“I don’t care what he thinks,” Mishti replied angrily. “He might not want this, butIdo. And this time, you will have to listen to me. Not him.”
VK knew she was right and nodded in agreement.
“Alright, Mishti. Consider it done.”
After a pause, his expression softened as guilt crept in. “Even I owe you an apology. For hiding the truth from you all this time. That I knew you were Karan’s wife. And I never told you.”
Mishti looked at him, the hurt she had been holding in finally surfacing. “I don’t even know what to say,” she admitted. “I trusted you like family. You, Rajat, Abhimanyu. All of you kept things from me. It just tells me how little you trusted me.”
“No, Mishti,” VK said immediately, gripping her hand. “Please don’t say that. When you came to London, you were shattered. All you wanted was distance from Karan. If we hid the truth, it was because we cared for you. We didn’t want you to run away again just because we were connected to him.”
He squeezed her hand gently. “Karan and all of us were only trying to protect you. From your grief. From your loneliness. Please don’t misunderstand that.”
Mishti lowered her gaze. She understood his words, even if the ache still lingered.
“I may be close to Karan,” VK continued, “but what I’m about to say isn’t bias. These months without you were harder on him than all the years he spent planning revenge against the Goels.”
Mishti froze.
“Karan will never admit this,” he went on, “but we all saw it. When you left without a word, he searched for you everywhere. And do you know what the worst part is?”
She looked up.
“His search never ended,” VK sighed. “It will only stop when you are back by his side. This time, not to hurt you, but to give you everything you both were never able to give each other.”
A tear slipped down Mishti’s cheek.
“Love,” VK added softly. “That’s what you’re both looking for. In each other. Don’t let this stretch any further.”
Mishti shook her head, tears choking her voice. “He can never love me, Uncle. He told me that himself. He warned me not to expect it. And he was right. How can he love the daughter of the man who destroyed his family? Who killed his mother?”
VK sighed, but the certainty in his eyes never left. “You have no idea how powerful love is, my girl. It is the only thing that can heal hearts. Today, you may not believe what Karan feels for you. Maybe even Karan won’t realise it yet, but you both will see it soon. And when you do, don’t overthink it. Let it exist. Let it grow.”
He smiled gently. “You both deserve a lifetime of love. And your happily ever after. You already have my blessings. I’ll pray that day to come very soon.”
Mishti didn’t know what to say.
But the picture his words painted stayed with her. A life she had once dreamed of.A life full of love with Karan.
She held onto it quietly, afraid to hope too much. Because every time she had hoped before, it had only led her back to pain.
CHAPTER 36
Next Day – Roka Ceremony
It was Avni’s Roka that evening, marking the official sealing of the alliance between the two families. The ceremony was a public declaration that the bride and groom were now bound to each other, their union blessed and acknowledged by elders from both sides.
The ceremony was set in the resort’s garden area. Guests stood around in small groups, sipping drinks, nibbling on appetisers, and chatting excitedly as they waited for the to-be bride and groom to arrive. The auspicious mahurat was almost going to begin.
Inside, Mishti had just finished helping Avni get ready.
Avni was dressed in a pastel-toned lehenga, delicately embroidered with fine zari and floral motifs. Mishti stepped back, her eyes softening as she looked at her.
“You are the most beautiful bride I have ever seen,” she said honestly.
Avni smiled, a little shy, a little proud. “Then wait tillyourwedding rituals begin,” she replied teasingly. “I’ll be saying the same about you. You’ll make the most beautiful bride, too, Mishti.”
Once again, her words stirred memories in Mishti’s heart of her own wedding. But before she could sink into it, the door opened.
