Rita returned with a bowl of herbal concoction, handing it to Dadi, who carefully took it in her hands. Determined, she made her way toward Ruhaan's room, her focus entirely on Lavya's well-being. However, she was abruptly stopped by Rohit’s sharp words, his tone dripping with mockery.

“Oh, I see,” he sneered. “You’re off to cover up another one of your grandson’s misdeeds, aren’t you?”

Dadi paused for a brief moment but chose to ignore him. Her steps didn’t falter as she continued toward Ruhaan’s room, her silence speaking volumes.

Rohit let out a bitter chuckle, his voice echoing behind her. “That’s how it always is with your family, isn’t it? He creates one mess after another, and you sweep it all under the rug. But mark my words, Dadi ji, if I ever get the chance, I’ll make sure the truth comes out.”

Dadi didn’t react, her resolve unshaken. She knew better than to engage with someone intent on fueling conflict. Her priority remained Lavya’s recovery and Ruhaan’s peace of mind.

Dadi stepped into the room and paused. Her eyes fell on Ruhaan, carefully placing a damp cloth on Lavya’s forehead. For a moment, she froze, her mind racing. What is he doing? Is he married to her? But why didn’t he tell anyone about this?

The implications of such a revelation swirled in her thoughts. This would create chaos in the Rathore family if they found out. But she quickly brushed the questions aside, focusing on the moment at hand. She approached Ruhaan with quiet determination.

“She hasn’t regained consciousness yet?” Dadi asked, breaking his concentration.

“No,” Ruhaan replied softly, his voice laced with worry as he reached for another cloth and dipped it into the bowl of water.

Dadi’s eyes fell on his disheveled clothes, damp with sweat and worry. She spoke in a firm tone, her authority unmistakable. “Ruhaan, step aside. I’ll take care of her. You need to go and change your clothes first.”

Ruhaan looked up at her, hesitation plain in his eyes. He didn’t want to leave Lavya’s side, not when he knew she was in this state because of him. “But—”

“Can’t you listen to me even now?” Dadi interrupted, her voice carrying a rare sternness. “When I’m asking you to do something, you’ll do it. Now go.”

Reluctantly, Ruhaan nodded. His gaze lingered on Lavya’s serene face for a moment longer, guilt and turmoil battling within him. With a heavy heart, he stood, allowing Dadi to take his place. She settled beside Lavya and placed the bowl of herbal concoction on the table.

Ruhaan moved toward the door, but he couldn’t stop himself from glancing back. Did he destroy her life? The thought clawed at him. But how? Could his actions have been justified, even if his intent was right? Did she deserve this pain because of him?

“Are you leaving or not?” Dadi’s voice broke through his spiral of guilt. Her sharp tone carried an undercurrent of disappointment. “And remember, whatever you’ve done… you’ll have to answer for it one day.”

He ignored her final words and walked out, shutting the door behind him.

Left alone with Lavya, Dadi reached out to check her temperature. The fever had gone down slightly, offering a glimmer of relief. But her thoughts remained troubled. She murmured to herself, “I hope he hasn’t done something so terrible that I’ll regret trusting him.”

Her eyes stayed fixed on Lavya’s face, silently praying for her recovery—and for answers to the storm brewing in her family.

……………………………………………………….

“Ruhaan, tum jawab diye bina nahi ja sakte,” Dadi’s firm voice halted his steps. He stopped, turned around, and responded loudly, his frustration evident.

“I’m telling you, how many times do I have to repeat the same thing? Yes, I married her! I didn’t abduct her and bring her here!”

Dadi’s expression turned fiery as she took quick steps toward him. Standing face-to-face, she said sharply, “Shaadi. Do you even understand the meaning of this word?”

“I don’t need to understand anything,” Ruhaan retorted bitterly. “Keep your definitions to yourself.”

Dadi’s anger flared as she continued, “Your parents spent their entire lives trying to guide you toward the right path, to make you a good person. But you never valued their efforts. Instead, you’ve done everything they feared you might. And now, you’ve crossed all limits—you’ve married someone, and now you’re leaving her behind?”

Ruhaan let out a hollow chuckle, bitterness dripping from his words. “My parents never tried for me. All they cared about was their comfort. My father had his profession, my mother had her family—that’s all they ever needed. Not me.”

Dadi’s eyes softened briefly, but she didn’t relent. “You may have a distorted view of them, but that doesn’t change the fact that you’ve made a commitment. You can’t just abandon her now. That’s not how it works, Ruhaan.”

The word abandon struck Ruhaan hard. He took a step back, his voice strained. “I’m not abandoning her!”

“Then what are you doing, Ruhaan? Why are you leaving her behind?”

He grabbed Dadi’s arms in desperation, trying to make her understand. “Why don’t you get it, Dadi? I didn’t plan this marriage! I can’t take her with me right now. And you know how hard it is for me to even go home. Why are you making this more difficult?”

Dadi swatted his hands away, her anger simmering, though a part of her understood his words. But she couldn’t let him off so easily. “So, was it her plan then? Did she force this marriage on you?”

A surge of anger shot through Ruhaan at the insinuation. “Yes! It was her plan—to marry an old man!”

Dadi’s eyes widened in shock. “What nonsense are you talking about? Have you lost your mind?”

“No,” Ruhaan replied coldly, his voice trembling with suppressed rage. “Her uncle planned her marriage. To be clear, he sold her to an old man. Now you know the truth. So, let me go.”

He turned and took a step toward the door, but Dadi’s voice rang out, firm and unyielding. “And when she asks me where the man who married her is—why he left her alone—what should I tell her, Ruhaan? That he ran away from his responsibilities?”

Ruhaan froze mid-step, her words hitting him like a blow. He stood there, unable to move. Without turning back, he replied, his voice heavy with guilt and defiance.

Ruhaan’s voice was steady but laced with a sharp edge as he replied, “Tell her she’s married to Ruhaan Singh Rathore, and he doesn’t run away from his responsibilities.”

"She is my wife now, and I will love her all my life," he said, the last line barely audible..

Without waiting for Dadi’s response, he turned and stepped across the threshold, the weight of his words lingering in the air. His footsteps echoed through the quiet corridor as he left, each step pulling him further away from the room, from Lavya, and from the turmoil he was leaving behind.

Dadi stood frozen, her gaze fixed on his retreating figure. The weight of his statement hung heavy in her chest. She wanted to believe his words, to trust that he wouldn’t abandon what he had started. Yet, the way he had left—his resolve to leave her behind—filled her with unease.

As Ruhaan walked out of the house, the chill of the evening air hit him, but it did little to cool the fire raging within. He didn’t look back, his jaw clenched, his mind a storm of conflicting emotions. He wasn’t running away, not in his eyes. But every step felt heavier than the last, as though each one carried a piece of the responsibility he claimed he wouldn’t abandon.

And still, he left. He left the house; he left her behind, and with each step into the night, he left a part of himself behind too.