Gauri slowly descended the stairs, her anklets chiming in the tense silence.
"What's this about witches and all?" she asked, her eyes narrowing as they swept across the family.
Vihaan stiffened, masking his panic. "You misheard," he said quickly, forcing a smile.
But Gauri's voice was steady, cutting through his defense. "My ears are working properly… and so is my memory."
The family exchanged alarmed looks.
Gauri stepped closer, her gaze fixed on Vihaan. "Last night… I may not remember everything. But I do remember one thing—you told me this family is haunted by a witch."
Vihaan's breath caught in his throat, his eyes widening. The color drained from his face.
And around them, the rest of the family froze in utter shock.
Gauri's voice hardened. "So please don't even think about lying to me, Vihaan. Just tell me the truth."
Vihaan stayed silent, his jaw clenched.
Frustrated, Gauri turned to Yug. "You consider me a sister, and you call me sister-in-law… so please, Yug, tell me."
Yug hesitated, shifting on his feet. "Sister-in-law… the truth is—"
"Quiet, Yug!" Veena's voice rang out sharply. "You are in no position to answer her questions."
Gauri's eyes flashed as she looked around the circle of silent faces. "Why? Why can't anyone answer me? What are you all hiding from me?"
Vihaan finally stepped forward, his voice low but firm. "Fine. You want answers from me? You want the truth?" His eyes locked on hers. "This family… is haunted by a witch."
Gauri staggered back, her eyes widening in disbelief. "What?"
"Yes," Vihaan said, his voice heavy. "I married you because my family was in danger. And only my marriage could stop the witch's dark powers from destroying us."
For a moment, Gauri just stared at him—then suddenly she burst into laughter, sharp and bitter. But the laughter broke, twisting into sobs. She grabbed Vihaan's collar, her tears spilling hotly down her cheeks.
"Seriously?" she cried. "You ruined my life—forced me into this marriage—because of your superstitions? Because of your family's fear?"
Raani's voice broke the silence. "Seriously, sister-in-law… a witch is haunting this family."
Gauri's eyes, still wet with tears, darted toward her. She released Vihaan's collar and stepped back, her chest heaving. "Witches? Ghosts? Spirits? All of this is mere superstition! They don't exist!"
Her voice rose, trembling with both pain and rage. She turned to Vihaan, her words cutting deep. "And because of this same superstition, you ruined my life, Mr. Vihaan Kothari!"
"Why are you overreacting?" Veena interjected coldly. "When my son has actually done you a favor."
Gauri suddenly laughed—a hollow, bitter sound that sent chills down everyone's spine. "A favor?" She glared at Veena, her tone sharp as a blade. "If you had a daughter, and someone forced her into marriage—and then she discovered it was all based on some silly superstition—what would your reaction be?"
The hall went still, the weight of her words cutting through.
"As far as your so-called favor is concerned," Gauri added with venom, her voice shaking with fury, "I told you once before—I don't need your son's favor. He can shove it into himself."
Without another word, Gauri turned sharply and stormed upstairs, her footsteps echoing like thunder.
The family stood frozen, the air thick with tension. Vihaan's fists tightened at his sides, his expression torn between guilt and helplessness, while Yug and Raani looked after Gauri with worry.
After Gauri stormed upstairs, silence weighed heavily in the hall.
Veena broke it with a scoff. "This girl only knows how to cause drama and chaos in this house. She's overreacting over such a small matter."
Yug immediately stepped forward, his tone firm. "Aunty, what do you mean by small matter? If it's extramarital affair or marital abuse, society hypes it and calls it a big issue. But right here we're talking about witches—dark forces—which is next level beyond both cases. And you're calling it a small issue?"
The family glanced at Yug, startled by his boldness.
Vihaan's jaw tightened, and he finally spoke, his voice low but strong. "Yug is right. It's normal for any girl to react like this, Mom. Gauri is not wrong by reacting the way she did."
The words struck Veena like a slap. She turned to Vihaan, shocked. "You… you're defending her? Against your own mother?"
Vihaan held her gaze, his eyes unwavering. "Yes, because this time she's right. You can't expect her to quietly accept everything we dump on her—especially when we forced her into this marriage on the basis of secrets and fear."
A hush fell over the room, the family exchanging uneasy glances. Dadi placed a hand on her beads, silently muttering a prayer, while Raani looked at Vihaan with a mix of admiration and relief.
Veena, however, stood frozen, her face pale with both anger and disbelief.