*Not edited*

Next morning, Khushi's sleep was broken by Buaji's loud voice. It seemed she was calling Khushi out. Khushi glanced at the wall clock and saw that it was 7.30 am. She had only just gone to sleep an hour ago. Rubbing her eyes, she came out of her room, rubbing her eyes and asked, "Kya huya, Buaji? Kyu subha subha bula rahi hai aap hume?" [What is it, Auntie? Why are you waking me up so early?]

"Aye Sanka devi! Kaal raat apni amma ki chitthi parte parte bhi jalebi bana rahi thi ka? Itna sara jalebi kyu hai dining table par?" Buaji asked shaking her head at her niece. [You trouble-maker! Did you make jalebis while reading your mother's letter? Why is there so many jalebis left on the dining table?]

"Wo hum pura khatam nehi par paye the kal raat. Bas bachi hui thori si hi to rakhke gaye the table par." Khushi replied before glancing at the table. She winced as she realized that in her hurry to read her mother's journal, she had left quite a lot of jalebis on the table and they had attracted ants. [I couldn't finish all of them last night. I swear I only left a few of them behind.]

"Janam din hai isiliye aaj kuch kahenge nahi. Firse aise kiya to kan khichenge hum tumhare keh dete hai!" Buaji threatened before taking a seat at the dining table. An amused Payal removed the jalebi plate from the table. Khushi gave her a grateful look in answer. Sitting beside Buaji, Khushi started snoozing again. [I won't scold you today as it's your birthday. But if you do this again, I swear I'll pull your ears off.]

Garima came after finishing her prayer and gave aarti to everyone. "Bitiya, par liya tumhari amma ki chitthi? Kya likkha tha?" she asked Khushi as she ran her fingers through Khushi's hair. [Did you finish reading your mother's letter? What was written in it?]

Recalling the journal, Khushi opened her eyes and exhaled deeply. "Haa, amma. Par liya... aur hume ye bhi pata chal gaya ki akhir aisi kaunsi mazboori thi jiske waza se humare maa aur papa ko humse dur rehna para." she replied. [Yes, mom. I've finished reading that... and now I know what trouble caused my parents to leave me behind.]

Since her parents' story involved highly classified information, she decided to not share them with her family. The identity of the real traitor not only ended up taking her uncle Naveen's life, but it also ruined her both of parents' life as well. Khushi didn't want her current family to get targeted for knowing this secret as well. "Hum iss bareme baad me baat kare? Hume bohot bhuk lagi hai. Amma, aaj humari janam din hai na? Please humare liye Lucknowi biryani bana dijiye!" Khushi pleaded like a little girl. [Can we talk about it later? I'm really hungry. Mom, since it's my birthday, can you please make Lucknowi biryani for me?]

Garima smiled at her daughter affectionately. "Hum already uski taiyari kar chuke hai. Hume pata hai ki tumhe apni janam din pe taufe nahi balki tumhari mann pasand khana khana jyada pasand hai." she told her daughter. Dropping a kiss on Khushi's forehead, Garima went to the kitchen. [I'm already preparing for that. I know you like to have your favorite foods on your birthday rather than getting a gift.]

"Aur hum tumhare liye aaj Veg Shami kebab banayenge. Hume pata hai wo humare Titliya ko bohut pasand hai!" Buaji stated smiling. [And I'm making Veg Shami kabab for you. I know you like them a lot.]

"Arre wah! Aaj to maza ayega khana khane me." Khushi beamed at Buaji. "Jiji, tum humare liye kya bana ne wali ho?" she asked yelling as Payal was helping their mother in the kitchen. [Wow! It would tons of fun to eat today. Sis, what are you making for me?]

"Aaj dinner me hum tumhare liye Aloo puri banayenge. Tumhe pasand hai na?" Payal told her sister, "Aur hum shaam ko tumhe chaat bhi khilane leke jayenge," she added. [For dinner, I'm making Aloo puri. You like it, don't you? And we will also go out to have your favorite street foods.]

Khushi squealed, excited for all the food she was going to eat that day. In her excitement, she blurted out, "Pata hai humare maa ko khana banana bilkul nahi ata tha par humare papa bohot achchha khana banate the. Papa anath the na to unhone bachpan me hi khana banana sikh liya tha." [You know my mother didn't know how to cook at all... but my father used to make very tasty foods. Since he was an orphan, he learned to cook at a very young age.]

Everyone stopped and stared at Khushi. This was the first time they heard Khushi talking so freely about her biological parents. Garima wondered if they should've given her that box earlier or not. "Aur kya kya pata hai tumhe tumhare baba ke bareme?" Payal asked. [What else did you find out about your father?]

Khushi ran to the kitchen to share. "Papa ko maa see pyaar bohot pehle huya. Maa ko to baad me ehsaas huya ke papa unse kitna pyaar karte the. Maa ke liye Papa jaan dene ke bhi shamta rakhte the... aur lene ke bhi." she hadn't meant to add the last part, but it just came out. [My father fell in love with my mother a long time before my mother even realized it. For her, he was ready to give and take lives.]

"Matlab?" Garima asked, confused. [What do you mean?]

"Kuch nehi. Hum to aisehi mazak kar rahe the." Khushi lied. Payal though narrowed her eyes at her younger sister as she realized that Khushi was lying. But she decided not to ask about it in front of their mother. [Nothing. I was just joking.]

"Ye Parmeshwari, kya tumhe pata chala ke tumhare amma ne tumko Shashi babuya ke ghar kyu chhor gayi?" Buaji asked as she joined them in the kitchen. [Did you find out why your mother left you to Shashi's house?]

"Haa, Buaji. Humare maa aur papa dono hi Army me the. Desh ki kuch dushman unhe jaan se marne ki koshish kar rahe the. Isiliye humari jaan bachane Maa hume amma aur babuji ke paas chhor gayi." Khushi replied shortly with a sad smile. [Yes, aunty. My parents were in Army. Some enemies of this country were trying to kill them. That's why to save me, mom left me to Shashi papa.]

Hearing that both of Khushi's parents were army officers increased their respect in Buaji's mind. "Achchha huya ke tumhe yehi chhor gaye. Warna agar humare Sankadevi ko kuch ho jata to kya hota!?" Buaji said, patting Khushi's head affectionately. Khushi grinned at her in answer. [It's good that they left you with us. What if something had happened to you?]

/

/.../

/

Once everyone was done with their breakfasts, Khushi blurted out, "Hum humare maa aur papa ko dhunda chahte hai. Hume pura yaakin hai ki wo dono zinda hai, lekin kisi musibbat me hai." [I want to find my parents. I'm pretty sure they are both alive, but are in some kind of trouble.]

Hearing her, everyone started to exchange worried looks. "Ye ka bolat rahi ho, Sankadevi? Agar tumhari amma aur baba zinda hote to kya itne saalo me wo tumhe dhundne nehi ate?" Buaji points out. [What are you saying? If your parents were alive, don't you think they would've come for you?]

"Hum faisla le chuke hai. Hum humare maa aur papa ko dhundne zaroor jayenge." Khushi told her firmly. "Aur tabtak chain se nahi beithenge jab tak asli gunehgaro ko saza nahi dila dete." she added silently in her mind. [I've made my decision. I WILL go to look for them. And I won't rest until the main criminals were properly punished.]

"Kkhhuuuyyii... jjjjaaaa." her babuji tells her before Garima aur Payal could say anything. [Khushi... go.]

"Ji aap kya bol rahe ho? Khushi kaha se dhundna shuru karegi? Usse kaise pata hoga ki uski amma ya baba iss waqt kaha pe hogi?" Garima expressed her concerns. [What are you saying? Where would Khushi start looking for them? How would she know where her parents are at this very moment?]

"Amma, aap chinta matt kariye. Maa ne hume kuch clues diya hai. Hum usse follow karenge to zaroor dhund lenge humare maa aur papa ko." Khushi told her confidently. [Mom, don't worry. My mother had left me clues. If I follow them, I know I will surely find them.]

"Khushi, tum sure ho na? Kuch garbar huya to?" Payal asked, concerned for her younger sister. [Khushi, are you sure? What if sonething goes wrong?]

"Kuch nehi hoga, jiji. Hum sab sambhal lenge!" Khushi boosted confidently. [Nothing will go wrong, sis. I'll deal with it.]

/

/... /

/

2 hours later.

"Kitni asani se bol diya ki sab sambhal lungi. Kaise sambhalenge hum akele? Hey Devi maiya, ab aap hi koi rasta dikhaiye hume!" Khushi told her devi maa. She had come to the temple to ask her goddess for help. [How easily I claimed that I'll deal with it. How will I deal with all these alone? Oh Goddess,please show me the right path!]

"Kaise aur kaha se suru karu kuch samajh me hi nahi aaraha hai," Khushi pouted as she sat down in one corner of the temple. [I have no clue how and from where to start.]

Suddenly, it was like her prayers were answered and Khushi heard two ladies talking. "Haa, main to bohot khush hu ki mere bete ki posting yaha military headquarter me hogayi. Warna jab Ladakh pe posting huya tha, tab to bohot hi chinta rehta tha mujhe uski." one woman said to another. [Yes, I'm really happy that my son got posted in the Military headquarter here. When he was posted in Ladakh, I used to get super worried for him.]

"Military headquarters Delhi me hai isiliye achchha huya. Kahi aur hota to firse tum apne bete ke liye pareshan ho rahi hoti." said the other woman, laughing. [It's a good thing that the Military headquarter is based here in Delhi. Otherwise, you woulld've comtinued to worry.]

Khushi's jaws had dropped open. "Military headquarters Delhi me hai? Hume to pata hi nahi tha. Achcha hai... humara kaam asan hogaya." she mused. "Dhaanyabad, Devi maiya!" she said before running home to prepare for her trip to the military headquarters. [Military headquarter is based here in Delhi? I had no clue. That's good... my work will be easy. Thank you, Goddess.]

/

/... /

/

Over the next several days.

Khushi thought of many ideas on how to approach the military headquarters. Finally on the fourth day, she decided to just do what she does best. She started making several kinds of sweets and headed for the headquarter. After annoying the guards for next two days straight, she finally managed to made them give her an entry saying that she wanted to became a cook at the headquarter. She easily became friendly with the cook of the headquarter cafeteria and started buttering him for information. Khushi gave the cook a sad story that her uncle had left home 25 years ago after an argument with her nanaji and only a few days ago, she got to learn that her uncle was in the army. That's why she was here. Seeing her innocent, sad face, the cook melted and introduced her to an orderly who would be able to give her information on army officers.

[[[ Author note: THESE THINGS NEVER HAPPEN IN REAL LIFE. SO DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME OR ANYWHERE ELSE. ? ゚リナ?]]]

Thanking her devi maiya, Khushi sat beside the orderly as he typed Alekh's name into his computer. "Naam ke alawa aur koi information pata hai kya?" the orderly asked her. [Do you have ANY other infromation other than his name?]

"Um... Wo Kanchanjunga Military Academy se unhone Graduation kiya... aur ye kuch biss (20) saal pehle ki baat hai." Khushi told him, biting her nails. [Um... he graduated from Kanchanjunga Military Academy... 20 years ago I think.]

"Thik hai." the orderly nodded and started putting the information in. After a few minutes, the orderly told her, "Inn information ke mutabik apke uncle, Major Alekh Sharma iss waqt ek bohot important mission ke liye Chhattisgarh gaye huye hai." [Okay. Hmm... According to this information, your uncle, Major Alekh Sharma is corrently on a very important mission in Chattisgarh.]

"Chhattisgarh? Waha janeke liye kaunsa bus lena parega?" Khushi asked, innocently. [Chattisgarh? Which bus do I have to catch to go there?]

The orderly gave her a look of complete disbelieve. "Waha iss waqt naxal wadiyo ne atang macha rakkha hai. Waha civilians ka jana khatre se khali nehi hai." he warned her. [The Naxals are causing trouble there at the moment. It's not safe for civilians to go there.]

"Aap ne humari itni madat ki iske liye shukriya. Ab hum chalte hai. Hume Chhattisgarh jane ki taiyari bhi karni hai." Khushi told him with a smile like she hadn't heard what he said at all. The orderly stared after her as she left from there with a cheerful smile on her face. [Thank you so much for helping me. I got to go now. I have to prepare for my trip to Chattisgarh after all.]

/

/.../

/

Guptas were at the Shantivan, the Raizada mansion. Akash's dadi, Devyani Singh Raizada, had invited them to buy jewelry and clothes for Payal. Arnav had recently broken his engagement with Lavanya. It was a mutual decision when Lavanya came to know that Arnav loved Khushi. Knowing that Gupta family would come over that day, Arnav had decided to work from home that day instead of going to the office like usual.

The Guptas arrived and they got welcomed by Anjali, Devyani, and Manorama, Payal's future mother in-law. Anjali and Devyani, Arnav and Anjani's nani, noticed Khushi's absence and shared a confused look.

"Garima bitiya, Khushi bitiya kaha hai? Wo nahi ayi?" Naniji asked. [Garima, where is Khushi? She didn't come over with you?]

"Ji wo... Khushi tarasal sheher se bahar gayi huyi hai kisi kam se." Garima replied. [Actually... Khushi went out of town for something.]

Arnav was coming downstairs, pretending to need coffee when he overheard Garima. "Sheher se bahar gayi hai? Kiske saath? Yaha par to Gupta family ke baki sab mozud hai." he thought to himself, worriedly. [Went out of town? With whom? Every member of the Gupta family is here.]

"Kisi rishtedar ki ghar gayi hai kya?" Anjani inquired. [Did she go to some relative's house?]

At her question, Garima and Madhumati hesitated. They didn't know how the Raizada ladies might react to know Khushi's whereabouts. Seeing their worried faces, Payal answered, "Ji, wo apni mamaji se milne gayi hai." [Actually, she went to meet her maternal uncle.]

"Unhe bhi to shaadi ki nauta dena hoga na. Waise bitiya, apne bata nahi ki apki bhai bhi hai." Naniji said to Garima. [Oh yes, they would need to be invited for the wedding after all. By the way Garima, you never told us that you have a brother.]

"Arre nahi, maaji. Garima ka koi bhai nahi hai." Buaji replied, unintentionally revealing the truth. [No, Garima doesn't have any brother.]

"To phir Khushi kis se milne gayi hai?" Arnav asked, not being able to control his curiosity anymore. [Then, who did Khushi went to meet?]

"Dadiji, Arnavji, aap logoko to malum hi hoga ki Khushi adopted hai. Tarasal Khushi ko abhi abhi apni biological parents ke bareme kuch khas pata chala hai... aur ye bhi ki uske mama aur maasi bhi hai. To wo apne mamaji se milne gayi hai kuch information ko confirm karne ke liye." Payal explained the situation. [Grandma, Arnav, as you know Khushi is adopted. She recently found something special about her biological parents... and that she has uncles and aunts as well. That's why she went to meet her maternal uncle to confirm a few things.]

"Hello Hi Bye bye! Abhi abhi maa baap ke bareme aisa kya pata chaal gaya that shez goingz alonezz?" Manorama asked. [What did information she find that she went alone?]

"Kuch bohot important information tha kya?" Anjali asked worriedly. [Was it something very important?]

"Sankadevi ko lagat rahe ki uske amma aur baba abhi bhi zinda hai. Yehi baat wo apne mamaji se pushti karne gayi hai." Buaji shared. [That Trouble-maker thinks that her parents are alive. She went to confirm this fact.]

"Kya aisa ho sakta hai?" Naniji asked, leaning forward. [Is it possible?]

"Hume to nahi lagta. Agar wo zinda hote to kya wo Khushi ko itne saalo me lene nahi ate?" Buaji points out. [I don't think so. If they were alive, wouldn't they have come for her by now?]

"Lekin jab Khushi ne ye zid ki ke usse uski amma aur baba ko dhundna hai, hum mana nehi kar paye." Garima added. [When Khushi decided that she wanted to find her parents, we couldn't stop her.]

"Aunty, uske saath aap mese koi gayi kyu nahi? Wo akeli kaise manage karegi?" Arnav asked, as he was worried for the love of his life. He knew how innocent and kindhearted Khushi was. He was worried that she might end up in some trouble in her naivety. [Aunty, why didn't any of you go with her? How will she manage alone?]

"Humne kaha tha saath chalne ko, Arnav beta. Par wo mani hi nahi... aur zid karke akele hi chali gayi." Garima replied. [We wanted to go with her. But she was determined to do this alone.]

"Waise wo gayi kaha hai?" Anjali asked. [Where did she go anyway?]

"Chhattisgarh." Garima replied.

Hearing this, all the Raizada family members paled. As it was quite known that these days Chhattisgarh was having Naxalwadi troubles for the last few months.

"Chhattisgarh!? Are you kidding me? Wo to abhi ek war zone ki tarha hai. Ye pagal larki akele hi chaligayi yaha?!" Arnav exclaimed in disbelief. [Chhattisgarh!? Are you kidding me? That's a war zone right now. That crazy girl went there ALONE?]

"Waise to Khushi bohot samajhdar hai... par..." Garima hesitated, "Jab se usne apni maa ki chitthi pari, usme humne ek alag si zid dekhi. Uske ankhon me mano koi junoon sawar tha. Hum chahkar bhi usse isbar rok nahi pate." she shared. [Khushi is very intelligent... but when she read her mother's letter, there was a strange kind of stubbornness in her eyes. It was like a starnge madness came over her. We wouldn't have been able to to stop her even if we wanted to.]

Anjali took Garima's hand and consoled her. "Aap tension mat liziye. Dekhiyega Khushiji sahi salamat wapas aajayegi." [Don't worry. I'm sure she would return safe and sound.]

"Hum bhi bas yehi dua karat rahe hai, bitiya." Buaji told her with a sigh. [I'm praying for the same thing.]

Arnav left from there. He was restless at the thought of something happening to Khushi. He called Aman, his right hand man. Arnav told Aman to trace Khushi's number to find her location and inform him immediately when he got some information.

/

/.../

/

Six days later.

Naniji had kept a puja for Akash and Payal. Even though Arnav got to know that Khushi had returned two days ago from her trip, he wasn't able to see her as she didn't come over. He had thought like usual Khushi would come over to the Raizada mansion, but even with Anjali inviting her, she didn't come. So, he decided to stay home again, despite not wanting anything to do with the puja.

The Guptas got welcomed by the Raizada family. Then, everyone got busy with the preparations as puja's muhrat was close by. Khushi had started helping as soon as she arrived. Upon noticing her arrival, Arnav yelled at HP to bring him a cup of coffee.

"Ye Chhote bhi na! Jante hai ki aaj sab busy hai par fir bhi coffee ke liye chilla rahe hai." Anjali complained to Khushi. "Khushiji, HP thora busy hai. Kya aap ye coffee chhote ko dee ayengi please?" she requested. [This Arnav is too much I tell you! He knows everyone is busy but still he's yelling for coffee. Khushi, HP is busy. Can you take the coffee to Arnav, please?]

"Ji, Anjaliji." Khushi replied before taking the cup and heading upstairs. Knocking on the door, she entered Arnav's bedroom where he had been working (Pretending to work) on his laptop. [Sure, Anjali.]

He observed that unlike other times, the always present mischievous smile was missing from Khushi's face. She silently placed the coffee on the table and turned to leave when he stopped her. "Tum akele Chhattisgarh kyu gayi thi? Kuch ho jata to? Did you even think things through, damn it?!" he asked her angrily. [Why did you go to Chhattisgarh alone? What if something had happened with you there?]

Khushi turned towards him with a puzzled look on her face. "Hum thik hai. Dhanyabad humari fikr karne ke liye." and left before he could say anything more. [I'm okay. Thank you for worrying about me.]

Frustrated, he followed her but failed to corner her for answers. Seeing him at the stairs, Nani told him to join the puja which was starting in a few minutes. Arnav went to refuse but Anjali forced him to join, promising him that it would be only for a few minutes. The puja started and everyone took their turned doing the aarti. Arnav refused when Anjali tried to offer him the silver plate. Then, it was Khushi's turn.

"Khushi bitiya, aap to devi maiya ki bohot bari bhakt hai. To aaj bhajan hojaye?" Nani suggested. [Khushi, since you're a huge devotee of the Goddess, why don't you sing a bhajan (religeious song) for the prayer?]

Arnav was noticing Khushi's expression. The usually cheerful girl was lost somewhere in her own mind. He watched as she took the silver plate and stared at the Goddess's statue for few silent moments. Then, she started singing a song that shocked everyone.

"Teri ankhon me devi maa kabhi ansu nahi ane degi." Khushi remembered Shashi had told her when she was first introduced to her devi maiya, whom she considered her best friend. [Goddess would never let tears come to your eyes.]

"Zami walo se rab tu milta kaha hai,

Tu patthar ki murat sa gumsum khara hai

Zami walo se rab tu milta kaha hai,

Tu patthar ki murat sa gumsum khara hai

[You never meet us Earth duelers. You just stay still like a stone.] x2

Tere samne hi mera ghar jala hai

Tu patthar ki murat sa gumsum khara hai

[My whole family burned down in front of you. Yet you stayed still like a stone.]

Kaha ka khuda hai? kaha ka khuda hai?

Kaha ka... khuda hai?"

[What kind of God are you?] x3

Everyone started looking at each other in confusion. Because they knew Khushi had unlimited faith in her 'Devi maiya'. So, for her to sing such a song was telling the state of her faith. It seemed she was angry with her goddess.

Even Arnav, who didn't believe in god, was surprised. He knew how much Khushi believed in her Devi maiya. He wondered what she learned about her parents that had made her loose her faith in her best friend... her devi maiya.

"Jo sidha hai mann ka wohi lut ta hai,

Galat sare kisse tu hi likhta hai.

[Why only the good gets looted? Why do you write wrong stories?]

Tu kyu fark itna bata rakhta hai,

Galat sare kisse tu hi likhta hai.

[Why do you create such discrimination? Why do you write wrong stories?]

Kaha ka khuda hai? kaha ka khuda hai?

Kaha ka... khuda hai?

Kaha ka khuda hai? kaha ka khuda hai?

Kaha ka khuda hai?

Kaha ka khuda hai? khuda hai?

Kaha ka... khuda hai?"

[What kind of God are you?] x9

Khushi placed the silver plate down and turned to leave when she was stopped by Akash. She turned her head to find him giving her a kind smile. He pulled her back in front of the Goddess's statue again and started singing.

"Tujhime hai tune nehi dekha hai,

Tu patthar samajh le wo sab sunta hai.

[God exists in you. You just didn't know it. You might consider her a stone but she hears to everything.]

Chhupe inn andhere me bhi subha hai,

nehi tu akela wo saya tera hai.

[There's light even in this darkness. You're not alone as she stays with you as your shadow.]

Khuda tha khuda hai, khuda tha khuda hai,

khuda tha... khuda hai.

Khuda tha khuda hai, khuda tha khuda hai,

khuda tha... khuda hai."

[God is here.] x8

[Author: Song credit goes to the serial "Ek astha aise bhi"and the writer of the song. Forgive the mistakes in the translation. That was me.]

As he finishes singing, he told her, "Upar wala hume sirf wahi musibbat dete hai jinse nipat ne ki shamta humme hoti hai. Unhone koi problem diya hai to samajh liziye ki apki best friend ko pata hai ki aap iss layek hai ki aap usse nikal sake." [Goddess only gives us those troubles that she knows we will be able to deal with.]

Khushi's eyes teared up at this and she started crying silently. Akash smiled at her patiently and wiped off her tears. "Saali saheba, aap to itni strong hai ki bhai se larne se nahi dare. To fir koi aur musibbat se aap kaise darr sakte hai?" he encouraged. [Sister-in-law, you're so strong that you don't even get scared to fight with my brother. Then, how can you be scared of any other pesky trouble?]

Arnav frowned a little. "Akash, tum Khushi ko hosla de rahe ho... ya meri insult kar rahe ho?" he asked, scowling. [Akash, are you encouraging her... or insulting me?]

At his question, everyone started snickering. Even Khushi had to turn away her face to hide the smile that bloomed on her face.

She sniffed and said, "Thank you, jijaji." as she didn't want to cause any trouble in her sister's married because of her lost faith. She turned towards the statue and bows her head with her hands joined together. "Samajhme nehi ata ki main apse naraz hu ya fir iss desh ki law system se. Jiss desh ki raksha ke liye maa aur papa ne apni puri zindegi dao pe laga di, zaroorat ke waqt uss desh ki system ne hi unke saath nahi diya." Khushi thought to herself. She started recalling her visit to Chhattisgarh. [I don't know if I should be angry with you or the law system of our country. The country for which my parents devoted their lives, didn't support them when they needed it the most.]

/

FLASHBACK:::::

Khushi arrived Chhattisgarh late in the evening. She knew she needed to find a hotel to stay but she didn't have much money on her for any luxurious hotel. So, she started looking for a dhaba. After asking around, she reached a dhaba. She spoke to the owners and they agreed to let her rent a room at the back of their dhaba for a few days. Happy, Khushi sat down and ordered food before she started people watching. Her eyes fell on a couple of young men and seeing their fatigues, she realized that they were army officers. She approached them and started chatting with them. From their casual chatting, she learned where they were based.

"Aap log bura na mane to hum apse ek baat puchhe?" She asked. [If you guys don't mind, can I ask you something?]

"Ha, kyu nahi." one officer replied. [Sure, why not.]

"Aap sabko yaha khane me kaunsi chiz sabse jyada yaad ati hai?" she asked. [What food do you guys miss here the most?]

"Waise khana to yaha achha hi milta hai par... main apni maa ki haato ki motichur ki laddoo bohot miss karta hu." said one of the officers. [Food is okay here but... I miss my mother's motichur laddoo a lot.]

"Aur main biryani bohot hi jyada miss karta hu. Yaar, kitne din hogaya khaye huye." another officer said sadly. [I miss Biryani a lot. It's been so long since I had it last.]

"Mujhe to gobi ke parathe bohot yaad ate hai. Bhabhi mere liye specially banati hai jab bhi main ghar jata hu." said the third one. [I miss cauliflower paratha a lot. My sister-in-law makes them specially for me whenever I go home.]

"Aree, isme kya hai!? Hum hai na! Aap log humare raksha ke liye apni jaan dao pe lagate ho, to apki ye behen kya apne bhaiyo ke liye khana nehi bana sakti. Hum wada karte hai ki kal hi hum aap sabki maan pasand khana banake apko khilayenge." Khushi vowed with a wide grin. [That's no big deal! You guys protect the people of this country, then can't a sister make her brothers their favorite food? I promise that tomorrow I will cook your favorite food items for you and feed you.]

The officers stared at her, stunned. "Sachchi?" one of them asked. [Really?!]

"Muchchi. Aap bas hume address de diziye ki khana kaha pe lana hai." she told them. [Yeah. Just give me the address so that I know where to take the food.]

The officers hesitated as civilians were not allowed at the high risk zones, but they couldn't resist the temptation of food, and gave her the address. That's how Khushi found herself at the military base with fifteen large steel tiffin carriers the very next day. She had wanted to make food for the whole base but her budget didn't allow her. So, she made as much as she could for those three officers and their friends to share. Those officers had given her their numbers the previous night. When she called them from the entry way of the base, they arrived and were thoroughly surprised that she actually came, that too with so much food. Grinning widely, they helped her get everything inside and started arranging the food in the cafeteria.

Khushi's heart was beating fast as one of the officers went to invite their senior officers for lunch. Holding her breath, she was waiting when she first saw him. She had recognized him from the photos her mother had left in the box.

Her maternal uncle... Major Alekh Sharma. Even though he wasn't related to her mother by blood, but they were related by their souls. Khushi had to work hard to keep her tears at bay. He was her first link to her parents.

She watched as more senior and junior officers came. They sat down to eat and everyone started praising her. Smiling, she told them what she told those other officers the previous night. She noticed that Alekh didn't take any food and was only drinking coffee. Without waiting, she made a plate for him and placed it in front of him.

"Apne to kuch khaya hi nahi. Dupehar ka waqt hai. Thik se pet puja nahi karenge to kaam pe mann kaise lagega." she stated with a cheerful smile. [It's lunch time and you didn't have anything yet. If you don't eat properly then how will you concentrate of your work?]

"Kaun ho tum aur Chhattisgarh me kya karne ayi ho? I'm pretty sure tum hum sabke liye khana banane to nehi ayi ho." Alekh asked, rudely. [Who are you and what you do in Chhattisgarh? I'm sure you didn't come here to cook for us.]

Khushi stared at him with her jaws dropped apart. Her mother had written in her journal that Alekh was rude when they first met and he didn't trust anyone easily. But Khushi hadn't expected him to ask her these questions so bluntly. "Apne sahi kaha. Hum yaha kisi ko dhundne aye hai. Agar aap mind na kare to kya hum akele me kuch baat kar sakte hai?" she gave him a pleading look. [You're right. I came here to look for someone. If you don't mind, can you speak alone?]

Alekh stared at her with narrowed eyes. After a few silent moments, he nodded his head in agreement. Khushi grinned and joined him with her own plate. Seeing her eating the same food without hesitating, Alekh also started eating. He was startled when a familiar taste flowed in his mouth. He had eaten such yummy biryani once before many years ago. When they were in hiding, Rajveer had made biryani for his cadets. Naina had gone to have her baby, so she wasn't able to eat it. She had complained a lot when she got to know about this.

Tears gathered in his eyes as he ate. "Biryani bohot achhi bani hai. Kisse sikha?" he asked with trembling voice. [Biryani is too good. Who did you learn to make this from?]

"Humare amma ne sikhaya... par wo kehti hai ki humare biryani me koi alag sa hi jaadu hai." Khushi shared happily. [My mom taught me... but she says mine has some kind of magic in it.]

Alekh couldn't stop the slight lift of his lips at her innocent self praise. "How old are you?" he asked.

"Hum bis saal ki hai." Khushi replied. [I'm 20 years old]

Alekh paused for a moment before he looked up. Something about this girl was familiar. Maybe it was the kind smile or the honesty that reflected in her eyes... or maybe it was her bold act of entering an army base. She reminded him of his long lost family.

Once they were done with their lunch, Alekh told her to follow him to his cabin. Grabbing her jute kalamkari bag, she ran after him. She entered his cabin and stared at everything with wide eyes. She couldn't believe that her parents were a part of this world. Alekh was observing her reactions the whole time and he started suspecting that this girl knew him or maybe knew of him. He closed his cabin's door and took a seat behind his desk.

"Batayo kya bolna chahti thi. Waise Tumne apna naam nahi bataya." Alekh stated, leaning back against his chair. [So, what you wanted to talk about? By the way, you didn't tell me your name yet.]

Khushi turned her attention to him and sat in one of the chairs in front of him. "Humara Do naam hai. Aur Tisri honeki samvabna agar." She replied cheekily. [I have two names... and a posibility to have a third one.]

Alekh frowned. "Matlab?" He asked. [What do you mean?]

"Pichle unnis saal se humara naam hai Khushi Kumari Gupta. Par humari asli naam... Jo hume humari maa ne diya tha wo hai... Khushi Singh Ahluwalia. Hum Captain Rajveer Singh Shikhawat aur unke protege Cadet Naina Singh Ahluwalia ki beti hai." Khushi stated. [For last 19 years, my name had been 'Khushi Kumari Gupta'. But my real name is... 'Khushi Singh Ahluwalia'. I'm Captain Rajveer Singh Shikhawat and his protege Cadet Naina Singh Ahluwalia's daughter.]

Alekh stared at her, frozen in shock. He didn't know if he should believe her or not. Could a part of his family really be in front of him after all these years? He opened his mouth to ask her give him some proof that she was telling him the truth when Khushi shocked him again with her statement.

"Maa ne to likkha tha ki aap humesha 'apun' 'apun' karke bate karte ho. Par aap to normally baat karte ho." Khushi grimaced in disappointment. [My mother had written that you speak in street language. But you're speaking normally.]

Alekh huffed out a reluctant laugh at her expression. "Apun aaj bhi wasehish baat karta hai... lekin sirf apno ke samne." He didn't know why he told her that. It was like his heart knew that she was telling the truth. That she was his niece... His sister's daughter. [I still speak like that... but only with my loved one.]

Khushi beamed at him excitedly. "Arre wah! Maza agaya!" She cheered. [Yay!]

"Teri maa ne aur kya likkha apun ke bareme?" Alekh asked. Unintentionally, his expression had soften up for her. [What else did your mother write about me?]

Khushi tucked her legs on her chair, excited to chat with her uncle. "Maa ne likkha tha ki pehle pehle jab bhi Yudi mamaji ya fir Ali mamaji apse puchhte the ki apne ye kaha sikkha ya wo kaha sikkha to aap jawaba dete the... 'Jail me'." She was giggling freely just imagining the scene. [Mom wrote that at first whenever someone asked you where you learned something, you would reply 'In jail'.]

"Tere pas apni baat sabit karne ki sabut hai?" Alekh asked, finally gaining enough brain cells to think properly. [Do you have any proof that you're telling me the truth?]

"Humne maa ki journal ki panno ka photo nikala hai. Usme bohot secret information hai na isliye hum saath nahi laye." Khushi told him apologetically. "Haa par hum ye tabeez saath laye hai jo apne maa ko tab bandhi thi jab apko pata chala tha ki aap mama banne wale ho." she told him as she pulled out a tabeez from the jute bag. [I took photos of my mother's journal. Since it contains a lot of big secrets, I didn't want to risk loosing it. But yes, I brought this tabeez that you gave my mom when you learned that she was pregnant.]

"Achha kiya jo saath nahi layi apne saath wo journal. Dikha wo photos aur ye tabeez bhi." Alekh demanded. [It's good that you didn't bring that journal. Show me those photos and that tabeez.]

Khushi showed him the photos of the journal pages where Naina had written about Alekh and rest of their friends first and then gave him the tabeez. He recognized the tabeez as Ali had given this to him to protect him once. When Naina told him that she was expecting and needed to be gone for a few years, Alekh had taken off this tabeez and tied it on Naina's arms to protect both the mother and child. Alekh sniffed and tried to hide his tears as he read what his sister had written about him next. "Ye yeri to apun ke bareme sab kuch likhke gayi hai." [That crazy girl wrote everything about me.]

Khushi giggled. "Haa... aur maa ne to ye bhi likkha hai ki unke bhai ko kheer bohot pasand hai." saying this, she pulled out a small tiffin box. Grinning smugly, she placed the box in front of him and opened it. [Yes, she did. She also wrote that her brother lOOOVVEESS kheer.]

Alekh stared at the kheer in front of him. After Naina and Rajveer were taken from him, he had stopped having his favorite kheer. "K-Kheer!" he muttered and he got teary eyed. "Apun ye nahi khaa sakta, chhutki." he told her with pain filled voice. [I can't eat that, little one.]

Khushi pouted like a child. "Par kyu, mamaji? Pata hai hum ne kitne pyaar se apke liye ye kheer banaya hai?" she told him. [Why, uncle? Do you have any idea with how much love I made this for you?]

"Apun ne kheer khana band kar diya uss din se jab sab khatam hogaya..." he told her. [I stopped eating kheer that day when everything was ruined.]

Khushi understood somewhat, but she wanted to cheer him up. "Offo, mamaji! Ab hum agaye hai na? Sab thik hojayega." She told him confidently, "Aap bas aram se kheer khao." she spooned some kheer and put it in his mouth. [Oh ho, uncle! Now that I'm here, everything will be okay. Just relax and have this kheer.]

"Tera confidence level bilkul teri maa ki tarha hai." Alekh commented dryly. "Jung kaunsi hai aur kis ke khilap hai wo malum nehi ... par ye confidence hai ki jeetenge, hai na?" he teased her with a smirk. Alekh felt like Khushi was the perfect mix of his sister and his teacher. She was innocent, loving, and kind just like her father; while at the same time over confident, determined, and bold just like her mother. [Your confidence level is just like your mother's. You have no clue who your enemy is or how to start the fight, but you're sure that you'll win this war. Isn't it?]

"Arre mamaji, aap bhool rahe hai ki hum master strategist aur phoolan devi ke beti hai!" Khushi told him with a wink making him burst into laughter. It had been years since he had laughed so much. [Uncle, you forgot that I'm master strategist and Phoolan Devi's (Bandit Queen) daughter.]

Over the next three hours, they had spent chatting about Khushi's life. She told him everything about her life so far. She even told him about her experience with Arnav Singh Raizada; her Laad Governor. Alekh was enraged. How dare some brat treat his niece like this! But Khushi calmed him down saying that she knew how to handle that Laad Governor. Alekh was not satisfied though. Khushi was his niece; Naina and Rajveer's love child. He vowed to protect her at all cost from that very moment. He also planned on calling the rest of the gang soon to tell them about Khushi. He clicked tons of photos with Khushi which she happily participated in. Khushi was ecstatic. She had found a large part of her real family. Even though she was no closer to find her parents, she now had three maternal uncles, one fraternal uncle, and an Aunt. She got very excited when she learned that Ali and Pooja were also Majors now and both were posted in Delhi for the time being. Huda was posted in Ladakh while Yudi was posted in Rajsthan. He gave her all of their phone numbers and addresses and ordered to use them if she ever needed help. His also gave her a copy of his house key in Mumbai, saying that it would always be her home.

Finally as Alekh walked Khushi to the base's entry way did he ask, "Chhutki, tune abhi tak apne maa aur baba ke bareme kuch puchha kyu nahi?" [Little one, why didn't you ask about your parents yet?]

"Hum puchhenge, mamaji... aur pure haq se puchhenge. Par aaj nahi. Aaj ye bhanji apne mamaji ko janne ayi thi. Hum kal Maa aur papa ke bareme baat karenge. Hum XYZ dhaba me reh rahe hai. Kaal saath me lunch karenge aur bohot sare bate bhi." She told him with a wide smile. [I will ask, uncle.. and with full right. But not today. Today this niece wants to know her uncle. We will talk about my parents tomorrow while we have lunch.]

/

The next day around noon.

Alekh came to the dhaba to spent the day with his little niece. He still couldn't believe how big she had gotten. He cursed those who were responsible for him not being a part of his niece's life. He wished he was there to witness her first steps, her first words, and her first prank. He would've teased his sir and sister a lot while he played with his niece. He vowed to punish the guilty for the millionth time.

Khushi greeted him with her own brand of happy smile. It was like her one smile could clear away the darkness from anyone's heart. Giving her a warm hug and a kiss on top of her head, they sat in one of the beds to have their lunch. After ordering their food, Khushi asked the question Alekh had been waiting for.

"Kya wo zinda hai?" she blurted out as if she couldn't wait any more from knowing. Her heart was beating so fast that she felt like it would burst out of her chest. [Are they alive?]

Even though she didn't mention who she was asking about, he knew. Alekh took a deep breath and looked straight into her eyes. "Abhi bhi jaan baki hai dono me." he replied. [There's still some life left in them.]

Khushi inhaled shakily before asking, "Kya wo saath hai?" [Are they together?]

"Nahi. Dono ko alag rakkha hai. Jab ek pe torture hota hai to disre ko live dikhaya jata hai... iss hope me ke shyed wo apna muh khole." he told her, not being able to keep the answer as vague as he would have liked. [No. They are kept separatedly. They only gets to see the other live whenever the other one gets tortured... in hopes that they might finally talk.]

Tears rolled down Khushi's face. She couldn't even imagine what her parents must've been going through for the last 19 years. She nodded and stayed silent as she knew to know about the details, they would need a secure place where no one would be able to overhear them.

They finished their lunch while talking about rest of the super six. Huda had married 14 years ago on his mother's insistence and had a 10 year old son. But his wife died giving birth to their second child along with the baby. Yudi had married Dr. Shalini 16 years ago, going against his parents. They had adopted two kids 10 years ago. Now they had a 15 year old boy and a 13 year old girl. Ali and Pooja were married the longest. Their parents had gotten them married as soon as they graduated from the academy 18 years ago when they saw how much they loved each other. They had a pair of 16 years old twin boys and a 10 year old girl. Alekh had been uninterested in marriage or any relationship as he had been scared that they might get snatched from him as well.

After they were done with their lunch, they retreated to Khushi's room to discuss about Rajveer and Naina. As soon as the door was closed, Khushi demanded, "Hume bataiye kya huya humare maa aur papa ke saath? Kisne unhe kaid karke rakkha hai?" [Tell me what happened to my parents. Who has them imprisoned?]

Taking a deep breath, Alekh started telling her of the events that took place. "Jab Naina do saal ke liye apun logo se dur gayi thi tab apun log Lala Gehlot ke khilap sabut ekkatthe kar rahe the. Bohot mushkil tha kyu ke apun ko pata chala ke wo... Eagle hai." [When Naina left for two years, we had managed to collect all the proof against Lala Gehlot. It was really hard because we found out that he was... Eagle.]

"Wo insaan nehi hai?!" Khushi titled her head and asked in confusion as a image of ichhadhari cheel crossed her mind from one of her recent favorite show 'Naagin'. "Kya wo ichhadhari cheel hai? Aisa saach me hota hai?" she asked, her eyes wide in wonder. [He wasn't a human? Was he a shapeshifting Eagle? Does something like that really exist?]

Alekh stared at her in disbelieve. He couldn't believe how innocent and naïve his niece was. "Eagle ek bohot hi naamchin Atangwadi aur deshdrohi hai... aur wo unfortunately insaan hai, ichhadhari cheel nahi." he told her, barely being able to conceal his amusement. [Eagle is a very imfamous Terrorist and a traitor... and unfortunately, he is a human. Not a shapeshifting Eagle.]

"Oh.." Khushi muttered as her cheeks turned red from embarrassment. "Hume kaise pata hoga atangwadiyo ke bareme!" she protested when she caught Alekh smirking at her. [How would I know about terrorists?]

Not wanting to embarrass her further for her silly question, Alekh continued. "Rajveer sir ne apun logoko apni kasam di thi aur kaha ki apun logoko academy laut jana chahiye kyu ke... Wo mante the ki system se system ki andar rehkar hi lara jaa sakta hai. Unki mann rakne aur system ki ander se unki madat karne apun log academy wapas gaye. Jab Naina ayi to wo Rajveer sir ke saath hi rehne lagi. Wo dono khud me his ek power couple the. Wo saath hote the to koi taqat unhe tor nahi sakta tha. Itni powerful bond thi unki. Fir ek din unn dono ne Eagle ki secret hide out ko dhund nikala aur unhe pata chala ki Eagle iss desh me rakkhe sare Nuclear triggers ko ekkatthe karke koi bohot bari blast karna chahta hai jisse iss desh ki adhii si jyada aam insaan mara jayega. Unke pass unn saree triggers ke map tha jiske madad se Eagle sare Triggers ko pane wala tha. Mauka dekhke Naina aur Rajveer sir ne wo map chura liya. Uske do hisse karke dono alag hogaye aur unn maps ko alag alag jagao me chhipa diya. Unn dono ne ek dusre ko bhi nehi bataya ke unhone wo maps kaha pe chhipaya hai. Jab Lala Gehlot ko ye bhanak lagi, wo gusse se pagal hogaya. Pata nehi kaise par usne Naina ko bandi bana liya. Aur Naina ko bachane ki chakkar me Rajveer sir bhi pakre gaye. Dono ko alag alag rakkha gaya take unse unn maps ki locations pata kar paye. Tab se aaj tak... Lala ne unke muh nehi khulwa paye. Iss desh ko bachane ke liye dono pichle 18 saalo se apne apne pyaar ko torture hote huye dekh rahe hai. Par pata hai jis din se wo pakre gaye, dono mese kisine bhi ek lavs nahi kaha." Alekh's eyes flooded with eyes as the old helplessness returned. [Rajveer sir made us go back to KMA because he believed that one can fight the system, staying inside the system. So, we returned to the academy with the home that we would help him from inside. Naina stayed with him when she returned. They were like a power couple. Then they learned about Eagle's secret hideout when they learned that Lala was planning to gather all the nuclear triggers to do a blast. It would've killed millions of innocent people. There was a map that pointed where those triggers were. Before Lala could get it, Rajveer sir and Naina stole it. They tore it into two parts and separated to hide them in different locations. One never told the other where she or he hide them. When Lala learned about it, he went crazy with anger. So he captured Naina first and then Rajveer sir. Since then he had been trying to make them spill the locations of the map. Rajveer sir and Naina didn't say a word since last 18 years.]

Khushi stared at her uncle. Unable to comprehend that people such as her parents really existed. They gave up their lives, their dreams, their career, their love, and even their own daughter just to save this country. Pride filled her heart. She felt proud to be their daughter. She had held a slight judgement for her parents since they didn't get married and conceived her without the constitution of marriage until a few minutes ago. Knowing the reason behind their actions, she vowed to apologize to her parents when she would meet them.

"Mamaji, ye saab bate apko kaise pata chala?" she asked. [Uncle, how do you know all these?]

"Lala Gehlot... har chhee mahino me wo shaitan apun logoke pas ake apun ko taunt karta hai ki kaise apunke Rajveer sir aur Naina har gaye. Apni paiso ki ghamand dikhata hai aur kehta hai ke apun log uska kuch nehi bigar sakta kyuke uske paas paisa hai. Aur Paisa matlab Power." Alekh growled hatefully at the thought of the wretched man. [Every six month, Lala Gehlot taunts us with Rajveer sir and Naina's live feeds. He shows us his pride over his money that afforded him to do anything he says we can't do anything to him as he has lots of money... and money means power.]

Khushi gathered herself somehow. "Aap chinta mat kiziye, mamaji. Dekhlena humari devi maiya saab thik kar denge." she said confidently through tears. [Don't worry, uncle. My Goddess would help us in fixing everything.]

Alekh gave her an angry look. "Chhutki, Jhuti dilasa mat de khudko! Koi devi maiya nahi hai sab thik karne ke liye. Agar hoti, to wo rokti unn shaitano ko. Wo patthar ki murat sirf ek patthar ki murat hi hai. Usse koi umeed mat kar. Usike samne apun sab ka zindegi barbad huya hai. Teri maa aur baba unn shaitano ki kaid me itne saalo se hai. Agar wo sach me hoti... to apun ke behen aur Rajveer sir ke saath kya aisa huya hota? Tere saath tera maa aur baba dono hote aaj agar unhone humari madat kiya hota!" he told her sternly. [Little one, don't give yourself false hopes. There is no GODDESS. If there was one, then she would've stopped that devil. That's just a stone made statue. Don't hope for anything from it. All of our lives were destroyed in front of her. Rajveer sir and Naina were improsined in front of her. If she really existed, then she would've helpeed us. You would've had both of your parents with you.]

Alekh's statement gave her a pause. He was right. The goddess she considered her best friend, didn't do a thing to protect her parents. Instead, she let her family get destroyed in someone's greed for power. Khushi felt like her soul just shattered in that moment as she realized that even in the matters with Arnav, her devi maiya had never helped her. Was there really a god or Goddess? If so, where were they when their devotees need them the most.

End of Flashback:::

/

Giving the elders a fake smile, Khushi started distributing prasad to everyone. Happy that Khushi was again friends with her devi maiya, everyone got busy talking about the upcoming wedding.

Payal had been observing her younger sister and knew when she thanked her to be brother-in-law, Khushi only said it to please everyone present. She hadn't actually forgiven her best friend. Payal planned on cornering her sister and make her confess what was bothering her.

That night.

Once both sisters were ready for bed, Payal questioned her sister, daring her to lie in her face. "Hume batao, Khushi, ke akher tumhe aisa kya pata chala apne amma and baba ke bareme ki tumhari Devi maiya se varosa hi utth gaya?" [Tell me, Khushi, what did you learn about your parents that destoryed your faith in Goddess?]

"Jiji... aisa kuch nahi hai. Oh to bas.." Khushi tried to think of a lie when Payal stopped her. [Nothing like that. It's just...]

"Humse jhut bolne ki himmat bhi mat karna!" she warned. [Don't you dare lie to me!]

Khushi, who had always shared her worries with her sister, broke down in tears. She didn't want to risk Payal's life, but she needed to tell someone something to lighten her heart. So, she decided to tell Payal some of her parent's story.

"Jiji, hum apko sab bistar me nehi bata sakte warna apko khatra ho sakta hai. To details ke liye mat puchhna. Humare papa ek honest army officer the jinhe apni hi protégé se pyaar hogaya. Maa ne army join kiya tha unki nizi kisi maksad se. Jab tak maa ko ye ehsas huya ke wo bhi papa se pyaar karti hai tab tak unke zindegi me bohot kuch ho chuka tha. Uss waqt papa ko kuch aise logoke bareme pata chala jo iss desh ke liye khatra tha. Unhe rokne ki chakkar maa, papa, aur unke dost bohot bari shariyantra me phas gaye. Wo dushman ek bohot hi ameer insaan tha jo apni paiso ke thaus se khud ko bacha liya... aur mere maa aur papa ko apna kaidi bana liya. Jiji, jinke pas paisa hota hai, unki pas power hota hai. Aur issi power ne humare maa aur papa ki zindegi barbad kar diya. Jiji, hum bohot paisa kamana chahte hai... take humare pas bhi wo power ho... jisse hum humare maa aur papa ko bacha sake." Khushi shared as she cried. [While I can't tell you everything in details, I'll sahre some brief infromation. My father was an honest army captain who fell in love with his protege. My mother had joined army for a personal mission. By the time she realized that she also loved him, many things had happened in their lives. That time papa found about about some people who were a threat for this country. While stopping them, Papa, maa, and their friends got trapped in a conspiracy. That enemy was a verty rich man, so he managed to save himself and imprisoned my parents. Sis, whoever has money, hs the power. And this power destroyed my parents' lives. Sis, I want to earn a lot of money so that I can have that power to save my parents.]

Payal cried along with her. She couldn't even imagine how much pain her little sister was carrying in her. She hugged Khushi tightly to give her as much moral support as she could in that moment while praying to Devi maiya to help Khushi achieve her goals.

/

/

/

A/N::: I know some of the translations suck. But I was in a hurry to upload.

What did you think of Arnav's reaction to Khushi's absence?

Did you like Alekh's entry?

Did you also enjoy Alekh and Khushi's first meeting?

What do you think about Rajveer and Naina and their painful journey?

Do you think Khushi will be able to save her parents?

Vote and comment to let me know what you think about each scene.