Will Aparajita Survive Lalit’s Gun?
Lalit looked at Aparajita being carried by Rakshit and told her she should be ashamed of herself. Aparajita told him to look at himself first — a man who kidnapped his own wife had no business talking about shame. She told him straight that she would have died if Rakshit had not reached her in time. Lalit told her that death was still coming for her and nobody could stop it now. He asked Kashyap to get the gun.
Rakshit picked up a stone. Lalit laughed at him for it. Rakshit did not wait — he threw it at a bee hive nearby. The bees came out fast and went everywhere. Aparajita pulled her dupatta off and helped Rakshit move. Lalit and his men scattered and ran.
They did not get far. Lalit found Rakshit a short while later and hit him with a dart. He stood back and waited, knowing it would not take long.
At home Vivaan was working the problem from his end. He said if they could find Rakshit’s phone they could find him. He tracked it — the phone was sitting in the police station. Ira told him to think of something else. Vivaan pulled up the AirPods location instead. Two hours ago Rakshit had been in Malwa Bazaar. A neighbour said nobody went to that market anymore — it had been dead for years. Chandrabhaga said maybe Rakshit had gone there to hide something. Malti’s expression went cold at that. While the others were talking Chandrabhaga spotted Lalit’s watch on the table and quietly moved it before anyone else could notice.
In the old factory Rakshit was already feeling the dart working on him. Aparajita saw it lodged in him and understood immediately. Rakshit told her Lalit was behind it and said he was fine. Aparajita told him he was not going to be fine for long. She asked him to hold onto her hand and pulled the dart out herself. She told him this was her fault. She got him away from where they were standing. Rakshit, barely staying upright, murmured that he was going to get her home safely. Then they heard Lalit’s voice close by.
Mohit said he was going to find Rakshit himself. Avinash said he was coming too. Vivaan, Aradhya, Ira and Rashmi all went with them. While that was happening Malti watched Chandrabhaga pocket the watch. Sudha sat at home and prayed. Ramgopal moved the neighbours and his sister out of the way. Malti stopped Chandrabhaga and asked her why she had taken it. Chandrabhaga said Lalit must have dropped it there when he came looking for Aparajita. She said Malti had told her about it. Malti had not. Chandrabhaga walked away and called Lalit immediately. She told him what was happening. Lalit said he would finish things soon. Malti stood there trying to work out who Chandrabhaga had been calling.
Lalit moved through the factory with the gun. He could see their footprints and called out to Aparajita to come out. Rakshit went down. Aparajita stepped out herself so Lalit would not go further inside. Lalit hit her. He asked her why she was so determined to protect Rakshit. He asked if she loved him. Aparajita said it was friendship. And she told him she would rather die than let anything happen to Rakshit. Lalit told her killing Rakshit gave him nothing. But killing Aparajita and making Rakshit look responsible — that gave him everything.
Precap
Lalit tells Aparajita that Rakshit is unconscious and her time is up. Aparajita tells him to shoot. She says she may die today but her end will come on her own terms.
Editor’s Take
Aparajita stepping out to face Lalit so he would not find Rakshit behind her was not a dramatic gesture — it was just her. That is who she has always been. Lalit’s plan shifting from killing Rakshit to killing Aparajita and framing Rakshit shows how far gone he is — this stopped being about love or pride a long time ago. Chandrabhaga hiding that watch and lying to Malti’s face about it in the same breath shows the apple did not fall far. Malti is the only one in that camp who does not know what she is actually standing in the middle of and that realisation is coming for her fast.
