Avni glanced around, expecting the familiar gates of Sanjay’s house, but instead the jeep rolled to a stop in the middle of a crowded market. Confusion flickered in her eyes as she quickly jumped out, scanning the busy street for Guru. But like some superhero, he had vanished in seconds—poof, gone.

How does he even do that?

Her restless eyes finally caught him, walking back toward her with that same unreadable face. But what hooked her attention was his hand—tucked behind his back, like he was trying to hide something.

Great, she thought, her lips twitching with dry sarcasm. Probably a knife. Perfect place to stab me—in public.

She rolled her eyes and turned to sit back in the jeep, done with his disappearing act, but before she could, his hand caught her wrist. Her steps froze. Avni looked down at his grip, then slowly up at him, her brows narrowing as if questioning him silently.

He didn’t answer. Instead, with a small shake of his head, he moved closer, positioning himself behind her. His hand guided her gently, making her face forward. Confused, she followed his motion—until her eyes landed on the mirror in front of them.

And there she was—her own reflection staring back while he standing behind.

Their cloth combination looked perfect in mirror.

A fresh whiff of jasmine reached Avni’s nose, delicate yet sharp enough to steal her breath. Her lips parted slightly in surprise when Guru’s hand brushed through her hair, making her realize what he was doing. She blinked, her cheeks flushing crimson as her eyes caught their reflection in the mirror—his tall frame behind her, his touch lingering like a secret.

And then, without a word, he pinned the gajra into her hair. The simple gesture left her frozen, staring at the mirror as though time itself had stopped. She couldn’t move, couldn’t even breathe properly—paralyzed by the unexpected intimacy of it.

But Guru? He stepped back casually, walking away as if nothing had happened. Nothing at all.

Except something had happened. Something more than she could put into words.

Her fingers lifted almost on their own, brushing against her hair, touching the fresh jasmine woven in. She turned slightly, still dazed, still caught between disbelief and an emotion.

She sat back on her seat, careful not to let her eyes wander in his direction. She didn’t dare. Her cheeks had already betrayed her, glowing with a soft, natural blush that refused to fade. And her eyes… they carried a jewel of emotions—shyness sparkling quietly, like something too fragile to be spoken aloud.

.

Avni’s eyes began searching for Sahil. She quietly excused herself from Jai and Soori, while Guru was already lost in his own work.

She looked around every corner, her steps quick and restless. When she couldn’t find him anywhere, the thought struck her—maybe he was in his room. Today was the day of the plan, and she needed to talk to him.

But as she passed by Amrita’s room, her feet came to an abrupt halt. A sudden wave of realization struck her. Amrita must be hurting inside… maybe sad, broken, or even worse—numb. After all, she was about to marry someone she didn’t love. For a fleeting second, Avni lifted her hand, tempted to knock on the door and talk to her. Maybe share a word of comfort.

But the thought dropped as quickly as it came. How could she? She herself was part of Amrita’s sorrow.

Avni took a few steps forward, but something pulled her back. Her eyes caught the half-ajar window of Amrita’s room, and for a moment her breath stopped. Through the gap, she saw Amrita sitting inside… a knife trembling in her hand.

A chill ran down Avni’s spine. For a second her mind froze, but the next heartbeat pushed her into action. Without thinking twice, she spun around and rushed back to the door. Thankfully, it wasn’t locked. She shoved it open and ran straight toward Amrita, fear gripping her chest.

“Amrita…” Avni’s voice cracked as she lunged forward and snatched the knife from her hand. In the struggle, the blade grazed Avni’s palm, leaving a sharp cut that instantly stung. But the pain meant nothing—right now, only Amrita mattered.

Amrita, frantic and trembling, tried to grab the knife back, her eyes wild with despair. Avni didn’t let her. With all her strength, she flung the knife across the room, its metallic clatter echoing against the walls.

“Stop, Amrita, bas!” [Stop, Amrita, enough!] Avni held her by the arms, trying to steady her shaking body. But Amrita wasn’t in her senses. Her sobs were raw, her voice broken, her entire being consumed by the single, terrifying thought of ending her life.

“Amrita, please… please…” Avni’s voice trembled as she held on to her, desperation filling her eyes.

“Tum shaant ho jao, please…” [Calm down, please…] she pleaded softly, but Amrita shoved her away with trembling hands and collapsed onto the wall, breaking down into uncontrollable sobs.

Avni’s own eyes welled up, but she forced her voice steady. “Dekho… hum tumhare papa se baat karenge, Guru se baat karenge… woh samjhega, woh zaroor samjhega…”

[Look… we’ll talk to your father, we’ll talk to Guru… he will understand, he definitely will understand…]

“Woh samjhega? Usse toh tumhare alawa kuch samajh hi nahi aata, Avni. Aisa kya kar diya tumne in mahino mein, jo koi saalon mein bhi nahi kar paaya?”

(“Will he understand? He doesn’t understand anything except you, Avni. What have you done in these months that no one could do in all these years?”) Amrita’s voice cracked as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Avni’s lips parted, her breath shaky, and she quickly shook her head in denial. “Amrita… woh mujhse nafrat karta hai…”

(“Amrita… he hates me…”)

Amrita let out a sharp scoff, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. “Nafrat? Kabhi dekha hai tumne uski aankhon mein? Jo pagalpan meri aankhon mein hai uske liye… wahi pagalpan uski aankhon mein tumhare liye dikhai deta hai. Jo Guru kabhi kisi ki feelings ki kadar nahi karta tha, woh tumhari ek payal ke liye poori raat kheton mein dhoondhta raha.”

(“Hate? Have you ever looked into his eyes? The madness I have in my eyes for him… that same madness shines in his eyes for you. The Guru who never valued anyone’s feelings, searched the whole night in the fields just for your anklet.”)

Her words struck Avni like a storm. She blinked at Amrita in utter disbelief, her heart thudding in her chest. Surprise flickered across her face, unable to hide the turmoil her friend’s reasoning had just stirred inside her.

“Maine toh tumhari payal usse le kar fek di thi, par woh… tumne kabhi dekha hai? Woh kaise tumhare aas-paas khush rehta hai? Jo mandir nahi jaata tha, woh tumhare peeche nange paon parikrama karta hai. Tumhe dekhte hi kuch alag sa ho jaata hai… tumhari baat par muskurata hai, tumhare saath ladta hai, jhagdta hai… aisa mera saath woh kabhi nahi tha. Kisi ke saath bhi nahi. Bolo, kyu?”

(“I was the one who took your anklet from him and threw it away, but still… have you ever seen it? How he glows with happiness just by being around you? The man who never stepped into a temple walks barefoot in circles just because of you. The moment he sees you, something changes in him… he smiles at your words, he fights with you, he argues with you… he was never like that with me. Never with anyone. Tell me, why?”)

“Bolo?!!!” she suddenly shouted, her voice breaking with desperation.

(“Tell me?!!!”)

“Kya ho raha hai yaha?” [What’s happening here?] Avni froze when she heard Amrita’s mother’s voice from the doorway. Turning, she saw Arpana standing there, her sharp eyes flicking first to Avni, then to her daughter, who was still sobbing uncontrollably.

“Ammu, yeh sab kya hai?”

[Ammu, what is all this?]

Arpana’s tone softened as she walked quickly toward Amrita. Avni, sensing the moment was between mother and daughter, quietly stepped back, giving them space.

“Ammu, pagal mat ban… aaj teri shaadi hai.”

[Ammu, don’t act crazy… today is your wedding.]

Her mother cupped her face, trying to wipe away the tears with trembling hands.

But Amrita shook her head violently, tears refusing to stop.

“Ammu, jisse teri shaadi ho rahi hai, woh bohot ameer khandaan se hai… tere papa ke saath business mein haath milaya hai.”

[The one you’re marrying belongs to a very rich family… they’ve joined hands with your father in business.]

Arpana’s voice wavered, half pleading, half reasoning. “Is shaadi se sabka accha hoga… tera bhi. Samajh?”

[This marriage will benefit everyone… even you. Understand?]

“Guru ko itne saalon mein kabhi pyaar kyun nahi hua mujhse? Kya main sundar nahi hoon?” [Why did Guru never fall in love with me all these years? Am I not beautiful?] Amrita’s voice broke as she sobbed harder, clutching her chest like the question itself was tearing her apart.

“Ammu, aaj ke baad uska naam mat lena!!” [Ammu, after today don’t you dare take his name!!] Arpana’s tone turned sharp, almost commanding, as she pulled her daughter into a tight embrace, shielding her from her own despair.

Over her shoulder, Arpana’s eyes flickered toward Avni—cold, filled with blame. The weight of that hateful gaze was enough. Avni lowered her head in silence and quietly walked out of the room, her heart heavy.

Avni’s eyes brimmed with tears as she stepped out, the image of a broken Amrita haunting her. It hurt—hurt more than she could admit. Why had everyone become so blinded by revenge that they couldn’t see the truth in Amrita’s eyes? Eyes that had always carried unspoken love for Guru.

Why did her own father have to snatch that love away from her? Why?

Her chest tightened with guilt. Somewhere, indirectly, she was also the reason for Amrita’s pain.

Avni walked down the corridor like a zombie, her mind numb, her steps heavy. A thin drop of blood still oozed slowly from her cut, trailing down her hand. She was too lost in her thoughts to notice—until a sudden grip tightened around her wrist, pulling her back to reality.

She turned, startled, and found herself staring into Guru’s eyes. His gaze wasn’t on her face but fixed on her wounded hand.

“Yeh kaise hua?” [How did this happen?] His voice was low, edged with concern as he gently lifted her hand into his palm.

Avni opened her mouth, but no words came. Her mind was still spinning, unable to process his question. Before she could answer, Guru’s expression hardened. Without another word, he pulled her with him, his grip firm, dragging her away down the corridor.

They stepped inside a room, and Guru shut the door behind them. Guiding her to the bed, he made her sit down before pulling open a drawer and taking out a first-aid kit. He kneeled down in front of her His hands worked quickly, carefully cleaning and bandaging her wound, his face calm but focused.

“Mujhe tumse kuch poochna hai…” [I want to ask you something…] Avni whispered, her eyes fixed on him while he concentrated on her hand.

“Hm.” He gave a faint hum in reply, not looking up.

Avni swallowed hard, her voice barely steady. “Tumhe Amrita se kabhi pyaar kyun nahi hua?” [Why did you never fall in love with Amrita?]

For a moment, she expected him to lift his eyes, to throw her a sharp look. But he didn’t. Instead, he simply tied the bandage in place and answered casually, as if it was nothing.

“Pata nahi… bas nahi hua. Aisa kabhi laga hi nahi ki uske liye apun ghutne pe aa sakta hai.” [I don’t know… it just didn’t happen. I never felt like I could ever fall on my knees for her.]

He answered when his whole was kneeling in front of his wife.

His words struck her like a whisper from the past—her own words, the ones she explained to him what love truly felt like. And now, hearing them from his lips, something inside her chest twisted.

"Tum uske saath bhaag kyu nahi jaate? Shaadi ke baad tumhe aaj nahi toh kal pyaar ho hi jaayega" (Why don’t you just run away with her? After marriage, if not today then tomorrow, you’re bound to fall in love) she blurted out, knowing her words were a little impossible but who knows, maybe they might just work.

“Aur agar tumhe lag raha hoga ki main yeh sab apne liye bol rahi hoon, toh mujhe poora yaqeen hai ki tumhare Sanjay bhai mujhe yuhi nahi chhodenge…

[And if you think I am saying all this for myself, then I am sure your Sanjay brother will not leave me just like that…]

Shayad tumhare jaane ke baad woh mere saath wahi karenge jo unhone kaha tha… mujhe unke aadmiyon ke beech fek denge.

[Maybe after you leave, he will do exactly what he said… throw me among his men.]

Tumne toh fir bhi mujhe izzat se treat kiya… lekin mujhe nahi lagta ki baaki log mujhpar rehem bhi karenge.

[At least you treated me with some respect… but I don’t hink others will even show me mercy]

Her throat dried before saying something filthy for her but she still chose to say but before she could even finish that word Guru totally lost his patience.

Shayad kisi aur se shaadi kara dein… ya phir logon ki ra—[Maybe they will force me to marry someone else… or make me someone’s kee—]”

Guru’s control snapped. His hand shot out, gripping her face, not harshly but with a desperation that shook through his veins. He pulled her close in a single breathless move, so close that her breath mingled with his, their faces just inches apart.

His lips hovered dangerously near hers, trembling with the weight of all the words he couldn’t say. For that heartbeat, it felt like he would kiss her.

Avni froze. Her pulse raced wildly, her voice lost.

And in that suspended moment, his eyes told the story his mouth never had. A storm of emotions churned there — anger at her words, jealousy at the thought of another man near her, protectiveness so fierce it hurt, and love… raw, unspoken, overwhelming love.

Because he couldn’t bear it. Not her saying those things. Not her imagining herself thrown to those monsters. Not her reducing her worth to the filth Sanjay wanted. Every syllable she spoke felt like a knife stabbing straight into his chest.

Her lips parted, but no sound came out. The words she was about to say died instantly — because the look in his eyes had already silenced her.

She had never seen him like this before — not as the feared Guru, not as the man bound by revenge. This was something else. Something naked, raw, almost unbearable

Her trembling voice, her brutal imagination of what awaited her, was enough to set fire inside him.  Something snapped—pain, jealousy, protectiveness, anger, care… he couldn’t even tell what it was. He just knew one thing: he couldn’t let her finish that sentence, couldn’t let her degrade herself like that.