By sunrise, the entire Rajawat Haveli knew.

Aadhya Rajawat was getting married.

Not someday.

Not after she finished her fellowship.

Not when she was ready.

In three weeks.

And apparently, the entire family had decided that she was the last person who needed to be consulted.

Aadhya stood in front of her mirror, staring at her reflection.

Her long hair was loose around her shoulders. She wore a simple white kurta and had barely slept.

Three weeks.

She had spent years imagining her future.

None of those dreams had ever included the Shekhawat name.

Her phone buzzed.

Kiara: Come downstairs. Emergency.

Aadhya typed back.

Aadhya: I'm not dying.

The reply came immediately.

Kiara: Worse. Ishaan has arrived.

Aadhya almost smiled.

Almost.

She walked downstairs.

The moment she entered the courtyard, Kiara grabbed her wrist.

"Finally."

Ishaan Rajawat was sitting on the edge of the fountain, looking far too calm.

That alone irritated her.

"You knew?" Aadhya asked.

Ishaan looked at her.

"About the marriage?"

"Yes."

"Yesterday."

"And you didn't call me?"

"I was trying to figure out whether you were going to kill someone."

Kiara raised her hand.

"I voted yes."

Aadhya glared at both of them.

"I am surrounded by idiots."

"Family," Ishaan corrected.

"Same thing."

Kiara laughed.

For a moment, the three cousins looked like they always had.

Like nothing had changed.

Like they were children again, fighting over sweets during Diwali, stealing mangoes from the kitchen, blaming one another whenever Dadi caught them running through the corridors.

Then Ishaan's expression became serious.

"Aadhya."

She looked at him.

"Don't agree."

Her smile vanished.

"I wasn't planning to."

"Good."

He stood.

"I spoke to Papa."

"And?"

"He says the Devgarh situation is worse than we thought."

Aadhya folded her arms.

"Everyone keeps saying that."

"Because nobody is telling you the entire story."

She looked toward the study.

"Exactly."

Ishaan lowered his voice.

"There are old documents. Agreements. Property rights. Something about a restoration trust."

"Arjun mentioned Devgarh."

Kiara's eyes widened.

"You spoke to him?"

Aadhya sighed.

"Unfortunately."

"And?"

"He thinks one of our families is lying."

Kiara exchanged a glance with Ishaan.

"He's not wrong."

Aadhya frowned.

"What does that mean?"

Ishaan hesitated.

Before he could answer, a voice came from behind them.

"Maybe it means you should stop believing everything you're told."

All three turned.

Kabir Rathore walked into the courtyard.

Aadhya's expression softened immediately.

"Kabir."

He smiled.

"Good morning, bride-to-be."

"Don't."

He laughed and pulled her into a quick hug.

"Sorry."

Kiara rolled her eyes.

"Everyone is calling her that."

Kabir looked at Aadhya.

"How are you?"

She hesitated.

"Angry."

"Good."

"Good?"

"Anger is better than surrender."

Ishaan nodded.

"Exactly."

Kabir looked at him.

"Still threatening to murder the groom?"

"Only if necessary."

Aadhya sighed.

"You two are making this worse."

Kabir's smile faded.

"Maybe."

He looked at her carefully.

"But there's something you need to understand."

"What?"

"I know the Shekhawats."

Aadhya frowned.

"How well?"

"Well enough."

He glanced toward the entrance.

"Arjun isn't his father."

Aadhya didn't expect that.

"What does that mean?"

"It means you shouldn't judge him solely because of his surname."

Ishaan immediately looked irritated.

"Why are you defending him?"

"I'm not."

Kabir's gaze shifted toward Aadhya.

"I'm telling her to keep her eyes open."

Aadhya stared at him.

"You think I can trust him?"

"No."

Kabir's voice was calm.

"I think you should find out whether he's lying before you decide what he is."

Silence settled over the courtyard.

Then Kiara whispered,

"This is officially the strangest morning of my life."

SHEKHAWAT MAHAL

Across the city, Arjun was experiencing a similar interrogation.

Except his cousins had considerably less mercy.

Tara Shekhawat sat on the arm of the sofa, watching him with an expression of barely concealed amusement.

"So."

Arjun ignored her.

"Arjun."

Nothing.

"Future husband."

He stopped walking.

"Tara."

She smiled.

"Yes?"

"Don't."

"Fine."

She waited three seconds.

"Jijaji?"

Aarav burst out laughing.

Rudra covered his mouth.

Arjun slowly turned.

"Do all of you have nothing better to do?"

"No," Aarav said cheerfully.

"This is the most interesting thing that's happened in this family in years."

Arjun glared at him.

Aarav grinned.

"Tell us about her."

"No."

"Is she pretty?"

"Not relevant."

"Is she nice?"

"No."

Tara's eyes widened.

"You don't like her?"

Arjun's expression hardened.

"She insulted me within five minutes."

Aarav smiled.

"I like her already."

Rudra finally spoke.

"What did she say?"

Arjun looked at him.

"That I'm arrogant."

Rudra nodded thoughtfully.

"Accurate."

Arjun's eyes narrowed.

"Whose side are you on?"

"Nobody's."

Tara laughed.

"Does she hate you?"

"Yes."

"Excellent."

Arjun frowned.

"Why is that excellent?"

"Because if she hated you, at least she has feelings."

"That isn't how feelings work."

Tara leaned toward Aarav.

"He has no idea."

Aarav nodded solemnly.

"Absolutely none."

Arjun walked toward the door.

Rudra followed him.

"Where are you going?"

"Office."

Tara called after him.

"Don't fall in love!"

Arjun stopped.

He turned slowly.

"I won't."

Tara smiled.

"That's exactly what men say before they do."

He walked out without answering.

But the words followed him.

THE RATHORE CONNECTION

That afternoon, Kabir sat across from his father in the Rathore study.

Mahendra Rathore was sixty-two.

Powerful.

Influential.

And one of the few men who had remained close to both families over the years.

Kabir placed a file on the desk.

"You knew."

Mahendra looked at him.

"About what?"

"The marriage."

A pause.

"Yes."

Kabir's expression hardened.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"It wasn't my place."

"She's my best friend."

"And she's marrying Arjun."

Kabir's jaw tightened.

"Exactly."

Mahendra leaned back.

"You need to stay out of this."

Kabir stared at him.

"Why?"

"Because this feud has destroyed enough lives."

"Then why are you still involved?"

Mahendra's expression changed for the briefest moment.

Kabir noticed.

His father looked away.

"Some things are better left buried."

Kabir stood.

"That's what people say when they're afraid someone will dig them up."

Mahendra's voice became cold.

"Don't involve yourself in Devgarh."

Kabir picked up the file.

"I wasn't planning to."

He paused at the door.

"But now I definitely am."

THE FIRST FAMILY MEETING

That evening, both families gathered at a private heritage property outside Udaipur.

The atmosphere was tense before anyone even arrived.

Rajawat cars entered from one side.

Shekhawat cars from the other.

No one smiled.

No one shook hands.

The old hatred seemed to have arrived before them.

Aadhya sat beside Kiara.

Ishaan stood behind them.

Across the courtyard, Arjun stood with Rudra and Aarav.

Their eyes met.

Aadhya looked away first.

Kiara leaned closer.

"You're staring."

"I am not."

"You are."

"I was looking at the wall."

"The wall is six feet to your left."

Aadhya glared at her.

"Do you want to survive this wedding?"

Kiara smiled.

"Not particularly."

Aarav caught Kiara looking at him.

He raised his eyebrows.

Kiara immediately looked away.

Aadhya noticed.

"You were staring."

Kiara whispered,

"Shut up."

For the first time in days, Aadhya laughed.

Then Arjun looked over.

He saw her laughing.

With Kiara.

Something inside him loosened.

And then Kabir walked up beside her.

Arjun's expression changed instantly.

Kabir said something.

Aadhya laughed again.

Arjun's jaw tightened.

Rudra noticed.

"Oh."

Arjun didn't look at him.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Say it."

"You don't like Kabir."

Arjun finally looked at him.

"I don't care about Kabir."

Rudra smiled.

"Of course."

Arjun's gaze returned to Aadhya.

Kabir was standing too close.

Much too close.

And Aadhya looked comfortable around him.

That bothered Arjun more than it should have.

He didn't understand why.

He barely knew her.

She wasn't his.

Not yet.

And that thought irritated him even more.

The elders gathered around the long table.

Vikram placed an old leather folder on the table.

"Devgarh."

Everyone became silent.

He opened it.

"Twenty-five years ago, Rajawat and Shekhawat families entered into a joint restoration agreement."

Raghav spoke.

"That's not the complete document."

Vikram looked at him.

"No."

Aadhya's eyes narrowed.

"What happened to the rest?"

Neither man answered.

Ishaan stepped forward.

"That's exactly what we need to find out."

Vikram looked at him.

"This isn't your concern."

"It becomes my concern when my cousin's future is being decided because of it."

Rudra spoke from across the table.

"He's right."

Everyone looked at him.

Rudra continued.

"If the original agreement is missing, neither family knows what they're actually agreeing to."

Arjun looked at the documents.

"Then find it."

Raghav's expression hardened.

"We've tried."

"Not hard enough."

Aadhya looked at Arjun.

He wasn't defending his family.

He wasn't attacking hers.

He was asking questions.

For the first time, she wondered if he genuinely wanted the truth.

Then Savitri spoke.

"The past cannot be changed."

Aadhya looked at her grandmother.

"Then why is it controlling my future?"

Silence.

No one had an answer.

Aadhya stood.

"If you want me to marry Arjun, I need the truth."

Raghav's expression softened.

"Aadhya—"

"No."

She looked around the table.

"I won't marry a stranger because our families are too stubborn to solve their own problems."

Arjun stood too.

"I agree."

Every head turned toward him.

He looked directly at Aadhya.

"If we're going to do this, we find the truth first."

Aadhya stared at him.

"You'd actually help me?"

"Don't misunderstand."

His voice was low.

"I'm helping myself."

She almost smiled.

"Of course."

Their eyes locked.

For a moment, the hostility between them felt different.

Less like hatred.

More like a challenge.

Then Kabir spoke.

"I'll help."

Arjun's eyes immediately shifted toward him.

"I don't remember asking."

Kabir smiled.

"She did."

Aadhya looked at Kabir.

"I didn't."

"You were thinking it."

Arjun's expression darkened.

"Stay out of this."

Kabir stepped closer.

"She's my friend."

"She's going to be my wife."

The words came out before Arjun could stop them.

Silence.

Aadhya froze.

Kabir's smile disappeared.

Ishaan stared at Arjun.

Tara looked at Aarav.

Aarav's eyebrows shot upward.

Rudra quietly muttered,

"Interesting."

Arjun realized what he'd said.

He looked at Aadhya.

Her eyes were wide.

He lowered his voice.

"I meant legally."

Aadhya's lips curved.

"Of course."

But something had changed.

Everyone had heard it.

My wife.

Not the Rajawat daughter.

Not Aadhya.

Not the woman I'm being forced to marry.

His wife.

The words hung between them.

And Arjun hated how natural they had sounded.

That night, after everyone left, Aadhya returned to her room.

She removed her earrings and placed them on the dresser.

Her phone buzzed.

Unknown number.

She opened the message.

You don't know what happened twenty-five years ago.

Her heartbeat stopped.

Another message appeared.

Ask your father why the original Devgarh agreement disappeared.

Aadhya stared at the screen.

Then another message arrived.

And ask Arjun why his father is afraid of the truth.

Her fingers went cold.

She immediately looked toward the window.

Nothing.

Only darkness.

She typed:

Who are you?

No reply.

Instead, one final message appeared.

If you marry Arjun Shekhawat, you will become part of the secret.

Aadhya slowly lowered her phone.

For the first time, she wasn't thinking about the wedding.

She wasn't thinking about Arjun.

She wasn't thinking about the hatred.

She was thinking about one thing.

What happened twenty-five years ago?

And somewhere across Udaipur, Arjun Shekhawat received a message of his own.

The Rajawats are not the only ones hiding something.

He stared at it.

Then another message appeared.

Ask your father about the night Rajmahal Devgarh burned.

Arjun's expression turned cold.

Because he had never heard that story.

And suddenly—

the marriage wasn't the most dangerous secret anymore.