The Royal Silence

43. Wedding Guest.

600+ votes and 250+ Comments.

Two Days later

I got ready and walked toward Dhrithika's room to check if she was ready. I knocked once and pushed the door open.

She was standing in front of the vanity mirror, fully dressed, adjusting her earrings.

"Bhaiya..." she called softly when she saw me in the mirror and walked toward me, hugging me tightly.

I wrapped my arms around her automatically.

Relief washed over me.

After what happened two days ago, after the fainting and the breakdown... when she regained consciousness two hours later, she was strangely calm.

Normal.

She didn't remember most of what she had said. She only remembered that we had an argument.

Not the accusations.

Not the shouting and honestly I was grateful.

If she remembered everything, she would drown in guilt and guilt is the last thing she needs right now.

I had shared this with her psychiatrist, send him her previous reports as well.

He told me this memory gap is not unusual.

She experienced emotional overload, and when stress crosses a certain threshold, the brain sometimes protects itself by blocking the peak moments.

The psychiatrist said, she doesn't remember the extreme statements because her mind dissociated during the breakdown, he also said it's a defense mechanism.

So I didn't say anything to her, she is the only one I have, and I of course don't want to lose her at any cost.

She pulled back slightly from the hug and looked at me.

"Bhaiya... you're coming with me for the therapy session, right?" she asked, searching my face.

I shook my head gently. "I can't because I have some important work. Ishaan will go with you."

Her nose scrunched immediately.

"Bhaiya... I don't like him," she complained. "He is emotionally unavailable and robotic. He didn't talk on the way, didn't let me play loud music in the car, didn't let me eat junk on the way, and didn't let me talk to random people in the hospital either."

"I'll tell him to behave," I said calmly, cupping her face.

She narrowed her eyes slightly. "Just because you're busy. Otherwise, I would never go with him."

I nodded. "Let's go have breakfast."

She wrapped her hand around my arm as we stepped out of the room.

"Bhaiya..."

"Hm?"

"Are you actually marrying Olivia?" she asked quietly while we walked downstairs.

I looked at her for a second. "What do you think?"

"You promised you won't. I trust you."

Yes, I promised her.

She found out the wedding is in five days.

And I told her I won't let it happen but she will have to go for her therapy sessions and she agreed happily.

"Then stay happy," I said, squeezing her hand. "I'll handle the rest."

She smiled, that warm, innocent smile. As if my words are enough to fix everything.

We reached the dining area. Dadi was already seated at the table.

"What's in breakfast today?" Dhrithika asked, sliding into her chair.

"Grilled salmon," Ishaan answered calmly as he took his seat.

She made a face immediately.

"See?" she muttered to me. " Still robotic."

I chuckled.

" Just because it's healthy and I like it I won't complain."

We had barely settled into breakfast when the main door opened and dhvait walked in.

Olivia right beside him.

I sighed internally, peace was clearly not on today's menu.

"Hey baby!" Olivia walked straight to me and hugged me without warning.

I still had a fork in front of my mouth. The morsel slipped the moment she touched me and the fork clattered onto the floor.

The sound echoed in the silent dining area.

She pulled back, before looking down.

"Oppss... my mistake."

"Then you should say sorry," Dhrithika spoke before I could.

I didn't look at her, but I was grateful.

"It's okay, Olivia," Adhvait said smoothly. "Sit and have breakfast, you don't need to."

Olivia moved towards the chair but before she could sit, Dhrithika spoke again.

"But Bhaiya," Dhrithika leaned forward, "it's just a fork, not a big deal. It fell because of her so she can at least pick it up."

"Dhrithika, let it be," Adhvait tried again.

"Why let it be?" she shot back. "Her back won't break if she bends and picks it up."

I had to control my expression. If this was anyone else, I would have stopped her.

But Adhvait?

Please vote for the chapter by clicking on that star in left bottom corner.

He should taste his own medicine. He should see what he did to my sister.

"Dhrithika, stop being a stubborn bitch," Adhvait snapped, his voice low but sharp enough to cut.

My chair scraped loudly as I stood up.

"ADHVAIT," I said evenly but dangerously calm, "use your words wisely and keep your voice low when you're talking to my sister."

He stood up too.

"She is my sister as well."

"If you thought of me as your sister," Dhrithika fired back, "you wouldn't dare call me that. So disgusting."

"Okay, stop. Everyone," Dadi interrupted, her tone firm.

"Dadi! Send him away. I don't want to see him here," Dhrithika said, pointing directly at Adhvait, his jaw tightened.

For once, he was on the receiving end.

"Dhrithi-"

"Adhvait, stop," Dadi cut him off. "Just leave. I don't want my granddaughter falling sick a few days before her brother's wedding, unless," Dadi added calmly, "you want a delay in the wedding."

He understood it immediately and glanced at me, then at Dhrithika, anger burning in his eyes.

" Let's go Olivia." he turned and walked out, Olivia followed without a word. The room felt lighter the moment the door shut.

"Sit down. Eat," Dadi instructed.

We all sat again.

I exhaled slowly.

At least for now, Dhrithika is unintentionally pushing Olivia away from me.

And I won't lie, every second of distance from Olivia feels like oxygen.

"Yugant..." Dadi called softly.

"Yes?"

"Tomorrow is the haldi ceremony," she said, her voice tired. "Have you found any way out... or do we have to go through these rituals as well?"

I had no answer because the truth? We hadn't found anything.

But before I could respond, Ishaan spoke, "Dadi... play along till the last moment. We'll find some way out."

She looked at him helplessly. "You mean we have to continue this drama till the wedding? Can't we stop it before that?"

"Marriage date has already been announced in the media," Ishaan replied calmly. "That's what makes it complicated. If we break it now, it will become a mess and Kingsley won't stay quiet."

Silence filled the dining area, no one said it out loud, but everyone was thinking the same thing.

We are trapped.

I pushed my plate slightly away and stood up.

"I'm getting late," I said flatly. "Take Dhrithika for therapy, and after that, meet me in the office by eleven." I looked directly at Ishaan.

He understood and gave a slight nod without any unnecessary words.

I walked out of the mansion without looking back.

I had been waiting for Ishaan for almost twenty minutes. I told him to be in the office by eleven.

Now it was 11:20.

I had just picked up my phone to call him when the door opened and Ishaan walked in.

He looked furious, that alone told me something had happened.

"What happened?" I asked, watching his face carefully.

He gave me a sharp look.

"Why don't you take care of your stubborn, spoiled sister yourself?" he snapped. "She isn't my responsibility. You keep leaving her over my head as if I'm her servant."

So Dhrithika had done something again and if Ishaan was this angry, it meant she had crossed a line.

"What exactly happened?" I asked, keeping my tone calm.

He placed both his hands on the table and leaned forward.

"She let the air out of all four tires of the car," he said flatly. "Just because I refused to sit inside the cabin during her therapy session."

That was it?

I thought she had done something serious.

"She's just a child-"

"Yeah," he cut in sharply. "A twenty two-year old spoiled child."

The sarcasm in his voice was clear.

"Girls her age think about careers, their future and she? Lying around the house all day." He exhaled harshly. "Don't you think you should talk to her about studying again? Getting busy with something?"

He straightened slightly.

"An empty mind becomes a breeding ground for overthinking. If she studies, if she stays occupied, it might actually help her."

"But it might affect her mental state," I replied quietly, she was an average student, and never liked the idea of studying further.

"And the way she behaves now doesn't affect people around her?" he shot back. "She's becoming impossible, Yugant. Someone has to set boundaries."

Just because it was Ishaan speaking, I didn't react. Anyone else would have regretted talking about my sister like that.

But Ishaan was rarely wrong.

"Alright," I said finally, sliding a glass of water toward him. "Calm down."

He sat down and drank a few sips.

"Let me deal with this wedding mess first," I continued. "After that, I'll think about her studies."

He didn't respond this time but simply looked away. No one tested his patience like I did, but now Dhrithika had managed to reach that point too.

"Did you find out why Vedika bhabhi and Pihu didn't come with Adhvait this time?" I asked.

He shook his head. "No. But I did find something else."

"What?"

"Vedika," he said slowly, "might be the only person who has answers to all your problems."

I frowned.

"How?"

"Because Adhvait and Vedika don't have a good relationship anymore," he replied. "From what I gathered, your brother might be abusive and the way Olivia sticks to Adhvait... that's not normal either."

"You mean..." I stared at him. "Adhvait and Olivia?"

"Fifty-fifty chance right now," he said calmly. "I need proof."

I nodded slowly.

"And what about Mr. Kingsley?" I asked. "Did you find out why he helped me two years ago?"

"I already told you," Ishaan said. "Vedika knows the truth."

"But why would she help us? She's Adhvait's wife."

"She will," he said simply. "Just wait."

I leaned back in my chair, rolling the paperweight between my fingers, my mind going back to the past.

Adhvait is seven years older than me. He has always been selfish. Money, power, status. Those are the only things he cares about.

When he took over Raizaada Empire, I was still a carefree student who barely understood business.

Our parents had always said one thing clearly.

The business would be divided between Adhvait and me.

Their personal properties would go to Dhrithika.

They believed if we were capable, we would build our own wealth and Adhvait never liked that idea.

Maybe he didn't believe he could build anything himself.

He wanted everything handed to him. Then he married Vedika without our parents permission.

They still accepted her, because it was their own son who didn't care to even inform them.

And the fights in the house started soon after, Adhvait demanded his share of property.

Please Vote Silent Readers and drop a ?? in comment section.

Lawyers were involved.

Finally, my father decided to settle him in America.

He invested money and helped him start a business there as he never wanted to hand him Raizaada's Empire.

For a year or two, Adhvait did well, then everything started collapsing. He came back asking for help again.

Dad refused because at that time, our own company was struggling. We had been accused of plagiarism in the Gala project five years ago.

The case cost us heavily, but Adhvait didn't care. Because of Dadi and Dadu, Dad helped him once more. But nothing was ever enough for him.

A few years passed, going through a lot of struggle Dad managed to push Raizaada's jewellery empire back on top, it didn't happen though, but we were atleast surviving in a good way.

Then the accident happened, my parents died, my uncle and aunt died too. Everything collapsed overnight.

Dhrithika was shattered.

Dadi and Dadu were broken.

And suddenly the entire Raizaada Empire was on my shoulders.

Our shares crashed, investors started pulling out.

The money my uncle had invested was lost because the market panicked after the plagiarism scandal and the accident. People thought the company would collapse without leadership.

I needed money and investors, that's when Adhvait returned. He said he couldn't attend the funeral because he couldn't get tickets.

I knew it was a lie, but I didn't argue. He introduced me to Mr. Kingsley and said Kingsley would invest in our company.

On one condition. I had to marry his daughter.

At that time, I didn't think about love.

Or marriage. All I could see was my family's empire falling apart.

So I agreed without thinking.

Adhvait then took Dhrithika to America, saying he would find better psychiatrists for her and I let him because I had no time to take care of her. Dadi dadu went to America after a few weeks, because their condition wasn't good either.

At that time, I needed someone beside me to handle everything. Everyone I once loved or trusted went away along with Samarth, because I thought he was the culprit.

That's when I met Ishaan again, we studied at the same university. He and me and Samarth were classmates. We were never friends, but circumstances tied us together.

He needed money for his mother's surgery, I needed someone trustworthy who wouldn't betray me.

So we signed a contract for three years.

He would work for me, handle everything I asked, without questioning like a robot, and that's what he exactly did.

Even though I never wanted to kill that good human inside him, but I unintentionally did, and I hate myself for that.

Two and a half years have passed. Only six months remain.

I know once that contract ends...he will leave, anyone would. He has his own life, his own family and without him, I don't know how I'll manage everything.

"YUGANT."

Ishaan's sharp voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Yeah?"

"I won't be staying in the mansion anymore," he said calmly."I'll meet you directly at the office from now on."

I frowned.

"Where will you go?"

"Back to my house," he paused, then he added quietly, "Only six months left on the contract which means I can go home now."

One of the conditions of the contract was that he had to live in the mansion, with no outside distractions. Total availability.

And when the contract is at its end, he can start going back to his normal life slowly.

I thought he had forgotten that clause, but clearly he hadn't.

I nodded slowly.

I didn't want him to leave but technically...I had no right to stop him anymore.

Next Day

I stood outside the Raizaada mansion. The air... the tall gates... the marble pathway... everything felt so familiar, as if I had been here yesterday.

Yet months had passed.

How stupid can someone be? It took me all this time to understand something so simple.

Just three words.

And I took an eternity to realize them.

"Dhwani... are you sure you want to do this?" Bhai asked quietly beside me.

He didn't want to come here, not after what happened the last time but he was still here, standing next to me, pushing his self respect aside just because I asked.

"Yes," I said slowly. "I don't want to waste any more time."

He studied my face for a second, then nodded. "Alright. Let's go."

He gripped my wrist lightly as we walked toward the gate. In his other hand he dragged my suitcase, while his own small bag rested over his shoulder.

It had taken us three days to reach here.

The doctor refused to discharge me immediately. They kept me under observation for twenty-four hours.

Only after that we managed to catch a flight and its second day. I'm sanding here in the evening light, everything feels strangely unreal.

As we stepped inside the mansion grounds, I noticed workers.

Decorations.

Flowers everywhere.

White and yellow drapes hung across the entrance pillars, marigold strings falling from balconies, lights being adjusted.

It looked beautiful but also confusing.

"Bhai... is there some festival today?" I asked.

He looked around as well. "I don't remember anything,"

We stepped through the main door.

Inside, the mansion looked unusually quiet.

Dadi was sitting near the dining area while most the sofa's from the living area were nowhere to be seen.

My eyes instinctively searched the room.

For Yugant, but he wasn't there.

"Do this fast... guests will start coming in an hour."

Dhrithika's voice echoed from upstairs.

I looked up.

She stood in the corridor above us, chewing something, watching the workers.

I pulled my wrist free from Bhai's hold and took a step forward-but my feet froze when I heard Dadi speak.

"I guess you people will finish the decoration after my grandson's haldi ceremony."

My grandson's haldi ceremony.

My mind stopped. Did she mean...Yugant?

I swallowed slowly and looked around again and then my eyes landed on the side area.

Two decorated seats behind them a large silver board.

Haldi Ceremony

I blinked.

So...Yugant is actually getting married?

"Samarth bhaiya... and Dhwani!" Dhrithika's excited voice snapped me out of my trance.

She had spotted us, her face lit up as she ran downstairs.

"Oh my god! You both are actually here?"

Before I could react, she grabbed my hands and pulled me into a hug.

I stood there, completely numb.

"Bhaiya, why are you standing there? Come inside," she smiled, turning toward Samarth bhai and hugging him too.

He looked just as shocked as I felt, but he still patted her shoulder.

She took the bag from him and handed it to a servant, then grabbed both our hands and dragged us further inside.

"Dadi! Dadu! Look who came!" she shouted happily.

Dadi's eyes were already widened.

"Samarth... you actually came?" she said warmly, walking toward us and kissing his forehead. "Did Yugant invite you for his wedding?"

Wedding.

"We were passing nearby," Bhai replied calmly. "So we thought we should visit."

I couldn't say a word, my throat felt locked.

"That's great, bhaiya," Dhrithika beamed. "I was thinking of calling you myself to invite you but then." She stopped midway but her word pierced straight through my chest.

So it's real.

Just a few days ago he was saying he loved me and now he is marrying Olivia.

Is this what people call love?

They guided us toward the drawing room and made us sit on the couch.

A servant placed two glasses of water in front of us.

Bhai drank a few sips, while I just sat there like a statue.

"Now that you both are here, you must attend my brother's wedding," Dhrithika said brightly.

I looked up at her slowly. How am I supposed to do that? And how can she be so happy suddenly? Didn't a few days ago she was telling me her brother loves and many more?

"Actually we can't stay," Bhai said politely. "We need to return to Rajasthan. Mom and Dad must be waiting and Dhwani's health isn't good either."

I tried hiding my hand, in which the bandage from the IV drip was still wrapped around my wrist but Dhrithika noticed it instantly.

She came closer and grabbed my hand.

"How did this happen?"

"N-nothing," I stammered, quickly pulling my hand back. "I just... fell."

The air suddenly felt heavy.

Suffocating.

"Bhai... we should leave," I whispered.

I couldn't breathe here.

But before we could stand, Dadi suddenly folded her hands in front of us.

"Samarth... Dhwani... I never got the chance to apologize for what happened last time," she said softly. "But I am truly ashamed. Please forgive us."

"Dadi, please don't do this," Bhai replied quickly, holding her hands. "We don't have any grudges."

"Yes," I added quietly, forcing myself to speak. "It's okay."

But she shook her head.

"No. If you truly forgive us... then stay and attend Yugant's wedding."

My leg started trembling, just hearing that word again and again felt unbearable.

Bhai noticed instantly, his hand resting on my knee.

A silent reassurance, he was there.

"We really can't stay," he repeated gently. "Mom and Dad are waiting."

"But it's only three days," Dhrithika insisted. "The wedding is in two days. You can leave after that."

I stared at her.

Why are they trying so hard to make us stay?

Why do they want us here so badly-At his wedding? "Alright. We will stay."

The words left Bhai's mouth so suddenly that I turned to him in shock.

Why?

Just why would he say that when he knew exactly why we had come here? Not... stay here like guests at his wedding.

"Thank you, beta," Dadi said warmly, cupping Bhai's cheek. "You're very understanding."

Before I could say anything, a servant approached.

"Dadi ji, the decoration is complete."

She nodded and stood up slowly, adjusting her dupatta. After talking to servant a little she turned back toward us.

"You both must be tired," she said calmly. "Dhrithika, take them to their rooms. They can freshen up and get ready for the haldi ceremony."

Haldi ceremony my foot.

"I... I'm very tired," I said quietly. "I'll just stay in my room."

"That's not going to happen," Dhrithika replied instantly. "It's my brother's wedding. My brother means your broth-"

Her sentence died halfway because I looked at her.

Really looked.

And whatever she saw in my eyes made her stop. The silence stretched for a moment.

"It's okay, Dhwani... take rest for an hour. I'll send a dress for you," Dadi said gently.

I don't want your fucking dress.

The words rose straight to my throat, sharp and burning but I swallowed them and stood. "Let me show you your room," Dhrithika said.

"I know where it is," I replied flatly. "You don't need to."

Without waiting for another word, I turned and walked away. Why the hell are they treating me like a fucking wedding guest?

I lived in this house for three months.

I know every corridor, every staircase, every damn corner.

I climbed the stairs quickly, my steps echoing in the quiet hallway. My chest was tight, Anger, frustration, and something heavier sitting inside my ribs.

I reached the room where I used to stay and pushed the door open, then shut it behind me.

My back pressed against the door as I stood there, breathing slowly.

Right now I was feeling everything at once.

Angry.

Hurt.

Confused.

And more than anything, I wanted to punch Yugant.

_____________________