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"Amidst the vows and whispered lies,

A tangled web of fate now ties.

A game of hearts, a reckless claim,

Yet something stirs-a spark, a flame."

AROHI's POV:

The wedding ceremony of Bhai was going smoothly. Laughter, music, and the scent of fresh flowers filled the air. I was genuinely enjoying myself, feeling light and free-except for the nagging thought at the back of my mind. Karan's words echoed like a curse:

A week is all you get. Show me your boyfriend, or I'll make you mine.

There was no way I was losing this to him. Absolutely not. Luckily, the bet ended today, and I wasn't even in Mumbai for him to track me down. That thought alone gave me a sense of relief. But knowing Karan and his stubbornness, I feared he might do something reckless-something outrageous, like crashing the wedding.

No, no. There's no way he'd do that... Right?

I shook off the thought and focused on the ceremony. Hours passed, the pheras were completed, and the wedding rituals moved to the next stage. Just as I began to relax, my eyes caught sight of something-or rather, someone.

A familiar figure stood amidst the guests, dressed sharply in a black sherwani, exuding confidence like he owned the place.

Karan.

My heart dropped. Blood drained from my face.

What the hell is he doing here?!

Panic surged through me. I needed to get him out before he did something stupid. Without wasting a second, I pushed through the crowd, heading toward him, hoping to handle this quietly.

He saw me moving. His signature smirk curled on his lips, as if he had been expecting this. I picked up my pace, eyes darting around to make sure no one was paying attention. In my rush, I didn't notice someone standing in front of me until it was too late.

I collided straight into a firm chest.

"Whoa-careful there," the man said as he caught my waist, steadying me.

Before I could respond, a chillingly familiar voice called out from behind me.

"Aren't you running too fast, princess?"

I froze. My body stiffened as goosebumps spread across my skin. Slowly, I turned around, already knowing who I would see.

There he was. Karan. His dark eyes twinkled with amusement, lips curved into a mischievous grin.

"You look surprised to see me." His voice was smooth, taunting.

There was firmness in his voice until his eyes fell on the man standing behind me .

Khushal's POV:

Vihan was probably sweating by now, dreading the consequences of the wedding. I could see it in his stiff posture, the way his fingers twitched at his sides. The mere thought of it amused me.

But my mind wasn't on Vihan for long. Something else always caught my eyes-her.

A few weeks ago, I had seen her near the college when Vihan dropped her off. Arohi Khurana. She was delicate, full of life, the apple of the Khurana family's eye. Yet, it was something more than her beauty that held my gaze-something that pulled at a part of me I didn't want to acknowledge. It was a stupid, reckless rage of feeling, one I had no business entertaining.

And now, here she was.

Closer than ever.

She was impossible to ignore, standing out effortlessly amidst the crowd. It wasn't just her shimmering lehenga or the way her laughter carried through the air-it was her. She had a light, a presence that was almost blinding.

And it irritated the hell out of me.

I stood at the back, avoiding the swarm of guests as the ceremony continued. I hated crowds. I hated the noise. But then-

A sudden stumble. A startled gasp. And instinctively, my hands shot out, gripping her waist before she could hit the ground.

My breath hitched.

Arohi Khurana.

Her wide, surprised eyes met mine, a mixture of shock and something else-something unreadable. My fingers tightened slightly against the fabric of her dress, my pulse drumming in my ears.

"You should watch where you're going," I muttered, my voice lower than I intended.

She blinked, still catching her breath. "And you should stand somewhere else if you don't like people bumping into you."

A slow smirk tugged at my lips. "Noted. But I doubt you were running toward me by accident."

She huffed, stepping back from my grasp. "I wasn't running to you."

My amusement vanished the moment my eyes followed the direction she had come from. My body tensed.

Because there, standing amongst the crowd, was someone I never expected to see here.

Arohi's gaze flickered to mine, sensing my change in demeanor. "You know him?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

I clenched my jaw. My hands curled into fists at my sides.

"Yeah," I muttered, my tone dangerously low. "I do."

And he shouldn't be here.

He came towards us ..or towards her "Aren't you running too fast, princess?"

As he finished talking his eyes land on me his body stiffen. which only made me smirk nothing more.

AROHI's POV:

The moment Karan's eyes landed on Khushal, something flickered in them-an emotion I couldn't quite place. It was a mix of surprise, disbelief, and something deeper, something unsettling. My stomach churned, but I didn't give myself time to overthink it. I blurted out the words before I could stop myself.

"Here, Karan. The thing we talked about... my boyfriend. Here he is," I said, gripping Kushal's arm tightly.

I didn't dare look at Khushal. I already knew what his reaction would be-utter shock. But there was no turning back now. The silence that followed was deafening, stretching uncomfortably between the three of us.

Then Karan spoke, his voice laced with incredulity and something almost close to anger.

"Bhai... what is she saying? It's impossible, Arohi. Don't lie about it."

Bhai? My mind froze.

Wait... Karan Sehgal. Khushal Sehgal.

My breath hitched.

Oh. My. God. They're brothers.

I fucked up. Big time.

My heartbeat thundered in my chest. My hands went clammy, but there was no way I could take my words back now. If I did, Karan would know something was off. He would dig deeper, and that was the last thing I needed.

I straightened my spine and forced my voice to be steady. "No, I said what I said. It's the truth. Khushal is my boyfriend. He's the one I told you about."

I turned to Khushal, my eyes pleading, silently begging him to catch on, to just go along with it. If he refused, if he denied it even for a second, I was screwed. Karan would see through me in an instant.

For what felt like an eternity, Khushal remained silent. His jaw clenched, his brows furrowed, but then-

To my absolute shock, he moved.

His arm snaked around my waist in a firm hold, pulling me just a little closer. My breath hitched, but before I could react, he locked eyes with Karan, his expression unreadable.

"Yeah," he said, his voice calm, controlled. "She's my girlfriend."

I barely stopped myself from gasping.

Karan's eyes darted between us, his face twisting into something unreadable-disbelief, confusion, frustration? I couldn't tell.

"You're joking," Karan scoffed, crossing his arms. "This is a joke."

I forced a laugh, shaking my head. "Why would I joke about this, Karan? I told you about him before."

Karan's gaze sharpened. "You never told me his name. Not once."

Shit.

I swallowed hard, but before I could fumble for an excuse, Khushal tightened his grip on my waist, his voice firm as he interjected.

"What's the problem, Karan?" he asked, his tone edged with something I couldn't quite decipher. "You don't believe her?"

Karan's eyes darkened as he took a step closer. "yes i don't," he muttered. "I just... I didn't expect this."

"Neither did I," I whispered under my breath, though only Khushal seemed to catch it. His fingers briefly squeezed my waist, a silent reassurance-or maybe a warning. I wasn't sure which.

Karan exhaled sharply and ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "Fine. Whatever." His voice was laced with doubt. "If this is real, then prove it."

I froze.

Khushal stiffened beside me. "Prove it?" he echoed, his voice dangerously low.

Karan smirked, his eyes gleaming with challenge. "I'M damn sure princess you are lying ,the moment i caught your lies ,will be the moment you loose it all , i promise, so cut out on the act ."

The thing that i was unaware about was karan disliked khushal and he'd never loose to him and do anything to prove it all wrong.

My stomach plummeted. Oh, I was in so much trouble now.

KHUSHAL's POV:

What the actual fuck just happened?

My heart is pounding like a goddamn drumline, and I need to calm the hell down.

I take a deep breath, clenching my fists as I process the chaos that just unfolded. Karan-my cousin-stood there looking like he had seen a ghost, his entitled ass clearly not expecting me to be the one standing beside Arohi. The golden boy of the family, pampered, protected, and my uncle kept him away from the business, unlike me. He was never meant to be part of this world, too naive to handle what it truly means.

But he always wanted what I had-power, influence, control. And now, after Arohi's little declaration, there's no way in hell he's backing down.

I turn to Arohi, my jaw tight as I demand, "What exactly happened?"

She shifts uncomfortably, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Karan was being his usual self, acting all entitled. He wouldn't take no for an answer, and I panicked. I had to come up with something, and... well, I told him i had a boyfriend."

I run a hand through my hair, exhaling sharply. "You what?"

"I didn't have a choice!" she snaps, eyes flashing with frustration. "He wouldn't leave me alone, so i thought this would make him back off. It worked-well, kind of. But now, I think he's even more pissed."

Of course he is. Karan has never liked me, and now that he knows I'm involved, it's going to be worse.

"Great," I mutter under my breath. "Just fucking great."

Arohi crosses her arms, her expression unreadable. "You're mad?"

I shake my head, stepping closer until there's barely any space between us. "No, I'm just wondering what the hell you got yourself into."

She bites her lip, looking away. "I didn't think this through."

Clearly.

But what's worse is the way my heartbeat raced when she said I was her boyfriend. The way my stomach twisted-not in irritation, but in something else, something I refuse to acknowledge.

No. This is just a game. Just an act. I'm only doing this to help a friend's sister.

At least... that's what I tell myself.

VAISHNAVI'S POV:

I wasn't just embarrassed-I was furious. That bastard played me. He must have told Vihan about my plan, and now, I bet he was somewhere laughing at my humiliation. Damn it!

As I scanned the crowd, my eyes locked onto him. He stood with a group of boys, casually leaning against the wall as if nothing had happened. The moment his gaze met mine, I shot him a glare and subtly signaled him to follow me outside. I turned on my heels, my heart pounding with rage, and walked out, hoping he got the message.

The cool night air did little to calm the storm inside me. I stood there, arms crossed, waiting. A moment later, I felt a light tap on my shoulder. I didn't even have to turn to know it was him. Spinning around, I let my anger explode.

"Where's your decency, Mr. ? Did you enjoy the show? Were you laughing while I was desperately asking for help?" My voice was sharp, venom dripping from every word. "You're just like your brother, aren't you? Do you even feel a little guilty for what he did? For what he's doing to my friend?"

His expression remained calm, unreadable, and that only fueled my rage further.

"It's because of your brother that my friend's life is being ruined!" I continued, my voice breaking. "And you... You're standing here as if it doesn't affect you at all. Heartless. That's what you are. Both of you."

My chest heaved as I tried to control my emotions, but the moment I blinked, I felt it-a lone tear escaping down my cheek. Damn it. I hated crying, especially in front of people like him.

I turned away, ready to leave, but before I could take a step, his hand caught mine. In one swift motion, he pulled me towards him. My hands landed on his chest as my body pressed against his, and for a second, I froze.

"Let go of me!" I snapped, trying to move back, but his grip remained firm.

"Listen to me," he said, his voice surprisingly soft but intense. "It isn't what you think. Trust me."

I scoffed. "Trust you? After everything that just happened?"

His hold on me tightened slightly as he looked into my eyes, searching for something-maybe my willingness to listen.

"Your friend isn't being caged, Vaishnavi," he said with conviction. "She's being saved."

I stared at him, trying to catch even the tiniest hint of a lie in his eyes, but there was none. Only sincerity. Raw and unfiltered.

My anger wavered for a moment, replaced by confusion and an overwhelming feeling of helplessness. Saisha's life was at stake, and as much as I wanted to fight, I realized that maybe, just maybe, I didn't know the full story.

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