As Raj approached Aarav's room, his tension grew. It felt as though he was walking toward a volcano that was on the verge of erupting.
Finally, he reached Aarav's room, slowly opened the door, and peeked inside. Aarav was sitting on the floor, looking extremely furious. He wasn't crying, but his eyes were red, and he appeared deeply troubled.
"You're wondering why Muskaan did this to you, aren't you?" Raj said as he stepped inside.
Hearing a voice, Aarav flinched. But when he saw it was Raj, he immediately got up and hugged him. At this moment, Aarav needed support, and there was no one better than Raj for that.
Raj comforted him and began speaking. "Did she ever tell you she was in love with someone else?"
Aarav nodded and explained, "Yes, she told me before. During her college days, she was in love with someone, and they were together. But for some reason, they broke up. She assured me she had moved on completely and that's why she agreed to this marriage."
"I can't understand why, if everything was fine, she would run away from the wedding like this. If she had a problem, she could have talked to me, but she didn't think it was necessary to say anything!" Aarav was seething with anger.
"Calm down. I'll find her and get all your questions answered. But for now, you need to think about what's next," Raj hesitated but wanted to bring up Piya.
"What do you mean by 'what's next'? What are you talking about?" Aarav asked.
"I mean, think about Pia and the marriage. It's time to focus on her. Forget Muskaan because even if you find her, she's not worthy of marrying you. Someone who betrays once can betray again," Raj tried to reason with Aarav.
"What nonsense are you saying? How can I think about someone whose name I only just learned? Who is she, and why did she marry me? I can't even imagine spending my life with someone I don't know. How did she even agree to this? Doesn't she have any self-respect? I don't even want to look at her face," Aarav spat out angrily.
"Enough! You shouldn't talk about someone like this without knowing the full story. Didn't Mom and Dad explain the circumstances of this marriage? She agreed to marry you to save her family's honor. She didn't think about herself at all. So, stop talking like this. If anyone in the house hears you, you'll be in serious trouble," Raj defended Pia.
"My own brother, my closest friend, is siding with a stranger over me? You've only known her for a few minutes, and now you're here lecturing me about her? What's happening here?" Aarav shouted.
"I'm not taking sides. I'm just trying to explain what Mom told me. I've always been good at reading people, and I can see the innocence in Pia's eyes. Just give yourself a chance to get to know her," Raj said calmly.
"So you're telling me to forget Muskaan, my first love, and accept a stranger as my wife? I can't forget Muskaan. I'll find her, and everything will be fine," Aarav insisted, refusing to understand.
"Are you crazy? What will be fine if Muskaan comes back? Don't forget you're married now—to Pia. She's your wife, and my sister-in-law," Raj snapped, growing angry at Aarav's blindness to Muskaan's betrayal.
"I don't accept this marriage! She might be your sister-in-law or this family's daughter-in-law, but she'll never be my wife.
For all I know, she did this for money. Family honor is just an excuse. Who wouldn't jump at the chance to marry into a wealthy family like ours? I'm telling you,
she's not innocent—she's greedy.
She probably sat in the mandap for money and nothing else. Does she have no shame, marrying her own sister's fiancé? And Mom and Dad, how could they marry me off to her without even asking me?"
"I can't even look at a characterless girl like her, let alone accept her as my wife!" Aarav's harsh words cut deep.
"Stop it, Aarav. What are you saying—" Raj was about to respond when another voice interrupted.
"That's enough, both of you.I've been listening for a while now, but this is too much."
It was Sakshi, standing at the door with Pia, who had her head bowed. They had overheard everything Aarav and Raj were saying. Tears streamed down Pia's face after hearing such things about herself.
When Aarav and Raj saw Sakshi and Pia standing at the door, they were shocked.
"And you, Aarav bhaiya," Sakshi said, stepping forward,
"think before you speak. How can you say such things about someone you don't even know? What if someone said the same things about me?"
"My sister wouldn't marry just anyone. She wouldn't do what she did,"
Aarav said arrogantly, his tone sharp. His words felt like daggers to Pia, who silently endured them. Seeing her expression, Aarav felt a slight pang of guilt, and his anger began to subside.
"Enough of this now. Sakshi, why are you here?" Raj asked, trying to calm the situation.
"Mom asked me to drop bhabhi off in bhaiya's room. She didn't know the room, so I brought her here. But when we got here, we overheard your conversation and stopped to listen," Sakshi explained.
"Wait a minute. What did you say? Drop her off in my room? Why would she stay here?" Aarav asked.
"Because Mom said so," Sakshi replied, glaring at Aarav.
"And why would Mom say that? Why would she stay here? She can't stay here," Aarav snapped again.
"Raj bhaiya, please explain something to him," Sakshi said, exasperated.
"Listen, Aarav, stop acting like a child. You're married now. She's your wife, so she'll stay here. Where else would she go?" Raj said, trying to reason.
"I don't care where she goes. She can stay wherever she wants but not here. And don't call her 'bhabhi.' How can you accept her as your sister-in-law so easily? You're my brother!" Aarav argued.
"Please, don't fight over me. I'll sleep in another room. I don't mind," Pia finally spoke up after staying silent for a long time.
"Wait, bhabhi. Aarav, I'm calling her bhabhi because she is your wife. If you keep pushing me, I'll have no problem calling you jiju either," Raj said, smirking. Aarav glared at him.
"Bhabhi, you're staying here. If Mom finds out you slept in another room, none of us will hear the end of it," Raj said firmly.
"Yes, bhabhi. And if Mom finds out, we're all in trouble in the morning," Sakshi added before dragging Raj out of the room.
"Alright, Aarav bhaiya and bhabhi. Good night. Stop fighting and go to sleep. And bhabhi, if you need anything, you know where my room is. Just come over," Sakshi said as she closed the door behind her.
Now Aarav and Pia were alone in the room. Pia noticed the room was decorated with flowers for the wedding night, which only made her more anxious. Neither of them said a word.
Will Aarav apologize for his rude behavior? Will Pia speak up? Or will the silence between them remain unbroken? Stay tuned for the next chapter, where much more is yet to unfold!