Authors pov:

Rayaan stormed into the living room of the Oberoi Mansion, his footsteps echoing through the silence. His face was flushed with fury, his eyes sharp and demanding answers. "Mom, what the hell is going on?" he barked, barely holding back his rage. "Who is that girl living upstairs?"

Sulekha looked up from her seat calmly and replied, "Her name is Arvi. She's living here. She needs time." But her calmness only fueled Rayaan's anger further. "Resting? In my house? In Oberoi Mansion?" he snapped. "And no one thought it was important to tell me that a complete stranger is living under my roof?"

He paced across the room, clearly agitated, running a hand through his hair. "What if she's dangerous? What if she's hiding something? You didn't even think this through!" he shouted. His voice echoed off the marble floors, but Sulekha remained firm. "I thought enough," she said steadily, "To not leave a terrified, unconscious girl alone on the road while three boys on bikes were circling her like vultures."

Rayaan snaped back "What...?"

"She was on the side of the road," Sulekha continued, her voice soft but resolute. "Curled up near the pavement, barely conscious. Those boys were circling her, laughing, watching. I saw them with my own eyes. And I knew what could have happened if I had arrived even a minute later. So yes, I brought her here."

Rayaan's jaw clenched as he absorbed the weight of the situation. But still, his pride surged. "You brought her into Oberoi Mansion like she's one of us?" he asked bitterly.

Sulekha met his gaze without flinching. "No," she said firmly. "I brought her in like a mother would. Like any human being should." Her voice cut through his anger like ice. "She had no one. No phone. No bag. No help. Just fear written all over her face."

Rayaan was silent for a moment, the fire in his chest still burning. "It's not your responsibility, Mom," he muttered, his voice lower now, but still laced with frustration.

"Maybe not," she replied gently. "But your silence in this house doesn't mean I need permission to do what's right."

Rayaan rushed to his room furiously.

Rayaan's pov:

I slam the door shut behind me, my jaw locked, hands fisted. What the hell is happening in this house? One minute I'm gone, and the next, a complete stranger is living under my roof. No warning. No explanation. And Mom? Acting like it's the most normal thing in the world.

Arvi. That's what she called her. Arvi. As if that name should mean something to me. As if it justifies any of this.

I pace my room, heart pounding with frustration. I know her type. I've seen enough girls like her wide eyes, trembling lips, playing the victim like it's second nature. Gold diggers. Manipulators. They know exactly how to twist sympathy around their fingers.

Maybe she followed me. Maybe she found out who I am, what my name carries. That's how these girls work. They sniff out power and latch into it. And now, she's here... in my house, in my space, with my mother defending her like she's one of us.

God, I hate this feeling. The invasion. The discomfort. The audacity.

She probably thinks this is her big chance. That I'll walk in, feel sorry for her bruises, and fall into her trap. Well, she's wrong. I don't fall for sob stories, and I definitely don't get manipulated by strangers.

They all want attention. A little drama, a little pity, a rich name to stand beside and suddenly, they feel important. I've dealt with it before, and I'm not doing it again.

Arvi's pov:

I sat curled up in the farthest corner of the room, hugging my knees so tightly it felt like the only thing holding me together. My chest ached with every breath I took, tears slipping down my cheeks silently, endlessly. I had no idea how I ended up here why here, of all places. The irony stung like salt in a wound. This house... this mansion... it belonged to him. To Rayaan. The very person responsible for everything that had gone wrong in my life.

If it wasn't for him, I would still have my job. If he hadn't humiliated me in front of the entire staff, if he hadn't let his rude behaviour spill into my workspace, my boss wouldn't have fired me. One reckless moment, and suddenly I was. Dispensable. Fired. All because of him. And now, I was in his home uninvited, unwanted, and drowning in humiliation.

My hands shook as I wiped my tears, the shame of everything crashing down on me. I didn't ask to be found on that road. I didn't want anyone's pity. Especially not from the very people who unknowingly shattered me.

The door burst open with a force that made me flinch, and before I could even react, I felt a harsh grip on my shoulder. I froze.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?" Rayaan's voice was sharp, filled with venom. His fingers tightened, yanking me halfway to my feet. "You think this is a joke? You think you can just follow me, cry your way into my mother's sympathy and live here?"

My heart pounded in my chest, breath caught in my throat. I looked up at him, eyes wide, but before I could speak, his next words cut through me like a blade.

"Gold digger. That's what you are, right? Looking for comfort in rich homes now?"

I didn't say a word. I couldn't. I just stared at him, the tears now replaced by something colder hurt. Deep, quiet, burning hurt. Because the person who ruined me now stood in front of me, accusing me of crawling after the very life he helped destroy.

His eyes were wild with anger, disgust even, like I was something filthy that had somehow tainted his perfect world.

"You girls always the same," he hissed. "Looking for shortcuts. You think pretending to be helpless will make people feel sorry for you? You think my mom will hand you a place in this house? In this family? Who sent you here? Are you spying on me? After my money?"

I blinked, tears blurring everything, my voice caught somewhere between my throat and my fear. "I... I don't know you," I finally whispered, breathless. "I don't even know who you are..."

But he wasn't listening. His voice grew colder. "Right. Now you don't know me. But you knew enough to end up at my doorstep. How convenient."

"I didn't come here on purpose," I choked out, shaking my head. "I don't know anything about you. I didn't even know this was your house..."

"DONT LIE TO ME," he snapped, stepping closer. "You're playing a game. Just like every other girl who sees the Oberoi name and wants a piece of it."

I shut my eyes for a second, as if it would somehow stop the flood of words, of pain. I didn't want to be here. Not like this. Not ever.

"I swear," I whispered, barely audible now, "I didn't follow you. I didn't even know you existed..."

But none of it mattered. Not to him. He'd already decided who I was. And there was no space for truth in his version of me.

His stare bore into me like I was something disgusting, something shameful that didn't belong in his world. He let go of my shoulder, but his words those stayed, sharp and bruising.

"You make me sick," he spat, his voice low and bitter. "Whatever act you're putting on, save it for someone who's foolish enough to care. But stay the hell out of my way while you're in this house. You're not welcome here, and you never will be."

I felt something inside me flinch, like my chest caved in on itself. I didn't move. I didn't cry. I just sat there, broken in silence.

Without waiting for another word, he turned and walked out, the door slamming shut behind him like a final verdict.

The moment the door slammed behind him, silence swallowed the room whole. I stared at the space he had just stormed out of, my chest rising and falling in uneven breaths. His words echoed in my mind on repeat you're not welcome here... stay the hell out of my way... gold digger.

I felt hollow. Not just because of the insults, but because somewhere deep down, I realized he meant every single word. There was no misunderstanding. No room for explanation. In his eyes, I was a parasite.

I hugged my knees tighter, but this time, no tears came. Just a quiet, crushing numbness. What was I even doing here? How did I let it come to this staying under the roof of the man who cost me everything, now letting him humiliate me all over again?

I have to leave.

The thought settled in me like a sudden truth I should've known from the beginning. This house wasn't mine. This place, this family, none of it was for me. I didn't belong here. And no matter how kind Sulekha aunty and other family members had been, I couldn't stay especially not after this.

I had no plan. No idea where to go. But I'd rather be alone on the streets again than spend one more night under a roof where I was treated like dirt.

I needed to leave this house. As soon as possible.

Authors note:

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