Avinash and Radha had informed everyone that Aarav was married to Pia. Aarav, however, was furious.
Raj and Sakshi remained silent, trying to grasp the situation. While they began to understand the circumstances, they were well aware of Aarav's temper. Raj knew how much Aarav liked Muskaan and that he had been happy about the prospect of marrying her. He could also understand why Aarav was so angry now, but he felt it was best not to interfere at this moment.
Aarav had learned the truth, but even after knowing everything, his anger didn't subside.
On the contrary, he began to hate Pia even more. He was hurt by Muskaan leaving him and felt a growing frustration at the thought of living with a stranger who was now his wife. Aarav was overwhelmed and couldn't think clearly.
All he wanted to do was throw Pia out of the house and go searching for Muskaan himself. But he restrained himself, unwilling to hurt his parents by acting impulsively.
Aarav glanced at Pia, who stood with her head bowed, her face red and swollen from crying.
Then he looked at his parents, and without saying a word to anyone, walked straight to his room. No one tried to stop him, understanding that he needed time to process everything.
After Aarav left,
Radha turned to Raj and Sakshi, who had been silent until now, and asked, "Do you two also think what happened was wrong?"
"No, Badi Maa. I'm sure you made this decision after careful consideration and for Aarav's benefit. But perhaps it would have been better if you'd informed him earlier. Aarav won't be able to handle such a big revelation," Raj replied.
Sakshi nodded in agreement and added, "Yes, Mom. This is such a huge matter. Maybe Raj Bhaiya is right. See how everyone was so happy just a little while ago, and now look…" She trailed off.
"I'm so sorry," Pia interrupted, her voice choked with sobs.
"It's all my fault. You were all so happy, and now I've ruined everything. It's all because of me…" She couldn't finish her sentence, overcome by guilt and fear.
Radha consoled her gently,
"No, Pia. None of this is your fault. Don't blame yourself. In fact, you saved our family's honor by agreeing to marry Aarav. Don't think negatively. Go and rest—you must be exhausted from the day."
Avinash added kindly,
"And no more tears. From today, you're our daughter, and we can't bear to see our daughter cry. If Aarav says anything hurtful, come straight to us, okay?"
Radha then turned to Sakshi and said, "Sakshi, take Pia to her room. And give her some of your clothes for now; her belongings will arrive tomorrow."
Sakshi nodded and escorted Pia to her room.
Once Pia left, Radha grew concerned and turned to Raj.
"Raj, can you talk to Aarav? He must be very angry right now and won't listen to anyone else, but he might listen to you. Please go to him. I'm worried he might do something reckless in his anger."
"Don't worry, Badi Maa. I'll talk to Aarav. He'll understand. You should rest now and stop worrying," Raj assured her. But deep down, he knew it wouldn't be easy to calm Aarav down.
Meanwhile, Sakshi led Pia to her room. Breaking the silence, she asked, "So, Bhabi, what do you do?" Her cheerful tone made Pia look at her in surprise.
"What happened, Bhabi? Did I say something wrong?" Sakshi asked, noticing Pia's reaction.
"Did you just call me Bhabi?" Pia asked hesitantly.
"Yes! You're married to my brother now, so you are my Bhabi, aren't you? Or… can't I call you that?" Sakshi asked, tilting her head in mock seriousness.
"No, no, it's not that… I just…" Pia trailed off before asking,
"Aren't you upset with me for hurting your brother and marrying him under false pretenses?"
Sakshi shook her head with a smile. "Not at all! You didn't do this on purpose. Besides, we've met before, remember? When I came to your house? I liked you back then too. Want to know a secret?" She leaned in conspiratorially, her voice dropping to a whisper that was still audible.
"I never really liked Muskaan Bhabi that much anyway. But Bhaiya liked her, so what could I do? Oh, but don't tell anyone I said that, okay?" Sakshi's dramatic delivery made Pia smile despite herself.
"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone," Pia promised.
Pia wasn't surprised by Sakshi's opinion of Muskaan, knowing her sister well enough to understand why.
"Honestly, I had already fixed you up with Raj Bhaiya," Sakshi continued playfully.
"But I guess you were meant to be with Aarav Bhaiya instead." She winked at Pia, her laughter filling the room.
For the first time that day,
Pia smiled genuinely. She felt lucky to have found a sweet and supportive friend in Sakshi when she needed one the most.
What's next? Will Raj be able to calm Aarav's anger? Stay tuned for the next chapter!