went inside, he walked near to his library shelf and picked up a book, and a little button came to his view.

He pressed the button and instantly, the book shelf moved to a side revealing a door which is connected to his room.

It's a little secret door which he installed because he can't and doesn't trust the people of his family.

He opened the door and entered his room, he looked around for his wife but he didn't find her. Ashrit's heart beat fasten when he saw her lying on the floor. He immediately went to her and picked her up in bridal style and carried her to the bed.

Ashrit layed Noor on the bed and looked at her.

He pushed her little hair back of her ear as they were disturbing his view— his wife's face. He looked at her face which looked like she cried. He frowned thinking about why she cried. And made a mental note to ask her later.

He looked at her face again, which looked beautiful. Noor is beautiful, there is no doubt in it. Her beautiful honey brown eyes which always say so much,than her words. Her long pointed nose, plump lips, her red cheeks, her long hip length hair and her freckles which are visible only when someone saw her from near. And atlast her tattoo — which is something she is not proud of.

Ashrit's heart started to pound inside his chest as he looked at the beauty in front of him. His heart he didn't know that it existed until he saw his wife that day.

Not able to control himself, Ashrit leaned front and pressed his cold lips on her forehead. He kept his lips on the same place for sometime, he leaned back.

It was their first forehead kiss

The first ever touch of little intimate

With a last glance at his wife, Ashrit left his chamber and went to office without caring to look at his family downstairs.

✧

“Where the hell are you??” Someone shouted at the other person over the phone.

“Do you even know what the hell you did??” the person again said not giving a chance to the other person to speak.

“Devika aunty, uss waqt par mujhe meri job bohot important thi” Jiya said her voice filled with regret.

“Aur tumhe tum Hari job mil gayi?” Devika mocked her, making her greet her teeth.

“I wanted to make you a Queen Jiya par tumhe vo 50 lakh ki job zaroori thi” Devika said making Jiya regret her own decision.

“I am sorry aunty, iam sincerely sorry” Jiya said her voice , a sincere apology

“Ab tumhari sorry ki kya faida tumhari behen ki shaadi ho gayi Ashrit se” devika said making Jiya stunned at her words

“Ye aap kya bol rahi ho aunty? Aapne kaha ta na ki Ashrit ki shaadi Noor se nahi hona chahiye, isi liye aap ne plan bhi banaya tha , pehle aap ne kundali badal diya phir aapne sab ko manaya meri aur uske shaadi keliye taki Ashrit maar jayega ” Jiya said and devika hummed

“ Aur meri plan sahi jaa rahi hoti agar tum bhag nahi jaati” devika snapped at her

“I don't care about your fucking job just come back as soon as possible” saying that devika disconnected the call not giving Jiya a chance to speak.

Jiya threw her open making it break into pieces. “ Noor Mehrotra hamesha beech mai kyu aati ho?” she said looking at white wall in front of her, her eyes were red burning with hate and anger towards Noor.

“I am coming back to take what's mine!” She said looking at the white wall.

Meanwhile Devika’s thoughts drifted back to the day when she got to know about Ashrit's life truth.