Chapter Ninety-Four: Aries and Ella's Wedding (And Shreya's Disappearance)
The morning of Aries and Ella's wedding dawned golden and perfect.
The garden was transformed—white flowers, flowing drapes, soft music playing. Everything was beautiful.
Jay stood with Shreya and Akshi, watching the preparations.
"Ella's going to be stunning," Shreya said.
"The most stunning," Akshi agreed.
Jay smiled. "Aries has been nervous all week. He keeps checking his pocket for the ring."
"That's adorable."
"That's my brother."
---
The ceremony was beautiful.
Ella walked down the aisle in ivory silk, flowers in her hair. Aries waited at the altar, eyes wet.
They said their vows. Exchanged rings. Kissed.
Everyone cheered.
Percy cried. Honey patted his back.
C.N. took notes. Rakii photographed everything.
Felix and Bridget held hands.
David and Freya danced before the music even started.
Mica and Calix were already planning their own wedding.
Keiran ran in circles with Rex and Ganesha.
Jay leaned against Keifer. "Another one."
"Another one."
"Our family keeps growing."
"The best kind of growing."
---
The reception was chaos in the best way.
Food. Dancing. Laughter.
Percy gave a speech that somehow managed to be both ridiculous and touching.
Honey kissed his cheek after. He preened.
C.N. started a betting pool on when Aries and Ella would have their first child.
Rakii handled the bookkeeping.
---
And then the teasing began.
Percy, glass in hand, spotted Shreya and Mithun.
"SHREYA! MIT HUN! When's YOUR wedding?"
The table turned toward them.
Shreya's smile froze.
Mithun glanced at her, then back at Percy. "We haven't discussed it."
"But you SHOULD!" Percy insisted. "Love should be CELEBRATED!"
Akshi jumped in. "Yeah! You two have been together forever! When are you making it official?"
Shreya laughed. Too quickly. Too brightly. "Oh, you know. Someday. When the time is right."
"What does that mean?" Chethan asked.
"It means... when we're ready."
"And when will that be?"
Shreya stood abruptly. "I need some air."
She walked out.
---
The table went quiet.
Mithun stared after her.
Akshi blinked. "Did I say something wrong?"
Jay shook her head slowly. "I don't know."
Mithun stood. "I'll check on her."
---
He found her in the garden.
Sitting on a bench. Staring at nothing.
"Shreya."
She didn't turn.
"Shreya, talk to me."
"I'm fine."
"You're not fine. You've been avoiding the question all night."
She was quiet.
He sat beside her. "What's going on?"
Nothing.
"Shreya, please."
She finally looked at him. Her eyes were wet.
"I can't do this, Mithun."
"Do what?"
"This. Us. Marriage. All of it."
His face went pale. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying I need to go."
"Go where?"
"Home. India."
"Shreya—"
"I'm sorry. I can't explain. I just—I need to go."
---
She stood.
He grabbed her hand. "Please don't do this."
"I have to."
"Why?"
She didn't answer.
Just pulled away.
And walked out of the garden.
Out of the wedding.
Out of his life.
---
Mithun didn't move.
Didn't follow.
Couldn't.
---
Inside, the reception continued.
No one noticed at first.
But then Akshi went looking for her.
And couldn't find her.
And Chethan checked her room.
Empty.
And Jay found a note.
I'm sorry. I have to go home. Don't look for me. —Shreya
---
The news spread like wildfire.
Akshi screamed. Chethan held her.
Jay's face went white.
Percy stopped mid-joke.
Honey grabbed his hand.
C.N. put down his notebook.
Rakii lowered her camera.
Felix and Bridget exchanged worried glances.
David and Freya stood frozen.
Mica actually stopped bouncing.
Calix held her close.
Keiran, too young to understand, clutched Rex tighter.
And Mithun—
Mithun stood in the garden.
Alone.
Staring at the spot where she'd been.
---
Jay found him there.
"Mithun."
No response.
"Mithun, I'm so sorry."
"She's gone."
"She might come back."
"No." His voice was hollow. "She's gone."
"She left a note. She said not to look for her."
"Then don't."
"We can't just—"
"Yes. You can. We can. That's what she wants."
---
The night passed in a blur.
No one slept.
Mithun didn't move from the garden.
Akshi cried until she had no tears left.
Chethan held her.
Jay sat with Keifer, helpless.
---
The next morning, they got confirmation.
Shreya had booked a flight to India.
She was gone.
---
The mansion felt empty.
Even with everyone there.
Especially with everyone there.
Mithun sat at the kitchen table.
Staring at nothing.
Akshi couldn't look at him without crying.
Chethan tried to talk. Failed.
Jay brought coffee. No one drank.
---
Days passed.
Mithun went through the motions.
Ate when someone put food in front of him.
Slept when exhaustion took over.
But he wasn't there.
Not really.
---
And in the middle of all this grief—
Jay and Keifer found a moment.
Just a moment.
---
It was late.
Everyone had finally gone to bed.
Jay sat on the couch, staring at nothing.
Keifer sat beside her.
"Hey."
"Hey."
"You okay?"
"No. You?"
"No."
They sat in silence.
Then he reached for her hand.
She leaned into him.
"It hurts," she whispered. "Watching them hurt."
"I know."
"Shreya's gone. Mithun's broken. Akshi's devastated."
"I know."
"I don't know how to fix it."
"Sometimes you can't fix. You just... stay."
She looked up at him.
He looked down at her.
And then—
He kissed her.
---
Not a desperate kiss. Not a passionate one.
Just... connection.
A reminder that they were still here. Still together. Still okay.
She kissed him back.
They stayed like that for a moment.
Just breathing together.
Just being together.
---
Neither of them noticed the phone.
The one Yuri had left on the coffee table.
The one that was still recording.
The one that caught everything.
---
The next morning, Jay's phone exploded.
Percy: I HAVE THE VIDEO!
Honey: Percy, don't.
Percy: TOO LATE! SENDING NOW!
Akshi: What video?
Chethan: Oh no.
C.N.: Received. Analyzing romantic content.
Rakii: I NEED TO SEE!
Felix: Should we watch this?
Bridget: Absolutely yes.
David: SEND IT!
Freya: David, no.
David: DAVID YES!
---
Jay walked into the kitchen.
Everyone was there.
All staring at their phones.
All trying not to laugh.
Percy was failing miserably.
"What?" Jay asked.
Percy held up his phone. "YURI'S CAMERA. LAST NIGHT. LIVING ROOM."
Jay's face went red.
Keifer walked in behind her. Took one look at the scene.
Closed his eyes.
"Again?"
"AGAIN!"
---
The video played.
The kiss.
The moment.
All of it.
Akshi, despite her grief, managed a small smile. "That's... actually really beautiful."
Chethan nodded. "Romantic."
C.N. made notes. "Kiss duration: 12 seconds. Romantic content: 98%. Interruption probability: 0% because no one was there."
"Yuri was there," Rakii pointed out. "With a camera."
"Yuri doesn't count."
Yuri, in the corner, waved. "I count! I always count!"
---
Mithun watched.
For the first time in days, something flickered in his eyes.
Not happiness. Not yet.
But something.
"Love," he said quietly. "It's still there. Even when everything else falls apart."
Jay crossed to him. Sat beside him.
"It will be there for you too. When she comes back."
"She's not coming back."
"You don't know that."
"I know her."
"Then you know she loves you. And love doesn't just disappear."
He was quiet.
Then, slowly, he nodded.
---
The video spread.
Percy sent it to everyone.
Even to India.
Even to Shreya's phone.
She didn't respond.
But maybe—maybe she watched.
Maybe she remembered.
Maybe, somewhere in Karnataka, she was thinking of him too.
---
The mansion carried on.
Grieving. Waiting. Hoping.
And in the middle of it all—
Jay and Keifer.
Still together.
Still in love.
Still caught on camera.
Some things never changed.
---
End of Chapter Ninety-Four