At the sound of the door opening, Meher slowly turned her head, her eyes meeting his.

For a moment, they both just stood there—frozen, suspended in time, as if the world had narrowed down to this small, quiet space between them. Vikram's heart pounded in his chest, fear and guilt clawing at him.

Then, in a barely audible voice, Meher spoke, her tone weak and hoarse. "Aarvi kaha hai?" (Where is Aarvi?)

"She’s with Maa-sa," he said softly, trying to keep his voice steady.

"She’s safe... don’t worry."

"Hmm," Meher responded softly, turning her face to the ceiling. The room was filled with silence, heavy with everything unspoken between them.

Suddenly, the door burst open, and Arjun stormed in, fury radiating from him. In a flash, he grabbed Vikram by the collar.

" You’re trying to get my sister killed with Mr. Haidri, aren’t you? Speak!" Arjun's voice was a roar of rage.

Vikram’s face was a mask of shock, the accusation hitting him hard. A realization flashed in his eyes, but before he could speak, chaos erupted.

The nurse and doctor rushed in, shouting for them to stop as they tried to pull Arjun away.

Meher, alarmed, struggled to sit up. She was weak, but she couldn’t just watch the scene unfold—she had to do something.

In the middle of the commotion, Vikram saw Meher losing her balance, nearly falling off the bed.

He broke free from Arjun’s grip and quickly moved forward, catching her in his arms just in time.

Her small, frail body leaned into him, and he held her tightly, making sure she didn’t fall.

For a moment, their eyes locked. Everything else faded—the shouting, the accusations, the chaos. In that second, it felt like time had slowed.

Vikram’s heart thudded in his chest as he looked at Meher’s tired but steady gaze. It was a moment of raw, unspoken emotion between them.

But the moment was shattered when Arjun tried to rush forward again, only to be held back by the doctor and nurse.

"Let go of my sister!" Arjun yelled furiously. Meher, still leaning against Vikram, lifted a weak hand, trying to calm her brother.

"Arjun... bas karo," she whispered, her voice faint but enough to make him pause. (Arjun... stop it.)

Vikram kept a protective arm around her as he raised his voice, trying to defend himself.

"Calm down, Arjun! I don’t know anything about Mr. Haidri!"

But Arjun's rage didn’t cool.

"Liar! You both planned this! I won't let you get away with it!" he shouted, eyes full of fury.

The doctor’s voice cut through the noise, stern and commanding.

"Everyone, OUT! This is a hospital room, not a place for fighting! You’re putting the patient at risk!"

Reluctantly, Arjun let himself be pulled back, his eyes fixed on Vikram with a promise of revenge.

Vikram, still holding Meher close, felt his heart racing—not just from the confrontation, but from the fear of almost losing her.

The doctor moved to check on Meher, and Vikram gently laid her back on the bed, his hands lingering on her shoulders for just a second longer.

His mind was spinning with a thousand thoughts and worries, his chest heavy with emotions he didn’t know how to express.

As Arjun was led out of the room, he shot a final, burning look at Vikram, his anger still simmering just beneath the surface.

Vikram turned back to Meher, his face tense. "Tum rest karo, mai aata hoon." (You rest, I’ll be back.)

he came out and quickly left from there before glancing at arjun he glared at him.

After some time, Vikram reached the Haidri mansion. He stormed inside, banging the door open with a force that echoed through the hall.

Haidri, lounging on the couch with a glass of whiskey in hand, looked up just as Vikram crossed the room in swift, angry strides, grabbing him by the collar and pressing a gun to his chest.

Haidri's bodyguards immediately pointed their guns at Vikram, their eyes hard with readiness, but Vikram’s glare was sharper than any weapon in the room.

"Teri himmat kaise hui mere kisi apne ko chot pahunchane ki?" Vikram spat through clenched teeth, his voice dangerously low.

Haidri smirked, unbothered. "Us aurat ko—" he began, but Vikram cut him off with a growl, his eyes blazing.

"Biwi hai voh meri," he hissed, his grip on Haidri’s collar tightening.

Haidri scoffed, the derision in his gaze cutting deep.

"Kaisi biwi jo tumhare kamre mein tumhare saath rehti bhi nahi," he sneered,

"aur kaisi biwi jab tum uski jagah apni pehli biwi mein dube rehte ho?"

Vikram’s jaw clenched, the words striking him where it hurt most.

But he refused to let go, his voice dangerously quiet, like the calm before a storm.

"Haidri," Vikram said, his tone deadly,

"tu yeh jo khel khel raha hai na, iska anjaam tujhe mehenga padega."

Haidri smirked, shrugging off the threat with an amused glint in his eye.

"Anjaam ka kya dar, jab mohabbat hi na ho," he sneered.

The words stung, but Vikram’s resolve hardened. He pushed Haidri back, releasing his collar but keeping his gaze locked, his grip on the gun unwavering.

Vikram took a step back, his gaze cold and deadly.

"Apni zindagi ke din gin, Haidri."

Without another word, Vikram turned and walked out, his heart pounding with the fury that simmered within him.

It was the day of Meher’s discharge, and Arjun was adamant about taking her back with him.

But Meher refused, insisting she needed to be there for Aarvi. Arjun couldn’t argue; he knew her devotion to Aarvi was unwavering.

As the car pulled up in front of the Rathore mansion, Vikram stepped out and walked to Meher’s side, intending to help her.

But before he could offer his hand, Meher’s sharp voice cut through the moment.

"Yeh sab dikhawa aur mat karo. Mai jaanti hoon meri family aur bhai ki wajah se tum mera hospital mein dhyan rakh rahe the. It’s okay, I can handle myself,"

she said coldly, her gaze dismissive as she slowly began to walk inside on her own.

Vikram stood frozen in place, his hand still hovering in mid-air, watching her disappear toward the mansion.

His jaw clenched as her words echoed in his mind, piercing deeper than he cared to admit.

She thought he’d only cared out of obligation, a duty driven by her family’s expectations.

“Dikhawa nahi tha,” he whispered to himself, the words slipping out, laden with the unsettling emotions stirring in his chest.

For the first time, he felt vulnerable, the layers of his usual indifference crumbling under the weight of feelings he didn’t yet understand.