The Roy mansion had never felt this quiet.

Abhinav stood near the tall windows of his study when Priya walked in. She looked calmer than she had in months—tired, yes, but no longer carrying the sharp edge of resentment. Pregnancy had softened her, not weakened her.

“I want a mutual divorce,” she said, without preamble.

Abhinav turned to face her. There was no anger in his eyes. No shock either. Only acceptance.

“I understand,” he replied.

She hesitated. “I don’t want this to turn ugly. For the child’s sake.”

“It won’t,” he said firmly. “I’ll take full responsibility. Financially. Emotionally.” He paused, choosing his words carefully. “I want my child with me. Maybe fifteen days a month… or whatever you’re comfortable with.”

Priya searched his face, expecting arrogance. What she found instead was sincerity.

“I agree,” she said quietly. “The child should know their father.”

Relief flickered across his features.

“And Priya,” he added gently, “you don’t owe me anything beyond honesty.”

She nodded, eyes glistening. “Thank you.”

---

Manav’s last rites were performed quietly.

No media.

No police interference.

No questions asked.

The Roy dynasty’s reach worked silently, efficiently—just as it always had. The city moved on, unaware of the blood it had narrowly missed seeing.

Mareena stood at a distance during the rituals, dressed in white, her face pale and withdrawn. She didn’t cry. The grief sat inside her, heavy and unmoving.

That night, she didn’t speak.

She sat by the window of Abhinav’s guest house, staring at the darkness outside. He found her there, curled inward, like she was trying to disappear.

“You don’t have to be strong with me,” he said softly.

“I don’t know how to be anything else anymore,” she whispered.

He sat beside her, close but not crowding.

“You’re allowed to grieve,” he said. “Even when the person you lost hurt you.”

She finally looked at him. “What if I never feel normal again?”

He reached for her hand, lacing his fingers with hers. “Then we redefine normal.”

She leaned into his shoulder, and for the first time since the godown, she let herself cry.

Days later, standing before his family and inner circle, Abhinav made an announcement that rippled through the room.

“After my divorce from Priya is finalized,” he said evenly, “I will marry Mareena.”

There were murmurs. Surprise. Disapproval from some.

He didn’t care.

Mareena’s breath caught. “You don’t have to—”

“I want to,” he interrupted gently. “And I won’t hide it.”

---

Nine months passed.

Life, stubborn and relentless, moved forward.

Priya gave birth to a baby boy on a quiet morning, sunlight spilling into the hospital room. Aryan stood beside her, steady and protective. Abhinav arrived soon after—nervous, overwhelmed, silent in a way that only awe could cause.

When the nurse placed the baby in Priya’s arms, she looked at Abhinav.

“He has your eyes,” she said softly.

Abhinav swallowed hard.

“Thank you,” Priya said, her voice sincere. “For standing by me. For not fighting me. And… I’m sorry. For everything I did out of fear.”

He nodded. “We both survived. That’s what matters.”

He bent slightly and whispered, “His name will be Abhipriyo.”

A merging.

A bridge.

A closure.

Mareena stood back, watching quietly, her heart full but steady. There was no jealousy—only peace.

Later that day, Abhinav held Mareena’s hand and said, without hesitation, “We’re getting married.”

Aryan smiled. Priya closed her eyes in relief.

For the first time, no one was losing.

---

Two months later, laughter filled the courtyard.

Marigolds draped the pillars. Music floated through the warm evening air. It was Abhinav and Mareena’s mehndi celebration.

Mareena sat surrounded by women, her hands adorned with intricate patterns, her smile hesitant but real. Abhinav watched her from across the lawn like she was the only person there.

When the music shifted, he walked toward her and held out his hand.

“Dance with me.”

“In front of everyone?” she teased.

“Especially in front of everyone.”

She stood, laughter breaking through her nerves. They moved together slowly at first, then more freely—no choreography, no performance. Just two people who had survived too much to pretend anymore.

His hand rested lightly at her waist. Hers curled around his shoulder.

“This feels unreal,” she murmured.

“It’s real,” he replied. “We earned it.”

As the guests clapped and cheered, Mareena rested her forehead against his.

“This time,” she said, “we choose joy.”

He smiled. “Always.”

Under the lights, amid laughter and music, love didn’t look dramatic anymore.

It looked peaceful.

Abhinav said," I have a surprise for your on our wedding".

Mareena replies," What surprise?"

Abhinav said," Surprises are meant to be untold just wait and watch".

Abhinav was called by the Commissioner’s to talk to his parents for the last time.

Devraj Roy said," Abhinav you will marry the girl whose brother destroy us".

Mrs Roy added,"You are falling into the same trap as your father".

Abhinav said,"You both are criminals, I love Mareena and I don't want to see you both".

Mareena waited outside, heart pounding, when Abhinav joined her moments later.

“It’s done,” he said.

She searched his face. “At what cost?”

He took her hand. “The cost of truth.”

She exhaled shakily—and for the first time, didn’t feel like running.

Healing didn’t arrive all at once.

Some days Mareena laughed easily.
Other days she barely spoke.

Abhinav learned both versions of her.

He learned when to talk and when to sit beside her in silence. When to distract her. When to let her cry. When to remind her that grief didn’t make her weak—it made her human.

“You don’t have to be whole to be loved,” he told her once, as she rested her head on his shoulder.

“And you don’t have to save me,” she replied.

“I know,” he said. “I just want to walk with you.”

Slowly, the nightmares loosened their grip.

Slowly, she returned to herself.

The divorce was finalized quietly.

No drama.
No accusations.
No destruction.

Priya signed the papers with steady hands. Aryan stood beside her—not possessive, just present.

Abhinav handed her a folder.

“Everything is documented,” he said. “Support. Custody. Time.”

She nodded. “You’re a good father already.”

He smiled faintly. “I’m learning.”

When she held Abhipriyo afterward, rocking him gently, she felt something unfamiliar.

Closure.

“Thank you,” she said again. “For letting this end kindly.”

“Thank you,” Abhinav replied, “for choosing peace.”

---

(Sangeet Night)

The courtyard shimmered under golden lights, laughter echoing against the night sky. The sangeet had begun, and for the first time in a long while, joy didn’t feel borrowed—it felt earned.

Mareena stood near the edge of the floor, her dupatta catching the breeze, mehndi still fresh on her hands. She watched Abhinav from across the crowd as he laughed with his cousins, relaxed in a way she hadn’t seen before.

When the music shifted, he turned toward her.

And walked straight to her.

“Dance with me,” he said, holding out his hand.

She raised an eyebrow, amused. “You don’t dance.”

“I do,” he replied softly, “with you.”

Her fingers slid into his.

The crowd faded as they moved together, slow and natural, not choreographed—just instinctive. His hand rested lightly at her waist, respectful yet steady. Her other hand curled into his shoulder.

“This feels unreal,” she murmured.

He leaned closer. “It feels like coming home.”

As they swayed, he lowered his voice. “I have something planned for the wedding.”

She pulled back slightly. “What kind of something?”

A smile played on his lips. “A surprise.”

She studied his face. “You’re terrible at secrets.”

“Then stop trying to guess,” he teased. “Trust me.”

She smiled, confused but warm. “I do.”

The applause around them swelled, but Abhinav only saw her.

---

Wedding Day

The morning was soft and bright.

Mareena sat by the window as her friends helped her get ready, her reflection unfamiliar yet beautiful—calm, certain, whole.

Abhinav waited at the mandap, heart pounding harder than any boardroom battle ever had. When she finally walked toward him, draped in ivory and gold, time slowed.

He forgot the crowd.

Forgot the music.

Forgot everything except her.

Their hands met.

When it was time to speak, Abhinav didn’t look at the priest. He looked only at Mareena.

“I promise you honesty,” he said, voice steady.

“I promise to choose you, even when it’s difficult.

I promise to protect your truth, not silence it.

And I promise that no matter what we face—

you will never face it alone.”

Her eyes glistened.

When it was her turn, she took a breath.

“I promise not perfection,” she said softly,

“but presence.

I promise to stand with you, not behind you.

To love you without fear,

and to believe in us—even on days when the past tries to pull us back.”

He squeezed her hands.

“This is all I ever wanted,” he whispered.

They completed the Pheras and Abhinav poured the Sindur on her forehead. The wedding ritual completed with the magistrate with registration signature of the couple.

“Two Beginnings”

(Wedding Day)

As the rituals continued, quiet moments unfolded around the joy.

Across the garden, Priya stood with Aryan beneath a flowering arch. He adjusted her dupatta gently, his touch careful, affectionate.

“You okay?” he asked.

She smiled softly. “For the first time… yes.”

He leaned in, pressing a light kiss to her forehead. “We’re doing this right.”

She nodded. “Together.”

Nearby, Abhinav lifted Mareena’s veil.

For a moment, the world held its breath.

“You still haven’t told me the surprise,” she whispered.

He smiled. “After this.”

When the final ritual was completed, Abhinav took her hand and turned to the gathered guests.

“Today,” he said, “isn’t just a wedding. It’s a promise—to live honestly, love bravely, and never let fear decide our future.”

Mareena looked at him, heart full.

As they walked together—husband and wife—the bells rang, petals fell, and laughter followed them into the sunlight.

She leaned into him and whispered, “I choose you.”

He smiled. “Every lifetime.”

Abhinav said,"The wedding hasn't ended. We have a surprise".

Mareena said,"What surprise ".

......

SPOILER:

Youuuuu why did y--ou leave us all alone!!!!!

She started crying and hugged her.

---