Arvi's pov:

My breath caught the moment his fingers brushed lightly against my waist gentle, almost hesitant. Rayaan wasn't just standing near me; he was present in a way that silenced everything else. His presence filled the room, steady and grounding.

"You have no idea what you've just done, Arvi," he said softly, his voice low and thick with emotion.

And then, without warning, he leaned in and pressed a kiss to my forehead.

Not hurried. Not rehearsed.

Just a simple, quiet act that sent a tremor through my heart.

His hand settled at the small of my back, anchoring me as I struggled to keep my breathing steady. He looked down at me, his gaze searching, almost vulnerable like he was still trying to understand what I truly meant to him.

"You wore this for me?" he asked, voice barely above a whisper.

I nodded, feeling the weight of the moment settle between us. "Yes."

His expression didn't change, but his eyes softened. Slowly, deliberately, he reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. His fingers brushed my skin light, reverent.

"Then don’t look away now," he murmured.

And before I could move, his forehead rested gently against mine.

It wasn’t just closeness. It was connection. Real. Unspoken.

My hands found his chest, fingers resting over his heartbeat, steady and strong. We stood like that for a breathless eternity, two people suspended between past pain and present longing.

In that moment, I felt seen. Not judged, not dismissed. Just seen.

And somehow, that felt more intimate than anything else could have.

"I love you," I breathed, almost too soft for the room to catch it. But he did.

I saw it.

His jaw clenched.

I saw the shift in his eyes like something shut off inside him.

"I didn't mean to," I rushed, trying to hold the moment before it slipped. "But I do. I know you hate me, and maybe I deserve that. Maybe I should've left that night when you asked me to. But even then even when you looked at me like I was nothing I couldn't stop caring."

Still, he didn't speak.

The silence was louder than my heartbeat.

"I know I'm not brave, or bold. I hide. I break. I overthink. But I love you, Rayaan. And I just.. needed you to know."

And then he stepped back.

Just a single step. But it shattered everything. He didn't say a word. He didn't yell. Didn't call me a liar. Didn't scoff. Just turned. And walked out. I didn't stop him. I couldn't.

Because deep down, a part of me always feared this.

That no matter what I felt, no matter how hard I tried, I'd still be the girl he once hated.

And no amount of red sarees, silver chains, or whispered confessions could erase that.

The door clicked shut behind him, and with it... something inside me broke. Not loudly. Not dramatically. It just cracked quiet and clean like glass under too much pressure. My legs gave out before I could think, and I sank to the cold floor, numb and shivering despite the warmth in the room.

I didn't scream.

Didn't beg.

Didn't ask why he left.

Because I already knew.

He heard me. Every word.

And still, he walked away.

Tears spilled without permission hot, stinging, relentless. I pressed the back of my hand to my mouth to muffle the sobs, my chest tightening like something heavy had settled in it and refused to move.

Minutes passed. Maybe hours. I don't know.

Eventually, I dragged myself up, legs trembling beneath me, and walked out onto the balcony. The cold air hit me like a slap, sharp and honest. It was quiet outside. Too quiet. Even the wind moved gently, like it didn't want to disturb the wreckage I had become.

I tilted my head up, looking at the sky the one place I always turned to when things fell apart. The stars were scattered above like tiny wounds stitched into the night. Distant. Indifferent.

My voice cracked as I spoke.

"Mumma... Baba..."

It felt strange, saying it aloud after so long. Like I was calling into a void I wasn't sure would answer.

"I thought... maybe if I gave him everything. My honesty. My heart. My truth... maybe he'd stay."

The wind brushed past me, almost like a cruel caress.

"But he didn't. He heard me... and he still left."

My eyes burned as I whispered,

"It hurts, Mumma. It hurts so much I don't know where to keep the pain."

My fingers curled around the balcony rail like it could hold me together. But nothing could. Not right now.

"I tried. I really did. I tried to be strong. To be enough. For him. For this family. For myself."

The stars didn't blink back. They just stayed still, listening.

"And still... he looked at me like I was a mistake."

A sob escaped before I could stop it. I buried my face in my hands, voice barely audible now.

"I love him, Mumma... I love him so much it terrifies me."

And maybe that was the worst part

That love, the kind that was supposed to heal, was the very thing tearing me apart.

.

.

.

The morning sunlight filtered in through the curtains, casting soft rays across the living room. I rubbed my eyes, the ache of last night still heavy on my heart.

I had slept on the balcony floor. The cold stone clung to my skin, but it wasn't the chill that kept me up it was the pain. The silence Rayaan left behind echoed louder than anything.

I pushed myself up, limbs stiff and sore. The red saree I still wore felt too heavy now. Too full of memories I didn't want to carry.

I changed into something simple and quiet. As if that could dull the noise in my chest.

When I walked downstairs, the house felt too still. I heard voices coming from the dining room, soft and casual.

I entered, trying to mask the chaos in my chest. "Good morning," I said, forcing a smile.

Vivaan looked up from his plate. "Where's the birthday boy?" he asked brightly.

I paused. My breath hitched, but I stayed silent.

Maa didn't look up. She simply said, "Rayaan left, beta. He's gone abroad for work. For two months."

My heart stopped.

Two months.

Gone.

Just like that.

No goodbye. No message. Not even a glance back.

I stood frozen, my mind racing to catch up. Everything inside me had gone quiet.

Vivaan and maa kept talking. Their voices faded to a blur.

I pulled out a chair and sat down, but I couldn't feel the ground beneath me.

It felt like the world had shifted under my feet. Like something inside me cracked wide open.

I gripped the table, trying to steady myself. But the damage was done.

My voice came out low, almost like a whisper. "Two months..."

Bade papa looked up. "Yeah. Just for work. He didn't say much."

I nodded slowly. But I wasn't really there anymore.

Rayaan had left.

And I had never felt more alone.

Arvi's pov:

I didn’t remember how I got there.

One moment I was standing in that dining room, the words “two months” echoing like gunshots in my mind. The next, I was in an auto, clutching my phone with numb fingers, dialing the only number I could think of.

Nia.

She didn’t ask anything. Just told me to come. Her voice soft. Sure. Safe.

Now, I was sitting on her bedroom floor, knees drawn to my chest, the ache in my ribcage refusing to dull.

Nia sat quietly next to me, her presence like a blanket draped over my shivering soul. She didn’t push. Didn’t ask what happened.

But her silence was too kind. Too patient. And it broke me.

“I told him,” I whispered, my voice hoarse, eyes staring blankly at the wall. “I told him I loved him.”

Nia didn’t react not visibly. But I felt the way she turned toward me, fully. Present.

I swallowed hard, my throat burning. “I said it. Out loud. I didn’t plan to I just… it slipped. I was standing in front of him, shaking like an idiot, and I said it.”

Tears welled up again, thick and hot, and this time I didn’t bother stopping them. They fell down my cheeks, soaking the collar of my kurta.

“And he heard me, Nia. Every word. He just… stared. Like I’d said something disgusting. And then he stepped back. One step. That’s all. But it felt like the ground disappeared.”

My voice cracked. “He left. No goodbye. No fight. Just… gone. Abroad. For two months.”

I covered my face with trembling hands. “God, I feel so stupid. I thought maybe just maybe I mattered.”

Nia wrapped her arms around me before I could fall apart completely, her hug grounding me when I felt like I was floating somewhere too far to reach.

“I didn’t ask for this, Nia,” I sobbed into her shoulder. “I didn’t ask to feel this way. But he got under my skin, and I let him. And he still walked away.”

Her hand rubbed slow circles on my back as I let the pain spill out of me, raw and unfiltered.

“I’ve spent so long trying to be strong,” I whispered. “To prove I belong somewhere. In his world. And now it just feels like I was lying to myself the whole time.”

Nia pulled back slightly, cupping my face gently. “You didn’t lie, Arvi. You loved. That’s never a lie. Even if he couldn’t hold it… that love was real. You are real.”

Something in me cracked open at her words. Not in a painful way but like a deep breath after drowning.

Still, I shook my head. “It hurts, Nia. So much. I don’t know where to keep it.”

She nodded, her forehead resting against mine. “Then don’t keep it. Stop crying. Everything will be fine.”

I nodded hugging her.

I don’t remember when the tears stopped. Maybe they didn’t. Maybe they just slipped inside, hiding in corners I wouldn’t find until later.

Nia sat beside me, silent for a long time, then finally said, “You’re staying here tonight.”

I shook my head weakly. “I didn’t tell anyone at the mansion. Not even Maa.”

“Then call her,” Nia said softly. “Let her know. But you're not going back tonight. You need to breathe.”

So I did. I called Maa and told her I was with Nia and I’d be staying here. Her voice, gentle as always, simply said, “Okay, beta. Take care.”

When I hung up, Nia grinned. “Perfect. Now we fix this heartbreak. One girls’ night at a time.”

I gave her a half-hearted look. “Nia—”

She raised a brow. “No. No brooding. I'm calling backup.”

A short while later, the doorbell rang and chaos arrived in the form of Aleesha and Arekha.

The moment they saw me, they didn’t even wait for explanations.

Aleesha rushed forward and hugged me tightly. “What the hell, Arvi? Why did you leave the mansion like that? And not tell anyone?”

Arekha joined in from the side, her arms circling me too. “Maa was worried. Everyone kept asking.

“I just needed some space,” I murmured. “I didn’t plan it. I just...came.”

Their grip tightened a little, in that silent way girls do when they’re trying to hold someone together.

“We’re glad you’re safe,” Aleesha whispered.

Then Nia clapped her hands, breaking the moment. “Okay, sad girls to hot girls. Now.”

She threw open her wardrobe dramatically and started pulling out dresses that barely qualified as dresses.

“I am not wearing that,” I said instantly, eyeing a deep red bodycon with slits in places I didn’t know clothes could have slits.

“Yes, you are,” Nia said, wagging a finger at me.

“I really am not.”

“Arvi, listen. You already cried. Now it’s time to glow. You’re coming out of that heartbreak like a phoenix, and this dress? Is your fire.”

Aleesha and Arekha chimed in with exaggerated gasps and nods.

“Please, Arvi,” Arekha begged. “Just once. Let loose. Just for tonight.”

I sighed, dramatically. “Fine. But if I trip and fall, I’m blaming you.”

Minutes later, I stepped out of the bathroom, wearing the dress, cheeks flushed and heart pounding.



Nia let out a low whistle. “Girl. If Rayaan could see you right now—”

“Bhai doesn’t deserve to,” Aleesha cut in.

We laughed. Loud and free.

Photos were clicked. Food devoured. Rom-coms played in the background while we danced in between scenes, sang off-key, and let the world fade for a while.

And for the first time in days, I didn’t feel broken.

I felt held. I felt seen.

And I felt a little more like me again.

The living room was full of noise, laughter, and junk food. Music was playing in the background, and clothes were scattered everywhere from all the “dress trials” Nia had forced us into.

“I swear this dress is trying to kill me,” I muttered, tugging at the tight strap.

“You look stunning. Stop being dramatic,” Nia said, adjusting my hair.

Arekha twirled in front of the mirror. “This feels like one of those movie scenes where the shy girl becomes hot in five minutes.”

Aleesha laughed. “Except here, the shy girl was already hot and just needed better lighting.”

I rolled my eyes but smiled anyway. It felt… freeing.

We all took selfies, clicked silly boomerangs, and Aleesha without anyone noticing snapped a full picture of me posing near the curtain with the city lights behind me.

“You guys, say cheese!” Nia shouted, and we all made the weirdest faces on purpose. The room echoed with our giggles.

Then we plopped onto the couch with tubs of ice cream and popcorn.

“My legs hurt,” Arekha sighed, stretching. “Next time, I’m wearing pajamas.”

“No next time. I’ve embarrassed myself enough tonight,” I groaned.

Aleesha was on her phone, scrolling through the photos. “You know, this one’s really good, Arvi.” Before I could answer, she tapped share. “Posted!”

“What did you post?” I asked, not really looking.

“Just one pic of you looking like a goddess. Relax. No one from the mansion follows me on my private Insta.”

“Yeah, who cares?” Arekha added. “It’s girls' night. We’re allowed to have fun.”

Nia nodded. “Exactly. Let’s just enjoy it. No drama.”

I nodded.

And we did enjoy. We laughed. We talked about random things. I even forgot how broken I’d felt just a few hours ago.

We had no idea that somewhere, someone might see that photo.

But right now? It didn’t matter.

For once, I was surrounded by people who didn’t expect me to be perfect. Who didn’t judge me. Who just… let me be.

And I held on to that.

Because tomorrow could wait.

The room was warm with laughter and sugar highs. Arekha was half-hanging off the couch, Nia was doing her best impersonation of dramatic dialogues, and Aleesha kept scrolling through our photos, showing us the worst ones and making us all scream with laughter.

For a while, I forgot.

Forgot the silence Rayaan left behind. Forgot the ache that curled up in my chest when I thought of him walking away without looking back.

I felt... normal. Maybe even a little happy.

Until Aleesha went quiet.

I didn’t notice at first not until she said, “Uh… guys?”

I turned to look at her. Her eyes were glued to her phone screen, her expression unreadable.

“What happened?” I asked, the tiniest bit of worry creeping into my voice.

She slowly showed us her phone. “Someone just DM’d me. A private account. “Interesting post, Tell Mrs. Oberoi. Does her husband know the kind of image you're putting out there? He might not like it.”

The words slammed into me like a slap.

My breath caught in my throat. My hands went cold.

“What… what does that mean?” Arekha asked, sitting up straight.

“They’re talking about that photo I posted of Arvi in the dress,” Aleesha whispered, her voice shaking. “The one by the mirror.”

I stared at the message again.

It wasn’t just a question. It was a warning. Not a threat. Cold. Calculated. Powerful.

My name Mrs. Oberoi used like a weapon.

Nia snatched the phone. “Who the hell is this? What kind of creep is he”

But I barely heard her.

All I could hear was the silent weight of that name.

Rayaan.

What if it was someone from his company? From the mansion? From his circle? Someone who’d report back?

What if it was... him?

Aleesha deleted the photo so fast her hands shook. “It’s gone. No one will see it now.”

But I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was already too late.

Because whoever sent that message they knew exactly how to strike.

My stomach twisted painfully. That one message it felt like it shattered the little peace I’d built tonight. My hands had gone numb, phone screen blurring behind the tears I refused to let fall.

Then Aleesha touched my arm gently. “Arvi breathe. It’s not him. It’s not Rayaan bhai.”

I looked up at her, desperate. “How do you know?”

“Because I checked,” she said quickly, holding her phone out again. “This account? It’s a random private profile with barely any followers. No posts. No connections to anyone we know.”

Arekha nodded, chiming in, “And bhai doesn’t even use Instagram like that. You’ve seen it he hates social media.”

Nia came to sit beside me, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. “Babe, this is just someone being nosy. Someone who thinks they’re clever behind a screen. Don’t let them scare you.”

“But what if he still finds out?” I whispered, voice barely there. “What if someone shows him. He will think I am doing this for to gain male attention or something?”

Nia squeezed me tighter. “Then he’ll deal with it. You haven’t done anything wrong. You were just... living. Laughing. Breathing. For once.”

Aleesha leaned in. “We were celebrating you, Arvi. Not hiding. And no message, no stranger can take that away.”

I bit my lip, heart still racing, but something in their voices strong, certain helped the storm inside me quiet a little.

They didn’t just see me as someone married to Rayaan Oberoi.

They saw me as me.

And in that moment, that mattered more than anything.