AUTHOR'S POV

The reception ended, but Ruhanika's heart felt heavier than before.

She was standing with Sunidhi and Kavya, talking quietly, when Ananya approached them.

A mocking smile appeared on her face.

"Oh wow... what a beautiful family moment. Are you all gossiping about me?"

"N-No, Didi Sa. Nothing like that," Sunidhi replied nervously.

"Good."

Ananya's eyes shifted to Ruhanika.

"Now leave. I need to talk to my daughter."

Sunidhi and Kavya exchanged worried glances before walking away.

The moment they left, Ananya's expression changed completely.

"You. Come with me."

Ruhanika silently followed her.

---

They entered an empty room.

The door closed behind them.

Ananya folded her arms.

"Why did you remove your lenses?"

Ruhanika lowered her gaze.

"T-The makeup artist said they weren't matching the look..."

Before she could finish, Ananya's voice echoed through the room.

"And if someone tells you to jump off a cliff, will you do that too?"

Ruhanika flinched.

"I am sorry..."

"Sorry?"

Ananya stepped closer.

"Do you have any idea what will happen if someone recognizes those eyes?"

Ruhanika's hands trembled.

"Please... I didn't mean to—"

"Don't forget Raj Sharma."

The warning froze her completely.

"If I decide something happens to him, it will happen."

Tears gathered in Ruhanika's eyes.

"Please don't hurt them."

"Then start acting like Manika."

---

Meanwhile...

Sunidhi felt uneasy.

Something wasn't right.

Her eyes searched for Ruhanika everywhere until she spotted Rudraksh.

"Rudraksh beta."

He turned toward her.

"Did you see Manika anywhere? I've been searching for her."

Rudraksh frowned.

"No."

"Please find her."

He nodded.

As he walked away, he found Aarvi near the refreshment table.

"Aarvi, have you seen her?"

"Who?"

"Manika."

"Oh. She went with her mother."

Aarvi pointed toward a room.

Without wasting another second, Rudraksh walked toward it.

---

Inside the room, Ruhanika quickly wiped her tears.

A knock interrupted everything.

Ananya immediately stepped away.

She opened the door.

"Rudraksh beta? You're here?"

"Where is she?"

Ananya forced a smile.

"I was just spending some time with my daughter."

Rudraksh's eyes narrowed.

"Then you should let her enjoy the party."

For a moment, silence filled the room.

Ananya understood the message.

Without another word, she left.

The room suddenly felt smaller.

Ruhanika avoided looking at him.

Rudraksh stepped closer.

"So..."

His voice was cold.

"Planning something with your mother?"

Ruhanika immediately shook her head.

"No. Never."

Her eyes finally met his.

For a second, Rudraksh noticed something unusual.

Fear.

Not guilt.

Fear.

But before he could think about it further, he looked away.

"You deserve every consequence of your actions."

Those words shattered whatever hope remained inside her.

After he left, Ruhanika slowly slid down the wall and sat on the floor.

A tear rolled down her cheek.

"Will you never feel even a little sympathy for me?"

But nobody was there to answer.

---

Two days passed.

Everything returned to normal.

Rudraksh left early for work and returned late at night.

Their conversations were limited to silence.

The distance between them remained the same.

---

Sunday Morning

The entire family was gathered in the living room.

Laughter echoed throughout the mansion.

Meanwhile, Ruhanika stayed in the kitchen.

She prepared snacks for everyone.

Cheela.

Sandwiches.

Chips.

Tea.

After placing everything on the table, she quietly turned toward the elevator.

She didn't want to disturb their family time.

But before she could leave—

"Bhabhi!"

Purvi called out.

Ruhanika stopped.

"Come sit with us."

The simple invitation surprised her.

Nobody had ever asked her to stay before.

Before she could reply, a voice echoed from the entrance.

"Maniii!"

Everyone turned.

Three young men entered.

One of them immediately walked toward Ruhanika.

Her face filled with confusion.

"Who are you?"

The boy laughed.

"What happened, baby? Forgot me already?"

"I don't know you."

The smile on his face faded.

Meanwhile, uncomfortable silence spread through the room.

One by one, family members stood up.

Maina left first.

Then Bhairavi.

Then others followed.

Ruhanika felt completely alone.

The stranger stepped closer.

"Come on, jaan."

His tone made her uncomfortable.

She stepped back.

"Please don't call me that."

But he didn't listen.

Instead, he tried to pull her toward him.

Ruhanika's eyes filled with tears.

"Leave me."

At that exact moment—

A cold voice echoed through the hall.

"Leave her."

Everyone froze.

Rudraksh had returned.

His expression was darker than usual.

The stranger laughed.

"And if I don't?"

The next second, Rudraksh grabbed his collar.

"I said leave her."

The atmosphere instantly became tense.

The boys realized they had crossed a line.

Without arguing further, they quickly left the mansion.

The moment they disappeared, Rudraksh turned toward Ruhanika.

His jaw tightened.

Without saying anything, he grabbed her wrist and took her upstairs.

---

Inside The Bedroom

The door slammed shut.

Ruhanika jumped.

"What was that?" Rudraksh demanded.

"I-I don't know them—"

"Stop lying."

His voice echoed.

Tears immediately filled her eyes.

"I'm not lying."

For the first time, Rudraksh saw genuine panic in her eyes.

Not manipulation.

Not guilt.

Just fear.

He looked away.

"Stay away from people like that."

His voice remained cold.

"And if they ever come here again, don't talk to them."

With that, he walked away.

Leaving behind a confused Ruhanika.

For the first time...

His anger didn't feel entirely like hatred.

In Aarvi's Room

Aarvi switched off the lights of her room and sat alone on her bed. The only light came from her phone screen, where a familiar face smiled back at her.

A tear rolled down her cheek as she gently touched the picture.

"Happy Birthday, Harshit..."

Her voice broke.

"I miss you."

She hugged the phone tightly to her chest.

"I wish I had told you what was in my heart. Maybe then things would've been different."

A bitter smile appeared on her lips.

"You know how difficult it is to smile in front of everyone and pretend that you're okay when you're actually breaking inside."

More tears escaped her eyes.

"It's been one year, Harshit... one whole year without you. I don't know how I survived this long."

"If only you could come back..."

"I miss you so much."

Suddenly, a knock sounded on the door.

Aarvi quickly wiped her tears and composed herself before opening it.

The moment she saw Ruhanika standing there with a breakfast tray, all her pain turned into anger.

"Why are you here?" she snapped. "Wasn't taking Harshit away from us enough? Is there something else left for you to snatch?"

Ruhanika flinched at the harsh words.

"V-vo... Aunty sent breakfast for you," she whispered softly.

"Take it away and get lost."

Without another word, Aarvi slammed the door shut.

Ruhanika stood there frozen.

Tears welled up in her eyes.

She had done nothing, yet she was being hated by everyone.

As she turned around, she felt someone gently hug her.

It was Purvi.

"Sorry, Ruhanika bhabhi," Purvi said softly. "Please don't mind Aarvi's words. She's hurt."

Ruhanika looked at her in shock.

"You... you know my real name?"

Purvi nodded.

"Yes. I know everything."

For a moment, silence filled the corridor.

Then Ruhanika asked hesitantly,

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Who was Harshit? And why hasn't Rudraksh ji come home for an entire week?"

Purvi's expression changed instantly.

A deep sadness appeared in her eyes.

"Harshit bhai..." she whispered.

"He came to our family when he was only six years old. His parents died in a car accident, and Bade Papa brought him home."

"Since childhood, Rudraksh bhai and Harshit bhai were inseparable. They shared everything with each other."

A small smile appeared on her lips.

"Harshit bhai loved bikes. He was kind, caring, and always made everyone smile."

"But..."

Her voice cracked.

"The day he died was his birthday."

"Rudraksh bhai was out of the country because of work."

"Harshit bhai refused to celebrate without him."

"We never imagined that it would be the last time we would ever see him."

Ruhanika listened quietly.

"And then we received the news of his death."

Purvi lowered her eyes.

"And everyone believes that Manika was responsible."

Ruhanika's heart clenched painfully.

"Don't hate Aarvi for what she said," Purvi continued. "She loved Harshit bhai."

Ruhanika looked up in surprise.

Purvi nodded.

"Secretly."

"No one knew about it. Not even Harshit bhai."

"She had decided to confess her feelings on his birthday."

A tear slipped from Purvi's eye.

"But destiny had other plans."

For a few moments, neither of them spoke.

Finally, Ruhanika broke the silence.

"Where is Rudraksh ji?"

Purvi hesitated.

Then she pulled out her phone.

"I'll send you his location."

"But bhabhi..."

Her eyes filled with concern.

"Please be careful."

"Right now, he is the most dangerous version of himself."

Ruhanika nodded.

A few seconds later, her phone vibrated.

Without wasting any time, she left the mansion.

Outside, one of the Raizada bodyguards stood near a car.

"Ma'am, should I drop you somewhere?" he asked respectfully.

Ruhanika gave him the location.

The guard frowned.

"Ma'am... nobody is allowed there."

"I know," she replied softly.

"But please take me."

After a moment, he nodded.

The car started moving.

Nearly an hour later, it stopped in front of a huge farmhouse surrounded by a dark forest.

The atmosphere felt eerie.

The bodyguard looked at her worriedly.

"Ma'am..."

"You can go," Ruhanika interrupted gently.

After he left, she stood alone in the darkness.

Taking a deep breath, she entered the farmhouse.

The entire place was silent.

Dark.

Empty.

She switched on her phone flashlight and started searching.

"Rudraksh ji?"

Her voice echoed through the mansion.

No response.

Fear slowly crept into her heart.

She climbed the stairs carefully.

Suddenly—

Crash!

The sound of breaking glass echoed from upstairs.

Ruhanika froze.

Then she followed the sound.

Step by step.

Heartbeat after heartbeat.

Finally, she reached a dark room.

The sight before her made her stop breathing.

Broken glass covered the floor.

A half-empty bottle lay in a corner.

And there...

Sitting in complete darkness...

Was Rudraksh.

His eyes were red.

His fists were bleeding.

And one after another, he kept throwing glass jars at the wall.

Crash!

Crash!

Crash!

"Rudraksh ji..."

She whispered.

For the first time in an entire week...

He slowly lifted his head.