EPILOGUE
Shaurya-Prisha's wedding anniversary
Prisha came out of the washroom wearing a beautiful saree, the sound of music from the party downstairs filling the air. She had felt nauseous and excused herself to come to her room. Shaurya had wanted to accompany her, but she insisted he stay with their guests. Standing in front of the dressing table, she felt a shiver down her spine as if someone else was in the room. She looked around but saw no one and shrugged it off as her imagination.
Feeling the presence again, Prisha called out, “Shaurya, is that you?”
Suddenly, a loud crash echoed through the room. Prisha turned and was shocked to see Tina standing in front of her with a knife in her hand. Prisha’s body froze, her heart pounding in her chest.
“Di (Elder sister), what are you doing here?” Prisha asked, her voice trembling as she started to back away towards the wall.
“I am here to take my revenge,” Tina said in a menacing voice, stepping closer. “Why are you always so lucky? You have a husband like Shaurya who treats you like a princess. You have everything: a loving husband, caring in-laws, mom loves you, and you got all the luxuries and the title of Mrs. Rawat. And here I am, with nothing. I am all alone.”
Tina's eyes gleamed with rage. “And now you’re pregnant. You have everything!” She screamed, shoving Prisha hard. Prisha stumbled and fell to the ground, her hands instinctively protecting her belly.
“Di, please don’t do this. I am pregnant. Please.” Prisha begged, tears streaming down her face.
Tina slapped her hard across the face. “Why does he love you so much? Why couldn’t he fight for me too? I was his first love, but now look at him, he’s completely changed for you.”
Prisha’s mind raced, trying to find a way out of this situation. She felt a sharp pain in her side but pushed it aside. “Di, I know you’re hurting, but this isn’t the way. Please, think about what you’re doing.”
Prisha begged to her, but she was not ready to listen. She just wanted to Kill Prisha.
Prisha closed her eyes and prayed for Shaurya to come and save her and their baby.
Downstairs
Shaurya was talking to Shivay and Aditya, but his focus was upstairs. He said worriedly, “Why is Prisha taking so much time?”
“Shaurya, you can’t stay without your wife for a minute,” Shivay teased him, but Shaurya was feeling uneasy. He said, “I’m going to check on her.”
“Shaurya, call her. It won’t look good if you both leave the party,” Aditya suggested. Shaurya nodded and dialed Prisha’s number.
Prisha and Shaurya’s Room
Prisha was begging Tina to leave her, but Tina was not ready to relent. She was about to stab Prisha when the phone rang. Tina grabbed the phone and said, “Here, your husband.”
“Tell him you are not feeling well. And ask him not to disturb you,” she ordered while pressing the knife to Prisha’s neck.
With fear, Prisha picked up the call and said, “Hello, Shaurya.”
“My love, are you fine?” Hearing his voice, Tina got angry. She pressed the knife harder against Prisha’s neck, drawing blood.
“Shaurya, I’m fine,” she said, breathing heavily and trying hard to sound normal.
“What are you still doing upstairs? Are you sure you’re okay? Wait, I’m coming up,” Shaurya said.
Prisha immediately refused. “Shaurya, I told you I’m fine, just attending to something. I’ll be down in five minutes.” Saying this, she cut the call.
Tina smirked. “My little sister, first I will kill your baby. Say goodbye to your baby.” She raised the knife to stab Prisha’s stomach. Seeing this, Prisha felt an unknown courage surge through her. She raised her arms and, with all her strength, pushed Tina away. Prisha rushed toward the door and opened it, but before she could walk out, Tina grabbed her hair and said, “You’re really very smart.”
Downstairs
Shaurya couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was wrong. Ignoring Aditya’s suggestion, he quickly excused himself and rushed upstairs.
Prisha and Shaurya’s Room
Prisha struggled against Tina’s grip, her hands desperately trying to free herself. She cried out, “Shaurya!”
At that moment, Shaurya burst into the room, his eyes widening in horror at the sight before him. Before Tina could do anything, Shaurya entered the room with Shivay, Aditya, her in-laws and mother. Everyone was staring at everything with shock. Shaurya stepped forward to rush toward Prisha, but Tina yelled, dragging Prisha and pressing a knife on her stomach,”Anyone, take an inch forward. I am gonna kill your wife and baby.”
"Tina, please let her go," Shaurya begged.
"No! She snatched everything that was mine. Now, she has to die," Tina said, pulling Prisha's hair, making her wince in pain.
"Tina, she is your sister. How can you do this to her?" Their mother cried, unable to believe her eldest daughter was threatening to kill her younger sister.
"The day she snatched Shaurya from me, I cut all ties with her," Tina said through gritted teeth.
Shaurya’s mind raced, trying to find a way to defuse the situation. "Tina, listen to me. I understand you're hurting, but killing Prisha won't fix anything. It will only make things worse for everyone, including you.“Tina, please leave her. What do you want? I will give you anything you want, just leave Prisha,” Shaurya pleaded, folding his hands in desperation.
Tina chuckled darkly. "I wanted you to marry me. I wanted you to love me like you love her. I wanted to have a baby with you. I wanted to be Mrs. Shaurya Rawat. Can you give me all this?" Shaurya remained silent, unable to respond. Tina laughed maniacally. "See, you can’t give me anything. But I can give you something: pain for a lifetime. It’s great you came here. Now, you will see your wife and child dying in front of your eyes."
"Please, Tina, don’t do this. Please kill me, but leave her and my child," he begged, tears rolling down his face.
Tina’s expression twisted with rage and pain. "It’s too late for that, Shaurya. I’ve lost everything because of her. She has to pay."
But Tina's resolve didn't waver. She raised the knife, ready to stab Prisha.
Prisha glanced at Shaurya, knowing he would be devastated if anything happened to her. She realized she couldn't die now. She had to live for Shaurya and their baby. Their future was too precious to let Tina take it away. Summoning all her courage, Prisha grabbed Tina's wrist and twisted it forcefully, causing the knife to clatter to the floor.
She bend and slapped her across the face, "This is for thinking of killing my baby," Prisha spat, her voice trembling with anger.
She slapped Tina again. "This is for thinking about my husband."
Another slap followed. "And this is for killing your sister."
Suddenly, Prisha felt the world around her spinning. She started to sway, but before she could fall, Shaurya's strong arms caught her. Shaurya held Prisha tightly, his heart still racing with fear for her and their unborn baby.
Shivay and Aditya rushed in, restraining Tina, who was cryinguncontrollably, Shivay said,"Shaurya, Aditya and I will handle Tina. You got to hospital." Shaurya nodded,he picked her in bridal style and rushed toward his car.
After 24 Hours
Shaurya was sitting by Prisha's bedside, holding her hand gently. She was fine but unconscious, because shock and weakness. He wiped away his tears, the memory of the terrifying scene still sending chills down his spine. The thought of life without her and their baby was unbearable. Initially, he wanted a baby for Prisha's happiness, but now he realized how deeply he desired this baby too.
Placing his hand tenderly on her belly, Shaurya whispered, "Baby, I promise I will try to become the world's best father and protect you and mumma. I failed yesterday, but I willmy best in future." The weight of guilt pressed heavily on him; he felt like he had failed to protect his wife and child.
Shivay entered the room, feeling pain seeing his sister lying there with bruises on her face. He wanted to kill Tina for hurting her.
He cleared his throat and said, "Tina wants to meet you." Shaurya looked at Prisha, then nodded, knowing he had to end Tina’s chapter in their lives. He stood up and saw Prisha’s mother entering the room. She looked miserable; it would be hard for any mother to see her daughter in prison, especially for attempting to kill her own sister.
“Mom, I’m going to meet Tina. She wants to meet me. Please stay with Prisha until then.” Her mother didn’t say anything, just nodded. He paused and added, “Mom, I know you’re worried about her. Don’t worry, I will notlet her stay in prison. But I can't let her stay near Prisha; she is dangerous for her.”
Prisha’s mom looked at him with a sad smile, “Thank you so much. It’s okay if you send her far away from here. I don’t want to see her face either, but I can’t let her die like this. After all, she is my daughter.”
Shaurya nodded, then her mother asked, “Will Prisha hate me for this?”
Shaurya shook his head and said, “Never, she knows you are a mother. You can be selfish for your child, and don’t worry, she won’t bother us. And she will pay for hurting Prisha by spending her life alone.”
After saying this, Shaurya drove to the prison.
Police station,
Shaurya entered the dark room where Tina was sitting in a chair, her hands cuffed. He cleared his throat and asked, “What do you want?”
“I was 15 when Dad died, and Prisha was only 11. Mom and Dad were so protective towards Prisha because she was such a fragile and innocent girl. I felt bad, but Mom made me understand that Prisha was too innocent for the world. That’s why they took care of her more, but they loved me too. After Dad’s death, we started facing financial issues. Mom used to work but she can only provide food and other necessary requirements. If I wanted a dress, I couldn't say to my Mom. Then I started working to fulfil my wishes. I struggled a lot in my life to fulfil my wishes. Am I wrong if I want a luxurious life? I don’t want to struggle anymore,” she said, tears in her eyes.
Shaurya didn’t say anything, and she continued, “Shaurya, I met you. I knew you were the Rawat family’s younger son. In the beginning, I was attracted to your looks and money, then slowly I actually started falling for you. But your brother came into my life and tricked me. He understood that I wanted stability in my life, and he misguided me, making me think I could never have a stable life with you. Your brother played with my emotions. Still, it’s my fault? I got dragged into all this because your brother hates you. He wanted to take revenge on you.”
Shaurya took a deep breath and said, “Tina, I met Prisha because of you. I wanted to take revenge on you. I was going to announce in public about our affair and how you married my brother for money. But Prisha stopped me and told me she was ready to do anything if I let you go. Then I took her to the farmhouse. She was scared and nervous; she went with me because she didn’t want to spoil your image and life.” Hearing him, Tina looked at him in shock. She didn't knew, Prisha made such a big sacrifice for her.
“I married her while I was drunk. then asked her to forget this marriage. Then my dad blackmailed her to marry me as he thought she would change me into a better person. After our marriage, I treated her as a servant. I asked her to sleep on the sofa and did so many wrong things. But she endured everything for her mother.”
“Tina, there was nothing wrong with wanting a luxurious life, but your ways were wrong. Marrying a rich man to become rich was wrong. Eyeing your sister’s husband was wrong. Trying to kill your sister just because you were jealous was wrong.”
“You can only see Prisha’s happy life, but you didn’t see how much she endured. I was a difficult person, but she never gave up. She forgave me so many times. For years, she heard people’s taunts just because I didn’t want to have a baby.”
“If Prisha were in your place, she would never leave me for money. If she were in your place, she would try to mend her relationship with Rakesh instead of eyeing your sister’s husband. She would never get jealous of you. And you know that.” Tina remained silent because she knew he was right.
He stood up and said, “Tina, I was not a good person either. I was full of jealousy and anger, but I am lucky I got Prisha, who changed me into a better person. What you did was a big crime and I could have lost my wife and my baby, I can’t forgive you. But I know it would hurt Mom and Prisha if you rot in prison, so I am sending you to the UK. And I will make sure you never return to India. You will get a flat there. Try to change yourself. Try to find the right person for yourself.”
There was a silence in the room.
“Thank you,” she said. She was feeling very guilty. She understood that she was calling herself the victim, but the real victim was Prisha. Because of her, Prisha got caught up in all this. It was Prisha's goodness and patience that changed Shaurya and made him fall in love with her; otherwise, her life would have been ruined. She wanted to apologize to her, but she knew Shaurya would never allow.
He stood up and said, “You are the reason I met Prisha. I got her as my wife, so this is the best thing I can do for you. But now we are even. If you ever try to hurt my wife again, I will kill you.”
He was going when she asked,”Have you ever loved me?”
He turned toward her and said, "Before meeting Prisha, maybe I would have said yes. But now I know what love is. It’s about loving the person no matter what. When you married Rakesh, I wanted to kill you or take revenge on you. But now, I know that if Prisha did something like this, I would just want her happiness. Nothing else." Saying this, he walked out of the police station.
Shaurya hurried toward Prisha’s ward after receiving a call from Shivay, who informed him that Prisha had regained consciousness. He stepped inside the room and saw her mother talking to her.
Shaurya had tears in his eyes, having felt like he had died a thousand times in the past 24 hours. He just wanted to hug her and keep her safe from the world. With heavy steps, he walked toward her. Her mother smiled and quietly left the room to give them privacy. As he reached the bed, he looked at her with teary eyes and said, "Never leave me."
"I would die if something happened to you," he said, bursting into tears and hugging her tightly. After some time, he broke the hug. Prisha cupped his face, kissed his forehead, and said, "When Di was about to stab me, all I thought about was you. I realized that if something happened to me, you would also be devastated. That's why I found the strength to push her. Never think I will leave you."
She then asked about Tina, and he told her everything that had happened. With tears rolling down her cheeks, she said, "Why did she hate me so much? I love her, she is my only sister."
"Prisha, it’s not your fault. She was blinded by jealousy and greed and couldn't think clearly. Mom would be upset, if I filed complaint against her but I can’t take risks with your safety. Are you okay with my decision?" he asked, looking at her. She intertwined their fingers and said, "Yes, I don’t want to take a risk with our baby's safety."
They were looking at each other, thousands of unspoken words exchanged through their eyes.
He pressed their foreheads together. "I love you," he whispered, his voice breaking with emotion. "I love you more than words can express. You and our baby mean everything to me. I promise to always protect you both, no matter what."
Prisha's eyes filled with tears as she caressed his cheek. "I love you too, Shaurya. More than anything. You are my strength, my world. I can't imagine a life without you."
Shaurya's lips trembled as he gently kissed her, pouring all his love and relief into that kiss. He murmured against her lips. "No one will ever come between us again."
After 5 Years
Farmhouse
Shaurya was sitting on a chair, watching his wife and daughter playing in the water while his parents and Prisha enjoyed their meal. Shivay and Aditya were sitting with their life partners. This was his life now, a life he had never imagined. He would have never known what true happiness was if Prisha hadn't entered his life.
Now, he has everything. Beautiful and supporting wife, cute and innocent daughter, loving parents, and friends.
She had made him a better person. Though he was still not a perfect husband and father, he was willing to learn and ready to repent for his mistakes.
He stood up when he saw Prisha walking toward him. He picked up a towel and started gently rubbing her hair with a smile. She asked, "What wereyou thinking?"
"Not thinking, but thanking God for giving me a beautiful wife and family. There is nothing more I want in my life," he replied.
She smiled at his words, and they heard their daughter Pia's voice, "Mom, Dad… Please come to the pool. Pia wants to play with you both."
Shaurya nodded, holding Prisha’s hand as they walked toward the pool together.