The episode opens with everyone smiling at Kusum’s short hair. Mangal curiously asks what happened, and Kusum explains that her hair was accidentally cut at the salon. Meanwhile, at home, Sowmya fans the flames of discontent among the family, blaming Mangal for Kusum’s hair mishap.
During the competition, the judges invite Mangal to present her idea, but Kusum steps in to share Mangal’s concept instead. After the round concludes, the anchor calls everyone up on stage, where Sidharth announces that no one will be eliminated this round. The judges then set the next challenge: creating a jingle for their product, which everyone accepts. Later, Niketan and his mother ridicule Kusum, which prompts Mangal to lead her away from the uncomfortable situation.
At home, the doorbell rings, and Sowmya opens the door to find Sudesh. He advises Adit not to take his anger out on Mangal without knowing the full story. When Mangal and Kusum arrive, Adit immediately blames Mangal for Kusum’s appearance. Mangal attempts to explain, but Adit shuts her down. Kusum defends her but is silenced by Adit’s accusations of Mangal making a fool of her. Devastated, Kusum retreats to her room, locking the door and crying. Mangal pleads for her to come out, but Kusum requests to be left alone. Sudesh gently suggests giving Kusum some space, and Mangal reluctantly agrees.
The following day, Mangal busily prepares for the Shivratri pooja while Sudesh carefully places the bhog in a secure spot. Mangal calls out to Kusum, urging her to join them, but Kusum refuses to leave her room. Shanti and Lipika visit, expressing their delight over Mangal’s participation in the competition. When Shanti inquires about Kusum, Mangal shares her daughter’s reluctance to join the pooja. Sowmya arrives with Adit and offers to perform the pooja in Kusum’s stead. Shanti reprimands Sowmya, but Mangal intervenes to ease the tension. Feeling self-satisfied, Sowmya heads off to change clothes, casually drinking the masala milk intended for the bhog without realizing its consequences.
As the pooja commences, Sowmya begins to feel dizzy from the milk. Seizing the moment, Shanti locks Sowmya’s room from the outside, hoping Mangal will step in to perform the rituals. Mangal starts the abhishek to Lord Shiva, while Niketan disguises himself as a worker and sneaks into Mangal’s home. During a call with his mother, he vows to use his scheme to get Mangal eliminated.
In a parallel storyline, Karthik informs Lakshmi that he won’t eat dinner unless she joins him for lunch first. Lakshmi agrees, prompting Karthik to ask her to get ready. Later, Jia sees the house beautifully decorated and asks if Karthik arranged it. He confirms and is hugged by Jia as she mistakenly anticipates a proposal. Lakshmi and Raghuveer arrive dressed up and inquire about the occasion, leading Karthik to reveal he has planned a double date since the others are out.
During dinner, Karthik playfully questions Lakshmi, while Raghuveer tries to cover for them both. Their answers occasionally conflict, piquing suspicion. Jia encourages Lakshmi to try the Mexican food, but Karthik quickly states that Lakshmi dislikes it, causing Raghuveer to wonder how he knows that. Karthik fumbles, claiming Mangal must have told him.
Karthik then expresses interest in seeing their wedding photos, but panic sets in for Lakshmi and Raghuveer, and they evade his request. Sensing the unease, Karthik directly asks if they are genuinely married. Overwhelmed, Lakshmi spills her juice and heads off to change, with Raghuveer following under the pretense of helping. Meanwhile, Jia reassures Karthik not to overthink the situation.
In her room, Lakshmi cries as she looks at her wedding photo, and Raghuveer sees her distress but quietly steps away. He returns to Karthik and confesses their reality: he and Lakshmi are not married; they’re only pretending. As Lakshmi reenters, Karthik looks at them, oblivious to the underlying truth.
**Episode Ends.**