Meera spent the entire next day thinking about one thing.
The locked room.
No matter how much she tried distracting herself, her mind kept returning to it.
The photographs. The piano. Aarav’s face.
Especially his face.
For the first time since their marriage, she had seen something beyond the cold, untouchable businessman everyone feared.
She had seen pain.
And now curiosity had become unbearable.
By evening, the mansion buzzed with preparations for the charity gala.
Servants rushed everywhere.
Designers had come. Jewelry boxes were opened. Phones rang nonstop.
Meanwhile, Meera stood near her mirror, glaring at the dark blue saree laid on her bed.
Leela smiled nervously.
“You’ll look beautiful, ma’am.”
“That’s not the problem.”
Leela hesitated.
“Then what is?”
Meera sighed.
“The problem is your boss.”
Leela wisely said nothing.
Good choice.
—
At exactly seven, a knock came.
Meera opened the door.
And forgot how to speak for two full seconds.
Aarav Khanna stood outside in a perfectly tailored black suit.
Sharp jaw. Calm eyes. Cold expression.
Unfairly attractive.
Annoying.
His gaze moved over her for exactly one second.
Then two.
Then three.
Aarav rarely showed emotion.
But this time—
his silence said enough.
Meera suddenly felt very aware of herself.
The saree. The loose curls. The small diamond earrings.
Finally Aarav spoke.
“We’re late.”
That was it.
No compliment. Nothing.
Meera narrowed her eyes.
“You could at least pretend basic manners exist.”
Aarav raised one eyebrow.
“You look presentable.”
Meera stared.
“Presentable?”
“Yes.”
“That’s your compliment?”
“It wasn’t a compliment.”
Unbelievable.
She walked past him.
“I cannot stand you.”
Aarav’s deep voice followed behind her.
“I’m aware.”
—
The gala venue was dazzling.
Media cameras flashed aggressively the moment they arrived.
Before Meera could react—
Aarav’s hand settled lightly on her lower back.
Her body froze.
Warm.
Steady.
Protective.
The touch looked casual to outsiders.
But Meera felt every inch of it.
His voice lowered near her ear.
“Smile.”
Her breath caught.
“Why?”
“Because cameras are watching.”
She clenched her jaw.
“I hate this.”
“I know.”
Then, unexpectedly—
his thumb moved slightly against her back.
A tiny movement.
But enough to calm her racing nerves.
The gesture confused her.
Why did he care?
Before she could think further, reporters crowded closer.
“Mr. Khanna! Look here!”
“How’s married life?”
“Mrs. Khanna, how does it feel joining the Khanna family?”
Meera forced a smile.
Aarav remained composed beside her.
Perfect.
Untouchable.
Then one reporter asked—
“Sir, does your wife know about Siya Malhotra?”
Everything stopped.
Aarav’s hand on her back turned rigid.
The air changed instantly.
Dangerous.
Cold.
Even reporters seemed to realize they crossed a line.
Meera slowly looked at Aarav.
His face had gone completely unreadable.
Which somehow felt scarier.
“Interview over,” he said.
No raised voice.
No anger.
Yet everyone stepped back immediately.
He took Meera’s hand and walked away.
Fast.
Silent.
Tense.
Only when they reached a private hallway did Meera pull her hand free.
“What was that?”
Aarav said nothing.
Meera’s patience snapped.
“No. Enough.”
He stopped walking.
She stepped in front of him.
“Who was Siya?”
Silence.
“Aarav.”
Still silence.
Her frustration exploded.
“Why does everyone know except me? I’m your wife.”
His jaw tightened.
“A wife in name only.”
The words hit sharply.
Meera stared.
“So that means I deserve nothing? No truth?”
Aarav looked away.
Big mistake.
She noticed.
Because for the first time—
he wasn’t avoiding the question.
He was avoiding the answer.
“Was she your fiancée?”
Silence confirmed everything.
Meera swallowed.
“She died before your wedding… didn’t she?”
A muscle moved in Aarav’s jaw.
“Yes.”
One word.
Heavy enough to suffocate the air.
Meera softened slightly.
“How?”
Silence again.
Then—
“Car accident.”
Short. Cold. Final.
But she knew.
He was lying.
Or hiding something.
Before she could push further, Rajveer appeared.
Rajveer Khanna smiled smoothly.
“There you are.”
Meera didn’t miss the irritation in Aarav’s eyes.
Rajveer’s gaze shifted between them.
“Everything alright?”
“No,” Meera said instantly.
Aarav looked at her sharply.
Rajveer chuckled.
“Ah. Newlywed disagreements.”
Then his smile changed.
Barely.
Almost invisible.
But Meera caught it.
“Curiosity can be dangerous in this family, Meera.”
Her entire body went still.
The exact same warning.
Again.
From another Khanna.
Not coincidence.
Her instincts screamed.
Something was very wrong.
Rajveer walked away.
Meera slowly turned toward Aarav.
“Why did he say that?”
Aarav’s eyes darkened.
“What exactly are you searching for?”
“The truth.”
“And what if the truth destroys everything?”
She held his gaze.
“Then maybe everything deserves to be destroyed.”
For the first time—
real anger flashed in Aarav’s eyes.
He stepped closer.
Too close.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Then tell me.”
“No.”
“Why?”
His voice dropped.
Because I can’t lose another person.
The words almost came.
Almost.
But instead he said—
“Because some doors stay locked for a reason.”
Meera froze.
The locked room.
The words hit instantly.
This wasn’t just about Siya.
This was about something much bigger.
Something hidden.
Something dangerous.
And now she knew one thing for certain.
The locked room didn’t contain memories.
It contained secrets.
And someone in the Khanna family was terrified of them being exposed.
End of Chapter 5
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