Aavya quietly sits by the window and begins crying over her helplessness. Once again, memories of her sister flood her mind memories that continue to haunt her every single moment.

PAST

“Di, please no... do it for me, na... I can’t do it.”

"Aavya, when will you learn to do something on your own?… How long will you keep depending on me for every little thing?… What if someday I’m not around?… How will you manage then?”

“Simple, I won’t do anything.”

“You just want to sit and talk nonsense, don’t you? Listen to me carefully, if you truly want to do something, you’ll have to put in the effort yourself. Keep this in mind, no one is going to do everything for you. People can only assist you, but it is your responsibility to take action when necessary. Put in all your energy, and just see how things begin to work out.”

Aavya would simply pout and look at her, making her sister laugh heartily.

Snapping out of the memory, Aavya suddenly opens her eyes. Her sister Koyal’s laughter still echoes in her ears. Since she is sitting by the window, she can clearly see the garden. And there, Vanjeet is sitting quietly in the garden, looking extremely upset. For a moment, she turns her gaze away from him and silently questions herself.

“I used to always ask you, Di, why there was never anyone in your life... and you would always say that you never had the time. You wanted to build your name, achieve your dreams, and only then find a life partner, someone truly deserving. And for yourself, you chose Vanjeet. I know he had all those qualities you admired. He’s a really good man, and I knew that too. Maybe that’s why I felt jealous... jealous that he had taken your attention away from me. But you knew, right? You knew he was perfect for you. You truly, deeply loved him. I saw that love up close, it wasn’t fake, it wasn’t casual…. It was real. You always wanted to live and relive that love. You used to say that after doing so much in life, all you wanted was to spend a few years just being a housewife, to do things for your husband, and to care for your children. How can I forget that you once told me that once you got married, you wanted to become a mother as soon as possible... because even though you experienced the joy of motherhood while raising me, you wanted to give birth to a child of your own… No, I just can’t believe that you left so easily. Something must have happened that no one understands. But I know you. I saw the depth of your love for Vanjeet. I don’t believe this silence. I’m sure there’s a reason behind it all... and I will find it out. I used to depend on you for everything... but not anymore. I will find you... no matter what it takes.”

Vanjeet continues to sit quietly in the garden for hours. His mother had come to him several times, yet he remained silent; meanwhile, Aavya has been watching him from the window the entire time. She understands his pain truly, deeply. But alongside that understanding, she also blames herself. She wonders why she had to utter nonsense before their wedding, why she had to bring chaos between the two people who once shared so much joy.

She has known Vanjeet for the past six months, ever since her sister introduced him. But she never realized just how deeply he loved her sister or how happy her sister was with him. She had only been selfish, focused on herself. And today, she’s angry at her actions.

She can clearly see from the window how his mother is speaking to him, gently tending to his wounds, cleaning them with care. Vanjeet says nothing, just listens silently. Eventually, both of them come inside. Aavya remains seated by the window, resting her head quietly against the glass.

After a while, Vanjeet enters the room, and as soon as he sees her, her gaze instinctively falls on his hand. His mother had cleaned his wound but hadn’t bandaged it yet. Without a word, he walks to the closet.

Aavya slowly gets to her feet, struggling internally with a strange dilemma, she wants to help him but doesn’t know how. Despite knowing each other for so long, there has always been a certain distance between them. However, she cannot simply stand by and watch him move around while injured. Even if her body doesn’t have full strength, she forces herself to move, using the walls for support, and heads toward the closet.

Vanjeet struggles to remove his shirt because of the injuries on his palm; it causes him immense pain. All he wants now is to change clothes and rest. He's overwhelmed, not just physically but emotionally as well. He’s been thinking deeply for hours and wants to stop, just stop everything. But the moment he feels Aavya’s presence behind him, he turns toward her, and she, noticing the state of his hand, quietly says:

“You should see a doctor.”

Vanjeet doesn’t want to get into an unnecessary argument, so he simply continues checking his clothes. Aavya tries to remember where she had last seen the first-aid box in the room. She recalls it might have been in the lower section of the bathroom cabinet. She turns and begins making her way there, again using the wall for support.

Seeing her struggle, Vanjeet quickly goes into the washroom himself, retrieves the first-aid box, and sits down to try and bandage his wound. But it’s proving difficult. Aavya stands nearby, watching him, and he’s very aware of it. It irritates him more than he can express in words.

She walks toward him, gently takes the bandage from his hands, and looks at his injury, realizing he hasn’t even applied any antiseptic yet. Vanjeet tries to pull his hand away but stops himself. He knows it’s pointless. He’s the one who’s hurt, he’s the one in pain, and she’s only trying to help. Aavya carefully applies the ointment and begins wrapping the bandage gently. Her attention is entirely on the wound, yet softly, she speaks:

“I may not be able to fully understand what happened or how it affected you... but hurting yourself like this won’t fix anything. You must have been really angry, maybe you still are, and perhaps you’re trying to let that anger out somehow. But don't let a moment of rage leave permanent scars… not just on your body, but on your heart too. If you don't want to search for my sister, I won’t force you. But I will do everything I can to find her. Please… don’t stop me from trying.”

Vanjeet listens quietly. He doesn’t know what to say. He doesn’t even want to think about Koyal anymore. Aavya finishes dressing his wound and silently leaves the room. She lies down on the sofa, utterly exhausted; her body is weakening, and all she can think of now is rest.

A little while later, when Vanjeet returns to the room and sees her lying there, he immediately becomes concerned. He walks over and gently places his hand on her forehead. She opens her eyes slowly.

“I thought maybe your fever had returned. You just got back from the hospital, you need rest. You should sleep on the bed. You won’t be comfortable here. I’ll have some food sent up, please eat.”

“I’m fine here. And I’m not hungry at all. Please... don’t bother.”

“People don’t always eat because they’re hungry. You need to take your medicines. This course is going to last for the next seven days. Your body needs nutrition so the medicine can work. I’m sending the food up, and until you eat, the maid won’t leave. You can rest here afterward, and I’ll make arrangements to sleep in another room. If not, I’ll just sleep somewhere else in the room. Make yourself confortable on bed.”

He walks away quietly, and Aavya remains seated in silence.

At the dining table, everyone has gathered. Despite being unwell, Vishambhar has expressed a desire to sit with the family for dinner. So Yogendra is helping him walk to the table with support. The moment Vanjeet sees this, he quickly comes down the stairs and rushes forward to assist his grandfather with Yogendra. Vishambhar, touched by the gesture, gives a faint smile. Without saying a word, Vanjeet takes the seat beside him, he knows very well that ever since childhood, his grandfather always made him sit next to him during meals. Although there is currently distance and unspoken tension between them, some bonds remain unchanged.

Vanjeet begins to serve food on Vishambhar’s plate, and the old man looks at him with a soft, knowing gaze. Then, turning to the rest of the family seated around the table, he says,

“I don’t want to talk about what happened. I only want to say one thing: she is now the daughter-in-law of this house. Everyone must treat her accordingly, with respect and decency.”

He pauses for a moment and then continues, glancing toward each member of the family.

“And another thing I’ve observed very clearly: she is deeply disturbed because of her sister. If we let her sit idle, her mind will keep returning to that pain again and again. It’s better that once her health improves, she resumes her college and is kept as busy as possible.”

He then looks at Sangeeta and speaks to her in a firm but measured tone.

“Sangeeta, once Aavya is a bit better, hold her first kitchen ritual. Ask her gently to prepare something. If she agrees, great. If not, then let it be. You know very well that we don’t force things in this household. But it is your responsibility to help keep her engaged and occupied.”

Sangeeta feels her anger rising upon hearing this. She doesn’t agree, but Yogendra is sitting right next to her, watching her carefully. Because of his presence, she restrains herself and doesn’t say anything. Vanjeet silently begins eating, and Vishambhar, while also eating, looks at him with a soft smile. He knows his grandson wants to ask something, so he speaks up again.

“I’ve already informed everyone about the dietary restrictions the doctor has advised for her. Once the food is ready, someone will take it up to her. She’s not in a condition to come downstairs yet. I’ve given the maid strict instructions, she is to stay there until Aavya eats at least a little bit.”

Vishambhar nods slightly, chewing his food slowly. Then, almost thoughtfully, he says to Vanjeet:

“My father used to say one thing over and over we cannot escape what the Divine has written for us. And I believe the same… If God has brought the two of you together, He must have done so with some reason, some higher purpose that we may not understand yet.”

Vanjeet’s hand stops mid-air. He pauses for a few seconds. Upon noticing Vanjeet's pause, Vishambhar immediately falls silent and resumes eating his meal. The rest of the dinner passes in complete silence. No one speaks to anyone.

When Vanjeet returns to his room, Aavya is still lying on the sofa in the same position. He had already asked the maid earlier whether she had eaten, and the maid had replied that she had, but not properly. Perhaps due to her illness, she couldn’t eat well. From the way she’s lying now, it seems she has fallen asleep. Vanjeet quietly brings a blanket and gently covers her with it. Then he walks over to the bed and lies down himself.

Lying there, he looks at her for a moment, and a faint, helpless smile forms on his lips. He speaks in a low, pained whisper:

“She’s here, aching for her sister... while I’m carrying the weight of an unwanted marriage. What kind of destiny is this, God? Was this really your will?”