
Aavya couldnât make any sense of what had just happened. She knew very well how much Koyal used to like Vanjeet.
âDi⌠Di⌠where are youâŚâ
She had been restless for the past several hours, and her sisterâs absence was making her even more anxious. She was falling into a strange, overwhelming state of confusion. Pulling out her phone with trembling hands, she began dialing her sisterâs number repeatedly. Even though she knew her sister wasnât answering her calls and knew all too well that the only response sheâd been hearing was the same mechanical voice saying the phone was switched off, something inside her refused to accept it. It was as if she were intoxicated by denial, unable to grasp the truth. She kept calling obsessively, clinging to the hope that, at some point, her sister would pick up any phone or device. All she wanted was to hear her voice. Nothing else mattered anymore.
âPlease⌠please⌠Youâve never been angry with me before⌠How could you be now? You always answer my call in just one ring. Why arenât you picking up now?â
She kept dialing like someone possessed, as if frantically trying to escape a nightmare. But it was all in vain. With a frustrated groan, she hurled her phone onto the bed and began pacing back and forth. Everything around her was beginning to feel suffocating. Her head was throbbing, her body felt heavier with every passing second, and nothing seemed right. A deep, nauseating discomfort took over her senses. The room was empty, utterly devoid of anyone who could possibly help her. But even if someone had been there, perhaps no one could have handled the storm brewing inside her. Her turmoil was drowning her.
Her head started spinning violently. She tried to open and close her eyes, hoping the blurriness would go away, that her vision would return to normal. But it didnât. And then, without warning, everything blacked out. She collapsed. Her head hit the sharp corner of the bed, and within seconds, everything went dark.
Vanjeet stood furiously at the balcony, staring blankly below. There was nothing particular to see, but it seemed as if his eyes were frozen, searching for something unknown, even to him. For a moment, he drifted into old memories.
PAST EVENT
Vanjeet had been attentively listening to the presentation, absorbing every word. But it wasnât just the presentation that had his attention. His eyes had locked onto her, the girl presenting. He knew she had sensed his gaze; it was impossible not to. Yet, for the first time in his life, he found himself truly impressed by someoneâs work, so much so that he couldnât take his eyes off her.
When she finished her presentation, she gave a soft smile in his direction before going to sit beside her father, Kishan Singh. Unwillingly, his gaze followed her. He noticed that she looked at him once and then immediately turned her eyes away. It was the first time something like that had happened, but it carried a rare, quiet beauty in it, something delicate and unforgettable.
PAST EVENT ENDS
Recalling their first meeting only fueled the fury in his heart. He slammed his hand hard against the railing, his knuckles turning red. Then, turning toward his room, he muttered under his breath with a tight jaw,
âI never imagined everything would change in just one moment. When did you even plan all this? Why did you do it? I still donât understand if your love was ever real⌠or if the foundation of our relationship was always so weak that you could just walk away this easily.â
He opened the door abruptly and walked in and instantly, his eyes fell on Aavya, lying unconscious on the floor.
âAavyaâŚâ
He rushed to her, turning her face gently toward him. A thin trail of blood was seeping from her forehead. His anger didnât fade, but he knew showing it right now was pointless. There was a girl lying unconscious before him, hurt and fragile. He quickly pulled out his handkerchief and pressed it against her wound to stop the bleeding. Then, without wasting another second, he scooped her into his arms and placed her on the bed. Pulling out his phone, he immediately dialed his father, Yogendra.
âThis girl, sheâs unconscious in my room. Call the doctor. Now.â
âVanjeet Rana⌠This girl is now your wife, Aavya Vanjeet RanaâŚâ
âI donât have time for these formalities right now,â he snapped coldly. âThis girl is bleeding. If a doctor doesnât come and something happens to her, then be ready to answer to the whole world. Today you forced us into marriage to âprotect your honor.â But if this girl dies tomorrow, be prepared to watch how that same honor gets dragged through the mud in the middle of the market.â
He ended the call without waiting for a response, his gaze returning to Aavya. His eyes, however, were now filled with something more complicated than just anger. They were heavy with echoes of a voice playing over and over in his mindâKoyalâs voice.
Aavya⌠Avu is my everything. Understand thisâsheâs my whole world. Sheâs like my little baby, and I love taking care of her. Sheâs ten years younger than me, and I donât know why, but Iâve always loved looking after her. My parents never paid her enough attention. So, whether she needs something, wants to complain, fight, love, or just talkâshe always comes to me. Iâm everything to herâher mother, her brother, her sister, her best friend, her girlfriend, her boyfriend⌠everythingâŚ. Sometimes I fear what would happen if I ever had to stay away from her. Honestly, the reason Iâve never thought about marriage or relationships is because of Avu⌠I simply cannot leave her... Without her, my life feels incomplete.
His eyes remained fixed on Aavyaâs unconscious form. The fury had not left him completely, but now there was a storm of thoughts crashing inside his chest.
âI didnât understand your words back then,â he said softly, his voice shaking with suppressed emotions. âBut now⌠now I do. In your life, this girl mattered more than anything⌠more than our love, more than us.â
Vanjeet sat on the sofa, unmoving. The doctor had just finished bandaging the wound on her forehead and left. Across from him, lying unconscious in a bridal outfit, was herâAavya. According to the doctor, she needed rest. She was going through a mental trauma, and it would be best to let her sleep.
He didnât want to look at her. He really didnât. But somehow, his eyes kept being drawn to her face. It was as though he were trapped with her in this moment, confined in the same cage of unwanted circumstances. No matter how much he tried to shake it off, his mind kept replaying what had happened at the weddingâagain and again, without pause.
PAST EVENT
Koyal stood in front of him, dressed as a bride, her eyes lowered. He was waiting, smiling broadly, the wedding garland in his hands, anticipating the moment she would raise her eyes and place her own around his neck. When everyone encouraged her, she finally lifted her gaze and moved forward to place the garland around his neck. That was the moment he truly saw her eyes, filled with tears. Immediately, his eyes began searching the crowd for her younger sister, Aavya. But she was nowhere to be found. And suddenly, those tears began to make sense.
As Koyal lifted her trembling hands to garland him, he leaned slightly and whispered under his breath:
âForget everything else and focus only on what you want to do.â
Koyal paused, then looked straight at him. He smiled. After completing the garlanding ritual, she quietly turned and walked back into her room.
Gradually, the preparations for the next wedding rituals began. About an hour later, Koyalâs mother went to fetch her daughter. But time passed, and neither of them returned. Slowly, whispers began to stir across the venue. One by one, relatives started disappearing from the scene. But none returned.
The wedding hall was packed to its capacity. Both families were highly reputable, and the guest list included not only business clients and political dignitaries but also many other prominent personalities. Vanjeetâs eyes instinctively turned toward his father, Yogendra, who was already exchanging glances with his own father, Vishambhar.
He didnât even need to look again; he knew Vishambhar must be fuming by now. With hesitant eyes, he finally looked toward his grandfather, who sat facing the stage, appearing composed, but the fury in his eyes was unmistakable. Vanjeetâs mind was spiraling. Why is it taking so long? Whatâs happening?
The hall was buzzing with murmurs. His ears caught fragments of a heated conversation, not just any conversation, but voices from the in-laws of his sister, Niyati. They were clearly talking about his family. And not in a kind way.
âIs this wedding even going to happen or not? Itâs been such a long wait just to hear about your brotherâs marriage. Heâs already 32. So many good proposals came, yet he never agreed to any of them. And now, even after liking this girl, it seems like she doesnât want to marry him.â
âIs your brother alright? Is everything fine with your family? Because honestly, weâre not getting a good feeling about this. What exactly are we waiting here for?â
âIf the wedding is happening, fine. Otherwise, we should leave. We donât have time to waste on this drama. Our entire extended family is sitting here too. What do you want? For your family to be humiliated along with ours in front of everyone?â
Amidst all the commotion, Vanjeetâs eyes suddenly landed on Aavya. She was walking toward Vishambhar, seemingly to say something. The moment Vishambhar heard her, he looked at her sharply. Without a word, he signaled Yogendra and a few other family members to follow him.
Something didnât feel right to Vanjeet. Instinctively, he left the wedding altar and followed them toward the room.
As soon as they entered, Vishambhar raised his voice, glaring at Koyalâs parents.
âWhat kind of joke is this? The hall is packed with guests from our community, and weâre becoming a spectacle out there. And here you people are, gathering in a room⌠Where is the girl?â
âKoyal⌠She suddenly disappeared. Weâve searched everywhere, but sheâs nowhere to be found. We have no idea whatâs going on.â
Vanjeet, who had followed them inside, was stunned to hear this. He stepped into the room and saw Koyalâs bridal outfit thrown across the bed, her jewelry scattered. But there was no trace of her. Turning slowly to her mother, Sunaina, he said in a low but firm voice.
âWhere is Koyal? Donât give me any nonsense. Just tell her to stop this drama. This isnât the time for games.â
âIâm telling you the truth,â Sunaina said, panic lacing her voice. âSheâs not here. We were all outside handling wedding preparations. She was alone in here, and suddenly⌠she vanished. The entire hall is overflowing with guests; half the city is here⌠How are we supposed to face anyone? Weâve tried calling her, but her phone is switched off.â
Vanjeet immediately pulled out his phone and dialed her number, only to confirm that her phone really was off. His eyes slowly moved to Aavya, who stood silently in the corner, looking utterly lost as her eyes darted around the room. He didnât want to say anything to her, so he remained silent, observing everything. Suddenly, Vishambhar roared in rage.
âWhat kind of circus is this?⌠What does your daughter think of herself? If she didnât want to get married, she should have said so earlier. Who runs away on the day of the wedding? Do you even know what people are saying out there? Now our sonâs character is being questioned⌠People are accusing him of driving the bride away⌠The gossip is endless. How many mouths can we shut? Youâve turned our respect into a public joke!â
Koyalâs parents were visibly shaken, overwhelmed with shame and confusion. Her father, Kishan, spoke up, equally distressed.
âOur respect is being dragged through the mud as well⌠But right now, the only thing we can do is control the damage out there, or else the reputation weâve built for decades will be ruined in minutesâŚâ
Aavya, who had been silently listening to all the blame and bitterness being thrown around, suddenly turned to her father with anger in her voice.
âInstead of wasting time on all this nonsense, wouldnât it be better if you focused on finding Di?â
Everyone turned to look at her. Yogendra, who was standing beside her, snapped with venom in his tone.
âYour sister ran away knowingly... She has humiliated everyone! Do you really think thereâs any point in looking for her now? If she cared even a little about anyoneâs dignity, she wouldnât have done this!â
Aavya was stunned at his words. Her eyes filled with disbelief as she turned slowly toward Vanjeetâonly to see him glaring at her, eyes burning with fury. She could see the storm brewing in him, and she knew exactly why he was angry. Still gathering courage, she walked toward him and said gently but firmly,
âSomething must have happened. She wouldnât just leave like that. Please⌠try to find her⌠Maybe sheâs in trouble⌠Something might have gone wrong.â
Vanjeetâs eyes were blazing now, staring straight into hers as if he were trying to read her soul. Just then, his aunt, who had been quietly watching Aavya, turned to Vishambhar and said in a cold, decisive voice:
âThe bride has already run away. Clearly, she had no concern for anyoneâs honor; otherwise, she wouldnât have done this. But we still have one option to save face, we must conduct this wedding right here, right now.â
All eyes turned toward her in shock. She then looked pointedly at Aavya and continued,
âSingh Sahab, your familyâs reputation is on the line, and so is ours. One of your daughters ran away, yesâbut the other one is standing right here. Sheâs of marriageable age. I donât think I need to spell out what needs to be done to protect the dignity of both families.â
Everyone froze.
Vanjeet and Aavya turned at the same time, facing the entire family. Their voices rang out, loud and clear, united:
âYe kabhi nhi hogaâŚâ
(That will never happenâŚ)

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