SAANVI'S POV

"Looking beautiful," Maa whispers, placing a soft kiss on my forehead.

I stare at my reflection, the red dress clings to me like a memory that won't let go. She turns to leave, and that's when I see Rudra leaning against the doorframe, his gaze locked on mine through the mirror.

Maa glances at him once, then walks out quietly.

I rise slowly, turning to face him. He takes a few steps forward. His eyes were glassy, like he's been holding back more than just tears.

"Kaisi lag rahi hoon?" (How do I look?) I ask, the question deliberate... because I know how much it'll hurt him.

His lips curve into a soft, aching smile.

"Just like my pearl... wrapped in my colour. You're breathtaking."

His hands reach for my face, fingers gently grazing my skin. Tears sting my eyes, blurring the edges of his face.

"But I'm dressed for someone else," I murmur,

His jaw clenches as one tear slips down his cheek. "You still look like mine," he breathes, voice catching at the end.

Something inside me twists, sharp and deep. "Then why do you look shattered?" I ask, watching his eyes instead of wiping my own.

"Because it breaks me to imagine you with someone else," he answers, stepping even closer, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. His fingers linger near my skin. "But why are you crying?" he asks, eyes searching mine.

"Because you're hurt," I whisper, my voice trembling. "And somehow, knowing that... makes me feel less broken," I add, the words tumbling out before I can stop them.

He tries to smile but it falters. His lips quiver, and for a moment, he just stares at me.

His palms cradle both sides of my face before he leans in, pressing a feather-light kiss to my forehead. I close my eyes, trying to memorise the warmth of him, the way my heartbeat loses control under his touch.

Then his arms wrap around me, pulling me against his chest. I feel the shake in his breath, the way his body trembles slightly.

"It's okay," he whispers into my hair. "Hurt me. Tear me apart. Do whatever you want... just-" His voice cracks as I feel his heartbeat racing against mine. "Just don't choose someone else."

The words slice through me.

I don't want to cry. But the tears fall anyway. I don't want to hold him back. But my hands ache to move.

My fists stay clenched at my sides.

I hate how safe I still feel in his arms. I hate that his embrace still quiets something in me. I hate that despite everything he's done, this..he...still feels like home.

And I hate him more for that.

"Please, don't choose anyone else." My chest tightens, "Even if you do... you'll still find me waiting, at the end of it all."

I press my lips together, forcing the sob back.

Then I step away. Grab my purse.

And walk out without looking back.

My fingertips wipe the tears before they fall again.

------------

I drove through the empty road, eyes fixed ahead, but my mind nowhere near the path in front of me. The night was quiet, too quiet. My vision clouds with tears and I blink hard, trying to see straight.

"Don't choose someone else. Even if you do... you'll still find me waiting, at the end of it all."

That voice. His voice. It refuses to leave me.

My chest tightens as a sob climbs up, uninvited and sharp. I suddenly pull over, my car jerking slightly as it stops at the edge of the road. I grip the steering wheel like it's the only thing holding me together. A choked sound escapes as tears break free, falling fast and without control.

I reach into my bag, hands trembling, and pull out my phone. My fingers fumble to find the number.

It rings once before I lift it to my ear, wiping my face with the back of my hand.

"Dr. Neil?"

"I'll pick you up-"

"I can't come," I cut him off and ended the call without waiting for his reply.

I lean back in the seat, staring blankly through the windshield. My chest heaves as another cry slips out, raw, involuntary.

I thought I could go through with it thought that watching him hurt would somehow fix what he did to me. I wanted him to feel what I felt when he told me he slept with another woman. I wanted him to carry the same pain I held that day, while I lay in that hospital bed weak, waiting, hoping he'd show up for me. Even if he didn't cheat, even if he only said it to hurt me... it still shattered something inside me. The pain I felt that day was real. But now, seeing him like that... it doesn't feel like revenge anymore. It feels like betrayal. And I hate that it does.

And somewhere along the way... I've started hating him even more for it.

The phone lights up again. Maa. I answer without thinking.

"Saanvi? Why did you leave like that, beta? Neil was coming to pick you-"

"I can't, Maa." My voice shakes. "I don't want to." I hear her breathing on the other end. "It feels wrong," I whisper, my throat tight. "Everything about it feels off."

She stays quiet for a second, "Wrong for who? For you or for... "

I swallow hard. My eyes shut. I wish I knew.

"I don't have that answer," I admit. "All I know is... this doesn't sit right with me. I can't lie to myself just to make it look okay on the outside. My heart's not in it."

She lets out a quiet sigh. "Come home," she murmurs. "I shouldn't have pushed you. I just thought... maybe moving on would help. But if it doesn't feel right, you don't owe anyone anything."

RUDRA'S POV

Never in my life did I believe I was capable of loving someone this deeply, and never did I imagine that the same woman I hurt would still carry so much grace in the way she thinks, in the way she feels, even after everything I put her through.

My fingers curl tighter around the wheel As my eyes stay fixed on the road ahead, on her.

She's just a few feet away, parked off to the side. Her body leans forward against the steering wheel, shoulders trembling. Even in the quiet darkness, the soft glow of her skin is visible. Her profile catches the light, delicate and broken, and it guts me.

She's crying. And all I can do is sit here and watch.

My vision stings, the tears building in my own eyes refusing to fall.

Her voice echoes in my ears, clear through the AirPods.

"I don't have that answer. All I know is... this doesn't sit right with me. I can't lie to myself just to make it look okay on the outside. My heart's not in it."

"Come home, I shouldn't have pushed you. I just thought... maybe moving on would help. But if it doesn't feel right, you don't owe anyone anything."

I exhale slowly, wiping a single tear that slides down my cheek.

She doesn't know about the tracker in her watch. I had it placed for nights like this.

The car screen lights up. It was Kabir. I answer without looking away from her.

"Rudra," he says lowly, "He is right in front of me. One trigger away. You sure want him dead?"

"Don't, she's not going with him."

"Then why the hell didn't you inform me?" Kabir snaps, the faint click of metal echoing behind his voice. "Thank God I asked before firing-"

"Then he'd be dead. That's all."

"You do realize how fucked up that sounds, right?"

I glance at her again. She's wiping her face with a tissue, sipping water slowly like she's trying to hold herself together piece by piece.

"Maybe I do," I murmur, eyes still on her. "But people mistake restraint for weakness. Just because I'm soft with her doesn't mean I'm soft."

They think I'll stand by while she walks into someone else's life. That I meant it when I said I'd wait, even if she chose him.

She really thought I'd let her choose?

There's no version of me where I let her stand between me and someone else, weighing options. I already know the answer. And I won't risk hearing it said out loud.

She's mine to love and mine to keep. I'll never force her to see it. But I sure as hell won't let another man make her forget it. I've already done enough damage. And I promised myself, whatever I become for the world, I'll always be careful with her.

She's my Pearl. And I'll hold her like one. Soft. Safe. Always. I'll always treat her gently. Always give her the softest parts of me. But if any man mistakes that softness for surrender, he'll meet Blaze Volkaris. Because I'm not some self-sacrificing prince who'll smile through heartbreak and wish her happiness. If that prince shows up, I'll put a bullet in him myself first. Then offer her my shoulder to cry on after.

Kabir exhales, tired. "You need therapy. And lucky for you, your wife happens to be a brain doctor."

A small smirk pulls at my lips. "Appreciate the suggestion."

I pause, eyes still locked on her. "And the G-22V, worked like a charm. The audio, the signal tracking, it's flawless. Thankyou."

He exhales. "Glad it helped. Now about your dues-"

I end the call.

Leaning back, I rest my elbow on the window, eyes never leaving her.

I notice her car starts again. But instead of turning toward home, she drives straight ahead. My brows pull together. Where is she going?

Without wasting a second, I start my own engine and follow.

-----------------

My heart hammers in my chest as I watch her slow down and stop ahead. I ease my foot off the pedal, eyes locked on her. She steps out, slowly, holding something in her hand, a black cloth.

I scan the surroundings, and my throat dries.

This place. Scenic view. Our place.

The same quiet hilltop we used to visit. The place where I first told her how I felt. Where, for once, everything had felt... right.

But why is she here now?

I park the car and get out, careful not to make a sound. I follow her at a distance, keeping to the shadows, close enough to see, far enough to stay invisible. I don't want to break whatever moment she's here to feel.

She stops by the railing, the same rusted edge we leaned against a hundred times before. The wind touches her hair as she looks ahead, her eyes set on the city stretched out below. The view is exactly how I remember it.

The moon hangs low and bright in the sky, veiled gently by clouds, casting a silver glow across the scene. Below, the city flickers quietly, rows of lights scattered like fireflies over water. We're both standing at the top but she's looking at the world, and I'm looking at mine.

Her.

I lean against the tree behind her the one we used to sit under. My head rests against the bark as I watch her. Her side profile caught in the glow of distant lights. Her hand clenches tightly around a piece of black fabric.

Her head bows slightly, and I see her lips move. Then her breath stutters, and it starts. The crying.

Her sobs were sudden, heavy, helpless. I press my AirPods deeper into my ears and close my eyes.

And I hear it. Her pain, unfiltered. It shatters something in me.

She unwraps the cloth in her hand and pulls it around her shoulders, slowly.

It's my shirt. My black shirt.

I curl my toes inside my shoes, fists tightening. Every instinct in me screams to go to her. To wrap my arms around her, bury her pain inside my chest, and never let her cry like this again.

"Rudra."

Her voice wrecked, cracked and gasping like she's been holding it in for too long. Her eyes closed, head tilted upward, and she cries like she's calling me without expecting an answer. She wraps her arms around herself, clutching the shirt like it's the only part of me she has left.

She's not just crying. She's crying for me.

I turn my face away as the weight in my throat finally breaks. My own tears fall. My body trembles, my breath uneven as I hold back the urge to fall apart right here.

"Aur tumne hi rula diya to?"

Her voice from past echoes in my mind. And now, remembering those words... it hits differently.

How did I become this? How did I become the man she needs to heal from? How did I become the reason behind the tears I swore I'd never cause?

✿✿✿✿✿

I glance at the clock. 11:45 PM.

She's probably asleep by now.

I rise slowly from the couch closing the laptop and make my way to her room. My hand lingers on the doorknob for a second before I push it open gently, careful not to wake her. I step inside and quietly shut the door behind me.

She was curled under the blanket, breathing soft and steady, I walked over, kneel by the bed, and brush my fingers lightly across her cheek. My thumb traces the edge of her jaw, and I let my hand rest there for a moment, soaking in the quiet.

She doesn't stir.

I slip under the blanket and lie down beside her slowly, not wanting to jolt her awake. I slide my arm around her and pull her close, gently. My chest presses against hers and I bury my face into the curve of her neck and shoulder, right where I can feel it best-

Her heartbeat.

And when I hear it, soft, even, steady, I finally breathe. That sound is everything. It's the only thing that matters at this hour. I stay still, counting the beats like a rhythm I don't want to lose. Because I know how fragile it is, how without warning, it can change.

Then, suddenly, I feel her arm shift. Her body turns slightly. And she wraps her arm around me. A small smile tugs at the corner of my lips. It's the only time she does this, when the world is quiet, when sleep softens the walls between us. And in that moment, I feel more alive than I have all day. Every night, I lie here with her pressed against me. Every night, I feel her heartbeat against mine for a few hours. It's the only sound I wait for.

Because when the world falls asleep, she still needs someone to stay.

And I always will.

✿✿✿✿✿

"Your flowers. And the letter."

I extend the bouquet and the diary toward her, offering a small smile. As expected, she takes the bouquet and drops it straight into the bin. Her eyes meet mine.

"Done?" she asks, one brow lifting with practiced indifference.

I nod once, still smiling.

"This," I lift the journal slightly. She glances but doesn't reach for it.

"I'm not interested in reading anything from you," she says simply.

"I figured," I murmur, tucking it back.

"Now get out," she says flatly.

Instead, I take a step closer and pull her into a light hug. Her body stiffens, hands immediately pushing against my chest, but I hold her gently, not tightly. Just enough to feel her heartbeat for a second.

"Congratulations, Pearl." I murmur against her hair, then slowly let her go.

She looks at me, confused but guarded.

"You saved three lives yesterday."

Her brows knit. "I only had two surgeries yesterday. I saved two," she says, tilting her head.

I smile brushing her cheek with the back of my fingers. I lean in and press a soft kiss to her cheek. Her eyes go wide, her lips part, probably ready to hurl a curse at me.

But I didn't give her the chance. I step back and slip out of the room, my smile fading the second I shut the door behind me.

As I step into the hallway, my jaw tightens. I pull out my phone, and dial Vedant. "Send Dr. Neil Saxena to my cabin. Now."

I hung up without waiting for a response and pushed open my office door. My blazer comes off and lands neatly on the back of my chair. I loosen my collar, lean back against the edge of my desk, arms folded, waiting.

The knock comes a few minutes later.

"Come in."

Neil walks in with that usual detached expression. "You asked for me?"

"I think you misunderstood what a warning actually means."

He raises a brow. "I don't recall breaking any hospital protocols."

I push off the desk and walk toward him slowly, shoving my hands in my pockets, "Stay away from my wife."

He chuckles under his breath, "Maybe if you had treated her better, she wouldn't have agreed to a date with someone else."

"Were you out with your fantasies, Doctor? Because I know my wife. She never went on that date." The smirk on his face falters.

"Dr. Saxena, the problem with half-baked gossip is it leaves people like you standing exactly where you are, under-informed and overconfident. So let me serve you the full version, since clearly no one else has. Yes, I wasn't living with her for a while. But I moved back days ago." His jaw tenses.

"Let's talk about you now," I add. "Dr. Neil Saxena. Thirty-three. Ophthalmologist Divorced three years ago. Cheated on by your ex-wife Medha Agarwal. And now you're following a married woman around, hoping she might fill the space your past left behind?"

He narrows his eyes. "That's my personal life. This is extremely unprofessional, Mr. Singhania."

"And going after the wife of the hospital's MD feels professional to you?"

He stays quiet.

"I understand your ex-wife cheated on you must've been humbling. But let's not misplace that trauma. Find someone else to play rebound roulette with. Because she...Dr. Saanvi Rudra Singhania is my wife. And that alone places her in a league so far above yours,"

He lets out a quiet scoff, his calm mask starts to crack. "Just accept it, you can't handle her."

I raise a brow, "And you can? You'd fold the second she lifts an eyebrow. You're busy thinking how to handle her. I already live through her fire her rage, her silence, her storms. But I've never tried to handle her. So no, I don't handle her. I respect her. I survive her. And I still want her more after every storm she drags me through. And that, Dr. Saxena," I finish, stepping back with quiet finality, "is where you and I will never be the same."

He doesn't speak. He just stares.

"So here's your warning," I say, "Admire her professionalism all you want, but from a distance. Don't hover. Don't push your luck. You're standing on a cliff you weren't built to survive."

I step back and return to my desk.

"You're dismissed."

He glances at me one last time, then turns and walks out.

The door shuts.

AUTHOR'S POV

"I'm out."

Rudra leans back on the couch, one arm resting along the edge, the other lifting a warm cup of tea to his lips.

Kabir's head jerks up. "Why?! This is literally the best project we've had in months!" he whines, dropping the file in his lap.

Rudra's eyes flick sideways, unbothered. "I don't see the value it adds to my company. Why would I waste time or money?" His gaze shifts to Abhimaan, who's lounging opposite him, elbow propped on the armrest, fingers rubbing lightly against his temple. "And you? What made you say yes?"

Abhimaan lifts a shoulder in a lazy shrug. "It's not a bad idea. It's got potential. Might be slow, but steady."

"There you go," Kabir jumps in, rubbing the tips of his fingers together. "The investment himself agrees."

Rudra exhales, already losing interest.

"But did you convince Avyaan?" he asks, turning to where Avyaan sits, barely part of the room, head down, eyes glued to his phone. His thumb swipes up slowly, rhythmically, pausing every few seconds like he's reading something closely.

There's something different in his face, his usually cold, empty expression seems softer, almost human.

What is he watching? Rudra wonders.

"I need a strategist. And as much as I want to call him useless, that bastard's brain actually works," Kabir mutters, eyes narrowing at Avyaan. "Still, he's taking a bigger share."

"Avyaan," Rudra calls out. Avyaan doesn't budge.

"Put that damn phone away, we're discussing something important," Abhimaan adds, visibly annoyed.

Kabir leans over and slaps Avyaan's arm. The phone nearly slips from his grip. He catches it just in time and instinctively hits the back button, then locks the screen. With a quick glance around, he sets the phone down on the glass table like nothing happened.

Rudra narrows his eyes. "What the hell were you watching?"

Kabir peers toward the screen. "Were you watching porn in the middle of a business meeting?"

Abhimaan and Rudra both shoot him a look of disbelief.

Kabir shrugs with a straight face. "Hey, you never know with that blank-faced man."

Avyaan doesn't bother answering. "Let's just finish this. I need to leave soon," he says quietly.

Kabir leans back. "Of course. After ruining someone's life, what else is left? Just go home and sleep like nothing happened."

Avyaan's jaw clenches. He shuts his eyes for a second, long enough to keep himself from reacting. His hand forms a fist on his thigh, knuckles pale as he exhales.

Rudra shifts slightly, sensing the tension crawl into the room like smoke. He throws a glance at Abhimaan.

Abhimaan meets his eyes briefly, then looks back at Kabir. "Not again kabir."

"Anyway," Kabir mutters, dragging his eyes to Rudra, "Come on, Rudra. I asked you because you're part of this team. You know we don't do things separately."

"Cut the emotional blackmail," Rudra responds.

Kabir sighs, defeated for a moment. Then straightens. "Fine. I need you because you've got power. You've got the best international network, and people follow you. Your dominance and negotiation skills alone could turn this around."

Rudra sips his tea. "Then I'm not taking equal loss."

"Dekha?" Kabir turns to Abhimaan, pointing at Rudra. "School mein mera homework karta tha bina bole. Aur ab dekh iski himmat. Itna bada ho gaya tu? Ab dosti mein bhi business ghusa raha hai?" (In school, he used to do my homework without a word. And now look at him, gotten so grown up, huh? Now he's mixing business even into friendship?)

"Tu business mein dosti ghusa raha hai," (you're the one mixing friendship into business.) Rudra says flatly, shaking his head.

Abhimaan and Avyaan, now more focused, start organizing their projections and reviewing numbers on their tablets.

Kabir stretches and glances at Rudra. "By the way, what's going on with your doctor?"

Rudra runs a hand through his hair, looking tired. "Nothing."

"Make her jealous," Kabir offers with a smirk. "That usually works."

Rudra lifts his eyes, "Jealousy?" he repeats, a single brow arching.

"Yes. Flirt with someone. There are many female doctors in this hospital. Flirt with one of them. Do it in front of her. Watch her burn."

Rudra chuckles under his breath. "Brilliant idea, Kabir."

Kabir's chest puffs slightly at the compliment, until Rudra adds calmly, "That's also exactly why you're still single."

"You're getting personal now," Kabir frowns.

"No, I'm just being honest. Are you really that stupid?" Rudra leans forward, "She's not someone who gets shaken by petty tactics. She's self-made, fiercely independent, has her own money, her own name, and the kind of self-respect that doesn't bend for anyone. She doesn't revolve around men and certainly not around attention games. The only thing as a man I can offer her now is love and respect."

Kabir opens his mouth to argue, but Rudra keeps going.

"I already hurt her once. Said things I shouldn't have. Did things I regret. And now you want me to flirt with someone else to get her attention? That's not just reckless, Kabir. That's disrespectful. And if I try something stupid like this, she'll shut that door in my face forever. You know what jealousy does? It kills a genuine connection. A woman like her doesn't get intrigued, she gets done." he exhales, shaking his head slowly,

"And just a word of advice, don't ever resort to that kind of nonsense. Jealousy doesn't attract women, it pushes them away. Because you don't play mind games with a woman who already knows her worth."

Kabir lets out a low whistle, smiling despite the lecture. "That felt more like a monologue from a man worshipping his wife than an actual rebuttal." He pulls out his phone and taps something. "I'm sending you a reel. Shayari style. Since you're deep in your 'respect her soul' phase, might as well say it right."

Rudra glares at him. "That's cringe."

Kabir scoffs. "Fine, die alone."

Rudra looks at the reel anyway. He rolls his eyes and reads it once under his breath.

But before Kabir could speak again, they heard a knock at the door.

"Come in," Rudra calls out.

But no one came inside. Then another knock.

"Just come in," he repeats.

Still no one.

Annoyed, Rudra stands, strides to the door, and yanks it open.

"Who the fuck is-" He stops because no one was there. He glances around the hallway, then down.

A little girl sits curled on the floor, as if she's just tripped. Her head is low, tiny hands clutched in her lap.

Rudra's brows knit together and crouches, "Hey... you little creature, what are you doing here?"

She looks up at him, big familiar doe eyes meet his. Her lips tremble slightly, cheeks puffed from holding in emotion.

Recognition softens his expression. "You?"

"Ru!" she squeals, scrambling to her feet and flinging her arms around his neck.

A soft chuckle escapes him as he hugs her back. "I'm sorry, princess. Did you fall?" He brushes the dust off her pink jumpsuit, eyes scanning her for any sign of injury.

She shakes her head, giggling. "I missed you so much, Ru!"

"I missed you too," he whispers, one hand gently running through her soft curls.

She pulls back slightly, glancing sideways with a small pout tugging her lips.

He smiles. "Wanna see my cabin?"

She nods eagerly.

He takes her hand and walks her inside. Her eyes widen the moment she enters, scanning the room like she's walked into a kingdom.

From the couch, Kabir's jaw drops. "Oh my god. You and the doc have a secret baby?"

Rudra shoots him a glare sharp enough to silence him.

Kabir grins, unbothered. "What's your name, pretty baby?"

"Dhriti," she says proudly, holding up four fingers. "I'm four!"

A voice suddenly cuts through the room.

"Dhriti!"

Saanvi bursts through the door, breathless. "Rudra, did you-" She spots the girl by his side. "You little troublemaker! Do you know how scared your mom was? You just disappeared!"

Dhriti crosses her arms and rolls her eyes. "Calm down, Coldie. You're always yelling. Blah blah blah." she says flipping her short hair sassily.

Saanvi's jaw clenches. Rudra bites his lip, trying hard not to laugh. Kabir snorts.

"She's got an attitude, I'll give her that," Kabir remarks.

Just then, Dhriti's gaze shifts, and locks on Avyaan. Her mouth parts slightly.

The room quiets as her expression changes. She tugs Rudra's sleeve, whispering, "Who's he?"

Rudra arches a brow. "He's my friend. Avyaan. Want to meet him?"

She gives a shy nod.

Saanvi stares, speechless. "She won't get yelled at, right?" she mumbles to Kabir, staring at Avyaan's cold face.

"I wouldn't bet on it. That face has no guarantee," Kabir murmurs back.

Dhriti walks up to Avyaan slowly, pausing just in front of him. Her voice comes out small.

"Hi, Avyaan uncle."

Everyone watches, holding their breath.

Avyaan looks up, and then... he smiles. Barely. Just the faintest, softest curve of his lips, but enough.

"Hi, Dhriti," he responds, warmly.

Her eyes light up. "You're so handsome."

Avyaan raises one brow, "And you're a cute little princess."

"Ru! He said I'm cute!" she yells, running back.

Rudra chuckles. "I heard."

Dhriti points to Abhimaan. "He looks like a big man."

Abhimaan laughs. "You're just really small."

Her cheeks flush as she grins at him.

A moment later, Naina enters the room and hurries over. "There you are," she sighs, relieved. "Come on, Dhriti. Your mum's been losing her mind."

Dhriti waves at them all as Naina picks her up and heads out.

The room returns to its quiet buzz. Kabir collapses on the couch between Abhimaan and Avyaan, scrolling on his phone.

Rudra feels Kabir's eyes darting between him and Saanvi, clearly gesturing for him to make a move. He exhales quietly, wipes his palms on his pants, and walks toward her, heart pounding in his ears.

"Uh... Pearl," he murmurs, voice unsure.

She doesn't even blink. "What?"

He gulps, her sharp tone making his nerves spike. Still, he holds his ground. "I wanted to say something..."

She raises one brow, Rudra clears his throat, gathers all the fake courage Kabir drilled into him earlier, and mutters,

"Teri rooh ke hazaron chahne wale hain, Tere jism ka main akela deewana hoon-"

The slap lands so fast he barely registers it. His face jerks to the side. A harsh sting blooms on his cheek.

From the corner of his eye, he spots Kabir frozen with both hands over his face, peeking through his fingers like he's watching a horror film.

Rudra turns back to Saanvi, blinking in confusion. "That was... a compliment?"

She's fuming. "Tharki aadmi! (Pervert man) The moment I met you, I knew you were a walking red flag. Say anything like that again, and I swear I'll report you to the women's safety department."

Rudra blinks, stunned. "So... you're not impressed?"

"Gadhe!" Kabir storms toward him, dragging his palm down his own face in sheer frustration. "You messed up the shayari, idiot! You flipped the lines like an untrained parrot!"

Saanvi steps forward again, hand halfway raised for round two. Kabir jumps between them.

"Whoa! Doctor, please!" he pleads, holding up his hands. "Don't commit murder in a hospital. Think of the paperwork!"

Behind him, Rudra takes a cautious step back.

Trying to shift the tension, Kabir pats her shoulder with an awkward laugh. "You know, I've been meaning to ask... your skin. It's so fair, even Britishers would question their ancestry. What's your skincare routine?"

Rudra just blinks at him in disbelief.

Saanvi stares at him blankly. "Are you trying to flirt or sell me sunscreen?"

Kabir tries again. "No, I meant-"

"You know what?" she snaps. "Now I see why you're still single. If fairness is your dating criteria, you don't need a girlfriend. You need therapy."

Kabir's jaw drops as he tries to explain, but before he can-

"He's not into fair women."

Everyone turns.

Avyaan steps toward them and stops just in front of him, "He's into dusky women with blue eyes and short hairs. He's into his Blue. Isn't that right, Kabir?"

The air in the room shifts.

Rudra straightens his lips part slightly as his gaze shifts toward Kabir. The easy charm that usually dances in Kabir's eyes is gone, replaced by something colder, heavier.

Even Abhimaan looks up from the file in his hand. He rises from the couch, Saanvi frowns, glancing at Rudra for clarity.

"Oh," she murmurs. "That girl in your group photo. Blue eyes, brown skin and short hairs... she's part of your circle?"

Rudra's eyes flick to her, then to Kabir. Without a word, he gently pulls Saanvi beside him, fingers curling protectively around her wrist.

"Don't," he whispers low, barely audible.

Kabir doesn't say anything. His expression hardens. The usual charm drains from his face.

Avyaan chuckles, but it's hollow. "What happened? No comebacks today?" His tone laced with venom, measured, yet lethal. "You can spit your jabs at me all day, but one truth and you go mute? That tongue of yours always runs when it's about someone else's dirt... what happened now? Lost your words, or just choked on your own hypocrisy?" He chuckles, low, mocking. The kind that doesn't need volume to sting. Abhimaan and Rudra stare at him, and they know, Avyaan rarely speaks. But when he does, it cuts. And this one? It slices straight through Kabir's silence.

"Avyaan," Abhimaan steps forward, "That's enough."

"Why? Because I hit a nerve?" He looks Kabir dead in the eye.

"I own my shit. I'm a misogynistic, cold-blooded asshole. I've fucked up people, relationships, everything. But I never pretended to be better. But you?"

He steps closer. "You wear this fucking mask like you're some goddamn savior. Flash that pretty-boy smile, throw in a quote about love and trust, act like you're the golden boy but we know better, don't we?"

Kabir's jaw clenches, breath heavy, "You're crossing line Avyaan."

Avyaan doesn't stop. "Did you fucking forget what kind of shit you've pulled? We're all fucked up, I get that. Every one of us in this group is drowning in our own twisted shit, Abhimaan, Rudra, me...but you? You're the most fucked-up of us all. The worst kind. Hiding behind that good-boy bullshit, grinning like you've got nothing to be ashamed of. So fool someone else with that fake fucking halo. I haven't forgotten what you did." His voice drops to a near growl.

"You're not just a heartless bastard, Kabir you're a self-obsessed, manipulative piece of shit who masks his toxicity with fake kindness. And you have the fucking nerve to call me out? You're a fucking coward in a prince's costume. And one day, that fake charm's not gonna save you. It's gonna fucking destroy you-"

Kabir storms out of the cabin, the door slamming shut behind him with a force that rattles the glass walls.

The room goes dead silent. Saanvi looks between the three men, unsettled.

Abhimaan exhales. "Shit's catching up with all of us."

Avyaan turns away, shoulders tense, and walks back to the couch.

Rudra looks at the closed door and steps forward slowly and picks up his phone from the table. He stares at the screen, then pockets it wordlessly.

"He's not going to answer your calls," Abhimaan mutters. "You know how he gets when he snaps."

"I'm not calling him," Rudra says quietly. "I'm going to him."

______________________________________________________________________________