Reyna :-
The garden looked nothing less than a battlefield.
Not the bloody kind...
the wedding kind.
I had barely stepped out onto the marble pathway when I saw it.
Two groups.
Two sides.
Two egos.
Ladki wala vs Ladki wala
On one side, the Raichand cousins—lounging like they owned the place already. Sunglasses on, sherwanis unbuttoned, confidence dripping from every careless laugh. Rudra was leaning against a pillar, Veer had his arms crossed like he was silently measuring the land, Ayaan, Tara and Arjun were busy critiquing the décor like interior designers on caffeine.
On the other side, the Rathore cousins—my people. Standing tall, regal, amused but alert. Kavya was whispering something dramatic to Aarav, my cousin Abhinav - Kavya's brother had already rolled up his sleeves like he was ready for verbal combat, and two other cousins were pretending to be calm while clearly itching to respond.
I sighed.
Here we go.
The moment both sides noticed each other, the air shifted.
Smiles turned sharp.
Eyes narrowed.
Egos woke up.
Rudra broke the silence first, obviously.
"So… this is the famous Rathore garden?" he said, looking around slowly.
"Not bad. Very… royal. Slightly less Instagrammable than I imagined though."
Ayaan nodded seriously. "Yeah. Needs better lighting. And maybe a pool."
Aarav scoffed. "Sure. Because the first thing a 200-year-old haveli needs is your influencer aesthetics."
Arjun laughed. "Relax, bro. We're just giving feedback."
Kavya stepped forward, hands on her hips. "Feedback is usually asked for. This is called unwanted opinion."
"Oof," Maya muttered.
Veer smirked. "You people are intense. Is this how you treat guests?"
Abhinav smiled sweetly. "Only the ones who forget they're guests."
I bit my lip to stop myself from laughing.
Rudra suddenly noticed me and pointed. "Ah. There she is. The dangerous one."
I blinked. "Dangerous? Please. I haven't even started talking yet."
"That's what scares us," Rudra replied dramatically.
Ayaan whispered loudly, "Bro, now I understand why Advik looks stressed all the time. I think our bhabi is also stubborn like her."
"Hey!" I shot back. "Don't blame me or my sister for his personality issues."
Kavya clapped. "Yes, Reyna. Say it louder."
Before anyone could reply, Rohan stepped half a step closer to me - subtle, calm, but unmistakably protective.
Tara noticed immediately.
"And who's he?" she asked, eyes narrowing slightly.
Rohan didn't wait for me to answer.
"Her friend."
Maya added helpfully, "Very close friend."
I shot her a look. She grinned.
Rudra chuckled. "Relax, relax. We're just here for the wedding."
Rohan met his gaze evenly.
"So are we."
That made Advik finally react.
He'd been quiet - leaning against a pillar, arms crossed, eyes sharp. Watching.
Now his gaze shifted to Rohan's hand, which rested casually near my waist - not touching, but close enough to be intentional.
His jaw tightened.
Advik scoffed lightly.
"Didn't know bride team came with personal bodyguards."
I looked straight at him.
"They come with loyalty. Something you wouldn't understand."
Maya nearly clapped.
Rudra burst out laughing. "Ohhh, this is interesting."
Tara crossed her arms. "You Rathores always act like you own the place."
I raised an eyebrow.
"Because we do."
Silence.
Then Kavya smiled innocently.
"Should we bring popcorn? This feels like it's escalating."
Abhinav nodded. "I'll get some."
Ayaan laughed. "Okay, okay. Truce. At least till dinner."
Rohan leaned slightly toward me, voice low.
"You okay?"
I nodded. "More than okay."
Maya leaned in from my other side.
"If he says one more word, I'm starting a roast battle."
Rudra glanced at Advik. "Bro, your future in-laws are intense."
Advik didn't reply.
His eyes stayed on me.
Then on Rohan.
Then back to me.
Something unreadable flickered across his face - irritation, jealousy… maybe both.
I smiled faintly.
For the first time since this wedding chaos began,
I felt strong.
Ladki-wala side wasn't weak.
We weren't quiet.
And we definitely weren't scared.
And if this was just the beginning?
God help the ladke-wala team.
Because we were just warming up. 🔥
Advik :-
I stood at the edge of the garden like I didn't belong there.
Which was ironic because technically, this place was already half mine.
The Rathore cousins had gathered near the fountain, their laughter ringing against ancient stone walls, while my own cousins stood opposite them like rival camps pretending this was all harmless fun. Teasing, mockery, playful jabs - the kind that always happened when ladki wale and ladke wale collided before a wedding.
I told myself it was normal.
I told myself I didn't care.
So I leaned back against a pillar, arms crossed, face carved into stone — the image everyone expected from a Raichand.
Detached. Controlled. Untouchable.
My eyes should've stayed on Tara arguing with Kavya, or on Arjun laughing too loudly, or on Rudra enjoying the chaos like it was free entertainment.
Instead-
They betrayed me.
They found her.
Reyna Rathore stood in the middle of it all, sunlight catching in her hair, her Rajputi poshak flowing around her like she had stepped straight out of the haveli's history. She wasn't loud, wasn't dramatic - just sharp, confident, unapologetically herself.
Every sentence she threw landed perfectly.
Every smile was calculated.
She wasn't trying to impress anyone.
She was reminding everyone who she was.
And damn it, it worked.
I forced my jaw to unclench.
I shouldn't be watching her.
I especially shouldn't be noticing how relaxed she looked - how free - like this wedding, this alliance, this impending disaster had nothing to do with her.
Like I had nothing to do with her.
Then someone stepped into my line of sight.
Rohan.
Casual jeans. Easy posture. That irritating calm that came from not having blood on his hands or power weighing on his shoulders.
He didn't announce himself.
He didn't demand space.
He simply stood beside her.
Too close.
Not touching - but close enough that it meant something.
And I hated that my body reacted before my mind did.
My shoulders stiffened. My chest tightened.
Jealousy hit me fast and ugly - not the possessive kind I could excuse, but the dangerous one. The kind that made no sense because I had no right to feel it.
She wasn't mine.
She would never be mine.
I had chosen that.
Still, when I saw the way he angled himself slightly toward her - protective, instinctive - something inside me snapped.
He laughed at something she said.
She tilted her head toward him, smiling.
Not mocking.
Not forced.
Real.
My fingers curled slowly into fists.
Rudra noticed. He always did.
He leaned in, voice low. "Relax, bro. You're staring like you want to kill someone."
"I don't care," I muttered.
Another lie.
Because when Rohan shifted just a step closer - close enough that anyone could mistake it for intimacy - my blood boiled.
I took a step forward without realizing it.
Rohan's head snapped up immediately.
Our eyes met.
There it was.
No fear.
No challenge.
Just awareness.
As if he knew exactly what was running through my head and wasn't intimidated by it.
That… infuriated me more than open defiance ever could.
For one long second, the world narrowed.
No cousins.
No laughter.
No wedding.
Just him.
And me.
And the girl standing unknowingly between two different kinds of storms
I could've said something.
I could've warned him.
I could've reminded him who I was.
Instead, I stayed silent.
Because deep down, I knew -
This wasn't about power.
This was about control.
And I was losing mine.
Then the moment shattered.
"Bacho."
A servant stood near the archway, hands folded respectfully.
"Dinner is ready. Rajveer sir is calling everyone to the dining hall."
The tension cracked like glass.
Laughter resumed. Conversations restarted. People began moving.
But something lingered - heavy and unresolved.
As everyone turned toward the haveli, Rohan passed me.
Close.
Close enough that only I could hear him say, quietly,
"Take care of yourself."
Not a threat.
Not arrogance.
Concern.
For her.
My jaw locked.
I didn't respond.
I couldn't- not without revealing too much.
I watched Reyna walk ahead, her laughter floating back to me as she joked with Maya, completely unaware of the war she was triggering just by existing.
I had said yes to this marriage for power.
For greed.
For legacy.
I had convinced myself emotions were weakness.
Yet standing there, watching her walk away with another man -
I realized something I hadn't planned for.
Ignoring Reyna Rathore wasn't going to protect me.
It was only going to make the moment I finally lost control far more dangerous.
And dinner?
Dinner was just the calm before everything burned.
Reyna :-
If looks could kill, half the people sitting at that dining table would've been dead by now.
I sat quietly between Rohan on one side and maya on other, poking at my food, while the Raichand cousins and Rathore cousins conducted a full-fledged silent war across the massive dining table.
Forks clinked. Glasses were lifted. Smiles were forced.
And beneath it all—
Pure, unfiltered death stares.
Arjun glared at Abhinav like he'd stolen his inheritance. Tara rolled her eyes every time Kavya laughed too loudly. Ayaan smirked at Rohan, who responded by calmly chewing his food like this was a normal family dinner and not the prelude to World War Three.
I took a sip of water and leaned slightly toward Maya.
"Should we start placing bets?" I whispered. "On who kills whom first?"
Maya snorted, barely hiding her laugh.
"Please. My money's on your cousins. Always your cousins."
At the head of the table, the elders noticed.
Of course they did.
Maa paused mid-bite, eyes narrowing thoughtfully. She exchanged look with Manisha chachi and Keshave chachu.
Meera aunty exchanged a look with Kabir chachu.
Rajveer papa cleared his throat once- loud enough to be a warning.
No one listened.
Because right then-
Clink.
Aarav's spoon slipped from his hand and hit the floor.
Silence.
Every head turned.
Aarav bent down awkwardly. "Uh—sorry."
That should've been the end of it.
But no.
Veer leaned back in his chair and muttered, "Careful, bro. This isn't a battlefield."
Abhinav shot back instantly, "Funny coming from someone who looks like he's ready to throw knives instead of compliments."
"Oh please," Tara added sweetly, "At least we know how to hold cutlery."
Ayaan raised his brow.
"Yeah, well, at least we don't flinch every time someone from Delhi walks in."
"Excuse me?" Kavya snapped.
And just like that-
Boom.
The table erupted.
Voices overlapped. Chairs scraped. Someone laughed nervously. Someone else scoffed dramatically.
I pressed my lips together, trying not to laugh because honestly?
This was ridiculous.
Before things could escalate further—
"Enough."
Kabir chachu's voice cut through the chaos like a blade.
Sharp. Calm. Final.
Everyone froze.
He placed his spoon down deliberately and looked around the table, disappointment written clearly on his face.
"Is this how you behave?" he asked coolly.
"In front of elders? In someone else's home?"
No one replied.
Papa sighed and shook his head.
"This is a wedding," he said firmly, his voice carrying authority.
"Not a war zone."
He glanced from one side of the table to the other.
"From today onwards, you are family. Whether you like it or not. So behave like one."
Meera aunty nodded in agreement.
"Eat your food. Stop this nonsense."
Kabir chachu added, softer now but no less commanding,
"Finish dinner. Go to your rooms. Rest. There will be many functions ahead. We don't want chaos."
That did it.
Everyone murmured quiet apologies.
The tension didn't disappear completely—but it dulled.
Plates were picked up again.
Food was eaten.
Silence returned, heavy but controlled.
I glanced down the table.
Advik sat straight-backed, unreadable as ever, eyes on his plate like none of this concerned him.
For some reason, that irritated me more than the arguing.
Dinner ended soon after.
One by one, people stood up, greeting elders politely before heading toward their respective wings of the haveli.
As I walked away with Maya and Aarav, I looked back once.
The dining hall looked peaceful again.
But I knew better.
This wasn't the end of the tension.
It was only the beginning.
And whatever was coming next-
It wouldn't stay contained at the dinner table.
.
.
After a walk all I wanted was my bed.
That soft, familiar comfort where thoughts blurred and exhaustion won.
The day had been too long' too loud, too heavy. My feet dragged along the corridor as I headed toward my room, already planning to collapse without overthinking anything.
That's when—
"Yoink."
I didn't even get a chance to react.
"ROHAN—what the hell!" I yelped as he suddenly grabbed my wrist and literally dragged me backward.
He grinned over his shoulder. "Emergency meeting."
"I want to sleep," I protested, trying to pull free. "I'm not in the mood for jokes or late-night friend therapy sessions."
"Too bad," he said cheerfully. "Democracy lost."
Before I could argue further, he pushed open a door-
his room.
And froze.
Because Maya was already there, sitting cross-legged on the bed with a packet of chips like she'd been waiting for this exact moment.
I blinked. "Why are you both here?"
Maya waved. "Surprise?"
Rohan shut the door behind us and—very deliberately—locked it.
Click.
My tiredness evaporated instantly.
"What are you doing?" I asked, suddenly alert.
Rohan's expression shifted. Gone was the joking, carefree version of him. He leaned against the door, arms crossed.
"I sent the location."
My stomach dropped.
"To who?"
"The F.A."
I frowned. "The what?"
He sighed like I was slow. "Fake Attackers, Reyna. Short form. Code word. We'll use it from now on so no one gets suspicious."
Maya nodded seriously. "I like it. Sounds professional."
I exhaled slowly, rubbing my forehead. "Okay. And?"
"And," Rohan continued, walking toward us, "they're ready. But before things move forward, I need to know something."
I looked up. "What?"
"What's your plan after you get Ira out of here?"
The room went quiet.
I swallowed. "I… I told her to call her boyfriend. I thought she could leave Udaipur with him. Go somewhere safe. His house, maybe."
Rohan's jaw tightened immediately.
"No," he said flatly.
Maya looked between us. "No as in… no-no?"
"No as in absolutely not," Rohan replied, voice firm. "That's reckless."
I felt irritation spark. "Why? She loves him. He'll protect her."
"You don't know that," Rohan shot back. "And even if he does—do you realize what you're risking?"
I crossed my arms. "Explain."
"By running away like that," he said, "you're putting a target on his back. On his family's back. And on Ira's. You think mafia families just let things go?"
My chest tightened.
"This isn't a movie, Reyna," he continued softly now. "If she disappears and reappears at her boyfriend's house, they'll trace it. Someone innocent could get hurt. Or killed."
Maya's joking expression faded. "He's right," she added quietly. "We can't let blood spill because of us."
The weight of it hit me all at once.
I sat down on the edge of the bed, suddenly feeling very small.
"So what do we do?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
Rohan crouched in front of me, meeting my eyes.
"That's why we need a better plan," he said. "One where Ira disappears without leaving footprints. One where no innocent people are dragged into this."
I looked at both of them.
Fear. Guilt. Determination.
All tangled together.
"Then tell me," I said, swallowing hard.
"What's the alternative?"
Rohan straightened, like he'd finally decided it was time to drop the weight he'd been carrying alone.
"I've already arranged everything," he said calmly.
Both Maya and I froze.
"…Everything?" I repeated.
He nodded. "We leave the haveli early morning. Between three and four a.m."
My heart skipped. "That early?"
"Yes," he said. "Everyone will be asleep. Guards will be tired. We'll have at least three to four hours before anyone even realizes Ira is gone."
Maya leaned forward. "And then?"
Rohan exhaled slowly, choosing his words carefully.
"I'll take you all to a temple first."
I frowned. "A temple?"
"Yes," he said firmly. "Before anything else happens, Ira and her boyfriend will get married there."
The room went completely silent.
He looked straight at me when he continued, his voice steady but intense.
"So that her boyfriend can never betray her, never abandon her. Once they're married, no one can question his responsibility toward her."
My chest tightened.
This wasn't impulsive.
This was thought through.
Rohan reached into his pocket and pulled out two sleek envelopes, holding them up.
I stared. "What's that?"
He handed them to me.
I opened one.
Tickets.
My breath hitched. "Rohan… these are—"
"London," he said.
I looked up at him in shock.
"Ira and her boyfriend can't stay in India," he continued. "Not now. Not after this. Either the Raichands or the Rathores will hunt them down. Someone will try to hurt them."
Maya whispered, "Oh my God…"
"I've contacted one of my relatives there," Rohan went on. "They'll stay with him for a few months. Maybe years, if needed. They've both studied in London before, so it won't be unfamiliar territory."
I felt dizzy. "The flight…?"
"Takes off around seven p.m.," he replied. "I'll personally drop them at the airport."
"And the wedding?" I asked quietly.
"That's the key," he said. "While everyone is busy with the wedding preparations- music, rituals, chaos-the Fake Attackers will strike."
Maya sucked in a sharp breath.
"Nothing lethal," Rohan added immediately. "Just enough panic. Enough confusion."
"Then we will announce that Ira ran away during the attack," he finished.
"Everyone will believe it. No one will suspect a planned escape."
I pressed my lips together, trying to steady my breathing.
"And Ira?" I asked. "She'll be safe?"
Rohan looked at me, eyes unwavering.
"She'll be alive. Free. And out of their reach."
The room felt heavier but clearer.
I realized something then.
This wasn't just a plan.
This was Rohan protecting Ira in the only way the world they lived in would allow.
I swallowed hard. "You planned all this… alone?"
He shrugged lightly. "Someone had to."
Maya broke the silence with a weak smile. "Remind me never to underestimate you."
I looked at the tickets again, then at Rohan.
For the first time that night, fear loosened its grip on my chest.
"Okay," I said quietly.
Both of them turned to me.
"We do it your way," I continued. "No shortcuts. No risks to innocent people."
Rohan nodded. "Good."
Because now, it wasn't just about saving my sister.
Rohan exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck like something was still bothering him.
"But," he said slowly, "there's a problem."
My heart sank. "What kind of problem?"
He looked at both of us. "Someone has to stay in Ira's room for a few hours after we leave."
Maya frowned. "Why?"
"So no one suspects she's gone," he explained. "At least not until the attackers arrive. If her room looks empty too soon, the entire plan collapses."
I stiffened. "We need a girl for that."
Maya raised her hand immediately. "Okay. I'll do it."
I turned to her, shaking my head. "No."
She blinked. "What do you mean no?"
"Maya, you don't look like Ira," I said honestly. "Your figure is curvy. Ira is slim. Anyone from the household staff could notice—even in low light."
Rohan nodded. "She's right. We need someone no one would suspect. Someone who could pass as Ira, even from a distance."
Silence wrapped around the room, thick and suffocating.
Then-
"I can."
The voice didn't come from the door.
It came from below.
For a second, my brain refused to process it.
Then the sound of movement- fabric brushing the floor.
The bed shifted.
And someone crawled out from under it.
I screamed.
Maya stumbled back. Rohan swore under his breath, instinctively stepping in front of me.
Kavya straightened slowly, brushing dust off her kurti like this was the most normal thing in the world.
My heart was pounding so hard it hurt.
"K–Kavya?" I whispered. "What are you doing here?"
Her eyes flicked between our faces—fear, guilt, and determination tangled .
Fear slid cold and sharp down my spine.
This wasn't part of the plan.
This wasn't supposed to happen.
Another life. Another risk.
Another secret too heavy to carry.
Rohan's jaw tightened. Maya's eyes were wide with panic.
And I could only stare at Kavya, my mind screaming one question-
How long had she been listening… and what else did she know?