Moments later, the double doors opened again.
Aria walked in first—composed, chin held high, eyes unreadable. Ahaan followed, more subdued, his expression carefully neutral. Savi trailed behind, casting anxious glances between them and the tension-thick hall.
All eyes turned toward them. The hush that followed their entrance was suffocating.
Uttam Maheshwari took a breath and stepped forward.
"Explain!" His voice thundered through the room like a courtroom gavel.
Ahaan paused mid-step, startled.
Uttam's voice remained controlled, but laced with fury.
"When exactly were you going to tell us that you already knew Aria? That you had children with her? Was this all some kind of joke to you?"
Aria remained silent, but her fingers curled ever so slightly at her sides.
Ahaan, still reeling from the confrontation with Aria moments earlier, stitched together her accusations into a convincing, calculated defense.
"Nothing about her or our children is a joke to me. And I wasn't planning on hiding anything. I wasn't even aware of her pregnancy—or that she had given birth. We... had taken a break."
Uttam's eyes narrowed, but before he could respond, Vaibhav stepped forward, his voice dry with mockery.
"So—your breakup was so bad that she didn't even tell you that you were going to be a father?"
Aria's lips curled faintly at the edge.
'How are you going to answer this now, Ahaan Rajvanshi? Rooh wasn't like me. There's no way she wouldn't have told you. Even if you did break up.'
Vaibhav continued, tilting his head like a predator.
"You didn't even flinch when she claimed you as the father. Why no hesitation—noquestions? How do you know she didn't meet someone else during that oh-so-convenient 'break' of yours?"
Ahaan reply came instantly. "Because I trust her."
Aria scoffed inwardly.
'Look at him—lying so smoothly, so convincingly. As if I really am the one he loved. As if Rooh never existed.'
'Disgusting jerk.'
Vaibhav snorted. "Oh, so that's why you came here today—because you wanted to reignite some old flames?"
Ahaan didn't blink. His heart pounded against his ribs, shame simmering underneath—but his voice didn't waver.
"No. I came here today to reject the marriage proposal—publicly. Because I was already in love with someone else. I just didn't know that she was Aria Maheshwari."
A soft ripple of murmurs passed through the hall. Vaibhav chuckled humorlessly, but something flickered in his eyes —resentment? Regret?
Aria noticed. 'Why does he even care? We were never a normal set of siblings. Then, why meddle now?
Vaibhav's tone sharpened, venom hidden behind civility.
"She didn't even trust you enough to tell her real name... and yet—slept with you? Had your children?"
Aria's brows furrowed. 'Is he defending me... or humiliating me?'
Before Ahaan could speak, Uttam raised his hand—his palm trembling, but his voice firm.
"Enough!"
A waiter froze mid-step. A glass slipped from his tray and shattered quietly on the floor, but no one turned. Every gaze was fixed on Uttam.
"Ahaan and Aria will not be getting married," he said coldly.
A collective gasp rippled across the grand banquet hall. Whispered murmurs broke out like cracks in ice.
Savi's eyes widened. Her gaze darted to Aria—then to Ahaan. She looked like she wanted to disappear.
She leaned sideways and whispered to Manik, "Do you think we should say something?"
"No. It's not our place to meddle in. Let the adults handle it," Manik replied, jaw tight.
They noticed the infants squirming uncomfortably in their strollers, as if the tiny creatures could sense the thick hostility hanging in the air.
Savi murmured, "Everyone is playing politics with babies still in diapers. What kind of people even are they?"
Manik exhaled slowly, "They all talk of protection, but no one's asked Aria Di(sister) what she wants."
They both sighed—too young to fix it, too old to ignore it.
For a fleeting second, Kalyani felt like she could breathe again, silently thanking the gods.
But Uttam wasn't finished.
He turned toward Ahaan.
"You abandoned my daughter. Left her alone—with your children. And now, you want to stand here and act like a hero? No thanks."
Ahaan stood—speechless.
Then Uttam turned to Aria, his voice softening—but his conviction remained steel.
"You don't need him. Your father is still alive. You will never need to raise those children alone. I will raise my grandchildren with you, beta(child)."
Aria blinked, caught off-guard.
Yes, he had always loved her. But this was different.
This was not about damage control or family honor.
This was him... choosing her.
When was the last time he had done that?
She remembered birthdays spent in silence. Her resignation met with disappointment. Her pain folded into protocol.
And now—
Now he stood in front of everyone and chose her.
Something cracked and shifted inside her—an old wound, sealed not with forgiveness, but with the warmth of finally being seen.
Then—
"You can't do this, Uttam!"