Author pov...

Malini walked up to Ishani, her gaze filled with warmth and quiet pride. "Ishani, you look absolutely beautiful, my child," she said softly.

Ishani blinked quickly, brushing away the tears that had gathered in her eyes, and managed a small, fragile smile.

Vaibhav looked at her with admiration and added, "She's right... my sister looks the most beautiful of all."

Inside, everyone had already settled down, the room filled with soft murmurs and glances but Ishani remained where she was, standing still.

Even after hearing their words, she said nothing. It was as if her voice had been swallowed by the storm inside her.

Malini let out a quiet breath, then gently said, "Ishani... let it all go now. Stay with Deeksha. She'll start searching for you everywhere again. It's her engagement day we should make sure she stays happy, not stressed."

Ishani lowered her eyes and nodded faintly said. "Yes, Maa... I'm going."

Ishani walked toward Deeksha and Deepak with a soft smile on her face.

"Congratulations," she said gently. "I'm really happy for both of you."

Deeksha smiled warmly at her, but Deepak's eyes filled with concern.

"Di... are you okay?" he asked quietly.

Ishani nodded immediately, forcing a reassuring smile onto her lips. "Yes, Deepak, I'm fine. Don't worry about me, okay?"

Both of them nodded, though the worry in their eyes didn't completely disappear.

Just then, Ishani's phone started ringing.

As she looked at the screen, Deeksha noticed the sudden change in her expression and curiously tried to see who was calling.

But Ishani quickly hid the phone and began walking outside. Deeksha kept watching her suspiciously.

The moment Ishani answered the call, her voice became softer.

"Yes, Alex... where are you?"

On the other side, Alex replied, "Bhabhi, I've already reached the building you told me about. Which floor are you on?"

"Wait there, I'm coming downstairs," Ishani said quickly.

"Okay."The call ended.

Ishani walked over to Divya and said quietly, "I'm going downstairs for a bit. Don't let anyone worry, okay? I'm fine."

Divya looked at her carefully. "Why are you going downstairs?"

Ishani gave her a mysterious smile. "You'll find out soon. If anyone asks, just make up some excuse."

Divya sighed softly before nodding. "Okay."

Still smiling faintly, Ishani stepped into the lift. Just before the doors closed, Rahul hurried inside too.

Ishani looked at him and smiled politely. "Rahul, where are you going?"

Rahul adjusted himself awkwardly before replying, "Just... heading home. There's some work."

"Oh." Ishani nodded softly.

The lift doors closed. Silence filled the small space between them.

Rahul gathered all his courage and finally spoke."Ishani... you look really beautiful in this blue saree."

Ishani glanced down at her saree and then looked back at him with a small smile."Thank you, Rahul. Divya and Bhai gave it to me. I really like it... the colour suits me, doesn't it?"

Rahul smiled quietly, happiness flickering in his eyes. The saree he had chosen for her had truly made her happy.

But suddenly-

The lift jerked violently before coming to an abrupt stop.

The lights went out instantly, plunging the lift into darkness.

Both of them looked around in panic.

"What happened?" Ishani whispered nervously.

"I don't know..." Rahul muttered under his breath.

He immediately turned on his phone's flashlight. A faint white light spread across the cramped lift, illuminating their anxious faces.

Rahul tried calling someone, but the call failed instantly."No signal..." he whispered.

Ishani quickly checked her own phone, her fingers trembling slightly.

"There's no signal on mine either," she said, panic slowly creeping into her voice. "How did this suddenly happen?"

Rahul looked at her carefully. Even in the dim light, he could see fear building in her eyes.

"Maybe there's just a power issue," he said softly, trying to keep his voice steady. "The lift will start again soon. Don't worry."

"But what if it doesn't?" Ishani asked immediately. Her breathing had already started becoming uneven. "What if we get stuck here?"

The silence inside the lift suddenly felt unbearably loud.

The air felt hotter with every passing second. Ishani nervously moved her saree's pallu back and forth, trying to fan herself.

Tiny beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.

Rahul frowned slightly. "Ishani...Are you feeling okay?"

She looked at him with restless eyes.

"I... I don't know..." she whispered. "It feels hard to breathe suddenly..."

Rahul's expression changed instantly.

"Ishani..." he stepped closer carefully, his voice turning gentler, "are you having a panic attack?"

For a moment, she stayed silent, trying to control herself. But then she slowly nodded.

"Haa..." her voice cracked softly. "Closed spaces... they scare me..."

She pressed her trembling hand against the wall of the lift as if trying to steady herself.

"When I panic... my chest starts feeling tight..." she admitted weakly. "I can't breathe properly..."

Rahul could see her hands shaking now.

Without wasting another second, he took off his coat and started fanning the air toward her carefully.

"Hey... look at me," he said softly, his voice calm and grounding. "Nothing is going to happen to you. I'm right here."

Ishani shut her eyes tightly, trying to control the fear rising inside her.

"I can't..." she whispered helplessly. "Rahul, I feel suffocated..."

Rahul moved a little closer, concerned visible all over his face.

"No, listen to me," he said gently. "You're safe. Just focus on my voice, okay?"

He kept fanning her slowly while speaking to her in a calm rhythm.

"Take a deep breath... slowly."

Ishani tried, but her breathing still trembled.

"That's it... good," Rahul encouraged softly. "Again. Slowly inhale... and now exhale."

The dim flashlight flickered slightly between them while the lift remained silent around them.

Rahul didn't stop for even a second. He kept fanning her patiently, his eyes fixed only on her worried face.

"You don't have to be scared," he whispered gently. "I won't let anything happen to you."

Ishani slowly opened her eyes and looked at him.

The worst of the panic attack had passed, but the lift remained stuck, shrouded in a heavy, stifling silence.

Ishani was still visibly shaken, her eyes darting nervously toward the closed doors.

To distract her, Rahul spoke up, his voice calm and steady. "You know, once Deepak and I got stuck exactly like this."

Ishani shifted her gaze to him, her attention piqued despite the situation.

A small smile touched his face as he glanced at her."We were chasing this robbery suspect through an under-construction building. The guy saw us coming and jumped into one of the service lifts.We got into the second one beside his."

As he spoke, his tone stayed light and steady, carefully pulling her attention away from the trapped walls around them."The lifts were moving side by side," he said. "And through the metal grills, we could actually see him panicking."

Rahul continued, watching her carefully. "The thief ignored him at Us. But then suddenly he got overconfident. He opened the emergency panel inside his lift and started messing with something."

Ishani frowned slightly. "Why would he do that?"

"To stop us from reaching the top before him," Rahul said. "At least that was his genius plan."

"And?"Ishani asked

Rahul paused for half a second.

"And both lifts stopped."

Ishani stared at him... then laughed softly.

Rahul nodded. "Exactly. His own lift

got stuck too."

"Deepak just stood there holding the railing and said, very calmly..." Rahul lowered his voice in imitation, "Congratulations. You trapped all of us. History will remember your sacrifice."

Ishani laughed again, more properly this time, and Rahul noticed her shoulders slowly relaxing.

Rahul glanced at her for a moment before continuing more softly, "We stayed stuck there for almost an hour. Deepak kept arguing with the thief the entire time."

Ishani shook her head, still laughing quietly.

"And honestly," Rahul added, "by the end of it, the thief looked more exhausted from Deepak than from getting caught."

"So trust me... compared to that disaster, this is nothing."Rahul said

Ishani looked at him, still smiling faintly now."You and Deepak seriously need a safer Job."

Rahul nodded thoughtfully.

"We've been told that by several departments."

Ishani let out a soft, breathless laugh. The sound echoed faintly in the cramped, shadowed space of the stalled lift.

They settled back down onto the floor of the lift, the cool metal pressing against them as the silence of the building wrapped around them.

Ishani looked over at him, her gaze softening with a nostalgic warmth that seemed to pierce through the dim light.

"Look at you," she murmured, a faint, weary smile playing on her lips. "You've grown up so much, Rahul. I remember when I was the one looking after you when we were kids... and today, here you are, being the one to pull me through a panic attack."

Rahul didn't say anything .He just looked at her, a slow, gentle smile spreading across his face a look that carried the weight of years gone by and the quiet pride of the man he had become.

They remained there, side by side in the darkness, the only movement coming from Rahul, who tirelessly fanned her with his hand, trying to circulate the heavy air.

Ishani kept her eyes glued to her phone screen, desperately refreshing her notifications in hopes of catching a stray bar of signal, but the screen remained stubbornly blank.

"Alex must be trying to call me," Ishani murmured, her voice laced with a mix of anxiety and exhaustion.

Rahul paused his movements, his brow furrowing in the dim light. "Alex?"

"Yeah," Ishani replied, her eyes still flickering toward the dark signal bars on her phone. "Alex is Deeksha's friend. He's here for the engagement, but Deeksha has no idea. I was actually on my way down to pick him up when... well, when I got trapped in here."

Rahul's hand slowed for a moment, a flicker of realization crossing his face. "Oh"

Meanwhile, Alex was growing restless. He tried calling Ishani repeatedly, but each attempt vanished into the void of unreachable.

Frustrated, he began scanning the lobby, stopping passersby with a look of frantic confusion."Excuse me, do you know which floor Deeksha Thakur is on?" he asked in English.

A few people simply hurried past, intimidated or confused by his foreign tongue.

Finally, a young man stopped. When Alex repeated the name, the guy's face lit up with realization. "Oh! The girl getting engaged today?"

"Yes, exactly!" Alex exhaled, relieved.

After getting the floor number, Alex stepped into a different elevator, his heart racing faster than the lift itself.

When the doors finally slid open, he was met with a wall of vibrant music and the boisterous chatter of a celebration in full swing.

He followed the sound into the apartment, weaving through the crowd until his eyes landed on the center of the room.

There sat Deeksha and Deepak, the golden couple of the hour.

Alex couldn't help but grin. He marched straight toward them, his voice cutting through the noise. "Deeksha!"

Deeksha looked up, her expression freezing in pure, unadulterated shock.

A heartbeat later, shock turned into radiant joy. She practically bolted from her seat, rushing toward him and throwing her arms around him in a tight embrace.

Deepak watched the scene unfold, his jaw tightening as a sharp surge of possessive jealousy flared within him.

Around them, the room fell into a hush of scandalized whispers; the guests exchanged pointed looks, watching the bride-to-be cling to a stranger.

"Alex! When did you get here?" Deeksha cried, pulling back to look at him.

"Just today," Alex teased, his eyes dancing with mischief. "I had to give you a surprise. Since you didn't see fit to invite me to your own engagement, I figured I'd just have to crash the party myself."

Deeksha burst into a bright, genuine laugh, the sound ringing out over the judgmental murmurs of the room.

"I'm so sorry," Deeksha said, her voice filled with genuine regret. "You know how it was Mannat's health was so poor, and then the wedding was moved up so suddenly. I honestly just ran out of time."

Alex chuckled, shaking his head. "It's alright. I made it here anyway, even without an invitation." Deeksha gave him a grateful, beaming smile.

Before she could respond, Deepak stepped forward. With a deliberate, proprietary movement, he slid his arm around her waist, pulling her flush against his side. "Deeksha?" he asked, his voice low, his eyes fixed on Alex. "Who is he?"

Deeksha stiffened slightly, looking down at his hand on her waist with a flash of awkwardness.

She cleared her throat quickly. "Deepak, this is Alex, my best friend from London. And Alex... this is Deepak Sharma, my fiancé."

Deepak forced a polite smile, but it didn't reach his eyes.

The very idea of Deeksha having a "best friend"-especially one who wasn't him sat like a bitter pill in his throat.

"Hey, dude! Great to finally meet you," Alex said warmly, extending a hand. "Deeksha has told me so much about you."

Deepak's eyebrows shot up, his tone laced with a sharp curiosity. "Oh? And what exactly has she told you?"

"Oh, nothing life-changing!" Deeksha interrupted quickly, sensing the mounting tension.

She turned to Alex, trying to steer the conversation away from danger. "Alex, you've traveled such a long way. You must be exhausted. Why don't you go rest for a bit? We can catch up properly later."

Alex nodded, though a look of

realization crossed his face as he scanned the room. "I'll do that... but wait, where is Ishani Bhabhi?"

"Don't call her Bhabhi," Deeksha corrected him softly.

"Okay, okay, sorry!" Alex raised his hands in surrender, his expression quickly shifting back to concern. "But where is she? I've been calling her for ages, and she isn't picking up."

Deeksha frowned, her heart skipping a beat. "What do you mean, Alex?"

Alex quickly explained the plan of how he and Ishani had coordinated the surprise visit.

Deeksha listened, her brow furrowing. "I see..."

Deepak, who had been listening intently, finally spoke up. "Since when exactly has she been unreachable?"

He scanned the bustling hall, his eyes searching for a familiar face. It hit him then not only was Ishani missing, but Rahul was nowhere to be seen either.

Deeksha followed his gaze, her anxiety mounting as she realized the same thing.

"Divya Di!" Deeksha called out urgently.

Divya hurried over, weaving through the guests. "Yes? What's wrong?"

"Where is Ishani Di?" Deeksha asked.

"She went downstairs a while ago,"

Divya replied, looking puzzled. "She hasn't come back yet? She's probably still down there."

"But she's not downstairs," Alex interjected, his voice tight. "I just came from there."

Divya glanced at Alex, surprised by the stranger's presence, but the urgency in the air took precedence.

She immediately pulled out her phone and dialed Ishani's number. Nothing. No ringtone, just the cold, automated voice of the network.

Vaibhav approached them then, noticing the huddle of worried faces. "Divya, what's going on?"

"Ishani isn't answering her phone," Divya said, her voice trembling slightly.

"What?" Vaibhav's face paled. He immediately began dialing as well, his thumb hovering over the screen in a frantic rhythm.

Meanwhile, Bhavya had begun her own search. She moved through the crowd, looking for Rahul's tall frame, but he was gone.

She hurried back to their home checking every room, her breath hitching in her throat. The rooms were silent.

Rahul was nowhere to be found.

Bhavya rushed out of the house, her heart hammering against her ribs.

She headed toward the bank of elevators, only to find a restless crowd gathered there, murmuring in frustration.

"What happened?" she asked, her voice tight with a sudden, sharp dread.

"The lift is stuck," someone grumbled, gesturing toward the motionless steel doors.

She looked at the control panel the digital displays were dark, the buttons lifeless. Not waiting for another word, she sprinted to the second service elevator, riding it down to the ground floor in a blur of motion.

She found the society secretary and practically cornered him. "The main lift is broken! There are people trapped!"

"We're working on it, ma'am," the secretary replied, trying to maintain a calm he clearly didn't feel. "The technicians are on their way. Please, don't worry."

But worry was all Bhavya could do. A cold shiver of intuition raced down her spine a terrifying thought of Rahul. Ignoring the secretary's platitudes, she bolted toward the security cabin.

"Show me the CCTV!" she demanded, her voice trembling. "Now!"

The guard scrambled to pull up the footage. Bhavya watched the grainy monitor, her eyes wide. Her heart nearly stopped as she saw the playback: first, Ishani stepped into the elevator, looking hurried... and then, moments later, Rahul followed her inside.

The realization hit her like a physical blow. They weren't just missing. They were trapped together.

Inside the lift, Rahul and Ishani were still sitting on the floor, passing time by talking in the pitch darkness.

Ishani sighed deeply, her mind elsewhere. "I don't know how Ishaan must be feeling right now," she whispered. "He must be getting so restless."

"Don't worry," Rahul said, trying to comfort her. "Divya Di and Vaibhav Jiju are there with him. They will handle everything."

"I know," Ishani replied softly. "But he can't stay for a minute without me. And honestly, even I can't stay without him. After all, who do I even have in this world except him?"

Rahul looked at her as she spoke. He could feel her loneliness. "There is Malini Auntie, Vaibhav Jiju... everyone is there for you, Ishani."

Ishani gave a small smile, but her eyes were full of a deep, hidden pain. Seeing her like this, Rahul gathered his courage and asked the one thing he had been wondering for a long time."Do you... do you still miss Abhay?"

Ishani looked straight into Rahul's

eyes. Without hesitating for even a second, she said, "No."

Rahul was stunned. He didn't expect such a direct, blunt answer from her, and he fell silent, not knowing what to say next.

Ishani looked at the darkness and spoke softly, "You miss people who have actually left your life, Rahul. Abhay will always be with me... in the form of Ishaan."

Rahul watched her closely, his heart heavy. "But it must hurt, right?" he asked gently. "The pain of living your life without him... isn't it too much to bear?"

Ishani gave a faint, bitter smile. "Even when he was alive and in this world, he was always distant from me, Rahul. He never had any time for me."

Her voice dropped to a cold, sharp whisper. "He was too busy cheating on me."

Rahul felt like the ground had slipped

from beneath him. He stared at her, completely shocked. "What... what are you saying, Ishani?"

Ishani gave a dry, hollow laugh. "Yes, Rahul. Abhay cheated on me. I don't know if he was doing it before our wedding, but in those seven years of marriage, he betrayed me."

Rahul just stared at her, completely frozen in shock. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "And you didn't say anything?" he asked, his voice trembling. "You just stayed there, bearing his cheating in silence?"

"I could only say something if I knew about it, right?" Ishani replied, her voice eerily calm. "The moment I found out, I asked for a divorce. I walked out of that house immediately. But then... then he passed away. Just like that, I was free from that marriage. But..."

Ishani began to cry, the tears finally breaking through her calm exterior.

Rahul couldn't bear to see her like this. He reached out and gently wiped her tears away with his thumb. Ishani looked at him, her eyes red and swimming with pain, and let out a sob.

Rahul cupped her face in his hands, his voice a soft whisper. "Shh... stop crying, Ishani. Please."

Overwhelmed, Ishani lunged forward and hugged him tightly, burying her face in his shoulder as she sobbed uncontrollably.

Rahul froze for a moment, the sudden closeness catching him off guard. But as soon as he felt her trembling against him, his hesitation vanished.

He wrapped his arms around her, gently patting her back to soothe her."Shh... everything will be okay," he murmured. "He was a bad man, Ishani. You didn't deserve that."

"But my heart..." Ishani cried into his chest, her voice broken. "My heart is shattered into pieces, Rahul. What about that?"

Hearing her words, tears welled up in Rahul's eyes too. He didn't have an answer. He just let her cry, holding her close in the silence of the dark lift.

Ishani kept weeping in his arms, not even realizing why she was pouring her heart out to him. Since Abhay's death, she hasn't shed a single tear in front of anyone until now.

Suddenly, the elevator doors groaned open. Rani's voice cut through the air, shouting his name repeatedly "Rahul! Rahul!"

Inside, the light flickered on, revealing Rahul and Ishani still locked in that intimate embrace. Rani, Bhavya, Divya, Vaibhav, Deeksha, and Deepak all stood there, frozen in shock at the sight.

Ishani pulled away instantly, her heart hammering against her ribs as if she had been caught committing a crime.

She frantically wiped her tear-stained cheeks, her breath hitching as she met their stunned gazes.

Malini rushed forward, breaking the heavy silence. "Are you okay, Ishani?" she asked, her voice full of maternal worry.

Ishani forced a weak smile. "I'm fine, Maa," she managed to say.

She tried to stand up quickly to escape the suffocating attention, but as she moved, her pallu got snagged on the button of Rahul's shirt.

She froze, a wave of intense awkwardness washing over her. In her panicked state, she began fumbling with the fabric, her trembling hands making it impossible to unhook.

"Wait," Rahul said softly. He gently moved her hands away with his own and carefully unlooped the silk from his button.

The moment she was free, Ishani rushed out of the lift without looking back.

The crowd parted to give her way, but Rani's eyes followed her, burning with a sharp, suspicious anger.

Rahul stood up slowly, picking up his discarded coat."Are you alright, Rahul?" Rani asked, her tone tight.

Rahul gave a small, weary smile. "Yes, Mummy. I'm fine."

Rahul started to walk away, but Rani suddenly grabbed his hand, her grip firm. "Come with me," she said, her voice hard. "I need to talk to you right now."

Rahul knew exactly what this was about. He could feel the tension radiating off her. "Mummy, I have some urgent work to finish," he said, trying to avoid the confrontation. "I'll talk to you later, okay?"

Rani slowly let go of his hand, watching him as he walked away. Her eyes narrowed, and a cold resolve settled in her heart.

This is exactly what I was afraid of, she thought to herself, her mind racing with dark possibilities. My son is falling into her trap again. I have to stop this myself. I need to end this before it's too late.

Ishani hurried back into the house, where Ishaan and Mannat were sitting together, chatting away. The moment Ishaan saw her, his face lit up. "Mumma! Where were you?"

Ishani managed a small smile and

immediately picked him up in her arms, holding him close. "Did you miss Mumma so much?" she asked softly.

"Yes!" Ishaan replied, hugging her neck. Ishani smiled and kissed his forehead, trying to find comfort in his innocent scent.

Soon, everyone else entered the house, their eyes fixed on Ishani as she talked to her son.

Feeling their heavy stares, she quickly made an excuse and retreated to her room.

Her mind was a mess she didn't understand why she was hiding or why she felt so guilty. What did I do wrong? she asked herself, but there was no answer.

A moment later, Divya walked into the room. "Are you okay?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.

Ishani kept her back turned, pretending to be busy with something. "Yeah, I'm fine," she replied shortly.

Divya noticed her nervous energy, the

way her hands were shaking slightly.

She didn't beat around the bush. "Ishani... why were you hugging Rahul like that?"

Ishani froze instantly. She tried to keep her voice steady, but there was a slight tremor in it. "Just like that... he is like a younger brother to me. Can't I hug him?"

Divya crossed her arms, her gaze piercing. "He is my younger brother, Ishani, not yours."

Ishani turned around, forcing a light laugh to hide her discomfort. "Yes, but I've known Rahul since we were kids. He's just like a brother to me, the same way you are my sister."

"If that's the logic," Divya replied flatly, "then Vaibhav should have been my brother too."

Ishani laughed again, trying to deflect the tension. "What are you even saying? You're calling your own husband your brother now?"

But Divya wasn't smiling. She looked

Ishani straight in the eye and said, "Rahul is not your brother, Ishani. The sooner you drill this into your head, the better it will be for everyone. Rahul likes you. He even slit his wrist for you in the past you know everything! Despite all that, how can you act so innocent?"

Ishani was shocked, her breath

hitching. "Divya, he was just a naive kid back then. Now he's mature he understands the world. He doesn't think about me like that anymore."

Divya kept staring at her, her expression full of pity and warning. "You still don't get it, do you? Ishani, he still loves you. He is still in love with you."

Ishani stood there, completely stunned, the words echoing in her mind like a thunderclap.

Divya's voice softened, but her words were heavy. "My brother's love is innocent, Ishani. He doesn't know how to express what's in his heart. He hides it from everyone, but I can see his pain. I see how he still loves you. After your wedding, he was completely shattered. He couldn't sleep for nights on end he had to take sleeping pills just to close his eyes for a few hours. He forgot how to eat, how to laugh."

Ishani stood there, paralyzed, as Divya continued, "I never told you all this back then because you were married and I thought you were happy with Abhay. I didn't want to bring sadness into your married life. But Ishani..."

Divya stepped closer. "Abhay betrayed you, but my brother is not like that. He doesn't even look at another girl; he respects everyone. I know you still love Abhay in some way, and I don't want to force Rahul's love on you. But I just want you to give my Rahul one chance. Let him express his feelings. Give him a chance to show you what real love looks like."

"I can't love anyone anymore, Divya," Ishani whispered, her voice trembling. "Please, explain this to Rahul. Loving me will only bring him more pain. I have always seen him as a brother."

Divya looked her straight in the eye and said firmly, "Then change that perspective, Ishani. Stop looking at him as a brother and try looking at him as a life partner."

Just then, Vaibhav walked into the room and sensed the heavy atmosphere. "What happened to you two? Why are you standing like this?" he asked, looking from one to the other.

Divya quickly forced a smile. "It's nothing."

Ishani turned her face away to hide her reddened eyes. Vaibhav walked up to her, his voice full of concern. "Ishani, are you okay? You look pale."

"Yes, Bhai, I am fine," Ishani replied, her voice barely whispering.

"Come on, let's go. Let her get some rest," Divya said, taking Vaibhav by the hand and leading him out of the room.

The moment the door closed and she was alone, Ishani broke down.

Tears streamed down her face as she sank onto the bed. "I have to stay away from Rahul now," she sobbed to herself. "He deserves a good life partner someone who can actually give him happiness. I am so broken inside... how can I give joy to someone else when I am shattered into pieces myself?"

Everyone returned to their respective homes. Deeksha went to drop Alex off at Deepak's house, as there were no spare rooms left at her place.

Besides, Deepak wasn't exactly thrilled about the idea of Alex staying so close to Deeksha.

"So, how do you like the room?" Deeksha asked, looking around.

"It's great," Alex replied with a mischievous glint in his eye. "But more importantly, your fiancé is so hot! Man, how am I supposed to stay away from him?"

Deeksha glared at him, her expression hardening. "He is not interested in guys, Alex. And don't you dare flirt with him."

Alex burst out laughing. "Oh, possessive, are we? I honestly thought you'd never fall for anyone. So, what happened? Why are you actually going through this marriage?"

"It's not exactly in love," Deeksha admitted softly. "But I'm doing it for Mannat, for my Nanu... and Deepak is a really good guy. I've known him since we were kids."

Alex raised an eyebrow. "What kind of marriage is that? Don't tell me you aren't even physically attracted to him."

A deep blush crept onto Deeksha's cheeks. She looked away, biting her lip. "Well, yeah... I am physically attracted. We've even kissed. But love? Maybe that will happen after the wedding."

Alex groaned playfully. "Just leave, please. I thought you'd have some scandalous sex stories to tell me, but even here you're being so soft."

Deeksha playfully smacked his shoulder. "Shut up! Don't talk like that here, okay? Not with anyone."

"Okay, okay, I get it," Alex chuckled.

"All Right, I'm going. I'm exhausted wearing this heavy lehenga," Deeksha said, heading for the door. "Bye, Alex."

"Bye!"

As she stepped out of the room, she jumped slightly. Deepak was standing right there in the hallway. "Deepak? What are you doing here?" she asked, surprised.

Deepak didn't say a word. He just stared at her for a moment, his face unreadable.

"What's wrong?" Deeksha pressed.

"Nothing," he muttered curtly, turning on his heel and walking straight into his own room.

Deeksha watched him go, a confused frown on her face. She gave a heavy sigh, tired of the day's drama, and made her way back to her own house.

Night had fallen, but Rahul still hadn't returned home. Bhavya and Rani were waiting anxiously in the living room.

Bhavya tried calling him multiple times, but he wasn't picking up. Rani watched Bhavya's restless movements it secretly pleased her to see how much Bhavya cared for her son.

When it got very late, Rani said softly, "Bhavya beta, you go and sleep. I will wait for Rahul."

"It's okay, Aunty," Bhavya replied, her eyes fixed on the door. "I'm not sleepy anyway. If you are tired, you can go to bed. I'll wait."

"No," Rani sighed. "I won't be able to sleep until I see him come through that door."

Both women sat on the sofa, eyes glued to the entrance. Finally, the doorbell rang.

Bhavya rushed to open it. The moment she saw Rahul, the words tumbled out of her. "Rahul! Where were you? Do you have any idea-"

She stopped mid-sentence. Rahul was swaying on his feet, his eyes glazed. "I'm right here..." he mumbled, his voice thick with intoxication. "Where else would I be?"

"You drank again?" Bhavya whispered, her voice laced with disappointment.

Rahul gave a lopsided smile and placed a finger over his lips. "Shh... Mummy will hear you."

Rani watched her son from a distance, her heart sinking with sadness. But when she saw Bhavya stepping forward to steady him, a small thought crossed her mind.

She quietly slipped away into her own room, leaving the two of them alone, hoping that maybe this would bring them closer.

She didn't realize that this had become a routine. Rahul would come home like this, Bhavya would scold him, he would promise never to touch a bottle again, and then he would do it all over the next day.

Bhavya sighed, gripping his arm firmly to keep him from falling, and began leading him toward his bedroom. Rahul continued to blabber nonsense as he stumbled along beside her.

Bhavya made Rahul sit on the bed and asked, her voice filled with a mix of anger and concern, "Why did you drink so much today, Rahul? What happened?"

Rahul looked up at her with blurry eyes and mumbled, "Ishani... she still loves Abhay so much. Even after everything, she can't let him go."

Bhavya sighed, trying to keep her patience. "What is new in that, Rahul? Abhay was her husband. Of course she will love him."

"But he cheated on my Ishani!" Rahul cried out, his voice cracking. "He betrayed her. She shouldn't love a man like that."

Bhavya was stunned. She looked at him, wide-eyed. "Ishani told you? She told you that Abhay cheated on her?"

Rahul nodded slowly. "She said she doesn't love him anymore... but I saw it. I saw it in her eyes. She is still holding onto him."

Bhavya felt a sharp pang of jealousy and pain. She reached out and cupped his face with both hands, forcing him to look at her. "You could read all that just by looking into Ishani's eyes? But what about me, Rahul? Can't you see the truth in my eyes? Can't you see how much I love you?"

Rahul looked at her for a long moment, then gently moved her hands away from his face. "I see your love, Bhavya. I really do. But I can never love you back the same way. You are too precious, and a man like me doesn't deserve a girl like you."

He leaned back, his voice turning heavy with guilt. "You deserve someone who sees only you. Someone who loves you fully and keeps you happy every single day. I am not that man, Bhavya. I can never give you that kind of love."

Tears began to roll down Bhavya's cheeks. "I don't want that 'perfect' love, Rahul. Whatever little love you have for me, I am happy with that. I just want to be with you."

Rahul gave a sad, dry laugh and shook his head. "You are crazy, Bhavya. You are truly crazy."

"Why are you complicating our friendship like this, Bhavya?" he asked, his voice softening as he wiped her tears with his thumb. "Go from here... I can't stand to see you crying."

Bhavya turned and walked out of the room, her heart heavy.

Rahul felt a sharp sting of guilt watching her leave like that, but what could he do? He couldn't give her false hope. So many people had already broken Bhavya's heart, and he didn't want to be just another name on that list.

He could only offer her the happiness found in friendship, nothing more.

He lay back on the bed and closed his eyes. Suddenly, the memory of their hug in the lift flashed across his mind.

He could still feel Ishani in his arms. A small, involuntary smile played on his lips.

"Ishani..." he whispered to the empty room. "You touched me today after so long. I don't know how to stop this heart of mine anymore. I just don't know."

In their bedroom, Divya was struggling to take off her heavy jewelry. Her necklace was stubbornly stuck at the nape of her neck. "Vaibhav, help me out, please," she called out.

Vaibhav got up and moved behind her, his fingers working gently to unhook the necklace.

Divya noticed the frown on his face through the mirror. "What's wrong, Vaibhav?" she asked softly.

"I'm just worried about Ishani," he admitted, his voice heavy with concern.

Divya placed her hand over his, offering a reassuring squeeze. "Ishani is fine, Vaibhav. Don't stress yourself out over her."

Vaibhav nodded, but the worry didn't leave his eyes. Divya stood up and wrapped her arms around him in a warm hug. "She's just a little lonely, you know? She's been an introvert since childhood, scared of opening up to people. She can't express herself like everyone else. But I'm here, right? As her best friend, I'll take care of her. You don't have to worry."

Vaibhav smiled, gently pulling back from the hug to look at her. "You've become quite sensible, haven't you?"

Divya gave him a mock glare. "What do you mean by that? Are you saying I wasn't sensible before?"

Vaibhav laughed. "I never said that!"

"You just did!" she countered, crossing her arms.

"I meant you've become even more intelligent by staying with me," Vaibhav teased, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Divya turned to walk away in feigned anger, but Vaibhav quickly caught her. "Sorry, sorry! I was just joking."

He pulled her face toward his, planting soft pecks on her lips again again between whispers of "sorry."

Finally, a smile broke through Divya's facade.

"Are we good now?" Vaibhav asked.

"Yes, we're good," she smiled, leaning into him. "Now let's sleep. I'm absolutely exhausted."

"Yeah," Vaibhav agreed. "Let's go."

..............................................................................................

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