Here is the 5th chapter enjoy reading ♡
The wedding had now turned into chaos. The bride's father's voice echoed, "Stop all this! What is this, a circus?"
There was silence.
The bride smiled and then laughed. Everyone looked at her, surprised. Amid her giggles, she continued, "Oh God, I've enjoyed this so much. This will always be memorable for me - for both of us."
The groom smiled. "Yes, the chaos of a wedding."
Everyone giggled and smiled.
Yash looked at Shivani. She glanced back and asked, "Kya kabhi ladki nahi dekhi kya?"
He smirked. "Dekhi hai, par tum jaisi nahi."
She glared at him. "Shut up."
As Karan was walking, a man in his forties wearing an Armani suit stood in front of him. It was Karan's father, Mahendra Kapoor.
Karan rubbed his temple. "Hey Mr. Kapoor, nice to meet you."
Mahendra glared at him. "I'm your father, Karan. Show some respect."
Karan mocked him, "And what about me? I'm your son - oh no, let me correct that - I was your son, but not anymore."
Mahendra sighed in frustration. "Karan, it's been years since that happened. Forget it."
Karan's jaw clenched. "Forget it? Of course. 'Raat gayi, baat gayi,' right? That's your habit - move on without ever fixing anything."
Without another word, he stormed off.
Shivani sat silently, her fists clenched on her lap, her dress crumpled beneath her. A thousand thoughts raced through her mind, but there was one that stood out-the silence from her family. Her eyes drifted to her parents and sister, all gathered together, yet not once did they call her to join them. She knew deep down that they wouldn't, but still, her heart held on to a fragile hope that never fully shattered.
Piya noticed the pain in her eyes and gently spoke, "Shivi, kya hua? Yeh sab chhodo, chal khate hain, bhook lagi hai." Shivani's eyes welled up, but she nodded, and Meera quietly followed as they made their way to the food counter together.
They sat together to eat, while Yash, Karan, and Rohan sat opposite them. Rohan filled his plate with desserts and food. Karan and Yash shook their heads.
Yash said, "Rohan, itna mat kha, stomach kharab ho jayega."
Rohan didn't care and continued eating, munching loudly. He muttered, "Chup karo tum dono, aur mujhe khane do."
Meera looked at him and commented, "Aaram se Rohan, warna hazam nahi hoga."
Rohan smiled, "Mujhe sab hazam... hoga tum bhi."
She glared at him, "Huh! Pokémon kahin ke."
Yash smirked, "Dekh, izzat gawaa di apni."
His attention shifted to Shivani. She barely touched her food; her focus was somewhere else. He didn't bother to ask.
Shivani was lost in her thoughts. A blurry memory flashed in her eyes, but she blinked quickly, trying to forget it.
Karan's eyes turned toward Piya, who was glaring at him.
"Ajeeb ladka," she thought.
He sighed in frustration and walked away. She followed him.
He looked at her. "What now?"
She crossed her arms. "Tum bahut bade woh ho."
He looked confused. "Woh kya?"
She continued, "Wahi ho."
He got frustrated. "Listen, whoever you are, get out."
She sighed. "Oh hello, mera naam nahi jaante? Main Piya. Piya Khanna. Ab samajh aaya?"
He looked at her. "Piya?"
She replied, "Kya? Kabhi itna achha, pyaara naam nahi suna kya? I know logon ko main doll jaisi cute si lagti hoon."
He nodded, listening to her self-obsessed rant. "Ho gaya, madam ji? Ab bas. Pagal kahin ki," he muttered and walked away.
Shivani was walking, fixing her dress, when she collided with a hard chest. She looked up and saw Yash standing in front of her.
He smirked, "Hey, Chashmish."
"Mera naam Shivani hai. Chashmish nahi, bandar," she snapped.
He continued, "Toh kya hua? I like this name - Chashmish."
She sighed in frustration. "Shut up, Yash."
He smirked again, "Why should I? Or should I make you shut up?"
She looked at him, confused. "What?"
He looked at her innocently. "Kuch nahi. Tum nahi samjhogi, Chashmish."
"Yash, tum na ek number ke paglet insan ho," she said, sighing, and walked away.
The wedding came to an end.
As everyone started to leave, Rohan called out, "Meera, shall I drop you? Itni raat ho gayi hai."
She quickly refused. "I'm fine, Rohan. I'll go with Shivi."
Rohan looked at her. "Meera, you look beautiful."
She smirked, "Aur koi line nahi mili bolne ke liye?"
She walked off, leaving him smiling.
Karan was walking when he heard a voice-a girl's voice.
"Bhaiya!"
She was wearing a cute pink gown and looking up at him.
"Bhaiya?" she repeated.
"Yes, Aaisha. Kya hua?"
"Bhaiya, aap Dad aur Mom se nahi miloge?"
He shook his head. "No. Tum jao. Late ho raha hai."
Aisha begged, "Bhaiya, chalo na, please."
Karan tried to keep his composure. "Aisha, be a good girl. Go now."
But Aisha shook her head. "Bhaiya, please."
Before Karan could say anything further, his parents arrived.
"What are you doing with our daughter?" his father demanded.
Karan stood firm. "She's my sister. If you have a problem with that, I can't help it."
His father glared at him. "Stay away from us," he said sternly.
Without another word, his parents walked away, leaving him standing there.
His face showed no emotion. He didn't want to reveal anything-not now, not anytime soon.
Everyone was carrying a secret. And when those secrets are revealed, they could either destroy them... or give them hope.
But for now, their lives were a mess.
The Silence Between Us
Shivani sat quietly in the cab, her eyes fixed outside the window as the city lights blurred past. Her family sat beside her, with Meera, her childhood friend, squeezed in. The ride was quiet - a calm after the noise of the wedding they had just left.
They dropped Meera home first. Meera gave Shivani a small smile as she stepped out, unaware of the storm brewing inside her friend's heart.
Back at home, before Shivani could even step inside the house, her parents, Raj and Priya, snapped.
"What was that at the wedding, Shivani?" Raj asked sharply.
Shivani looked up, confused. "But... what did I do, Ma? Dad? Everyone was dancing and having fun, so I-"
"Shut up!" her mother's voice cut through the air like a blade. "Just because everyone was doing something doesn't mean you should. You never do anything right."
Shivani's heart tightened. She swallowed hard. "But I'm your daughter... right?"
The next words weren't shouted - they were whispered. But they were worse than any scream.
"That's what we regret... that you're our daughter. It would've been better if you were-"
They stopped mid-sentence. But Shivani didn't need to hear the rest. Her chest caved in. Tears stung her eyes, but she held them back. Again.
Naina, her younger sister, stood silently nearby. She saw it all. Heard it all. But said nothing. The same sister Shivani had held close like a mother all these years. Now, she was just a quiet witness.
Alone, Shivani walked to her room. Her legs felt numb. Her chest heavy. She changed into her soft pink pyjamas, hoping for even a shred of comfort. Standing in front of the mirror, she stared at her red, puffy eyes. A burn mark on her arm caught her attention. It had been there forever, yet she had never truly noticed it - like a scar from a story she couldn't remember.
Blurry images flashed in her mind - a scream, smoke, crying - but nothing clear enough to grasp. What was her fault, really? Why did her parents look at her like that?
Elsewhere in there home, Yash, Karan, and Rohan reached home. They were exhausted from the wedding - not just physically, but emotionally.
"Kya shaadi thi yaar," Yash muttered as he fell on the bed.
"The best time," Karan agreed.
"Yeah," Rohan added. "Except for my parents' drama - everything else was fine."
Karan didn't speak. His silence said more than words ever could.
"Do you still blame yourself?" Rohan asked gently.
The room went quiet.
Yash sighed, staring at the ceiling. "I didn't know life could change so much. We were all just kids... and in the end, we were the ones blamed."
Sometimes, the deepest wounds are invisible. And sometimes, the people who hurt the most are the ones who stay silent.
Back in her room, Shivani tied her hair into a messy bun and sat down at her desk. She wore her glasses and opened her math book. The numbers blurred at first, but slowly, she focused. Studying was the only place where she felt in control - the only world that didn't shout at her, or break her heart.
And so she escaped, not into dreams, but into equations - where pain had no place, and silence wasn't so loud.
It was midnight. A dark place. Cries echoed from a corner-a sob, followed by a man's voice. Shivani's forehead began to sweat. The faces were blurry. She quickly opened her eyes and sighed in relief.
For the first time, she had seen something like that. She thought it was just a dream. But was it really a dream? Or was it reality hiding a secret that would be revealed in time?
Morning arrived. Birds chirped, and sunlight streamed onto her face. She rubbed her eyes and got up. After cleaning her bed, she went to take a shower.
Wrapped in a bathrobe, she came out, quickly dressed in her uniform, tied her hair in a ponytail-she never used a hairdryer-and applied kajal to her eyes.
She went downstairs and made herself Maggi to eat. After finishing, she left for school.
School-a place where, with friends, we can forget our worries, even if just for a while.
Yash, Karan, and Rohan rushed to the washroom to get ready. Yash's phone beeped. He checked it, typed a reply, and slipped it back into his pocket.
They walked to school, which was buzzing with the voices of students-giggling, gossiping, chatting.
As all the students gathered in the ground for the morning assembly, Shivani and Meera stood beside each other in the front row, being among the shorter students. Behind them stood the boys.
After the prayer, the principal's voice echoed:
"Students, as the academic year begins, we will be selecting our student leaders. Here are the positions: School Captain (Girl), School Captain (Boy), Discipline Leader, Cleanliness Leader, Sports Captain, and Class Leader.
Those who are interested can give their names. Remember, students must take their duties seriously. Leadership is not about wearing a badge-it's about responsibility."
Excitement rippled through the students. Chatter spread quickly.
Meera turned to Shivani. "Shivi, you should participate!"
Shivani shook her head. "No, no! I can't do all that."
Meera rolled her eyes. "I'm giving my name for Class Leader. I'll rule the class!"
Shivani giggled. "Tum bhi na!"
Yash overheard and smirked. "Chalo, chashmish ki yeh khwahish poori karne ka time aa gaya hai," he said mischievously.
Karan and Rohan looked at him. "Kya hua? Aise purani haveli wali smile kyun kar raha hai?"
They continued chatting and returned to class, where Shivani and Meera took their seats.
Just then, Mr. Sharma entered the classroom.
The first period was English class. Mr. Sharma started teaching the lesson. As he explained the chapter, some students were active, while others looked sleepy, as if they were listening to a story rather than a lesson.
Shivani focused on the lecture, taking notes and jotting down important points. Suddenly, the class was interrupted when the principal entered with a boy. He was tall and good-looking. The principal introduced him to the class.
The principal said, "He is new to our school. His name is Arnav Chauhan."
Arnav introduced himself, saying, "Hello everyone, I'm new here. I hope we all become friends."
Most of the students welcomed him, though some didn't.
Mr. Sharma then said, "Arnav, you can sit with Shivani. She's a brilliant student. If you need any help with notes, feel free to ask her."
He added, "Shivani, please help him with your notes." She nodded and replied, "Okay, sir."
Yash looked at them and muttered to himself, "Why is this guy sitting with Chashmish?" He rolled his eyes. "Godddd!"
Arnav smiled and extended his hand to Shivani. "Nice to meet you," he said.
Shivani simply nodded in return.
There was a brief pause as Arnav turned to Shivani.
"Hey, can you help me with the notes?" he asked.
Shivani nodded. "Sure."
She handed him the notes and continued focusing on her book.
Just then, the P.T. teacher, Miss Shreya, entered the class.
"All the students who want to give their names for school captain or other leadership positions, please come forward," she announced.
Students began volunteering their names. Shivani, however, stayed immersed in her book - she had no interest in leadership roles.
Yash, meanwhile, kept glancing at her, as if plotting something.
Suddenly, Yash raised his hand.
"Ma'am, I want to participate," he said.
The other students looked at him and made a playful "Ooooooh" sound, but he didn't react to them.
He smirked and looked directly at Shivani.
"I would like to nominate myself for school captain," he said
Confidently. "And I want the school girl leader to be Shivani Khanna."
Everyone turned to look at Shivani, who was visibly shocked.
Share your thoughts about this chapter
Your favourite moment.
Now what Shivani will do
Thank you♡♡
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