Sharmishtha ran to him shooting back to back questions. Shekhar tried his best to give her answers when the Police constable intervened to take his statement.
After a long statement from Shekhar, Constable passes the pad to him where he recorded his statement. "Shekhaji, I am taking this on the face value as I don't want to bother you but your wounds do not look like they were caused by an accident."
Constable left after finishing formalities to close the case.
"Ma, you please take Baba home. I will finish the hospital formalities." Sanskar spoke, helping Shekhar to get up from bed. "Swara, you can go with Ma and Baba."
"Sharmishtha, let's go." Shekhar spoke adamantly, he was still on no talking terms with his elder daughter.
"It's ok Sanskar. I will come with you." Swara covered up with a casual reply.
Shekhar left with Sharmishtha whereas Sanskar left to finish hospital formalities.
"Uncle, what happened?" Swara asked Gujarji.
"Swara beta, even I don't know, few people have come to your Baba's shop. Earlier they were discussing something but later on their discussion turned into an argument. Those people started cursing and thrashing Shekhar ji. They were blaming him as a betrayer and fraudster. They broke down the shop as well. They even blackened his face." Gujar, the neighbouring shop owner replied.
"Who were those people?"
"I don't know many of them but few of them were your neighbours in Badi." He replied. His words baffled Swara for a moment. Both talked about the event before he took leave.
"Let's go, Swara." Sanskar's words broke her trance. "Hey you ok?" He asked, seeing her lost in her own thoughts.
"Yes... I am.." She could hardly reply but could not contain her perplexities from him, resulting in informing him about her talks with Gujarji.
"I have no idea what would have happened?" She finished her narration still drawing in her thoughts. 
"I have a gut feeling that this is related to Laksh's Badi reconstruction project." Sanskar spoke about the possibility.
"What?" Swara was shocked to the core. "But now everything is going well. Or do you know anything?" 
"No Swara, I just thought it's a possibility... And I am so busy with Karma. I have no time to look into Lakhs's issue. And on top of it now Bade Papa is involved means he will keep a tap on Laksh." Sanskar reasoned out.
Both returned home to see the entire Maheshwari and Gadodia family assembled in the living room. 
"He is not picking up my call." Ragini's words fell on their ears. Earlier, Sharmishtha and Shekhar had asked her to call her husband. "Papa, I guess he is busy with some meetings."
"Why don't you tell us Shekhar, why suddenly you want to talk to Laksh so urgently?" Parvati asked inquisitively. Along with Parvati, everyone's state was the same, their faces were covered with sheer amount of confusion.
"Please Ragini, try to call him once. Please ask him when he is coming back?" Shekhar asked again ignoring his mother's words.
"Papa please tell us what had happened?" Ragini stressed. "You have my swear."
"Today our neighbours visited the shop here. They informed me that Badi's work had stopped since last month. The Municipality and Court has brought a stay order on further construction. When they checked with nearby people, they found out that workers had not received a salary for the last 3 months. Hence workers have also stopped working from the last two months." Shekhar's words stumbled each one of them.