“Did you askhispermission before marrying me?” she demanded. “Then why, suddenly, one day, would he needyourapproval before marrying the woman he loves?”
For a moment, Karan said nothing. But his anger was still there. Mishti knew he did not like being cornered by truth. Still, she went on.
“I know Abhimanyu should have told you earlier. I am not denying that. But you cannot reject his choice only because of that.”
Karan’s gaze stayed fixed somewhere beyond the glass walls of the cabin now.
“Even I did not know about them initially,” she continued. “He did not come and announce it to me either. I only suspected that something was different between them. The way they looked at each other, the way he softened around her. So, I asked them openly and they told me.”
She paused for a second.
“They met on a dating app. It was meant to be casual. Just two people looking for a distraction from their lives. But attraction slowly gave way to real feelings. And those feelings stayed, grew and reached this point.”
Her eyes searched his face, hoping he would look at her, but he still refused.
“I know Abhimanyu has always shared everything with you,” she said. “But this was not like everything else he shared with his brother. This was about his heart. There might be a reason why he delayed telling you. You have every right to ask him that. But shutting this down without listening to him is not fair.”
Still, Karan said nothing.
Encouraged by his silence, Mishti stepped closer.
“It is rare, Karan,” she said softly. “Rare for people to find real partners. To findtrue love.Not everyone is that lucky. Not everyone gets that happiness. What I see between Abhimanyu and Komal is pure love. I am very confident they will be good life partners to each other.”
Karan clenched his fists.
She noticed, but continued.
“If you refuse to give them your blessings, Abhimanyu might distance himself from Komal. Not because he stopped loving her. But because he respects you. Because he does not want to hurt you.”
She let that sink in before adding, “Are you prepared to see your brother live like that? Only because of your ego and stubbornness?”
That was when Karan turned toward her with a warning in his glare. But Mishti did not flinch.
“Do not look at me like that,” she said calmly. “I am not accusing you. I am showing you the mirror.”
She drew in a breath.
“Love is not something fleeting that passes with time,” she said. “It is more than that. People in love cannot breathe without each other. The first thought they wake up with every morning is their partner. The last thought before they fall asleep is the same person.”
Her voice trembled slightly.
“They crave time together. They pray for each other. They cannot bear to see tears in the eyes of the person they love. They find ways to bring smiles to their face, even on the worst days. And no matter what the world says, no matter who tries to pull them apart, their hearts still beat for each other.”
She looked straight at him now.
“Because at that point, unloving is not an option.”
She finished softly, but with conviction.
“That islove, Karan.”
Karan moved before she realised it. He closed the distance between them in a long stride and caught her by the arms, pulling her closer until there was barely any space left between them. Then his eyes searched her face, intensely.
“You are talking as if you know this feeling very well,” he said quietly. “This thing you call love.”
Mishti froze. But he did not let her look away.
“Have you ever been in love, Mishti?” he asked.
