Shanti ji welcomed Sarangi with warmth and lovingly brought her inside the house. Shikha, upon seeing the grandeur and glitter of the Rajvansh House, was completely mesmerized. The luxurious furniture, expensive paintings, and splendid decor captivated her completely.
Since Sarangi was tired from the journey, Shanti ji asked her to rest and had the guest room cleaned for Shikha. But Shikha, sticking close to Sarangi, ended up in her room. She wanted to see every corner of the Rajvansh House up close, and entering Sarangi's room was her way to get even closer.
Vairagya's room was nature-themed. The walls had calming, deep colors, and the furniture was wooden, giving the room a natural feel. In one corner, near a large mirror, there was a small artificial waterfall whose soothing sound brought peace and calm to the room. Shikha's eyes were fixed on the waterfall—she really liked it.
"Wow… Vairagya's room is amazing, isn't it?" Shikha said while inspecting the room. Her eyes held admiration, but her mind was clearly on something else.
Sarangi didn't respond; she simply lay on the bed face-down. Her heart still felt heavy, and she wasn't in the mood to talk. Shikha curiously began exploring every item in the room. As she was about to open Vairagya's closet, Sarangi suddenly spoke up, "Shikha, no… Mr. Rajvansh doesn't like anyone touching his closet…"
"Come on, Sarangi… I'm his sister-in-law—basically half-wife. He won't mind me touching it one bit," Shikha said casually and took out a shirt, smelling it.
"What are you doing?" Sarangi sat up on the bed, a hint of displeasure in her eyes.
"Just checking which brand of perfume Vairagya uses," Shikha replied with a smile.
"Shikha, please… don't call him by name. Say 'Jijaji' (brother-in-law). He won't like it…" Sarangi corrected her.
"Let Vairagya decide what he likes and what he doesn't," Shikha replied, winking, and continued smelling the shirt.
Just then, Vairagya returned home. Shanti ji tried to stop him, tried to say something, but he rushed toward his room. Seeing his urgency, Shanti ji smiled.
"Sarangi…" he called out as he entered the room. Sarangi was standing with her back to him. Even after hearing him, she didn't turn around.
"Are you upset?" Vairagya, who had been angry earlier, was now trying to make amends.
"For God's sake, say something… Did I say something that hurt you?"
Still, Sarangi didn't turn. Vairagya took a deep breath and went to hug her from behind—but something felt off. The body felt different… and just then, the bathroom door opened, and Sarangi came out.
Vairagya was stunned. He turned to look—Shikha was standing there!
"Sarangi, I…" Vairagya was speechless, his eyes wide with shock.
"Who are you… and why are you wearing Sarangi's saree?" he asked angrily, confused.
Shikha walked up to him and placed her hand on his chest. "I'm Shikha… Shikha Kapoor… Sarangi's best friend, your sister-in-law… basically half-wife," she said, winking.
Vairagya shrugged her hand off and said with a blank expression, "Get out of the room. I want to talk to my wife." His voice was stern.
"I'll leave, Jijaji… After all, Sarangi is yours now. I just wanted a little time…" Shikha said flirtatiously.
"Out!" Vairagya shouted, his anger now blazing.
Shikha took a few steps back in fear, and when she looked at Sarangi, Sarangi gestured for her to leave.
"You know I don't like random people in my room…" Vairagya said once Shikha had left. His voice still carried anger.
"But she's my friend…" Sarangi said softly.
"I don't care who she is. From now on, I don't want to see her in this room," Vairagya said firmly.
"Okay…" Sarangi lowered her head, the pain and fear in her eyes clearly visible.
Vairagya's mind wasn't at ease. Shikha's behavior and Sarangi's silence were both troubling him. He decided it wasn't the right time to talk and stormed out of the room.
As soon as he left, tears rolled down Sarangi's cheeks.
A while later, Shikha tried to enter the room again, but before she could, Sarangi stepped out and said, "Shikha please… Mr. Rajvansh is very possessive about his things… Even his siblings don't come into this room, so you shouldn't either…" Sarangi's voice trailed off, hesitant.
"Don't worry, Sarangi… I won't," Shikha replied sweetly on the surface—but deep inside, she was thinking:("Soon, I'll snatch this room from you, sweetheart… and as for Vairagya Rajvansh—what a man!")A wicked smile spread across her face.
Sarangi went to help Shanti ji prepare dinner, and meanwhile, Shikha rushed into Vairagya's room. From Sarangi's phone, she sent Ajit some romantic messages expressing love and a desire to meet. After sending the messages, she deliberately tossed the phone on the bed.
Vairagya was in the garden with Rajveer, so he could return to his room any moment. Shikha quickly left the room and went to Kritika to avoid suspicion.
When Vairagya entered the room, his eyes fell on the phone but he ignored it—he had no reason to suspect his wife.
Messages kept popping up on Sarangi's phone for quite a while. Vairagya still ignored them and sat down on the sofa to work.
But when the phone started ringing, he thought it might be urgent. So he picked up the phone to take it to Sarangi. Just as he was leaving the room, his eyes fell on the screen—'Ajit ji' with a heart emoji beside it.
His fists clenched. The call had ended, and the screen showed all the messages:
'Hello Sarangi, you just met me this morning but I already miss you. I really miss you, and yes, talk to Vairagya soon. I can't live without you…'
Vairagya tried to control himself and went to Sarangi, tossing the phone in front of her. "Someone special is calling you—go ahead, answer it…"
Sarangi, who was rolling rotis, didn't understand why Vairagya was so angry. He stormed off before she could check the phone.
Just then, Shikha walked in and said, "Sarangi, your mom is on the phone."
"On your phone…?" Sarangi found it a bit strange.
"Why so many questions?" Shikha said, handing over her phone and quietly taking Sarangi's phone aside—so Sarangi wouldn't see the messages.
Vairagya paced around his room anxiously. His eyes kept drifting to the door. When Sarangi didn't show up, he decided to go down himself. But he stopped midway on the stairs when he saw Sarangi laughing and talking to someone on the phone. His grip tightened on the railing.
"I've sown the seeds of suspicion in both their hearts… Now I just need to fan the flames—and this relationship will burn to ashes," Shikha thought to herself with an evil laugh.