Before Rohit could ask anything further, Dhananjay’s voice came from the front seat.

"Ma’am, we have reached the location."

Rohit clicked his tongue in irritation and stared out the car window as the vehicle slowed to a stop near the temple entrance.

Damn it... why now, of all times?

Even though Riya had claimed Arya was the one obsessed with him, Rohit couldn’t fully believe it.

In his memories, Riya had always been the one closer to him. Arya was the type who acted indifferent unless something affected her business or personal space directly.

Yet he couldn’t completely dismiss the way Arya had hugged him last night while drunk, or the intense confrontation they had at the office earlier.

There was definitely more to the story, but he couldn’t press further now — not with so many people waiting outside.

A small gathering of staff members and local officials was already standing beneath the harsh afternoon sun.

Rohit stepped out alongside Riya and was instantly hit by the scorching heat. The sharp contrast between the cool air-conditioned interior of the car and the blazing temperature outside made it feel even worse. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Riya quickly pulled out a colorful portable umbrella from her purse and opened it over both of them.

As they walked toward the temple steps, local authorities and members of Riya’s staff began updating her in low, respectful voices.

"Madam, all arrangements have been made. We were only waiting for your arrival."

"Announcements have already been sent across the nearby five districts. Once passersby hear the loudspeakers, even more people are expected to gather."

Rohit glanced around quietly.

A large crowd had already begun forming near the premises.

Surprisingly, he felt a faint spark of curiosity — not out of religious devotion, but from a desire to understand the culture more deeply.

Most of the crowd consisted of women and young girls dressed neatly like typical middle-class families. The fact that so many had arrived despite the unbearable heat spoke volumes about their devotion.

Rohit found himself strangely intrigued by it.

Unlike most middle-class households, his own family had rarely participated in religious events. Raj had always discouraged such practices, believing they made powerful families appear primitive. Nor like there family felt like real family anyways.

Yet through his predecessor’s memories, Rohit had seen glimpses of something entirely different — his friends’ families participating in warm, traditional home worship.

That was something his own family had never truly possessed.

After the exhibition, his curiosity about Lord Shiva had only grown stronger, and today he wanted to see more.

However, despite all the hype surrounding the event, Rohit felt disappointed the moment he observed the actual management.

Loudspeakers crackled constantly, calling devotees toward the worship of Lord Shiva. With the growing sound of traffic that felt more like an irritation to ears.

People were expected to form proper lines, yet nobody seemed to know where to go or what to do. The confusion was plainly visible on their faces.

Apart from a few stern-looking local security guards, there was barely any proper guidance.

The entire thing felt less like incompetence and more like deliberate negligence.

Another thing quickly caught his attention.

A few men were taking advantage of the disorder to distribute pamphlets throughout the crowd — something that could have been easily avoided with proper organization.

One pamphlet flew through the air and landed near Rohit’s feet. It was an advertisement for a solar panel warehouse in the locality, urging people to contact them for deals.

Rohit glanced at Riya.

She was too busy with her own concern. So, it was hard to get in any judgement.

The officers quickly pushed the crowd aside and allowed only Rohit and Riya to proceed further ahead.

The temple itself was newly constructed — polished marble, modern architecture, and broad open corridors — yet the intricate carvings and vibrant deities still gave it a striking charm.

The most impressive sight was the massive white statue of Nandi kneeling faithfully before the sanctum as Shiva’s mount.

At the center stood an elevated shrine supported by intricately carved pillars, reachable only by a long flight of stairs.

Inside rested a beautifully sculpted black Shiva Linga.

As they climbed the stairs and entered the shaded sanctum, Riya folded the umbrella and slipped it back into her purse.

A pandit tending a small sacred fire looked up at them warmly.

"You two make a beautiful couple," he said kindly while offering incense into the flames.

Riya’s fingers tightened slightly around the strap of her purse.

She didn’t respond immediately.

A brief, awkward silence settled between them.

Rohit glanced sideways at her, noticing the subtle tension and emberassment in her posture, though he didn’t think too deeply about it. Despite being clearly younger, his height and overall demeanor could easily have caused the misunderstanding.

The pandit gestured politely toward two velvet cushions placed before the Shiva Linga.

"Please sit," he said warmly.

Riya lowered herself gracefully onto the cushion on the left.

After a brief pause, she spoke softly.

"He’s my younger brother... adopted, actually."

The pandit’s eyebrows lifted slightly in surprise, though he quickly smiled again without commenting further.

"Ah, I see. Still, it is good that both of you came together to seek Lord Shiva’s blessings."

Rohit paid close attention to every detail — the way the priest poured ghee over the firewood, the rhythmic chanting of mantras, and the rising flames. Though he couldn’t understand a single word of the Sanskrit, he observed everything with quiet focus.

What truly surprised him was the serene, peaceful expression on the priest’s face despite the intense heat radiating from the fire pit so close to them. The temperature inside the sanctum was stifling.

Even Riya, who was trying her best to maintain composure, looked uncomfortable. Her cheeks had flushed a deep pink, and sweat glistened on her skin, just like his.

The ceremony continued for over thirty minutes. Finally, the priest looked at them and said, "Please tell me your names and gotra for the sankalp(prayer)."

Riya replied smoothly, "Riya Dadani Singhania, Kashyap gotra."

She then tried to speak for Rohit, "And his name is Rohit Singhania. His gotra would be Bhargav."

The priest gently shook his head. "No, his parental gotra will not be counted. For men, in Hinduism, gotra is accountable only by birth. But don’t worry — his worldly name will also suffice."

Rohit felt a sharp pinch in his chest at the realization that there was something called gotra that others had, while he had no true gotra. Once again, the history of his biological parents surfaced in his mind. ’Where the hell are those papers?’

Before he could dwell on it further, the priest continued, "For today’s puja, you may both offer milk and bel leaves to the Shiva Linga. It is said that sincere prayers to Lord Shiva can remove all obstacles from one’s path."

Riya smiled softly and nodded. She reached for the small silver pot of milk with careful, composed movements and began offering it gracefully.

Rohit followed along mechanically, pouring the milk while hiding the storm raging inside him. In his heart, he offered a silent prayer:

Not like any god has ever listened to me before... but if you truly exist, help me solve the mystery behind Ragini’s accident.

He immediately mocked himself inwardly.

’What am I even thinking? If gods truly existed, mankind wouldn’t have been left alone to suffer like this. In the end, only a person’s own efforts mattered.’

Just then, his phone rang.

Rohit glanced at the screen.

Ragini.

He shook his head lightly.’... mere coincidence.’

He turned to the priest and said politely, "If the puja is complete, can we leave? I have an important call to attend, if you don’t mind."

Riya looked visibly displeased, but the priest smiled kindly and nodded. "Yes, yes... Shiva sees everything. He will understand."

Rohit quickly stepped out of the sanctum and walked toward a relatively quiet corner of the premises, away from the loudspeakers and crowd. He answered the call.

The screen showed Ragini, along with two other elegant women dressed in beautiful sarees. All three carried the same mature charm — it was hard to tell who was older or who was younger. ’Damn... three of them’, Rohit thought.

Before he could even speak properly, the camera angle jerked violently as the phone seemed to get snatched amidst laughter and playful struggling.

Only after a few seconds did Ragini finally regain control of the device.

"How are you, my son?" she asked coldly. "Or were you too busy to remember calling your mother?"

Rohit felt a pang of guilt. He had been so busy worrying about her safety and running around the city that he hadn’t called even once.

But he wasn’t about to show weakness in front of three beautiful women. He turned on his charm with a smirk.

"My mistake, darling." He turned slightly away from the temple while speaking lazily. "Here I thought you’d be busy reconnecting with your family after so many years. I’m just glad you finally remembered to call me first."

The two women beside her burst into laughter while Ragini nearly choked in disbelief.

"Rohit?!"

The woman sitting on the right immediately teased, "Darling? Is he trying to replace your husband already?"

The one on the left smiled with open amusement. "He’s quite charming. We should’ve met him earlier."

Ragini slowly regained her usual composed expression, though her eyes had turned noticeably colder.

"I see," she said calmly. "My absence has made your tongue much smoother. It seems I’ll need to educate your manners more thoroughly once I return."

Rohit grinned shamelessly.

"Oh please, Mom. I’m sure I’ll learn very enthusiastically."

The light-hearted banter continued.

Rohit learned that the woman on the right was Ragini’s third brother’s wife, and the one on the left was her youngest sister.

They were currently shopping for jewelry together in Gujarat when Ragini had decided to call him.

They had noticed how much warmer and more lively Ragini had become lately — almost like her old self before marriage.

And according to them, the reason behind that change was him.

Her adopted son, who had somehow managed to pull her out of the shell created after the marriage, and now her relatives were curious to meet the mysterious boy who had changed Ragini so much.

Ragini also mentioned that Arya had already informed her about the incident involving Akhil.

She admitted she was proud that Rohit had protected his friend, though she immediately warned him not to become arrogant over it.

"Luck does not favor people every time they need it most," she reminded him calmly.

Rohit almost laughed at the irony.

Luck?

If only they knew how carefully he had manipulated the situation behind the scenes for his own objectives.

Soon, Ragini asked, "Where are you right now?"

"I’m with Riya. We came for a temple visit."

The moment he mentioned Riya’s name, he noticed a brief flicker in Ragini’s expression.

Very small.

Very quick.

But rohit noticed it.

Though she masked it almost immediately and simply added, "Don’t stay under the sun too long, son. You’ll get tanned."

The sister-in-law immediately joined in teasing.

"Yes, and then you won’t find a beautiful wife."

Her younger sister added playfully, "No worries, your aunt is always here for you if that happens."

That alone made Rohit smile faintly.

Honestly, there were very few things more enjoyable than casually flirting with attractive mature women — especially women born into old royal bloodlines.

As the call ended, a mischievous thought crossed his mind.

Gujarat, huh? I should find an excuse to visit them before she returns.

Just then, a sudden commotion erupted from deeper inside the temple premises.

The noise immediately caught Rohit’s attention.