Arvi's pov:

It's midnight, and I'm standing at the front door of the mansion with a bag over my shoulder. I'm not going to stay here another second. Not after being accused, degraded, treated like some parasite.

I reach for the doorknob, blinking away the sting in my eyes.

"Don't even think about it," a voice says from behind me.

I turn around, startled. sulekha aunty is standing near the stairs, her arms folded, expression unreadable.

"I heard everything," she says calmly. "I was outside the room. Every word he said, I heard it."

I open my mouth to defend myself, but she stops me.

"You don't need to explain," she says. "He does."

"Aunty, it's okay-"

"No, Arvi. It's not. You don't walk out of this house because someone else decided your worth. You didn't come here asking for anything. You were hurt, and I brought you in because I saw something honest in you."

My vision blurs with tears I didn't want to cry. I looked away, blinking fast. "It's fine. I shouldn't have stayed here this long. I don't belong-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence," she said, her voice suddenly firm. "He was wrong. He was cruel. And I'm ashamed that he spoke to you that way."

Tears welled up in my eyes, hot and unstoppable.

"I never came here with any intentions," I choked out. "I didn't even know he was your son until today. I just... I was tired. Alone. And you were kind. That's all."

"I know," she said softly. "I know, Arvi."

She stepped closer and gently pulled the bag off my shoulder. Her hands were warm, steady.

"Come here," she whispered, and the moment she opened her arms, I broke.

I buried my face into her shoulder, crying silently as she held me tightly, like a mother who knew exactly what pain felt like.

"You are not leaving this house," she said into my hair. "Not because of his words. Not when I see your heart. Let him act like a stranger. I won't. You're not alone anymore."

And for the first time in a long time, I felt safe.

Really, truly safe.

I closed the door behind me softly, as if making any noise would shatter what little strength I had left.

This room felt colder than usual tonight or maybe it was just me. The walls were the same, the bed untouched, my little things in the same corner. And yet, it didn't feel like mine anymore. It didn't feel like anything anymore.

I dropped the bag on the floor and walked to the window, pushing it open.

The night breeze slipped in, gentle and cool. The sky was scattered with stars faint, quiet witnesses to everything I'd been holding in.

I leaned against the sill, hugging myself tightly, and looked up.

"Mom... Dad..." I whispered, my voice barely holding together. "Are you watching me?"

Tears spilled again soft this time. Like they didn't want to interrupt the silence.

"I tried so hard today," I said, my voice cracking. "I tried to be strong, to not let it hurt, to stay quiet and keep my head down. But he looked at me like I was nothing. Like I was someone I never wanted to be."

I paused, blinking up at the stars as if one of them might blink back.

"I didn't come here to chase a name, or money, or anyone. I came here because I had nowhere else to go. And aunty... she reminded me of you, Mom. The way she looked at me when I first opened my eyes in that big house. The way she let me stay without asking anything."

A sob escaped my lips and I quickly covered my mouth with my hand. My chest ached.

"I miss you," I whispered, "I miss home. I miss not having to explain myself to survive."

The stars shimmered quietly above me, offering nothing but their presence. And maybe... that was enough.

I closed my eyes and leaned my forehead against the cold frame of the window.

"I don't know if I'm strong enough to do this anymore. But if you're listening... just send me a sign. A little one. So I know I'm not alone."

And for a moment, in that quiet, in that stillness, the wind brushed past my cheek like a soft hand. Not enough to fix the pain but just enough to remind me that somewhere, somehow...

They were still with me.

Rayaan's pov:

I woke up early, like I always do.

A cold shower. Thirty minutes in the home gym. Morning routine, disciplined, sharp, predictable. Just the way I liked it.

I threw on a clean black shirt, still towel-drying my hair as I walked through the hallway. The air in the mansion felt quieter than usual, but it suited me. I wasn't in the mood for small talk not after last night. That girl, Arvi or whatever her name was, had already left a bitter taste I hadn't been able to shake off.

Gold digger. Opportunist. Playing innocent in front of my mother.

I couldn't believe the nerve of her walking into our lives like that, occupying a room in our house. Like she belonged.

I headed downstairs, phone in hand, scrolling through emails. Just a normal day.

Until I looked up and saw her.

As I stepped into the dining room, the hum of casual chatter dropped almost instantly.

Who were laughing moments ago straightened up. Even Dad paused his tea mid sip. Vanisha shifted in her chair. Aleesha subtly fixed her posture.

Everyone turned.

It wasn't fear exactly but something close. A quiet, sharp kind of respect. The kind that came from knowing I didn't tolerate nonsense. That I saw straight through people through facades.

And right now, the biggest facade was sitting at the table, pretending to belong.

The Girl. Arvi.

She looked up too. Hesitated for half a second before quickly lowering her gaze to her plate.

"Good morning," I said smoothly, my voice calm, too calm.

A chorus of greetings followed.

"Morning, Rayaan."

"Morning, Ray".

"Good morning, bhai."

"Hey, bhai," Vivaan mumbled, still chewing.

Aleesha suddenly turned back to her with that overexcited grin. "So, Arvi, we're thinking of taking you shopping today!"

I stilled.

Arvi looked up, clearly caught off guard. "Shopping?"

"Yeah," Vanisha chimed in, chewing on her toast. "You haven't even stepped out properly since you came. You need some fresh air."

Arekha nodded in agreement. "And S & I

just dropped a new line. We'll go after lunch. Done deal."

"I-" Arvi glanced around nervously, clearly overwhelmed. "I really don't want to trouble anyone."

"You're not," Vivaan said casually. "It's decided."

My hand, gripping the mug, twitched just slightly. I set it down a little harder than necessary. The subtle sound echoed across the table. Instantly, the energy dipped again.

No one said a word.

Arvi finally glanced up just for a moment and our eyes met. There was something unreadable in her gaze. Not fear. Not guilt. Just... quiet defiance. Like she knew she was still standing where she shouldn't be and yet she wasn't moving.

And everyone else?

They were too blinded to see it.

She was supposed to leave.

But here she was smiling with my family, being invited to shop, eat, laugh.

Just when I thought the morning couldn't get more absurd, Vanisha leaned forward with that all too familiar glint in her eyes. "Oh, and bhai," she said, her tone sweet as syrup which meant trouble "you'll drop us to the mall, right?"

I looked up, eyebrows raised.

"No."

"Please bhaii," Arekha added, as if it was the most important thing in the world. "You're free today, aren't you? Come on, we haven't had a proper outing with you in ages."

Aleesha joined in, mock pouting. "Please, Rayaan bhai. It's just a fifteen-minute drive. And besides... who else drives like you do?"

Vivaan grinned. "You're already dressed and everything. No excuses."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Of all the people in this house, they wanted me to drop her the girl who'd wormed her way into this family, this breakfast table, this space to the mall like I was part of some bonding trip?

I looked at Arvi, who hadn't said a word. Her head was slightly lowered, clearly uncomfortable. Good. At least she had the sense to feel awkward.

"I have better things to do," I said coldly, standing up, pushing my chair back. But before I could leave, Mom spoke calm, but firm.

"Rayaan, you're going anyway. Might as well take them. And Arvi too."

Her voice was gentle, but final. There was no arguing with my mother when she said something like that. She wasn't asking. She was deciding.

I swallowed every word I wanted to throw at them at her. Instead, I gave a stiff nod and walked away without looking back.

But inside, I was burning.

They'Arvi's pov:

I sat on the edge of the bed, my fingers twisting the corner of the bedsheet, heart thudding in my chest. Aleesha and Vanisha had been so sweet, almost too excited when they asked me to come shopping with them. Their warmth made it hard to say no they saw me like a friend. Maybe even like family. But it wasn't them I was scared of.

It was him.

Rayaan.

No matter how many times I told myself to ignore him, the memory of his words clung to me like a shadow. "You knew exactly what you were doing. Gold diggers always do." "Cheap stunts won't get you the Oberoi name." his voice, his anger, the disgust in his eyes it had all carved itself into me. I hadn't even defended myself. I couldn't.

And now I was expected to sit in the same car as him, walk beside him, pretend everything was fine?

I swallowed the lump rising in my throat and stood up, forcing my hands to stop trembling. Aleesha had said they'd be leaving soon, and I knew if I didn't go, she'd come looking for me. I couldn't let her down not when she'd made me feel like I belonged, even if just a little.

But I also knew... the moment I'd be near him, the silence between us would scream louder than anything I could say.

I will leave this house in few days... as sulekha aunty said she will help me to find a job then i will leave i dont want him to be uncomfortable in his own house and besides that he is right in his own way, why would anybody let a stranger live in their house but sulekha aunty did...she is so sweet words cant describe how much i should be thankful to her but i cant take advantage of her kindness.

Rayaan's pov:

I tapped my fingers against the steering wheel, each second making my irritation worse. Vivaan sat beside me in the passenger seat, scrolling through something on his phone like we weren't already ten minutes behind schedule.

"Chill, bro. It's just shopping, not a courtroom hearing," he muttered.

I didn't respond.

The front door finally opened, and I saw them Aleesha, Vanisha, Arekha and behind them... her.

Arvi.

I looked away, jaw tightening. Just the sight of her brought that evening back in flashes the clatter of a spilled drink, the look of guilt in her eyes, the chaos she left behind. She had been a waitress. Just a waitress at the restaurant that night. And yet somehow, she had landed in my house, under our roof, wrapped in my mother's concern and my cousins affection.

The girls got into the back seat, their voices light and cheerful. Arvi climbed in last. She didn't say anything. She never did when I was around. Maybe she could sense it that invisible wall of resentment I had no intention of hiding. Good. She should.

I started the engine without a word, eyes locked on the road ahead. I didn't understand it. What had she done to earn this place in our home, in our lives? Nothing about it made sense. She was clearly out of place, uncomfortable. But not half as uncomfortable as I felt having her here like a stranger who had slipped through a crack no one else noticed.

Arvi's pov:

I sat quietly in the back seat, squeezed between Aleesha Arekha Vanisha , trying to make myself as small as possible. Their laughter bounced around the car like music I couldn't quite follow. Vivaan sat in the passenger seat, chatting with him about something funny that had happened last week. It all felt normal too normal for how tense I was.

Aleesha turned to me with a bright smile. "Arvi, what do you usually wear? More ethnic or Western?"

I hesitated. "Simple stuff," I replied, barely audible.

"Come on, you have a vibe," Arekha chimed in. "I bet you'd look stunning in a black saree."

I gave a weak smile but didn't answer. Vivaan turned slightly from the front, grinning. "Maybe we should help her pick something bold today. Shake things up."

I laughed nervously, not because I found it funny, but because I didn't know what else to do. I wasn't here by choice. I hadn't even wanted to come. I had said yes because saying no would've raised more questions and because Sulekha aunty had insisted I should step out once in a while.

But I couldn't ignore the fact that I was sitting in his car.

Rayaan hadn't spoken a word since we left the mansion. He just stared straight ahead, jaw set, one hand on the wheel, the other tapping lightly against his leg like he was counting the seconds until this ride ended. He hadn't glanced back, but I could feel his cold disapproval from here. It clung to the air like dust you couldn't wipe off.

I remembered the look in his eyes the night he called me a gold digger. Cheap. Desperate. Uninvited. That's how he saw me. And now, sharing space with him, even in silence, felt like sitting on the edge of a cliff, waiting to be pushed.

Everyone was so kind too kind. His cousins were warm, playful, including me like I belonged.

But I knew I didn't. Not to them. And definitely not to him.

So I stared out the window, smiled when I was expected to, and said little. Because no one noticed how tightly my fingers were gripping the edge of my dupatta. No one heard the pounding in my ears.

And maybe that was a good thing.

As we pulled up to the mall, the car slowed near the private entrance. I glanced outside, noticing a small group of men with cameras hanging near the front. Not many, but enough to make me stiffen.

Before stepping out, He reached into the compartment between the seats and pulled out a black cap and a face mask. He didn't say anything, just put them on with practiced ease like it was a routine. Like disappearing into anonymity was second nature to him.

The cap shaded half his face, the mask covering the rest, but somehow... he still looked like him. Sharp. Intimidating. Untouchable.

Vivaan laughed. "Paparazzi only spot you when you're with girls. I'm telling you, the cameras love drama."

Rayaan didn't respond. He adjusted the cap lower and stepped out without waiting for the rest of us.

Arekha leaned in and whispered to me, "He hates the attention. Gets followed a lot."

I nodded like I understood, but the truth was, I didn't. This was his world flashbulbs, headlines, public image. And I was just someone who used to take orders behind a restaurant counter.

I stepped out slowly, suddenly hyper aware of every move I made, every breath I took. It wasn't the cameras I was scared of.

It was the man walking ahead of me, silent and unreadable, making it clearer with every step that I didn't belong in his frame.

By somehow we reached the mall and

I had only stepped a little away from the store when it happened.

The others were still inside, laughing over heels and handbags, and I am feeling out of place, like always ,had slipped out, needing a moment to breathe. A second away from the noise. From him.

Then I felt it. His hand. Wrapping around my wrist.

Firm. Cold.

I froze. Turned. And there he was-Rayaan.

The cap was off, his mask shoved into his pocket. His jaw was clenched, eyes sharper than I'd ever seen them. Something in his face made my stomach twist.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING WANDERING OFF?" he snapped, voice low but forceful. "TRYING TO MAKE A SCENE?"

I blinked, my breath catching. "I wasn't- I just needed-"

"DON'T," he cut me off, voice even colder now. "DON'T START WITH THAT ACT."

He stepped closer, his hand still gripping my wrist.

"I KNOW GIRLS LIKE YOU," he hissed. "QUIET ON THE OUTSIDE, BUT ALWAYS CALCULATING. LOOKING FOR A WAY IN. A WAY UP."

I flinched.

"YOU THINK YOU'LL EARN THEIR TRUST, AND THEN WHAT?" he scoffed. "STAY? CLING TO THE OBEROI NAME LIKE IT MEANS SOMETHING TO YOU? WAKE UP, ARVI. YOU'RE NOT ONE OF US. AND YOU NEVER WILL BE."

He let go suddenly, like even touching me disgusted him.

And then he walked away leaving me there, heart hammering in my chest, wrist burning, eyes stinging.

No one saw. No one heard.

I tried to act normal when I walked back into the store.

Tried to smile when Arekha asked where I'd gone. Tried to nod when Aleesha held up a dress to my face and said it would look "so cute" on me. But my throat was closing, and no matter how hard I blinked, my eyes kept burning.

I felt cracked open. Exposed.

And then, all at once it spilled.

Tears slipped down my cheeks before I could stop them. Silent at first. Then sharp and messy.

"Arvi?" Vanisha stepped toward me, eyes wide. "Hey... what happened?"

I shook my head. "I'm fine. It's nothing."

"Don't lie," Arekha said gently. "You're crying."

Vivaan appeared beside them, his expression shifting from confusion to concern in seconds. "Did someone say something to you?"

I bit down on my lip, trying to hold it in-but it was too much.

"I don't want to be here," I whispered. "I didn't want to come in the first place."

They all went quiet.

"I know I don't belong," I said, my voice shaking. "This... this whole thing isn't for me. I didn't ask for any of it. I just want to leave."

For a moment, no one moved.

Then Aleesha nodded, voice soft. "Okay. It's okay, we'll go."

"Now?" Vivaan replied

"She said she wants to leave," Arekha snapped at him. "Let's not make it worse."

Without another word, they gathered their things. No questions, no forced comfort just action.

And in the car, no one asked what happened.

Maybe they didn't need to.

Maybe they already knew.

The car ride back was quiet. No jokes from Vivaan, no teasing from Aleesha or Arekha. No chit chatt from Vanisha. Just silence, heavy and awkward, like they were afraid any sound might shatter what little was left of me.

When we reached the mansion, I stepped out quickly, avoiding everyone's eyes. My head throbbed, my chest felt hollow, and all I wanted was to get to the room, close the door, and disappear.

Rayaan got out last. He walked past us like we didn't even exist like nothing had happened.

Not a glance.

Not a word.

Just cold, unaffected silence.

He handed the keys to the guard, nodded once, and strolled inside. As if I hadn't just fallen apart in the middle of a shopping mall. As if I wasn't a complete mess because of the things he said.

"Are you okay now?" Aleesha asked softly, walking beside me.

I nodded, but my eyes drifted to the tall figure disappearing into the hallway. The one who didn't pause, didn't care, didn't look back.

Rayaan Oberoi was untouched by the chaos he caused.

And maybe that was the part that hurt most.

d dragged me into this mess.

And now I was stuck driving the girl I wanted out of this house straight to a mall trip she had no business being part of.

Unbelievable.