The tension in the room was so thick it could be felt, but for Nidhi, the world had suddenly gone silent. She stood like a statue, her heart hammering against her ribs as her mind reeled from the shock.

"Pelli aa? Adhi aa Hitler tho naa?" she whispered to herself, her inner world crumbling.

("Marriage? And that too with that Hitler?")

Lakshmi and Lokesh exchanged a bewildered glance before turning to Ramakrishna. Even Syamala looked at her husband with wide eyes, silently asking where this sudden proposal had come from. The silence stretched until Lokesh finally cleared his throat.

"But what about Devarsh? I mean... Nidhi is younger than Divya. What will people talk about if we marry them off together?" Lakshmi asked, her voice tinged with motherly concern.

Ramakrishna didn't waver. "We don't care about what people talk, Lokesh. If you are ok with that, then let's decide the marriage dates for both weddings."Lokesh and Lakshmi looked at each other again.

They had known Devarsh since he was a child they knew his character was golden, even if he was a bit stern.

They had once vaguely discussed marrying Divya to Devarsh, but life had taken a different turn. Now, seeing the possibility of both daughters staying in the same house, they felt a surge of hope.

"If it's ok for Nidhi, then it is ok for us," Lokesh declared.

Everyone turned their gaze toward Nidhi. She was still frozen, her eyes glazed over as if she were in a trance. Divya stepped forward, shaking her sister's arm gently.

"Chinnu..." Divya called out softly. "Chinnu!"

"Haa!" Nidhi gasped, suddenly snapping back to reality. She blinked, seeing everyone in the room watching her with bated breath.

Ramakrishna stepped closer, his voice kind. "Are you ok with marrying Devarsh, Nidhi?"

Nidhi looked at Divya and then at Arjun. Their eyes were filled with desperate hope—they knew their happiness now rested entirely on her shoulders. She looked at her parents, seeing the silent plea in their eyes for a united, happy family.

She took a deep breath, her voice small but steady. "Ok... I will marry Hitler... no, no! Devarsh!" she corrected herself hurriedly, her face flushing.

The entire room let out a collective gasp of relief, as if a heavy cloud of tension had suddenly evaporated.

Wide smiles broke out on every face. Lokesh and Ramakrishna laughed and pulled each other into a tight hug, while Syamala and Lakshmi embraced, tears of joy sparkling in their eyes.

Divya rushed to Nidhi, throwing her arms around her. "Thank you, thank you so much, Nidhi!" she whispered, squeezing her tight.

Nidhi stood there, her mind still reeling, feeling like she was caught in a whirlwind. Arjun walked over next, his expression one of pure gratitude. He wrapped Nidhi in a brotherly hug.

"Thank you, Nidhi," Arjun said earnestly. "My brother is a gem. He will take care of you, I promise."

Syamala brought over a plate of traditional sweets, insisting everyone take a bite to seal the promise. As they fed each other, the laughter returned to the house. They were no longer just neighbors and friends they were officially becoming relatives.

The tension in the living room was thick, even after Lokesh and Lakshmi's family had departed.

Syamala sat on the sofa, her heart full of joy, yet a nagging doubt was consuming her. She turned toward Ramakrishna, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Devarsh didn't agree for a single match we showed him. How will he agree to marry Nidhi?" she asked, searching her husband's face for an answer.

Ramakrishna didn't look worried. He simply leaned back with a knowing smirk. "He will."

It was late evening when the front door opened. Devarsh walked in, looking exhausted from a long day at the office. After refreshing himself, he joined the family at the dining table, the scent of home-cooked food filling the air.

He looked at Arjun, who was sitting quietly across from him."What happened? Did Atthaya and Mavaya agree to the match?" Devarsh asked, piling rice onto his plate.

Arjun nodded, a small, nervous smile playing on his lips.

"Oh, congratulations man!" Devarsh said, genuinely happy for his brother.

Suddenly, Ramakrishna cleared his throat, the sound sharp in the quiet room. "We decided to get you married along with Arjun," he announced.

Devarsh didn't even pause his eating. His voice was flat, detached. "Dad, I already said I don't want to get married."

"But Arjun's marriage depends on you," Ramakrishna countered.

Devarsh stopped mid-bite. He set his spoon down and looked seriously at his father, his eyes narrowing. "Come straight to the point, Dad."

Ramakrishna didn't blink. "We fixed your marriage with Nidhi."

The room went silent. Ramakrishna let the words hang in the air before dropping the final ultimatum. "If you marry Nidhi, Divya and Arjun's marriage will happen. Or else, no."

Devarsh's eyes widened, and he suddenly began to cough violently, the food catching in his throat. Syamala rushed to his side, rubbing his back and quickly handing him a glass of water.

"Slowly, Devarsh, drink this," she fussed.

After a moment, Devarsh wiped his mouth, looking at his father in disbelief. "Dad... is this a joke?"

"No, I'm serious," Ramakrishna replied, his expression stone-cold.

Arjun leaned forward, his voice pleading. "Annaya, please say ok to the marriage. You know Nidhi... she's a very good girl. Please."

Syamala joined in, her voice soft but insistent. "Say ok, Devarsh. For the family."

Devarsh looked at his younger brother's hopeful face, then at his parents. He stood up abruptly, his chair scraping loudly against the floor.

"Ok. I will marry her," he said shortly. Without another word, he turned on his heel and walked straight to his room.

Arjun and Syamala sat frozen, their mouths hanging open in total shock. The silence in the dining room was deafening.

"Amma... it's real, right? Not a dream?" Arjun whispered, looking at the empty doorway where his brother had just stood.

"Just like that? He just said ok?" Syamala added, her voice full of disbelief.

She turned her gaze toward her husband. Ramakrishna didn't say a word he simply wore that same mysterious smirk, looking perfectly satisfied with the chaos he had just orchestrated.

The silence of the house settled around Devarsh as he retreated to the sanctuary of his room. He didn't turn on the lights instead, he let the moonlight guide him to his bed.

He lay back, the coolness of the sheets a sharp contrast to the heat of the conversation downstairs.

Slowly, he reached for his phone and opened a hidden folder. There she was. A candid photo of Nidhi from a family gathering a few months ago—laughing, her eyes bright with a mischief that always seemed to challenge him.

He looked at her face, and the "Hitler" persona he wore like armor began to melt away.

He had admired her since they were children. To the world, he was the strict figure who made her do her homework and scolded her for her carelessness.

But to him, every lecture was a shield. He remembered the days at school when he would linger in the hallways, watching her from a distance.

If anyone—any boy—even dared to look at her with the wrong intention or move toward her to hurt her, Devarsh was there.

He didn't just warn themhe was dangerous. He had dealt with her bullies before they could even get close enough to see her shadow. He hit them hard and fast, ensuring they never looked in her direction again.

His type of love was different. It wasn't soft words or flowers it was the constant teasing, the sharp scoldings, and the quiet protection she never even knew she had. He pushed her to be better because he couldn't stand the thought of her failing.

A rare, genuine smile broke across Devarsh's face as he stared at the screen. He thought about his father's ultimatum and his own immediate "Ok." They all thought he was doing it for Arjun. They thought he was sacrificing his freedom for his brother's happiness.

Let them think that.

"Sare... chuddam," he whispered to the empty room.

("Alright... let's see.")

He closed his eyes, his mind drifting to the future. In just a matter of days, the girl who called him "Hitler" behind his back would be his wife. she would be right here, sleeping on this very bed, under his roof and his protection, forever.

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The clock on the wall ticked steadily, but for Nidhi, the room had transformed into a battlefield of numbers.

sitting at her study table. The air was heavy, smelling of old paper and the terrifying scent of Devarsh's expensive cologne. He was sitting right next to her, a shadow looming over her shoulder. His eyes weren't full of the love he secretly carried in the dream, they were cold and filled with a teacher's sharp fury.

He tapped a finger rhythmically on a complex calculation. "Idi cheyyi," he commanded.

("Do this.")

Nidhi's hand shook as she scribbled the numbers, her brain freezing under his gaze. She handed him the answer sheet, her heart hammering against her ribs. She didn't dare lift her head.

Suddenly, a sharp pain flared as Devarsh's fingers captured her ear, twisting it with a firm grip. Nidhi winced, her eyes watering.

"14 multiplied by 4 is what?" he barked.

"24!" Nidhi blurted out in a panic.

He twisted harder, a dark scowl on his face. "At least tell me what is 5 times 6?"

"25!" she squeaked.

The twist became a sharp wrench. Nidhi let out a pained cry. "Please don't... it's hurting... please!" she begged, Devarsh showing no mercy.

She felt a hard slap land right on her hand—

With a violent jerk, Nidhi bolted upright in her bed, gasping for air. Her hand was stinging, and her heart was racing at a hundred miles an hour.

"Em ayyindhi? Endhuku ala please please antunnav?" Divya asked, sitting up beside her and looking concerned.

("What happened? Why are you saying 'please please' like that?")

Nidhi blinked, the moonlight from the window grounding her back in reality. It was just a dream. A nightmare.

"Em ledhu akka," Nidhi whispered, her voice shaky.

("It's nothing, Akka.")

Divya handed her a glass of water. Nidhi drank it in one gulp, the cool liquid calming her nerves. She lay back down, pulling the blanket up to her chin, but sleep was far away.

"Ee Hitler nannu dreams lo kuda vadhalatledhu," she murmured to herself, her eyes fixed on the ceiling.

("This Hitler isn't even leaving me alone in my dreams.")

She turned to her side, her mind racing. "I will talk to him tomorrow. Maybe if he didn't accept this wedding, then Uncle will just do Akka and Arjun's wedding anyway," she thought. It was a perfect plan. If he was the one to say no, she wouldn't be the villain.

"Will he say no to the wedding?" she whispered into the dark. "Yeah, of course. He hates me. He will definitely say no to me. He always gets angry with me he will not accept this wedding."

A small, mischievous smile played on her lips at the thought of being free from the "Hitler." But then, her mind traitorously drifted to his face—the sharp jawline, the intense eyes, the way he looked in a formal shirt.

"But he is handsome... should I marry him?" she wondered. Then she shook her head vigorously against the pillow. "No, no! He will make me do maths on our first night! He's not romantic... every time grumpy."

"Hey, sleep!" Divya muttered sleepily, sensing her sister's restlessness.

Nidhi shut her eyes tight, praying that if she did dream again, there wouldn't be a single multiplication table in sight.

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