Disguised Darling|✓

Episode 47

It’s all done. Mihir has shifted to their new house with Ruhi and her two brothers without Mishti having to say anything or conjure up strategies to let her stay in this house, while Aisha has finally left Mishti’s side to go and visit Vivek’s mother who is ill and in the hospital. But there is an even more important task that is pending, sitting in front of her with her head hung low and hands fiddling with each other. 

Tara doesn’t dare to make any eye contact with her and Mishti doesn’t insist.

Raghav had been wary of leaving Tara alone like this, without any moral or physical support, but ultimately had discerned that the matter was solely between her and Mishti. He had no right to interfere and so he didn’t.

No one did.

And yet when Samrat gets up from Mishti’s side to give her the space to talk, she is quick to hold his hand. 

He looks at her and finds her gazing at him hopefully.

“I’m – I’m right here. You’ll be more comfortable –” Mishti shakes her head before he has the chance to complete the sentence, her grip tightening around his, desperate.

“No?”

Mishti shakes her head again.

Samrat gives her a small smile and sits back beside her, manoeuvring their hands, so that hers is clutched inside his. 

It’s then that Mishti looks at Tara, properly, trying to bereft her heart of any prejudice and negative feelings. It isn’t a difficult task to do when the girl is tearing up in front of her, making her lips wobble as well.

“Tara.” She murmurs, quiet and the girl looks up at her with wide, scared eyes. Mishti feels bad for her, doesn’t even want to know the answer to the question that she has been wondering all along, but if she wants to strip her nights of the nightmares that have been haunting her for the past four months, then she needs to ask that.

“Why did you do it, Tara? I just want to kn –”

Mishti isn’t able to finish up her question before Tara breaks down, crying in her hands, shoulders shaking. 

The sight easily makes Mishti tear up who looks at Samrat defeatedly, who in turn gives her a small smile and loosens his grip over her hand, pushing her to make a choice. 

She does. 

Mishti goes and sits beside Tara, gently pulling her hands away from her face, making her look her in the eyes. “Please, tell me.”

Tara shakes her head. “I’m sorry, Mishti. I d-didn’t want to do it. I didn’t want to betray you guys. But I – I was left with no option. B-Believe me, please –”

Mishti nods her head immediately. “I do believe you. But please tell me the reason –”

“I was lied to, Mishti,” Tara says suddenly and then looks at Samrat with scared eyes. He immediately schools his expressions. 

“Don’t be afraid, just say the truth.” He says as gently as possible, though unable to erase all hints of bitterness from his heart, making Tara look down in her lap. 

She gulps. “The day I had got to know that Vineeta Agnihotri was the one who – who killed my parents, I went searching for her. I couldn’t find her for days, but when I did and the moment I did, I realised I had walked myself into a trap. She had greeted me so casually like she had been knowing that I would come to her. And as soon as I did, she told me to do it. To betray you and the rest of you, to tell S-Samrat about you. I had refused.” Tara looks up and when Mishti gives her an encouraging nod, she continued.