CHAPTER63 [ONE CHANCE]
That night, after dinner, everyone slowly retired to their respective rooms. The preparations for the upcoming wedding functions were going to begin the next morning.
Aarohi also returned to her room.
She was physically exhausted, but mentally, she was still restless.
She sat quietly on the edge of her bed, staring into nothingness.
And once again, her mind returned to that night.
---------
FLASHBACK
Vihaan had stood in front of Aarohi, completely broken.
He had placed the gun aside and looked at her with desperation in his eyes.
Vihaan:
"Tum meri jaan le lo, Aarohi... par mujhe chhod kar mat jao."
"Take everything from me, Aarohi... but please don't leave me."
Aarohi stood there as if all the strength had drained from her body.
Yet somehow, she managed to speak.
Aarohi:
"Tum chahte ho ki main tumhari jaan le loon?"
"You want me to take your life?"
Vihaan looked at her.
Vihaan:
"Haan... kyunki ab main tumse doori bardasht nahi kar paunga, Aarohi. Tumhare door jaane ka khayal aate hi meri saansein jaise tham si jaati hain. Please, Aarohi... I know meri galti hai. Maine bahut galat kiya hai, par please mat jao."
"Yes... because I can't bear being away from you anymore, Aarohi. Even the thought of you leaving makes it feel like I can't breathe. Please, Aarohi... I know it was my fault. I did so much wrong, but please don't leave."
Aarohi said nothing.
Her eyes were filled with tears, but she refused to let them fall.
She picked up the gun only to move it away from both of them and placed it safely on the table.
Then she looked at Vihaan.
Aarohi:
"Kyun kar rahe ho tum mere saath ye sab? Sab kuch toh main kho chuki hoon, Vihaan. Please chhod do na mujhe. Main khud ko aur dhokhe mein nahi rakhna chahti."
"Why are you doing this to me, Vihaan? I've already lost everything. Please, just let me go. I don't want to keep deceiving myself anymore."
Her voice trembled.
She took a breath before continuing.
Aarohi:
"Haan, main maanti hoon ki meri bhi galti thi. Shuru mein mujhe tumhe is tarah challenge nahi karna chahiye tha. Lekin uski saza toh mujhe mil gayi hai na? Ab mujhe kyun rok rahe ho?"
"Yes, I admit that I was wrong too. I shouldn't have challenged you like that in the beginning. But I've already received the punishment for that, haven't I? Then why are you still stopping me?"
Tears filled her eyes, but she still didn't let them fall.
Vihaan looked at her for a long moment.
There was no anger left in his eyes.
Only regret.
Only guilt.
Only the realization of how much he had hurt the woman standing in front of him.
Vihaan:
"Aarohi... bas ek mauka chahta hoon. Please. Main jaanta hoon main uss layak nahi hoon. Pata nahi mujhe kya ho gaya tha. Pata nahi kyun main itna andha ho gaya tha ki mujhe tumhara dard nazar hi nahi aaya."
"Aarohi... I just want one chance. Please. I know I don't deserve it. I don't know what happened to me. I don't know why I became so blind that I couldn't even see your pain."
He took a shaky breath.
Vihaan:
"Par please, Aarohi... bas ek mauka chahiye. Main tumse kuch force nahi karunga. Bas mujhe ek baar sab kuch sahi karne ki koshish karne do."
"But please, Aarohi... I just need one chance. I won't force you into anything. Just let me try, once, to make things right."
Aarohi stood silently before him.
Her heart wanted to believe him.
Her mind reminded her of everything he had done.
And somewhere between those two voices...
She didn't know which one to listen to.
Aarohi didn't say anything for a moment.
Then she picked up the gun from the table, walked toward Vihaan, and placed it back into his hand.
Aarohi:
"Mujhe kisi ki jaan lene ka shauk nahi hai. Isse apne paas rakho."
"I have no desire to take anyone's life. Keep it with you."
She took one step forward and looked directly into his eyes.
Aarohi:
"Tum chahte ho ki main tumhe ek mauka doon... par main kaise maan loon ki iss baar tum mujhe dhokha nahi doge? Iss baar phir mujhe dard nahi hoga?"
"You want me to give you another chance... but how am I supposed to believe that you won't betray me this time? How do I know I won't end up hurting again?"
Vihaan held her gaze.
Vihaan:
"Agar aisa kuch bhi hua, toh jo tum bologi, main karne ke liye tayyar hoon."
"If anything like that ever happens again, I'll be ready to do whatever you ask of me."
Aarohi continued looking into his eyes.
For a few seconds, neither of them spoke.
Then Aarohi slowly took one step back.
Aarohi:
"Aur agar main tumhe woh mauka dena hi na chahoon toh?"
"And what if I don't want to give you that chance at all?"
Vihaan's expression remained steady.
Vihaan:
"Toh main hasil karunga."
"Then I'll earn it."
He paused before continuing.
Vihaan:
"Main apni aakhri saans tak koshish karunga. Bas tum yahan se mat jao, Aarohi."
"I'll keep trying until my last breath. Just don't leave, Aarohi."
Aarohi said nothing.
She simply turned around and began walking toward the door.
Just before she stepped out, Vihaan's voice stopped her.
Vihaan:
"Main jawab haan samjhun, Aarohi?"
("Should I take that as a yes, Aarohi?")
Aarohi paused.
She didn't turn around.
For a moment, there was complete silence.
Then she finally spoke.
Aarohi:
"Sirf ek mauka."
"Only one chance."
And without saying anything more, she walked into her room.
The door slowly closed behind her.
Vihaan remained standing there for a few seconds.
Then, for the first time in a long while, a faint smile appeared on his face.
Not because he had won.
But because, after everything he had done...
She had finally given him one last chance to prove that he could change.
The flashback slowly faded away.
-------------
? A NEW CHANCE ?
"Toote hue dil ne phir ek baar aitbaar kiya,
Dard ko peeche chhod kar mohabbat ka intezaar kiya,
Dimaag ne roka, par dil ne kaha-ek baar aur sahi,
Shayad is baar kahani adhuri nahi, mukammal ho wahi."
English Translation:
"A broken heart chose to trust once again,
Leaving the pain behind, it waited for love once again,
The mind held me back, but the heart whispered-one more time,
Perhaps this time, our unfinished story will finally become complete."
-------------------
Aarohi opened her eyes for a moment, staring blankly at the ceiling.
The memory of night's conversation was still fresh in her mind.
Vihaan had asked for one chance.
And she had given him one.
She didn't know whether it was the right decision.
Her mind still questioned everything.
But somewhere deep inside, her heart felt strangely peaceful.
Perhaps because she had finally allowed herself to listen to the heart that she had been trying to silence for so long.
Aarohi closed her eyes again.
Within a few minutes, sleep took over.
---
NEXT MORNING.
The entire Singhania Mansion looked completely different.
The mansion was covered in shades of yellow and white.
Fresh marigold flowers decorated the entrance, the staircase, the balconies, and almost every corner of the house. Warm fairy lights were wrapped around the pillars, while delicate floral arrangements were placed throughout the garden.
A large stage had been set up in the garden for the Haldi ceremony.
Children were running around excitedly, while relatives and guests slowly started arriving.
Laughter filled the mansion.
Everyone was happy.
And somewhere among all that happiness was Aarohi.
For the first time in a long time, she was genuinely happy too.
She had given Vihaan a chance.
She still didn't know what the future held.
Her mind wasn't completely ready to trust him.
But her heart...
Her heart had always loved him.
And perhaps giving him one final chance had given her heart a strange sense of peace.
She didn't know whether she was making the right choice.
But maybe, just once, she wanted to listen to her heart instead of fighting it.
---
Aarohi slowly walked downstairs.
She looked around and smiled at the decorations.
Everything looked beautiful.
The garden was glowing under the warm lights, the yellow flowers swayed gently in the evening breeze, and the entire mansion seemed alive.
She stepped outside for a while, admiring the stage and decorations.
Just then-
The sound of a car stopping outside caught everyone's attention.
The conversations slowly died down.
Everyone turned toward the entrance.
Anjali immediately straightened.
Her expression changed.
She walked toward the entrance.
The woman who entered the mansion carried herself with an unmistakably authoritative presence.
Anjali immediately placed the pallu of her saree over her head and bent down to touch her feet.
Sana followed her and respectfully touched her feet as well.
The woman was Kamini Singh, Vihaan's paternal aunt.
She was old-fashioned and extremely particular about traditional values.
In her eyes, a daughter-in-law was supposed to behave a certain way.
She believed that a daughter-in-law should always keep her head covered in front of elders, eat only after her husband had eaten, know every household responsibility, speak respectfully at all times, and never question the traditions of the family.
She believed that clothes, manners, and behavior were all reflections of a woman's upbringing.
Kamini entered the mansion and sat down on the couch in the living room.
She looked around critically.
Then her eyes fell on Anjali.
Kamini:
"Toh ye hai tumhari bahu?"
"So, this is your daughter-in-law?"
Anjali nodded politely.
Anjali:
"Ji, didi."
"Yes, Didi."
Kamini looked around again.
Kamini:
"Ye Arjun ki dulhan hai ya hamare Vihaan ki?"
"Is she Arjun's bride or our Vihaan's?"
Anjali calmly replied.
Anjali:
"Didi, ye Arjun ki dulhan hai."
"Didi, she is Arjun's bride."
Kamini's eyebrows furrowed.
Kamini:
"Toh choti bahu kahan hai? Use tameez nahi hai ki ghar mein koi bada aaye toh uske paas aakar mile?"
"Then where is the younger daughter-in-law? Doesn't she have the manners to come and greet an elder when someone senior arrives?"
Anjali hesitated.
Anjali:
"Didi, use pata nahi hai ki aap aayi hain."
"Didi, she doesn't know that you've arrived."
Sana immediately stepped forward.
Sana:
"Main bulakar laati hoon."
"I'll go and get her."
Before Sana could leave, Rhea walked into the room.
She immediately noticed Kamini and respectfully touched her feet.
Kamini blessed her but her eyes immediately went toward Rhea's head.
There was no pallu.
Her expression hardened.
Kamini:
"Rhea, tumhare sir par pallu kahan hai? Kisi ke ghar ki bahu banne ja rahi ho aur sanskar abhi tak nahi seekhe?"
"Rhea, where is the pallu on your head? You're about to become someone's daughter-in-law, yet you still haven't learned proper manners?"
Rhea immediately adjusted the pallu over her head.
Rhea:
"Sorry, Bua Ji."
She quietly stepped back.
Just then, Arjun entered the room.
He walked toward Kamini, respectfully touched her feet, and received her blessings.
Kamini placed a hand over his head.
Kamini:
"Jeete raho."
English:
"May you always be blessed."
Arjun simply nodded.
He stepped aside.
---
Meanwhile, Aarohi was still outside in the garden.
She had no idea who had arrived.
She admired the decorations for another moment before slowly walking back inside.
She entered the living room wearing a black oversized hoodie and grey baggy jeans.
Her hair was left in a simple braid, and she carried herself with her usual effortless comfort.
The moment she entered-
Anjali noticed her.
Then Kamini's eyes fell on Aarohi.
Kamini slowly stood up.
Her expression changed instantly.
She looked Aarohi up and down.
Then she looked toward Anjali.
Kamini:
"Ye kaun hai?"
"Who is she?"
Aarohi stopped.
She had no idea what was happening.
Anjali swallowed nervously.
Anjali:
"Didi... ye Aarohi hai."
"Didi... this is Aarohi."
Kamini's eyes narrowed.
She looked at Aarohi's clothes again.
Kamini:
"Isse kapde pehenne ka bhi saleeka nahi hai? Mardon jaise kapde pehne hain. Na sir par chunni hai, na koi tameez."
"Doesn't she even know how to dress properly? She's wearing men's clothes. There isn't even a dupatta over her head, let alone any sense of decorum."
Rhea immediately looked at Sana.
She whispered under her breath.
Rhea:
"Sana bhabhi.....ab kya hoga? Ye toh bhabhi ko bina sunaye nahi chhodengi."
English:
"Sana bhabhi... what is going to happen now? She definitely isn't going to let Bhabhi off without saying something."
Sana gave Rhea a nervous look.
Kamini, looking at aarohi with full anger in her eyes.
Kamini:
"Maine iska naam nahi poocha. Ye hai kaun?"
"I didn't ask for her name. Who exactly is she?"
The room suddenly became quiet.
Anjali looked at Aarohi.
Then she looked back at Kamini.
And finally, she answered calmly.
Anjali:
"Didi... ye Aarohi hai."
She paused.
Anjali:
"Meri choti bahu... Vihaan ki dulhan."
English:
"My younger daughter-in-law... Vihaan's wife."
Kamini's expression froze.
Her eyes slowly moved back toward Aarohi.
And for the first time...
Aarohi realized that this woman was going to be very different from everyone else in the mansion.