The weight of Divya's verdict felt like a physical burden on Meira's shoulders. As the hall cleared, she had only one goal: to retreat into the safety of her room and stay buried there for the next forty-eight hours. She didn't want to see the cold eyes of the family or feel the phantom pressure of hands on her throat. She wanted to vanish until the ink on those papers was dry.
She was hurrying through the corridor when a figure stepped out, blocking her path. She flinched instinctively, her hand flying to her bruised neck.
"Meira, wait! It's just me," a gentle voice said.
It was Sahil. He looked at her with genuine concern; his brow furrowed as his eyes dropped to the marks on her throat.
"I was looking for you," he said softly. "I heard what happened last night—the attack. I've been worried sick ever since."
Meira felt a sudden lump in her throat. After Divya's cold dismissal and Yamini's taunts, Sahil's kindness felt like a foreign language. "How did you find out? Divya called it a drama."
"Taniya told me everything," Sahil explained, his voice dropping to a whisper. "She's shaken up too. No one believes it was just 'drama,' Meira. This house has secrets, but it shouldn't have victims."
He stepped a bit closer, his presence offering a rare sense of normalcy. "Look, I know everything feels heavy right now, but there's actually some good news. It might help take your mind off things, even if just for a moment."
Meira looked at him, curious despite her exhaustion. "What news?"
"Some visitors are coming this evening," Sahil smiled. "It's a formal meeting for Taniya's marriage proposal. The family they're meeting is quite reputable, and the house is going to be busy with the preparations. It's the first time in a long while that there's been a reason to celebrate something here."
For the first time since she arrived at Roopa Mansion, Meira felt a small spark of relief. The thought of a wedding proposal—something filled with life and future plans—felt like a shield. If the house was focused on Taniya's future, perhaps the eyes watching Meira would finally look away.
The atmosphere in Roopa Mansion had shifted from oppressive dread to a forced, high-stakes elegance. The servants moved like shadows, polishing silverware and straightening heavy velvet curtains. Upstairs, Taniya sat motionless before her vanity mirror, her reflection a mask of pale anxiety. She looked less like a bride-to-be and more like a sacrificial lamb.
The door clicked open, and Yamini swept in, her eyes sharp and assessing. "I hope this time things go well," Yamini remarked, adjusting a stray strand of Taniya's hair with aggressive precision. "I've felt it since morning—good things are happening. And you," she leaned in, her voice dropping to a warning hiss, "you just do what we are saying. No 'ifs' or 'buts,' okay?"
Taniya didn't argue. She simply turned her gaze back to the mirror, her silence echoing through the room.
Downstairs, the grand hall had been transformed into a royal court. Divya, Shekar, and Vivek stood as the welcoming committee, their faces practiced in the art of wealthy hospitality. As the guests arrived, Rudra and Raghav took their places as the dutiful sons, guiding the visitors into the heart of the mansion.
Finally, Yamini descended the staircase with Taniya in tow. The guests were a prestigious group, but two young men stood out in the crowd. Yamini, never one for subtlety, immediately sought out the man of the hour. "I assume you are Aditya?" she asked, her eyes landing on the 28-year-old man who held himself with a quiet, stable dignity.
He was the one Taniya was supposed to meet. But Yamini's sharp eyes quickly drifted to the second man—a 27-year-old who carried an air of effortless power that outshone everyone in the room.
"And who might this be?" Yamini inquired, her curiosity piqued.
The groom's mother smiled proudly. "This is Dev. He is my eldest brother's son. He's only in Mumbai for a few days, so he decided to accompany Aditya today."
The air in the room seemed to shift as the name settled. Yamini realized with a jolt of greed that Dev was the son of the legendary diamond merchant—one of the biggest tycoons in the country. Dev wasn't just a guest; he was royalty in the world of commerce.