Plot
After her mother's death, Jhanak is forced to marry her cousin Arshi's fiancé, Aniruddh, to escape her stalker, Tejas. Although Aniruddh and Arshi have been together for seven years, Jhanak enters their lives under distressing circumstances and begins to work as the Bose household's maid. While some family members treat her kindly, others insult and belittle her. Despite Arshi's presence, Jhanak and Aniruddh become close and become intimate when he is intoxicated during a trip to Kashmir.
Their secret marriage is later exposed, causing major tension within the family. Though humiliated, Arshi decides to stay. Jhanak moves to Mumbai to pursue her dream of becoming a dancer and later returns, claiming to be pregnant with Aniruddh's child. However, it is later revealed to be a tumour. Aniruddh suffers a heart attack, and Jhanak is presumed dead after being targeted by Srishti and Tejas. She is rescued by Kulbhushan, Brijbhushan's lookalike, and soon learns that Brijbhushan is her biological father. Kulbhushan, with the help of Srishti and Urvashi, had stolen Brijbhushan's identity. Determined to expose them, Jhanak returns disguised as Nutan. During an anniversary celebration, their truth is revealed. Kulbhushan murders Brijbhushan, and Aniruddh, still in love with Jhanak, falsely claims to have cancer to marry her. Arshi reveals to everyone that she is pregnant with Aniruddh's child. It is revealed that she had spiked his drink and posed as Jhanak in order to have sex with him, hoping to bind him to her forever because of their baby. Upon discovering the truth, a heartbroken Jhanak breaks off ties with Aniruddh and leaves for Mumbai with Aditya Kapoor.
Kulbhushan's men later kidnap Jhanak, but she manages to escape. Meanwhile, property disputes erupt in the Bose family, and Jhanak ends up in Gujarat disguised as Vihaan's late wife, Avni. She is shocked to discover that Aniruddh is Vihaan's close friend. At a family wedding, Arshi exposes Jhanak's true identity. A marriage is arranged between Jhanak and Vihaan, but she flees before the ceremony.
Jhanak is captured again by Kulbhushan's men but is saved by an elderly couple. She ends up in a red-light area and escapes to a police station, where Choton finds her and brings her back to the Bose house. During Arshi's baby shower, Srishti publicly apologises and claims to be Jhanak's mother. Later, Arshi gives birth to a daughter and Jhanak becomes the caretaker of the child but continues to face humiliation and abuse from the family. Jhanak eventually learns that Arshi's daughter was swapped at birth. During the Holi festival, she exposes the truth and begins searching for the real child. Meanwhile, Laal divorces Bipasha after her father, Sarveshwar, reappears. Bipasha conspires with him to send Jhanak to Banaras.
Jhanak tracks down the man responsible for stealing Arshi's baby and attempts to expose him. Meanwhile, Mimi and Anirban plan their wedding, and a false case is filed against Jhanak. She is arrested, but Aniruddh and Mimi testify in her defence, revealing the constant mental abuse she endured in the Bose household. Inspector Sanjay Sarkar uncovers that several police officers helped Shubho, Tanuja, and Arshi frame Jhanak by suppressing evidence, and exposes this to the court. The judge dismisses the case due to lack of evidence and clears Jhanak of all charges. Shubho, Tanuja, and Arshi are left humiliated as the truth comes to light, and justice finally prevails for Jhanak.
Later, Arshi meets Siddharth Chatterjee and quickly falls in love with him, while Aniruddh leaves the Bose house to live in a live-in relationship with Jhanak. When Aniruddh learns of Arshi's growing closeness to Siddharth, he insists that Arshi divorce him so that he can marry Jhanak and she can be with Siddharth. The divorce proceedings nearly reach completion, but Siddharth betrays Arshi and elopes with his girlfriend, leaving her devastated. Aniruddh and Jhanak return to the Bose house and begin their wedding preparations. However, on the wedding day, Arshi returns and refuses to grant the divorce. Heartbroken, Jhanak runs away and, on her journey, finds Arshi and Aniruddh's kidnapped daughter, Aditi, affectionately nicknamed "Moon". She rescues her, boards a bus, and meets Parashar, who saves them both from Kulbhushan's goons and takes them to Shimulbuni. Over time, Jhanak and Parashar grow close as he supports her and helps raise Moon as his own daughter.
5 Years Later
Although Aniruddh and Arshi remain married, their relationship turns cold and distant. Aniruddh continues to live in the memories of Jhanak, while in Shimulbuni, Parashar becomes a father-figure to Moon, and Jhanak raises her as her own child. Unaware of Jhanak's presence in Shimulbuni, Aniruddh arrives there for an office project. The two reunite and have a one night stand. The next day, Aniruddh hears rumours that Jhanak is Parashar's wife and feels betrayed. Jhanak then reveals the truth—that Moon is actually Aniruddh and Arshi's biological daughter.
Wanting the best for Moon, Jhanak sends her away with Aniruddh to Kolkata despite her heartbreak. Arshi struggles to bond with Moon. Soon after, Jhanak is poisoned in the village and rushed to the hospital by Parashar and the villagers. Aniruddh arrives, learns that Jhanak and Parashar were never married, and decides to marry Jhanak in the village. Parashar, secretly in love with Jhanak, is heartbroken but hides his pain and supports their union.
Aniruddh and Jhanak eventually marry, and Jhanak later reveals that she is pregnant with his child. However, Aniruddh refuses to believe her and accuses Parashar of being the father. Devastated by his mistrust and accusations, Jhanak severs all ties with him, realizing that, Aniruddh is unworthy of her love. The two permanently part ways.
20 Years Later
Jhanak has renamed herself Nutan and is raising her and Aniruddh's daughter, Jhanak, affectionately nicknamed "Phool", with love and care in their village along with Parashar. Jhanak aspires to become a doctor to give her mother a better life. Meanwhile, Arshi and Aniruddh have shifted to London with the Bose family. A grown-up Aditi, nicknamed "Moon" is now in a relationship, with a police officer, named Rishi Chatterjee. Rishi is sent to Parashar's village to capture him where he meets Jhanak. Aniruddh and Arshi return to India and Arshi disapproves of Aditi and Rishi's relationship due to his simple family background.
In the village due to a misunderstanding, Jhanak is forced to marry Rishi. Jhanak shifts to Kolkota with Rishi for higher studies and they decide to keep their marriage secret. Jhanak enters Rishi's house as a maid named Phool. However, Aditi continues to point out Rishi and Jhanak's growing closeness. Regardless, Rishi and Aditi get married.
Nutan dies because of an illness which devastates Jhanak. Aniruddh learns of this through Rishi so he begins to connect the dots and realises that Phool is married to Rishi. He offers her a ransom to leave Kolkata and Rishi for good, but she declines. Aniruddh exposes Rishi and Jhanak's secret marriage in order to steer her away forever. Aditi divorces Rishi and accuses him of having an extramarital affair with Jhanak. Jhanak refutes these claims and stands up for herself.
Jhanak moves from the Chatterjee house to a hostel to focus on her studies. Aniruddh becomes vengeful towards Jhanak and decides to ruin her life. He frames her for wrongdoing that she didn't commit and tries to ruin her internship to effect her expulsion from the hostel. He even attempts to murder her, but all his efforts fail.
Jhanak discovers that Aniruddh is her biological father, a claim Aniruddh rejects. Jhanak takes the issue to court to clear her mother's name and demands a DNA test. The results confirm that Jhanak is Aniruddh's biological daughter. Arshi confronts Aniruddh over hiding the fact that he fathered a child with her arch-nemesis, Nutan. Aniruddh makes Arshi understand that Nutan is dead and that he has had no connection with her for the last twenty years. He also begins to regret for unknowingly plotting to kill his own daughter. Arshi and Aniruddh continue to argue over his betrayal. Aditi convinces them to divorce each other and work on themselves separately. Rishi continues to support Jhanak emotionally. Meanwhile, Rishi's family recognises Jhanak's positive and hardworking side. They sympathize with her hardships and gradually change their perception of her.
Jhanak tops her exams and gets her medical license fulfilling her dream of becoming a doctor. Jhanak and Rishi realize that they become accustomed to one another and have fallen in love. They marry with everyone's blessings. Aniruddh asks Jhanak for forgiveness and strives to be a present and better father to her. Aditi moves on and forgives Aniruddh, Jhanak and Rishi. She accepts Jhanak as her half-sister and marries Kaushik. Jhanak gains respect in the Chatterjee house for her character and behavior.
However, Arshi continues to be vengeful against Jhanak and holds her and Nutan responsible for constantly ruining her life. She poisons Jhanak in order to kill her. However, Jhanak recovers from the poison and Rishi is sure that Arshi is the culprit. Aditi proves Arshi guilty and shames her. When Rishi is about to arrest Arshi, Jhanak pleads to not arrest Arshi.
Arshi is touched by her gesture and begins to regret her behavior towards Nutan and Jhanak. She begs Jhanak for forgiveness. Jhanak forgives her since her mother never held any grudge against Arshi. She makes Arshi and Aniruddh realize that they have always belonged to each other and gets them married while, Aditi gets married to Kaushik forgetting her past with Rishi.
Parashar is arrested by his rival since he was trying to improve their village. Jhanak and Rishi collaborate to free him and succeed. However, this ends up costing Rishi his job. The villagers encourage Jhanak to continue her mother Nutan's incomplete dream of social service. Hence, she decides to take part in politics with the support of Rishi, Parashar and everyone else. She wins the election and becomes the MLA of Shimulboni. She pledges to be an honest leader and promises to help every person in need. Jhanak and Rishi reminisce their journey and he promises that he will always be by her side.
