AUTHOR

ARORA MANSION.

“ I don't accept this Alliance, Father. You can't persuade me!” Kabir, Mahi's father crossed his arms and glared at his father.

Mohit, Mahi's grandfather looked at his son uninterested,

“ Who is asking for your permission, Oldman? Your daughter accepted to marry Aditya on her own will. And so as a loving family we all respected her choice.” He said calmly.

“ If you don't accept this Alliance then it's your and your son's problem not us. except you three we all are happy with it.”

Kabir looked at his father as if he had lost his mind. “ Are you serious,father ? How can you accept Mahi alliance with Aditya?. We all know he just lost his wife four months back. How is he supposed to move on from her and love my daughter?”

Mohit signed at his son's never ending concern for his daughter. “Kabir, I know you are worried for your daughter but you must know that your Daughter isn't a stupid.”

Kabir looked at him in confusion, caught off guard by the statement.

“Mahi knows what is doing, Kabir. She knows the consequences of Marrying Aditya and yet she is willing to do it.” Mohit Completed and looked at his son.

“ And I'm going to support my granddaughter in every war. Either it's business or marriage I don't care. If she wants something she gets it.” He said firmly and left from there.

Kabir looked at the place his father just sat a moment ago and mumbled, “ but it was you father, who was against this alliance first.”

As Kabir sat there and thought about how to break the alliance, his eyes fell on a photograph on the wall. It was an old photograph of his Sick mother holding a two year old mahi in her arms.

His mother looked weak but elegant. The way she held Mahi thought with her paralysis she wasn't able to hold anything yet she held her first and only granddaughter firmly, made him cry that day.

It was the only picture of them together And Kabir made sure to Frame it.

A lone tear escaped from Kabir's eye and he quickly wiped it away. “Guess, your only granddaughter is getting married, maa. Please send her your blessings and always protect her.”

✧

ARORA INDUSTRIES

Arjun, Mahi's elder brother furiously typed on the keyboard. His fingers moved swiftly on it.

His jaw clenched as he muttered under his breath.

“ What did she say? She wants to marry him? That Bastard friend of mine?” He scoffed. As he pressed the last key with a satisfactory Expression.

He leaned back on his chair and looked at his monitor screen where there were no documents or files instead there were a page full of cures in different languages.

“ I would never allow it.” He Growled as he ran a hand through his hair, his voice dripping with disbelief.

“ She lost her mind — totally. No sane person would think to marry a person who lost his wife four months ago and most importantly he is still in love with his late wife!!” he shook his head, totally done with his sister.

A sudden knock on the door startled Arjun. His fingers froze mid-air, and he quickly minimize the screen filled with curses.

The door creaked open, and Advik stepped in with a file in hand.

Without a word, he walked over and placed it on Arjun’s desk.

“Mahi’s new branch details. Everything’s going smoothly—she’s already hired new employees too.”

Arjun nodded absently, flipping through the pages without really reading them. His mind was still elsewhere.

Advik lingered near the desk, hesitant. Then, he spoke.

“Bhai… don’t you think it’s a little absurd?”

Arjun looked up, brow furrowed.

“What is?”

Advik hesitated, then said softly,

“Yahi... Mahi ki shaadi and all.”

Arjun's expression hardened.

“I know. It’s completely insane. Four months ago, that man was mourning his wife. And now my sister is marrying him?” He slammed the file shut.

“What the hell is wrong with everyone?!”

Advik swallowed hard, lowering his voice.

“But Bhai… what if Mahi’s actually serious? What if she really wants this?”

Arjun shot him a glare.

“Then she’s making the biggest mistake of her life.”

He stood up, towering over the desk, fists clenched.

“And I’ll do whatever it takes to stop her before it’s too late.”

“ And who are you to do that?”

They both heard a voice from outside.

Advik turned around startled, to see the person while Arjun took a step aside to get a clear view of that person.

Navya and Aditi, their wives, walked in, glaring at the both brothers.

“ Tell me,who are you to do that, Arjun?” Navya asked, glaring at her husband.

The both brothers smiled all of sudden, as if a moment ago they weren't judging their sister’s decision.

“ Navya? What brings you here?” Arjun smiled sweetly at his wife.

“ Hi bhabhi, hi Adi. What brings you here?” Advik walked closer to his wife only to get pushed away.

“ Cut it, we heard everything.” Navya stated, sharply. Glaring at the both brothers.

The brothers signed, knowing that they can't hide anymore.

“ Stop judging her decision, Arjun!” Navya said with a disapproving look.

, “ I'm not judging her decision, Navi.” Arjun said, “I'm just concerned about my sister's future.”

Navya raised a brow, “ oh, so bitching about your sister one ‘yes’ to your best friend is called concern?”

Arjun looked away caught.

“ Do you think I don't know what you were doing on your computer screen?” Navya asked, stepping closer to him.

Arjun widened his eyes and looked at her alarmed. While, Advik and Advik exchanged glanced confused.

“ Don't,” Arjun warned and Navya shook her head.

Navya smirked and leaned in, her voice low enough only he could hear.

“I’m not the kind of wife who spills her husband’s secrets. Relax.”

Advik and Aditi looked at them not understanding what they were talking about.

“ Hame bhi batao, bhabhi?” Advik asked,

“ Nothing!” Arjun snapped at him, making him flinch.

Arjun walked back to his chair and plopped on it. As he asked, “ so, what brings you both here?”

“ We know you both brothers would be fussing about mahi's marriage, so we came to give you a piece of mind.” Navya said and smiled at her husband, who In return didn't respond to her.

Advik spoke up next, scratching the back of his head.

“But bhabhi, no matter how many times I think about it, it still feels wrong.”

“We all know Aditya. We basically grew up with him. We know how madly he loved Minal.”

He looked down, unsure.

“And Mahi… she didn’t even know him well before. She just came back and now suddenly wants to marry him? How can we allow this?”

Navya glanced at him, her expression calm.

“That’s the thing, Advik. Your sister isn’t that eighteen-year-old anymore. She’s a grown woman now. She knows what’s best for her and what’s not.”

She paused, then added with quiet intensity,

“If she knows she’s walking into a tiger’s den—and still chooses to go, knowing she might get hurt—then it means she’s ready to face whatever comes her way.”

Advik looked at her, uncertain.

“You say Aditya loved Minal like crazy. That’s true. But love doesn’t die with death, Advik. It changes. It finds a new form. And maybe—just maybe—Mahi is the one person who can bring light back into his life. And maybe he’s the one who makes her feel safe again.”

Arjun looked up at her, something flickering in his eyes.

Aditi joined in softly,

“You two keep thinking like brothers. Try thinking like men who trust their sister. Mahi doesn’t need protection anymore—she needs your support.”

The room fell quiet for a moment. Only the ticking of the clock echoed.

Then Navya smiled a little and said,

“And if Aditya even dares to hurt her, trust me—we women are scarier than you two combined.”

*

On the other hand,

SR hospital, New Delhi.

Mahi sat quietly in the doctor’s cabin, her hands folded neatly in her lap. Her eyes kept drifting to the medical posters on the wall, but her thoughts were far from them. A few seconds later, she heard footsteps approaching, and she quickly straightened in her seat.

Dr. Emma Verma—renowned gynecologist and someone Mahi had always admired—walked in, her face lighting up with a warm smile.

“Did I make you wait, Miss Arora?” she asked, settling into her chair.

Mahi rolled her eyes playfully.

“Aunty, please. Don’t call me that. We’re close, aren’t we?”

Emma chuckled.

“It’s a habit, you know.”

Mahi smiled softly as Emma picked up her medical file and began reading. The room felt calm, but Mahi's heartbeat had started to race. Her palms turned clammy, and a strange heaviness settled in her chest. She watched Emma's face carefully, waiting for a reaction.

After a few moments, Emma placed the file down and looked at Mahi with gentle concern.

“Are you sure you want to go through with this?”

Mahi didn’t hesitate. She nodded firmly.

Emma leaned forward slightly.

“If you go ahead, your body will undergo a lot of changes. It won’t be easy, Mahi. It might even be painful. So I need you to think carefully. Are you really sure?”

Another nod, even stronger this time.

“One thousand percent.”

Emma let out a soft breath, her lips curving into a small smile.

“Okay then. We’ll begin the lactation induction process in two days.”

She pulled out a notepad and began jotting instructions.

“No junk food. Eat healthy—green leafy vegetables, fruits, and lots of fluids. Water is especially important. It keeps your blood circulation steady and helps the process.”

Mahi nodded again, but this time, her eyes shimmered with tears.

From the moment she had heard about Ivaan’s condition—that he needed breast milk for better immunity and health—she had turned her world upside down looking for answers. She had researched every possibility, every alternative, and when she stumbled across the option of induced lactation, she hadn’t thought twice.

And now here she was—choosing to go through a physically demanding process... just so she could give Ivaan what he needed.

Not because she had to.

But because she wanted to.

Because he was hers now.