Aanya froze, the phone pressed tightly against her ear.
"Mom… what are you even saying? Me? Marrying now?" Her voice shook.
Radha sighed from the other side. "I know it's sudden, Aanya. But listen—"
"But what, Mom?" Aanya snapped, her heart pounding. "I'm still studying. I'm barely twenty one. And you want me to get married already?"
"Aanya, that boy Kunal… he is ready to marry you now," Radha tried to explain, her tone soft but firm. "But you don't need to go with him immediately. You can finish your graduation first. Later, after marriage, you can go to the US and study further. MBA, if you want. They don't have any problem with your studies."
Aanya rubbed her forehead, confused and frustrated. "Mom, I don't understand—"
"Aanya," Radha interrupted, her voice heavy. "At least think about your father. His health… and nowadays it's hard to find a good match. You're lucky. I showed your picture and they liked you instantly."
Aanya felt her breath stop. She didn't know what to say.
---
Inside the venue, Devika looked around and didn't find Aanya anywhere.
She frowned and called, "Aryan!"
Aryan walked toward her. "Yes, Mom?"
"Where is Aanya? She isn't here."
Aryan stiffened for a moment. "How… how do you know, Mom?"
"I thought you knew." Devika raised a brow. "Anyway, go check and call her. Will she not keep mehendi? Or should I go?"
Aryan hesitated for a second but forced himself to nod. "Okay, I'll call her."
---
Outside, Aanya's voice cracked.
"Mom… are you serious? I don't even know him. I've never met him. I don't even know how he looks!"
"Don't worry," Radha said quickly. "I have his picture. I'll send it to you on WhatsApp—wait—"
"Mom, stop!" Aanya interrupted, tears stinging her eyes. "How can you even think like that? And please… stop emotionally blackmailing me. I'm not getting married."
Before Radha could respond, Aanya cut the call sharply.
She turned around to go inside—
—and froze.
Aryan was standing right behind her.
Her heart dropped.
"M–Mr. Aryan? Y… you're here?" she stuttered, panic filling her eyes. Oh no… Did he hear everything? she wondered silently, her stomach twisting.
Aryan's expression was unreadable.
"Mom is calling you," he said flatly.
"Oh… okay. Actually, I was just—"
Before she could finish, Aryan turned around and walked inside without looking back.
Aanya's chest tightened.
She looked at his retreating back.
Why are you being like this, Mr. Aryan?
Inside, Aryan walked ahead without slowing down.
Aanya followed him quietly, her steps hesitant and her mind racing.
Devika spotted them and immediately called out,
"Aanya, where were you? Don't you want to keep mehendi?"
Aanya quickly composed herself.
"No, Aunty. I would love to. Actually… Mom called me," she said softly.
Aryan's head turned sharply at her words—just for a moment—before he looked away again.
Aanya continued, trying to sound normal,
"So I went outside to talk."
"Oh, Radha ji called?" Devika asked with a warm smile. "How is she? It would be nice if she were here today."
Aanya smiled politely. "She's good, Aunty."
"Come, beta," Devika said, guiding her toward the mehendi area. "Sit and choose your design first. Your friends have already started getting their mehendi applied."
Aanya looked at her friends—laughing, teasing, enjoying the ceremony.
She smiled faintly and sat down.
The mehendi artist opened her book of designs.
Aanya flipped through the pages slowly, trying to focus, but her mind kept drifting toward Aryan…
Still, she selected a design and placed her hands forward, forcing a small smile as the ceremony continued around her.
Meanwhile, at Aahil's house…
Asma hovered near the dining table, worry written all over her face.
"Ahad bhai… look at Aahil's condition," she whispered, her voice trembling. "He's not eating properly. I'm… I'm scared. I can't see him like this anymore."
Ahad glanced at his younger brother sitting silently, staring blankly at the plate in front of him. A deep sigh escaped him.
"All this happened because of that Prerna," Ahad muttered under his breath. "He still feels so much for her…"
He stepped closer and sat beside Aahil.
"Aahil… what are you doing? Please eat something."
"I'm not hungry, bhai," Aahil replied weakly, not lifting his eyes.
"Stop talking nonsense," Ahad snapped gently. "You haven't eaten properly for days. And now you're telling us you're not hungry? We all know she's not coming back. Tomorrow is her wedding. Please… forget her, Aahil. At least eat."
Asma joined them, sitting on the other side and holding her brother's arm.
"Yes, Aahil… please listen to us. Just look at your condition. Do you even care about yourself?"
Aahil finally looked at both of them, eyes filled with pain.
"Care?" he whispered, his voice breaking. "I stopped caring the moment she left me."
Ahad and Asma exchanged a helpless glance.
"Please, Aahil," Ahad urged softly. "At least eat something. We are here for you… always."
Tears rolled down Aahil's cheeks as he whispered,
"I can't live without her… every day feels like punishment… I'm suffering so much."
Seeing him like this, both Asma and Ahad felt their hearts sink, completely helpless as they watched him break piece by piece.
Meanwhile, at the Mehendi Ceremony…
The courtyard was filled with music, laughter, and the rich smell of henna. Women sang, some danced, and Prerna sat in the center as the bride—yet her smile never reached her eyes.
Aanya noticed it instantly.
Prerna is not happy… she looks so sad, she thought, worried.
She wanted to walk over and ask, but—
"Madam," the mehendi artist interrupted gently, "do you want me to write any letter or name in your design?"
Aanya blinked. "Hm? What?"
The artist repeated, "Should I write any letter or name on your hand?"
Aanya's eyes instinctively travelled across the hall… to Aryan.
He was standing at a distance, speaking to someone, looking serious—completely ignoring her presence.
Aanya swallowed and softly said,
"Could you… write the letter A?"
At that exact moment, Aryan suddenly turned, eyes going straight to her hand.
But when he saw she was already looking at him, he quickly turned away again, pretending he hadn't noticed.
Aanya's friends immediately burst into teasing whispers.
"Ohhhhooo, Aanya!" Tara nudged her. "Who is this A?"
"Tell us, tell us!" Nisha giggled.
Aanya forced a smile.
"It's nothing! It's just for Aanya. It's my own name."
Aryan heard it.
But he didn't react. Didn't look. Didn't even flinch.
And that hurt her more than the teasing.
Finally, the mehendi artist said, "Madam, your design is complete."
At that moment Aryan was walking away, heading toward the stairs.
Aanya quickly stood up.
"Mr. Aryan!" she called.
He didn't stop.
She walked faster.
"Mr. Aryan!" she called again, louder.
Still no reaction.
From a corner, Nandini watched everything with narrowed eyes.
So… Aryan is avoiding Aanya intentionally.
Aanya felt her heart sink. She tried one more time.
"Mr. Aryan, please—"
He kept walking.
Frustration and hurt mixed inside her chest.
So she finally shouted his name without the formality:
"Aryan!"
This time he froze.
Slowly… he turned around.
And their eyes met.
Aanya walked toward him, her mehendi still wet, her heartbeat louder than the music inside.
"Mr. Aryan… what happened?" she asked softly.
"Is everything okay? Did I… did I do something wrong?
Why are you avoiding me?"
Aryan's jaw tightened.
"Avoiding you?"
"Yes, Mr. Aryan," she said, voice trembling. "From morning I'm observing.
You're not talking to me… and whenever I try, you just leave.
You're serious, you're not looking at me—"
She suddenly paused, realising what she admitted.
Aryan's eyes narrowed with suspicion.
Aanya quickly tried to cover up. "I-I mean… you didn't listen when I call you.
That's what I meant…"
He looked at her quietly, fighting something inside.
Then, in a firm tone he said,
"Why are you even observing me?"
Aanya froze, eyes wide.
"I… I'm not observing you. I just said what I felt…"
"Well," Aryan said, avoiding her eyes, "you're wrong. Nothing happened to me. I'm normal."
He turned to leave.
But Aanya stepped forward quickly.
"No."
Aryan stopped again.
"You are not normal," she said, her voice breaking. "I know you, Mr. Aryan. You've never been like this with me."
He turned his face away, tense.
Aanya continued, not caring if her voice shook.
From a distance, Aryan noticed Nandini watching them sharply, but Aanya didn't see her.
"Whenever you were angry at me, at least there was a reason. But today… we didn't even fight. And yesterday night—"
At the mention of last night, Aryan's eyes snapped to her.
Aanya swallowed.
"Yesterday night… we both enjoyed a lot of—"
"Nothing happened last night," Aryan cut her sharply.
Aanya stopped speaking, staring at him as if slapped.
Aryan continued, each word colder than the previous:
"Nothing happened. I just came with you because I know how you are. If I didn't come, you would tell my mom I let you go by yourself. That's the only reason I came."
Aanya's heart dropped.
Her eyes filled instantly, but she blinked the tears away.
"Oh…" she whispered. "So that's why."
Aryan looked away, hiding the pain flickering in his eyes.
"Well… I didn't know," Aanya said, voice cracking. "But now I do."
She took a slow breath, steadying herself.
"Sorry, Mr. Aryan… for troubling you yesterday."
Aryan flinched internally, but kept his face expressionless.
"And… sorry for troubling you now."
She turned and walked away.
Aryan watched her go—his face stiff, his body frozen—pretending he didn't care.
But his eyes… they gave him away.
---
End Of Chapter 49.