Manik was reeling, utterly devastated by the truth. He was still lost in his shock when a sound broke the silence: Naina slapped him across the face.
"You thought I would arrange for boys to rape my own sister, Maya, and Simran," she spat, grabbing his collar. "Simran, a girl I never even met, just heard about—a girl who had evidence that could clear my family's bankrupt business!"
Manik looked at her, his eyes welling up with guilt and tears. He could only mouth the word 'sorry,' but before he could utter it, she slapped him again.
"Because of you, I lost my parents and my brother! Can you give them back?" Naina was shouting, her voice raw with anguish.
She raised her hand for a third strike, but Simran caught it. "Please, Naina, give Manik a chance to speak. He is consumed by guilt."
Naina looked at Simran, and the sheer terror in her eyes made Simran quickly release her hand.
Naina advanced on Manik again, but Avinash intervened. "Please, listen to us," he pleaded. Naina didn't hesitate; she slapped Vikram too.
"You once told me, 'Why don't you go and die?'" she demanded, tears streaming. "So, what do you have to say now?"
Avinash looked down, unable to speak, shamed into silence.
Naina turned back to Manik, grabbed his hands, and pressed them against her throat. "Kill me! Because of you, I've lost everything—my self-respect, my dignity. Just kill me!"
Manik tore his hands away from her neck, staring at her, consumed by self-loathing. As she stood there, overwhelmed, Naina suddenly fainted. Manik caught her immediately, his guilt replaced by panic, urgently trying to wake her up. Everyone stood frozen in shock.
A Confession of the Past
At the hospital, Manik sat numbly on a bench, the weight of his actions crushing him. He had sought revenge, and in doing so, he had utterly destroyed her.
His mind flashed back six years. He saw Naina for the first time. Her face was calm, bearing a resemblance to her mother. She had just returned from abroad, stepping out of a car in a simple light pink dress beside her father. She was quiet, beautiful, and always surrounded by her younger sister and brother.
Manik had felt something then, a strange, different heartbeat, but he had ignored it. Naina, studying abroad, never noticed Manik, who was working as a driver in her house. Maya and Arun, however, treated him like a brother.
Manik and Avinash were childhood friends. After losing his mother, Manik met Avinash and his poor sister, Simran. They grew up and became Secret Agents for India, forced to go undercover in the mafia world. During their time together, Manik became deeply attracted to Simran, a sweet and innocent girl.
Their relationship was growing until the day he found Simran on the floor, surrounded by blood. Blinded by the need for revenge, he vowed to destroy the Sharma Empire. He knew of the evidence regarding the Sharma company's bankruptcy, but instead of using his real name in court, he went undercover as 'Sourabh' to work closer to Naina's family. He meticulously gathered information and planned his revenge on Naina, believing her to be responsible for Simran's attack.
He executed his plan: buying her from goons, forcing her to work in his company, and using intimacy to torture her. He believed destroying Naina's spirit, inside and out, would bring him satisfaction. But somewhere along the line, without realizing it, he started falling for her—a feeling he never truly experienced with Simran, even after three years. Today, the devastating realization that Naina was innocent had shattered his entire world.
The Dream of Forgiveness
Vikram stood silently beside the guilt-ridden Manik. Maya was crying, comforted by Arjun and Simran.
Inside the ward, Naina lay unconscious, connected to a glucose drip. She was pulled into a dream. She was walking through a landscape of white, bathed in light, until she saw two figures sitting on a bench: her Father and Mother.
Tears streamed down her face as she rushed to them, sitting between them, clutching their hands.
"How are you, my child?" her Mother asked, tenderly touching her cheek.
Naina couldn't speak. Her Father said, "My child, do you want revenge on Manik?"
Naina looked at him but said nothing.
"He has done many things for revenge," her father continued, "but you are not like him."
"But he made me a slave, a forced bride, a rape victim, a slut!" Naina cried out. "He deserves my revenge! I will kill him, or I will die trying!"
Her Father gently touched her head. "You are becoming like him, then. Revenge is not the solution, my daughter. I want you to live your life. You are innocent now. I know you studied business management for me, ignoring your dream of painting. Now, go become a painter. Forgive the desire for revenge and live well. That is what your father wants."
Her Mother added, "I know the environment our daughter was in, and I know your nature, always focused on your career, no matter who came into your life. We only ever wanted our children to be happy. Maya and Arun can take care of themselves. You did well in your role as a sister. Now, you must take care of yourself. Wake up and live your dream."
The dream faded, leaving the promise of light behind.