Rayaan's pov:

She was crying.

Right there where my cousins are, shoulders shaking, wiping at her face like that would somehow make her invisible.

I saw her. Of course, I did.

And?

What was I supposed to do run to her, say sorry, ask if she's okay? Please. That's not me.

She cried because I said the truth out loud. Because I didn't wrap it in soft words or false sympathy. I'm not here to make her feel better about her place in this world.

She needed to hear it. And if it stung, that's on her not me.

I leaned against the railing for a moment, watching her through the reflection in the glass. People were passing by, glancing her way, my cousins were probably thinking I was the villain in her sob story.

Let them think what they want. I'm not losing sleep over a few tears.

She's the one who came into my house, into my life, uninvited. And now she wants to play victim because I don't treat her like she's something special?

I pushed off the railing and walked away.

I had no interest in babysitting emotions I didn't cause.

She can cry if she wants. It doesn't change a thing.

I sat on my car they came behind me helping her like she was a little kid as they sat i drove off to home.

Arvi's pov:

I couldn't hold it in anymore.

The second I entered the room, I shut the door behind me and collapsed onto the bed. The silence of the mansion only made it worse made his words echo louder in my mind.

I pressed my face into the pillow, but the tears didn't stop. They soaked through. I didn't care anymore. I wasn't angry I was humiliated. He didn't just look at me like I was less... he made sure everyone else saw it too.

A knock at the door.

I didn't answer. But the door creaked open anyway.

"Arvi?" Aleesha's soft voice. I didn't look up.

She stepped in, followed by Arekha and Vanisha. I felt the bed dip beside me as they sat down. I quickly wiped my face, embarrassed to be seen like this, but it was too late. My eyes were swollen, my voice broken.

"We didn't saw what happened," Arekha said gently. "In the Mall. But we know Bhai told you something rude?"

Aleesha placed a hand on my back. "You didn't deserve that."

I sat up slowly, hugging my arms. "He hates me," I whispered. "I didn't even want to stay here... it was your Badi Maa who insisted."

"We know," Vanisha said, kneeling down so she was at eye level. "Bhai's just... he's furious that Mumma brought you here without telling him. And he takes it out on the wrong person."

I gave a hollow laugh. "I'm always the wrong person."

"No, you're not," Arekha said firmly. "He acts cold, but he's not heartless. He just... doesn't like losing control."

Aleesha nodded. "This mansion is his world. When something new enters it someone he doesn't understand he pushes back like that. It's his nature."

Vanisha gave me a soft smile. "It's not you, Arvi di. It's him. He doesn't know how to handle people who don't fall in line with his rules."

I didn't say anything. My throat was still tight, my heart still aching. But their words... they wrapped around me like a fragile kind of comfort.

He didn't care. That much was clear.

But they did.

And in this house of cold silence and harsh words... that meant something.

"Dont worry...I am okay," I assured them and they nodded.

I had finally stopped crying. Mostly. My eyes still burned, and my head felt heavy, but at least the sobs had faded into silence.

Arekha was still sitting beside me, Aleesha had curled up at the foot of the bed, and Vanisha was cross legged on the carpet, twirling a scrunchie between her fingers.

No one said anything for a moment. Then Aleesha suddenly muttered, "You know, this is why I keep telling Badi Maa to stop watching those dramatic soap operas. One emotional scene, and she starts adopting people like she's in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi."

I blinked. "...What?"

Vanisha grinned. "She's not wrong. If you were found on the road next to a temple and it was raining, that would've been peak serial adoption setup."

Arekha raised a brow. "Honestly, I was just waiting for her to hand you a family heirloom and say, 'Tum ab is ghar ki izzat ho, Arvi.'"

Despite myself, I laughed. A real one. It slipped out before I could stop it.

Aleesha gasped. "Did she just did she laugh? Is this the rebirth of Arvi 2.0?"

I shook my head, trying to hide the smile creeping onto my face. "You guys are insane."

Vanisha leaned in dramatically. "And you're stuck with us. That's the tragic twist."

"Tragic for who?" Arekha smirked. "We just adopted you into our chaos. You're welcome."

I bit my lip to keep from laughing again, but it was no use. The heaviness in my chest wasn't gone, but it had lightened just a little.

And somehow, in their weird, wonderful way, these girls were slowly gluing the broken pieces of me back together.

Rayaan's pov:

I stared out at the city lights from the balcony, the quiet hum of the night brushing against my skin. Everyone was asleep or pretending to be.

But my mind? Restless.

I slipped my phone out of my pocket and dialed the number I hadn't used in months.

One ring. Two.

"Mr. Oberoi," a familiar voice answered on the third.

I didn't waste time. "I need a full background check. Fast."

There was a pause. "Name?"

"Arvi," I said, jaw clenched. "I don't know her last name. Mid-twenties. Recently fired from a restaurant job in the city. She's living in my house...temporarily."

"You want family details? Employment history?"

"Everything," I said coldly. "Where she's from, who she's connected to, any criminal record, medical history if possible. I want to know who she is, what she's done, and why she's really here."

Another pause.

"You think she's lying about something?"

"I think she's hiding something," I muttered. "No one ends up on the side of the road with no phone, no wallet, and no explanation unless there's a story they're not telling."

"Understood. Sir Give me 48 hours."

"You have 24."

Click.

I slipped the phone back into my pocket, jaw tight, fingers curling into fists.

She might've fooled everyone else in this house.

But not me.

Not for long.

Arvi's pov:

I sat on the velvet couch in the drawing room, hands folded in my lap, trying to ignore how out of place I felt in this mansion. My plain kurta felt even plainer here. The walls were adorned with art worth more than my entire existence, and every corner of this place reminded me that I didn't belong.

Sulekha aunty sat across from me, her pose graceful, yet commanding. Beside her, Jaya aunty, equally elegant, gave me a warm look

"Arvi," Sulekha aunty began, her voice soft but steady, "we've been thinking."

I blinked, unsure where this was going. Thinking? About what? About how to politely ask me to leave?

"You're a hardworking girl," Jaya aunty continued, folding her hands in her lap. "It was unfortunate how things ended at your last job."

A lump rose in my throat, but I nodded. That "last job" had ended because of Rayaan. Because of one spilled drink and a misunderstanding that spiraled into a disaster. And now, I was here eating their food, living under their roof under constant scrutiny.

Sulekha aunty leaned forward slightly. "We don't believe in charity, Arvi. You're staying here, yes, but we'd like you to work as well."

My heart skipped. Work?

"We've spoken to HR at Oberoi Industries," Jaya said. "There's a position that matches your skillset. A junior project coordinator. It's not grand, but it's a start."

I stared at her, trying to understand if this was pity dressed as opportunity.

"You mean... I'll actually be working?" I asked, almost in a whisper.

Sulekha aunty smiled gently. "Yes. Earning. On your own merit. No favors."

A strange mix of relief and anxiety settled over me. I wasn't being thrown out. But I also wasn't being caged. They were... offering me a chance.

And in a world that rarely gave second ones I'd be a fool not to take it.

"Thank you," I said softly, voice trembling. "I won't disappoint you."

They both nodded, and for the first time since I'd entered this house, I felt something other than shame. I felt... hope.

Oberio Mansion Rayaan's study room-

The study room was my refuge. My space. The one corner of the mansion where no one dared to intrude unless absolutely necessary. I liked it that way quiet, efficient, and far, far away from the unnecessary chaos this house sometimes entertained.

But of course, peace was a luxury here.

The knock was soft. Too polite. Which only meant one thing Mom.

"Come in," I muttered, not looking up from the file I was reading.

She stepped inside, her heels silent on the rug, but I could sense her hesitation. That meant she wasn't here to talk about dinner or a charity gala.

"I wanted to talk to you about Arvi," she began gently.

My jaw tensed.

Of course.

"She's been through a lot, Rayaan," Mom said, taking a seat across from me. "And she's trying to stand on her own feet."

I closed the file slowly and looked up at her. "What did she do this time? Cry again? Act helpless? Pretend to be a victim?"

Mom's eyes narrowed. "That's enough."

I leaned back in my chair, arms folded. "No, really. I'm curious. What now?"

"I offered her a job," she said calmly, ignoring my sarcasm. "At Oberoi Industries. Junior project coordinator. She'll be working under HR and admin. It's a proper position, with proper responsibility."

I laughed, bitter and sharp. "You hired her?"

"No," she said, matching my tone. "I gave her an opportunity. Which she accepted respectfully."

"This is ridiculous," I snapped. "First, you bring her into our house like she's some lost puppy, and now you're planting her in our company too? What's next? A corner office with my name scratched off the door?"

"She's not taking your place, Rayaan. Don't be childish."

"She's a stranger, Mom. Worse a manipulative one. She knows exactly what she's doing. Playing the victim, earning your sympathy. And you're handing her everything on a silver platter."

"She's not getting anything for free," she said firmly. "She's working. Earning. On her own."

I stood up, the chair scraping back. "You're being blind."

"No," she stood too. "You're being arrogant."

There was a silence. A charged, heavy one.

"She is a victim," Mom snapped. "Because of you, she lost her last job."

"What?"

"You think I didn't ask?" she continued. "You think I didn't piece it together? That incident at the restaurant you told the manager to fired her, didn't you? Had her fired over a spilled drink and a bruised ego?"

"She was careless," I replied, but the words sounded bitter even to me.

"She was terrified," she said. "And you punished her for it."

I looked away. My jaw tightened. I didn't want to admit that I remembered the look on Arvi's face that day. Humiliated. Cornered.

"She didn't ask for this job, Rayaan. I offered it. Because everyone deserves a second chance."

She turned to leave, but paused at the door.

"Don't stand in her way just because you can't stand being wrong."

Then she left, and the silence that followed wasn't peaceful anymore.

It was maddening.

Arvi's pov:

The mansion was unusually quiet for a Sunday afternoon, the kind of calm that made my nerves even more restless. My interview at Oberoi Industries was tomorrow. Just the thought of it made my palms sweat. I was sitting in the garden with a notebook on my lap, pretending to revise company details, but the words were swimming.

"Found her!" Aleesha's voice rang out as she stepped onto the patio, followed closely by Vivaan and Arekha.

Great. The Oberoi cousins.

I braced myself. They hadn't exactly spoken much to me since I'd arrived too caught up in their own world, or maybe just wary of the new girl crashing into their polished lives.

"Arvi," Vivaan called, plopping down on the bench next to me, "so, we heard you're interviewing for the junior coordinator job."

"Y-Yeah," I said cautiously, closing the notebook halfway. "Tomorrow."

"You're going to nail it," Aleesha said brightly, dropping onto the other side of me. "Honestly, you probably already know more than half the people who work there."

"Except you'll need to look like you belong there," Arekha added, ever the blunt one. "First impressions matter. No pressure."

I gave a nervous laugh. "Thanks, that's... helpful."

Vivaan grinned. "She means you'll be fine. Just be confident. Speak clearly. And don't let anyone intimidate you especially not Mr. Broody."

Rayaan. He didn't need to be in the room to intimidate me.

"Just answer calmly," Aleesha chimed in, "and remember your strengths. You've handled more chaos than most people ever will. You can handle an interview."

"I don't even know if I'll get through the first round," I murmured.

"You will," Arekha said firmly. "You've survived this house. Oberoi Industries will be a breeze in comparison."

I blinked at her. Was that... encouragement?

"You mean that?" I asked, surprised.

"Don't make us repeat it," she said, rolling her eyes, but I caught the small smile on her lips.

Vivaan nudged my arm. "We'll quiz you tonight. You're not going into this alone."

And just like that for the first time since I stepped into this mansion I felt like I wasn't entirely alone.

Maybe, just maybe... I had a chance.

.

.

.

The morning sunlight streamed through the grand windows of the Oberoi Mansion, casting a golden glow across the marble floors. I stood at the bottom of the staircase, dressed in a simple yet crisp kurta and trousers, my hair neatly tied back, my resume clutched in my hand and my heart beating way too fast.

Today was the day. My interview at Oberoi Industries.

I had barely taken a step toward the door when I heard footsteps behind me.

"Wait!" Sulekha aunty called out, hurrying toward me with a small silver box in her hand. "You can't leave without something sweet."

She opened it to reveal perfectly round laddoos, warm and fragrant. "For good luck," she said with a smile, offering one.

I hesitated, touched beyond words, and took it. "Thank you... I..I'll try my best."

"You don't need to try," Jaya aunty added, coming in from the hallway, "you will do well. You've got fire in you, Arvi. Just let them see it."

Before I could respond, Mukesh sir appeared, holding a small folded paper. "Map of the building," he said gruffly, placing it in my hand. "The place is huge. Don't go wandering into the finance department by accident."

"Dad already did that once," Vivaan said, entering with a lopsided grin.

"I heard that," Shankar sir called from the corridor. "And I was testing security, for the record."

The room filled with quiet chuckles, and I couldn't help smiling.

Then came the cousins ~Aleesha practically bounced over to me, fixing a small strand of hair near my ear. "There. Now you look like someone who belongs in a boardroom."

"Manifest power," Arekha added, handing me a hair clip shaped like a feather. "It's lucky. Take it."

Vivaan gave me a mock salute. "Go get 'em, Arvi. And if they try to act smart, just remind them you survived Rayaan Oberoi."

"Vanisha said, " you will rock it, Arvi di."

I laughed, nerves briefly dissolving in their warmth.

As I stood there, surrounded by well wishes, sweet treats, good luck charms, and genuine support, I felt something shift inside me.

I wasn't just a girl trying to prove herself anymore.

I was someone they believed in.

And maybe, just maybe... it was time I started believing in myself too.