The Invitation — A Family Affair
It was Rudra's cousin Neelam's wedding in Noida — a grand, three-day affair with hundreds of guests, decorated lawns, and the entire Sharma family in attendance.
When Rudra told Ruhi about it, she hesitated."Your whole family will be there?"
"Yes," he said, watching her carefully. "You don't have to come if it makes you uncomfortable."
Ruhi shook her head slowly."No. I want to come.Because sooner or later, I'll have to face the world you were raised in."
She didn't say it out loud,but her heart whispered:"…and the world that might not want me in it."
🚘 The Arrival — Glitter and Glass Walls
The venue looked like something out of a dream — golden drapes, crystal chandeliers, live shehnai players at the gate.
Ruhi arrived with Simran and Aarav.
She wore a simple green lehenga with silver detailing — elegant, understated. She didn't try to match the sparkle around her.
Because she didn't need to.
She just needed to be herself.
But as they entered, Ruhi noticed the glances.The whispered exchanges.The eyes that lingered too long — not admiring, but assessing.
Rudra's aunts smiled thinly.Some relatives avoided eye contact altogether.
No one said it.
But it echoed anyway:"She doesn't belong here."
📓 Beyond the Buzzer – Page 147
"Not all judgments are spoken.Some just hover,Like perfume that burns instead of sweetens."
🪔 Simran's Strength — A Mirror Moment
Simran noticed Ruhi shrinking into herself during the haldi ceremony.
She pulled her aside into the dressing tent.
"You okay?" she asked.
Ruhi exhaled. "I feel like a guest at my own heartbreak."
"You're not here to impress anyone," Simran said, adjusting Ruhi's dupatta. "You're here because he wants you here."
"But what if they never do?" Ruhi whispered.
Simran looked into her eyes.
"Then you build a life with the one who fought to keep you — not with the ones who watched from the sidelines."
🧓 Rudra's Grandmother — A Silent Test
Later that day, Ruhi was introduced to Rudra's Dadi, a soft-spoken woman in an ivory saree with eyes sharp as glass.
"Namaste, Dadi," Ruhi said, folding her hands.
The older woman didn't smile.
"You write, don't you?" she asked.
"Yes, I do."
"Do you write enough to raise children?"
Ruhi blinked.
Rudra stepped in. "Dadi—"
"No," Ruhi interrupted gently. "Let her ask."
She met the old woman's eyes.And replied:
"I write to understand emotions.I can raise children to understand them too."
Dadi didn't smile. But she nodded, once.
That was enough.
🧑🤝🧑 Aarav and Simran — A Dance Before Distance
At the sangeet, the dance floor was wild with cousins, parents, and uncles attempting Bollywood moves.
Simran and Aarav stood off to the side.
"You're leaving next week," he said quietly.
She looked up at him. "Yeah."
"Are we going to dance tonight or wait six months?"
She laughed.He held out his hand.
They danced — slowly, intentionally — ignoring the beats of the DJ and moving only to the sound of their own rhythm.
Two friends, two lovers,holding on in a world that demanded letting go.
🎭 Rudra's Hidden Past — The Photo That Shook Him
While helping Neelam with her photo wall, Ruhi stumbled across an old family collage — birthdays, Holis, vacations…
And then she saw it.
A photo of Rudra.
As a teenager.
Next to a girl.With her arms around him.And a handwritten note at the bottom:
"To the boy who made me believe in forever — Devika"
Ruhi froze.
Rudra entered just then.
He saw her staring.
He walked over slowly."Her name was Devika."
"Why didn't you ever tell me?"
"Because I was afraid you'd think I still lived in that memory."
"And do you?"
He looked at the photo one last time.
"No.I only live where you are now."
📓 Beyond the Buzzer – Page 150
"Past loves don't haunt us.They remind us who we had to beBefore we became who we are now."
🔥 The Mandap — And the Fire Between
On the final night, everyone gathered around the glowing mandap. The sacred fire crackled as the bride and groom took their vows.
Ruhi stood beside Rudra, watching silently.
He leaned in and whispered,"Someday… we'll be here."
She didn't answer.
He turned to her. "You're scared."
She nodded.
"I am too," he said. "But not of you.Of losing you to fear."
She looked up at him.
And for the first time in three days,she smiled.
A soft, small, glowing smile.
"I'll walk through fire, Rudra," she whispered. "But I need to know you'll walk with me."
He took her hand in his.
"Always."
📓 Beyond the Buzzer – Page 152
"It's not the fire we fear.It's walking through it alone."
💫 End of Chapter 29