A week later, Khushi was released from hospital, but doctors had asked her to come to hospital for further check-ups. The joy of going home was evident in Khushi's face.
All the way she asked her babuji a thousand questions about Garima, Sheetal and Buaji. She was equally thrilled, knowing about Sheetal's career. After a while, they both arrived at their house. She wanted to meet everybody, but apart from her buaji, no one was around.
Seeing Khushi at home, Buaji could not control herself and embraced her tightly and began to weep. Khushi squeezed her as hard as possible because she was the only mother figure she knew all her life. If she ever got some mother's warmth and love, then it was from Buaji only. She was aware that her buaji loved her more than her niece. So, she assured her that she was doing great and cracked a few jokes to lighten the mood.
A little later, Buaji and her babuji saw that she was looking around like she was searching for someone. They knew she was trying to find her so-called mother and sister. But not seeing them, her face fell. She got a bit upset, but she was expecting it. Seeing their Titaliya upset they both got mad at them.
They knew those vile women didn't like her a bit, maybe hated her, but couldn't they at least show up here today for once? It made them feel repugnant. How can anyone be that insensitive? If only they knew that, they would be much more insensitive and heartless in their blind hatred for her.
Seeing Khushi's distraught face, her babuji asked her to rest. Garima and Sheetal were watching the entire drama from the kitchen and bedroom respectively. Sheetal gritted her teeth, seeing her father and Bua's overflowing love for that orphan. She thought vengefully, "me and mamma had done so much to wipe her out of their life, but look at her fate! Came back to our life again like bad penny to snatch our peace".
It was then they heard the doorbell, and she came out of her awful thoughts. Hearing the bell, Garima also came out and went to open the door and was stunned. By that time, Shashi ji and Madhumati also came there and asked her, "haye re Nand Kishore! Ayee Garima! darwajje pe kaun hain? Aur itni der se darwajje pe boot ki tarah khadi kahe ho"? (Ayee Garima! Who was at the door, Garima? And why were you standing there like a pole for so long"? )
Garima brought the people into the house without responding to her husband. Like Garima, everyone was also amazed to see them at their door and Shashi Gupta asked him, "Sir, mam! You here? At my home? Everything was fine, right"?
