It had been three days since Lilith (Baneva)'s incident.
The atmosphere in the house had slowly begun to shift, though traces of tension still lingered in the corners like unspoken fears. But today—today was different.
Lilith (Baneva) stood in the middle of the living room, dressed in a beautiful silk salwar kameez, her eyes sparkling with pure, unfiltered excitement.
"Bhai wedding! Bhai wedding! Bhai wedding! Bhai wedding!" she said happily, clapping her hands and jumping repeatedly on the bed, her laughter echoing through the room.
"Alright, alright—come on, let's go, baby," Aarav said, chuckling softly.
She immediately climbed onto his back, wrapping her tiny arms around his neck as he carried her, and together they left for the mosque.
After ten minutes, they arrived.
The mosque was calm yet filled with a quiet anticipation. Mr. Kabir was already there, standing beside Nishi.
Nishi sat quietly, dressed in a deep red Banarasi saree. Gold jewelry shimmered under the soft lights, and her veil gently covered her head. She looked composed, yet there was a depth of emotion hidden in her stillness.
Aarav stood nearby in an elegant sherwani, calm and regal, his presence commanding attention as all eyes turned toward him.
Then—
Their gazes met.
Soft. Shy. Filled with meaning.
A silent promise passed between them, marking the beginning of their new life together.
Nishi blushed, lowering her gaze slightly.
"Let's begin," Sohan said.
"Eeeee!" Lily (Neva) squeaked loudly, jumping up and down in excitement as they entered further into the mosque.
The ceremony began.
The kazi (marriage registrar) guided them through the process.
"The bride and groom will now give their verbal consent," he announced.
Ijab and Qubul.
They both nodded, voices steady yet emotional as they accepted each other.
Then came the matter of the mahr.
"A mahr (dowry) is to be agreed upon," the kazi continued. "This is money or property the groom must give the bride."
Nishi spoke softly, her voice low and tired.
"I don't want anything… he is already letting me study. That's all I want. No dowry, no property."
Lilith (Baneva), however, was very, very excited, completely unaware of the emotional weight behind Nishi's words.
Family members stood as witnesses—six additional people present—as the marriage was formally registered.
"Congratulations. You both are now husband and wife. May the Almighty bless your marriage," the Imam said.
Applause filled the space.
Aarav gently reached out his hand.
Nishi placed her right hand into his.
She smiled.
"Awwww… B…B…Bhai w…w…wifey!" the tiny girl giggled.
Nikolai held her by the waist.
"Baby, looks like Aarav is your favorite brother, huh?" Ethan teased.
"Uh huh… L…Lily s…s…second favorite!" she said.
Then quickly added, "B…b…b-but y…y…you're Lily n…number 1!"
She puckered her lips into an exaggerated kiss and formed a heart shape with her tiny fingers.
Ethan took a picture.
"This is so adorable!" Arina said.
"Send it to me," Nikolai replied.
"Kabir!" a sharp voice suddenly cut through the moment.
Everyone turned.
A woman walked in—older, stern, her presence immediately unsettling.
She was Mrs. Rokeya, Nishi's stepmother.
Behind her were her children: Zinnia, Atika, Rafia, and the boys Shamsuddin and Rameez.
"How dare you get this brat married?!" Mrs. Rokeya snapped. "Rafia should be the one marrying into this family! Do you know that?! Huh?!"
"This is cheating, Baba," Rafia added bitterly. "I bet she seduced him. That's why she got married into the family."
Lily (Neva) pouted.
"But you're not b…beautiful like her… bhai loves her a lot… and she loves Lily b…b…bhai. You're ugly!"
Nikolai chuckled softly, pulling her back.
"You brat!" Rafia snapped.
"I will teach you a lesson—how dare you! This marriage cannot happen! I already got a husband for her—he paid good money too!" Mrs. Rokeya shouted.
"Get out of here," Mr. Kabir said firmly.
"Oh really? You want me to leave?" she challenged.
"Leave before you go back to the Almighty right here, right now," Aarav said coldly, pulling out his gun.
"And one more word against my wife… I will wipe you out. Got it?"
"Nikolai, please cover Lily's ears," Sohan said.
Nikolai gently plugged her ears.
"That is pure betrayal, Kabir! It—" Mrs. Rokeya began.
"IT IS FAIR!" Mr. Kabir roared.
Everyone froze.
"Baba, your health…" Nishi said through sobs.
"What is it, huh?! Why do you hate her so much when she loves you?! All you care about is money, money, money! You are nothing except selfish people! I wish I never married you—it would have been better if I raised her alone!" he said, struggling to breathe.
Nishi quickly handed him water.
"Here, Baba… calm down, please…" she whispered, tears streaming.
"You all will leave him alone," Aarav said sharply. "He will not be taking care of you. You have your house, don't you? The money that man gave you—feed yourself and your kids."
"I curse you—this—" Mrs. Rokeya started.
SLAP!
Silence.
Frozen shock.
It was Lilith (Baneva).
"Lily!" Riyana gasped.
"C…C…Curse you first! T…The Almighty will take you back! Y…you'll never be h…h…happy—and y…you die!" the tiny girl shouted, grabbing the woman by her hair.
"Hey! Let my mom go!" Rafia yelled.
Lily kicked her.
Shamsuddin and Rameez stood behind their father, rubbing his back. Both were older—25 and 31—calm, sensible, and clearly cared for Nishi.
Nikolai quickly pulled his angry wife away.
"S…S…Shameless!" Lily spat.
Mrs. Rokeya's daughters dragged her away, but she turned and glared at Nishi.
"You will pay for this—just like your mother!"
Everything stopped.
For Nishi.
The world tilted.
"K…she killed mama…" she whispered.
Then everything spun.
She collapsed.
Aarav caught her before she hit the ground.
"Take her away… please… far away…" Kabir said weakly.
"What about you?" Aarav asked.
"Don't worry about Baba. We got jobs in New York… we and Zinnia will take care of him," Rameez said.
Kabir nodded faintly.
"When you arrive, call us," Aarav said.
Shamsuddin leaned down and kissed Nishi's forehead.
"May the Almighty bless your marriage."
They left.
—
Back home.
Lily was asleep peacefully.
Drips were set.
Zahuril stood nearby, monitoring as they injected her, drew blood, and checked her vitals.
"I have something to ask," he said. "Is it possible to bring healers for her mental health? I did it once for Asif when he lost his wife."
Nikolai held her trembling hands, rubbing them softly.
"We can try…" he said quietly.
He hated seeing her like this.
It broke him.
"I will call them," Zahuril said.
—
Outside.
Rima stood by the window.
She saw the twin girls playing in the garden and smiled.
Yasmine noticed her.
"Hi, pretty auntie!!!" she waved excitedly.
Rima waved back.
They giggled.
But her smile faded.
A car entered the compound.
About six people stepped out.
Her family.
"Nanu… they are here," she said coldly.
Olivia, her best friend, hugged her.
Rima took a deep breath.
Then nodded.
They walked inside.
—
Upstairs.
The tiny girl slept peacefully.
Nikolai sat beside her.
His phone buzzed.
A message.
From Abellona.
"I love you so much, Nick… and I will do everything to get her out of the way. Watch and see."
His expression darkened.
He looked at his tiny wife.
Held her hand tighter.
"Nothing will happen to you… I swear and promise you, baby," he whispered.
He lifted her hand and kissed it gently.
But somewhere beyond those walls—
A storm was already forming.