It’s been a month since Vansh has gained consciousness. Everything seems peaceful in the Ahuja mansion. Devisha's mom decided to do a grah shanti (house peace) havan (ritual) so that all the problems from their lives would vanish.

Devisha did not inform her parents about Adwait yet.

Devisha has been preparing all her presentations and designs to pitch to the investors. She is pretty confident that she would get the best investors and advisors.

Today, Devisha is going to a company for pitching her business idea.

Devisha steps out of her car in front of a big building. She enters inside and goes to the reception.

"Hi, good morning, I am Ms. Devisha Ahuja. I am here for pitching my business to the investors," Devisha says, her voice professional and controlled.

"Wait a minute, ma'am, let me check," the receptionist says, looking at the computer.

"Yes, ma'am, right there. Please go to the 4th floor. You are the first one to present the presentation," the receptionist informs, smiling warmly.

"Thank you," Devisha says and enters the elevator.

The elevator door opens with a ding sound, and Devisha steps out, seeing a lot of other people also standing there, looking nervous, some typing on laptops or scribbling things in their notebooks.

Devisha smiles seeing the atmosphere. She takes a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves.

"Ms. Ahuja," a person calls out.

"It's me," Devisha replies, coming forward.

"Ma'am, this way, please," the person says.

Devisha follows the person.

Devisha slowly pulls up the door of the room full of new faces. She scans the crowd when her eyes stop on a familiar face.

"Devisha, what are you doing? Stop imagining him," Devisha scolds herself mentally and blinks her eyes a few times, thinking that the face would change, but it doesn’t.

Devisha takes a deep breath and tries to calm down her nerves.

"Good morning, everyone. I am Devisha Ahuja. I would like to thank you for giving me this opportunity. Can I start the presentation?" Devisha asks, her voice full of enthusiasm and positivity.

She starts explaining things to everyone with skills, as if she has been doing this for years. She describes her plan about the business, including pricing, designs, and employment.

"Ms. Ahuja, isn't your business too early for investment? It’s like we are investing in a plan and not a company," a person asks Devisha.

"Sir, actually, I know you are right. I don't have any revenues for you people to be ensured that I would give you returns, but I would need investors currently to launch my brand. So, I am here," Devisha replies, smiling.

"Are there any more queries?" Devisha asks, and a man raises his hand.

"Ms. Ahuja, aap single hai kya?" (Ms. Ahuja, are you single?) A man asks, grinning, and everyone else laughs at it.

"Sir, meri personal life se iss business ka koi lena dena nahi hai." (Sir, my personal life has nothing to do with this business.) Devisha says, controlling herself from lashing out at this person.

"Arre, aise kaise lena dena nahi hai? Bhai lena dena hai, kya pata aapki shaadi hui ho, toh fir mera kya faida aap mein invest karne ka?" (Oh, how can it not matter? Maybe you’re married, then what’s the point of me investing in you?) the man says.

"Sir, aap mujh mein nahi, meri company mein invest karenge, aur achha hi hoga ki aap na karein." (Sir, you will invest in my company, not in me, and it would be better if you don’t.) Devisha replies, her eyes blazing with anger.

But suddenly, a sharp voice cuts the laughter of all the people there.

"Enough!" Adwait's voice booms through the room.

"Mr. Yadav, this thing must reach your wife, don’t you think?" Adwait says, his voice full of anger.

"Mr. Agarwal, aisi ladkiyon ko defend karne ki koi zarurat nahi hai, ye hoti hi aisi hai." (Mr. Agarwal, there’s no need to defend such girls, they are just like this.) Mr. Yadav says.

"Aapko kaise pata ki woh kaisi ladki hai, jo aap judge karne lag gaye?" (How do you know what kind of girl she is that you’re judging her?) Adwait says, his voice full of sarcasm.

"Shakal se hi pata chal raha hai. Itni sundar hai aur abhi tak shaadi nahi ki, na hi engagement, 29 ki hone ke bawajood." (You can tell by her face. She’s so beautiful and still not married, not even engaged, even though she’s 29.) Mr. Yadav says, looking at Devisha with disgust.

"Agar aapne Devisha ke baare mein aur ek shabd bola, toh main aapko zinda gaad dunga." (If you say one more word about Devisha, I’ll bury you alive.) Adwait says, his anger rising.

Devisha feels the flutter of hope seeing that Adwait still cares, but realizing that they can't be together makes her heart sink.

She runs out of the room, tears in her eyes.

Devisha

As soon as I sit in the car, I break down completely.

"Aisi ladkiyon se aise hi baat karni chahiye. Besharm hai ye ladki." (This is how such girls should be treated. Shameless girl.)

"Besharm, besharm, besharm." (Shameless, shameless, shameless.)

I try to stop these voices, but they don’t.

The pain in my head is increasing. I can't take it anymore.

These are the taunts I have been hearing since my teenage years.

It should never affect me, but they do affect me. No matter how much I try, these taunts haunt me so much every single day.

Once I reach home, I go to my room and sleep on my bed.

I need to clear my mind out. I can’t be weak. What if this round for raising investors was a failure? I would do it again.

Making a business is not so easy anyways. I should ignore everyone around and focus on the bigger goal of my life. My dream—the one I’ve been dreaming about for years.

I don’t need anyone else to help me out for it. I can do it on my own.

I am capable of it. I am ready for it.

---

Adwait

As soon as Devisha entered the room, my breath got stuck in my mouth. Seeing her after one month was peaceful. It felt like all the pain of my life vanished just in a second. I felt alive. My heart started beating at a faster rate, as if it would explode. She looked at my direction, blinking her eyes a few times to confirm that I was real. But then she looked away. She didn’t even glance at my direction once. But it's okay. I deserve it all. The pain, I deserve it all.

Devisha's project was so nice that I would definitely want to invest, but I can’t. I promised myself not to mess around with the Ahuja’s anymore.

I smile, looking at how confident my girl was while explaining her plan. I so want her to get good investments.

As soon as she finished her presentation, these stupid people started insulting her.

I was not able to take it anymore. She is the most pure woman I have ever met, and here these people are calling her names. I was shouting at these people when Devisha ran out of the room crying.

I so wanted to follow her and comfort her, but I cannot do it.

"Arre Adwait, itna serious kya le rahe ho? Inka hamesha ka hai." (Hey Adwait, why are you taking this so seriously? This is how they always are.) one of the men says to me.

"Wahi toh, hamesha ka hai. Inka yeh natak, koi ladki ki success bardasht nahi kar pata. Inka male ego." (Exactly, it's always the same. They can never handle a girl’s success. It’s their male ego.) I say, my voice growing louder.

"Tum bas iske liye hi stand kyu le rahe ho?" (Why are you taking a stand just for her?) another man says.

"Meri marzi par agar aage se tum logon ki aisi harkat ke baare mein mujhe pata chala toh mujhse bura koi nahi hoga, and I mean it." (It’s my choice, if I find out about any such behavior from you people, there’s no one worse than me, and I mean it.) I say, struggling to keep my voice steady but managing it anyway.

But this Yadav is definitely going to face some consequences now after talking bad about my girl. No one can get away like this.

Once the meeting was over, I make my way out of the office. As soon as I step out of the building, I call my PA.

"I want all the illegal stuff Mr. Yadav does in the news by tomorrow morning. His business should be nothing tomorrow," I say.

"And also, I am sending you some video. It should also be there in the news," I add before cutting the call after giving him the instructions.