•RUDRA'S POV•

"Kill that fucking Rudra Singhania, Saarth."

The words slammed into me. I stared at the projector.

That voice. That venom. It was Navya's voice.

"Things have gone too far. I don't think he'll ever leave Saanvi."

I turned my head, and looked at Navya.

She wasn't even looking up. Her eyes were glued to her lap. She was shaking.

"Did you try talking to him? Use the unstable excuse,"

Saarth?

"You think I didn't try? You know what? A few days ago I saw Rudra outside the hospital. I told him Saanvi was unstable, that she is a murderer, I used every excuse I could think of but that fucking man wouldn't listen. Not for a second. He didn't even let me finish the sentence. He looked me straight in the eye, like he could see through every single lie I had rehearsed. His eyes, God, his eyes I swear, in that moment, I thought he'd kill me right there on the pavement and not feel a shred of guilt."

"You should've come up with something better, Navya."

"Ever since I met him, I kept trying again and again. But he never listened. Not once. After he married Saanvi, I was sure he'd cheat. I mean, what do you expect from a man like him? A playboy, a flirt... a man who could have anyone. But he didn't. He stayed loyal. Completely. And it made me sick. I wanted him, but my bitch of a sister took him from me. Saanvi took everything."

My vision blurred. Not from tears but from sheer, unfiltered disbelief.

"And now... now she smiles. With him. Like she actually found happiness. He shields her every time. So take him out. Remove him. That's the only way left to destroy her. I can't stand it. I can't breathe watching them together. So kill him. Kill Rudra. If Rudra is gone, she'll break. She'll blame herself, just like she still blames herself for her mother's death. Because he's never going to turn against her, Saarth. Never. He defends her like his life depends on it. He's fought with my dad, with bade papa for her. Every damn time."

"Navya, use your damn brain, killing Rudra isn't the solution. Breaking him is. Breaking them is."

I stood up frozen, my body cold and stiff, like I'd been dropped into freezing water.

"He still carries the wounds of his past. You know what? Rudra has complex PTSD. His mind is a landmine, one step in the wrong place and it all explodes. We don't need to touch a weapon. Just recreate what broke him the first time. Set the stage, make it believable, real... and then step back. He'll destroy everything himself. He'll spiral fast. Just one hint that Saanvi cheated, and he'll crumble."

My eyes widened, trying to process, to breathe, to stay grounded.

"That man doesn't forgive betrayal. He'll believe it before he questions it. And once he does...it'll be the end of both of them. No violence needed. Just a little push and his mind will do the rest."

Of course I did. I accused her. I shattered her without lifting a finger.

The worst part? They were right. They didn't even have to lay a hand on her. They used me to break her.

"But how would I know what happened back then?" Navya's voice came.

"His ex-Anvika. She's a friend of mine. Meet her. She'll tell you everything."

"Thanks. Send the details."

And then he chuckle.

"Watching Rudra cry again like he did nine years ago... that's a dream worth chasing."

The recording clicked off.

Silence.

It was the loudest silence I had ever heard in my life.

I felt like my soul had stepped out of my body and was watching from a distance.

"Y-You... you did it, Navya?" her father's voice cracked, as he rose from his seat.

"Navya!" Anubhav Malhotra thundered. His fist slammed down on the table. "Fucking answer it!"

"Yes! I did it! I fucking framed her. I planted those photos. I made it all look real. Every bit of it me! I did it!" she screamed.

My heart dropped. I felt the floor vanish beneath my feet. My hands trembled.

My skin turned pale. I could feel it every drop of blood draining from my face, I stumbled back like it had taken a physical blow. My breath caught mid-throat.

I looked at her-Saanvi.

She wasn't looking at me. She was staring at Navya, unmoving, eyes wide with disbelief. Her lashes were wet. A single tear slipped down her cheek, catching the sharp light of the projector.

She wasn't blinking. Just... frozen. Like the pain hadn't hit her fully yet, like her body was still catching up with her heart.

My eyes blurred instantly.

Tears welled up without permission, stinging. My breath hitched in my throat as my chest tightened, and I stumbled back a step, barely catching myself on the edge of the chair.

A sharp breath cut through my lungs as I closed my eyes. And her voice, her broken voice, rushed into my ears like a goddamn scream.

"Don't do this, Rudra... please. Just believe me. I swear on everything, I could never cheat on you."

"Please, Rudra... you're all I have. Don't do this. Don't throw me away like this."

"I need you now, Rudra. Please... don't do this. Don't turn your back on me. Not now. Not when I have no one else."

"Believe in your wife, in your pearl. Please."

"Please, Rudra, don't. Don't leave me alone. Don't abandon me. You're all I have now."

I gasped, like I had been drowning this whole time and only just realized it.

My eyes flew open.

Her voice. Her trembling, desperate voice. It was playing in my mind.

What the fuck did I do?

She was innocent.

All this time when I had looked her in the eyes and accused her. When I walked past her shattered expression.

She had been innocent.

I had abandoned her.

I hadn't just walked away. I had let her rot in the prison of a lie someone else built. And I handed her the damn sentence myself.

Every scene flashed, her tears, her silence, her trembling hands reaching for me while I turned away from her.

She was telling the truth. And I didn't even look twice.

What kind of man was I?

AUTHOR'S POV

Anubhav, Pranay, and Vikram stood frozen.

The room was dead silent, yet thunder roared in their ears.

It felt like the ground had split beneath them. Every face was pale, drained of all colour, as if the truth had knocked the air out of their lungs.

Abhiraj simply stood still, arms folded across his chest, eyes locked onto Navya with a storm behind them.

"Will you tell the rest... or should I?"

Navya wiped her tears slowly no longer pretending to hide

"I met Anvika." She paused, gaze flickering to Rudra who stood frozen like a lifeless statue. "I booked an appointment with her under a fake name. I needed to understand what exactly destroyed him in the past. I asked her everything... about her relationship with Rudra. She admitted she had cheated on him with her best friend. She said Rudra was someone who trusted blindly. She also told what broke him the most wasn't just the betrayal... it was that she made him feel stupid for not seeing it. The word that still haunts him today is 'fool.' That's what he felt like. A fool."

She glanced down. "Saarth and I knew exactly how to use that. We knew his PTSD wasn't just about betrayal it was about shame. About being made to feel like a fool. And that's what we aimed for. I knew Shaurya had feelings for Saanvi. And I knew Rudra's past, his trauma. So I used it. Mahir became Shaurya. Anvika became Saanvi. I built the same setup. Carefully. They were going to an event. Saarth had access, he was invited. It was easy. He started conversations with Saanvi, kept it subtle, Close proximity. Not enough to seem deliberate... but enough to raise questions in someone like Rudra's mind." Her voice dropped an octave.

"And then, the photos were taken. We made sure to take real photos, no edits, no manipulation. Just enough angles, just enough lighting, just enough context... to create the wrong story." she sniffed.

"I waited until Rudra was alone away from Saanvi, already worn down mentally. That trip was the perfect chance." She swallowed. "I went to him with the photos. At first, he didn't believe me. He even tried to choke me for accusing her. But I had prepared for that." Her voice didn't tremble now. It was a confession, but one without remorse.

"I used Anvika's words. The same ones she once used that triggered him during her betrayal. I told him not to be a fool again. That she was the same. I told him, this was happening again."

Her gaze drifted toward Rudra, who hadn't blinked in minutes.

"And that's when I saw it." She exhaled slowly. "His guard cracked. The doubt set in."

Anubhav's lips parted slightly. Pranay's fingers clenched at his sides.

"I knew he would get the photos checked. So Saarth and I ensured they were real. The images weren't edited... we just changed the angle."

She exhaled.

"But that wasn't enough. I knew Rudra would still waver when he met her again. That part of him would want to believe her. So I gave him one final push. I told him, ask her only one question. Don't listen to anything else. Ask if Shaurya proposed to her. And she'll say yes. Because it's true. And he'd believe what he wanted to believe." She smirked bitterly.

"The truth twisted just enough to destroy everything. And I forged property papers too," she added. "Made it look like Saanvi wanted shares transferred in her name... away from Vikram bhaiya. Just to plant one last seed."

Vikram's eyes snapped toward Saanvi, who stood frozen, shoulders stiff, eyes unblinking, as if her entire world had been stripped away in one brutal blow.

A tight slap cracked through the air, landing harshly on Navya's cheek, making her stumble back.

She clutched her face in shock, staring at Anubhav, his chest heaving, his eyes bloodshot, tears streaking down his face.

"How did you fucking dare, Navya?!" he roared.

"Dad!" Vikram rushed forward, grabbing his father's arm.

"Dad, calm down please," he whispered, trying to steady him.

Anubhav's trembling lips parted. "Vikram..." he choked out, struggling to form the next name. "S...Saanvi..." His eyes finally found her.

Saanvi's face was still canvas streaked with silent tears. Then slowly, she reached up, removed Adrika's comforting hand from her arm, and walked past her.

She stopped in front of Navya. "Why?" Her voice cracked. "Why, Navya?" Her lips trembled, her voice laced with raw disbelief. "What have I ever done to you to deserve this? I wasn't even in India... why would you go this far to hurt me?"

Navya let out a bitter laugh. Her eyes shone with defiance as she tilted her head, scoffing.

"You really want to know?" she sneered. "The audacity, Saanvi."

She took a step closer, her voice rising with every word.

"Your existence disgusts me. Every time I look at you, I feel this urge to-" her lips curled, "-wipe you off the face of the earth."

A collective gasp echoed through the room. Even Adrika instinctively pulled back.

"You were all the way in New York," Navya spat, "and yet, my parents wouldn't shut up about you-'Saanvi is suffering,' 'Saanvi is alone,' 'everything that happened to her is so unfair.'" Her voice broke as she shouted, "What about me? I was here! But no, the spotlight had to stay on you. Even Dhruv... he spoke to you more than he ever spoke to me!" Her breath hitched as tears welled in her eyes.

"But this didn't start recently," she growled. "This hate didn't come out of nowhere. It was there since we were kids. Do you remember, Saanvi? How I was always compared to you? 'Learn something from your sister, she's so well-behaved, so mature.' Mom said it. Dad said it. You? You would step in, pretending to care, acting like the bigger person. 'Don't compare us, chachaji' You didn't help. You just made them love you more." She stepped forward, her voice low and venomous.

"You came back from New York and I knew you'd do it again. So I played along. I smiled, I acted like the sweet little sister and when I realized you weren't the same anymore, that you were colder, more distant I saw my chance. I made you the black sheep. And it worked."

Saanvi's lip quivered as a sob escaped. She stood frozen, her eyes never leaving Navya's.

"And where was my fault in all this?" Saanvi whispered, "When I struggled with studies, I was told to learn from you too, Navya. And I did. I never hated you for that. I understood our parents meant well. I never let that make me hate you. And your father, he asked me to speak to you because you'd shut everyone out. You remember that, don't you? You stopped talking after you broke your friendship. I just didn't want you to feel alone."

She paused, trying to steady her breath, but her body betrayed her. Her knees gave slightly, her arms shaking.

"And about your love life-" her voice rose a notch, laced with pain, "-I never wanted to get married I was forced into it. No one asked what I fucking wanted!"

Her strength failed her. Saanvi stumbled.

Abhiraj was by her side in a heartbeat. He caught her and pulled her into a protective hug, his hand cradling her head as she shook in his arms.

"Papa..." her voice came out muffled against his chest.

Anubhav's breath caught in his throat.

He looked at her, but she wasn't speaking to him.

She had called Abhiraj.

Abhiraj glanced at Adrika, nodding once. "Take her."

Adrika stepped forward and gently took Saanvi's arm. But before leaving, Saanvi turned to Navya one last time, her gaze devoid of warmth.

"As much as I hate you... I thank you," she said, voice dead calm. "You finally shattered my illusion, that I had a family. That I could ever trust anyone here."

Anubhav closed his eyes. Pranay looked away, a hand over his mouth. Vikram shut his eyes as if rewinding time could erase the shame.

"Whatever beating you got from Saanvi, I wish she had done worse," Adrika spat coldly. Then she turned and led Saanvi out.

"Saanvi-!" Rudra took a step.

"Stop right there." Abhiraj's voice thundered as he stepped in front of him.

Rudra's chest rose with panic. "Dad, please... let me go to her... I-please, I need to see her... I beg you-"

He fell to his knees, hands clasped, eyes wide with dread. "Please... let me see her."

Abhiraj stared down at him, unmoved. "There's more you all need to hear."

He pulled Rudra up by the arm and dragged him to the table.

"Saanvi is... dying," he said, barely able to form the word.

The ground collapsed beneath them.

Anubhav's lips parted soundlessly. Vikram staggered back and reached for support. Pranay let out a soft gasp, unable to breathe.

Rudra froze. His arms dropped. His mouth went dry.

"What?" Vikram choked out.

"Dad... what are you saying?" he muttered, eyes wide.

"She's a drug addict too. Her mental health is not good. She has sleep paralysis, she started taking pills to cope while in New York. Her cardiologist said her heart is sensitive. She has Coronary Heart Disease. Her condition was diagnosed early, so there's hope... but if anything triggers anything-she can... umm we don't know when it might happen."

He turned his eyes to Rudra.

"And you... you were the reason she ended up on her deathbed."

Anubhav swayed. Vikram clutched his father's wrist as if to stop time.

Rudra's breath left him.

"D-deathbed...?" he stuttered.

"Yes," Abhiraj continued. "That day... all those accusations, everything you all said... she had a massive panic attack. She was hospitalized. But she ran away. She came to your penthouse... maybe she still hoped you'd trust her. But then another panic attack hit. At hospital she kept taking your name... that's when I called you. And yes she heard what you said. About sleeping with another woman."

"I promise...I'll make sure I die... so you'll carry the pain of being unforgiven forever." Her words from that day echoed in his mind.

Rudra's whole body froze.

"And she had a cardiac arrest that night." Abhiraj said the final blow.

Rudra collapsed fully, silent sobs wracking his frame, face buried in his hands. His throat clenched so tight he could barely breathe. Every breath was guilt. Every heartbeat was agony.

Pranay leaned against the wall, visibly shaking. Vikram stood still, his hand pressed over his chest, tears silently rolling down his face.

Anubhav dropped to the nearest chair, numb, broken.

"Shame on you all. You call yourselves her family, yet you stood by and watched her break." Abhiraj's voice thundered through the room, with rage. His eyes burned with disbelief as he slowly stepped toward them his gaze falling on Anubhav, who hadn't moved in minutes.

Anubhav, who sat frozen, his gaze fixated on the wall ahead, unfocused, unblinking. His chest rose and fell erratically, each breath short and shallow, as though the weight of truth had robbed him of oxygen.

"She was grieving her mother... alone. And you, Anubhav..." Abhiraj turned fully to him, voice trembling now. "You sent her away. God knows how much that girl suffered alone. She was so alone. How could you send her away? Her mother died. That child should've had her family. Instead, you all abandoned her-"

Abhiraj stopped mid-sentence when he noticed movement behind him.

Rudra.

Rudra was walking away. He rushed outside. The air was thick and suffocating. Rudra stumbled down the stairs like a man who had lost all sense of ground. His legs barely held him, his pace frantic and uneven, like his body was running faster than his heart could handle. His chest ached, from panic. His vision blurred, from tears. He blinked hard and fast, sniffing back broken sobs as he reached the driveway.

He looked around, eyes darting, panicked until he saw the car.

Saanvi was inside.

His heart dropped. His throat closed up.

He sprinted. Nearly tripped. His foot caught the edge of the pavement but he didn't stop. Gravel scraped the skin on his palms as he caught himself, but he didn't care.

"Saanvi!" His voice cracked, barely audible.

The car engine revved.

He threw himself in front of it. Adrika hit the brakes just in time.

She looked up, furious. "Rudra, move!"

He didn't listen. He stumbled toward the passenger side, his hand pressed against the glass, fogging it with his breath. His other hand shook violently as he tapped the window.

"P...Pearl," he whispered, eyes scanning for hers.

Inside the car, Saanvi sat silently. Her hands were clenched tightly in her lap. Her eyes glistened, fixed downward. A single tear slid down her cheek. Then another. But she didn't move. Didn't speak. Didn't look at him.

Rudra's lips quivered. He leaned his forehead against the glass, his shoulders shaking.

"Please..." he choked. "I know I don't deserve it, but please look at me... just once..."

Adrika stepped out. "Move, Rudra. Don't make this worse for her."

But Rudra didn't back away.

I was supposed to protect her. I told her I would be there, and I wasn't. I left her to face this alone...

The words weren't spoken, but they screamed inside his head, over and over, until they drowned out everything else.

"Pearl, please... I'll do anything, just... don't leave like this..." His voice broke into a sob as he turned back to the window.

The door stayed locked. Saanvi's tears fell soundlessly.

Adrika reached for the ignition again.

"Mom, please, I'm begging you, don't take her away from me. Just let me fix it. Please." His voice was hoarse now, nearly gone. His knees buckled slightly. He gripped the door handle like it was the only thing keeping him upright.

But then a rough hand yanked him back.

"Enough!" Abhiraj's voice rang with finality.

Rudra spun around, eyes desperate. "Dad, please. Don't do this. I have to talk to her. I have to."

"She begged too, Rudra." Abhiraj looked at Adrika. "Adrika, go."

The car began to move.

"No-no, no-Pearl, please!" Rudra lunged forward, but Abhiraj's fist collided with his face. Rudra hit the ground, breath knocked out of him. He tasted blood, his cheek already swelling.

The car vanished down the street.

His chest heaved as he lay there, broken, crushed.

"Too late." Abhiraj looked down at him with fury and pain etched into every word. "You lost her."

Rudra lay there on the ground. Tears spilled from his eyes like a flood, raw and soundless. His hand pressed against his chest like he could rip the guilt out of him.

His mouth moved wordlessly, trying to say her name again, but no sound came.

He pressed a trembling hand to his heart and whispered, "P..Pearl..."

✿✿✿✿✿

"What?" Avyaan frowned.

"Yes. After everything... it turns out she didn't cheat," Abhimaan said quietly, his eyes flicking toward Rudra, who was slumped on the couch, elbows on his knees, fists gripping his hair. "She was dying, and he-" he pointed subtly at Rudra, "he was the reason she was on the deathbed."

"But-"

The doorbell cut Avyaan off. Abhimaan stood and opened it. Kabir stood outside, leaning against the wall, whistling.

"Your majesty, step aside," Kabir said, flashing a cocky grin.

Abhimaan rolled his eyes and stepped back. Kabir sauntered in, but his smirk disappeared the moment he saw Rudra's face.

"Holy shit, who the fuck did that?" he asked, crouching in front of Rudra. "Seriously, just give me a name. I'll knock their jaw into next week."

"Abhiraj uncle," Avyaan answered flatly.

Kabir paused. "Oh." A beat. "...Yeah, I'm gonna pass on that one."

Then he turned to Rudra again. "Anyway, you absolute fucking moron guess what? I've got news for you, about those damn photos."

Rudra didn't even lift his head.

Kabir scoffed. "Congratulations, asshole. You fucked up big time. They were morphed. Someone played you."

"Too late," Avyaan muttered. "Abhiraj uncle already figured it out. With Veer uncle's help. It was Navya, Saanvi's sister and Saarth. They staged everything."

Kabir blinked. "Veer fufa ji?" he turned to Abhimaan. "Didn't you say your dad was busy with some state shit? Why didn't anyone call me? You all know I eat tech frauds for breakfast." He huffed and immediately dialed Abhiraj's number. The call went on speaker.

"What?" Abhiraj snapped, picking up.

"Uncle," Kabir said. "You could've just called me. You went to fufa ji instead? I'm hurt. You don't trust me?"

"No," Abhiraj replied.

Kabir's face fell. "Ouch. That's personal."

"As if I care, Kabir," Abhiraj replied. "I don't trust you, Avyaan, or Abhimaan when it comes to Rudra. Your friendship blinds you. That's why I went to my friend. And for the record, Veer's ten times the tech mind you are."

Before Kabir could argue, Rudra finally lifted his head.

"Dad... Saanvi-"

The call cut off. Abhiraj had hung up.

Rudra closed his eyes and leaned back. His fingers clenched the fabric of the couch.

"Rudra, calm down," Avyaan said, as he noticed the gloss over Rudra's eyes. "It's not over yet. Everything can still be fixed."

"I agree," Kabir added quickly. "Everything will be alright, as long as he keeps you the hell out of his life."

Avyaan turned to him with a glare. "Say that again."

"I'll say it in five languages if it helps," Kabir shot back. "Hindi, English, Italian, Sarcasm and The Language of Someone Who's Sick of Your Shit."

Abhimaan pinched the bridge of his nose. "I hate to say it, but I actually agree with Kabir. Avyaan, stop poisoning his brain with your outdated misogynistic bullshit."

Rudra stood suddenly, without a word, and walked to his room. The door slammed. Locked.

Avyaan exhaled slowly, "I know what you both think of me, misogynistic, harsh, too direct... maybe all of it's true." He glanced at them, "But not this time. This wasn't about women or bitterness. This was about Rudra. I said what I did because I'm his friend."

Kabir shot him a skeptical glance. "Bullshit."

"Kabir. We've all seen him like this before. Years ago, I watched him change, piece by fucking piece. And two months ago, at that goddamn club? He cried like the same lost boy we all saw. And you think I'm supposed to stand there, telling him to go talk to Saanvi? Telling him there's some magical understanding waiting to be discovered? I knew, right then, I couldn't risk him going through that again."

"So you just assumed she was the villain?" Kabir scoffed.

"No. I didn't know who the hell was right or wrong, but one thing I fucking knew for sure, was that I couldn't give him the 'comfort' of some sugar-coated lie. If I'd said 'Saanvi didn't cheat' and it turned out she fucking did? What then? What if he forgave her and then found out it was all true? You think he would've survived that? You wouldn't be looking at a crying Rudra. You'd be planning his fucking funeral." His eyes landed on Abhimaan. "You know it, don't you?"

Abhimaan looked down, eyes closing in quiet acknowledgement.

"Still doesn't justify-"

"Shut up, Kabir," Avyaan snapped. "I'm not justifying anything. I'm telling you what I saw. I'm not some bystander. I'm his friend. That means I stand beside him even when he fucks up. You know that's not a dramatization. You know damn well what kind of darkness he's capable of falling into, I wasn't trying to hurt her, or even judge her. I didn't take sides because I hated her. I stayed with him because he's my priority. Not her. It was Rudra."

He looked at them both, squarely.

"You can call me whatever the hell you want villain, cold, toxic, misogynist I don't care. If my friend is bleeding out emotionally, I'll be the one holding the pressure, not giving speeches on morality, I won't play diplomat. That's what being a friend is. Not always saying the 'right' thing. But doing what's needed, even when it makes you the bad guy. And I'd do it all over again."

Avyaan's voice dropped to a softer tone. "Whatever happened with Saanvi... it's tragic. I'm not blind to that. But if I had to go back? I'd still stay by Rudra's side. Every time. Because at the end of the day, I don't owe the world anything. I owe him."

Abhimaan broke the silence. "But she had a cardiac arrest."

Kabir's eyes widened in disbelief. "What? Saanvi had a cardiac arrest?"

Abhimaan nodded solemnly. "Yeah. And on top of that, she has Coronary Heart Disease. It's serious, Kabir. Really serious."

Kabir's mouth hung open, his face falling. "Fuck..."

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