Scene: Malhotra Mansion Celebration is in Full Swing

The celebration was alive with music and joy.

Manik was busy attending guests, making sure every detail was perfect.

Mukti kept checking the entrance every few seconds, waiting anxiously.

“Where is Abhimanyu sir? What if… what if he doesn’t come?” she murmured, biting her lip, her excitement slowly turning into worry.

Meanwhile, Cabir, now officially a Malhotra, was moving among the guests. But his heart?

Lost in one name Navya.

Cabir’s POV

Oh God, what just happened… This wasn’t how I wanted the truth to come out. I should’ve told her earlier… now she must think I lied to her. She was crying when she left. I could see the pain in her eyes.

I want to call her but how do I leave from here? What if I lose her forever?

At another corner, harish and janvi were smiling and chatting with guests, but Harish’s eyes kept drifting to the entrance.

Noticing it, janvi nudged him gently.

“harish,  don’t worry. They must be on their way. This is Mumbai traffic’s always a mess.”

Harish sighed. “You’re right…”

Just then, Manik came over.

“Mom, Dad I think it’s time to cut the cake?”

Harish started to respond but paused as he turned and saw the Murty family entering.

His face lit up.

“Wait… not yet. First, call Mukti and Cabir I want you all to meet someone.”

“Okay, Dad,” Manik nodded and walked off.

Harish rushed to greet them.

He hugged Vishnu Murty tightly.

“Finally! I’ve been waiting so long for you,” harish beamed.

Vishnu laughed. “You know Mumbai traffic… and some people at home who specialize in making us late.”

He murmured the last part but not quietly enough.

Shanno raised an eyebrow. “Some people? You want to explain that, too?”

Vishnu’s eyes widened. “Did I say that out loud?”

Everyone chuckled.

Harish laughed. “Come on, Vishnu, introduce us now.”

Vishnu smiled. “Of course. Meet my better half my one and only wife, Ms. Shanno.”

Shanno playfully slapped his shoulder.

“Namaste, bhai saab.”

“Namaste,” harish replied warmly.

“And here’s my brother Arjun Murty.”

Harish pulled Arjun into a hug. Arjun stiffened slightly unused to this kind of attention.

“I can’t even express how happy I am to see you here,” harish said, genuinely moved.

Arjun gave a faint smile.

“This is Riya, Arjun’s wife. And this is my son, Abhimanyu, and my daughter, Aliya.”

“Namaste,” Riya greeted softly.

Harish nodded with a smile and hugged Abhi, giving Aliya a warm side-hug.

Vishnu chuckled. “So… are we going to party in the hallway?”

Harish grinned. “Of course come in!”

As the Murthy were introduced to the Malhotras, janvi glanced at Arjun.

“Oh! Who doesn’t know him? The most honest man in the department. Everyone’s scared of him and rightly so. He’s helped us more than once in our Ngo, even when it meant going against his law.”

The Murtys looked proud.

Arjun responded with quiet dignity,

“Ma’am, it’s our duty to stand with the right. We’re here to serve the people not rule them.”

Harish smiled. “So true.

And as for Abhimanyu… well, Mukti talks about him all day long ‘Abhi sir did this, Abhi sir did that.’”

Laughter broke out, and Mukti blushed furiously, stealing a dreamy glance at Abhi, who looked down, clearly flustered.

Manik stepped in to save the moment.

“Dad, I think it’s time for the cake?”

Harish clapped his hands. “Yes, yes! Let’s go.”

The cake was brought out. Harish and Janvi cut it together, feeding each other first, then their children.

Laughter and happiness filled the room.

It was finally starting to feel like one big family.

🍁

Quiet Corners Within the Chaos

Harish and vishnu stood by the drinks table.

“Thank you for coming, yaar. I’m genuinely happy,” harish said.

Vishnu replied, “No, harish,  I should be  thanking you. If not for your invitation, I wouldn't have seen everyone like this together, and at peace.”

“Just wait,” Harish said with hope in his voice. “One by one, all distances will vanish.”

🍁

Across the Party

Janvi, Shanno, and Riya were chatting and laughing like old friends.

Arjun stood silently in a corner, watching everyone, quietly observing the rare peace in his broken world.

Mukti and Abhimanyu were lost in their own bubble Abhi trying to talk about hospital duties, patients, and medicine, while Mukti stared at him with heart-eyes, throwing random compliments between his words.

Cabir, though smiling, was lost in the thoughts of Navya.

Aliya and Dhruv exchanged secretive high-fives their plan had succeeded.

Manik, the ever-responsible one, continued attending to guests with practiced charm.

********

Scene Shift: Deep in the Forest

A man sat on an old wooden chair, rage simmering behind his cold stare.

He picked up his phone.

The Man: “It’s time. To Target the Fish.”

Soon, another man Salim entered the house. Without a word, he went outside.

He approached a large tree, pushing a low branch three times. A hidden compartment opened.

Inside was a box.

He took it and returned.

Salim placed it before him.

The Man opened it, revealing hundreds of photographs all of the same girl, taken over the years, from a distance.

“She will now cry… for crimes she never committed,” the man whispered.

“Salim, send these to their rightful owner. I want to see him break… piece by piece. I want him to go mad.”

Salim nodded. “It will be done, brother.”

Before leaving, the man walked to a wall covered with photographs of the Murty family.

Every picture had a red X over it except for Arjun.

He drew an X across Arjun’s face.

Then turned to another board there was a photo of a man

“He punished You for nothing… Now his daughter will pay the price. Without even touching him. I will ruin him soul.”

*******

Back to the Party

Manik was still mingling when he overheard two men talking.

Guest 1: “Isn’t that Arjun Murty the one whose daughter was kidnapped?”

Guest 2: “Yeah. And instead of saving her, he saved his brother’s daughter. That man let his own child die.”

Guest 1: “He blamed someone… but that person doesn’t even exist.”

Guest 2: "Ohh it seems that was all a lie, to cover up his negligence."

Manik froze. His blood boiled.

He stormed toward them. “What the hell are you saying? Do you even know who you’re talking about?”

Everyone turned to look.

Harish:  “Manik! What happened?”

Manik: “Dad, ask them what lies they're spreading about Arjun’s uncle!”

Guest 2: “It’s not lies, it’s the truth.If not then why till now he didn't get hold of the person behind all that.”

Manik clenched his fists.

“You call that truth? You heartless people! That man lost his child and you’re pointing fingers? We live peacefully today because of men like him. But no cheap minds can only spew poison.

Leave now or i will make sure to throw you out with proper treatment”

Guest 1: “The truth hurts, but one should accept it.”

They walked away, unfazed.

The Malhotras stood, ashamed, The Murty's, wounded. But no one was more broken than Arjun and Riya.

Manik walked up to Arjun, eyes lowered.

“Uncle… I don’t know what to say. I’m so sorry.”

Arjun said nothing. He just walked away.

Riya sat down, tears running down her face. Manik kneeled beside her.

“Aunty… I’m sorry.”

Riya shook her head. “No, son. This is our fate to be blamed for the loss of our own child.”

She stood up and left. The Murty family followed.

Aliya sobbed into Abhimanyu’s arms.

And even he was so strong had no words that could ease her pain.

Slowly… the laughter faded. The lights dimmed. One by one, the guests left.

The celebration had turned into a silence no one knew how to break. Upstairs, behind closed doors… Each heart carried a storm.

_____

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