"I'm very sorry Bhai. I am ashamed of myself." Laksh falls to the ground before Sanskaar. "If possible, please forgive me."

"Who are you calling Bhai, Laksh? Just 10 minutes back, you didn't hesitate to call him a criminal." Sujata taunted him.

"Chachi, I am very sorry."

"How many times, Laksh, just how many times Swara stopped you saying you are insulting your brother? This is the same brother who had given up on this lavish lifestyle for his love. This is the same girl you loved Laksh and today she is staying true to her relationship but look at where you are. Neither could you stay true to your love, nor could you trust your brother. The damage has been done, Laksh."

Laksh turned to Swara and Sanskaar. "I'm sorry I believed everything Ragini said and didn't think to clarify with you. I will take any punishment you will give. Bhai, please punish me."

"Sorry, Laksh. I am not in a position to decide anything now. I need some time." Sanskaar said.

Swada added, "Laksh, Sanskaar is right, you should think of your relation with Ragini. Talking about us, I don't know. Give some time for things to settle."

Laksh texted Shekhar, "Uncle, Ragini would like to come home for a while. Would you please come to take her home?"

______________________________

Ragini came down the stairs into the main hall attending her own execution. The family members who once saw her as the innocent youngest daughter-in-law of the family today saw her as a vixen who would go to any length to just get her way of things.

Sanskaar watched Swara for any signs of support that she had for her sister. However she seemed to be in a dilemma having to choose between her fake marriage or her sister.

For Swara, the question was to chose between a sister who had forgotten all her limits to achieve her target and a friend who went to the extent of fake marriage with her to succeed her altruistic mission. Who should she choose? The decision should have been clear however it was not. She stood there still evaluating her options.

Laksh was overwhelmed with the extent he had messed things up. If only he had cleared the cloud of anger and misconceptions to wait for Swara and listen her version of truth instead of running a decision of marrying Ragini just to spite Swara. He should have trusted his brother who had been the best guide all his life. Without his hand holding, he had wavered to peer pressure and family influence. Today he stood at cross-roads of losing his love and a broken marriage.

______________________________

DurgaPrasad entered. "Annapurna, what is it I am hearing?" He looked at Ragini standing in the way of stairs and passed by her without comment.

Annapurna narrated the entire incident hushing Sujata and Laksh when they tried to interfere. She concluded that Laksh was sending Ragini home to sort this out.

"Laksh, you have done one mistake in fit of anger. Can you not do another just to negate that! Let us elders handle this matter."

Sanskaar moved to stand next to Swara and spoke softly, "If your Baba comes here, he would get to know the truth. Don't you want that to happen?"

Swara looked into his eyes and saw the blank expression he excelled at holding. "Sanskaar, this doesn't seem to be the right time for it to happen. Baba may not believe me."

"Bade Papa believes you." Sanskaar reasoned.

Oblivious to the reasoning, DP asks, "Swara, you have been wronged in the whole charade. I want to hear your opinion."

Swara glanced at Sanskaar who simple blinked his eyes that seemed to say, I am with you. Go ahead. With that courage, Swara spoke, "Bade Papa, she is my sister and that's a fact that can't be changed. She has wronged me in pursuit of her happiness which in itself is right from her view. She took the unjust means. These are the facts. Now coming to the way forward, I couldn't agree more with you that Laksh is making another mistake to negate a previous one."

"What are you talking about, Swara?" Laksh asked.

"Laksh, can you take some time, mull over it and then reach a decision?"

"Swara is right. It is a very big decision concerning two lives. We can't take it in such circumstances."

Laksh walked away gritting his teeth with anger. Swara and Sanskaar too left with Sujata.

______________________________

Once in their room, Swara sat down feeling drained. She had brought Ragini's truth to Laksh. But that was not enough for her mission."Swara, you better forget that Ragini is your sister and stop taking her side." Sujata spoke her thoughts unfiltered.

"If Baba comes to know now, he may think I am the one who broke her marriage. I just want to bring my parents together, not at the expense of Ragini."

Sanskaar honestly didn't understand her logic. He was a go-getter who didn't think much of the emotions in his path. She too was a go-getter in her own way that she collected the emotions along with her. One thing for sure, he would stand by her.

Today, Swara had shown her unquestionable trust on him disregarding all accusations just at face value. She railed at Laksh for accusing him as her husband. Sanskaar, don't even think of it. She was just acting on pretext of friendship. Don't read too much into her words; he consoled himself.

______________________________

Laksh stormed into his room with Ragini in his wake. "Laksh, I love you a lot. Please let me explain." She pleaded.

"Ragini, there's nothing left to explain. You can't leave the house, fine! Get out of this room! I can't stand you here another minute."

Swara. His love. Why couldn't he read her eyes? Didn't he love her? Then why couldn't he trust his love? He was going to get her back. He made a mistake. But he will beg for her forgiveness and she would probably forgive him since she loved him too.

Swara. Her sister. Why did she not say anything? She was clearly worried for Sanskaar. Wasn't it a fake marriage? But in all of this, why couldn't the truth stay folded under the wraps? How will the family take the decision now? No matter what, Ragini decided, she will not leave the house.

______________________________

Days passed. Each hour like a ticking bomb in the life of Ragini. What could possibly be her punishment?

DP asked Swara and Sanskaar to come back home and also do the Ganpati Sthapna pooja. The Gadodias were also invited for the Ganpati pooja.

As Swara and Sanskaar did the aarti, Dadi wondered why Laksh and Ragini were standing away from each other. Swara distributed the prasad and then joined Parineeta to prepare for lunch arrangements.

Dadi dragged Ragini away and asked, "Laado, is everything fine between you and Laksh?"

Ragini held her hand and took her to her room, the guest bedroom she had moved into. Dadi questioned once again, "Laado, why did you bring me into this room? What is happening?"

Ragini hugged her and cried into her shoulder. "Dadimaa! Swara is responsible for my condition today."

"What did she do now?"

Ragini saw her Dadi as the last straw to rebuild her image. "Dadimaa, she made Laksh hate me. Laksh has believed her and Sanskaar this time. Even other family members also now believe Swara. I lost Dadimaa. I lost to Swara."

______________________________

Dadi who has been ever protective of her Laado, rushed to the main hall in rage. "Aye Chori! You did so much drama yet you didn't find peace. You had to break my granddaughter's relation as well! I don't care what you and your Ma do but this time you have crossed your limits by trying to break my Laado's marriage." She raised her hand to slap Swara as a punishment.

But the hand stopped in mid air by a strong hold. Sanskaar. "Dadi, It is Ragini who crossed the limits and you are punishing Swara. I respect you but I can't let you hurt Swara like this."

Swara held his arm in a restraining manner. "No Swara today she needs to know. I can't let her demean you when you are not responsible for any of it."

"You would definitely favour her. After all she is your wife." Dadi sneered.

"Dadi, Bhai is right. Ragini has herself accepted all her crimes. After knowing the truth, I can't even look at my reflection. I am filled with so much disgust that she was once my friend and then became my wife. I trusted her words over Swara. However, Ragini played me. And tried to kill her sister.. and few days back she went to an extent of wrongly accusing my brother that he tried to molest her. That's when the whole truth was revealed. I wanted to call you here and tell you but Papa stopped me saying he would take a decision."

"Kakisa, Ragini has taken advantage of our belief in your upbringing. We have never imagined her to play such a cunning and cruel game. Also the way she has tried manipulating you today shows that she has no remorse." DP explained.

"Ragini.." Shekhar looked at his daughter as if he didn't know the girl standing before him. She looked like his demure daughter who was bound by traditions yet in that head rested a mind so cruel to divide her parents and kill her sister and then accuse her sister's husband of a heinous crime.

"Shekhar ji, it will be difficult for us to accept Ragini back into the family. However, I believe Swara has the first right to decide her punishment. And we will accept it."

"Bade Papa, I don't want to punish my sister. She is actually very nice. She had just lost her way which I am sure she will find back. I just want my parents to know the truth and resume their relationship."

______________________________

"Swara, forgive me." Shekhar asked. "I guess I don't deserve a daughter like you. I am sorry for not understanding your pain and grief to take Ragini's side. Sharmistha, please forgive me."

Swara placed a consoling palm on his arm. "Baba, you have realise the truth and have accepted us back. It's enough. Please don't embarrass me by asking for forgiveness."

Laksh recovered from a storm of thoughts listening to Swara favouring Ragini. "Swara, have you lost it? How can you not punish Ragini for her deeds? I don't know about you but I can't tolerate her in my life one more second. I want divorce!!"

Annapurna was utterly shocked with the turn of events. "Laksh!" she shouted in an attempt to make him understand he had just said.

Swara went to him and spoke with calm. "Laksh, don't think of breaking the relationships. Think of making them better."

"Moreover, if she stays here, we can help revive her. Laksh, there can't be a worse punishment for Ragini than watching you everyday and be reminded of the wrongs that led to this day." Sanskaar provided.

"Sanskaar, your suggestion will also help safeguard both the family's reputation. Shekhar ji, Sharmistha ji, rest assured that Ragini will be under her sister's care. We will try to sort it out with time."