Kabir’s POV

I don’t know what’s gotten into them.
Papa, Mumma, Aarohi…

It’s like suddenly, they’ve all decided to erase everything Ruhanika has gone through, everything she is, and paint her out to be this villain — and Aarohi, the perfect bride for yuvraj

As if love is a business deal now.

Rudransh bhai was pacing the balcony when I walked in. I knew he had something to say — he only did that when he was overthinking.

“She called her dramatic,” he muttered, not even looking at me.

I frowned. “Who?”

He stopped and turned. “Aarohi. She called Ruhanika dramatic.”

That stung. Hard.

“You know what’s funny?” I said, leaning on the railing beside Rudra. “They talk about Aarohi like she’s so sorted. So calm. But I’ve watched her. She’s not calm — she’s cold.”

Rudranj exhaled. “It’s jealousy. And she’s not even hiding it anymore.”

We both knew it.

We’d grown up with Aarohi. Shared food. Fought over the TV remote. Protected her from school bullies. But this? This wasn’t the Aarohi we knew.

This Aarohi had changed.

The way she looks at Ruhanika now — like she wants to be her, and yet, wants to destroy her. That kind of envy… it doesn’t come overnight. It builds. Quietly. Like poison.

“She used to love Ruhi,” I said softly.

“She used to pretend,” Rudra bhai corrected.

And that was it.

“I don’t know, man,” I muttered under my breath, hands locked tight behind my neck, “But sometimes… it really feels like Aarohi is trying to take everything from Ruhi.”

Rohan looked up at me slowly. “What do you mean?”

“I mean… every time Ruhi smiles, every time she’s happy, Aarohi finds a way to twist it. Suddenly, it’s about how Ruhi is too dramatic, too sensitive, or too close to Yuvraaj,” I said, the words burning in my throat.

Rohan let out a frustrated sigh.
“I thought it was just my overthinking,” he said. “But yeah… even I noticed it. Aarohi wasn’t like this before. She used to be warm… soft even. But now?”

“She stares at Ruhi like she’s in some silent competition with her,” Rudra bhai said

There was silence for a moment.
None of us wanted to say it out loud.

“She’s jealous,” I finally said. “And I hate that it’s coming from inside the house.”

“I don’t get it,” Rohan murmured, eyes tired. “This whole thing is getting too complicated.”

“She’s not just being cold to Ruhi anymore,” Rudra added, his voice sharpening. “She’s poking. Plotting. And then putting on that innocent face.”

My fists clenched.

I didn’t care who Aarohi was — cousin, guest, family — nobody, nobody gets to break Ruhanika’s peace like that.

But before I could say anything else, Rudra bhai suddenly stood up and snapped—

“Whatever it is… that Yuvraaj—I hate that bastard.”

We both looked at him.

“What?” I asked.

“I hate the way he walks in like he owns her,” Rudra bhai growled. “Calling her ‘his’ like he’s marked her or something.”

“He’s always there,” Rohan added, his jaw tight. “Always showing up when she’s low. Always the shoulder to cry on. Like some savior.”

“He acts like he’s doing her a favor,” I muttered, eyes dark. “But the way he looks at her… touches her… it’s not just care.”

“It’s claiming,” Rudra bhai snapped. “And who the hell gave him that right?”

“She didn’t even tell us when they got close,” Rohan said, voice bitter. “He just… slid in. Took space.”

I didn’t say anything for a while. But the fire in my chest kept growing.

Because they were right.

Yuvraaj was there in every broken moment of hers. Every lonely night. Every time she couldn’t sleep — it was his voice she heard. Not ours.

And no matter how many times he said he protected her… deep down, we knew.

He wasn’t just protecting.
He was possessing.

“She was ours,” I finally said, voice low. “Our little storm. Our fighter. And now she’s slipping.”

“And it’s not even Ruhi’s fault,” Rudra whispered.

“It’s Yuvraaj,” Rohan agreed. “He didn’t steal her… but he stayed long enough to replace us.”

The tension in the room was thick. The kind that wraps around your chest and doesn’t let you breathe.

We were still sitting there, heavy in our thoughts — when the door slammed open.

BANG.

We all jumped as the wooden door bounced against the wall. And standing there, panting, with a phone in hand and fire in his eyes — was Yug

“What the hell—” I started.

But before I could finish, he shouted, “Did any of you follow Ruhi D’s new account?!”

I blinked.

“Wait… Ruhi D?” I raised a brow. “Since when the hell did you start calling her D?

He looked taken aback for a second — like he didn’t expect the question.

“I was just… I’m sorry,” he said quickly, eyes darting away, suddenly awkward.

Rudransh bhai leaned forward with a little smirk. “No, no… go on, say what you came to say.”

Yug didn't wait. He walked in like a storm and dropped his phone right in the middle of us.

“I said—did any of you follow Duhanika D’s Instagram account?”

We looked at each other. Heads shaking slowly.

“She didn’t accept our follow requests,” Rohan muttered.

“Same here,” I said.

“She’s ignoring mine,” Rudra bhai added.

Yug smirked like the smug little brat he is.

“I followed her long back,” he said, standing straight, arms crossed. “She accepted mine.”

We stared.

“She did what?” Rudransh Bhai asked, narrowing his eyes.

“She accepted my request,” Yug repeated — this time louder, prouder.

“And you know why?” He tapped his chest twice. “Because I am her favorite brother.”

I swear to God, something inside me snapped.

“You’re joking, right?” I said, trying to laugh it off — but my voice wasn’t light. “You? Favorite?”

“Jealous?” he grinned, showing us his phone. “Look.”

We all leaned in.

And there it was. A story from her account.

A blurry, smiley candid — Ruhanika and Yuvraaj. His hand around her. That same damn possessive hold. Like he always had a right on her.

My jaw clenched.

“What the f—” Rudra bhai started.

But he scrolled further.

Another story.

Two girls. Hugging Ruhi. Laughing. Happy.

And then…

Two boys.

Both unfamiliar. One too close.

One had his arm draped behind her, and the other was holding a cold coffee near her mouth like he was about to feed her.

“Who the hell are these boys?” Rohan snapped, voice sharp. “And why the f are they this close to her?”

“She didn’t tell us about them,” I said coldly.

“She didn’t need to,” Rudra said. “Because she has Yuvraaj now.”

“Shut up,” I barked.

Because somewhere deep in our bones, it hit us—

She was slipping further away.
And we were the ones watching it happen.
Story by story.
Boy by boy.
Moment by moment.

She was ours.

“What the f*ck is Yuvraaj doing?” I muttered, my voice low, dangerous.

Rudransh bhai looked up sharply. “Exactly.”

“He’s always with her, right?” Rudra bhai added bitterly. “Claiming her. Calling her his. Posting her like she’s his damn world.”

“Then where the hell was he when those boys were acting like they owned her?”

I clenched my jaw, my chest rising too fast. Too uneven.

“How can he let this happen?” Rohan’s voice cracked. “He’s with her 24/7. Isn’t he the one always standing behind her like a wall? Then how the f*ck did this happen?”

I knew what we were doing.

We were angry.

And instead of facing the truth — that she was living her life without us — we were putting the blame where it hurt the most.

On the one guy who still gets to stay by her side.

But I didn’t care.

Because all I could see was that damn picture — her smile, those unknown faces, and Yuvraaj's absence in that exact frame.

“He said he’d protect her,” I spat. “He said she’s safe with him.”

“Safe?” Rudra laughed. It was hollow. Bitter. “She’s safe around random boys feeding her cold coffee?”

“He's getting too comfortable,” I said through gritted teeth. “Maybe he forgot she’s not just his. Maybe he forgot she was ours first.”

Yuvraaj’s POV

She was standing near the bed, barefoot, clutching her phone like a little girl who had just won her favorite prize.

“Yuvraaj… look at this photo na,” she grinned, cheeks flushed, eyes glowing. “I look so beautiful, like you said. I actually do.”

My butterfly. My baby.

She looked like she belonged in another universe. So innocent. So untouched by the things happening beneath the surface.

I smiled, brushing her hair behind her ear. “You look like magic, Ruhi.”

I meant it.

And maybe that’s why the moment felt too perfect…
Too quiet.

My phone vibrated. I was about to ignore it, but then I saw the sender’s name.

Mr. Khanna.
An email?

I quickly stepped back, unlocking it as I turned to the corner of the room.

There were two emails. Formal. Sharp. Cold.

“Yuvraaj Singh.
You are requested to attend a meeting at Khanna Mansion in 1 hour.This is in regard to a personal and family matter involving Miss Ruhanika Khanna.”

I stood still.
This wasn’t a request. It was a summon.

And then it hit me.

Twinkle.
She’d told me last week her father had been mentioning a ‘business proposal.’ But I didn’t think…

I looked back at Ruhanika.
I couldn’t tell her.
Not yet.

This wasn’t something she needed to carry right now. Not when she’d just started smiling again. Not when the ghosts of her family were finally fading.

I muttered to myself.
“I’ll go. Alone.”

I walked up to her and gently kissed her forehead.

“Butterfly… I have some urgent work, baby. I’ll be back in a while.”

Her smile faded. “Now? Where are you going? Nakul and Arjun are still downstairs. Why aren’t you sending them?”

I hugged her tighter. “Because this is something I need to do on my own.”

She didn’t like it. I could see it in her eyes. But she nodded.

“Come back fast, okay?”

“I promise.”

And I left.

The streets felt colder than usual.

Then I entered the mansion.
I hadn’t even reached the hall when she showed up.

Aarohi.

She walked up with her classic sugar-dipped smile, head slightly tilted, trying to act like she belonged in some tragic drama.

“Oh… Yuvraaj?”
She blinked innocently. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”

I kept my expression blank.

I didn’t know her personally.
But I knew enough.
Ruhanika had told me everything — the bullying, the mind games, the sweet-toned manipulation. Aarohi never spoke of it, of course. She’d rather pretend it didn’t happen.

She continued, playing her usual card.
“You know… I don’t know what Ruhi’s told you, but she used to be really harsh with me… like, it was so hard for me back then.”

I smirked, stepping a little closer.
“And I don’t know what you think I’ll believe. But I do know this — Ruhi doesn’t lie. You do.”

She blinked, stunned.

“But people change, Yuvraaj. Don’t they?”
Her voice softened.
“Maybe… we could change too?”

I stared at her hand as it reached for my arm.

“You’re right. People change.
Some become better.
And some become… this.”

She froze.

Still, she tried to flirt — some kind of desperate move. “You’re still really good-looking, by the way.”

I didn’t even flinch. “And you’re still not important.”

Silence.

I walked past her without another word, her silence hitting harder than any insult could’ve.

Then Ruhanika’s mother appeared, graceful and unreadable as always.

“Yuvraaj,” she said, almost too calmly, “Mr. Khanna is waiting. Come in.”

I nodded, silent.

Inside the drawing room, I saw Veer and Vikram seated—both stood when they saw me.

“Yuvraaj? What are you doing here?” Veer asked sharply. “Ruhi is fine, right?”

“She’s okay,” I said calmly. “She’s with her people. Just saw her smiling.”

Vikram raised a brow. “Then what’s the reason for your visit?”

I held up my phone.

“Email. From Mr. Khanna. Apparently, he wants to meet.”

The room shifted. I felt it.

That was when the front door clicked open again.

Rudransh.Kabir.Yug.Ruhan
One by one, they walked in.

Their eyes landed on me like I was a stranger walking into a funeral.

Rudransh’s voice was sharp. “Why are you here?”

I shrugged. “No clue. Her dad emailed me. Said it’s urgent.”

Before anyone could say anything, they arrived.

Her father.
Her mother.
And her Buaji
Aarohi walking right behind them like some prize on a golden tray.

Mr. Khanna looked at me. Calm on the surface.

“So, Yuvraaj,” he began, “I’ve heard quite a lot about you. Businessman.  Raised yourself after your parents died in that car crash, right?”

I didn’t even blink and said
“Yeah. And still managed to build an empire. So?”

His wife stepped forward. “Such strength at such a young age. Impressive.”

Bhuaji joined in. “Must have been hard, losing both parents so early…”

I cut her off. “It was. And then I grew up. What’s your excuse?”

Aarohi stepped ahead, smiling way too much for this moment.

“I was just wondering,” she said sweetly, “how do you handle Ruhanika?”

I looked at her once. Straight in the eye. and said
“You don’t handle people you love.
You understand them.
You protect them.
You stand by them — even when the world doesn’t.”

She blinked. Clearly, that wasn’t the answer she expected.

Then Rudransh spoke
“Yuvraaj. I think you should leave now. There’s nothing important for you here.”

I was about tonod when Mr.Khanna suddenly added—

“Wait.”

He looked at his wife.
Then at me.
And then dropped the bomb.

“We want a marriage alliance.”

I raised a brow. “I don’t need your permission to marry my Ruhi.”

Mrs. Khanna’s voice cut in sharply. “Not with Ruhi.
With Aarohi.”

And the entire air shifted.

My jaw clenched.
The blood in my veins turned cold.

“What…?” I asked, my voice low.

She placed her hand on Aarohi’s shoulder again, the same way someone would show off an award.

“Aarohi is perfect for you, Yuvraaj,” she said, eyes gleaming with entitlement.
“She’s beautiful. Poised. Sanskaari.”
“She knows how to behave with elders. Not like Ruhanika… stubborn, wild, and uncontrollable.”

My jaw locked.

“She’s the kind of girl who will respect your status, not bring you shame in front of society.”

She smirked then, like she’d just won some battle she had imagined in her head
and said
“She doesn’t run after boys.
She doesn’t fight.
She doesn’t argue.
She knows how to be silent and cultured.
Unlike Ruhanika… who acts like she owns the world. Who even is she?”

I didn’t even realise my hands had clenched into fists.

I took one step forward.
And then another.

And then I said it.
“You think Aarohi is cultured?” I scoffed.
“I’ve seen her flirt with five guys in a single party.”
“She jumped from boys like they’re steps on a ladder.”
“First it was Sid. Then Armaan. Then Samar. Then Kunal. And the driver—let’s not even go there.”

“She bullied Ruhanika in school. Mocked her. Pushed her down. Tried to copy her.
And when that didn’t work, she tried to ruin her.”

I turned to her mother.

“And you? You think you’re praising a girl worthy of respect?
No. You’re describing a desperate, attention-seeking, manipulative brat with a shiny exterior and a rotten soul.”

Her father’s face turned red.

Her mother looked like she’d been slapped.

And Aarohi… Aarohi looked like she was about to cry. But I didn’t care and said
“You are NOTHING compared to Ruhanika. Not even her shadow.”

The room froze.

But then, I heard a voice I didn’t expect.

“Enough.”

Rohan stepped forward, his voice steel and she said to his mother
“You can insult me. You can insult Veer. You can insult all of us.
But don’t you dare speak about our sister like that.”

Kabir joined in. “You’re not even worth saying her name.”

Rudransh stood beside me. “You don’t deserve to say she’s wild.
Because if she is — it’s because she fought this cruel world alone.”

Veer stepped forward and glared at his mother.
“She raised herself. Without you. Without your support. Without your ‘sanskaars.’
And look where she is now.”

Vikram’s voice was quiet. But lethal.
“She didn’t get you as a mother. But she got all of us as brothers.
And we won’t let you speak a word against her again.”

Her mother scoffed. “What is this drama? What do you all think—?”

I cut her off and said
“You think this is about drama?
No. This is about truth.
And the truth is, you lost your daughter the day you chose Aarohi over her.”

Suddenly, her father stepped in.

He adjusted his watch, cleared his throat and spoke like nothing happened.

“We’ll still consider doing business with you, Yuvraaj.
Aarohi comes with a strong portfolio and—”

I laughed. Sharp. Empty. Dangerous and said
“I’m not here to build your business.
I’m here to build a life with Ruhanika.
And I don’t need your money, your permission, or your conditions to do that.”

Yuvraaj’s POV

Before anyone else could open their mouth again…
Yug whishperd
Ruhi di

when I turned back…

My eyes landed on her.

Ruhanika.

Standing there.
Right at the entrance.
Still.
Silent.
But broken.

Again.

And I swear to god,
If heartbreak had a face, it was hers in that moment.

She tried to look strong.
Tried to hold herself up.
But I saw it.

She was shattering.
From inside.
Again.

And it killed me.

Ruhanika’s POV

I couldn’t feel anything.

Even after everything—
Even after knowing that Yuvraj was the only one who ever stood for me, protected me, loved me—
Some stupid part of my heart still hoped for love from those who never gave it.

I hoped for my mother's eyes to turn toward me.
I hoped she’d finally choose me.
Just once.

But instead…
She chose Aarohi.

Again.

“Ruhanika?” I blinked out of my trance when Yuvraj’s voice reached me.

His steps were slow. Controlled. But I could see the worry burning in his eyes.
“Are you okay?”

Behind him, I saw Veer bhaiya and Vikram bhaiya rushing toward me.

“Ruhi, don’t take it to heart, okay? This is nothing… you know how she is—”
“Just ignore it… it’s usual—”

But it wasn’t.

It never was.

And this time, I couldn’t stay quiet.

I took a step forward.
Then another.

Straight in front of Aarohi.

The girl who entered our house as an innocent guest.
The girl I once tied a friendship band to.
The girl I had opened up to.

My voice shook. My hands were trembling. But my heart roared I asked
“What do you want, Aarohi?”

Her brows raised, surprised.

But I didn’t wait and continued
“The day you entered this house, I was happy. Genuinely.
I thought maybe... I won’t be alone anymore.
I thought we’d go to school together, fight over silly things, share notes, laugh on stairs—
But you...” my voice cracked.

I swallowed it down. I had to speak. I had to say this.
“You blamed me for things I never did.
You told people I bullied you.
You mocked me in front of everyone.
You made sure the whole school looked at me like I was the villain.”

My chest heaved, my throat burned, and still… I kept going.

“What did I ever do to you, Aarohi?
What do you want?”

She stared at me. But not with guilt.
Not even regret.
And then, with a venom-laced voice, she said it—
“I’m not the problem, Ruhanika.
You are.”

My blood ran cold.

“I look better with Yuvraj,” she said, stepping closer.
“I match his class. His level. His world.
You? You’re too messy.
Too loud.
Too… low.”

I flinched.
And yet again, my silence tried to swallow me.

But not today.

Before I even realized it—

My hand rose.
And landed.
Hard.
Across her face.
The sound echoed.

Everyone gasped.

“Ruhi… butterfly?” I heard someone whisper behind me.

But I didn’t flinch. I didn’t blink.

I stood tall.

And I said—
“That slap? That’s not for comparing yourself to me.
That’s for forgetting who the hell I am.”

The silence after the slap was deafening.

But I didn’t step back.
I didn’t apologize.
I didn’t hide.

Because this time… I wasn’t fighting for myself.

I was fighting for us.
Me and Yuvraj.

I took a breath, placed my hand on my heart, and looked right at Aarohi.
“You want to talk about Yuvraj? Let’s talk.”

She blinked, taken aback, but I didn’t stop
“You say you look good with him.
You say you match his class.
You say you deserve him.”
I let out a soft, broken laugh.

“Then where were you when he broke into pieces and needed someone to pick them up?
Where were you when he pushed people away because he was scared of being left again?
Where were you when his smile faded, his anger rose, and his whole world turned grey?”

Tears slipped down my cheeks, but I didn’t wipe them.
I wore them like armor.

“I was there.
I stayed.”

I turned toward him, speaking now not for the crowd…
But for him.
Only him.

“I didn’t love Yuvraj because he was perfect.
I loved him because he was real.
Because he was broken.
Because he was angry and complicated and rough on the edges—
But with me…” my voice softened.

“…he was soft.
He was vulnerable.
He was mine.”

Yuvraj took a step toward me, but I held my hand up, asking him to wait.

I turned back to Aarohi.

“You think love is about matching status, but I didn’t fall in love with a surname.
I fell in love with the boy who held my trembling hands.
The boy who wiped my tears without asking questions.
The boy who stood between me and the world when the world tried to break me.”

My voice shook, but I didn’t back down.

“You will never understand our love because it wasn’t designed for showrooms or headlines.
It was born in silence, in pain, in late-night breakdowns, and early morning promises.
It was built from scratch.
It was earned.”

I looked at Yuvraj again.
His eyes were wet now. His fists clenched.
Like he couldn’t bear another second of me crying because of someone else.

But I wasn’t crying anymore.
I was speaking truth.

“He isn’t perfect. Neither am I.
But we belong to each other.
And I will fight a thousand girls like you if I have to — just to protect what we have.”

Yuvraj finally stepped forward.
His hands cupped my cheeks like I was made of glass.

And in the softest voice, loud enough only for me to hear, he whispered—
“You didn’t just fight for us, Ruhi…
You proved why I never stopped loving you.”

The slap I gave Aarohi hadn’t even fully echoed through the hall when she came forward—

Aarohi’s mother.
Buvaji.

Her eyes were wild with fury, her hand rising mid-air, aiming straight for my cheek.
But before it could touch me—

“Stay the hell away, Bhuvaji,”
Rudranshs voice boomed, grabbing her wrist midair.

Then my mother came and said
“You are too much, Ruhanika. Look at yourself. Yuvraj and Aarohi look perfect together—not you.”

That was it.

Something inside me snapped.

I looked her dead in the eyes and said
“And who the hell are you to decide that?”

Her eyes widened.

I stepped closer. My voice shaking, but not with fear—
With rage.
“You think you’re my mother? You lost that right the day you chose them over me.
You’re not my mother. You’re not even human.
You’re just a woman who gave birth and walked away like I was nothing.”

I could feel every eye in the room watching.

Still, I didn't stop and said
“And let me make this clear, for once and all…
Even if you die—
even if you take your last breath begging for me—
I. Will. Never. Come.”

Her face paled. She stepped back like my words cut deeper than any slap ever could.

I turned.

I faced the four of them—
My brothers.

Rudransh.Kabir.Yug.Ruhan

My voice cracked—

“Did you all know?”
Silence.

I screamed.

“DID ANY OF YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS?”

Rudrash stepped forward hesitantly.
“Yes… but Ruhi, we—”

“STOP.”
I took a trembling step back.

“You knew. You all knew.
You supported them. You always supported them.”

My hands were shaking.
My heart was crashing.
My breath—
It wasn’t coming normally anymore.
Everything started spinning.

Yuvraj ran toward me.
He caught my arm.
“Ruhi, please—breathe—look at me—”

Rudransh tried to step forward too.

But I snapped.

“STAY AWAY.”
“All of you—STAY THE HELL AWAY.”

Tears blurred my vision as I looked around one last time.

“I hate you.
I hate all of you.
From the bottom of my f*cking heart.”

And I ran.

I didn’t care about who called out behind me.
I didn’t care about the chaos I left.

I ran.

Past the hall.
Past the front gate.
Past the people who said they loved me and still chose silence.

Author’s POV

Ruhanika was still running like a mad woman down the empty road. Her legs trembled, her breaths were broken, and her vision blurred from the tears that wouldn’t stop falling.

She didn’t know where she was going.
She just wanted to get away—from everything.
From the taunts.
The betrayal.
The shame.
The suffocation.

And behind her…

Yuvraj.

He didn’t call her name. He just ran.
He knew that if she heard his voice, she would run faster.
But he also knew—

He had to stop her before she shattered beyond repair.

And then finally—

He caught her.

His hand wrapped around her wrist and pulled her back.

Before she could even protest, he broke her into a hug.
A tight one. A desperate one.
The kind that said—I’ll never let you go, no matter how far you run.

But she pushed him away.

Hard.

Her eyes wild. Broken. Flooded with hurt.

“How many times, Yuvraj?”
Her voice cracked.
“How many times will you defend me?
How many times will you fight the world for me?
Won’t you ever get tired?”

He stepped closer, his eyes not blinking.

“Never.”

She looked away. Her lips trembled.

“Because I’m not enough. I never was.
I am not good like Aarohi. Not soft. Not graceful. Not accepted.”

Yuvraj cupped her face.

“But you're mine.
And you’ve always been enough for me, Ruhanika.
More than enough.
You're fire. You're chaos. You're soul. You're pain. You're every damn thing I’ve ever wanted.”

Her tears fell again.

But this time, not because of the world.

This time, because someone—finally—chose her.
Again.
And again.
And again.

And this time—

She didn’t push him back when he hugged her again.

They stood there under the empty sky.
Two souls— bruised, bleeding, but still together.

And after some time, slowly, they walked back.
Back to the house.
The storm outside had calmed…
But the war inside her heart had just begun.
Everyone was asleep.
Not a sound in the house.

Except—

Nakul

He was sitting on the sofa in the living room, waiting.

As soon as he saw them, he stood up but before he ask Yuvraj said
“Tomorrow morning. Sharp at 9 a.m.”
His voice was cold.
“Call a conference meeting. I have something to announce.”
Ruhanika just blinked tiredly.

Yuvraj wrapped an arm around her and took her with him.

Nakul watched.
He didn’t interfere.
Because he knew—
Ruhanika needed a moment of silence.

Yuvraj and Ruhanika entered the guest room.
She collapsed on the bed. Exhausted.
He switched off the light and sat beside her.

No questions. No comfort. No chaos.

Just silence.

And in that silence…

She slept.

Author’s POV

After ruhanika was out of mansion

Rudransh’s voice echoed in hall—firm, thunderous, and filled with rage.

"Bas karo!" he shouted as he stepped forward, eyes blazing with fury. "What the hell do you want from her?"

Everyone turned.

Rudransh stood there, not as a son or a brother, but as a fire—ready to burn every lie that tried to touch his sister.

He looked at Ruhanika’s mother, then at her father, and lastly at Aarohi.

"You say you love her?" he snapped. "Then what kind of love is this? The kind that ruins her every time she tries to rise? The kind that crushes her voice and celebrates her silence?"

He stepped closer to Aarohi.
"And you," his voice dropped, full of contempt, "you always knew how much we all love her. How much Yuvraj loves her. But still, you wanted to be the villain. You knew the truth, Aarohi. Still, you chose jealousy. Still, you chose to destroy her from behind fake smiles."
"Now we finally see who you really are."

Kabir, Veer, Vikram—all joined him, their faces no longer soft, no longer confused.

"Enough is enough." Veer growled.

"You’ve been manipulating her since the start," Vikram snapped at their mother. "You’ve always used love like a weapon."

Kabir's words were sharp, deadly. "You blame her, but you made her like this. She’s broken because you never gave her a home… just four walls and conditions."

Her father tried to interrupt, but Rudraash turned to him, eyes cold.
"And you? You stood silent every time she cried. Every time she begged. Every time you let your wife and daughter ruin her peace like it was some game."

"Today, you’ll listen. Because your silence has done enough damage."

Aarohi stood there, silent, her face pale.

No one defended her.

No one even looked at her.

Because now, finally, the truth had cracked open. And for once…

Everyone stood for Ruhanika.

Everyone chose the girl who was always told she wasn’t enough.

And this time?

She wasn't alone.