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As Aryan stepped out of the study, his heart sank at the sound of loud voices echoing from the hall. His pace quickened, and with each step, the muffled shouting became clearer. By the time he reached the hall, the entire family was gathered, and at the center of it all stood Thakur Pratap Singh, his face red with fury as he yelled at Rajeev, his youngest son.

"Yeh kis tarah ke bachche pala hai tumne, Rajeev? Ek ladki ka yeh haal hoga meri izzat ke ghar mein, maine sapne mein bhi nahi socha tha!" Thakur Pratap’s voice boomed.

(What kind of children have you raised, Rajeev? That a girl of this house would bring such shame to my name—I could never have imagined this even in my dreams!)

Rajeev stood there, silent and pale, unable to meet his father’s blazing eyes. The other family members were either trying to intervene or stood frozen, unsure of what to say. Aryan scanned the room quickly, and his worst fear was confirmed when he saw Abhinav, guilt written all over his face, standing near his phone, which was placed on the table. The family had discovered the viral video.

Aryan stepped forward swiftly, his voice calm but commanding. "Dadaji, ek minute," he said, placing himself between his grandfather and his chachu.

(Dadaji, just a minute.)

Thakur Pratap turned to Aryan, his glare unyielding. "Aryan! Tumhare chachu Or uski beti ne is ghar ki izzat mitti mein mila di hai. Ek ladki ke character par sawal utha hai, aur tum keh rahe ho ek minute?" he roared.

(Aryan! Your uncle has destroyed the honor of this house. A girl’s character has been questioned, and you’re asking for a minute?)

"Dadaji, mujhe pata hai yeh kitna bada issue hai. Par gusse mein faisle karna galat hoga," Aryan said firmly, his voice steady.

(Dadaji, I understand how serious this issue is. But making decisions in anger will only make things worse.)

The room fell silent for a moment as everyone turned their attention to Aryan. He turned to Abhinav and asked, "Yeh kaise hua? Video kisne dekha aur kaise family ke saamne aaya?"

(How did this happen? Who saw the video, and how did it reach the family?)

Abhinav hesitated before replying, "Bhai, maine sab handle karne ki koshish ki thi. Lekin kisi ne anonymous account se family ke WhatsApp group mein video bhej diya."

(Bhai, I tried to handle everything. But someone sent the video anonymously to the family’s WhatsApp group.)

Aryan clenched his jaw. The situation had spiraled out of control faster than he had anticipated. He turned back to Thakur Pratap, his tone respectful but firm. "Dadaji, mujhe bas ek din dijiye. Main is mamle ko sambhal lunga. Jo kuch hua hai, woh galat hai, par humari responsibility hai ki Kavya ko support karein. Uska character pe sawal uthana nahi chahiye."

(Dadaji, give me just one day. I will handle this matter. What happened was wrong, but it’s our responsibility to support Kavya. We shouldn’t question her character.)

Thakur Pratap’s eyes narrowed, but he stayed silent, signaling Aryan to continue.

"Aur jo log is viral video ke peeche hain, unhe hum chhodenge nahi," Aryan assured, his tone icy.

(And those responsible for this viral video will not be spared.)

Seeing Aryan’s determination, Thakur Pratap reluctantly nodded. "Ek din, Aryan. Sirf ek din," he said before turning and leaving the hall.

(One day, Aryan. Just one day.)

As the family began dispersing, whispering amongst themselves, Aryan turned to Raghav, who had just entered the room. "Hume abhi ek plan banana hoga," he said quietly.