Suman cried like a child, sobbing loudly with his head resting on Somadevi's shoulder. Pragati came forward, held Suman's left elbow, and said, "Sorry, Suman, but this is the truth." She continued, "One day or another, you had to learn the truth. Tell me, isn't that so?"
Suman jerked his hand away. Pragati grabbed it again and pulled him closer, asking, "What's wrong, Suman? Why are you behaving like this? The truth is still the truth. You talk to that Amba every day thinking she's Ankita. That girl and her aunt have misled you and deceived you completely. And you—how come you never realized even once that the person you were talking to wasn't Ankita? What kind of love is this? If Ankita were really alive, she would've returned by now."
Suman again freed his hand forcefully, looked at his mother, and said, "Sorry, Ma. I quit." Then he ran upstairs to his room and locked the door from inside. All the shouting brought Souptik and Ruman running to the scene. When Pragati tried to follow, Ruman yelled, "You've helped enough. No more. I've heard everything from the stairs. Leave, or I'll throw you out myself. I'm not polite like Ma and my brother."
Though many were angered by Ruman's words, they stayed silent. Somadevi also followed Suman and knocked on his door, pleading through her tears, "Open the door, Somu, listen to me just once. Everything I did was for you. Please listen, son."
The suddenness of the event left Soumendra Babu and Shubhendu Babu stunned. Souptik called out, "Dad, come quickly." After much effort and force, they managed to break the door. Meanwhile, Ruman had already called for an ambulance.
Inside, they found Suman lying flat on the bed. His left hand hung off the bed, bleeding heavily, and in his right hand, he held a paper-cutting knife. Somadevi rushed over, raised his arm, and pressed her sari pallu against the wound. Pragati said, "Aunty, if you had a clean cloth, it would be better. This way he could get an infection."
Somadevi didn't respond to her, only looked at her with bloodshot eyes. Pragati's mother came forward, grabbed her daughter's hand, and said, "Keep quiet, or you'll get scolded again," gesturing toward Ruman. She was afraid that Ruman, after the way he behaved earlier, might say something harsh again.
Although it wasn't clear to everyone why Promila Devi and Rajen Babu still stayed after their daughter was so insulted, Chandana Devi, Soumendra Babu's wife, had a bit of an idea. That's why she was slightly annoyed at them and said, "Mrs. Dutta, please go downstairs and sit with us. You can see something terrible has happened; we are all devastated. Please come, Ma is downstairs too."
Though Pragati was reluctant, Chandana Devi almost dragged her downstairs. She clearly understood why someone like Rajen Babu, with his high standards, had agreed to Suman. But had the marriage been fixed, she would've opposed it strongly. Now she felt somewhat relieved—Suman's life wouldn't be ruined by Pragati anymore. Whether he could ever forget Ankita's loss was unknown, but she prayed to God for a positive outcome with Amba.
Ruman dialed a number labeled "Doctor Uncle." The doctor said to bring Suman to Tulip Hospital—just five kilometers away. The ambulance arrived in about five minutes. Somadevi and Souptik accompanied Suman in the ambulance; the rest followed in cars. Only Karuna Devi, her daughter Jaya, and Soumendra Babu's daughter-in-law Chandana Devi stayed at home.
Once everyone had left, Karuna Devi went to her room. Sitting quietly, she thought, What has Somu done? It's all that Soma's fault. Why did she have to tell him all that? And my son—why did he follow her lead? Even with such a bright girl like Pragati, why didn't Somu like her? Pragati comes from such a wealthy family, her father is a big businessman with international ventures. Yet… Somu accepted Ankita. But now, all she can do is curse Somadevi in her mind. What else can she do but sit and worry and blame?
Soumendra Babu was worried too. This looks like a suicide attempt. Will the police get involved? He voiced this to Dr. Deendayal Bhaduri, who reassured him, "There shouldn't be any trouble. Even if something arises, it will be a routine inquiry, especially since Suman is already under treatment for mental health issues. But he's lost a lot of blood and needs to stay in the hospital for a day. He took time to regain consciousness and is still quite agitated, so we gave him a sedative. He's sleeping now," the nurse informed them.
Though staying in a private hospital wasn't necessary, Somadevi refused to leave her son. "I want to stay with him," she said. Pragati stepped forward and said, "I'll stay too." At that moment, a voice called from behind.
"No, you won't stay, Pragati-di. You were the one who tried to get him killed," said a girl from behind. Everyone turned and was shocked to see Amba standing there. Somadevi stood frozen, then approached and gently placed her hand on Amba's head, saying, "You came, child?"
"Yes, Kaki-ma. I couldn't stay away. Maybe Suman-da doesn't love me, but this situation is because of me. I couldn't stop myself. Whatever punishment he gives me, I'll accept it," Amba said, tearfully.
"Who told you about this? How did you come?"
"Pragati-di did. She informed me," Amba replied.
Soumendra Babu asked sharply, "Rik, why did you tell her? Why add to the tension?"
"Dad, you, Grandma, and Uncle can scold me all you want, but I'd do anything for my brother."
Soumendra Babu raised his hand to slap Souptik, but Shubhendu Babu stepped in and said, "Calm down. When children grow up, we must respect their opinions too. And this is a hospital—there are many other patients here."
He then asked Amba, "Why did you come alone so late at night? Did your family allow you to come? And how did you come? Public transport doesn't run this late."
"I didn't come alone, Kaku. God has taken away my ability to go anywhere alone. My sister and Adrit brought me here—they're waiting outside."
Amba slowly walked forward on her elbow crutches toward Suman's cabin. Despite visiting hour restrictions, seeing her condition, the security guard allowed her in, instructing not to stay long. Amba nodded and went in with Somadevi.
Seeing Suman inside sparked a storm in her heart. She didn't like seeing him in such a state. That's why she had agreed to pose as Ankita when Kaki-ma asked. But had she known it would lead to this much harm, would she have agreed? Or was she truly tempted to have him close? She began to hate herself. How selfish I am, she thought. Am I not at all responsible for this situation?