Author Pov
As soon as Ruhanika said yes to live in Khanna Mansion…

Yuvraj didn’t say a word.
He just stood there for a second—fists clenched, jaw locked, and eyes that refused to look at her.

And then, without a sound...
He walked out of the room.

Not slowly.
Not in pain.
But in rage. Silent, suffocating rage.

Ruhanika’s heart dropped.

“Yuvraj!” she called out, breath hitching.
She ran after him, out of the hospital hallway, catching him just before he reached the stairs.

“Yuvraj! Listen to me!”

He turned around.
And the eyes that used to soften at her sight…
Were now burning.

“Why?” he snapped.
“Why would you say yes without even looking at me once, Ruhanika?”

“Because he’s my Dadu!” she replied, breathless. “He could’ve died, Yuvraj!”

“And what about me?!”
His voice cracked.

“I’m not leaving you!” she cried.

“Really?” he laughed bitterly. “Because it sure as hell feels like it.”

She stepped closer. “I didn’t choose them over you, I just—”

“You just broke me in front of everyone,” he cut her off.

Her lips quivered. “Please don’t say that.”

But Yuvraj was already spiraling.

“I fought everyone, Ruhanika. Your family, this whole toxic world—for you!
And the moment it mattered, you chose to go back into the house that broke you!”

She stood silent.

“Tell me something,” he whispered, stepping even closer. “Will you be okay waking up in that mansion where you were once treated like a mistake?
Will you be okay walking those halls knowing your worth was ignored?”

Tears slipped down her cheek.

“But if you can do that... then maybe, just maybe...”
He looked away.
“Maybe I never meant as much as I thought I did.”

She slapped him lightly on the chest with her weak hands.
“Don’t you dare say that, Yuvraj! You mean everything to me. I love you!”

“Then prove it!” he shouted.

“I am proving it!” she shouted back.
“By doing something I never had the courage to do before—going back there and facing everything!
Not for them. Not for myself.
But for the one person who truly loved me when no one else did.”

For a long moment, they just stared at each other.

The silence was screaming, choking both of them with everything they couldn’t say.

And then, Yuvraj’s jaw tightened. His words came out low, almost bitter.
"I’m going back to the mansion. You stay here… with your so-called family."

His voice didn’t break, but his eyes did.
Before she could respond, he turned around.

But her hand raised in instinct. "Wait, I’m coming too."

Yuvraj stopped in his tracks.
Her voice had cracked a little. Not in weakness—but in ache.

"Just wait, I’ll be back in five minutes… please don’t leave."

He didn’t reply.
Just stared at her with eyes full of fire… and then looked away.
And without another word, he sat on the hospital stairs—arms on his knees, head low.

As if… just waiting.

Just once.
Just for her.

Inside the hospital hallway, Ruhanika walked with slow steps, her heart carrying too much.

She saw Veer and Vikram standing quietly near the nurses’ desk, tense and tired.

“Bhai…” her voice broke their silence.

They turned.
“I’m leaving. But there’s something I need to say.”

Veer gave a slight nod. “Yes, Ruhi?”

Her throat felt dry, but she didn’t hesitate.

“I’m going to Khanna Mansion. Dadu wants me to live there… he said it’s his last wish.”

Veer and Vikram exchanged a glance. Their faces dropped, their shoulders heavy.
“There’s no need for that, Roohi…” Vikram said softly. “You don’t have to put yourself through that again.”

But she just smiled faintly, eyes distant.

“It’s okay.”

And then she turned to leave.

But before she could take a full step—
“Roohiii!”

A little body crashed into her from behind.

She froze.

She knew that voice.

Her arms stiffened, her body stopped breathing.

“Roohi… you’re finally coming back…”

It was Yug.
Her little brother.

His arms wrapped tightly around her waist like he never wanted to let go. Like the guilt had finally eaten him alive.
“I’ve realized everything. I was wrong. I’m sorry. I missed you every single day—”

But she didn’t move.
Her body was still.
And then… she pulled his arms away from her gently.
Turned to face him.
Her voice was calm. Controlled. Sharp like glass.
“I’m not coming back for you.”
Yug blinked, stunned.

“I’m coming back for Dadu… and Dadi. That’s it.”
Her eyes were dead calm. But her words cut deeper than any scream.
“And don’t you dare… ever try to make a relation with me again.”

She turned.
Didn’t look back.
Didn’t need to.

Because Ruhanika had already buried that part of her.

Yuvraj’s POV

As soon as I stepped into Twinkle Mansion,
something inside me already felt off.

I wasn't even two steps in when Twinkle voice came echoing from the living room—bright, curious, unaware.
"Yuvraj? How is Ruhi’s Dadu now? And Ruhi?"

I didn’t even bother looking at her.
“He’s fine. And maybe she’s too fine.”

I could feel her confusion from across the room.
Twinkle asked again—softly this time.
"Where is Ruhi?"

I finally looked at her. My jaw clenched.
"She’s coming."
My voice was flat.
"Just to pack her bag."

"What?"
Her voice cracked.

I didn’t even blink.
"Yes, she’s going to live there. In that damn house. Khanna Mansion. With her so-called family."

That was it.
That sentence hit her like a slap.
Her whole face dropped.
Like her breath had been punched out of her lungs.
"You’re joking. You are joking, right? This isn’t funny, Yuvraj."

I turned to the door.
Pointed to it without a second glance.

"Ask her."
I let the anger drip into every word.
"Ask your best friend yourself. Ask her where she’s going."

And then she arrived.
Ruhanika.

Still in that same kurta. Still carrying all that silence.

Twinkle rushed to her like the world depended on her answer.
"Ruhi… is that true? Is that Yuvraj saying the truth?"

She didn’t say a word.
Just nodded.

"Ruhi, why? You don’t have to do this. You know that, right?"

Ruhi’s voice came so soft, it almost broke me.
"It’s Dadu’s last wish."

She moved to walk past.
Twinkle’s hand shot out.
Grabbed her wrist.
"Ruhi, what the hell is going on? You’re actually moving in? You said—"
Her voice cracked.
"You said you’d never step in that place again. You promised."

Ruhi didn’t cry.
Didn’t flinch.
Just said—
"I had to."

Had to?
She turned to Ruhi, her voice rising.
"No. Don’t you dare say it like that, Shubhaji. You chose this. Don’t act like you’re helpless. You chose to go back to the same house that destroyed you."

Ruhi’s eyes dropped again.
"It was Dadu’s last wish," she whispered.

"What about your wish?" Twinkle fired back.
"Does that not matter anymore?"

Ruhi tried to walk past her again.
Twinkle blocked her again.
This time her voice was shaking—not with weakness, but with betrayal.
"You said we were your family now. Me. Yuvraj. The hostel. The struggle. The late-night maggi, the chai at 4 AM, the shared beds, the tears—we made a life, Ruhi."

I swallowed hard.
She wasn’t wrong.
"We built something from nothing. And now you’re throwing it away for what? A last wish?"

Ruhi closed her eyes.
Held her breath.
Didn’t move.
Didn’t say anything for a second.

Then quietly—
"You don’t get it, Twinkle."

Twinkle’s voice cut the silence again—louder, rawer.
"Then explain it to me, Ruhi. Explain how the hell you’re going back to people who broke you.

And ThenTwinkle stormed out of the living room, I stood there—still, shattered, just breathing in the silence she left behind.

I turned on  walking toward my room like a ghost drifting through walls. But before I could fully reach the stairs, I felt a hand grab my wrist.

It was her.
"Yuvraj... at least you should understand. I am—"
Her voice was low, broken, but firm. Like she didn’t want to cry, but she was falling apart from the inside.

I turned halfway… met her eyes, just once.
And all I said was—
"Okay. Okay, Ruhanika."

I didn’t stay a second longer.
Walked up the stairs, slow and heavy. Entered my room, and—
Slammed the door.
Loud enough to echo through the silence she had left in me.

She came rushing right after.
Knocking. Banging. Crying.
"Yuvraj... please just listen to me. Once. Just once. I swear I’ll leave if you ask me to, but please open the door..."
"Yuvraj, please... please!"

Her voice cracked. My heart cracked harder.
But I didn’t open it
Because I knew... if I opened that door, I’d explode.
I’d say things I would never be able to take back.

Because tonight,
I was angry.
I was disappointed.
I was hurt.

And the girl who once said she'd never go back
was walking straight into the same hell again.

It had been nearly half an hour of silence.

And then—

Tap. Tap.

What the hell?
My brows furrowed as I heard something scraping against the glass. I stood up slowly, walking toward my window—and then I froze.

There she was.

Ruhanika.
Half her body already on the ledge.
Climbing like an idiot.

“What the f—what the hell is this girl doing?” I muttered, my heart thundering in my chest.

If she slipped from there—
If she—

“RUHANIKA!”

She turned her head quickly, startled.
Our eyes locked.

And in that exact moment, her foot slipped.

“Ruhanika!” I shouted as she gasped, and before her body could fall, I lunged forward and grabbed her wrist just in time.

I pulled her up—hard—until she tumbled inside the room, right into my arms.

I looked at her, completely in disbelief.

“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING? Have you gone mad?! What if you slipped?! What the hell was this stunt?!”

She looked back at me calmly. Softly. As if my shouting didn’t matter.
“I knew you wouldn’t let me slip,” she whispered.

I clenched my jaw.
“Ruhanika, just go.”

But she didn’t.
Instead, she hugged me.

Tightly. Desperately. Like she needed to breathe through me.
“Yuvraj... I’m not going there to build a family. I’m not going to make them realise my worth or beg for their love. I know they never will.”
Her voice trembled in my chest.
“I’m just going… to end it. Just once. For Dadu’s wish. Just close the chapter. You know Yuvraj, maybe that time Dadu and Dadi didn’t stop me from leaving… but they always protected me. They stood between me and mom… papa… buaji… Aarohi. For them, I’m going.”

She pulled back slightly, tears in her eyes.
“Please… please Yuv.”

I looked away for a second. My throat felt tight.
But then I muttered, “And what about college?”
“The law college you’re joining—Ruhan studied there. Aarohi studied there. And now you want to go there too?”

Her eyes met mine, fierce and soft all at once.
“I’ll manage myself. You know I will.”
“And you’re here too, Yuvraj. You’re not going back .You’re starting business here in Mumbai, right? With Nakul bhaiya and Arjun bhaiya? You’ve always wanted this, and now you're here.”

She placed her palm on my chest.
“We’re all here. Just… a little torn. But still here.”

I stared at her for a long second. Then finally said—
“If anyone dares to hurt you… I swear I’ll come to that house and break their mouth.”

Her eyes softened. But I wasn’t done.
“And you won’t live silently either. You’ll raise your voice. You’ll not let them treat you the same way ever again.”

She gave me a soft smirk and scrunched my cheeks.
“As you say, my dear husband.”

And then she hugged me again.
So tightly this time… it almost healed something inside me.

I wrapped my arms around her and didn’t let go.
We stayed like that for a few seconds—just breathing.
Until she whispered, “Now I’ll have to face Twinkle.”

I let out a short laugh.
“Not just Twinkle. Arjun. Nakul. Shraddha di too.”

Her eyes widened in horror.
“Oh my god.”
“You’ll have to handle them.”

I smirked, pulling her close again.
“We’ll handle them. Together.”

And maybe, just maybe…
this time, we both meant it.

Twinkle’s POV
I slammed the door behind me and leaned my back against it, pressing my eyes shut as if that would calm the burning anger inside me. My heart was pounding, fists clenched. How could she? How could Ruhanika even think of going back there… to that hell?

I had seen her shatter. I had watched her break into pieces right in front of me when that family turned their backs on her. I was there when she cried herself to sleep, whispering about her brothers — the same brothers who once swore to protect her — now pretending like she didn’t exist after that day… after R.O.V came into her life.

And now?
She wants to go back?

A sharp knock interrupted my thoughts. I wiped the tear angrily off my cheek and yanked the door open.

“You?” I blinked, finding Nakul bhaiya standing there, arms crossed, expression unreadable.

“Yuvraj has called everyone to the hall. Come,” he said, voice low but serious.

I didn’t answer. I simply walked past him, already knowing I wasn’t going to like what I’d see. And I was right.

There she was.

Ruhanika

“She’s going,” Yuvraj said, looking directly at me. “She convinced me.”

That was it. That was my breaking point.
“She’s going?” I snapped. “I’m not interested anymore. I don’t want to talk to her. At all.”

Ruhanika’s expression changed, and before I could move, she stepped forward and grabbed my hand.
“Twinkle…” she whispered, eyes pleading, “Don’t you trust me?”

I pulled my hand back.
“Trust?” I let out a dry laugh. “You really want to talk about trust? Last time you stayed there for one day, and you fainted. Now you’re planning to live there for a year? And college, Ruhanika? What about your college? You were in your final year in Jaipur!”

“I’ll be joining Khanna Law College,” ruhanika said calmly

And suddenly, something in me snapped again.
“Fine,” I muttered. “Do whatever you want. But don’t expect my support, because I’m not okay with this — and I never will be.”

I looked at Yuvraj,who was standing silently beside Ruhanika. “You trust her?” I asked. “Fine. I do too. But I don’t trust them. I don’t trust that house.”

To my surprise, Nakul bhaiya nodded slightly.
“She’s not wrong,” he said quietly. “We’ve seen what they’ve done to her.”

Even Arjun bhaiya’s jaw was tight,his voice low. “There’s risk, Ruhanika. You’re asking us to just be okay with you walking into fire.”

But before anyone else could speak, Shraddha di stepped in.
“Then let her burn them with her silence,” Shraddha said. “You think she doesn’t know what she’s walking into? But she’s choosing to go back… not for love, not for bonding — but for closure. For her own end. That takes more strength than we’re giving her credit for.”

I looked at Shraddha, disbelief swimming in my chest.
“Strength?” I asked. “Or madness?”

“Maybe both,” Shraddha replied. “But maybe that’s exactly what she needs to heal.”

"You call this healing?!" I snapped, my voice louder than I intended, echoing in the room. "You all are talking like she’s going on a vacation. That house destroyed her! And now she wants to return to it like nothing ever happened?"

"Twinkle—" Ruhanika tried to speak again.

"No, let me finish!" I interrupted, turning toward Arjun bhaiya and Nakul bhaiya. "Tell me I’m wrong. Tell me I’m the only one seeing how insane this is."

Nakul bhaiya stepped forward, arms crossed tight against his chest. "You’re not wrong, Twinkle. I’ve seen her broken. We all have. That house — those people — they don’t deserve another chance."

"And you think they’ll magically change now?" Arjun added, shaking his head. "They humiliated her, ignored her, crushed her spirit. And now that they’re quiet for a while, she wants to go back? It doesn’t make sense."

Ruhanika was quiet, her grip tightening on Yuvraj hand

I looked at her again — really looked.
Her eyes were tired.
But her posture was steady.
She wasn’t trembling like before. She wasn’t looking for anyone to defend her. She was just… ready. And that made me even more angry.

“You think you can handle them now?” I asked, my voice lower but sharper. “You really think you can walk into that house and walk out the same girl?”

“No,” she said simply. “I know I won’t be the same girl. And that’s exactly why I have to go.”

I was about to reply, but then Shraddha Di’s voice cut through the tension.

“Enough,” she said softly, but firmly.

Everyone turned to look at her.
“Twinkle, Arjun, Nakul… I know you’re scared. And you have every right to be. I was scared too, when she first said it. But then I watched her. I listened to her reasons.”

She stepped closer to me, her hand gently touching my arm.
“She’s not going back to rebuild something. She’s going back to end what’s unfinished. She’s not that broken girl anymore, Twinkle. She’s stronger. Quieter, yes. But stronger. This… is her closure.”

I felt my eyes burn again.
“But what if she breaks again, Di?” I whispered. “What if they hurt her again?”

“Then she’ll know she can stand again,” Shraddha Di said. “Because this time, she knows we’re here. Always.”

“Fine,” I mumbled. “But if anything happens, even a scratch, you come straight back to me. Got it?”

She gave me the faintest smile. “Got it.”

Arjun bhaiya sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I still don’t like it… but if Shraddha Di’s okay, then…”

Nakul bhaiya gave Ruhanika one last long look. “You break, you come home. No excuses.”

And finally… finally… we all stepped closer.

I pulled Ruhanika into a hug first, tight, unwilling to let go.

“Don’t prove me wrong,” I whispered.

Then the others joined.

Arjun. Nakul. Yuvraj.Shraddha Di.

A group hug — tight, silent, honest.

A small moment of unity… before the storm ahead.

Author’s POV

The mansion stood tall
Inside, sitting on his grand wooden chair near the entrance, Ruhanika’s Dadu kept his eyes fixed on the front gate like a soldier waiting for a homecoming war.

Nobody in the mansion had any idea.
No clue that she—the girl they all tried to forget—was about to return.
And then…
The sound of a car engine sliced through the silence.
Dadu straightened in his seat. His lips didn’t smile, but his eyes? They lit up like they hadn't in years.

“Open the door,” he instructed his servant. “And call everyone to the hall. Now.”

And there she was.
Ruhanika.

She stepped out of the car flanked by Veer and Vikram—the two boys who had become her shadow, her brothers by choice, her walls of defense in a world that once tore her down.

But the moment her eyes met her dadu’s… the weight cracked. And she ran into his arms, hugging him like the lost pieces of her childhood had been stitched together in that very second.

“How are you?” she whispered. “Did you take your medicines on time?”

Dadu cupped her face gently, eyes moist.
“You came back, beti… that’s enough for me to recover.”

But peace doesn’t last long in broken families.

A loud, screeching voice cut the moment in half—

“What the hell is she doing here?”

Her bua had arrived.

Jaw clenched, eyes burning with the same poison she always carried.
But Dadu didn’t flinch.
He stood.
“Call everyone. Right now.”

Within minutes, the hall filled. Faces she had grown up around. Faces that once turned away when she needed them the most. Now, all looking at her—some stunned, some guilty, some still pretending they didn’t care.

And then…
“From today onwards, Rohanika will live in this house.”
Dadu’s voice thundered across the room.
“She’ll join our family’s law college for her final year, along with Rohan and Aarohi. If anyone has a problem, the gate is right there. Leave.”

His eyes swept the room, sharp as knives.
“And if anyone—anyone—dares mistreat my granddaughter again… they’ll be thrown out of my house without a warning.”

Then he turned.
“Especially you two.” His stare fell like a storm on Aarohi and her mother.

Aarohi stepped forward, arms folded, voice coated in sarcasm.
“But Dadu, during her engagement she said she had no family left. No one.”

His reply was calm… but brutal.

“And yet, she call us for family  picture in her room, didn’t she?”
He looked back at Rohanika. “That’s enough proof she still saw us as family, even when we didn’t deserve it.”

The room fell quiet.

Then her mother stepped forward.
“You came back… finally.”

But Ruhanika didn’t even blink.

“Not for you.” Her voice was ice.
“I came for Dadu. And Dadi. That’s it.”

Just then, Rohan came forward, hesitant, unsure, like someone walking back into a burning room hoping the fire forgives him.
“Let me… show you your room,” he said, quietly.

She stared for a moment.
And then nodded.
They walked side by side through the same corridors that once echoed with her laughter. Now, they echoed with silence.
And when her room door opened…

It was untouched.
Just as she had left it… seven years ago.

A doll still sat in the corner. The same floral bedsheet. The same wind chime by the window.
Frozen in time. Like her pain.

“Your room…” Rohan said awkwardly. “If you want to shift or change anything—
“No.” Her answer cut him short.

He nodded.
And… you can join college in two days.

She simply nodded.
And as he turned to leave, he whispered softly, just loud enough—

“I’m sorry, Twinni…”

She paused.
Then turned slowly to face him.
Her expression unreadable.
But her actions?
She shut the door in his face.

And the sound of that door closing… was louder than any words she could have ever spoken.

Ruhanika’s POV

I was sitting in the same room where I had once screamed, cried, and begged not to be left alone.

This wasn’t just a room.
It was a place where I had packed away all my pain, layered it beneath every wall, every curtain, every book that still lay untouched on the shelf.
Seven years. Seven years of distance, of silence, of promises to myself that I would never return.

But here I was.
Not by choice… but maybe by destiny.

I stood by the window, looking out at the same garden where I once used to play.
Everything looked the same.
But I wasn’t.

I was lost in thoughts when my phone rang, and my heart softened the moment I saw his name on the screen.

Yuvraj calling.

I picked up the call instantly.

“Did you eat dinner?” I asked, my voice low but laced with concern.

But his voice was tired and restless.

“No… not yet. We’re shifting to the Singhania Mansion tonight.”

My brows furrowed. “Now? At night?”

“Yeah, from tomorrow I’m joining the Singhania Company in Mumbai. Arjun and Nakul are coming with me… and Shraddha Di has her job too.”

My heart sank a little. Everyone was leaving. Everyone was moving forward.
And I was here, in the same house that once shattered me.

“And Twinkle?” I asked softly, “She cried so much when I left. She must be sad.”

“She is…” he sighed, “But she understood. From tomorrow, her shoot begins again. So basically, everyone’s getting busy. But me? I’m always here for you, Ruhanika.”

I smiled faintly.

“Okay okay… now go home and eat something.”

He chuckled softly. “You didn’t eat, did you?”

I paused. “No… I was just about to.”

“Is everything okay there? Did anyone say something to you?” his voice shifted, protective.

I bit my lip and looked around the silent room.

“No, nothing happened. No one said anything. Rudransh and Kabir aren’t home. Rudransh is probably at the office… Kabir at the hospital. And Yug… he’s out with his friends. So the three of them don’t even know I’m back yet.”

I leaned back into the headboard, the tension in my chest slowly melting just because he was on the line.

“Let’s see what happens at the dining table, though.” I said with a weak laugh.

“If anything—anything—goes wrong, just call me. I swear, Ruhanika, I’ll be there.”

His voice had this seriousness that made me feel seen. Protected. Home.

But just as I was about to speak again, a knock came on my door.

“Ruhanika! Come for dinner, beta.”
It was my chachi. Her voice soft, hesitant. Like she wasn’t sure how to talk to me anymore.

I looked at the phone.

“I have to go…” I whispered, “Bye, Yuvraj.”

“Take care.” he replied, not like a goodbye… but like a promise.

As I descended the staircase, every step echoed louder than my heartbeat.
I wasn't scared.
I had lived enough fear to numb it now.
But still... something twisted in my stomach when I saw them.

Rudransh and Kabir.
Standing near the living room, talking in hushed tones.

They hadn’t seen me yet. But the second my heels clicked onto the last stair, their eyes found me.

First Kabir’s.
“Ruhi?”
His voice cracked like he wasn’t sure if he was allowed to say my name anymore.

I didn’t respond.
I just walked past them—calm, composed, untouched by the shock in their expressions.
But I heard Rudransh’s voice follow behind me.
“Ruhanika... what are you doing here? I mean… did you come  for something?”

I stopped.
Turned halfway. Looked straight at him.
“No. I’ve come here to stay. For some time. I’m joining the law college. The one your father owns.”

And before the weight of my words could settle, Kabir stepped forward.
“He’s your father too.”

I let out a hollow laugh, looking away.
“Don’t force relationships on me, Kabir. It doesn’t change anything.”

Before the air could even thicken, Dadi’s voice echoed from the dining hall.
“Ruhi beta, come. I’ve had everything made just the way you like.”

I didn’t wait for more questions
They don’t get to question me anymore.
Not after everything.

As I stepped into the dining hall, the table was laid lavishly—like a celebration no one invited me to.
And then I saw her.

My mother.
Smiling at me with a kind of excitement that felt years too late.
“I made almond halwa for you. Your favourite, right?”

I looked at the bowl.
It smelled sweet. Familiar. But it wasn’t right.
I gave her a small, almost playful smile.
“I’m allergic to almonds, mom. You didn’t know that?”

Her face fell.

The silence that followed… was sharp.
Like every word I wasn’t saying was screaming in the air between us.

No one spoke.
No one could.
Their daughter was back.
But they didn’t even know her allergies.

Just as I began to pour water into my glass, Rudransh broke the silence again.
“Ruhi… this engagement… how did it even happen so suddenly? You didn’t even tell anyone.”

I looked up slowly.
“Some things don’t need family permission, Rudransh. Especially when family stops being… family.”
if you’re so curious—” I continued, my voice cool, composed, “—it wasn’t sudden. We just didn’t make noise. I had peace for the first time in my life… and I wasn’t going to announce it to the people who took that away from me.”

The table went silent again

As I kept eating silently, pretending this table wasn’t soaked in guilt and confusion, the questions started piling up.
First slowly.
Then like an avalanche.

“So… how was your life in the hostel all these years?”
Rudransh asked it casually, like we were long-lost cousins catching up over tea.

I didn’t even look up.
Just stirred the dal in my plate and replied dryly.
“Peaceful. Especially without people pretending to care.”

Kabir cleared his throat, trying to lighten the mood.
“And how did you meet Yuvraj? You never told us anything about him.”

I put my spoon down gently and raised my head, staring straight into his eyes.
“Because it was never your right to know.”

His smile faded.
“I don’t share my personal life with people who made me feel like a stranger in my own home.”

And then my father looked at me, his expression turning stiff.
“I heard he’s from a strong business background. You should talk to him. Convince him to partner in our textile export deal. His father’s chain of connections could benefit us.”

I blinked once.
Twice.
And then I laughed.
Not politely. Not sweetly.
I laughed in a way that made it clear I wasn’t their puppet anymore.

“Wow. Now I’m useful. Not as your daughter. Not as someone you abandoned. But as a link to a man you want to profit from?”

“Ruhanika—” my father warned, his tone edging into threat.
“Convince Yuvraj. That’s your job now. Understand that.”

I stood up from my chair slowly. Looked at him without fear.
“No, you understand this.”
“I’m not your bridge to Yuvraj.
Not your sales agent.
And definitely not your obedient daughter who nods when you bark orders.”

His jaw tightened.
“You’ve got some nerve talking like that.”

“Yeah? Guess what—” I took a step closer, staring him down, “—I grew it in the hostel you threw me into.
With every birthday you forgot.
With every letter that never came.
With every tear I wiped myself.
I don’t owe you respect.
Not anymore.”

They all looked stunned.
Mom tried to speak, but I was done.

I turned to Dadi and gave her a soft smile.
“Thank you for the food.

As I walked out of that drawing room—calm outside, fire inside—I wasn’t expecting the next hurdle to wear glossy lipstick and a mask of goodness.

But of course.
Aarohi

Standing in the hallway with her usual soft-sweet smile like she was the savior of this broken family.

“Ruhi... you shouldn't talk to your parents like that,” she said, walking beside me like we were in some moral science class. “Whatever happened... they’re still your family. And they did everything for you in their own way. Maybe you’re misunderstanding them—”

I stopped walking.
Turned slowly.
Faced her fully.

“Misunderstanding?”
I tilted my head, laughing under my breath.
“You know, Aarubi... the problem with girls like you is that you're so desperate to look good in front of others,
that you forget how ugly it is to gaslight someone’s pain.”

Her smile faltered.
“You think being polite makes you right?
That standing beside the wrong people quietly makes you better than those who speak the truth?
Newsflash—”

“Fake niceness doesn’t heal broken daughters.”

She tried to interrupt, but I didn’t stop.
“You weren’t there in those hostel nights when I cried myself to sleep.
You weren’t there when I waited at every festival thinking this time maybe someone would remember me.
So don’t stand here, playing Miss Morality, telling me what I should feel about the parents who made me feel unwanted.”

Her face turned red. Still trying to maintain that sweet expression, but her eyes gave her away.
“I just meant—”

“No. You meant to show you're the better daughter.
Always smiling, always adjusting.
But guess what?
I don’t compete in fake loyalty contests.”
She flinched at that.

And then—just as the air was about to turn sharper—Rudransh walked in, his voice soft but firm.

“Enough. Both of you. You didn’t grow up together, but you’re still sisters.
This shouldn’t be a war.”

“No, Rudransh. We’re not.” I said

His brows furrowed, eyes scanning my face like he was searching for the little sister he once knew.
Too late.
“The day she falsely blamed me for bullying…
The day she manipulated all of you and you chose to believe her over me…
She lost that right.
And so did you.”

He took a step closer.
But I took a step back.

Because every inch between us was filled with seven years of betrayal.
“You lost the right to call me your sister
the moment you believed your cousin over your own blood.”

I turned to walk away, heart pounding—but not with pain.
With exhaustion.

And just as I was about to vanish into my room…
“Little dove…”

I stopped.
“Don’t call me that.
You lost that right, Rudransh.”

He stepped forward again, voice cracking, but I didn’t flinch.
“Ruhi… I was young too. I didn’t know who to believe. Everyone said things—”

“And you listened to everyone. Except me.

He opened his mouth, but nothing came.
I crossed my arms, staring at him.
“You know what hurts more than what you believed?
That you never came.”

He blinked. Like the weight of those words punched him.

But I wasn’t done.
“You never came back to the hostel to check if I was alive or dead.
You never came on Raksha Bandhan.
You never called on Diwali.
You never sent a message on New Year.
You didn’t even reply, Rudransh. Not once.”

My voice didn’t shake. It stayed calm.
That’s what happens when you’ve bled all your tears long ago.

I turned, walking away slowly, step by step—and just before I reached the door, I stopped again
“I’m not angry that you didn’t stop me that night…”

I looked down for a second, then straight ahead.
“I’m angry because you never came back to see if I needed to be stopped.
You never looked back, Rudransh.
Not once.”

I turned my head slightly, my voice low. Sharp. Honest.
“I wish… I hadn’t had you as my brother.”

And then I entered my room.
Leaving the door open—
so that guilt could walk in,
but love?

That had walked out years ago.

Author’s Note (POV)

Okay soooo…
As I told you in the last chapter, Rudransh and Shraddha’s pair was supposed to make an entry 👀
But now I’m thinking… maybe not yet.

There’s already too much mess happening right now 😭
And honestly? Let’s clean that up first.
Ruhanika still has a lot to face, and her journey needs that space — her pain, her strength, her truth… everything is going to unfold slowly, and I want you all to feel it fully.

So yes, Rudransh & Shraddha might enter…
but not now.
Maybe after 10 chapters — when it’s finally time to start a new love story. Until then, it’s all about healing, confronting, and rising.