A week later, the haveli was a powder keg waiting to explode. Shashwat had kept his word. The announcement was made with the audacity of a king asserting his absolute right. Rani, the former maid, was to be his wife. The official reason given was complex—a hastily fabricated tale of an ancient promise and Rani’s indispensable role in raising his firstborn son, Trishan.

The family was in open revolt. Priya, having nursed her secret fear and rage since the rooftop incident, now faced public humiliation. Her engagement to Shashwat was instantly dissolved, a mockery made worse by the fact that she was still nursing the baby girl who was now technically the ward of the household, not the heir's true sister. The elders, led by Shashwat’s furious father, threatened disinheritance.