Yanii's eyes darted around the room, scanning every corner with growing concern Kushagra was nowhere to be seen. Her heart skipped a beat as an uneasy feeling settled in her chest. She had just seen him here a moment ago-where could he have gone so suddenly? Furrowing her brows, she mumbled under her breath, "Where did he go? He was just here..."
Before she could dwell on the thought any longer, Suman's voice rang out, laced with playful mischief. "Oh my! Kushagra has brought such a beautiful ring for Yanii? Vivaan, hand it to her so she can wear it!"
The moment those words left her lips, the room erupted into hushed giggles and knowing laughter. The women exchanged glances, their smiles widening with amusement. The air grew thick with teasing excitement, the sound of their laughter wrapping around Yanii like an invisible force, making her heartbeat quicken.
Yet, amidst the chatter and playful taunts, Yanii's mind was elsewhere-fixated on the one person who was missing from the scene.
Vivaan extended the ring toward Yanii, his fingers steady, his expression unreadable. The air around them felt thick, heavy with an unspoken tension. Yanii hesitated, her heartbeat quickening as she stared at the small yet significant piece of jewelry resting in his palm. Her fingers twitched slightly, caught between reluctance and obligation.
She didn't want to take it.
And yet, under the weight of everyone's expectant gazes-and the quiet pressure in Suman's tone-her resolve wavered. Slowly, hesitantly, she reached out. The moment her fingertips brushed against her, a strange sensation curled in her chest. Her touch was warm, as she wear the ring, but the ring... the ring was cold.
Icy, almost.
A shiver ran down her spine, though she masked it with a small, nervous smile. She knew she had no choice.
It was strange. Almost suffocating.
A wave of goosebumps erupted along her arms, and for a brief second, her breathing faltered. Her mind reeled, confusion crashing over her like a relentless tide.
Why?
Kushagra...
Her thoughts fixated on him, on the way he had spoken to her just last night. His words had been cold, detached. He had made it painfully clear that all of this-this marriage, this relationship-was nothing but a duty to him. An obligation forced upon him by circumstances.
And yet... this ring?
Why give it to me?
Is this, too, just another duty?
Or is there something more? Something I don't know?
Her fingers curled slightly, her nails digging into her palm as frustration clawed at her insides. This was suffocating. It was messing with her head, leaving her restless, uneasy.
This is seriously frustrating me!
A quiet sigh escaped her lips, so soft that she barely noticed it herself-but Meera did.
Yanii flinched slightly as Meera's warm, gentle hands cupped her cheeks. The contrast was startling-her hands were warm, soothing, while Yanii's skin felt cold, her thoughts an overwhelming storm.
Meera's gaze was soft, laced with concern. Misunderstanding Yanii's sigh, she gave a small, affectionate smile and stroked her cheek lightly with her thumb.
"Yanii, you must be exhausted," she murmured, her voice filled with motherly warmth. "Go get some rest now, okay?"
For a moment, Yanii just looked at her, conflicted. There was so much swirling inside her-questions, confusion, an ache she couldn't place-but none of it could be voiced.
She hesitated, then gave a small nod. Her voice was barely above a whisper.
"Okay"
She turned away, walking toward bedroom, but her mind refused to settle.
The weight of the ring on her finger felt heavier than it should.
And no matter how hard she tried to shake it off, one thought kept echoing in her head-
What does this really mean?
In the guest room:
The guest room was suffocatingly quiet. Not a single sound-except for the erratic beat of Kushagra's heart, pulsing in his chest like a warning. The dim light cast long, twisted shadows, stretching across the walls like the shadows of his fractured thoughts. For the first time in what felt like forever, Kushagra was truly alone.
But his mind was anything but empty.
It was consumed with one thing.
That damn ring.
His hands shook with rage, but his fists were clenched so tightly his nails bit into his palms, blood and anger mixing as one. The ring on her finger-it wasn't supposed to be hers. It was meant for Saniya. Only Saniya.
And yet, here it was-Yanii wore it.
The realization crashed into him like a freight train, a violent blow to his ribs that knocked the breath right out of him. His body trembled, trying to breathe, but the air was thick, suffocating, heavy with grief. His lungs burned, gasping for air that wouldn't come.
The ache in his chest was overwhelming, and in a moment of pure desperation, his head snapped back as he let out a primal, gut-wrenching scream.
A scream filled with everything he couldn't say, everything he couldn't do. Frustration, heartbreak, and loss poured out in that single cry. But it was useless-no one could hear him.
He was alone in his pain. Completely alone.
The tear that slid down his cheek was a dam breaking. One after another, they fell, each drop carrying more weight than he thought he could bear. A sob escaped his throat, raw and broken, too painful to contain.
It wasn't just a tear anymore. It was a flood.
Saniya's face flashed in his mind-her soft laughter, the way she'd look at him, the way she used to touch him like she was the only thing in his world. Every single memory of her clawed at him-biting, gnawing at his insides until there was nothing left but the unbearable ache.
His father's words echoed in his mind, their coldness seeping into his bones. "You have to marry Yanii. It's my final decision."
His teeth gritted together, jaw locked with a force that could shatter stone. His fingers dug into his palms with such violence, he could almost feel his skin tearing. "Why the hell did he think this was fair? Did he even care what I wanted?"
The pain in his chest was suffocating. His ribs felt like they were closing in, a crushing weight that dragged him down deeper into despair. His thoughts twisted, relentless, torturing him with the memory of Saniya-her scent, her touch, her laughter-all of it still felt so real. But she wasn't here.
Yanii was.
And for some reason, that truth made his stomach churn with uncontrollable anger.
Kushagra's body trembled as the grief built up inside him, a wave threatening to pull him under. With a strangled cry, he collapsed onto the cold floor. His back hit the ground with a thud, but it didn't matter. He curled into himself, knees pulled to his chest, his entire body shaking like a leaf in a storm. Choked sobs tore through him, each one more desperate than the last.
The room felt like it was closing in on him, heavy with the stench of regret and lost hope. His fingers dug into his hair, pulling hard enough to feel the roots strain. His breath was shallow, a jagged mess of gasps and sobs, his chest aching with every breath.
"Why, Dad? Why?" he whispered, his voice cracking as the words fell from his lips. The tears didn't stop-they never would. "All for one promise?"
His hands tangled in his hair again, fingers digging deeper. The fury inside him burned, but it wasn't enough to stop the pain. The grief was a relentless tide, crashing over him, drowning him.
His voice dropped to a low, dangerous growl. "For one promise... you ruined everything."
The words hung in the air like poison, cutting deeper than any physical blow. He could feel himself shattering with each breath, his heart unraveling, thread by thread.
And then, almost whispered, the words fell from his lips, and the weight of them nearly crushed him. "This is all because of her. Because of Yanii."
His entire body stiffened at the realization, his hands trembling violently as they dropped from his hair. The rage-raw and untamed-coursed through him. His chest tightened in a way that felt like it might crack open. "If she hadn't come into my life... none of this would have happened."
A cold wave of realization hit him. "If she weren't here... I'd be with Saniya right now."
The words rang out in the silence, louder than any scream. And with that final thought, everything inside Kushagra cracked wide open. The anger, the guilt, the bitterness-it all hit him at once. He couldn't hold it in any longer.
Another sob wracked his body, deeper than before. His shoulders shook with the weight of his misery, and his breath came in ragged, desperate gasps.
And in the suffocating silence of the empty guest room, Karan broke. Alone.
Drowning in the agony of a love he couldn't save.
A sudden thought struck Kushagra like a lightning bolt, making his breath hitch.
"Oh no... that ring."
His jaw clenched as realization hit him-she was still wearing Saniya's ring.
A bitter laugh escaped his lips, hollow and broken. His father had crushed his love under the weight of duty, and now, he was stuck in this forced reality. He wiped his face roughly, but the suffocating weight in his chest didn't budge. His heartbeat pounded against his ribs, but his expression was unreadable, carefully masking the storm raging within him.
With purposeful strides, he left the guest room and walked toward the living room.
The closer he got, the louder the sound of laughter became-a stark contrast to the suffocating silence he had just escaped from. The atmosphere in the living room was warm, lighthearted, filled with smiles and cheerful voices. But as soon as Karan stepped inside, everything around him faded into the background.
His eyes searched for her.
But she wasn't there.
His gaze darkened slightly before he turned to his mother. Stepping closer, he leaned in just enough so only she could hear and asked in a low, controlled voice,
"Mom, where is Yanii?"
His tone was sharp-firm yet composed. Anyone else would assume nothing was wrong, that he was just asking casually. But Meera knew her son well.
Her brows furrowed in slight confusion at his sudden question. Then, in a soft voice, she replied,
"Yanii has gone to her room to rest. Do you need something?"
Kushagra exhaled slowly, shaking his head in a small, subtle no. His face remained unreadable, but deep inside, he was anything but calm.
Without another word, he turned on his heels and made his way toward the room.
The sounds of laughter and conversation faded with every step he took, until all that remained was the steady thumping of his own heartbeat.
He didn't knock.
Pushing the door open, he stepped inside, and the air in the room immediately shifted.
The once relaxed and peaceful atmosphere grew heavier, charged with something unspoken. The soft glow of the bedside lamp cast a warm hue across the room, but Kushagra's presence seemed to dim everything around him.
And there she was.
Yanii sat on the bed, casually scrolling through her phone, lost in her own world. She hadn't even noticed him enter yet.
But Kushagra wasn't looking at her.
His gaze was fixed on one thing.
The ring.
The ring that wasn't supposed to be hers.
The ring he had carefully chosen for Saniya, meant to symbolize their love-a symbol of commitment he had imagined slipping onto Saniya's delicate fingers, a promise of forever.
But now, it rested on Yanii's hand.
His stomach twisted in agony. His heartbeat, once steady, now hammered against his ribs, faster, erratic. It felt wrong. Too wrong.
A sharp ache shot through his chest, tightening like an iron vice around his heart. It felt like watching his past-the person he loved, the life he thought he'd have-slip through his fingers. It was as if someone had stolen the last precious piece of Saniya from him, and it was now being worn by someone else.
His breathing slowed, growing heavier with each inhale, but it felt like the air could never fill the void inside him.
His fingers twitched at his sides, his mind swirling with a cocktail of emotions-anger, grief, frustration. But most of all-helplessness.
Yanii, oblivious to the storm raging within him, let out a soft sigh, her lips curling into a faint smile as she scrolled through her phone.
And for some reason, that infuriated him.
How could she sit there so casually? How could she wear Saniya's ring like it was nothing?
Kushagra's jaw clenched, and his fingers curled into fists.
And then-he took a step forward.
The space between them shrank, and the air in the room thickened, charged with an intensity neither of them had expected.
And this time, Yanii noticed.
Her fingers froze on the screen, her body tensing as if she sensed the shift in the air. Her breath caught in her throat, unease gnawing at her stomach as she slowly lifted her gaze to meet his.
His eyes, dark and unreadable, pierced her. The intensity behind them sent a shiver running down her spine.
She could feel the change. Something about the way he was looking at her made her uneasy, but at the same time, she couldn't tear her gaze away.
And for a moment, neither of them moved.
The only sound in the room was the low hum of the ceiling fan and the distant chatter from the living room.
But inside this space, inside this moment, everything had shifted.
And Yanii had no idea why.
Finally, Yanii broke the heavy silence with an exaggerated gasp.
"How dare you?!" she gasped, eyes blazing. "Ever heard of knocking? Or do manners not exist in your world?"
Kushagra's eyebrow arched, his gaze locking onto hers, his expression unreadable. His voice dropped into a deep, slow drawl. "Manners?" He let the word hang between them before smirking. "Knock? Darling, you seem to forget-this is my room. I don't need permission to enter what already belongs to me."
His eyes flickered back to her hand, the ring that should never have been there.
Yanii scoffed. "Still, a little knocking wouldn't kill you. Or is basic decency too much to ask?"
Kushagra stood still, his eyes fixed on her, his jaw tightening.
Kushagra's jaw tightened, his gaze darkening. "I don't knock in my own space. If that bothers you, maybe you should rethink staying here." His voice was low, almost a warning.
He exhaled sharply, rubbing his temple. "You're impossible. Just give me the damn ring and let's not make this harder than it needs to be."
Yanii tilted her head, a teasing smirk playing on her lips. "Oh? The ring? And why exactly should I hand it over? Looks better on me anyway."
Kushagra took a step closer, his voice a low, controlled threat. "I don't like repeating myself. Hand over my ring... before I lose my patience."
Yanii crossed her arms, her gaze sharp. "What's your problem? Why are you acting so weird about this? I told you-I'm not giving you the ring."
She crossed her arms, digging in her heels.
Kushagra's patience snapped. His jaw clenched, eyes darkening as his fury grew.
He took a step closer, his voice a slow, dangerous drawl. "I'll ask one last time... Did you not understand me the first time?"
He took another step forward.
Instinctively, Yanii took a step back, her eyes widening.
Kushagra's pace didn't falter. His voice deepened as he spoke, each word calculated, heavy with authority. "Give me the ring back. That ring doesn't belong to you."
Yanii's mind raced, realization flashing across her face. The ring-it wasn't for her. It was for Saniya.
The truth hit her like a slap.
She'd worn Saniya's ring. Her heart squeezed, not from guilt but from the weight of understanding.
But Yanii wasn't going to back down.
She lifted her right hand, the warning clear in her eyes as she spoke in a low, threatening voice, "Don't take another step. I swear you won't like what happens if you do."
Kushagra's gaze flickered to her hand-still clutching the ring-and then back to her face. His lips curved, not into a smirk, but something colder, sharper.
"Is that so?" His voice dropped lower, almost a growl, as he took another step forward.
Yanii's heartbeat quickened, her fingers trembling. "I said stay right there! Or else-"
Before she could finish her sentence, Kushagra lunged.
A startled gasp escaped Yanii's lips.
The next moment, she was on the bed, her back hitting the soft mattress with a force that stole her breath. Her heart raced, thundering in her chest as she processed the sudden shift in their proximity.
Kushagra was above her now, his body so close she could feel the heat radiating off him. His hands were planted firmly on either side of her head, trapping her in place.
Yanii froze, her wide eyes staring up at him. Her body wasn't tense with fear-it was paralyzed by shock.
But Kushagra... Kushagra didn't seem to notice. His mind was consumed by one thing.
The ring.
"I told you..." His voice was low, barely a whisper, but the authority in it was undeniable. "Give me my ring back."
His eyes were fixed on her hand, his gaze predatory.
Without warning, he reached for her wrist, his fingers closing around it with unrelenting force, but not in a way that hurt her.
And then, he tugged.
Yanii's hand collided with his chest. The heat from his body flooded her senses. His chest was firm against her palm, sending a shiver through her that she couldn't suppress.
Kushagra's other hand moved to the ring, his fingers brushing against hers as he tried to pry it off.
Yanii's breath hitched. Her heart pounded harder, faster. She could feel everything-the weight of him above her, the warmth of his skin, the strength in his grip.
Her mind screamed for her to push him away, to resist.
But her body betrayed her. It didn't move. It didn't pull away.
Kushagra's fingers tightened on her wrist, his grip unwavering, and he finally pulled the ring free.
And as his hand wrapped around the ring, Yanii knew, for just a moment-she had lost something.
And Kushagra... He had won. But at what cost?