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Vardhaan rushed down the hospital corridors, his heart pounding in his chest as he neared Ishani's room. The door was slightly ajar, and what he saw inside caused his steps to falter. Ishani, pale but smiling weakly, sat on the bed while Sahista fed her small pieces of fruit.

(FYI - Vardhaan is a close friend of Vikrant, Ishani, and Shaurya. He is a lawyer by profession and was the same person who came to Shaurya's house with the marriage papers for Shaurya and Meera.)

Adhiraj was beside her, his tone more scolding than affectionate, but there was an undeniable warmth in his gaze. "What were you thinking, going out alone like that? You could have seriously hurt yourself. You need to be more careful."

Ishani's lips curled into a faint smile, even as her eyes held a playful glint. "I'm sorry, Papa. I won't do it again. I saw Meera... and Vikrant..."

"Donot talk about that witch, Ishani beta, I will make sure she stays away from all of us" Sahista's palm clenched the plate tight listening to her husband's cruel words she didn't dare speak up, knowing her husband's temper.

"If she wouldn't have been your brother's wife then I would have killed her for hurting you, you may not be my blood beta, but you are and will always be my daughter." His eyes softened with affection before he rose from his seat, his phone buzzing in his pocket. He excused himself, and Sahista followed, carrying the empty plate to clean.

Nobody noticed it but Vardhaan did. The smile that had reached her eyes when Adhiraj had talked about killing Meera for her.

Vardhaan stepped in and folded his arms, his face now void of any warmth. Ishani greeted him with a bright smile. "Vardhaan! Finally, you're here. Did you hear about my accident?"

His eyes bore into her, his voice cold. "I heard. For a second, I was worried. Now that I see you're fine, I think maybe you deserved this."

Her smile vanished. "What the hell are you talking about?"

He moved closer, his gaze hardening. "This is karma, Ishani. You've turned Meera's life into a nightmare, and now it's catching up with you."

Her tone sharpened. "Get out, Vardhaan. Don't waste your time lecturing me."

His frustration only grew. "Your stubbornness will destroy everyone—especially Meera. You need to stop."

Ishani turned her head away, her voice filled with dismissal. "Go preach somewhere else, Vardhaan. I don't care what you think. Just leave."

Vardhaan gritted his teeth, shaking his head in frustration before storming out of the room. As he turned the corner, he almost collided with Vikrant.

"Vardhaan, thank God. I thought you weren't in India," Vikrant said, relief flooding his face.

, thank God. I thought you weren't in India," Vikrant exclaimed, his relief palpable.

"I just landed an hour ago. Came straight here," Vardhaan responded, pulling out his phone. "I saw your missed calls. Tried calling you back, but your phone's off."

Vikrant's face tightened, concern overtaking his relief. "I need your help. You need to go to Shaurya's house. Meera's in danger."

Vardhaan's heart skipped a beat, and his expression grew serious. "What happened?"

Vikrant quickly filled him in, the urgency clear in his voice.

"Are you kidding me?" Vardhaan barked, fury coursing through him. He dialed Shaurya's number, but it went straight to voicemail.

"What the fuck have you been doing since then" Vardhaan asks annoyed.

"I tried to but Sahista aunty stopped me. And Shaurya made it clear. If I go anywhere near Meera, he'll hurt her even more. I can't risk it. But you... maybe you can stop him."

Vardhaan's eyes darkened, fingers tightening around his phone as the weight of the situation hit him. "I'll go. You'd better hope I'm not too late."

Both Vikrant and Vardhaan were deeply worried, fully aware of the dangerous extent of Shaurya's anger. They had seen it before—his rage, like an uncontrollable storm, especially when it came to someone hurting Ishani. Every time her name was brought up, his fury spiraled into something monstrous, something primal. He would go to any lengths to protect her, even if it meant destroying everything and everyone in his path.

Ishani wasn't just his sister—she was his everything. She was the last piece of family he had left. The little girl he had vowed to protect from the harshness of the world. Ever since she was small, Shaurya had taken on the role of both father and mother to her. He'd raised her, shielded her from pain, and made sure that no harm ever came her way. In his eyes, Ishani was a fragile, precious soul—something worth fighting for, even at the cost of his own sanity.

The bond they shared was something deeper than mere blood. It was a love forged in the fires of their shared history, in the quiet nights when Shaurya had stayed awake, making sure she was safe, watching over her when no one else could.

Now, as her life had almost hung in the balance, the idea of anyone daring to hurt her set a fire in Shaurya's chest, a fire that no one could put out. And both Vikrant and Vardhaan knew that, given the right push, that fire would consume everything in its path.

Vikrant and Vardhaan , both understood the dire situation they were in. Even though Vikrant was also there when the accident happened, and in fact, it was him who had approached Meera first, Shaurya wouldn't hurt him since he was now his precious sister's husband. This made Vikrant even more worried, as now all of Shaurya's anger was directed towards Meera.

Vikrant's heart clenched as he thought of what Meera must be going through. The storm of Shaurya's fury was bound to swallow her whole, and he wasn't sure she could survive it. His protective instincts were on edge, and every passing moment felt like a death by thousand cuts.

VARDHAAN SINGH SHELHAWAT
AGE -27