Karan’s jaw clenched tightly. Instead of moving towards the door, he turned away, grabbed his phone from the bedside table, and dialled a number.
Mishti watched him, confused, as he spoke quietly.
“Rajat, Avni’s at Mishti’s door,” he said into the phone. “Come and take her away with some excuse.”
Rajat probably questioned him, asking what had happened, but Karan didn’t justify.
“Just do it,” he said, “now,” and cut the call.
Mishti was stunned. She realised Karan was doing this to protect her from Avni’s wrath, from the fallout, from straining her relationship with Avni by revealing the truth. And she didn’t want that. Especially when it came at the cost of his own relationship with his sister. Until now, she hadn’t fully known who was responsible for the bitterness between Avni and Karan. Now she did. And she wouldn’t let it worsen any further.
“Fine. I’ll open it myself,” she said, almost taking a step towards the door. But before she could reach it, Karan caught her arm and pulled her back. When she tried to argue, he covered her mouth with his palm, silencing her.
“Don’t,” he murmured close to her ear.
Mishti struggled against him, fury flashing in her eyes, but he didn’t let her go yet. Not until they heard footsteps within a minute and then Rajat’s voice outside, telling Avni he was hungry and that they should go for breakfast, suggesting thatMishti might already be downstairs. Avni sounded convinced and left with him.
Once their footsteps faded, only then did Karan remove his hand from Mishti’s mouth.
Mishti stared at him in shock. “Why would you do this? You had the perfect chance to sort everything out with her.”
Karan said nothing. He only let out a slow breath and turned towards the door, walking away without a backward glance.That was it. No explanation. No justification.
Something inside Mishti snapped. She rushed forward and stepped into his path, blocking the door before he could open it. “You wanted to know why you still can’t find peace,” she asked. “This is why. Your sister still has no idea what you’ve done for her. She has no clue what you sacrificed. Tell her, Karan. Tell her that none of this was your fault. She will understand. You’ll get your sister back. And with her… you’ll finally get your peace too.”
For a moment, he only stared at her. Then his jaw tightened. He reached out, his fingers closing around her arms, not rough though. He pulled her closer as he argued.
“And turn heragainstyouin the process?” he asked. “Not happening. I may get my sister back, Mishti, but not at the cost of losing you. That’s not the kind of peace I’m looking for anymore.”
She was speechless.Did he just confess he didn’t want to lose her?
His grip loosened, but his eyes never left hers. “Avni has lived without me all these years, venting out her anger and disappointment on me. She’s happy in that space now. Her marriage to Rajat will give her the happiness she always deserved. And I’m… I’m just content knowing that.”
Saying that, he finally turned around and walked out the door. Mishti stood there, still speechless. Karan was shielding her from the consequences, saving her bond with Avni, bysacrificing his own relationship with his sister for her sake? What did that even mean? And why did it make her guilt even deeper?
Fine, she thought. If he wouldn’t tell Avni, she would. But Avni’s wedding was in eleven days, and it wasn’t fair to burden her with this truth at such a time. And would revealing everything really erase years of bitterness between Karan and Avni so easily? Probably not.
So she decided to do something else first. To bring them together slowly. It was her responsibility now, to mend the distance between them. Only after that would she tell Avni the truth. Even if Avni broke ties with her because of it, she would accept it. But she would do this.For him.
***************
Late Afternoon
Mishti found VK in the hotel lobby, his phone pressed to his ear, as he spoke animatedly. He was inviting a few old friends for Rajat’s wedding, confirming dates, and insisting they attend. She waited a short distance away until he wrapped up the call and slipped the phone back into his pocket.
He turned to her with a gentle smile. “Mishti,” he said, concern immediately touching his voice. “How are you? Everything alright? You didn’t come down for breakfast this morning.”
She shook her head slightly. “That’s not important,” she said quietly. “I need to talk to you.”
The seriousness in her tone made VK straighten at once. He gestured for them to move to the sofa and once seated, he asked her to continue.
Mishti took a breath. “I want you to convince Avni to let Karan perform all the wedding traditions as her brother,” she said, without hesitation. “She wouldn’t listen to me if I told her this. But she will never deny you. You are the only one whocan do this. Please make her believe that these rituals need a brother’s presence. That avoiding them would be inauspicious. Whether she likes it or not, but Karan’s involvement isn’t optional.”
VK listened quietly and then nodded.
“You are right. I’ll speak to Avni,” he said. “I’ll make sure she agrees.”
Mishti was relieved, but VK studied her for a long moment and continued. “But you know Karan,” he said carefully. “He’ll be suspicious. He won’t like being pushed into this.”
