(Manik and Ridhaan reach Ridhaan's cabin and settle on the couch.)
Ridhaan- Okay, so Manik. Kya baat karni hai tumhe mujh se?
[Ridhaan- Okay, so Manik. About what do you want to talk to me?]
Manik- It's about Riya. I want to discuss something with you and ask you about things.
Ridhaan- Of course. Tell me. How can I help you?
Manik- It's about her family. Her parents especially.
(Ridhaan's expressions change from jolly to plain, and this doesn't go unnoticed by Manik.)
Manik- Your expressions tell me you know what I will talk about.
Ridhaan (sighing)- Main aur Riya ek dusre ko bachpan se jaante hain Manik, which I am sure ki Riya ne tumhe bataya hoga.
[Ridhaan (sighing)- We have known each other since childhood, Manik, and I am sure Riya must have told you about this.]
(Manik nods in a yes, and Ridhaan continues speaking.)
Ridhaan- You know Manik, hum 3rd-grade mein the tab. Aur achanak ek baar Riya 05 din lagataar school nahi aayi. As any normal person, for 04 days, I thought she was sick, so she was on leave. But after that 05th day, I grew worried, so I tried contacting her, but it was of no use. I even asked my Mom to visit her once. But Mrs Dixit sent her away, saying that Riya was out with her dad because she was not attending school. And after 02 days, she came to school with a big bandage on her forehead and a bruised hand. Her face was pale, and she was all quiet. And she was scared, Manik. Uss waqt to mujhe kuch samajh nahi aaya par ab jab main uss ka vo chehra yaad karta hoon, her eyes depicted her pain, Manik. She needed someone. Her eyes showed fear.
[Ridhaan- You know Manik, we were in 3rd grade then. And suddenly, Riya did not come to school for five consecutive days. As any normal person, for 04 days, I thought she was sick, so she was on leave. But after that 05th day, I grew worried, so I tried contacting her, but it was of no use. I even asked my Mom to visit her once. But Mrs Dixit sent her away, saying that Riya was out with her dad because she was not attending school. And after 02 days, she came to school with a big bandage on her forehead and a bruised hand. Her face was pale, and she was all quiet. And she was scared, Manik. I understood nothing, but now when I remember her face, her eyes depicted her pain, Manik. She needed someone. Her eyes showed fear.]
Manik- Tum ne usse pucha hoga usse chot kaise lagi?
[Manik- You must have asked her how she got hurt?]
Ridhaan- I asked her. She told me she slipped down the stairs and had an accident. But in the later years, when Riya told me the truth about her parents and her family, she told me she drew a family picture and wanted to show it to her Mom. She was not home, so Riya waited in her room and slept on her bed. But when Mrs Dixit came home, she got angry at her for entering her room and sleeping on her bed. She pulled her out of the room and pushed her away on the floor without noticing the stairs behind her, and that 08-year-old slipped from the top stair and injured her head. Then also, her mother didn't take her to the doctor. Instead, she warned her never to enter her room again. The servants took her to the hospital, where she got 06 stitches on her forehead.
(As Ridhaan finishes speaking, he looks at Manik, who is astonished at what he has just heard. Ridhaan then chuckles, looking at him, and this breaks Manik's trance.)
Ridhaan- Tum bas ye sun kar hi itna shock ho gaye Manik. Jab tumhe pura sach pata chalega to kya karoge tum?
[Ridhaan- You are so shocked just hearing this, Manik. What will you do when you know the whole truth?]
Manik- Tum jaante ho pura sach?
[Manik- You know the whole truth?]
Ridhaan- Nahi. Riya ne aaj tak kisi se pura sach share nahi kiya hai. Main sirf kuch beech beech ki baatein jaanta hoon. Jab maine usse injured dekha ho yaa darte huye dekha ho. Yaa jab usse mere saath hone pe panic attack aaya ho.
[Ridhaan- No. Riya has not shared the whole truth with anyone to date. I only knew a few minor things when I saw her injured or in fear. Or when she had a panic attack when she was with me.]
Manik- To tum ne kuch kiya nahi usse protect karne ke liye?
[Manik- So you did nothing to protect her?]
Ridhaan- Jab mujhe ye sab samajh aaya tab tak bohot derr ho chuki thi Manik. Aur yahi meri sab se badi galti hai. Khair Riya ko aisa nahi lagta hai but mujhe pata hai, agar main padhai ke liye usse akela chod kar nahi gaya hota, to bohot kuch rokk sakta tha.
[Ridhaan- By the time I understood all this, it was too late, Manik. And this is my biggest mistake. Riya doesn't think so, but I know if I had not left her alone for my studies, I could have prevented a lot.]
Manik- And what's this matter with her brothers, Harshad and Aryaman?
Ridhaan (sadly)- Harshad has been the worst part of her life. Jab bhi uss ki baat hoti hai to vo ghabra jaati hai. I know Harshad is a playboy and has a big hand in all this. I so regret this thing that jab usse meri zarurat thi tab main yahan nahi tha. Agar uss ne share nahi kiya to at least mujhe to samajhna chahiye tha. But I just went away. Aur meri iss galti ka bhugtaan Riya ko karna pada.
[Ridhaan (sadly)- Harshad has been the worst part of her life. She gets scared whenever something is concerned with him. I know Harshad is a playboy, and he has a significant role in all this. I so regret this thing that I was not here when she needed me. If she didn't share, then I should have understood. But I just went away. And Riya had to pay for this mistake of mine.]
Manik- You tried your best, Ridhaan.
Ridhaan (taking a deep sigh)- Well tum ye sab kyu puch rahe ho? Riya ne kuch baat ki tum se iss baare mein?
[Ridhaan (taking a deep sigh)- Why are you asking all this? Did Riya talk to you about this?]
Manik- Actually...
(Manik then tells him about all that he has been witnessing about Riya's family and her attacks and Ashwin trying to hurt Riya during Diwali. Ridhaan takes a sigh and covers his face with his hands.)
Ridhaan- I can't believe this. How can they all hate her so much? They are pathetic.
Manik- I know they are pathetic, Ridhaan, but all I want to do is to be there for her. To take her out of all this mess. But for that, I need to know the entire truth. Why is all this happening, and who has done what?
Ridhaan- The only thing you can do right now is just be there for her, Manik. She won't share anything with anyone. I have known her for years, and abhi takk mujhe kuch nahi bataya uss ne. All these things have affected her badly. Be it mentally or emotionally. And suddenly tum uss se sab share karne ko nahi keh sakte naa. She needs time and love, Manik. Unconditional love. Aaj tak sab ne usse yahi bataya hai that she doesn't deserve love. Her parents and her brothers all hate her. Her best friend left her when she needed him. At least you don't repeat these mistakes, Manik, please. Don't leave her ever.
[Ridhaan- The only thing you can do right now is just be there for her, Manik. She won't share anything with anyone. I have known her for years, but she hasn't told me anything. All these things have affected her badly. Be it mentally or emotionally. And suddenly, you can't ask her to share everything. She needs time and love, Manik. Unconditional love. Till today everyone has told her she does not deserve love. Her parents and her brothers all hate her. Her best friend left her when she needed him. At least you don't repeat these mistakes, Manik, please. Don't leave her ever.]
(Manik looks on, concerned, and Ridhaan continues speaking.)
Ridhaan- Uss ghar ke andar pata nahi kya kya hua hoga. Kitni baar usse hurt kiya hoga unn logon ne. Kitni baar rulaya hoga usse. And no one was there for her. To hug her and console her. If you want her to tell you everything, you must establish that bond, Manik. You need to tell her you care and that she matters to you. But only if she indeed does.
[Ridhaan- I don't know what would have happened inside that house. How many times would they have hurt her? How many times would they have made her cry? And no one was there for her. To hug her and console her. If you want her to tell you everything, you must establish that bond, Manik. You need to tell her you care and that she matters to you. But only if she genuinely does.]
Manik (nodding his head in a yes)- Yes, she does. She matters to me. A lot.
(He says a lot a little slower, but RV hears him and smiles, looking at Manik.)
Ridhaan- And she has severe nyctophobia, Manik. The phobia of darkness. Never let her go to dark places. It always affects her severely, so please take care of that.
Manik- Yes, I will. Thanks for informing me.
Ridhaan- Great then. I shall take your leave then.
Manik- Yes, sure.
(They both stand up and bring their hands forward to shake hands but stop and smile at each other awkwardly. But they eventually shake hands, and Manik leaves from there. Ridhaan has a satisfactory smile on his face now.)
Ridhaan- Thank God that Riya has Manik now. Please, God. Please keep her safe now. Ab uska dil mat tutne dena, please.
(After having a conversation with Ridhaan, Manik goes back home and works from home as he thinks Riya might get free any time and he will go to pick her up. He further calls the receptionist twice to enquire if Riya got free or not but receives the same answer every time the surgery is still going on. Time passes by, and it's 01:00 PM now, and the surgery is still not over. Manik is roaming in his room thinking about what he should do when Mukti knocks on his room's door.)
Manik- What happened, Mukti?
Mukti- Vo Bhai Mom Bhabhi ko bula rahi hain. Aaj subha se dikhi nahi vo ghar pe to isiliye...
[Mukti- Actually, Mom is calling sister-in-law. She has not seen her since this morning at home, so that's why...]
Manik- Tell your Mom that Riya is busy, Mukti.
Mukti- But bro, Mom would have some work for her. But where is she, by the way?
(Manik is already stressed about Riya's surgery case and then his conversation with Ridhaan, and now Mukti is irritating him more. He takes a deep sigh before answering Mukti, so he does not shout at her. )
Manik- She is at the hospital, Mukti. She had a necessary surgery to perform, so she was there for that. She is a doctor, so there can be emergencies sometimes.
Mukti- Of course. Only her work is essential, right? Others are all useless.
Manik- Mukti, I am in no mood to argue with you, so just leave.
Mukti- Of course, bro. Everything should be done only with the wish of you and your wife, isn't it?
Manik- God Mukti, please. Stop this.
(He then tries calling Riya, but she is not picking up his call.)
Mukti- You know Bhai, mujhe humesha aap jaisa banna tha. Successful and famous. Main jahan bhi jaun log meri izzat kare, log mujhe jaante ho, but ab nahi. Jab se aap ki shaadi huyi hain naa, aap puri tarhan badal gaye ho.
[Mukti- You know, bro, I always wanted to be like you. Successful and famous. Wherever I go, people should respect me. People know me, but not now. You have completely changed since you got married.]
Manik- Of course. In this house, all of you have got only me. If anything seems wrong, then put the blame on me. But let me tell you one thing clearly, Ms Mukti Malhotra. This game of manipulation that your Mom is playing...
Mukti- She is your mother too, bro.
Manik (angrily)- She is not my Mom. My mother died years ago. My Father had died years ago, and I had also lost my mother a few years back. And you know what?
(He marches towards her angrily but fists his hands to control himself from doing something wrong as she is his sister.)
Manik (gritting his teeth in anger)- Bohot jaldi hi vo din aane wala hai jab tu khud apni aankhon se saari sachayi dekhegi aur tab tujhe pata chalega ki teri so-called Mom sahi thi yaa tera Bhai. And I hope that day comes soon.
[Manik (gritting his teeth in anger)- Soon, the day will come when you will see the truth with your own eyes, and then you will know whether your so-called mother was right or your brother. And I wish that day comes soon.]
(Manik leaves from their angrily, and Neyonika is hiding outside his room, listening to his and Mukti's conversation.)
Neyonika- The entire game is getting out of hand. If Manik told everything to Cabir and Mukti, then... No.
(She goes from there, and Mukti too goes to her room angrily.)
(Riya comes out of the ICU after completing the surgery and goes to the family members.)
Riya- The surgery was successful. The clot has been removed. He is out of danger now.
Guy- Aur agar phir se ye sab ho gaya to? Aap jaise doctors pe to hume bharosa hi nahi raha ab.
[Guy- And what if all this happens again? We have no faith in doctors like you now.]
Riya (taking a sigh)- Jab aap ke Bhai ko hosh aaye to usse puch ke dekhna. Ki ye clot vapis kyu ban gaya. Usse puch lena ki kya usne saare precautions liye the aur saari medicines bhi li thi yaa dusre hi hafte leni band kar di thi.
[Riya (taking a sigh)- When your brother comes to his senses, ask him. Why did this clot come back? Ask him if he had taken all the precautions and all the medicines or had stopped taking them within the second week.]
(The guy stands speechless as Riya tells him his brother's fault. She then leaves from there and reaches her cabin. She firstly gets fresh, sits on her chair, takes a deep breath, and a big smile comes on her face as she is finally relieved after saving the patient's life. She checks her phone and sees the messages and missed calls from Manik. She calls him but looks surprised when she hears the phone ringing from outside, and at that exact moment, Manik enters her cabin with a smile.)
Riya (smiling)- Manik.
(And what happens next leaves them shocked as they come forward smiling at each other and hug each other. All this happens in the heat of the moment, but for now, they just take a deep sigh of relief in each other's arms. And as Manik already knows he feels for her, he is happier that she approached him with the same feeling and came forward to hug him with her own wish. He kisses her head gently, which breaks Riya's trance, and she breaks the hug and gets away quickly.)
Riya (thinks)- Shit. What did you do, Riya? What would he be thinking about you?
(She then looks to the other side to hide her embarrassment, and he smirks, looking at her. He then hides his smile and clears his throat to gain her attention, and she turns back to him with an awkward smile.)
Riya- Umm, Manik, whatever happened... that...
Manik- Relax, it's okay.
Riya (shocked)- It's okay?
Manik- Yes, what's wrong with this? We are married. It was just a hug. So why stress so much? Relax.
Riya- You are right, actually. We are married. And it's just a hug. Of course.
Manik- Are you explaining to yourself or me?
Riya- Acha tum vo chodo aur ye batao ki yahan kya kar rahe ho?
[Riya- Well, you leave that and tell me what are you doing here?]
Manik- Aur tum vo bhi chodo aur ye batao ki tumhari surgery kaisi gayi?
[Manik- You leave that too and tell me how the surgery went?]
Riya- Manik pehle maine pucha hai to pehle tum answer karo.
[Riya- Manik, I have asked first, so first, you answer.]
Manik- Arey to kya hua? Main ek saal bada hoon tum se. To pehle tum jwaab do.
[Manik- Oh, so what? I am a year older than you. So you answer first.]
Riya- This is no logic, Manik. So tell me, how did you come here without me calling you?
Manik (sighing)- I didn't have anything to do at home, and the people there love to irritate the shit out of me. To socha yahan aake wait kar lu. But you were already free, so wait nahi karna pada, thankfully.
[Manik (sighing)- I didn't have anything to do at home, and the people there love to irritate the shit out of me. So thought I would come here and wait. But you were already free, so I didn't have to wait, thankfully.]
Riya- Kuch hua kya ghar pe Manik? You know, right, you can share with me.
[Riya- Did something happen at home, Manik? You know, right, you can share with me.]
Manik- I know, but it's just that I don't want to waste my time on people who don't care about me. I will tell you later about all this, but for now, let's just change the topic.
Riya- Sure. So you were asking about my surgery, right? It was a successful one. And the patient is out of danger now, so no worries.
Manik (taking her in a side hug)- Wow, Dr Riya. That calls for a celebration. And we are celebrating this, okay?
Riya- Only if you will not book the whole damn place.
Manik- Okay, okay, madam. I said earlier also, and now I am repeating it. I will not make such a mistake again. Please forgive me.
(She laughs at his words and he too smiles looking at her.)
Riya- But let's go home now. I am starving.
(She makes an adorable pout, and he smiles, looking at her antics.)
Manik- I have asked the butler to prepare the lunch at home.
Riya- Awww. You are so cute, Manik.
Manik- Dare you to say that again, okay? I am not cute.
Riya- But you are cute, Manik. You are a cutie pie.
Manik- Fine, then go home by yourself. I am leaving. Bye.
(He starts leaving, but she holds his arm and stops him. He looks away to hide his smile as he is enjoying these moments with her.)
Riya- Okay, okay, I won't repeat it. But just stay here, okay?
Manik (acting stern)- Yes. Be quick now.
(She then takes her stuff, and they leave for home.)