Hearing his voice, Aanya also turned toward the door.
Devika smiled warmly.
"Namaste, Naveen ji."
Naveen smiled back.
"Namaste."
"Have you come to see Aanya?"
Devika nodded.
"Yes, yes. I just came to see Aanya."
Naveen smiled.
Devika then acted casually.
"By the way, everyone is looking for you, Naveen ji."
"Oh, really?"
"Then I should go."
He smiled once again.
Devika smiled back.
After Naveen stepped outside, Devika secretly watched to make sure he had walked away.
Aanya found her behavior strange.
When Naveen had finally left, Devika quickly closed the door and walked toward Aanya.
Aanya looked at her in confusion.
"Aunty... what happened?"
"Why did you lock the door?"
Devika looked at her seriously.
"Aanya... you need to tell me the truth."
Aanya frowned.
"The truth?"
"What truth, Aunty?"
Devika replied,
"The truth about you and Aryan."
The moment she heard Aryan's name, Aanya froze.
She slowly turned her face away.
Devika stepped closer.
"Aanya..."
"Yesterday you promised me that you would tell me the truth, no matter what I asked."
"So tell me."
Aanya's voice trembled.
"Aunty... I don't understand what you're talking about."
Devika interrupted her gently but firmly.
"Tell me everything."
"Whatever is between you and Aryan."
Aanya immediately stood up.
She didn't know what to say.
After a long pause, she spoke softly,
"Aunty... I think there's some misunderstanding."
Devika also stood up and walked closer to her.
"There is no misunderstanding, Aanya."
Aanya lowered her eyes.
Devika continued,
"I know..."
"You and Aryan love each other."
Aanya's eyes widened in shock as she looked at Devika.
Devika stepped closer.
"Tell me, Aanya."
Aanya turned her face away.
"Aunty... what are you even saying? There is—"
Before she could finish, Devika gently held her shoulders and turned her toward her.
"Look at me and say it, Aanya."
Aanya lowered her head.
"You promised me that you would tell me the truth."
"Aunty... what are you doing?"
Devika became silent for a moment.
"There is still a little time before your wedding, Aanya. So please... tell me the truth."
Aanya remained silent.
Seeing that, Devika sighed dramatically.
"Oh... so you're not going to tell me, right?"
"Fine."
"I'll ask your mother."
Aanya immediately looked at her in panic.
Devika continued,
"Maybe she knows something."
Devika started walking toward the door.
Just then—
"I loved him..."
Devika suddenly stopped.
She slowly turned around.
Aanya's eyes had filled with tears.
"I loved him, Aunty..."
"...but he never loved me."
Meanwhile...
Aryan looked at Prerna.
"Where did Mom go?"
Prerna answered naturally,
"Bhai, Mom went to the restroom."
Aryan nodded.
"Okay."
Prerna secretly glanced at him from the corner of her eye.
Inside the room...
Devika looked at Aanya in disbelief.
"What are you saying, Aanya?"
"Aryan doesn't love you?"
Aanya nodded sadly.
"Yes, Aunty."
"He doesn't love me."
Devika shook her head.
"That's impossible."
"He loves you, Aanya."
Aanya smiled bitterly.
"Aunty... you've misunderstood."
"He never loved me."
"But how do you know that?" Devika asked.
"Because he told me himself, Aunty."
Devika froze.
Aanya continued painfully,
"Even I thought he liked me..."
"But he said he never did."
Devika immediately shook her head.
"No... this can't be true."
"Aryan loves you too, Aanya."
"Aunty, please..."
"He doesn't."
Devika tried again.
"Aanya, maybe he just couldn't admit it in front of you."
"Maybe he doesn't know how to express his feelings."
Aanya interrupted softly.
"Aunty..."
"I didn't ask him just once."
Devika became silent.
"I asked him more than twice."
"And he rejected me every single time."
Devika immediately said,
"Then we'll ask him once again."
"Right now."
"In front of me."
"Aunty, please... no."
"You can't force someone to love another person unless they truly want to."
"And Mr. Aryan doesn't want to love me."
"So... even if you ask him again, it won't change anything."
Devika listened quietly.
Aanya continued,
"And now I'm getting married to someone else."
"So please..."
Devika tried to speak.
"But, Aanya—"
Aanya interrupted her.
"And one more thing, Aunty..."
"I don't love Mr. Aryan anymore."
"It's true that I loved him before..."
"But not anymore."
After a long pause, Devika spoke softly.
"Aanya..."
"Maybe it's true that Aryan rejected you."
"But trust me, beta..."
"I've seen something in his eyes whenever he looks at you."
Aanya slowly shook her head.
"No..."
"I've never seen that feeling in his eyes for any other girl."
"Aryan doesn't know how to express his feelings, Aanya."
Aanya silently held back her tears.
"I'm his mother, beta."
"That's why I know."
"There is still a little time before your wedding."
"So please..."
"Just one last—"
"Stop it, Aunty!"
Aanya suddenly shouted.
Devika fell silent.
With tears streaming down her face, Aanya cried,
"He rejected me, Aunty."
"And also I don't love him anymore!"
"Did you hear me?"
Devika didn't say a word.
"Why are you making me remember him now, Aunty?"
"Right before my wedding..."
"Please..."
"Stop it."
Outside the room...
Kunal had just arrived.
As he stood near the door, he unintentionally overheard their conversation.
A slow smile appeared on his face.
"So..."
"This Aanya loves someone else."
"For the first time, I had to apologize to Elena."
"I'm always the one who questions her, but today she questioned me... because of you."
"Aanya, you wanted to know about Elena so that you could expose me and stop this wedding."
"Now just wait and see."
"After what I'm about to do..."
"I'll expose you and your one-sided love in front of everyone."
"And after that..."
"You'll beg me to marry you."
"Because no one else will."
With an evil smile, he quietly walked away.
Inside the room...
Aanya realized she had shouted.
She wiped her tears.
"I'm sorry, Aunty..."
"I didn't mean to be rude."
"But please... leave."
"And promise me..."
"You won't ask Mr. Aryan about this matter."
Devika nodded sadly.
"I won't."
She looked at Aanya one last time...
Then silently walked out of the room and closed the door.
The moment the door shut—
Aanya collapsed onto the floor and burst into tears, trying desperately to control her emotions.
Meanwhile, the priest announced,
"Please call the groom."
Kavya smiled.
"Okay, Pandit ji."
Meanwhile, Prerna thought,
Oh no... Why hasn't Mom come back yet?
Just then, Devika returned.
Prerna saw her and immediately went near her. The two stood in a corner.
Prerna whispered,
"Mom..."
"What happened?"
Devika didn't say anything.
"Mom, why aren't you saying anything?"
"What did Aanya say?"
Meanwhile, Kunal walked toward the mandap and took his seat.
Prerna looked at him from a distance and then turned back to Devika.
"Mom, look... Kunal has come."
"We don't have much time."
"What did Aanya say?"
Devika looked at her sadly.
"This marriage will happen, Prerna."
Prerna looked at her in shock.
"What?"
"What are you saying, Mom?"
"Aanya and Kunal's marriage?"
Devika took a deep breath.
"We can't do anything."
Just then, the priest announced,
"Please bring the bride."
Radha and Shreya went to bring Aanya.
Prerna looked at them and said,
"Mom, first tell me what Aanya told you."
Devika quietly told Prerna everything that had happened.
Meanwhile, Aanya arrived at the mandap.
Dressed in her bridal lehenga, she looked breathtaking.
Aryan looked at her, trying hard to control his emotions.
Unable to bear the sight, he turned his face away.
After hearing everything, Prerna looked at Devika in disbelief.
"Mom... come."
"Let's stop this wedding."
Devika looked at her seriously.
"Have you gone mad, Prerna?"
"Didn't you understand anything I told you just now?"
"But Mom..."
"She loves Bhai, right?"
"Then why—"
Suddenly, Aryan walked over to them.
"Mom?"
"Prerna?"
"What are you both doing here?"
"What happened?"
"Is everything okay?"
Prerna was about to say something.
Before she could speak, Devika interrupted,
"Yes."
"Everything is fine."
Prerna looked seriously at Devika.
Then she turned toward Aryan.
"Bhai... do you love Aanya?"
Aryan froze after hearing the question.
Devika's eyes widened.
"Prerna!"
"What are you doing?"
Meanwhile, the priest had already started the wedding rituals.
Suddenly, Kunal spoke loudly,
"One minute, Pandit ji."
Everyone turned toward him in confusion.
Aryan, Devika and Prerna too.
Kavya looked at her son.
"Kunal, beta... what happened?"
Kunal looked at his mother.
"Mom, there's something I need to ask Aanya."
Aanya looked at him in confusion.
Hearing this, Devika, Prerna, and Aryan also stepped forward.
Kavya frowned.
"About what, Kunal?"
Without answering, Kunal suddenly stood up.
The priest immediately said,
"Beta, you shouldn't stand up in the middle of the wedding rituals like this."
Kunal remained silent.
Radha also stepped forward.
"Kunal, beta, what happened?"
"What do you want to ask her?"
"You can ask her anything after the wedding."
A slow, evil smile appeared on Kunal's face.
"Aunty..."
"I want to ask her before the wedding."
Aanya couldn't understand what was happening.
Kunal looked at her and said calmly,
"Aanya... why are you still sitting?"
"Come... get up."
Before she could react, he grabbed her hand and pulled her up.
Everyone watched the scene in confusion.
Aanya looked at him.
"Kunal... what are you doing?"
Kunal looked into her eyes and said,
"Well, Aanya... why are you trying to do this to me?"
Aanya frowned in confusion.
"What?"
Naveen stepped forward.
"Kunal, beta... what are you talking about?"
Kunal kept looking at Aanya.
"Well... will you tell everyone, or should I?"
Aanya looked at him in confusion.
Kunal turned toward everyone and said,
"This girl standing beside me... loves someone else."
Aanya's eyes widened.
Everyone was shocked.
Whispers and gossip spread throughout the hall.
Devika and Prerna looked at each other.
Aryan looked at Aanya.
Aanya's friends exchanged worried glances.
Radha looked at her daughter.
"Aanya... what is Kunal saying?"
"Is it true?"
Kunal looked at Radha.
"It is, Aunty."
"Am I right, Aanya?"
Radha fell silent.
Aanya didn't know what to say.
Kunal continued,
"What did you think, Aanya?"
"That I would never find out the truth?"
"I overheard your conversation while I was passing by your room."
"You were telling someone that you love another man."
Devika was shocked after hearing that.
Suresh spoke seriously,
"Kunal!"
"What are you saying?"
Kunal turned to him.
"Dad, I'm telling the truth."
"This Aanya loves someone else."
"And to stop this wedding, she wanted to create a fake story by saying that I'm in a relationship with someone else."
Aanya looked at him in confusion.
"What are you saying, Kunal?"
Kunal pointed at her.
"Aanya, don't act innocent."
"I know you asked Dhruv and Yash about Elena."
Aanya looked at Yash and Dhruv in shock.
They acted as if they knew nothing.
Kavya frowned.
"Who is Elena?"
Kunal immediately answered,
"Mom, Elena is just my colleague."
"But this Aanya wanted to tell everyone falsely that I'm in a relationship with her."
Aanya quickly shook her head.
"This isn't true, Kunal."
"I never asked your friends anything about Elena."
Dhruv and Yash exchanged frightened glances.
Kunal looked at her seriously.
"What?"
"Don't lie, Aanya."
Aanya took a deep breath.
"Kunal, it's true that I went to them."
"But I only went to ask where you were because you weren't in your room."
"They told me they didn't know."
"So I left."
"That's all."
Kunal looked confused.
Aanya stared at him in shock.
Yash continued,
"You came to us and asked about Elena."
Dhruv immediately added,
"Yes, Kunal. She came and asked us about Elena. Why would we even talk about Elena?"
Kunal looked at Aanya seriously once again.
Aanya shook her head.
"No… no… they're lying. They're lying."
Kunal suddenly shouted,
"Stop it, Aanya!"
Aanya immediately fell silent.
Aryan looked at Kunal seriously, struggling to control his emotions.
Kunal continued,
"How many lies are you going to tell?"
Aanya replied,
"Kunal, I'm not lying. In fact, your friends are the ones who are lying."
A slow, evil smile appeared on Kunal's face.
"Fine."
"You're saying my friends are lying."
"Then what about me?"
"I heard it with my own ears that you love someone else."
Are you going to say that I'm lying too?"
Aanya remained silent.
Kunal asked again,
"Tell me."
After a long pause, Aanya spoke.
"Yes… it's true that I loved someone."
Radha and Naveen were shocked.
Aryan looked at Aanya.
Radha asked,
"Aanya… what are you saying?"
"You loved someone?"
Aanya nodded.
"Yes, Mom."
"I loved someone… but that was in the past, not now."
Aryan lowered his gaze.
Devika and Prerna looked at each other.
Nandini looked confused.
Aanya continued emotionally,
"Now I don't love anyone."
"I don't have any feelings for him anymore."
She then looked seriously at Kunal.
"You could have simply asked me when you overheard my conversation."
"I would have clarified everything right then."
"There was no need to create a scene like this in front of everyone."
Kunal looked at her.
"What did you say?"
Just then, the priest interrupted.
"What is happening here?"
"Time is passing. We need to start the wedding rituals."
Kavya turned to Kunal.
"Kunal, beta, look… Aanya has already clarified that it was all in the past."
"Let's continue the wedding, okay?"
Kunal raised his hand.
"One minute, Mom."
"If this wedding is going to happen…"
"…then Aanya must apologize to me first."
Aanya looked at him in irritation.
Aryan stared at Kunal seriously.
Kunal continued,
"After everything that has happened today, no one would marry a girl like her."
Aanya was stunned.
Aryan clenched his fists, barely controlling his anger.
Naveen and Radha felt heartbroken.
Kunal pointed at Aanya.
"She needs to apologize to me… and to my friends."
Aryan could no longer control his emotions and was about to speak.
Before he could, Aanya said,
"Seriously?"
"What did you just say?"
Aryan looked at her.
Aanya stared directly at Kunal.
"I should apologize to you…"
"…and to your friends?"
"Never."
---
End Of Chapter 85.