The hair stylist put the last pin in my hair bun and fixed the dupatta on my forehead, completing the bridal look.

"Wow! You look breathtaking, Ava!!" Riva exclaimed, squealing with joy.

"Am I?" I smiled, looking at myself in the mirror.

"You do!" Atulya joined in, agreeing with Riva.

"Yes, they're right! You look like a nymph descending from heaven. I'm sure Mr. Randhawa will forget to breathe once he sees you!" Arushi chimed in, complementing me.

I chuckled and thanked them. The girls then cleared the room, allowing me to get some rest before the marriage rituals started again.

As the room emptied, I stood alone, my gaze drifting towards the mirror. The reflection staring back at me was that of a woman transformed, adorned in a breathtaking bridal ensemble. The voluminous gown, a masterful blend of pastel pink and blue hues, was a work of art. Intricate embroidery and embellishments in shades of blue, green, gold, and red danced across the fabric, creating a mesmerizing display of craftsmanship.

The gown's luxurious fabric flowed gracefully, creating an elegant and regal appearance that commanded attention. A matching veil, richly decorated with detailed patterns that formed numerous peacocks through embroidery, draped over the gown, extending to the ground. The veil added a touch of traditional modesty to the overall look.

My hair, fixed in a bun with the help of several pins, was now covered by the veil, adding to the traditional and modest appearance. The big necklace, crafted with tear-shaped diamonds and pearls, rested majestically on my chest, covering much of it. Paired with an oval-shaped diamond Rani haar, the overall effect was one of understated opulence.

My wrists were adorned with heavy bangles and kalire, adding a touch of whimsy to the overall look. As I gazed at my reflection, I felt a sense of awe at the transformation. The overall effect was one of opulence and sophistication, making me look like a vision of bridal elegance.

I looked at the bride, who was looking like one. I seriously don't remember how I got married the first time, but I want to feel this feeling. There were several things going on in my life, and many things that I had to plan, but right now, I want to live this moment.

I always try to plan my every move carefully, but fate always seems to have a different plan for me. So, this time, I had decided to just let fate play out and flow with its decisions.

Suddenly, I felt nervous. I wasn't this nervous when I first joined Phoenix Corporation at 18, but this... this seems like more than that. I realized I was alone in the room; there was no one, as everyone was busy. My eyes started to get wet. Thoughts of my mother resurfaced in my mind.

Her memories are buried deep inside me, but as I sat there dressed in my wedding attire, I couldn't help but wonder what my mother would have said about this. Would she have said I looked pretty? What would my father have said? I didn't want to cry, but right now, I couldn't help it. The tears that had already slipped from my eyes threatened to ruin my makeup, but I was powerless to stop them.

"Tissue?" I heard a crisp, raspy voice that was unfamiliar to me. I turned to face the owner of the voice, who stood before me. A pair of honey-brown eyes observed me intently. I halted the tear that was about to fall, schooling my expressions once more as I met his gaze.

"What do you want, Mr. Malhotra?" I asked Rudra, trying to keep my tone neutral. His presence here was unpredictable, and I couldn't believe I was meeting him in this moment.

"Just wanted to meet you, Ms. York, Basu, or should I say, Mrs. Randhawa?" He smirked, his eyes glinting with amusement. "These all seem to be synonyms for you, but my question remains the same. Why are you here?"

I pinned him with a glare, my eyes narrowing. "You always want to know about your parents, right? And your brother?" he questioned, his voice low and smooth. He sat down at the edge of the bed in the middle of the bridal suite, his eyes never leaving mine.

"And whatever I want, what does it have to do with you?" I asked, my gaze still narrowed.

He smiled faintly, his eyes locking onto mine. "It has everything to do with me. I am the young boy you've been searching for."

I stood there, frozen, my mind reeling from his words.

What the hell did he just say? I stared at him, completely zoning out. It felt like the whole universe was playing a cruel joke on me. Whom should I believe, and whom should I not? My mind was reeling, and my intestines started to churn.

"What kind of joke is this? It's not even remotely funny," I yelled at him. His gaze dropped to his shoes, as if he was having a conversation with himself.

"Do you know our mother left our father?" he uttered, his voice barely above a whisper.

"What are you trying to say? I don't want to hear this..." I was about to shove him out of the room when he grabbed my arms and spoke.

"Don't you listen to what everyone has told you? Give me a chance to tell you my side of the story too! I would never lie to you, just once! I will leave from your sight after that." the boy pleaded, his eyes locking onto mine. His words made me pause, and for a moment, I was unsure of what to do.

I didn't know what anyone wanted from me. Couldn't they just let me have one peaceful day? One day that I could remember as the best day of my life?

"I promise I won't say anything that would spoil your day," Rudra said, offering me a serene smile. I didn't know this kid at all, but something in his words stopped me. I paused, and a sigh escaped my lips. I pondered for a moment and d reached a conclusion I had heard countless tales till right now one more isn't going to harm me. Even if I had forgotten all my memories and the truth is twisted but still I had known so many things that other's still had to found and since he just wants to talk I would give him a chance and as for if he had some other plans I messaged Adwait's to check upon me within next 30 minutes.

"Go ahead," I said, resigned. "Since the world has already decided to drive me crazy, you might as well play your part."

"I'm not here to confuse you," Rudra said, his voice low and serious. "I'm here to tell you some truths, the truths you've been wanting to know for so long."

"Do you really have answers to all my questions?" I asked, perplexed.

"Not about everything," Rudra replied, "but yes, about many things. Unlike you, I haven't lost my memory." He smiled cockily, his eyes glinting with amusement.

"So, tell me about my parents and my brother," I probed, sitting opposite him in the chair I had previously occupied.

"Our father was the son of Avinash Basu, a well-known doctor and king of Bhawanipur," Rudra began. "His wife, Maitri Devi, was the elder daughter of the Rajvansh family, our father's mother."

I paused, allowing his words to sink in, but it was hard to digest. "Didn't everyone say that the Basus and Rajvansh's are sworn enemies, so how...?" I pondered on his words.

"The families were rivals over a small piece of land that had a goddess's temple," Rudra explained. "But after fighting for such a long time, they decided to settle with a marriage – the marriage of our grandparents."

I understood some parts, but many questions still swirled in my brain. "Then why do people still consider them as rivals?" I queried.

"Because Avinash Basu had an extramarital affair and had a son with that woman too," Rudra explained. "This hurt the ego of the Rajvansh family, and they went at each other's throats. However, Avinash Basu's father decided to make a promise, entitling everything to his legitimate grandson, Girish. This somewhat placated the Rajvansh family's anger.

"Girish Basu was living in London with his mother, where he met our mother, Serenity," Rudra continued. "Serenity was the daughter of Nicolas York, a businessman who had recently acquired wealth. Her family was a nouveau riche family, and she had started working in her father's company. At that time, the York family wasn't involved with the Mafia, nor were they as wealthy as they are now. It was during that time that Jeremy met our father in Germany, and they decided to start a hospital, which is now in your hands," Rudra revealed.

I listened intently, and while some of the information wasn't new to me, there were still pieces of the puzzle that I was eager to understand.

"This is not something new I've learned!" I told him.

"I know," Rudra said, "but the thing is, Serenity and Jeremy had one more sister, Aria." He paused, his eyes drifting to a picture frame hanging on the wall. "She was killed by Jeremy."

I looked at him, shocked. "What do you mean? It's...!"

Rudra cut me off. "Aria's husband, Niskarsh, had a transport company. Jeremy wanted to get into the Mafia business, so he used Niskarsh's business as an opportunity. He decided to become a middleman for many Mafia members, helping them transfer their illegal money, bodies, and smuggled goods from one place to another. Niskarsh discovered Jeremy's plan unexpectedly, and Jeremy tricked him, killing both Aria and Niskarsh and making it look like a car accident."

Rudra's words hung in the air as I struggled to process the revelation. My mind began to piece together the fragments of the truth. "Then he seized his company, Phoenix Corporation?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes!" Rudra nodded, looking at me with a hint of hesitation.

"I see, but what does this have to do with our parents?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.

"Actually, the Phoenix Corporation fell into the hands of Serenity, our mother, after Niskarsh and Aria's death," Rudra explained. "She wasn't aware of the shady dealings going on, but soon she discovered the truth. She found out that Dad was also a part of that business. She was bewildered, heartbroken, and disgusted – whatever synonyms you can think of to describe her feelings at that moment, she felt them."

Rudra sighed, his expression somber. "This led to a huge argument between them, and she left him. She wanted to take us with her too, but Dad stopped her."

I felt a surge of anger and curiosity. "What did he say to make her stop from taking us with her?"

Rudra's eyes dropped, his voice barely above a whisper. "He asked her if she would be able to protect us while fighting with Jeremy. As her father was already dead, and most of the company was in Jeremy's hands, and he had created a big empire... would she be able to fight for her sister and protect us too?"

The question left her baffled, and she stopped, deciding not to take us with her because she knew he was right." Rudra finished.

"So, what did she do after that?" I asked.

"Mom knew she wouldn't be able to fight Jeremy face-to-face, so she decided to take a different approach," Rudra explained. "She worked regularly, as she had before, but started to tear him down from the inside, trying to take control of his empire. But..." He stopped, leaving the rest of the sentence hanging in the air.

"Jeremy caught her and killed her too?" I completed his sentence, my voice barely above a whisper.

Rudra nodded. "Yes."

I closed my eyes, allowing his words to settle in. I had finally understood some things. Unlike the many white lies people had told me, Rudra's words didn't unsettle me; instead, they calmed something inside me. I sighed, feeling a mix of emotions. This was something I had wanted to know, but now I was unsure of what to do next. Jeremy was already dead; whom should I take my revenge from?

And as for Jarek, I don't think I would ever be able to do it. Never in my life would I do something that could cause harm to him. I had always seen him as my younger brother.

"And as for your wedding," Rudra said, "it was also a part of Jeremy's plan. Not the full context, but yeah, the first half was for sure." He started to rub his hands together.

"What do you mean?" I asked, my brows furrowing together and my eyes widening.

"Jeremy took you back to Italy for the Phoenix Corporation," Rudra explained. "He wanted to control the people there, as they were loyal to Serenity. He wanted to silence the blunder that was happening there. What he didn't expect was for you to join it. And he couldn't just throw you out, so he made a master plan by stealing that new technology and blaming it on you."

"Anything else?" I asked him, my curiosity piqued.

He shook his head in denial. I signaled him to leave, and he did, looking back at me before closing the door behind him.

A thought popped into my mind - how did he even manage to get here? - and there were still many questions swirling in my mind, but right now, I was overwhelmed.

I had two stories and two different theories to think about, but I didn't want to think about any of them.

I know it sounds selfish, but I wanted to be selfish right now. I didn't want anyone to disturb my happiness. So, I made a decision - to stop my brain from overthinking, I locked the gate of my room tightly and fell asleep in my heavy lehenga.

Author's Scribbling Point

So did you think he is telling the truth?
I am trying to update daily to finish this wip as soon as possible..
If I wouldn't be able I would inform you...