बागों में बोला, बोला रे बोला मोरे
बटलाए दिल का भुगोल.......

On one side stood the Jodhpur Rajputs—Mantavya and a trembling, fuming Mandakini Bua. On the other, the Rathore/Jaiswal power-line—Indu, Dristi, Shresth, and Shaurya.

In the middle of it all, Mantavya and Yatra’s hands were still entwined. They were the only ones who hadn't moved.

Aditya Rathore finally exploded, the embarrassment turning into a desperate rage. "Dristi! Maa! Tumhe andaza bhi hai tumne kya kiya hai? My reputation in Delhi is finished! Log kya kahenge? Ki Aditya Rathore ki patni aur maa ne bhari mehfil mein uski ijjat uchhaal di?"

"Ijjat tab uchhalti hai Aditya, jab ghar ki beti ko ghar se nikaalne ki saazish hoti hai," Indu Rathore countered, her voice low and dangerous.

In the corner the twins whispering each other that can be heard by Mantavya and Yatra. Shaurya leaned over and whispered to Shresth, "Bhai, lagta hai Mausa ji ka BP badh raha hai. Ambulance bulau ya popcorn?". Shresth whispered back , "Lagta hai yeh kaafi lamba chalne wala hai popcorn is a better option." Yatra turned to them with a 'Tum log kabhi nahi sudharne waale' look.

Meanwhile in the Drama section:

Aditya slammed his hand against a mahogany side table, the sound echoing like a gunshot in the now-empty hall. "Enough! Dristi, Maa... you have no idea what you’ve done. That 'deal' wasn't just for me. It was to secure the Rathore legacy for the next fifty years! Do you think Jodhpur would have looked at us twice if I hadn't presented a picture of perfect control?"

"Control?" Dristi stepped forward, her voice trembling not with fear, but with years of suppressed rage. "You call selling your daughter 'control', Aditya? For twenty years, I stayed quiet. I let you decide which school she goes to, what she wears, how much she speaks. I thought you were being a protective father. But today? Today I saw you looking at Yatra not as a child, but as a signature on a contract."

"Business requires sacrifices, Dristi! That’s how empires are built!" Aditya shouted, his face turning a dark shade of red.

"Empires are built on foundations, Aditya, not on the corpses of your children’s dreams," Indu Rathore interrupted, her voice ice-cold as she walked toward him. She stopped just inches away, forcing him to look her in the eye. "I gave you this name. I gave you the Rathore crest. But I didn't give it to you so you could use it as a price tag."

"Maa, you don't understand the market—"

"I understand people, Aditya!" Indu snapped, her cane thudding against the floor. "I saw the way you looked at that London ticket. You weren't sending her to study; you were hiding your 'collateral' so your partners wouldn't see she has a soul of her own. You were ashamed that she’s a writer. You were ashamed of her silence because you couldn't monetize it!"

"She is a Rathore!" Aditya roared. "She has duties!"

"She is my daughter!" Dristi’s voice rose, finally breaking through his wall of arrogance. "And if her duty is to be a pawn in your games, then I am officially resigning her from those duties. You wanted to send her to London to get her away from Mantavya? Well, look at them, Aditya."

She pointed to the stage where Yatra and Mantavya stood, their hands still locked.

"Pyaar kehte hai ise , aapne toh ise ek pita ki tarah bhi kabhi nahi dekha. Haan aapke iss kaam ko sirf ek term de sakte hai. Badnaseebi." That was it , Aditya couldn't stand more on this and started walking. "Yeh sab jo ho raha hai , iska hisaab zaroor milega. Yeh ek businessman keh raha hai." With that he walked away from there , by the way Mandakini had already ran away by hiding between the guests.

As soon as Aditya went from there , Yatra collapsed on the ground. She sat there and looked at them with tears in her eyes. She couldn't believe that they all were there to support her , to make her strong.

The tears she had held back since the riverside, since the classroom, and since her childhood in Hyderabad finally broke through. Dristi and Indu were by her side in an instant. Dristi pulled her daughter’s head onto her lap, stroking her hair. "Shh... ho gaya, baccha. Sab khatam ho gaya. Koi London nahi ja raha."

Shaurya and Shresth walked over, their "popcorn" jokes forgotten. Shaurya reached out and squeezed Yatra’s shoulder. "Arey oye, drama khatam. Ab rona band kar, varna humein Mausa ji ko wapas bulana padega taaki tu unpe gussa kar sake."

Yatra looked at them , wiped her tears , called them closer and then twisted their ears , "Tum dono kisi bhi cheez ke liye serious nahi ho sakte , bade tum dono ho ya main hu?". Dristi and Indu chuckles looking at the cousins drama , meanwhile Mantavya was looking at the family who had forgotten how to smile finally found their smiles.

"Aah! Behen, chhod! Salon ka kharcha bachaya tha, ab kaan naya lagwana padega!" Shaurya yelped, though he didn't actually try to pull away.

Shresth was laughing even while his ear was being tugged. "Dekha Kunwar Sa? Is 'Ice Queen' ke panno ke peeche ek 'Gundi' chhupi hui hai. Abhi bhi waqt hai, bhaag lo!"

Yatra let go, a genuine, breathless laugh escaping her. She looked at her mother and grandmother, who were watching the chaos with misty but happy eyes. The Rathore Mansion, which usually felt like a cold museum, finally felt like a home.

Indu cleared her throat, regaining her matriarchal composure but keeping the smile. "Chalo, bohot 'Hungama' ho gaya. Shaurya, Shresth, jaao khaane ka intezaar karo. Aur Mantavya beta..."

Mantavya looked at the family , the Rathores and Jaiswals became serious and looked at him making him feel slightly nervous but he answered , "Ji Hukum?".

Indu looked at Dristi then at the twins and said , "Kal sunday hai toh , aap subah sharp 10 baje yahan aa jaye kyuki aapka interview hoga". Mantavya looks at Yatra who herself looked shocked and then at Indu and said , "Ji Thik hai". The twins then said together ,"Humaari alag interview hogi".

Mantavya nods and went from there. While he was walking towards his car , he hears a voice "Professor sahab?". He turns and looks at the terrace where Yatra stood still in her lehenga and said , "Best of luck for tomorrow."

Mantavya ne apna hath dil par rakha. "Shukriya, Yatra ji. Attendance lagana mat bhuliyega... kyunki kal main nahi, aapka parivaar mujhe 'Grade' dega."

And then entered the twins and looked at them , and said "Agar aap dono ka ho gaya ho toh hum iss gundi ko le jaa rahe hai , aur haan tayaar rehna kal ka din boht zyada humgame ke saath jaane wala hai." Then they both held Yatra's hands and dragged her away. Mantavya chuckles and sits in his car and drives while thinking about the interview.