She turned to him, disbelief flashing in her eyes.
“You love Komal. She’s going to be your life partner. And yet she had no idea about your family. Just because your brother wanted certain facts hidden, you hid them from the woman you love. How is that fair?”
Karan gritted his teeth as he looked straight at Mishti.
“You know why we hid it,” he said coldly. “For Avni’s safety.”
Mishti didn’t blink.
“And what Komal did was formysafety,” she shot back. “It’s the same thing.”
They stared at each other, the moment between them charged and volatile.
Karan’s glare shifted toward Komal, anger flaring again, but before he could say another word, Mishti read it on his face.
“Don’t you dare,” she warned him. “Don’t you dare say that now you won’t let Abhimanyu and Komal get married.”
Then she turned angrily to Abhimanyu.
“And even if he tries,” she said firmly, “don’t you dare listen to him.”
Her voice trembled with fury as she continued,
“Your brother turned his own marriage into a joke. And if you want to follow inhisfootsteps—then, Komal…”
She turned to Komal now.
“Then you better break up with Abhimanyu right now. As it is. These Wadhwa men…” Her voice broke, but she finished it anyway. “They never learn how to earn true love in their lives.”
Silence fell.
Karan, Abhimanyu, and Komal stood stunned, each struck by her words differently. Karan was barely holding himself together.
But Mishti huffed, already done. She gripped Komal’s hand tightly and pulled her away from the brothers.
Enough was enough.
A slow smirk settled on Karan’s lips as he watched Mishti walk away. It was not amusement exactly, more like a faint, reluctant smile that carried a trace of pride.
Abhimanyu noticed it instantly.
“Bhai,” he said, still shocked, “are you smiling? Bhabhi just threatened to break up my relationship, and you’re smiling?”
Karan didn’t look at him. His eyes stayed fixed on Mishti as she dragged Komal away through the crowd.
“Relax,” he said calmly. “I won’t let it happen. Not your breakup.” A pause. “Not mine either.”
Abhimanyu’s grin spread instantly.
“That’s like my brother,” he said, satisfied.
Mishti finally stopped when Komal tugged her hand back, still stunned.
“Hold on, Mishti. You really meant that?” Komal asked, equally in shock like the Wadhwa brothers.
Mishti, still riding on her anger, replied without hesitation, “I meant every word.” Then she exhaled, some of the fire easing from her shoulders. “Okay… not the breakup part,” she admitted. “I just wanted to scare those brothers a little. Why should only they get to bully everyone all the time?”
Komal stared at her for a second, then burst out laughing.
