Ishani's Pov

The world has never been kind to me, and at some point, I stopped expecting it to be.

So when I stood at the entrance of the Thakur mansion, draped in a deep red saree, I didn't feel like a bride. The fabric clung to me like a reminder of everything I had agreed to.without truly wanting it.

The mansion was glowing, lit up like a celebration I wasn't a part of. The golden lights felt almost mocking, because inside my mind, there was nothing but a quiet, suffocating darkness.

Except..Arohi.

My arms tightened around her instinctively. She was asleep, peaceful, untouched by the chaos that had brought us here. She didn't know anything about this marriage, this house, or the man standing beside me.

The marriage had been simple. A court, a few signatures, and silence. No rituals, no promises, no emotions. It had ended as quickly as it began.

But standing here now, at the threshold of his house, it finally felt real.

I was married.

Again.

A woman in her mid-fifties approached us with a thali for the griha pravesh. Her eyes held a quiet kindness, as if she already understood more than she was saying.

I lifted my foot to step inside...

"Don't enter."

The voice was sharp enough to stop me mid-step.

"...you are no one."

My body stilled. Slowly, I lifted my gaze.

There he was.

Aryaman.

Small. Barely five. Standing near the staircase with his tiny fists clenched, as if he was holding on to something he didn't want to lose.

His eyes met mine, and for a moment, I saw it clearly.

Not hatred.

Fear.

Confusion.

His gaze slowly shifted to Arohi in my arms, and something inside me softened.

Of course.

To him, I was a stranger walking into his space, beside his father, holding another child. Any child would react this way.

I didn't feel anger.

I couldn't.

Because his words didn't come from cruelty,they came from innocence.

Before I could say anything, Rudransh moved. He didn't hesitate. He walked straight to Aryaman, picked him up into his arms, and turned away.

No explanations.

No apologies.

Just... action.

And just like that, they were gone.

I was left standing at the threshold, unsure whether I had truly entered this house or not.

The woman beside me sighed softly and apologized before gently guiding me inside. I followed without resisting, my eyes quietly taking in everything around me.

The mansion was grand, perfectly designed, almost intimidating in its silence.

But it didn't feel like a home.

It felt like a place where emotions were carefully hidden, where everything existed in control.

I was led to a room. The woman opened the door for me and stepped aside.

"Rest, beta."

I nodded faintly. "Thank you."

As I stepped inside, I paused.

The room didn't match him.

Soft white curtains swayed gently, and the pastel interiors carried a calmness I hadn't expected. It felt... peaceful. Almost too peaceful.

My gaze moved slowly across the room until it stopped.

At the cradle.

A small wooden one, placed near the bed.

Something about it pulled me closer.

I walked toward it, my steps slow, almost hesitant. And then I saw it.

Arohi

Her name.

Carved into the wood.

Perfect. Intentional.

My fingers traced over it lightly, my thoughts stumbling over themselves. Did he really do this? Did he make space for her...?

No one had ever done something like this for my child.

A soft whimper broke my thoughts.

Hungry.

I sat down immediately, adjusting her in my arms and feeding her, letting everything else fade away. In moments like this, the world didn't exist beyond her.

After a while, she relaxed, her tiny body soft and content against me. I leaned back slightly, brushing my fingers through her curls, letting myself breathe.

For a moment, there was peace.

The door opening shattered it.

I looked up instantly, my body tensing before I could stop myself.

Rudransh stood at the entrance, as composed as ever, as if nothing had shifted for him today.

"You can change," he said. "I'll monitor her."

My instinct reacted immediately.

No.

The thought of leaving Arohi with someone I barely knew, someone who had just become my husband an hour ago, felt wrong.

"I'm fine," I said, holding her a little closer.

He didn't argue, but his gaze didn't shift either.

"Relax. I don't intend to involve children in adult games."

The words were simple, but the way he said them made me pause.

There was no hesitation in his tone. No hidden meaning. Just a clear boundary.

And for reasons I didn't fully understand, I believed him.

After a moment, I nodded.

Carefully, I placed Arohi on the bed, creating a small barrier with pillows before stepping away. He stayed on the other side, maintaining a distance that felt deliberate.

That... eased something inside me.

When I stepped into the bathroom, I let the water run longer than needed. It wasn't just about getting ready ,it was about steadying myself, about trying to make sense of everything that had happened in just a few hours.

When I came out, I wasn't prepared for what I saw.

There, spread carefully on the bed, lay a soft white cloth, untainted. And on it, pressed gently in faint shades of red, were Arohi's tiny footprints. Beside them, slightly larger and uneven, were the imprints of Aryaman's small palms.

For a moment, I simply stood there, taking it in.

Rudransh sat near the edge of the bed, his movements steady and precise as he wiped Arohi's feet with a wet wipe, careful not to disturb her too much. There was nothing rushed about him, nothing careless. The same man who carried authority in silence now handled my daughter with a quiet attentiveness that felt... unfamiliar.

Aryaman sat beside Arohi, his small face glowing with curiosity, his eyes fixed on her as if she was something delicate and magical.

"Papa... her feet are so tiny," he whispered, almost afraid his voice might disturb her.

I didn't step forward immediately.

I just watched.

Because something about that moment..

the little prints, and the way both of them were beside her...

Made it feel like I had walked into something I wasn't prepared to understand yet.

"She is so sweet," he whispered.

"And cute," Rudransh replied, his gaze still on her.

"Papa, she is looking at you," Aryaman said, almost in awe.

Something about the moment made me pause at the door.

"Why not me..." he pouted softly.

"Can I hold her?"

"Not yet," Rudransh said calmly. "She's still small."

"Can I at least kiss her?"

There was a brief pause before Rudransh nodded. "Be gentle."

Aryaman leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on Arohi's tiny hand. When she responded with a small sound, his face lit up instantly.

"Will she play with me?" he asked again, his curiosity endless.

"If she wants to," came the reply.

"Does she have a nickname?"

"I don't think so."

"Can we give her one?"

Rudransh's gaze shifted slightly, and I realized he knew I was there.

"If her mother is okay with it."

That was my cue.

I stepped inside.

Both of them turned toward me, but before I could react, Aryaman ran up to me and held his ears in his tiny hands.

"I'm sorry... I shouldn't have talked to you like that," he said softly.

His voice carried guilt far bigger than his age, and for a second, my heart clenched at the innocence of it.

Then he looked at his father. "Papa, what is it called?"

"Forgive me."

"Yes... please forgive me," he repeated, offering me a chocolate he had hidden.

My heart softened despite everything.

I crouched down to his level. "I wasn't angry at you," I said gently, wiping his sweaty palms with the ends of my kurta.

His face lit up like I had given him something far more valuable than forgiveness.

"Really? Then can I give her a nickname?"

I nodded.

He ran back excitedly. "Choco? No... Brownie? That sounds like a puppy... Cookie!"

At that exact moment, Arohi made a small sound.

His eyes widened. "She likes it! Cookie!"

He beamed. "Hello, Cookie. I'm Aryaman. I'll share my toys with you."

I found myself smiling.

Genuinely.

For the first time that day.

A moment later, Rudransh picked him up. "It's time for bed."

"But I want to play," Aryaman protested.

"Tomorrow you can , cookie needs rest as well." he said, firm but not harsh.

Aryaman muttered a sweet goodnight to his cookie . I smiled seeing him call her.

As he walked out, he paused near me. "I need to talk to you. I'll be in my study. Don't worry , The cradle has a baby monitor."

I nodded.

Later, after putting Arohi to sleep, I stood there for a while, just watching her. Making sure she was comfortable. Making sure she was safe.

But my mind wasn't quiet.

After a moment, I stepped out of the room and walked toward his study.

The mansion felt different now,still unfamiliar, but less overwhelming.

The door was slightly open.

I knocked softly before pushing it further.

He stood near the window, his back to me.