Devika opened the door — and froze.
"Radha ji… Naveen bhai sahab? You both… here suddenly?"
Radha's face was serious.
"Devika ji… where is Aanya? Please call her."
Devika hesitated.
"Aanya? She hasn't come home yet. She'll be here soon. Why are we talking at the door? Please come inside."
Radha and Naveen exchanged a glance and stepped in.
Behind them, Nandini appeared — and a faint smile crossed her face.
Finally…
Everyone sat down.
Devika looked concerned.
"What happened? You both came so suddenly at this hour. Is everything okay?"
Naveen spoke, his voice heavy.
"Devika ji… we are sorry. We don't know why our daughter did such a thing. We are ashamed."
Devika frowned in confusion.
"What are you talking about?"
Radha's eyes filled with guilt.
"Devika ji, please don't hide it from us. We know your whole family is hurt because of Aanya. She should not have done that. I don't know why she tried to stop the marriage. And… I know why you didn't lift my call. You didn't want us to feel guilty. But please forgive us."
Devika slowly understood.
Her expression changed to shock.
"Radha ji… how do you know about this? Did Aanya tell you?"
Before Radha could answer, Nandini spoke calmly.
"Devika, it's not important who told them. What's important is whether it's true or not. And what they said… is true, right?"
Radha and Naveen lowered their heads in shame.
Devika looked at Nandini sternly.
"Sister-in-law, please."
Then she turned back to Aanya's parents.
"Radha ji, who told you this? Did Aanya say something? Because whatever you've heard is wrong. Aanya did nothing wrong."
Radha shook her head.
"Aanya didn't tell us."
"Then who did?" Devika demanded.
There was a pause.
Nandini straightened slightly.
"I told them."
Devika stared at her in disbelief.
"Sister-in-law… why would you say that?"
At that moment, Prerna, hearing the raised voices, came downstairs.
She stopped midway — shocked to see Aanya's parents.
Nandini folded her hands.
"Did I say anything wrong? Devika, wasn't the marriage stopped because of Aanya?"
"No!" Devika replied firmly. "It wasn't because of Aanya."
"Then how did it stop?" Nandini challenged.
Devika took a deep breath.
"Because of Prerna. She didn't want to marry. She ran away."
Silence filled the room.
Just then, Prerna stepped forward.
"Mom…"
Everyone turned toward her.
Nandini smiled slightly.
"Well, now Prerna is here. She'll tell the truth. Tell us, Prerna — what happened?"
Prerna looked hurt.
"Aunt, what are you doing? Why did you tell Aanya's parents like this?"
Nandini replied coldly,
"I did what your mother should have done."
Prerna turned to Radha and Naveen.
"Aunty… Uncle… none of this is Aanya's fault. She only did what I told her to do. I made her promise me. She had no other choice except to follow me."
Nandini scoffed.
"No other choice?"
She turned to Aanya's parents.
"Your daughter fooled everyone. She knew Prerna wasn't there. She knew where Prerna had gone. Instead of telling us the truth, she wore the bridal dress and acted as the bride so no one would suspect anything."
"Aunt, please stop!" Prerna pleaded.
But Nandini continued mercilessly.
"In the end, she made both families suffer. She humiliated us in front of everyone."
Radha and Naveen kept their faces down, drowning in guilt.
Nandini's voice hardened.
"Now tell me — was what your daughter did right or wrong?"
The question echoed in the silent living room.
At that very moment, outside the house, Aryan's car stopped.
As they arrived, Aryan's phone rang.
He glanced at the screen and answered it immediately, stepping slightly aside to talk.
Aanya opened the car door and stepped out.
She noticed another car parked outside.
Did someone come? she wondered.
Because of the dim light, she didn't observe properly and failed to recognize it as her parents' car.
She turned slightly toward Aryan, about to ask — but stopped herself.
Why should I talk to him? He didn't even say sorry, she muttered internally and walked toward the house.
She stepped inside.
The moment her eyes landed on the living room—
She froze.
"Mom? Dad?" she said in shock.
Everyone turned toward her.
Devika softly whispered, "Aanya…"
Radha slowly stood up, her eyes burning with anger.
"Mom… Dad… when did you both come? I didn't even—"
Before she could complete her sentence, Radha suddenly stepped forward.
Slap.
The sharp sound echoed through the hall.
Everyone gasped in shock.
Aanya's face turned to the side from the impact. Slowly, she brought her hand to her cheek, her eyes wide with disbelief.
Nandini, standing slightly behind, felt a hidden satisfaction rise within her.
Aanya looked at her mother — stunned, hurt, unable to process what had just happened.
Radha's eyes were filled with anger and pain.
"Is this why you wanted to come here?" Radha demanded. "To hurt your parents?"
Aanya's eyes slowly filled with tears.
"Mom… I didn't—"
"Radha ji! What are you doing?" Devika stepped forward anxiously.
But Radha was too emotional to stop.
"It's our mistake," she continued bitterly. "Your father told me not to send you here. But I didn't listen.
Tears rolled down Aanya's cheeks silently.
"I believed you would never do something like this… but you proved us wrong."
The room felt suffocating.
Radha's voice turned firm.
"From now on, you will not stay here. Go, Pack your things. You're coming home with us."
Aanya just stared at her mother in disbelief, her lips trembling but no words coming out.
Devika immediately stepped forward.
"Radha ji, what are you saying? How can Aanya leave? She is still studying."
Prerna joined in anxiously.
"Yes, aunty… how can Aanya leave suddenly?"
Radha's expression remained firm.
"Devika ji, we will discuss about it later. Right now, Aanya — go and pack your bags."
Devika looked helpless.
"Naveen ji, please don't do this. There is no fault of Aanya."
Radha interrupted sharply.
"Please, Devika ji. Don't defend her. There is Aanya's fault. And from now on, she will not live here."
Those words broke Aanya completely.
Tears streamed down her face as she stood frozen.
Devika turned desperately toward Naveen.
"Naveen bhai sahab, at least stay tonight. It's already late."
Naveen sighed heavily.
"There is no need, Devika ji. Let it be. We will leave now. It's better for everyone."
Then he looked at Aanya.
"Aanya, listen to your mother. Go pack your bags."
Aanya looked at her father — searching for softness, for understanding — but saw only disappointment.
Slowly, silently, she turned and walked towards her room.
Outside, Aryan finished his call and slipped his phone into his pocket.
As he turned toward the house, he noticed another car parked there.
Who came now? he wondered.
He walked inside.
The moment he stepped into the living room, he felt it — the heavy silence.
His eyes landed on Aanya's parents.
Prerna, standing near the stairs, saw him first.
"Bhai…"
Everyone turned toward Aryan.
Devika looked at him, her face tense.
"Aryan, where were you till now?"
"Mom, I was talking with clients in the phone," he replied calmly.
Then he turned back toward Aanya's parents.
"Uncle… Aunty," he greeted politely.
"When did you both come?"
"Just a few minutes ago," Naveen answered.
Aryan nodded — but something felt wrong.
He looked at Devika again.
"Mom… what happened? Is everything okay?"
Devika didn't answer.
Her silence worried him.
"Did something happen?" he asked again.
Before anyone could respond—
He heard footsteps.
Aryan turned.
Aanya was walking down slowly… carrying her bags.
Her eyes were red and filled with tears.
"Aanya?" he said softly, confused.
She stopped.
Everyone's gaze shifted to her.
Aryan walked a step forward.
"Why are you crying? And why are you bringing your bags?"
Aanya lowered her eyes, unable to speak.
Prerna suddenly stepped forward, her voice shaking.
"Bhai… please tell Aanya's parents not to take her."
Aryan frowned.
"Take her? What are you talking about?"
Prerna's eyes filled with tears.
"Tell them that whatever happened during my wedding… it was my fault. Not Aanya's."
Aryan slowly turned toward Aanya's parents.
Both Naveen and Radha had lowered their heads.
He didn't say anything to them.
Instead, he walked toward Aanya.
She was standing there quietly, tears rolling down her face.
As he came closer, he noticed it—
A red mark on her cheek.
His eyes darkened.
"Aanya… why is your face red?"
Aanya immediately turned her face away.
Aryan's jaw tightened.
"Did someone slap you?"
She remained silent.
His voice grew colder.
"Who did this?"
No response.
Aryan suddenly turned toward everyone in the room.
"Who did this?!" he shouted.
Everyone froze.
Devika looked at him in shock, sensing something dangerous in his tone.
Radha stepped forward.
"I slapped her."
Aryan looked at her — his expression unreadable but burning.
He started walking toward Radha.
But before he could reach her—
Aanya rushed in between them.
"Aryan, stop!"
He halted instantly.
She looked at him pleadingly.
"Mr. Aryan, what are you doing? They are my parents. They have every right to do whatever they want."
Aryan stared at her in disbelief.
"Seriously?" he said. "Does that also mean they can slap you?"
The room fell silent.
Nandini, Naveen, Radha — all stared at Aryan in shock.
Devika couldn't understand why Aryan was this furious.
Naveen finally spoke.
"Aryan babu, Aanya did wrong. She deserved that slap."
Aryan's eyes flashed.
"You don't get to decide what is deserved or not in my house."
The words hit the room like thunder.
Everyone gasped.
Aanya looked at Aryan —
Devika immediately intervened.
"Aryan! What are you saying? He is your father's friend. He is elder than you. Is this how you speak?"
"Mom, I don't care who it is… when they do something wrong."
The firmness in his voice silenced Devika.
He slowly turned toward Radha.
"You have done wrong."
Naveen tried to step in.
"Aryan babu, we—"
"Don't talk while I'm speaking!" Aryan shouted.
The room froze.
Even Aanya looked at him in shock.
Aanya quickly stepped forward.
"Mr. Aryan, please… don't say anything that hurts my parents. I can't bear it."
Aryan turned to her, his eyes blazing with emotion.
"And I can't bear to see you in pain."
Silence.
Everyone stared at him.
The weight of his words hung in the air.
Aryan suddenly realized what he had just said.
He shifted his gaze slightly.
"I mean… I can't bear it when someone innocent is being punished."
He looked at Naveen firmly.
"You can't take her."
Radha and Naveen exchanged a glance.
Naveen straightened.
"Aryan babu, we respect you a lot. But this time, we cannot listen to you."
Aryan's expression hardened.
"We will leave now," Naveen said decisively.
Aanya saw the seriousness in her parents' faces… and the stubborn fire in Aryan's eyes.
She took a deep breath.
"Mr. Aryan… we will go."
Aryan looked at her — stunned.
For the first time since entering the room, he had no words.
Radha held Aanya's arm.
Naveen picked up her bags.
They began walking toward the door.
Devika and Prerna stood helplessly, their eyes filled with sadness.
Aanya turned her head.
Her tear-filled eyes met Aryan's.
Something broke inside him.
As they reached near the door—
Aryan's voice echoed firmly behind them.
"Aanya will not go with you."
To be Continued...
--
End