Love or Compromise?

Episode 7

Tit for tat

Morning, Kapoor House

Naaz comes to the kitchen and sees Nehmat cheerfully preparing something. She asks, "What are you preparing now Nehmat? All have gone for work early today. They told they will have breakfast outside." Nehmat smilingly says, "I thought of packing chole poori and suji ka halwa and sending it for lunch, its Advait's favorite!!" Nehmat blushes realizing Naaz was staring at her and continues to cook. Naaz joins in and asks her, "Seems like things are turning better between you and Advait jeeju. One should be lucky to have a blissful marital life." Nehmat stops on hearing that. She remembers what Nikhil had told her the previous day. She tells Naaz, "Naaz I need to talk to you" Naaz remembering what Nikhil told her the previous night (about Nehmat helping him) becomes cautious and asks Nehmat, "Go on Nehmat! Tell me what is it?" Nehmat looks around and tells, "Not here Naaz, shall we talk in my room?" Naaz nods. Nehmat starts towards her room while Naaz follows her.

Kapoor & Co.

Nikhil comes to the office and looks around for Mallika. Just then his secretary comes and shows him his meetings for the day. Nikhil takes a look at them, nods and is about to enter when his secretary informs him that Mallika has resigned from her job. Nikhil was shocked to hear that. He goes to his cabin and sulks onto his chair heartbroken. He tells himself, "Mallika must have resigned because I proposed her yesterday. No I can't let this happen. I desperately need her in my life. I need to stop her." He picks up his phone.

Randhawa House

Renuka, Ekam in uniform and Mallika are having their breakfast. Ekam asks Mallika, "Aren't you getting late for office today?" Mallika, "No Bhai, I resigned from my job." Ekam and Renuka get surprised, Renuka "Resigned? But why? Didn't you tell you love your job and the company and want to continue working there until your retirement? Is it because of Advait?" Ekam looks suspiciously. Mallika, "Ah no Mom, nothing to do with Advait. It's just that now I feel I should look for better opportunities, maybe outside India." Ekam "Outside India? What happened to you? You loved to stay in India and wanted to settle here then why now all of a sudden you got this strange desire to leave the country?" Mallika thinks about Nikhil. She is about say something when her phone beeps on receiving a voice note. Mallika sees that it is a voice note from Nikhil. She quickly excuses herself and goes to her room. Ekam doubtfully looks at his sister from behind.

In Mallika's room

Mallika opens the voice note and listens to the message. Nikhil, "What are you doing Mallika? Why did you leave the job? Are you trying to run away from me? Meet me right now at the Kapoors construction site. If you deny coming then I will do something to myself that you will regret your whole life. Voice note ends. Mallika gets worried after hearing it. "Oh god what is this Nikhil upto? Advait has asked to stay away from Nikhil and that is what I'm doing. Why is Nikhil complicating things? Now what should I do? What should I do? Should I meet him or not?" Mallika walks to and fro inside her room thinking whether to meet Nikhil or not. Finally she decides, "Fine I will meet him for one last time and clear it with him that nothing can ever happen between us for he is married now." Mallika quickly gets ready and goes out.

Outside, Ekam and Renuka ask her on where is she going now as she has resigned from the job. Mallika lies to them that she has few last formalities to finish and would return as soon as they are done. Ekam suggests that he will drop her, however, Mallika denies saying that he is getting late for work and she goes to her office everyday on her own, so he need not drop her. Upon saying that she swiftly goes out. Ekam and Renuka were confused. Ekam says, "I'm sure Mom she is hiding something from us and if it is something to do with Advait then I'm not going to leave him this time." Renuka worries.

Kapoor House, Advait and Nehmat's bedroom

Naaz, "What is it Nehmat? What did you want to talk about?" Nehmat hesitates at first and then gradually asks, "Did Nikhil talk to you about something?" Naaz remembers Nikhil and her fight the previous night, "About what?" Nehmat shakily, "About....about...about your relationship" Naaz, "Yes he did!" Nehmat gets surprised, Naaz continues, "And do you know who is responsible for all this?" Nehmat disappointedly looks on, "Mallika!! Your best-friend Mallika!! You always had spoke great things about your best-friend right, now will you say the same?" Nehmat tries to calm her down, "Naaz, naaz listen, listen to me. Nikhil told me everything that happened between you and him after marriage. Don't you think you were wrong to him all this time?" Naaz was shocked, "Wow Nehmat wow, now you are justifying Nikhil's mistake so that he and your best-friend can have a happy life together right?" Nehmat, "No Naaz no, I'm not justifying Nikhil's mistakes, I'm just saying that it was your mistake too that he got distanced from you." Naaz, "So that means Advait jeeju had an affair because of your mistake right?" Nehmat was appalled, "Naaz don't compare that with this. Mine and Advait's marriage was a compromise between us. It was difficult to accept it which is why we both were lost in the middle. But it was not the same for you. Nikhil loved you whole-heartedly but you never respected him nor his love." Naaz, "It is a husband's duty to keep his wife happy!!!" Nehmat, "Then what is a wife's duty Naaz?" Naaz is dumbstruck. Nehmat, "Is a wife's duty to rely completely on her husband such that he fulfills all her needs and desires? No it is not!! A wife's duty is to support her husband when he works hard to keep her and their family happy. And Naaz you have failed to do that for Nikhil which is why he got distanced from you." Naaz, "Don't try to coax me!!" Nehmat, "I'm just trying to make you understand your mistake such that your relationship with Nikhil gets another chance otherwise...." Naaz, "Otherwise what Nehmat? Tell me what will you do?" Nehmat sadly, "Otherwise I'm afraid I will have to support Nikhil in his decision to separate from you." Naaz's eyes widen in anger. Nehmat slowly leaves the room after saying that. Naaz after Nehmat leaves, "You have put your hand in a snake's den Nehmat. I can see love for Advait in your eyes. You have fallen in love with him. I was the one who broke your relation with Ekam and made you unite with Advait. But now I will make sure that your relation with Advait breaks the same way my relation with Nikhil broke."

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To be continued.