Vihaan's grip on Gauri's wrist was like iron as he pulled her toward his car. She didn't resist this time—her silence weighed heavier than her tears, her heart aching with thoughts of Charvi's safety.
He yanked open the car door and guided her inside with a firm hand, his jaw clenched tight with urgency. Without a word, Vihaan slid into the driver's seat, started the engine, and sped off into the night, the temple bells fading behind them.
Back at the Kothari mansion, Urvashi's sobs echoed through the grand hall as she clutched Yug's convulsing form. "My baby… please don't take him from me!"
Veena, her voice trembling but steady, placed a hand on Urvashi's shoulder. "Control yourself, Urvashi… Vihaan will bring Gauri. And once the ritual is done, everything will fall into place."
Shyom stood close, his face tense with worry. "We'll get through this together. Yug will survive."
Dadi's expression was stern, yet even she clung to Veena's reassurance as the family gathered around the boy writhing in pain.
Suddenly, Pratham Vanshi's eyes flared with recognition. She turned sharply toward the doors, her voice low but filled with certainty. "The Jalpanchi's presence… I can feel it. She's here."
All eyes swung toward the entrance as the heavy doors creaked open. Vihaan strode in, Gauri beside him, her face pale but resigned.
At that very moment, the air shifted—the suffocating darkness that had gripped the mansion seemed to lift. Yug's body stilled, his convulsions ceasing. Slowly, his eyes fluttered open.
"Yug!" Urvashi cried, falling to her knees beside him. Tears streamed freely down her face as she cupped his cheeks. "My son… my child, you're safe!"
Shyom's eyes filled with relief as he pressed his forehead against his son's. "Thank the gods…"
Vihaan dropped to his knees, pulling Yug into his arms, his voice breaking with emotion. "Yug… bhai… you're okay now. You scared the life out of me!" His crimson aura flickered faintly, betraying the storm of emotions raging inside him.
Yug, still weak, smiled faintly and gripped Vihaan's hand. "Bhaiya… I knew you'd save me."
Vihaan held him tighter, tears brimming in his eyes. "I'll always protect you. Always."
The family watched in silence, their hearts softened by the reunion. For the first time, Vihaan's hardened exterior cracked open, his raw desperation and love for his brother shining through.
Meanwhile, Gauri stood slightly apart, watching the emotional scene unfold. Her heart twisted painfully—Vihaan's love for his brother was undeniable, but so were the chains he had forced on her.
The room was filled with relief and gratitude, yet Gauri's eyes glistened with silent tears, her soul caught between compassion and resentment.
And then, her voice cut through the fragile moment—shaking, but resolute.
"Vihaan!" Gauri called out, her voice dripping with anger.
As Yug's breathing steadied and relief spread through the mansion, Gauri stepped forward, her voice trembling with fury.
"Where is my sister, Vihaan?" she demanded, her gaze locking onto him with burning intensity.
The family froze, stunned by her outburst. Urvashi frowned in confusion while Shyom shifted uneasily. Even Dadi's sharp eyes narrowed, curious.
Vihaan met Gauri's stare, his jaw clenched. "Your sister is safe."
"Safe?" Gauri's voice cracked, her anger and fear colliding. "Don't lie to me! You showed me a video—Charvi tied up, begging me to save her. Don't you dare say you didn't!"
The words hit the room like lightning. Everyone turned to Vihaan, disbelief etched on their faces.
For a moment, guilt flickered across his eyes, but he buried it quickly. "That video…" he said flatly, "was edited. Nothing more. I only needed to push you into making the right decision. Your sister was never in danger."
The floor seemed to crumble beneath Gauri's feet. Her lips parted in shock as her world tilted. "Edited?" she whispered, her voice shaking. "You mean… you lied? You played with my biggest fear to trap me into this marriage?"
Vihaan's silence was answer enough.
The sting of betrayal surged through her, and with all the strength of her broken heart, she slapped him across the face. The sound cracked like thunder in the hall.
"You destroyed me, Vihaan!" Gauri's tears spilled freely, her body trembling. "You forced me into a bond that was never yours to claim. You stole my dignity with lies!"
Vihaan's voice was low but unwavering. "I put sindoor in your maang and tied the mangalsutra around your neck. Whether you want to admit it or not, you are my wife now."
Her bitter laugh cut through the heavy air. "Wife? Do you even understand the sanctity of that word? Marriage is trust, respect, love. What you did was blackmail, coercion, cruelty. Not marriage."
With trembling hands, Gauri yanked the mangalsutra from her neck, the beads scattering across the marble floor. Gasps filled the hall. Then, defiantly, she wiped the vermillion from her forehead.
"I will never accept you as my husband, Vihaan Kothari. You may have trapped me under that banyan tree, but you will never own my soul!"
Veena's furious voice sliced through the silence. "Shameless girl! Instead of falling at my son's feet in gratitude, you humiliate him? Vihaan did you a favor by marrying you. He gave you respect!"
"I don't want his respect!" Gauri screamed back, her eyes blazing with fire. "I don't want him, I don't want his lies, I don't want his favor! I want my life back!"
And with that, she stormed out of the mansion, her sobs echoing into the night, leaving Vihaan standing amidst the scattered beads and the silent stares of his family.