Arvi's pov:

The familiar hum of the office filled my ears keyboards clacking, printers whirring, voices low and focused. I was at my desk, organizing files, when Rahul stopped by with two coffees in hand.

"Peace offering," he said, placing one beside me with a grin.

I looked up, surprised. "For what?"

"For surviving another day under Mr. Rayaan Oberoi without flipping a table," he said with a chuckle.

I laughed softly, shaking my head. "I don't think that deserves coffee. Maybe a medal."

Rahul sat on the edge of my desk, sipping his own. "You've been quiet today. Everything okay?"

I hesitated. "Yeah. Just... a lot on my mind."

His eyes softened. Rahul was easy to talk to never prying, always patient. He'd become one of the few people in the office who treated me like, well, me. Not the girl who lived in the mansion. Not the one who made headlines in hushed gossip. Just Arvi.

"I saw the group," he said casually, and I raised an eyebrow.

"What group?"

"The Oberoi cousins' one. Vivaan showed me. You're back in it."

I blinked. "Oh."

"You okay with that?"

I paused, fingers tracing the rim of the coffee cup. "I don't know. It feels weird. Like... I left, but pieces of me are still there. I didn't expect that."

"You made an impact," he said simply. "That doesn't go away overnight."

I looked at him, surprised by how gently he'd said it. I smiled faintly. "Thanks, Rahul."

He raised his cup. "To surviving Rayaan Oberoi and group chats you can't escape."

I laughed again, and for a moment, the heaviness in my chest eased. Just a little.

Rayaan's pov:

I was reviewing reports, numbers blurring in front of my eyes, when I caught sight of her through the glass.

Arvi.

Smiling.

With Rahul.

He was leaning on her desk like he belonged there, handing her a coffee like they were... close. Too close.

She laughed.

Something cold and hot twisted in my chest.

I didn't like it.

I didn't like him.

I grabbed the phone, my voice low and cold as steel. "Arvi. My office. Now."

Within seconds, the air in the entire floor shifted. I could feel it every employee stiffening in their seats. Whispering stopped. Silence fell. Everyone knew that tone.

I watched her through the glass. She paused mid-laugh, her smile vanishing like it was never there. She glanced at Rahul, whispered something, then stood.

Her steps toward my door weren't confident they were cautious. Careful. As if she was walking into a storm she wasn't prepared for.

She opened the door, quietly. Didn't meet my eyes.

"Close it," I said, not bothering to look up.

The click of the door behind her echoed like a final note.

I turned to face her slowly, arms crossed.

"What were you discussing with Rahul?"

Her eyes flicked up to mine, startled. "W-We were just talking. About work."

"Looked like more than just work," I said, stepping closer.

She took a small step back.

I noticed.

She was scared.

Of me.

And it did something ugly to my chest.

"I don't want you laughing around this office like it's a playground," I said sharply. "Especially not with him."

She swallowed, lips trembling slightly. "I-I didn't mean anything. He was just being nice."

I stared at her, the way her fingers clutched the hem of her shirt, the flicker of fear in her eyes.

I should've stopped.

But I didn't.

"Nice doesn't get you far in Oberoi Industries," I said, voice low. "Focus on your job. Not people."

Her eyes dropped to the floor.

I turned away, jaw clenched.

Because underneath all the fury, beneath the tight control, one truth gnawed at me.

I wasn't angry at Rahul.

I was angry that her laughter no longer belonged to me.

Arvi's pov:

I stepped out of his cabin with shaky hands and a chest full of things I didn't have the strength to name.

The moment the door closed behind me, I finally let out the breath I didn't know I'd been holding.

Everyone was pretending to work, but I could feel their eyes on me curious, pitying, scared. I didn't meet any of them. I just walked straight ahead, fast, head down, trying to look like I had somewhere to be.

But inside, I felt... small.

His voice still echoed in my ears cold, sharp, and cruel. The way he looked at me... like I'd done something wrong by smiling. Like I'd betrayed him by simply breathing around someone else.

I didn't understand him. One moment he was distant, and the next, possessive in ways he wouldn't admit. He had no right to care-he made it clear I meant nothing.

So why did it hurt so much?

I reached the break room and leaned against the wall, my pulse still racing.

The worst part wasn't that he scolded me like I was beneath him.

It was the fear.

The way I had shrunk inside that room.

And the way I hated myself for still caring what he thought of me.

.

.

.

It was past midnight, and I was curled up on my bed, the dim light from my bedside lamp barely enough to keep me awake. The day had been exhausting especially after everything that happened with Rayaan.

I had tried not to think about it.

Tried to focus on work, on Nia, on anything else.

But now, lying in the quiet of my rented room, my phone buzzed softly on the pillow beside me.

Fam & Drama - 14 new messages

I sighed, unlocking it. The chat was flooded with memes, voice notes, and random chaos Vanisha complaining about food, Vivaan being dramatic, Aleesha teasing Arekha.

I couldn't help but smile a little.

Then I saw a message:

Aleesha: Arvi? You're too quiet. Say something or I'll show up with chocolate milkshake at 2 a.m.

Arekha: Yeah, you're part of the gang now. No ghosting allowed.

Vivaan: We should do a proper welcome for her.

I stared at the screen for a moment, thumb hovering.

It was strange how these people, who once looked at me like I didn't belong, now wanted me in their madness. Even if I still felt like I was walking on glass near Rayaan... they made me feel warm. Seen.

I typed slowly:

Me: I'm here. Just tired. But you guys are crazy... in a good way.

Immediately, hearts and smiley reactions exploded under my message.

Vanisha: Awww she spoke!

Vivaan: Somebody screenshot this. Historic moment.

I laughed softly, shaking my head.

For the first time in days, something inside me felt light. Like maybe even if everything with Rayaan was twisted and confusing I still had people who wanted me around.

Even if just in a group chat... at night... when the world was quiet.

I was still smiling at Vivaan's antics when a new message popped up.

Rayaan: Keep the chat decent. Some people need to sleep.

My heart skipped.

His name.

In the chat.

For the first time.

The energy of the group shifted instantly.

Aleesha: Ooo someone finally broke the royal silence.

Vivaan: Look who decided to speak. Alert the media.

Arekha: Arvi's presence working magic already.

I stared at the screen, feeling my fingers freeze. Why did just one line from him mess with my entire system?

He hadn't addressed me. Not directly.

But it felt... personal.

I didn't reply. Didn't know if I should.

But my phone buzzed again.

Rayaan: Arvi, don't forget the meeting schedule I sent. 9 a.m. sharp.

This time he said my name.

I swallowed hard, heart thudding.

And even though it was just work... and typed in that same cold tone...

It lingered longer than it should have.

Rayaan's pov:

I was lying in bed, the glow of my phone the only light in the room. The house was quiet finally but my mind wasn't. I couldn't sleep.

Not with the image of Arvi's face still flickering in my head. The way she looked today in my office scared, hurt. I had crossed a line.

Again.

My phone vibrated.

Fam & Drama - 22 new messages

I almost ignored it. But something made me open it.

And there she was.

Arvi: I'm here. Just tired. But you guys are crazy... in a good way.

Her message was small. Simple. But it hit somewhere unexpected.

They were making her laugh again.

They were pulling her back into a world she had walked away from. A world I pushed her out of.

I clenched my jaw and typed without thinking:

Me: Keep the chat decent. Some people need to sleep.

Sent.

I stared at it.

Why did I even care?

But the responses poured in Aleesha, Vivaan, all of them teasing me like I'd just spoken after a decade of silence.

And then I saw her name again. She hadn't replied. But I knew she saw it.

I tapped again.

Me: Arvi, don't forget the meeting schedule I sent. 9 a.m. sharp.

It was business. Just business.

So why did my chest feel tight?

I locked my phone, tossed it on the side table, and turned off the light.

She was getting too comfortable again.

And I didn't know whether I wanted to stop it,

Or let it happen.

Arvi's pov:

I knew I shouldn't have stayed late. The moment I stepped out of the office building, the street was too quiet. The shadows felt too heavy.

And then I heard it.

Whistles. Slow, mocking.

"Madam's out late again... guess she likes danger."

I didn't look back. I just walked faster.

"Oye, slow down! You'll trip in those heels! Or maybe you want us to catch you, hmm?"

Laughter. Footsteps behind me. Getting closer.

"You remember us, don't you? The ones you ignored last time. Not very nice of you."

I started running.

My chest heaved with fear, my legs burning as I darted down the narrow street. I could hear them chasing me, calling out, their voices turning filthier by the second. One of them whistled again, and another made a lewd noise.

Something sharp tore through the side of my dress as I turned a corner too quickly. I cried out. My skin stung. My knees scraped as I stumbled.

Tears blurred my vision. "Stop... please just stop," I whispered, but no one was listening.

"Come on, sweetheart, just one kiss-"

Screech.

A car. Black. Violent.

A black SUV cut across the road and stopped inches from where I stood. The door flew open and he stepped out.

Rayaan.

He looked like death in motion black shirt, sleeves rolled, gun already in his hand. His eyes locked on the boys. Cold. Emotionless.

"Bloody fuckers?" he asked, voice low, lethal.

The boys froze. "Sir... we didn't know she was-"

Bang.

The first shot echoed like thunder. One of them screamed, clutching his leg as he hit the ground.

Bang.

The second dropped right after, crawling backward, blood soaking into the dirt.

"Rayaan!" I gasped, frozen.

He didn't stop. He walked toward the third one, who had collapsed in fear, hands up, begging.

"You wanted to chase her? Laugh while she cried? You don't get to walk away from that."

Bang.

A third leg. Another scream.

Then silence.

Rayaan finally turned to me. His chest heaved, his hand lowered the gun.

I stood there, shaking, my body still numb, my heart thudding like a war drum.

He came over slowly, gently this time. Shrugged off his coat and draped it around my shoulders, avoiding the torn fabric, the blood on my skin that wasn't even mine.

"Get in the car," he said softly, not looking at me.

I obeyed. My legs barely worked, but I obeyed.

Inside the SUV, everything was silent. Heavy.

He slid into the driver's seat and glanced at me once. Just once.

"They won't touch you again."

And I believed him.

Even if I was terrified of the man who just protected me.

The silence inside the SUV was deafening. Only the steady hum of the engine filled the space between us. I was curled into the passenger seat, his coat wrapped tightly around me, shielding my torn dress, my trembling body, and everything else that had just cracked inside me.

He hadn't said a word since pulling the trigger. Since dragging me away from the scene like I was something precious after treating me like I was nothing for days.

My voice came out hoarse, barely above a whisper.

"Drop me at my place."

His grip on the steering wheel tightened. "No."

"It's five minutes from here," I said, trying to keep the shakiness out of my voice. "I don't want to go to the Oberoi Mansion."

"I said no, Arvi."

"I don't belong there." I snapped, finally turning to look at him. "You made that very clear, remember?"

He didn't answer. His jaw clenched.

I looked away, but the words had already slipped out like a wound reopening. "You're the reason I lost my job. The reason I was on that road alone tonight. And then you called me a gold digger. Said I wanted the Oberoi name."

Silence.

I could feel it hit him like a slap.

I didn't mean to say all that. Not now. Not like this. But the tears were spilling again, quiet, angry ones.

"You told me I wasn't worth your family's trust... so why are you trying to protect me now?"

He pulled the car over abruptly, engine still running. The street was empty just streetlights and shadows.

When he finally turned to face me, his voice was lower, raw.

"I was wrong."

I blinked, confused.

He looked at me, really looked at me, like for the first time since I arrived in his life, he was seeing more than just a nuisance.

"I misunderstood you," he said, slower this time. "About you... about what kind of girl you are. I was angry. I didn't care to know the truth. And I let that anger ruin something I didn't even understand yet."

His words hung in the air between us, heavy and strange.

"You saved me tonight," I whispered.

"I should've saved you long before tonight."

And for a long moment, we just sat there. Two people with too much unsaid between them, in a car that suddenly felt too quiet, too small.

Then he put the car in gear again.

The car moved again, but I wasn't done.

"Rayaan, I said drop me at my place. I'm not going to the mansion."

He exhaled sharply through his nose. "And I said you're not staying alone."

I turned to him, my voice rising despite the crack in it. "You don't get to make that decision. You don't get to pretend like I matter to you now."

His knuckles whitened on the steering wheel. "It's not pretending."

I scoffed. "You humiliated me. Called me names. Treated me like I was nothing more than some girl trying to climb her way into your family. And now? You shoot three people for me and suddenly think you can protect me? Why? To soothe your guilt?"

He didn't respond right away.

The silence spoke louder than anything.

"I'm not going to your house." I said, this time softer, but firm. "Not after everything. I just want to go home. My home."

He didn't speak, didn't argue again. Just took a turn I didn't expect.

My brows furrowed. "You... know where I live?"

"I know everything about you," he murmured.

I stared at him. My heart thudded in confusion. Rage. And something else I didn't want to name yet.

He stopped outside the old, worn-down building I rented a room in. I reached for the door handle.

"Wait," he said.

"What now?"

"I'm coming up with you."

I blinked. "No, you're not."

"I'm not leaving you alone like this, Arvi. Not tonight."

I shook my head. "You're not staying in my room."

He leaned slightly toward me, his voice low, quiet, but unmovable.

"Then either you come back to the mansion with me, or I stay here. Your choice."

"Why are you doing this?"

He looked at me, something flickering in his eyes remorse, maybe.

"Because I can't undo what I said. But I can make sure you're safe."

I didn't respond. I just got out of the car, climbed the stairs to my tiny rented room, and left the door open behind me without saying a word.

And two minutes later, he walked in... closed the door... and sat silently on the floor beside my bed.

No more arguments. No grand gestures.

Just quiet presence.

And somehow, that silence said everything.

Arvi's pov:

The room was dimly lit by the small bulb above the mirror, the paint on the walls chipped, and the fan overhead groaning with each turn. My bag sat in the corner, dusty from the rush. The silence hung between us like a thread fragile, but unbroken.

Rayaan hadn't said a word since sitting down. His tall frame looked strangely out of place on the thin rug near my bed. He'd taken off his coat, now slung over the chair, and loosened the collar of his shirt, but that was it.

I moved to the tiny kitchen and poured a glass of water from the old metal filter. My hands were still trembling slightly, but I managed not to spill any.

I walked over and held the glass out to him.

He looked up at me not just at the water, but at me. Like he was seeing something he wasn't sure how to define.

"You should drink something," I said quietly.

He took the glass from my hand without touching me, without speaking, and drank. Half the glass in one go. Then he held it in both hands, staring at it.

I sat down on the edge of the bed. "This place... I know it's small."

He looked around slowly at the peeling paint, the single fan, the curtain barely clinging to the rod.

"It's not like the Oberoi Mansion," I continued. "There's no marble floors. No chandeliers. No staff. No guards outside the door."

He looked back at me, eyes unreadable.

"But it's mine. I pay for it with my job. I clean it. I live in it. It's small... but it's real."

A moment passed.

Then he nodded slowly. "It's more real than anything I've lived in."

I looked at him, unsure what to say. His face had softened, just slightly. The arrogant mask he usually wore had fallen off somewhere between the gunshots and this glass of water.

"I didn't bring you here for comfort," I said, hugging my knees to my chest. "I just... didn't want to feel like your responsibility."

"You're not," he said, voice quiet but certain. "You're something else. I just don't know what to call it yet."

I didn't respond. Neither did he.

But for the first time... it didn't feel like we had to.

Rayaan's pov:

I was used to control. Used to answers. If something didn't make sense, I got someone to dig until it did.

So when I saw her in that office working quietly like nothing had happened I did what I always do. I called in answers.

My investigator sat across from me, the report in his hands. Thick. Detailed. Painful.

"She's not who you think she is, sir."

I didn't respond.

He continued, flipping open the file. "Her name is Arvi Shah. Orphaned when she was two.Lived in St. Maria's Girls' Home till she turned eighteen. No relatives. No inheritance. Nothing."

I stared at the paper. Photos. A school record. A faded picture of her as a kid in an oversized uniform. Alone.

"She got a job at Lily Restaurant at nineteen. Worked there until the... incident."

The one where I got her fired.

"She's been living in a rented room since. Small, run down. She pays it month to month. No backup. No support."

My jaw tightened.

"She didn't even appeal when they fired her, sir. She just left."

I leaned back in my chair, eyes closing for a second. My own voice echoed in my head "You're after the Oberoi name, aren't you?"

God.

I had seen her spilling a drink on me and assumed the worst. A girl trying to social climb. A girl looking for comfort through wealth.

But there was no family. No connections. No safety net.

Just a girl who had spent her entire life surviving on scraps and still stood tall.

I dismissed the investigator and sat there for a long time. Guilt is an ugly thing. It doesn't whisper it burns.

So I got into my SUV. I didn't know where I was driving. My hands moved before my thoughts could. Something pulled me out into the night like gravity.

And then I saw her.

Arvi.

Running.

Three boys behind her laughing, taunting, chasing.

My heart stopped.

She stumbled, her dress tearing, her cry piercing through the cold air. She looked terrified small, fragile, real.

I slammed the brakes.

I didn't think. I just got out.

And the moment I saw one of them grab her wrist, something inside me snapped.

The gun was already in my hand.

"Bloody fuckers,"

They turned. Their faces shifted from smug to pale in seconds.

"Sir-"

Bang.

One dropped.

Bang.

The second screamed.

I walked to the third. My boots crunched on the gravel.

"You wanted to hunt her down?" I growled. "How does it feel now?"

Bang.

Three down.

Then silence.

I turned to her.

She looked like a storm had swallowed her and spit her back out. Torn dress. Blood on her skin. Eyes wide with disbelief.

I took my coat off and wrapped it around her shoulders.

"Get in the car," I said.

She obeyed, but something in me said this wasn't over.

Not until I made this right.

Not until I stopped being the man who judged her...

...and started becoming the one who stood with her.

She remembered me my words i felt something in my chest hearing her.

She refused to go oberio mansion but i cant leave her alone not whatever had happened not at all.