Shanaya felt trapped, as if her body had become immobile and her voice had deserted her. Dhruv's attempt to approach her with reassurance only elicited a groan of despair from her. She was caught in a whirlwind of emotions, unable to find a way to express herself. "Please, give my parents a chance to explain themselves. You deserve to hear our side of the story," Dhruv pleaded, his voice filled with gentleness. "I wish I had the courage to tell you earlier, but I couldn't... because I knew how much you loved and respected your father." Shanaya struggled to find the right words, her voice trailing off as she weakly raised a finger towards Dhruv, only to let it drop as tears welled up in her eyes. "I can't," she finally managed to utter. Without hesitation, Dhruv closed the distance between them, gently placing a hand on her cheek. Shanaya instinctively leaned into his touch, though at the back of her mind, the fear of being discovered by someone, especially his mother who was watchin

Shanaya tried following Suhala to explain herself, although she had no idea what she would say in her defense. Her grandma had spotted her with Dhruv in close proximity. Shanaya was sure Suhala’s brain—that only knew hatred for his family—had quickly assumed that something was going on between the two. Which was true, but that was not how she had expected the old woman to find out. She chased her, walking as far as she could in the heavy outfit she wore, however, it was not long before Suhala blended in with the crowd. With a sigh of defeat, Shanaya placed a hand over her heart. Panic still coursed through her as her mind thought of ways she would try and fix this. Several people greeted her—some even tried to get her to pose for photos as the shehnai played in the background. She wondered how the photos had turned out considering just how absent-minded she was. Finally, it was time for Kirti’s entry. Shanaya was glad when all the people turned their attention to the bride, leaving

*One year and six months later* [SHANAYA] Shanaya swept her gaze over the several options granted to her before picking up one. Turning on her heels to face Noor, she asked, “Do you really think she’ll like this?” Noor stopped in her tracks, her eyes darting from the teddy bear she was holding in her hands and coming to rest on Shanaya’s face. “By she do you mean Kirti or Ahana?” she enquired. Shanaya shrugged, placing the doll box back on the shelf. “Isn’t Ahana too young to decide whether she likes her birthday gift or not?” she asked, faking seriousness. Noor smiled, continuing to walk along the shelves in the Kids’ section of the store. “No, I don’t believe that. If Shaurya doesn’t like something, he’ll smash it against the wall with his tiny little hands.” Now it was Shanaya’s turn to pause. “Is that what happened to the car I gifted him last week?” “Oops,” Noor said, confirming her suspicion. Shanaya chuckled despite feeling a pang in her chest. “But you said your dog

A look of discord flickered in his eyes. “If you still love him, why do you need to find love again?” 'Does he still love me?' she thought to himself, anguish washing over her. Involuntarily, Shanaya lifted up her phone in her hand and opened the browser window she had abandoned—not willingly—hours ago. She had been reading an article featuring Dhruv and Anjali. They had not only appeared together at high-class events but now had even shot an interview together. Upon first discovering the article, Shanaya felt a sense of betrayal. She knew then that the feeling was baseless. He had said he would wait for her. She trusted him. But now… she wasn't confident anymore. “You always know the truth,” she claimed, shifting in her seat as the air pricked with tension. “He might have moved on. He might move on someday. But me? I don’t want to find love again. Not with anyone else. But being with him is not possible.” “You won’t tell me why. Tell me the real truth. I don’t believe it’s just

Shanaya averted her gaze, focusing them instead on a pair of balloons that hung in front of her. She heard Suhala’s tongue click in her mouth. She’d caught her. “At least there are no cameras here tonight,” she assured her. “Sneak all the glances you can.” Rolling her eyes, Shanaya smirked. This was something strange that she’d had to deal with over the last few months. Suhala often teased her about Dhruv and she had no idea how to respond to that. She didn’t know how Suhala’s perspective had taken a sudden turn especially since she had suffered a heart attack. One thought never failed to cross her mind: had Suhala lost her mind? Maybe speaking the truth out loud had opened her eyes and she no longer blamed Dhruv. Maybe she had seen the fault in her ways, realizing that he had always wanted the best for her granddaughter. Did she finally approve of Dhruv Kapoor? Now when everything had almost been destroyed? Shanaya chuckled, feeling pain shoot through her skull at the idea.