“Zehar ki muskaan liye jo chali thi woh saazishon ki raani,
Gir gayi uss mohabbat ke aage, jiske peeche thi har ek kahaani.
Jhooti baaton ka silsila chhupa na saka haqeeqat ka chehra,
Jab ek ‘Aradhya’ saamne aaye toh dagabaaz ka sach hi bechaara.”

The Oberoi Mansion, once echoing with silent judgments and unspoken bitterness, now brimmed with a subtle yet dangerous tension. Kritika, with her pristine sarees, overly sweet voice, and venom-coated words, was becoming a shadow that lingered too long in every corner of the house.