Vanraj had been continuously working, deeply immersed in his tasks, while Aavya hadn’t stirred even once from her sleep. Glancing at the clock, he saw it was already 8:00 PM. He knew very well that tonight’s hot topic at the dining table would undoubtedly be yesterday’s announcement. That was precisely why he didn’t want to go downstairs; he simply wasn’t ready to face that conversation. But no matter how much he tried to avoid it, some things were just unavoidable.

He turned to look at Aavya, who had been sleeping soundly since the moment she arrived. Despite her calm appearance, he knew she had been out since morning. He didn’t even know if she had eaten anything all day. Concerned, he walked over to her and stood near the bed, calling out softly.

“Aavya…”

But she didn’t respond. She seemed to be in a deep, almost unconscious sleep. Vanraj didn’t want to call her name again, so he sighed and muttered to himself as he started walking toward the door.

“I’ll tell the maid to bring her food upstairs. Maybe she’ll wake her up and ask her to eat something.”

Just before he could open the door, something inside him stopped him. He turned back and looked at her once more. Slowly, he walked back toward her and stood beside her, observing her face carefully. Then, gently, he placed his index finger on her shoulder and gave her a soft nudge.

“Aavya…”

Still, there was no response. This time, worried, he was about to shake her shoulder more firmly until he suddenly noticed something. Her body was burning with fever. Even through her clothes, he could feel the alarming heat radiating from her skin. His concern turned into panic as he quickly placed his hand on her forehead, only to snatch it back almost instantly. She was burning up so badly, he could hardly keep his hand there.

“Aavya…”

He quickly bent down, shaking her gently, trying to bring her back to consciousness while reaching into his pocket to retrieve his phone. Her fever had clearly pushed her into an unresponsive state. Realizing the urgency, he called the doctor without wasting a moment. Then he lifted her carefully and laid her down properly on the bed. He turned off the air conditioner immediately, knowing that exposure to the cold could worsen her condition.

Without delay, he rushed to the wardrobe, fetched a blanket, and covered her with it while muttering in frustration.

“This girl… who knows what she was doing out all day? If she can’t handle it, why even go out in the first place?”

Then he hurried to get some water. Dipping his fingers into it, he sprinkled a few drops on her face, trying to wake her. The rising fever was scaring him now, it was way too high.

Within a short while, the doctor arrived with a few family members. No one had expected her to be in such a serious state. The doctor began her checkup immediately. Vanjeet sat silently on the sofa, his gaze fixed on the floor. Aavya’s parents weren’t present, which only deepened his quiet.

After a thorough check-up, the doctor quickly administered a glucose drip and gave her an injection to control the fever. Then he turned toward Vanraj and explained gravely:

“Sir, it seems this girl hasn’t eaten anything for almost two days. Along with that, there’s a strong indication of mental stress or emotional exhaustion. That’s likely what pushed her into this state. She has a dangerously high fever. It’s a good thing you called me in time—otherwise, this fever could’ve become life-threatening. I’ve started her on a drip and given the required medication, but her fever must come down soon. If it doesn’t, we’ll have to admit her to the hospital by tomorrow.”

The moment the doctor finished speaking, Yogendra shouted in alarm.

“I don’t care what it takes—this girl must be perfectly fine by tomorrow morning. That’s all I know.”

Hearing him, Vanjeet turned to look at his father, who, in return, stared right into his son’s eyes with a piercing gaze. Observing their silent exchange, Vishambhar turned to the doctor and added gravely:

“Tomorrow is a very important day for our daughter-in-law. Under no circumstance can we postpone the event. Try to understand, doctor; do whatever it takes to make sure she’s well. Even if she’s not fully recovered, at least make her well enough to attend one important function tomorrow. It won’t be long, barely thirty minutes. After that, if needed, we’ll admit her without delay.”

The doctor shook his head with concern and replied firmly:

“I cannot give you any assurance at this point. You’ve seen her condition firsthand. I’ve told you everything honestly. All we can do is try. What happens tomorrow… we’ll only know in the morning.”

Vanjeet remained silent, unmoved, simply sitting in the corner, watching everything unfold. The doctor left soon after, but the nurse stayed behind, monitoring Aavya’s vitals and changing the IV bags and medications as required.

A little while later, Vanjeet’s mother walked in with a plate of food. She placed it on the table beside him and spoke gently:

“It’s really late, and I know you can’t sleep on an empty stomach. I also know how angry and helpless you’re feeling right now. But sometimes, son, things are just not in our control. And when that happens, we have to let go and allow life to take its course. Please eat something and get some rest. Everyone’s here for her. Go sleep in another room if this one feels too overwhelming.”

Vanjeet didn’t even glance at her. Her words felt like distant echoes—his heart was too heavy. It appeared as though everyone around him had abruptly become unresponsive. He looked once at Aavya, not with pity, but with a helplessness he couldn’t explain. Even though he didn't want to feel anything for her, witnessing her in this state made it impossible for him to suppress his emotions. He finally spoke without looking up:

“I’m not hungry. Please go rest. And I’ll stay in this room, this is my room. It’s better if no one comes near me right now. If anyone does, you’ll think I’m being rude. But that’s not my intention. So please… just leave me alone.”

His mother didn’t say anything further. She knew that when Vanjeet was angry, reasoning with him was pointless. So she quietly walked away, closing the door behind her.

Late into the night, the nurse kept checking Aavya’s vitals, but her fever still refused to go down. Vanjeet stood by her side, checking her forehead again; it was still burning. He looked at the nurse, who had dozed off with exhaustion on the single sofa, her head tilted sideways.

Not wanting to disturb anyone, he quietly pulled out his phone and searched for home remedies to bring down a high fever. A few minutes later, he walked out and returned with a bowl of cold water and a clean cloth. Sitting beside Aavya, he gently dipped the cloth in the water and began placing cold compresses on her forehead, one after another, hoping, praying that her fever would break soon.

Despite everything, despite the anger, the confusion, and the chaos around them, in that quiet room under dim lights, Vanjeet found himself doing the one thing he didn’t expect—caring. After almost two continuous hours of tending to her, Aavya begins to show faint signs of movement. Her lips part softly as she murmurs.

“Di…”

The moment she says that, Vanjeet’s hands freeze mid-air, and his eyes lock onto her face. She doesn't say anything more after that, but the word lingers in the air like a weight. He checks her fever again. Her body feels slightly cooler now, a noticeable relief from before. Just then, the nurse stirs awake. As soon as she sees Vanjeet sitting beside Aavya, placing cold compresses on her forehead, she quickly stands up in alarm and speaks with guilt.

“I’m so sorry, sir. I was working all day at the hospital and got the night shift here too. I didn’t even realize when I dozed off. I should’ve been more careful. It’s entirely my fault.”

Vanjeet doesn’t say a word. He quietly gets up and moves to the sofa, collapsing onto it. It’s now 4:00 AM, and exhaustion is catching up to him. He closes his eyes, knowing full well that he still has many things to deal with, and for that, he must first gather his strength.

~~~

By morning, a hand gently shakes him awake. Vanjeet opens his eyes to find his mother trying to wake him up, while Yogendra stands nearby. Immediately alert, he turns to check on Aavya, who is still lying down, her eyes closed. Yogendra speaks firmly.

“The doctor is on his way. The nurse says she’s better than before. She’s regained consciousness, but due to weakness, she’s still lying down like this. You should get ready in the other room. I’ve asked someone else to help her get dressed.”

Vanjeet frowns. “What if she collapses again while we’re there?”

“Her family will be present too, in case anything happens... And listen carefully, the event will barely last 15 to 30 minutes. If her health worsens, we’ll leave immediately. But attending is non-negotiable—you know that just as well as I do. There’s no room for arguments anymore.”

Without replying, Vanjeet gets up and walks away in frustration. Watching him leave, Sangeeta turns to Yogendra with a troubled expression.

“You’re being a little too harsh with him.”

Yogendra exhales sharply, his voice laced with worry.

“He’s my son. I care about him. Do you even know the kind of things people are saying? That he was involved with both sisters. That he used both girls for his benefit. You have no idea how nasty these rumors have become. If we don’t end this scandal right now, it’ll explode beyond control. You think I’m being strict—fine. But can you imagine the kind of trouble he could land in? My father’s health is worsening due to this mess. I don’t care what people think of me—I want this girl dressed and ready in the next two hours. Her mother will call her soon and explain what to say.”

He storms out of the room, leaving Sangeeta standing quietly, her gaze drifting toward Aavya once again.

About an hour and a half later, Vanjeet returns to his room and finds Aavya sitting quietly with her head bowed, dressed in a sari. Several women from the household are also present. Sangeeta turns to him and updates him softly.

“She somehow managed to eat two biscuits with great difficulty—nothing more. I gave her the medicine. Her fever seems to be down, but she’s still extremely weak.”

Vanjeet looks at Aavya attentively. She keeps her head down, not wanting to meet anyone’s gaze. When he walks in front of her, she merely stares at his shoes, even though she knows exactly who’s standing there. Still, she refuses to lift her face. Vanjeet says in a low voice:

“Let’s go.”

Aavya slowly rises, trying to walk beside him, though every step feels like a burden. Her body lacks the strength even to support itself. Seeing her struggling, Vanjeet turns toward his mother and the servants, silently signaling them to assist. They immediately step in and help Aavya out of the room.

Soon after, they all take their seats in a grand hall. Aavya tries her best not to look at anyone. From the moment they entered, Vanjeet had been holding her hand to guide her. She walks only because of that grip—without it, she’d collapse. As soon as they arrive at their seats, Vanjeet carefully positions herself beside him. The room quiets down as the press conference begins.

A reporter speaks up.

“Sir, your sudden marriage has caused quite the stir. People are talking. Some say you married the elder sister for love but ended up with the younger one. Both hands full, they say. The circulating videos have left people more confused than ever. Can you comment on this? Both families are highly reputed. Such rumors could even hurt your company’s image. And what people want to know most is, why did a man who had never married before suddenly announce a marriage with the younger sister—what happened to the elder one?”

A few people in the hall chuckle at the innuendo, but Yogendra swiftly raises his hand to silence them. He then looks ahead with calm authority and begins:

“You are absolutely right. The wedding was initially fixed with Mr. Singh’s elder daughter—Koyal. All of you know she’s a renowned businesswoman and has taken her father’s company to great heights. The engagement was official, and everything was proceeding smoothly. However, some serious disagreements arose between the two. Around the same time, Koyal received an important international project and clearly stated she didn’t want to marry, as she wasn’t sure about this relationship. Given the mutual differences, Vanjeet also felt the marriage wouldn’t work if they had different opinions, but our families didn’t want to break the alliance. The ties between our families had grown strong, and ending the engagement would’ve severed more than just a wedding. So, we mutually decided that if Koyal didn’t want to go ahead, and since her younger sister was also of marriageable age, the alliance could continue with her instead. We held these discussions privately within the families, so we didn't feel the need to make them public at the time."

A stunned silence spread across the room. Then Kishan spoke up from the side:

“It wasn’t wrong that we were trying to maintain some privacy and relationship. The cards had been printed and distributed, so changing names wasn’t feasible. And as for accusations of betrayal—both the bride and groom are right here... Ask them…. Koyal is currently in England for her project…. Have any of you seen her crying in the circulated video? …. She looked perfectly fine and walked out comfortably because her belongings were already waiting at the airport with the team—she had a flight to catch. None of us stopped her. The entire family was aware of the decision.”

Just then, a reporter raised a hand and asked sharply,

“But sir, there’s a video where your wife is seen slapping your younger daughter.”

Kishan’s expression darkened. He clenched his jaw, and by glancing at her wife, he stated.

“First of all, we don’t even know who uploaded the video. Second, it’s an old clip that’s been edited and manipulated. These days, with AI, anything can be fabricated. You all know this. We didn’t want to dignify the nonsense, which is why we asked the younger daughter to wear a veil during the wedding. She agreed willingly, and the marriage happened peacefully. Two days from now, we had planned a grand reception to make everything public. Unfortunately, someone tried to sabotage it for personal reasons. But you now know the truth.”

Murmurs rippled through the crowd. Then, one reporter turned directly to Aavya.

“Ma’am, is this really the truth? Or were you forced into this marriage?”

For the first time, Aavya raised her eyes and answered softly but firmly:

“This marriage was of my own will. And as for the slap you mentioned—she’s my mother. She can scold or slap me whenever she wants. But I don’t remember anything like that happening on my wedding day…. On the day of her daughter's wedding, do you think a mother can do this?”

Vanjeet observed closely, reading between the lines. It was clear how well she had been coached on what to say. He suddenly raised his hand to silence the room.

“This marriage was between the two of us. And that’s the only truth. Aavya is my wife, and she’s sitting right here beside me. I don’t owe anyone further explanations. Sometimes two people meet, try to understand each other, and realize they aren’t right for one another. That’s what happened between Koyal and me. But when I met her younger sister, I saw in her something I truly valued… My only mistake was keeping it all within the family... If your questions are over, we’ll take our leave. You have no idea how damaging your constant speculation has been. My wife is unwell, and despite that, she had to sit through this ordeal—just to justify herself to strangers. You know the full truth now. That’s all that matters.”

With that, Vanjeet stood up. Aavya, too, tried to get up, but her mind was foggy with thoughts of Koyal. The emotional burden weakened her legs. Sensing it instantly, Vanjeet caught her as she stumbled and, without hesitation, lifted her into his arms. With her tired eyes, she looked at him but didn't react. She was so worn out that Aavya rested her head quietly on his shoulder, no longer aware of the stares around her.

No longer aware of the press, the murmurs, the lights—

Just her aching heart…

And his steady hold.