The morning sun filtered through the curtains of the Bhalla household, but the light brought no warmth to Ishita. The house felt hollow. With Mihika living at the Khanna estate and Raman in a state of perpetual, explosive fury, Ishita felt like she was drowning in a sea of "what ifs."
When the doorbell rang and she saw Shagun standing there—not in her usual flamboyant designer wear, but in a simple, understated pastel salwar kameez—Ishita's internal alarms screamed.
The Failed Diplomacy
"What are you doing here, Shagun?" Ishita asked, her hand gripping the doorframe. "Haven't you and the Khannas done enough?"
"I came to talk, Ishita. As one woman to another," Shagun said, her voice sounding practiced and soft. She stepped inside before Ishita could block her. "I know what you're thinking. But Esha... she isn't what you think. She's rescued me from Ashok's toxicity. She's giving Mihika a career. Why can't you see the generosity?"
Ishita narrowed her eyes. She noticed the way Shagun's eyes sparkled when she mentioned Esha's name—a look she had once reserved for Ashok, but deeper, more obsessive.
"Generosity? She's dismantled my family in a week," Ishita snapped. "I saw how she looked at you at the gala, Shagun. And I saw how she looked at me. It wasn't 'generosity.' It was hunger. You're not her friend, Shagun. You're her spokesperson. Please leave."
Shagun tried to reach for Ishita's hand, to offer a "comforting" touch as Esha had instructed, but Ishita recoiled as if burned.
"Don't," Ishita warned. "I am a mother and a wife. My values aren't for sale, and they aren't for 'restructuring.' Tell Esha that if she wants to talk business, she can talk to Raman. If she wants to talk to me, she can return my sister."
Shagun left the Bhalla house with her pride stinging. The "soft manipulation" had been a disaster. Ishita's moral armor was thicker than any corporate firewall Esha had ever encountered.
Chaos at the Factory
While Shagun was failing her mission, Esha was facing a more literal fire.
She had been alerted to a "malfunction" at the main textile plant. When she arrived, the air was thick with the smell of scorched ozone. A main transformer had been tampered with, and a group of disgruntled laborers—incited by Ashok's secret payroll—were blocking the emergency technicians.
"Move," Esha commanded, walking straight toward the foreman, ignoring the sparks flying from the overhead cables.
"Ashok-sahib said the safety standards are gone under you!" the man shouted.
Esha didn't argue. She reached into her bag, pulled out a stack of legal injunctions and a tablet showing the diverted funds she had traced from Ashok's personal account to the foreman's bank.
"Ashok-sahib is currently being investigated for embezzlement," Esha lied with such chilling confidence that the men faltered. "If you stand aside, your bonuses are doubled. If you stay, you go to jail with him."
As the technicians rushed in to stabilize the grid, Esha stood in the middle of the grime and smoke, her emerald eyes cold. She realized Ashok was no longer just a nuisance; he was a liability that needed to be liquidated. But her mind was also on the women. She needed a win on the personal front.
The Secret in the Hallway
Shagun returned to the Khanna mansion, frustrated and brooding. She needed a new angle to impress Esha. As she walked toward the kitchen to get a drink, she saw a flash of movement near the library.
It was Mihika.
Mihika was supposed to be at a marketing seminar, but here she was, crouching near Esha's private safe, her phone held out as if she were taking photos of documents. Shagun ducked behind a marble pillar, her breath shallow.
Mihika hurried away into the garden, and Shagun followed her with the stealth of a cat. She found Mihika tucked behind a large hedge, whispering frantically into her phone.
"I have the offshore account numbers, Akka," Mihika whispered, her voice trembling. "And the names of the board members she bribed. I'm staying here, I'm playing the part... she thinks I'm under her spell. But I'm watching everything. I'll get enough evidence to get you the clinic back and put her away. Just stay strong, Ishu-Akka. I'm your spy."
Shagun froze. A cold, wicked smile spread across her face.
Mihika wasn't a convert. She was a mole. She was playing a dangerous game of corporate espionage against the most dangerous woman Shagun had ever met.
Oh, Mihika, Shagun thought, her heart racing with a mix of malice and opportunity. You just handed me exactly what I need to win Esha back.
Shagun had a choice: she could tell Esha immediately, or she could use this information to trap Mihika—and eventually Ishita—into a position where they would have no choice but to submit to Esha's will to avoid prison.
Shagun stepped out from the shadows just as Mihika hung up.
"That was a very touching conversation, Mihika," Shagun said, her voice dripping with venomous delight. "Does Esha know her 'favorite' new acquisition is a little traitor?"
Mihika spun around, the phone slipping from her hand and clattering onto the grass. Her face went deathly pale. "Shagun... I... it's not what you think."
"It's exactly what I think," Shagun said, stepping closer, looming over the younger girl. "And now, you're going to do exactly what I say, or I'll tell Esha. And believe me, you haven't seen the 'London' side of her temper yet."