Author POV

Three long hours passed, the silence of the hospital room heavy and suffocating. The monitor beside Ruhanika beeped softly, a reminder that life still pulsed within her frail body. And then, slowly, her lashes fluttered, her eyes opening with the weight of exhaustion.

The moment her lids lifted, the door swung open and her family rushed inside. Dadu, Dadi, her brothers, her cousins-everyone had been waiting for this one moment, the relief in their eyes almost drowning them.

"Ruhanika, how are you?" Dadi's voice trembled, her hand clutching her chest in pure emotion.

"Beta, are you fine? What happened suddenly?" Dadu's voice cracked as he leaned closer, worried eyes scanning her pale face.

Her cousins chimed in, concern spilling from every word, while her brothers hovered protectively.

Ruhanika gave a faint smile, her voice weak yet steady. "I am good... I am fine."

Kabir, still in his doctor's coat, placed a hand on her pulse, his professional calm balancing the emotional storm in the room. "She's stable now," he said firmly. "But she needs complete rest. She will be discharged tomorrow evening."

The reassurance brought sighs of relief across the family, though their eyes still held shadows of fear.

Ruhan stepped closer, voice low but edged with raw emotion. "Do you need anything, Ruhanika?"

Her gaze locked onto him. For a moment, silence lingered between them, the unspoken words too heavy to carry. Then she exhaled softly and said, "Yes..."

Everyone leaned in, waiting for her request.

Her next words, however, hit like a storm.

"I want all of you out of this room." Her voice was firm despite her fragile state, her eyes unwavering. "I need Yuvraj. Only Yuvraj."

The room fell silent. The family exchanged stunned glances, shocked by the sudden dismissal.

It was as if, in her weakest moment, she was telling the entire world who her strength truly was.

Ruhanika lay against the pillows, pale but fierce, her eyes sharper than ever despite the weakness in her body. Her father stood near the bed, voice breaking the stillness.
"That guy-your fiancé-he isn't even here. And you're asking for him?" His tone dripped with authority, but the bitterness beneath it was clear. "He doesn't care about you, Ruhanika. Just come back to your family."

Her lips curved into a cold, humorless smile. "I know where he is," she said, her voice steady, cutting through the air like glass. "I know him better than all of you. I don't need this fake sympathy. When I was ill in the hostel, when I was lying half-dead in my college years, he was there for me. Not you. Not anyone here." Her eyes locked on her father with defiance. "And I know the moment Veer or Vikram Bhai calls him, he'll be here within five minutes. So don't you dare give me lectures about my Yuvi."

"Ruhanika..." Kabir's voice came carefully, softer than the rest. "Don't talk too much right now. You're just stable, not properly cured."

Her head snapped toward him. "Kabir, say this to your father. He's the one wasting my breath with his unnecessary lectures."

Her mother stepped forward, eyes glistening, voice low. "Okay... okay, fine. We'll call your Yuvraj. Just calm down, Ruhanika. Please. You need rest."

"Don't do this over-drama, mother," she said coldly, almost spitting the word mother. Her eyes scanned the room, restless, searching. "Where is Yug?"

Rohan, standing near the foot of the bed, muttered, "He must be at his friend's house."

"At least someone is real enough to admit he's not here." Her laugh was bitter, broken. "Yug doesn't care about me. And he shows it but you all-" her eyes flicked across their faces one by one, "-you're just pretending."

Her gaze finally stopped on Vikram. "Vikram Bhai... please call Yuvraj."

Vikram nodded slowly, his voice steady. "Sure. I'll call him."

Rudransh took a hesitant step closer. "Ruhanika... we were scared for you. All of us."

"I don't remember giving you the right to be scared for me." Her words were venom, slicing into him. "Understood?"

Her breathing grew uneven, but her voice didn't falter. "Rudransh, Rohan, my so-called father, and my so-called mother... I want all of you out. Right now. The only reason Kabir is allowed here is because he's my doctor. So if it's necessary, you can stay, Dr. Kabir. Otherwise, you too can leave." Her voice dropped, steel laced with exhaustion. "I want peace. Not drama."

Her father's face twisted, his pride cracking under her words. "So who is your peace then? Yuvraj?"

Ruhanika lifted her chin, eyes blazing even in weakness.

"Yes," she said, each syllable dripping with conviction. "He is my peace.

Ruhanika's POV

This family sucks. I know it. They just came 5 minutes ago when I opened my eyes-just pretending like they care every time. But deep down, I know the truth. I don't need their pity faces around me.

They should be out of this room.

Rohan stepped closer, his voice soft like he thought I would melt, "Ruhanika... can we stay for a minute?"

I looked straight into his eyes, my throat dry but my words sharp.
"Didn't I make it clear that I don't want any of you? Please... just leave."

Silence.

Then Kabir, spoke with a fake calmness. "Rohan, Rudransh bhai... let's go. She needs rest. She needs peace."

And just like that, they all walked out. Finally. Leaving only Veer and Vikram bhai in the room.

Veer bhai walked closer, his eyes soft, his presence comforting. "Do you need us to also go out?"

I almost laughed at the ridiculousness of it.
"What rubbish are you talking, bhai? You are my safe place."

Veer's lips curved into the tiniest relief of a smile. But Vikram bhai's expression was far from calm. He looked restless, angry even.
"Why did you eat peanuts when you know you have allergy to them? And not just one or two, Ruhanika an entire bowl! Why the hell would you do that?"

I shook my head immediately, my voice breaking.
"Bhai... it's not like that. I didn't eat peanuts. I just ate the food the maid gave me. I didn't know there was peanut in it. And the quantity was too much... I didn't even realize until it was too late."

Veer frowned, his tone firm but protective. "So the maid mixed it by mistake?"

But I wasn't convinced. A memory hit me like a slap. My eyes widened.
"No... I remember Rudransh strictly instructing all the maids that peanuts should never be added in my food."

Veer stiffened. "Then who was in the kitchen with the maid?"

I froze for a moment. My chest tightened as the answer formed in my mind. Slowly, almost whispering, I said,
"Aarohi."

The room went silent. Vikram's jaw clenched, his voice sharp. "Are you saying Aarohi can do this?"

My heart twisted. Aarohi was capable of manipulation, of venom in her words, of poisoning my image in front of everyone. But... killing me? My lips trembled as I answered,
"Bhai... she can manipulate. She can hurt me with words. She can ruin my reputation. But killing me? I... I don't know, bhai. I really don't know about that."

Vikram Bhai looked at me with that straight face and said, "Me and Veer will go to the mansion when Yuvraj comes here. We'll check everything."

Before I could respond, Veer Bhai added, "But didn't Yuvraj tell Twinkle to go to the mansion?"

I almost scoffed, my voice bitter as I replied, "Aarohi and her mother are there. I mean Buaji... do you really think they would ever allow Twinkle to enter? I'm damn sure they didn't let her in."

Veer Bhai shook his head slowly, "Yuvraj must be on his way here."

I laughed under my breath but it wasn't joy... it was pain. "You know what's funny? My so-called family just walked in five minutes ago, when they saw my eyes finally opening. And the way they pretended... as if they were sitting here since the last five, six hours. It was disgusting."

Both Veer and Vikram Bhai went silent for a second. That silence was heavier than words. Then Vikram Bhai finally spoke, his tone quiet but cutting, "Ruhanika... I hate to admit this but... Rudransh, Kabir, and Rohan were here for 4 hours. They didn't even move from their seats in the hospital. Your mother... Taiji... she was also there."

I froze. "You're joking, right? They?" My voice cracked.

Veer Bhai placed a hand on my shoulder, steady but sincere, "No. Ruhanika... Bhai is right. Rudransh ignored all his meetings. Kabir ignored his patients-he was only focused on you. And Rohan... he was praying, begging even. We hate to accept it, but apart from guilt... we saw the fear. Fear of losing you. They were more scared than us. Even in the mansion, when you were vomiting, Rudransh and Rohan were a mess. And taiji, worried sick. About your father... he was neutral, nothing more. But... we have to accept this much. They didn't come five minutes ago. They were here all along."

For a moment... I just stared at them. My chest felt heavy. My so-called brother. My so-called mother. Caring for me. What kind of cruel joke was this? How unfunny.

And then-before I could even process those thoughts-the door burst open.

The air shifted.

And there he was.

Yuvraj.

The sight of him-his face pale, his eyes swollen, his body trembling with something far stronger than exhaustion-hit me harder than the pain in my own chest. I had never seen him like this. His fear wasn't hidden, his mask wasn't there. He looked like a man who had been on the edge of breaking, and the moment his eyes landed on me, I knew... I knew how close he had been to losing himself.

Before I could even breathe his name, he crossed the room and pulled me into him. His arms wrapped around me so tightly as if he feared if he loosened even for a second, I'd vanish from his world. I felt his chest heaving, the erratic beat of his heart pounding against mine, and then-warmth. A single tear, falling from his eyes, slipping onto my skin.

And then his voice-raw, shaking, breaking apart in pieces-
"I thought I lost you, butterfly... I was barely breathing when I got to know about you."

Those words carved into me. His voice carried the kind of love you don't hear, you feel. The kind that suffocates you with its depth, the kind that hurts because it's too pure.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and forced myself to whisper, clutching his shirt with trembling fingers, "I'm fine... I'm alive, Yuvi."

But he didn't let go. He only tightened his hold, his lips brushing my temple as his breath shuddered.
"Don't you ever do this to me again, Ruhanika. You don't know what it felt like every second was killing me. I was scared... I was terrified. The thought of this world without you... I can't even"

His voice cracked before he finished, and I felt his arms tremble around me. For the first time, Yuvraj-the boy who had always stood like fire-was burning down from inside. And that fire, I realized, was me.

Yuvraj wasn't the unshakable man everyone saw. He wasn't the confident, arrogant boy who never let anyone see him weak. He was just my Yuvraj, breaking down in the quietest way possible, and it shattered me more than the pain in my body ever could.

I could feel his heartbeat racing wildly against my chest, almost as if it was trying to assure itself that I was still here, still alive. His breath was uneven, his tears warm against my skin, and for once, he wasn't trying to hide it.

He whispered my name like a prayer, like he had been holding it in for hours. And when his voice finally cracked, when the dam finally broke, his words burned into me.
"Do you even know what you've done to me, butterfly? I thought I lost you. For three hours, I wasn't breathing. For three hours, my world stopped. I have never been this scared in my life."

My throat tightened as I stroked the back of his hair, feeling him crumble further in my arms. Nobody ever saw this side of him. Nobody ever would. This raw, vulnerable Yuvraj... belonged only to me.

"Yuvraj..." my voice came out softer than a whisper, laced with love and guilt all at once. I tilted his face up, brushing away the tears spilling from his eyes. "Look at me. I'm here. I'm fine. I'm alive."

His eyes-red, wet, and desperate-locked onto mine, and the storm in them was unbearable.
"Don't you ever... ever do this to me again. You can fight with me, hate me, scream at me... but don't you dare leave me, Ruhanika. Don't you dare make me imagine a world without you, because I swear, I won't survive it."

I could still feel the way his arms trembled around me. His body was strong, but his soul was breaking against my chest. His breath was uneven, warm against my neck, as if every second without me had suffocated him.

And then, suddenly, his voice cracked, raw and hoarse, like it was tearing him from inside.
"I thought I lost you, Butterfly... I was barely breathing when I got to know about you."

A tear slid down his cheek and landed on mine. My heart shattered into pieces watching the man everyone feared-the man who never bent, never broke-fall apart in my arms like a lost boy.

I cupped his face, whispering softly, "I'm fine, Yuvraaj. I'm alive. Look at me, I'm right here."

His eyes searched mine like he was still trying to convince himself that I wasn't slipping away.
"You have to be fine... for me. Do you hear that? For me, Ruhanika."

Before I could answer, his tone shifted, a flash of fire burning in his eyes. His jaw tightened.
"And how dare you eat peanuts when you know-"

I stopped him instantly, my voice trembling but firm. "I didn't eat peanuts, Yuvraaj. Someone mixed it in my food."

For a second, silence. His entire body went rigid. His grip around me hardened, and I saw the storm ignite in his eyes.

"Who the hell did this?" His voice wasn't just anger-it was rage carved in fire.

That's when Vikram bhai's voice broke the tension, cold and sharp: "Aarohi."

And I swear I saw hell flicker in Yuvraaj's eyes.
"That bitch... I will make sure this is the last day of her in this world."

"Yuvraaj," I clutched his shirt desperately, forcing him to look at me. "We don't have proof. It's just our assumption. Please..."

His chest heaved, his breath burning, but his hand came to hold my face like I was the only thing anchoring him to sanity.
"If she did this, I swear, Rooh... I will not leave her."

My voice broke as I whispered, "Be with me... don't leave me."

And in that moment, his anger melted into something even deeper. His lips pressed against my forehead, his voice a vow.
"Always with you, my Rooh. You know, I was scared... I thought I lost you. But no. You can't leave me, Ruhanika. Because you are not Rohan Karna. You are my Ruhanika Singhania. And don't you ever dare to leave me. I will tear this world apart before I let you go."

His words hit me like a storm. My chest swelled, my soul trembled. And in that moment, I realized... how much he loved me. And how much I needed him.

(Them)

Author POV

The heavy wooden doors of the mansion opened with a dull echo as Rudransh, Rohan, Ruhanika's father, mother, and Dadu-Dadi stepped inside. The air was thick with tension, everyone's eyes heavy with the weight of what had just happened.

Before anyone could settle, a sharp voice broke the silence.

It was Buaji-Aarohi's mother. Her tone carried that subtle poison, sweetened only by fake sympathy.
"How is Ruhanika?" she asked, pressing her dupatta against her chest with dramatics.

Ruhanika's mother, tired and fragile after hours at the hospital, managed softly, "She is fine now... stable."

But Buaji smirked faintly, her words slipping like venom.
"Ohh... I thought she would die."

The entire hall froze.

And before anyone else could react, a broken but bold voice came from the corner.
"Buaji... your language... was about my little sister."
It was Rudransh, weak yet sharp, his eyes blazing through the exhaustion.

The next moment, Aarohi herself walked forward, her eyes lowered but her tone dripping with false sweetness.
"How is my little sister?" she asked, as if she had been the most concerned.

But before anyone could reply, Rohan's rage erupted. He stormed forward, eyes bloodshot, his voice echoing through the marble halls.
"Your little sister?" His voice cracked with fury.
"Did you even bother to get a glass of water for her when she was dying in front of us?"

Aarohi's eyes widened, feigning innocence.
"Bhai... I was not here..."

But Rohan's fury didn't stop.
He grabbed her arm, squeezing so tightly she winced in pain. His voice roared with raw betrayal.
"Not here? Don't lie, Aarohi! I saw you. I saw you standing at that pillar!" His finger jabbed towards the hallway.
"You stood there watching her vomit, watching her cry for help! I begged you for water, Aarohi... I begged you! And you didn't even move. You wanted her to die, didn't you?!"

The mansion walls seemed to shudder with his words. Aarohi's lips trembled, searching for an excuse.

"And in the hospital," Rohan continued, his tone breaking yet furious, "we were there for five hours! Do you even know what that felt like? And where were you, Aarohi? Where were you when your  little sister was fighting for her life?"

Ruhanika's father, overwhelmed, tried to intervene.
"Ruhan, stop! She is also your sister..."

But Ruhan turned, his chest heaving, his grip still iron on Aarohi's arm.
"She is not as important as Ruhanika is! Not after today." His eyes burned through Aarohi.
"And you... Aarohi... I will find out what exactly you were doing in this damn mansion while she was dying."

Aarohi's voice cracked, tears forming but her tone still playing the victim.
"Bhai... I was praying for her."

Rohan's laugh was hollow, venom dripping with every word.
"Praying? Stop acting, Aarohi. For God's sake, stop acting!" His voice shook with disgust.
"You couldn't get a glass of water for her, and you expect us to believe you were praying? You were jealous. Admit it, Aarohi. You were jealous of her, weren't you?"

The entire mansion turned silent after Rohan’s words. His voice trembled with rage, but his eyes held pain—pain of watching his little sister collapse while another one stood still like stone.

Aarohi’s face turned pale. She tried to hold back her tears, but Rohan’s grip on her arm tightened, forcing her to look at him.

“Tell me, Aarohi!” Rohan’s voice echoed through the hall, sharp enough to pierce through every heart present. “You call her your little sister, but in the moment she needed you, you didn’t move. You stood there like a stranger. You wanted her to choke, didn’t you?”

“Bhai…” Aarohi’s voice cracked. “I–I was praying for her. Believe me, I was—”

Rohan laughed bitterly, his laugh dripping venom. “Praying? Don’t insult that word, Aarohi. If you truly prayed for her, you would have been the first one to run, to hold her, to help her. But no—you stood there like you were waiting for the worst to happen.”

Aarohi’s lips trembled. “Bhai, you don’t understand—”

Rohan shook her arm harder, his voice breaking, his anger now mixed with helplessness.
“Understand what, Aarohi? That you were jealous of her? That you wanted her gone? That you stood there watching while I begged you for water, while she was dying in front of us? Tell me, Aarohi! Tell me you didn’t want her to die!”

The air froze. No one dared to speak. Even Ruhanika’s mother lowered her eyes, because somewhere deep inside, she too had seen what Rohan saw—the hesitation, the coldness, the deliberate silence of Aarohi.

Aarohi’s mother suddenly stepped forward, her voice sharp and trembling.
“Stop it, Rohan! You are insulting my daughter in front of everyone!”

But Rohan’s anger didn’t flinch. His eyes were blood-red, his voice like fire.
“If I get to know that in Ruhanika’s condition Aarohi’s hand is there… I swear, I will break this damn hand of hers without a second thought!”

“Why would I ever hurt Ruhanika?” Aarohi wailed, her voice dripping with rehearsed pain. “She’s my sister. I care about her. I love her. But no one ever sees that. Everyone only believes what they want to!”

And then, Ruhanika’s father’s cold voice cut the silence like a blade.
“That boy… Yuvraj. He is more important than us, isn’t he?”

The bitterness was unmistakable, his words heavy with accusation.

But before anyone could respond, Rudraksh stepped forward. His eyes glistened—not with weakness, but with truth he could no longer deny. His voice shook, not from fear, but from the weight of his realization.

“Yes. Because Yuvraj loved our Ruhanika.”

Gasps spread across the hall. Rudraksh’s jaw tightened as he faced his father and the rest of the family.

“He loved her in a way we never could. Not with conditions. Not with boundaries. Not with doubts. We couldn’t see it, but I saw him break for her. I saw the cold, untouchable business tycoon Yuvraj  fall to his knees for my sister.”

He took a deep breath, his voice cracking as his confession bared his heart.
“I was jealous of him. I thought he was stealing her away from us, being a wall between Ruhanika and this family. I thought he was the villain… but I was wrong. He is not the villain. He is the hero of her life. And he can be the villain of our lives if we ever dare to hurt Ruhanika again.”

The silence that followed was suffocating. No one dared to speak. The weight of Rudraksh’s words settled like thunder in the air.

And then he said the truth that shook everyone to the core.
“She is his possession. His obsession. His everything. Ruhanika is not just ours anymore… she is Yuvraj  world.”

The silence in the hallway was broken when Yug entered, his voice trembling with an innocence that carried both fear and hope.

“How’s everything?” he asked, scanning the faces around him.

Dadu stepped forward, his eyes sharp with concern.
“Where were you?” he demanded.

Yug blinked, caught off guard but still trying to keep calm.
“I was with my friend, Dadu.”

Dadu’s tone hardened.
“Then why didn’t you answer our calls?”

Yuge exhaled, scratching the back of his neck nervously.
“Oh… my phone was switched off, Dadu.”

Before Dadu could reply, Dadi’s voice cracked with emotion.
“Do you even know where Ruhanika is?”

Yug expression shifted, but he quickly nodded.
“Yes, Dadi. I know. She’s with Kabir Bhai. I mean today is their day out!

But Rohan’s sharp tone cut through the air.
“She is not with Kabir Bhai. She is in the hospital. Admitted in OT.”

Yug froze. The words hit him like thunder, draining the color from his face.

His lips trembled.
“W-What…? Hospital?”

And then, with a deep breath, Rohan explained everything that had happened since the morning. Each word was like a blow to Yug chest. By the time Rohan finished, Yug hands were clenched into fists, his eyes glistening.

Yug heart dropped in relief. His voice cracked as he whispered,
“Ruhanika Di… she is alright now?”

Rohan gave a firm nod.
“Yes. Stable.”

Without wasting another second, Yuke moved forward.
“I am going to meet her.”

But aarohi stepped in his way.
“Yug you can’t go.”

Confusion and frustration filled Yug eyes.
“Why? Why can’t I? She’s my Di.”

Before the tension could rise, Aarohi placed a hand on Yug shoulder.
“Yug… I’ll also go with you. Just wait for ten minutes. I’m coming.”

Yug bit his lip, restless, the uneasiness on his face clear as day.
“Okay…” he muttered, but his eyes betrayed the storm inside him.

Everyone drifted back to their rooms, but Yug couldn’t sit still. His heart was running faster than his thoughts.

Then Aarohi appeared, her tone sugar-coated but laced with poison.
“Yug… are you seriously going to meet Ruhanika? I mean, didn’t she, like—”

But before she could spit another word, Yug voice broke like thunder.
“Can you please stop for a minute, Aarohi Di?” His voice was sharper than ever, his eyes blazing with a mix of hurt and anger.

“Every time… every single time… you try to manipulate me against Rohanika Di. On my birthday party, didn’t you? You manipulated me so much about that scar.” His voice cracked, and his fists shook. “Didn’t you?”

Aarohi stiffened, caught off guard.

Yug chest heaved as he continued, his voice raw.
“And what came back to me was the truth—that you were the one who hurt my Rohanika Di. You.” His eyes burned into hers. “Now suddenly, why? Why are you trying to do the same? Manipulating everyone again?”

Aarohi’s face paled, but he didn’t stop.

“Don’t. Don’t, Aarohi Di. I trust you… I always did. But every time, your words feel like a trap. Like a manipulation.” His voice trembled with pain, but his loyalty was clear.

Taking a step forward, he looked her dead in the eye.
“So listen carefully. If you want to go, come with me. But if you don’t… I will still go. Because nothing in this world can stop me from meeting my Rohanika Di.”

And with that, Yuge turned away, his small frame carrying a storm of emotions, but his love for his sister shining brighter than anything Aarohi could ever twist.

Yuvraj’s POV

I never thought there would be a day when my heart would rip open like this.
The man who built walls higher than mountains, who never let anyone close enough to touch his soul, was crumbling in the arms of one girl. My girl.

Because tonight, I realized… if she leaves, if anything happens to her, I am not Yuvraj Singhania anymore. I am no one.

I cupped her face, my voice breaking lower than I ever let anyone hear.
“Did you eat the medicine?”

Her lips trembled, but she nodded. “Yes, I did.”

I inhaled sharply, rage and helplessness twisting together. “If Aarohi has done this… I swear, Ruhi, I will kill her.”

But she surprised me like always. Those soft, trembling words came out stronger than steel.
“If she has done it, I’ll kill her before you.”

My chest tightened. Damn her. Even in weakness, she stands like fire. My fire.

I leaned my forehead against hers, closing my eyes just to feel her there. “Why the hell do you still fight like this, Ruhi? Why can’t you just let me fight for you? You scare me.”

Her shaky fingers slid across my jaw, grounding me, burning me. “Because if I stop fighting, Yuvraj, I’ll lose myself. And then you won’t have me the way you love me. And I… I can’t let that happen.”

I opened my eyes, and there she was. Pale, weak, yet stronger than every storm I’ve ever faced. The only person who could bring me down to my knees and still make me feel like a king.

“You’re mine, Ruhanika,” I whispered, voice raw, almost broken. “Not because I hold you, but because you hold me in ways no one else ever could. Don’t you ever leave me.”

Her lips curved in the faintest, weakest smile. “You think you can get rid of me, ? Dream on. You’re stuck with me. Even if the world tries to break us apart, even if your own darkness tries to swallow you… I’ll drag you back. Every single time.”

It was just us.
Her breaking, me breaking, but together—unshakable.

I cupped her face gently, my thumb brushing against her damp cheek. “And I can’t watch you suffer. Not for a second. Not even by accident.” My throat tightened, forcing the words out of me. “Do you know what it does to me, Ruhanika? The fear of losing you—it eats me alive. I’m not built for this. I can fight the world, but I can’t fight the thought of your absence.”

Her eyes filled with fresh tears, not of weakness but of recognition. She buried her face back into my chest, her words muffled. “Then don’t think of it. I’m here. I’m alive. With you. And if anyone tries to take me away, Yuvraj, they’ll have to fight me first.”

I tightened my arms around her, pressing my lips to the crown of her head. The world outside didn’t exist. Not Aarohi, not her family, not even mine. Just her. Just me.

“You think you’re mine, don’t you?” I whispered, letting the words slip like a confession.

She pulled back slightly, her gaze meeting mine, fiery even through the tears. “I don’t think, Yuvraj. I know. I’ve always been yours. Even when you hated me. Even when you doubted me. And if you’re still afraid… then listen to me—” She held my face in her trembling hands, her voice raw, almost desperate. “—I’m not going anywhere.”

I kissed her forehead slowly, lingering, tasting the salt of her tears. “You’re my only reason, Ruhanika. My only damn reason to breathe.”

As we were talking—her head still resting against my chest, her voice softening my storm—the door creaked open.

And there he was. Kabir.

His eyes went first to her, scanning like a doctor, not like a brother. His tone clipped, professional.
“Did you eat the medicine?” he asked.

“Yes,” Ruhanika replied quietly.

Then his gaze shifted to me. “ may I have a moment with my patient?”

I didn’t even flinch. My hand tightened around her, my body shielding her like instinct.
“Patient or sister?” My voice was ice. “Well, you can have your moment with your patient, but not with your sister. Because she is my fiancée, and I will be with her.”

His jaw clenched, the muscle twitching. For a second, he dropped the doctor mask.
“ please… I need to talk to my sister. My Ruhanika.”

I laughed, but it wasn’t funny. It was bitter, sharp, the kind that leaves scars.
“Your sister? Really?

“Please,” he said again, and this time his voice cracked. “I know I made a mistake. I know I was wrong. Not only me… the whole mansion was wrong. But how many times? How many times will you remind me of the same thing? Did it change anything?”

Ruhanika’s eyes lifted, tired and wary. “Kabir… what do you want?”

His lips trembled. “Forgiveness.”

And then, as if his soul couldn’t carry the weight anymore, he reached for her hand. He held it—not like the arrogant brother who once silenced her voice, but like a man clinging to the last thread of redemption.

His eyes glossed over, his words spilling like he’d rehearsed them a thousand nights alone.
“Do you even know… how much I missed you? Every damn day, Ruhanika. I used to wake up and the mansion would feel empty without your laughter, without your stubborn little comebacks. You hated me for silencing you, and I deserve that hate. But do you know what haunted me most? That it was your dream… to see me become a doctor. You said it like a child, do you remember? You used to push me to study when I wanted to run away from books. You said, Kabir bhai, one day I’ll clap the loudest when you wear that white coat.”

His voice broke. He looked down at her hand, gripping it tighter, his tears staining his lashes.
“And I became one, Ruhanika. I fulfilled that dream. But the day I wore this coat… you weren’t there. You weren’t clapping. You weren’t smiling. You weren’t even speaking to me. And I swear, that was the proudest and loneliest moment of my life. Because what is the use of fulfilling a dream… when the one who dreamt it for you isn’t beside you?”

He shook his head, breathing heavy.
“I wronged you. I judged you when I should’ve protected you. I silenced your voice when I should’ve screamed with you. I broke you, Ruhanika. And no matter how much medicine I prescribe, I don’t have the cure for that wound.”

He lifted his eyes finally, raw and wet, straight into hers.
“But I beg… just once. Let me be your brother again. Let me at least try. Because this silence… this distance… it’s killing me more than you’ll ever know.”

“I said, Kabir, past can’t be undone. And you are saying this because now you see that Ruhanika was not wrong.”

Kabir clenched his jaw, his tone low but defensive.
“You know what, what do you think? We were also kids at that time. Seven years ago, we were kids, Ruhi. We didn’t have that mindset, that brain. We accepted whatever our parents told us.”

Ruhanika’s eyes burned, her voice sharp with years of suffocated pain.
“Didn’t you ever notice how Dad used to do partiality between us? How?”

Kabir looked down for a second, guilt flashing in his eyes.
“I noticed it. But Ruhanika, seven years ago, I was too a damn child. I’m not giving you excuses, I’m just saying. Aarohi… about Aarohi, we saw the scars, we saw the evidence, we saw everything. And at that time, it felt like Aarohi was right. Now it feels like you are right… but back then, it wasn’t like that.”

I let out a cold laugh, the kind that doesn’t hold an ounce of humor.
"So basically, Kabir… you’re saying you were a kid, so you chose convenience over truth. You saw scars, you saw ‘evidence,’ but you never saw her—the girl you called sister. You never trusted her words, you never once thought, maybe, just maybe, your sister wasn’t lying. Because believing Aarohi was easier, wasn’t it?"

I stepped forward, my eyes burning into his.
"Seven years ago, you were a child? Fine. What about five years ago? Three? Yesterday? At what age does your loyalty to your so-called family excuse itself from basic humanity?"

I leaned closer, my voice dropping like poison.
"You want forgiveness because guilt is eating you alive, not because you deserve it. Don’t dress it up as some brotherly epiphany, Kabir. You failed her then, and you are failing her now—because even in your apology, you make it about you. About how you were a kid, about how you were misled. Not once about how she bled, how she begged, how she broke while you all stood against her."

I glanced at Ruhanika and then back at him, my tone sharp as a blade.
"And let me make one thing very clear. You lost the right to call her your sister the day you chose Aarohi’s lies over her truth. She’s mine now. My fiancée. My family. So if you want to cry about being a child back then, do it somewhere else. Because here—" I pointed to Ruhanika’s trembling hand in mine, "—you are nothing but the ghost of the brother she once had."

I took a step closer and said
“You weren’t children—you were cowards. And the difference between you and Ruhi is simple: she was younger than you, yet she had the courage to survive hell. You had age, you had brain enough to know what was happening, but you chose comfort over truth. Don’t you dare justify betrayal as ‘childhood’.”

The silence after his words was deafening. Kabir froze, his mouth slightly open, no reply coming. Ruhanika’s chest rose and fell heavily, her eyes locked on Yuvraj—because in that moment, it felt like he had screamed out the words she’d been carrying in her heart for years.

And I said, “Leave Kabir. As a doctor you know Ruhanika needs rest”

Kabir looked at me, helpless, his mouth half open like he wanted to argue, but then he just exhaled sharply and left without another word.

The room fell into a short-lived silence, one that almost felt like relief. But relief doesn’t last in this house, does it?

Because the moment the door clicked shut, it opened again.

And this time… it wasn’t Kabir.

It was Yug. And behind him—Aarohi. That bitch.

Her face carried that same fake innocence she always wore like a mask, but her eyes—God, her eyes were dripping with venom. She looked at Ruhanika like she always did. Not like a sister. Not like family. But like competition. Like poison.

The air grew heavier the second they stepped inside.

And I swear, my blood boiled just watching them.

Ruhanika’s POV

The words of Kabir, the tone of Rudransh, the  kept spilling—it was all crawling under my skin. I didn’t want them to affect me. I didn’t want to break. But no matter how much I denied it, their words did affect me. And that’s what made me weak.

As soon as Kabir left, I thought I would finally breathe for a moment. But within two minutes, the door swung open again.

And there it was.

Yug. And Aarohi.

For a second, my blood froze. My instinct told me another storm was about to hit. But before I could even say anything, Yug rushed forward, almost stumbling in his hurry, and wrapped his arms around me in a bone-crushing hug.

“Are you fine, Ruhi d? I’m sorry, Ruhi di… I didn’t know… I swear, I didn’t know you were in the hospital for the past hours. I was with my friend, my phone was switched off. Ruhi di are you fine? Tell me you’re fine… how could you eat something you’re allergic to? How can you be so careless?”

I blinked, stunned, my chest tightening as he went on, words tumbling out of him like he was choking on his own guilt. His voice cracked in between, his hold only tightening as if he was scared I’d disappear from his arms.

“Stop, Yug… stop. Take a deep breath,” I whispered, my hand brushing against his back lightly, trying to calm the storm raging inside him.

And this  is not your fault. This is all the doing of someone from your mansion.” Yuvraj tone dropped low, heavy, and his eyes burned when they flicked towards Aarohi.

I followed his gaze. Aarohi had her perfect, fake little smile plastered on her lips as she stepped closer.

“Little sister… I mean Ruhanika. How are you now? Are you fine?” she asked sweetly, venom dripping beneath every word. Her gaze then shifted to Yuvraj. “Did you eat anything?”

But before I could even open my mouth, Yuvraj rage exploded.
“Get out! You damn fucking bitch, get out! I don’t need any questions from you. I don’t even want your negative energy or negative vibes anywhere near this room. So fucking get out—NOW!”

The way he roared shook even me. His voice echoed off the walls, raw and unforgiving.

Aarohi’s smile cracked, her mask slipping for a second before she stormed out in anger, her heels clattering loudly against the floor.

I couldn’t help it—I chuckled softly.

Yuvraj was about to step forward, to say something to Yug, but I quickly stopped him, placing my hand lightly on his wrist.

“Yuvraj… let it be.”

Then I turned back to Yug, my voice soft, almost trembling as I asked, “Didn’t you hate me?”

The room fell into a heavy silence after that, the kind of silence that carried weight, pain, and unsaid truths.

He looked at me, almost broken, almost torn between too many truths. His voice was low, shaky, like he himself was unsure of what he was saying.
“I don’t know, Ruhi di. It feels like everyone in this house is playing with my mind. Sometimes I think you are right. Sometimes I think Aarohi is right. Sometimes I even feel like papa is right. I’m stuck. I don’t know.”

His words cut me deeper than silence ever could. My eyes stung, but I refused to let the tears fall. I tilted my head, meeting his gaze without trembling.
“Didn’t you ever notice how father used to differentiate between us? Didn’t you?” I asked, my voice sharper this time, demanding.

He hesitated, then sighed.
“For less time… for not so much time I saw father doing this. But I cared for you, maybe. And I swear on myself… as soon as I knew about you, I just came here.”

That oath… it held weight. But the wound was too deep for easy healing. I bit my lip, and then asked, almost whispering, “What if someone from the family plants a thorn under my foot, what will you do?”

His eyes darkened, his tone firm.
“I will… I will push them from the stairs.”

A small laugh escaped me, despite everything. The kind of laugh that comes from pain mixing with affection.

Before I could say more, Yuvraj’s voice cut in. Protective, commanding.
“Look, Ruhanika needs rest.”

Then Yug finally spoke—his voice low but firm.
“I am her brother.”

Yuvraj’s head snapped up immediately, his voice sharp, venom dripping from every syllable.
“And I am her fiancé.”

The room stilled.

Yug’s jaw clenched, but before he could react further, Yuvraj continued, words like knives cutting through the air.
“The brother who once said she seduced me. Aren’t you the same brother?”

Yug’s eyes lowered. For a second, that arrogance in his shoulders dropped. He didn’t have an answer. And in that silence, my chest tightened.

“Stop it… both of you,” I whispered, my voice breaking, because I couldn’t watch the two men who meant so much to me tear each other apart.

Yug finally looked at me. His gaze softened, filled with something I hadn’t seen in years—vulnerability.
“I don’t know what happened in the past,” he admitted, his voice trembling just slightly. “I really don’t know. But from now… I will take care of you. Not me, all four brothers will. I swear.”

And then—he turned and walked away. Just like that.

My throat ached as his words echoed in my ears. Four brothers will take care of you. Words I once craved to hear, words I used to beg the universe for. And now… they felt like chains dragging me down.

I swallowed hard, tears stinging. “Maybe I am weak, Yuvraj. You know why? Because for the past seven years, I hated them. Every single one of them. And this time… I hate Yug too. But still—seeing them here, seeing their guilt, their fear—it still makes my heart melt. And I don’t want it to. I don’t want it to… but it does. How do I stop this? Tell me, how?”

Yuvraj’s thumb brushed my tears away, but his eyes burned with something deeper, protective.

“I am with you,” he said, voice solid, unshakable. “And about your family… about your brothers. Their guilt is right. Their fear is right. But don’t forget, our mission was to expose Aarohi. And now my mission…” he paused, his jaw tightening, “is to expose how the hell those peanuts ended up near you. Whether she mixed them or not—I will find out. I swear it.”

I froze. My heart twisted painfully because deep down I knew he was right. I was getting weak. Their guilt, their efforts, their sudden care—it was creeping under my skin, suffocating me with feelings I didn’t want to feel.

I didn’t want to admit it. But I was.

Because no matter how much I hated them for abandoning me… my stupid heart still longed for someone, anyone, to prove they hadn’t abandoned me completely.

And that was the cruelest truth of all