The doorbell rang, breaking the tension in the house like the first clap of thunder before a storm.

Meher exhaled sharply, bracing herself, and went to open the door. The moment their eyes met, Arjun’s face was a mixture of anger, disbelief, and something else she couldn’t place—pain.

As he stepped inside, his gaze landed on the large framed picture of Shanaya in the hallway, her smile frozen in time.

He swallowed hard, his jaw tightening as emotions surged through him. Everyone in the room went silent, their eyes on the new arrival.

Vikram’s eyes narrowed as he sized up the stranger who had just entered his home, but before he could say anything, Arjun broke the silence.

“Mai Meher ka bada bhai Arjun Chauhan,” (I’m Meher’s elder brother, Arjun Chauhan,) he said, his voice steady but cold as his eyes swept the room, lingering on Vikram for a moment longer.

“Beta, khana kha ke jaana,” (Dear, go after having dinner,) Dadi-sa said before Dadu-sa and Maa-sa walked away, leaving the youngsters in the hallway, tension hanging thick in the air.

“Yug, Aarvi ko leke upar jao,” (Yug, take Aarvi with you and go upstairs,) Meher instructed, trying to create some distance from the escalating conflict.

“Bhai, mere saath aao,” (Brother, come with me,) Meher added, gesturing for Arjun to follow her.

“Kyu, apne pati ke samne baat nahi karogi?” (Why don’t you talk in front of your husband?) Arjun shot back, his eyes narrowing as he looked at her, his anger simmering just below the surface.

Vikram, who was still trying to piece together the situation, could sense the tension escalating.

“Arjun, jaise tum—” (Arjun, as you—), he began, but his words were cut off as Arjun stepped closer, his voice rising.

"Toh kaisa hai, haan? Ki ek biwi mar gayi toh uski dost se shaadi kar li, taki uske bhi maz—” (So what’s the deal, huh? Your wife died, and you married her friend to enjoy—) Arjun’s words were cut off suddenly as someone slapped him hard across the face.

It was Meher.

The sound echoed through the hallway, leaving Vikram in shock as he looked at Meher, bewildered.

"b-bhai "when she ralised what she did she step forward but arjun showed her hand and left from there angrily.

"What i have done"she whispered to herself.

She looked back at vikram and left from there and went upstairs.

Meher jolted awake, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Her chest tightened as the remnants of the nightmare clung to her mind.

"No... no..." she murmured, shaking as cold sweat covered her forehead.

She quickly got out of bed, her body trembling. Her hands fumbled as she desperately searched for her medicine.

“You’re not that anymore… shhh…,” she whispered to herself, trying to calm her racing thoughts.

But the fear, the panic, had already taken over, making her limbs weak.

Her hands shook violently, almost knocking over the water glass as she finally found the pills and took one.

She leaned against the wall, closing her eyes as she tried to slow her breathing. The fear of her past gripping her like a shadow she could never fully escape.

Minutes passed, the silence heavy around her. Once the medication began to work, her heartbeat gradually steadied, but the emotional exhaustion left her feeling hollow.

She stood there for a while, her back against the wall, wondering how long she could keep pretending to be strong when the memories threatened to break her.

Next Morning

Meher got ready and headed downstairs. She respectfully touched the elders' feet and placed a gentle kiss on Aarvi's forehead.

Just as she was about to leave for work, her driver came running inside, looking anxious.

"Meher-sa, car kharab ho gyi hai," (Ma'am, the car has broken down) he informed her, slightly out of breath.

Meher rubbed her forehead in frustration.

"Koi baat nahi, kal tak theek kara lijiye," (No problem, get it fixed by tomorrow) she replied, pulling out her phone.

"Mai cab bula leti hu." (I'll call a cab).

But before she could dial, Dadi-sa suddenly snatched the phone from her hand with a mischievous smile.

"Cab ki kya zarurat hai jab pati hai hi? Vikram chhod dega." (Why call a cab when your husband is here? Vikram will drop you), Dadi-sa said, her words intentional as she spotted Vikram descending the stairs.

Meher quickly tried to object.

"Nahi, mai—" (No, I—), but before she could finish, Maa-sa chimed in with a firm voice.

"Maaji-sa kah rahi hain toh maano baat." (If Maaji-sa is saying it, you should listen).

Meher glanced at both Dadi-sa and Maa-sa, realizing there was no way out.

She stole a quick look at Vikram, who was now standing at the bottom of the stairs, expression unreadable but clearly hearing everything. He raised an eyebrow, as if waiting for her response.

Meher sighed and said quietly,

"Teek hai, Vikram mujhe drop kar denge." (Fine, Vikram will drop me). She reluctantly agreed, but her voice carried a hint of annoyance.

She could already feel the tension in the air.