The tension in the room thickened as I finally heard Dada Sa’s voice, calm yet firm. He turned to me, his gaze piercing. “Now, what have you decided?” he asked, his voice steady, but I could hear the underlying concern in it.

I took a deep breath, preparing myself for what I was about to reveal. Mayra, her teary eyes pleading for an answer, looked at me with a mixture of hope and fear. I could see her anxiety reflected in everyone’s faces.

Then, I finally spoke up. “He didn’t engage. Not today.” The words hung in the air, heavy and final.

I glanced at kaka Sa and Baba Sa, their anger palpable, but I knew what I had to say next would only fuel their fury. “I... I kidnapped his fiancée.”

The room fell into complete silence for a moment. The gasp from everyone echoed in the room, the realization dawning on them with shock. It was the last thing they expected to hear, and the weight of my actions left them all stunned.

Mayra looked at me, her eyes wide, confusion and worry battling within her. The shock of hearing this new information was evident in her expression. The family was reeling from the revelation, unsure of how to process everything.

The situation had just gotten even more complicated.

The room was thick with tension, and for the first time, I felt a deep sense of regret wash over me. This wasn’t something I ever thought I’d have to do, but in this situation, there were no other options.

Dada Sa’s voice broke the silence, firm and piercing. “Hriday, you know what you did. Now, tell us where is that girl?”

I took a deep breath, trying to maintain my composure as I glanced at Mayra, who looked at me with a mix of confusion and anxiety. “In the palace,” I answered.

Maasa, concerned yet bewildered, asked, “Where exactly?”

“In the servants’ quarters,” I replied, my voice steady despite the chaos in my mind.

The shock on everyone’s faces was evident. Dadisa’s gasp echoed through the room. Her voice, though filled with anger, still held a trace of concern. “Why did you kidnap her, Hriday?”

I felt the weight of the question, knowing I had to explain the unimaginable.

“We didn’t have any other option, Dadisa,” I said, trying to make them understand the urgency.

“Their engagement was today, and it was Dev’s idea because he didn’t want to go through with it. He didn’t want to get engaged to someone else, especially when he was in love with Mayra.”

"There were guests at his penthouse, and if he told his parents the truth, all of them would have known. If the media got hold of this, it would have humiliated both families. We didn’t know what else to do.”

The room was quiet again, the gravity of my words settling on everyone. I could see the conflict in their eyes, unsure of how to feel.

Mayra looked at me with teary eyes and asked, “Bhai, why is she here?”

I walked up to her, cupped her face gently, and said, “Mayra, don’t worry. She’ll stay here for a few days until everything is sorted. You don’t need to stress about this.”

Mayra, her voice trembling, then asked, “Bhai, what about the baby?”

Before I could answer, Dada Sa spoke with a rare softness, “What about the baby, Mayra? We all love him or her already.”

Her sobs grew louder as she processed those words. Vivaan immediately hugged her tightly and said, “Didu, don’t cry! And listen, I’ll name the baby, okay?” His playful tone brought a faint smile to her face.

I couldn’t help but smile too. My family was deeply rooted in tradition, but moments like these reminded me how their love and trust always took precedence. Their support wasn’t confined to outdated norms; they stood by their children no matter what.

I patted Mayra’s head and said, “Alright now, go eat dinner. Tumne subah se kuch nahi khaya, Mayra tumhe Bhook nahi lagi iska matlab yeh nahi ki mere chutku ko bhi nahi lagi.”

She nodded, wiping her tears, and Maasa and Kakisa gently guided her toward the dining room. I watched them go, a sense of relief settling over me. At least for tonight, Mayra was surrounded by the love and care she needed. Now, all that remained was ensuring everything else fell into place.

As I turned to leave, Dada Sa interrupted, his commanding voice stopping me mid-step. “Hriday, where are you going?”

I paused, turned to face him, and said, “Servants’ quarters.”

The room grew quiet for a second before Vivaan let out a stifled laugh, though he stopped immediately under Dada Sa’s sharp gaze. I didn’t need to ask why he laughed—I already knew. It was the first time I was voluntarily heading to the servants’ quarters.

Dada Sa narrowed his eyes and nodded. “Hriday, tamiz se baat kareyega,” he said firmly, emphasizing the words.

I sighed, muttering under my breath, “Mai to jaise baat hi nahi karta, sidha gala kat deta hoon kya? Didn’t I talk in manner?”

Dada Sa didn’t miss my muttering but chose to ignore it. Instead, he turned to Rohan and said, “Tum bhi saath jao. I don’t trust him with his cold nature. Bhichari ko dara na de.”

I rolled my eyes at his lack of faith in me. Meanwhile, Rohan smirked and nodded obediently, “Ji, Dada Sa.”

Just then, Vivaan chimed in excitedly, “Hum bhi chalenge, Bhaisa!” He grabbed Vihaan’s arm, pulling him closer. Vihaan, who had been quietly observing, stumbled a little and glared at Vivaan.

I crossed my arms and shook my head in mock exasperation. “Mela laga hai kya waha? Tum bhi  chaloge?”

Dada Sa raised his hand, silencing the laughter that was threatening to erupt. “Theek hai, chale jao. Lekin tamiz se,” he added, giving Vivaan and Vihaan a warning look.

With that, the four of us set out together. I couldn’t help but feel like a part of a royal procession heading toward a fair rather than an encounter with a kidnapped guest. The chaos that followed my brothers was unavoidable, but for some reason, it felt like it would help ease the tension ahead.

I slowly regained consciousness, my head throbbing and my body aching. As my senses returned, I realized I couldn’t see anything—my eyes were blindfolded with a cloth. Panic surged through me as I tried to move, but my hands and legs were tightly bound with ropes. My mouth was taped, muffling any sound I tried to make.

A tear escaped from my eye, sliding down my cheek. Fear and confusion gripped me. How did I end up here? What did they want from me? The last thing I remembered was being in my room, getting ready for the engagement... and now, this.

I took a shaky breath, trying to calm my racing heart, but the tightness of the ropes and the suffocating silence of the space made it impossible. The cold floor beneath me only heightened the hopelessness of my situation.

I struggled against the restraints, but they wouldn’t budge. Tears continued to stream down my face as despair settled in. Why was this happening to me? Who had done this? And most importantly—how was I going to get out of here?

Today was supposed to be the beginning of a new chapter in my life—the day of my engagement to the person my parents had chosen for me. I didn’t have much say in it, but I had made peace with their decision, trusting their judgment. Fate, however, had other plans for me.

Now, I find myself in a completely unknown place, disoriented and terrified. My hands are tightly bound, the coarse rope cutting into my wrists. My eyes are blindfolded, plunging me into a suffocating darkness. Even my mouth is gagged, muffling my screams and cries for help.

The air around me is damp and heavy, carrying an eerie silence broken only by the occasional creak of a door or the faint sound of footsteps. My heart pounds relentlessly, my mind racing with questions. Who would do this? Why me? Was it someone from the engagement? Or a stranger with their own twisted agenda?

I was trembling, my heart pounding in my chest as I sat there, helplessly bound. The blindfold on my eyes made everything worse. I could only rely on my hearing, and every sound heightened my fear. The muffled creak of the door opening and the heavy footsteps approaching made my blood run cold.

I heard a voice, calm but slightly irritated, say, "Why is she in a lehenga?" Another voice snapped back, "Shut up. Should we open her eyes?" The casual tone of their conversation made me feel like some object they were discussing, and I shrank back as far as I could.

Then one of them approached me, and I felt the heat of his presence close to my face. His voice softened as he said, "Relax, I'm just going to remove your blindfold." His attempt to sound reassuring only made me more wary. He reached out, and the blindfold was pulled away.

Blinking rapidly as my eyes adjusted to the dim light, I saw three men in the room. The one who removed my blindfold was young, with a slight nervousness in his expression. He immediately stepped back and pointed at the other two standing by the door, saying, "I didn't kidnap you, and neither did they."

Before I could process his words, another set of footsteps echoed in the room. The atmosphere shifted instantly. A taller, more imposing man entered, his presence radiating authority. He looked at me, then at the other men, his eyes narrowing in displeasure.

"What are you doing?" he demanded, his voice cold and dominating.

One of the boys standing by the door answer, "Nothing. We just removed her blindfold."

The man’s sharp gaze turned back to me. I instinctively curled back against the wall.