Inside the room, Jai was standing in front of the mirror, getting ready. Shivani slowly got up from the bed and walked toward him. In a soft voice, she said, "I heard you're going out."
Hearing her words, Jai turned toward her and replied, "Yes, there's a site I need to visit. I'll be back by evening."
Shivani looked at him with concern. "Aman Bhaiya isn't here either… and I'm feeling really anxious inside. There's this strange fear I can't explain. Can't you wait until Aman Bhaiya returns?"
Jai cupped her face gently in his hands, kissed her forehead, and pulled her into his embrace.
"Shivani, there's nothing to worry about. It's not like I'm going out of the country. I'm just heading a little outside the city. I promise I'll be back by evening. And if you ever feel scared or anxious, just give me a call, okay? Now come on… smile. Smile for me."
Hearing that, Shivani gave a faint smile.
Jai carefully walked her back to the bed and helped her sit down. Then, kneeling on the floor before her, he gently lifted her saree and kissed her belly.
Speaking softly to their unborn child, he said, "Baby, don't you worry. Your daddy will be back by evening. Until then, you…"
Jai softly kissed Shivani's belly once again and whispered, "You don't trouble your mom, okay?"
Then he stood up, kissed Shivani on her forehead, and with a reassuring smile, walked out of the room.
The moment Jai left, Shivani's eyes welled up with tears. She didn't know why, but a strange sense of fear started creeping into her heart.
Meanwhile, in the living room, Jai walked up to Dipali ji, who was seated on the sofa. Sitting beside her, he said, "Bua, I'm going to inspect a site. I might get a bit late coming back, so please take care of Shivani until I return."
Dipali ji placed her hand lovingly on his head and said, "Son, do you even need to say that? Even if you hadn't asked, I would've looked after her."
Jai smiled and hugged her gently. "Thank you, Bua."
She lightly patted his back and replied, "Do people really say thank you or sorry to their own family?"
Jai laughed and walked out of the bungalow.
Not even fifteen minutes had passed since he left, when Shivani called him. Jai chuckled softly as he picked up the call and began chatting with her affectionately. After a short conversation, he hung up.
But that wasn't the end.
Over the next six hours, Shivani called Jai almost twelve to thirteen times. And each time, Jai answered with a warm smile on his face, spoke lovingly to her, and then gently ended the call.
Jai stepped out of the car to inspect the site. Not far from where his car was parked, his private helicopter stood ready, its blades still.
As soon as Jai exited the car, the ten bodyguards who had accompanied him immediately took their positions—some ahead of him, some behind. But Jai raised his hand to stop them.
"Wait here," he instructed calmly.
Without another word, he walked confidently toward the helicopter and climbed in.
Inside, apart from the pilot, there was no one else. It was just Jai and the silence of the skies waiting for him.
After inspecting the site and ensuring everything was in order, Jai returned to the helicopter. He settled into his seat, giving the pilot a nod.
The rotor blades roared to life.
Within moments, the helicopter lifted off the ground, slicing through the sky as it soared toward its next destination.
Jai looked at the pilot in confusion and asked, "Why did you shut down the helicopter engine?"
The pilot looked at him with guilt and simply said, "I'm sorry, sir."
Before Jai could react, the pilot suddenly jumped out of the helicopter in a rush—so hurried, in fact, that he left his mobile phone behind inside the cockpit.
A few seconds later, the phone began to ring.
Jai, puzzled, picked up the call. But the moment he heard the voice on the other end, his eyes widened in shock.
And then—
BOOM.
A deafening explosion tore through the air. The helicopter burst into flames mid-air, shattering everything around it into smoke and fire.
---
Meanwhile, in the mansion's garden, little Adit was playing, carefree.
Shivani, however, kept trying to call Jai over and over again. But every time, the automated voice on the other end said, "The number you're trying to reach is switched off."
Her anxiety began to rise rapidly.
She dialed again and again, but the same result—Jai's phone remained unreachable. A strange fear crept deeper into her heart, suffocating her breath with every passing second.
Dipali ji came to Shivani's room with a tray of food, only to find her pacing back and forth in distress.
Setting the tray down on the table, Dipali quickly walked over to her and gently made her sit on the bed.
Looking at Shivani's tense face, she asked with concern, "Shivani, what's wrong? Why are you so anxious? Did something happen?"
Shivani told her everything—the calls, the fear, the silence from Jai's end.
Dipali ji hugged her tightly, trying to calm her down. Her gentle touch gave Shivani a brief moment of peace.
Just as Dipali was about to feed Shivani, a servant came running and breathlessly called out from outside the room, "Madam! Dipali ji—"
Furious, Dipali stormed to the door and scolded, "Don't you have any manners? Can't you knock before barging in? You people just walk in without thinking!"
The servant, eyes lowered and filled with tears, said in a trembling voice, "I'm sorry, ma'am…"
Seeing the tears in his eyes, Shivani stood up and walked over to him.
"What happened, uncle? Why are you so shaken? Is everything okay?" she asked softly.
Shivani always treated all the servants and maids with respect, addressing them appropriately according to their age.
The servant stammered, "Madam… madam… sir…"
Shivani's heartbeat quickened. "Uncle, what happened? Is Jai okay? Please tell me! Why are you scaring me?"
The servant looked into her eyes, tears streaming down his cheeks. He gathered his courage and whispered, "Madam… the helicopter sir was in… it exploded."
Before he could say anything more, Shivani's face went pale.
Her knees buckled, and within seconds, she collapsed to the floor—unconscious.
Dipali ji, horrified by the news, rushed to her side.
With the help of the other house staff, she gently lifted Shivani and placed her on the bed, quickly grabbing her phone and calling the doctor with trembling hands.