Chapter 5: Wo Nazar Jo Thehri Thi

The sun dipped gently over Udaipur, casting a golden glow on the sandstone palaces and bustling bazaars. Sitara had been dying to escape the palace walls for a while, and finally today, she had her moment.

“Kavya, let’s go to the old market

Sitara didn’t know what to say. She was lost — caught between her desire to follow her own heart and the burden of family loyalty. market today. Mujhe kuch silver jewelry dekhni hai… aur tumhare favorite momos bhi milenge,” Sitara said excitedly, tying her dupatta while grabbing her phone.

But just as they were about to leave, her elder brother, , stepped into the hallway.

“Sitara!” his voice was firm but affectionate. “Kahan ja rahi ho?”

Sitara paused. “Bhaiya, market. Kavya bhi mere saath hai.”

Veer narrowed his eyes slightly. “Guards ke bina kahi nahi jaogi. Aur agar mana kiya, toh jo chahiye woh main ghar bulwa deta hoon.”

Sitara crossed her arms stubbornly. “Bhaiya please… main bachi nahi hoon. Mujhe crowd mein guards ke saath uncomfortable feel hota hai. Kavya mere saath hai na, sambhal legi.”

Kavya nodded with a cheeky smile. “Main full ninja mode mein hoon, bhaiya. Promise, kuch nahi hoga.”

he sighed, defeated by his little sister’s stubborn glare. “Theek hai. Lekin phone on rakhna.”

Sitara beamed. “Thank you bhaiya!”

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A little while later…

The streets of the old market buzzed with life — colors, chatter, honking scooters, and the tantalizing aroma of street food.

Sitara moved from stall to stall, admiring bangles, jhumkas, and embroidered dupattas, while Kavya kept teasing her.

“Tu abhi bhi same taste wali hai, Sitara. Bas ethnic, bas royal… kabhi kuch hatke try kar,” she said, holding up a nose ring.

“No chance! Mujhe apna style pasand hai.” Sitara laughed, flicking her braid over her shoulder.

Just then, not far from the market, a sleek black SUV cruised down the narrow street. Inside sat Abhay Rathore, eyes on his phone, voice low and calculated.

Aryan, sitting beside him, lazily looked out the window, sipping his energy drink.

And then—

He choked.

“Bhai!” he shouted, jerking forward, “Bhai dekho! Dekh! Sitara!!”

The name hit like a gunshot.

Abhay’s fingers froze mid-air. His head slowly turned toward the window.

And there she was — laughing, twirling a bangle in her hand, her dupatta flowing in the wind, oblivious to the world. Her eyes sparkled in a way Abhay hadn’t seen before… or maybe never expected to see in real life.

He couldn’t hear her voice. But it didn’t matter.

Time stopped.

Aryan smirked. “Kya scene hai bhai… yeh toh wahi hai na? Udaipur wali princess?”

Abhay didn’t respond. His expression was unreadable. But his knuckles had gone white, clutching his phone.

“Rok gari?” Aryan teased.

Abhay’s jaw clenched. “Nahi. Abhi nahi.”

But his eyes… they didn’t leave her. Not for a second.

Inside the market, Sitara paused, suddenly feeling like someone was watching her. She turned around, scanning the road. But the car had already passed.

She shook her head. “Weird… kuch ajeeb sa feel ho raha tha.”

Kavya shrugged. “Ho sakta hai kisi ne pehchaan liya ho. Tu ab rani ban chuki hai, madam.”

Sitara rolled her eyes, unaware that a storm was quietly building... a storm with the name Abhay Rathore.