Karan’s eyes locked onto Tarini, his pulse racing as he stood frozen in the doorway. Sneha, struggling in Tarini’s grip, sent a pleading glance toward him. He knew he had to act fast—one wrong move, and everything could fall apart.

"Let her go, Tarini," Karan demanded, his voice low and measured. "This ends now."

Tarini’s smile widened, her fingers digging into Sneha’s arm. "You think you can stop me, Karan? After everything I’ve done? After everything I’ve survived? No one will ever believe you."

"I don’t need them to believe me," Karan replied, taking a cautious step forward. "I just need you to walk away, before this gets worse than it already is."

Tarini’s face twisted with a bitter laugh. "Worse? Oh, Karan, you have no idea how bad things can get. I’ve already taken everything from Nandini and Dhruv. And now, it’s your turn."

As she pulled Sneha toward the back of the estate, Karan took another step closer, keeping his hands visible, trying not to provoke her further. "Tarini, you don’t have to do this. You can still walk away from all of this. No one else has to get hurt."

Sneha whimpered, and Tarini’s expression hardened. "You don’t get it, do you? This isn’t about walking away. It’s about finishing what I started. Nandini took everything from me, and now I’m taking everything from her."

Karan’s mind raced, searching for a way to defuse the situation. "What did Nandini take from you? This isn’t about Dhruv, is it? This is about you and your need to destroy anything that reminds you of your pain. But hurting Sneha or me won’t fix that."

Tarini hesitated for a split second, and  Karan knew he had to press further.

"Think about it, Tarini. Hurting her won’t make your pain go away. It won’t change what’s happened to you. But if you let her go, we can figure this out. Together."

For a moment, Tarini’s grip on Sneha loosened, her eyes flickering with something—uncertainty, fear, or perhaps the overwhelming weight of her own guilt.

But just as quickly, that flicker vanished, replaced by cold resolve.

"You’re wrong," Tarini hissed, her voice trembling with anger. "You don’t know what I’ve lost. What I’ve endured. You don’t know anything!"

In one swift motion, Tarini pulled out a small knife from the folds of her saree, pressing it to Sneha’s neck. Karan’s blood ran cold, his hands raising instinctively as he took a step back, his heart hammering in his chest.

"Tarini, don’t do this!" Karan shouted, his voice filled with desperation.

But Tarini’s hand was steady, her eyes filled with the madness of her vendetta. "Stay back, Karan, or I swear I’ll—"

Before she could finish her sentence, a voice cut through the tension like a knife.

"Tarini, stop!"

It was Nandini, standing at the back entrance of the estate, her eyes wide with shock and fear. She was still in her wedding attire, her dupatta draped loosely over her shoulders, her face pale as she took in the scene before her.

"Nandini..." Tarini’s voice wavered, her grip faltering slightly as she turned to face her twin. The sight of her sister—dressed as a bride, ready to marry the man she had tried to take for herself—seemed to break something inside her.

"Please, Tarini," Nandini whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "This isn’t you. You don’t have to do this. We can fix this. Together."

For a long moment, Tarini just stood there, torn between the rage that had driven her for so long and the bond she still felt with her sister. Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked from Nandini to Karan and back again.

"You... you don’t understand," Tarini whispered, her voice cracking. "I don’t know how to stop. I’ve come too far."

Nandini stepped forward, slowly, cautiously, her hands reaching out to her sister. "You can stop. It’s not too late, Tarini. We can figure this out, like we always did when we were kids. You don’t have to be alone in this."

Tarini’s hand shook, the knife trembling as she looked down at Sneha, who was still in her grip, her eyes wide with fear. Something shifted in Tarini’s expression—regret, anguish, and perhaps, for the first time, recognition of the path she had taken.

"I didn’t mean for it to go this far," Tarini whispered, her voice broken. "I just... I wanted him to choose me. I wanted... everything."

Nandini took another step forward, her voice soft, gentle. "I know. But this isn’t the way. Let her go, Tarini. Please."

For what felt like an eternity, Tarini stood frozen, torn between her desire for revenge and the love she still felt for her sister. Slowly, ever so slowly, she lowered the knife, her grip on Sneha loosening.

Karan moved quickly, grabbing Misthi and pulling her away from Tarini’s reach. Sneha stumbled into his arms, her breath coming in ragged gasps as the adrenaline of the moment hit her full force.

Tarini dropped the knife, her body sagging as the weight of everything she had done crashed down on her.

Nandini rushed forward, wrapping her arms around her sister, tears streaming down her face. "It’s over, Tarini. It’s over."

Tarini collapsed into Nandini’s embrace, sobbing uncontrollably. "I’m so sorry," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I’m so sorry..."

Karan, holding Sneha close, watched the scene unfold, his heart heavy with a mixture of relief and sadness. The nightmare was finally over, but the scars it left behind would take a long time to heal.

As the police arrived and the guests began to realize what had transpired, Karan knew that this day—the day that should have been filled with love and celebration—would be remembered for the darkness that had nearly consumed them all.

But even in the midst of that darkness, there was hope. A glimmer of light.

Because despite everything, they had survived.

For now.