CHAPTER67[THE PROMISE BEHIND HIS SILENCE]
The game continued for a while.
Everyone was laughing, teasing each other, and enjoying the haldi function. The bottle kept moving from one person to another, and every new turn brought another round of laughter.
Finally, the bottle slowed down...
And stopped right in front of Vihaan.
Karan immediately grinned.
Karan: "Finally! Ab aayega asli maza."
(Finally! Now the real fun begins.)
Everyone laughed.
Vihaan was about to say something when suddenly-
His phone started ringing.
He glanced at the screen.
The playful expression on his face disappeared almost instantly.
It was an important call.
Vihaan stood up.
Rhea immediately protested.
Rhea: "Ye toh cheating hai! Aapki baari aayi aur aap jaa rahe ho?"
(This is cheating! It's your turn and you're leaving?)
Vihaan looked at her with a small smile.
Vihaan: "Princess, aap log continue karo. Main aata hoon. Zaroori hai."
(Princess, you guys continue. I'll be back. It's important.)
Rhea folded her arms.
Rhea: "Har baar business!"
(Business every single time!)
Vihaan chuckled.
Vihaan: "Kya karu? Businessman hoon."
(What can I do? I'm a businessman.)
Karan shook his head dramatically.
Karan: "Dekha? Paisa kamaane ke chakkar mein aadmi apni shayari ki baari bhi chhod raha hai."
(See? In the pursuit of making money, the man is even abandoning his turn at shayari.)
Everyone burst into laughter.
But everyone knew Vihaan.
When he said a call was important, nobody tried to stop him.
Vihaan walked away from the group and answered the call as he disappeared toward the quieter side of the garden.
The game continued for a little while longer.
Soon, Anjali entered the garden and looked at everyone.
Anjali: "Bas bas, bachcho. Ab bahut ho gaya. Ab sab aaram karo. Abhi aur bhi functions baaki hain."
(Alright, children. That's enough for now. Everyone go and get some rest. There are still many functions left.)
She then looked at Sana.
Anjali: "Sana beta, tum Rhea ko room mein le jao."
(Sana dear, take Rhea to her room.)
Sana nodded.
Sana: "Theek hai, Maa."
(Okay, Mom.)
Sana then turned toward Aarohi.
Sana: "Aarohi, tu bhi aaram kar ."
(Aarohi, you should rest too.)
Aarohi smiled softly.
Aarohi: "Tu Rhea ko lekar jaa. Main bhi aa rahi hoon. Bas thodi der."
(You take Rhea with you. I'll come too. Just give me a little while.)
Sana nodded and left with Rhea.
One by one, everyone else also started leaving the garden.
The music stopped.
The laughter faded.
The guests slowly disappeared inside the mansion.
Within a few minutes, the entire garden was almost empty.
But Aarohi was still there.
She sat beneath a large tree, quietly looking at the night sky.
The cool breeze moved gently through her hair.
She didn't know why she hadn't gone inside yet.
Perhaps she simply needed a few moments of silence after the noise and laughter of the evening.
Just then-
She heard footsteps.
Aarohi turned around.
Vihaan was walking toward her.
He stopped a few steps away.
Vihaan: "Nind nahi aa rahi?"
(Can't sleep?)
Aarohi shook her head.
Aarohi: "Nahi. Bas thodi fresh air le rahi thi. Ja hi rahi hoon."
(No. I was just getting some fresh air. I was about to leave.)
Vihaan nodded.
There was a small pause.
Then he smiled faintly.
Vihaan: "Waise... shayari kaafi achhi bol leti ho."
(By the way... you recite shayari really well.)
Aarohi smiled slightly.
Aarohi: "Hmm. Ek waqt tha jab mujhe bahut shauk tha. Toh bas likha karti thi."
(Hmm. There was a time when I was really fond of it. So I used to write.)
Vihaan looked at her thoughtfully.
Vihaan: "Hmm..."
(Hmm...)
He hesitated for a moment before speaking again.
Vihaan: "Par mujhe kuch bolna tha... agar ijaazat ho toh bolu?"
(But I wanted to say something... if you permit me, may I say it?)
Aarohi looked at him.
For a few seconds, neither of them spoke.
Then she gave a small nod.
Aarohi: "Ji... ijaazat."
(Yes... you have permission.)
Vihaan took a slow breath.
For once, he didn't try to hide behind his usual confidence.
He simply spoke what was in his heart.
Vihaan:
"Mohabbat kya hai... main batata hoon,
Tumne karke dikhaya, main nibha kar dikhata hoon.
Tum bikhar jaogi agar, main tumhe samet kar dikhaata hoon.
Waada hai mera, tum tootogi nahi, main har tukda jod kar dikhaata hoon.
Ishq agar chalte hue angaare hain,
Toh main tumhare saath unpe chal kar dikhaata hoon.
Tum kehti ho fitrat badal kar dikhaogi,
Main tumhe apni mohabbat se yakeen dilaata hoon."
English Translation:
"What is love... let me tell you,
You showed me what it means to love, and I will show you what it means to stand by it.
If you ever fall apart, I will gather you back together.
I promise-you will not break; I will put every piece back together.
If love is like walking across burning embers,
Then I will walk across them beside you.
You say you will change your nature for love,
And I will make you believe in my love through my actions."
Silence followed.
Aarohi simply looked at him.
There was no arrogance in Vihaan's expression this time.
No demand.
No pressure.
Only a quiet promise.
A promise he knew he couldn't prove through words alone.
Aarohi finally looked away.
Aarohi: "Shayari toh achhi thi..."
(The shayari was good...)
Vihaan smiled faintly.
Vihaan: "Bas shayari?"
(Just the shayari?)
Aarohi looked back at him.
Aarohi: "Dekhte hain... shayari ke baad actions kitne achhe hote hain."
(Let's see... how good your actions are after the shayari.)
For a moment, Vihaan said nothing.
Then a small smile appeared on his face.
Vihaan: "Fair enough."
Aarohi didn't smile this time.
But she didn't walk away either.
And somehow, that was enough for Vihaan.
Because giving him one chance never meant that Aarohi had forgotten everything.
It simply meant she was giving him the opportunity to prove that this time...
his words could finally become actions.
The garden had become completely quiet.
The soft lights hanging from the trees were still glowing, making the empty garden look almost magical.
Aarohi remained seated beneath the tree.
Vihaan stood a few steps away from her.
Neither of them spoke for a while.
Aarohi was still thinking about his words.
His shayari wasn't just poetry.
It sounded like a promise.
A promise she wasn't ready to believe yet.
Vihaan noticed her silence.
Vihaan: "Kuch soch rahi ho?"
(Are you thinking about something?)
Aarohi looked at him.
Aarohi: "Haan."
(Yes.)
Vihaan waited.
Vihaan: "Kya?"
(What?)
Aarohi looked down at her hands.
Aarohi: "Yehi ki aapko achanak itni achhi shayari kaise aane lagi?"
(Just wondering how you suddenly became so good at shayari.)
A small smile appeared on Vihaan's face.
Vihaan: "Shayari toh mujhe bhi nahi aati."
(I don't really know how to write poetry either.)
He paused.
Vihaan: "Bas tumhari baaton ka jawab dena tha... toh alfaaz khud mil gaye."
(I just wanted to answer your words... and somehow the words came on their own.)
Aarohi looked at him quietly.
For some reason, those simple words affected her more than the shayari itself.
She stood up slowly.
Aarohi: "Aapko pata hai na... ek chance dene ka matlab ye nahi hai ki sab kuch pehle jaisa ho gaya."
(You do know that giving you a chance doesn't mean everything has gone back to the way it was.)
Vihaan's smile disappeared.
He nodded.
Vihaan: "Pata hai."
(I know.)
He looked directly at her.
Vihaan: "Aur main ye expect bhi nahi karta."
(And I don't expect that either.)
Aarohi remained silent.
Vihaan continued.
Vihaan: "Tumhe mujh par bharosa karne mein waqt lagega. Shayad bahut waqt."
(It will take you time to trust me. Maybe a lot of time.)
His voice was calm.
Vihaan: "Main tumse jaldi karne ko nahi kahunga."
(I won't ask you to hurry.)
Aarohi looked into his eyes.
Vihaan: "Bas ek cheez chahta hoon."
(I just want one thing.)
Aarohi: "Kya?"
(What?)
Vihaan took a breath.
Vihaan: "Jab tak main tumhara bharosa wapas nahi jeet leta... tab tak mujhe koshish karne ka haq mat cheenna."
(Until I earn your trust back... don't take away my right to keep trying.)
Aarohi's expression softened slightly.
She didn't answer immediately.
Then she quietly said-
Aarohi: "Koshish kar sakte hain."
(You can try.)
Vihaan smiled.
But this time, there was no victory in that smile.
Only gratitude.
Vihaan: "Bas itna hi kaafi hai."
(That's enough for me.)
A gentle breeze passed through the garden.
Aarohi glanced toward the mansion.
Aarohi: "Ab sach mein jaana chahiye. Sana mera wait kar rahi hogi."
(I really should go now. Sana must be waiting for me.)
Vihaan nodded.
Vihaan: "Haan. Chalo."
(Yes. Let's go.)
They began walking toward the mansion.
After a few steps, Aarohi suddenly stopped.
Vihaan looked at her.
Vihaan: "Kya hua?"
(What happened?)
Aarohi turned toward him.
Aarohi: "Aapki shayari..."
(Your shayari...)
Vihaan raised an eyebrow.
Vihaan: "Hmm?"
(Hmm?)
Aarohi gave him a small, almost invisible smile.
Aarohi: "Buri nahi thi."
(It wasn't bad.)
Before Vihaan could respond, she walked ahead.
Vihaan stood there for a second.
Then he smiled to himself.
For the first time in a long time, he felt like perhaps-
there was still a way back to her heart.
But neither of them noticed the figure standing silently near the far end of the mansion corridor.
Someone had been watching them.
And as Vihaan and Aarohi disappeared inside...
the figure slowly turned away.
The wedding celebrations had only just begun.
But somewhere in the shadows-
another game had already started.
Here the next part.
Sorry for late update but you know sometimes life are really very mess. But don't worry i will try my best.