"Happy Holi... Bhai!!"

Saksham shouted, applying more colour on Hriday.

Hriday immediately attacked back, smearing colours all over Saksham.

"Hriday, make him look like a monkey!" Mayank shouted from the side.

"Ahh Bhai, Mayank Bhai... why are you guys always after me?" Saksham complained.

Mayank painted him blue while Hriday covered him in yellow.

"Because you keep targeting us!" Hriday replied.

Mayank nodded and grabbed Saksham's kurta collar. Saksham looked at him with pleading eyes.

"Mayank Bhai, no...!"

"Mayank, tu phaadeyga ya nahi?"
(Will you tear it or not?)

Hriday said, holding Saksham tightly.

"I will, Hriday—yeahhh!" Mayank shouted.

With one quick move, Mayank tore Saksham's kurta.

"Bhai!!!" Saksham yelled.

But both Hriday and Mayank burst into laughter.

"Haha... Saksham, you look like a broken man!" Mayank laughed.

"Seriously, I can't stop laughing. If Kesar sees you like this, she won't even recognise you!" Hriday added.

They high-fived each other.

Saksham ran away in his torn shirt.

Both of them ignored him—it wasn't new. He would come back again with more colours.

Mayank spotted Isha and went after her, while Hriday's eyes searched for Gauri.

He found her distributing snacks.

"Sweetheart," Hriday called.

Gauri looked at him, confused.

"Yes? Do you want snacks?"

"Maybe," he replied playfully.

Gauri nodded and held a ladoo near his mouth.

Hriday looked at the ladoo... then at her lips.

Suddenly, he held her wrist and pulled her closer.

Gauri gasped.

Before she could react—

Hriday kissed her.

Her eyes widened in shock. She quickly glanced around.

He held her wrist firmly, deepening the kiss.

Gauri tried to respond, but he didn't give her the chance—completely lost in the moment.

A little later...

Gauri was filling glasses with juice when Isha approached her.

"So, you are Gauri... and you work at Hriday's office too?" Isha asked.

Gauri nodded.

Isha's eyes fell on her vermillion and mangalsutra.

"Your husband?"

Gauri hesitated. "He... doesn't stay with me."

"Why?" Isha asked, genuinely confused. "Don't get me wrong, but I've known Hriday's family for years—they are wonderful. That's why they've allowed you to stay here. But what about your husband?"

Gauri stayed silent.

"You're beautiful, educated... and a good person. So why doesn't he stay with you?"

Gauri looked down, unable to answer.

"Gauri... I saw you and Hriday together earlier," Isha continued carefully. "You're a married woman. You should understand your limits. Hriday is your boss... maybe a friend... but this is wrong. Your relationship should be pure."

Gauri looked at her, guilt filling her eyes.

"You're misunderstanding, we—"

"You are what, Gauri?" Isha interrupted. "Hriday is young, loved by his family. I've never seen him look at someone the way he looks at you."

She paused, glancing at Mayank.

"He's my fiancé... Hriday's best friend. I consider Hriday my brother. I don't want anything bad to happen to him. Please don't ruin this family."

Gauri's eyes filled with tears.

"I don't want to hurt you," Isha softened. "But you are wearing someone else's sindoor and mangalsutra... this isn't right."

"Isha ji, please... you can't say this," Gauri replied quietly.

Before Isha could respond, Maithili approached.

"Gauri beta, have you met Isha?"

"Yes aunty," Gauri said, hiding her tears.

"Here, distribute these sweets to the guests. My knees are aching," Maithili said.

Gauri nodded and left.

Isha watched her.

"She's a good girl," Maithili said softly. "But fate hasn't been kind to her. She lost her mother... has no one. And her husband—who knows? I don't think he's a good man."

Isha listened carefully.

"She once said her husband is good," Maithili added, "but I don't believe it. What kind of man leaves his newly wedded wife?"

Isha nodded slowly.

Meanwhile...

Saksham returned holding a glass of bhang.

He saw Kesar dancing and pulled her aside.

"Saksham, what are you doing?" she complained.

"Remember college?" he grinned. "We drank bhang and confessed our love in front of everyone."

Kesar froze.

"Today... we'll do it again!"

Kesar stared at him in disbelief.

"Saksham, this is not college. This is Bhaiya's party!"

"Relax, Bhaiya won't mind."

Kesar sighed and escaped somehow.

Gauri, exhausted, stood aside.

She avoided colours because of her skin.

A woman approached her.

"Here, have this," she offered a drink.

"Thank you," Gauri said and drank it.

Moments later, her head began spinning.

Everything blurred.

She saw Hriday laughing with Isha and Kesar.

A strange feeling—jealousy—rose within her.

She walked toward them unsteadily.

"Don't you dare—!" Hriday warned.

But Isha and Kesar threw colour—

—and suddenly, someone pulled Hriday aside.

All the colour landed on Gauri instead.

She stood there, completely pink.

They laughed.

"Gauri, when did you come?" Kesar asked.

Gauri blinked but didn't answer.

"She looks tired," Hriday said, holding her hand gently.

"Take her inside," Isha suggested.

Hriday nodded.

"Come, sweetheart."

But Gauri shook her head.

"What do you want?" he asked softly.

She looked down.

"I want to put colour on you."

Hriday froze.

"You already did..."

"Not like that... like how they were touching you..."

His breath hitched.

"Sweetheart... you're not well."

He checked her forehead.

She pushed his hand away and walked off.

"Gauri!" he called.

She didn't stop.

She reached her room and slammed the door.

Hriday flinched.

"Sweetheart, open the door!"

No response.

He knocked again.

Finally—the door opened.

Hriday sighed and stepped inside.