Arvi's pov:

I stood there, eyes still swollen from crying, my heart raw from everything Rayaan had said. I felt like I didn't belong here, in this house, in this chaos, in anyone's world.

And then, the door flew open.

My heart skipped.

Nia.

She looked like she had run miles hair messy, eyes red, chest heaving. The second she saw me, she didn't speak. She just ran to me and wrapped her arms around me so tightly, I almost broke all over again.

"I've searched everywhere for you," she whispered, her voice cracked with emotion. "You don't even know, Arvi... every girl I saw, I hoped it was you. Every crowd, every street... I kept looking."

Her words sank into me like warmth on frozen skin.

I held her tighter, sobbing quietly. "I'm sorry," I choked. "I'm so, so sorry, Nia."

She pulled back just a little, her hands still on my shoulders.

"I thought you left me," she whispered.

"My phone broke the same night," I said, my voice trembling. "I wanted to tell you. I tried... but I couldn't. I didn't mean to disappear like that."

Nia's eyes welled up again, and this time she held my face gently. "I was going crazy, Arvi. I just needed to know you were okay."

"I'm not okay," I admitted, my voice barely a whisper. "But you being here... it makes me feel like maybe I will be."

And just then, I heard footsteps. I turned slightly.

Rayaan was standing there.

His eyes locked on mine, unreadable but I didn't care anymore. I turned back to Nia, still holding her hand, and looked around at the silent room.

"I'm going home... with Nia."

The silence that followed didn't matter. For the first time in days, my heart felt just a little lighter.

Sulekha aunty seemed to be the only one processing the moment. Her voice was soft but firm as she asked, "Arvi..." Her voice was soft, almost a whisper. "I don't understand why you're doing this. You've become like family to us."

I couldn't speak at first. The lump in my throat was too thick, but the tears were already welling up in my eyes again. I felt my chest tighten, and despite everything, I knew she cared more than I'd let on.

I turned slowly to face her, my heart heavy. Without saying another word, she pulled me into a tight hug. It felt like home for a moment. Her warmth, the motherly embrace that I had needed for so long. I didn't realize how much I had missed it.

I buried my face in her shoulder, my tears silently falling. "I'm sorry, aunty," I whispered, my voice breaking. "I didn't want it to be like this... but I can't stay here. I can't keep pretending."

Sulekha aunty tightened her hold on me, her fingers threading through my hair, soothing me. "You don't have to go, Arvi. You can stay. Whatever has happened, we'll work it out."

I closed my eyes, feeling the weight of her words, but something inside me had already shifted. It wasn't about Rayaan, or his family. It was about me. About finding myself again.

I pulled away from her gently, my hands still resting on her arms. "I'm sorry," I repeated, my voice steady now. "But I need to leave. I need to find peace again, aunty."

Her face softened, her eyes filled with unshed tears. "I understand, beta," she said, brushing a tear from my cheek. "But know this if you ever need anything, if you need a place to come back to, this house will always be your home."

The words hit me like a wave, but I stood firm. I stepped back, took Nia's hand, and turned toward the door. Before leaving, I paused for a moment, looking at her one last time.

"Thank you for everything, aunty, You did so much for me words can't describe i found my muma in you aunty thankyou" I said, my voice full of gratitude. "But now... I really need to go."

The tension in the room was thick, as Aleesha, Vivaan, and Vanisha surrounded me, their voices desperate.

Aleesha stepped closer, her voice trembling. "Arvi, please don't go. You're like family to us. We can't just let you walk away like this. You've been with us for so long."

Vivaan joined in, his eyes filled with pain. "We can fix this, Arvi. We'll work things out. You don't have to leave. Rayaan might not show it, but we care about you. You're part of this family."

Vanisha added softly, her tears falling freely now. "You've been here through everything. You're not just some guest. You've been a part of our lives. Don't leave us like this."

The weight of their words was suffocating, and I felt the pull in my chest, but I knew I couldn't stay not here, not like this. I needed peace, I needed to heal, and the only way to do that was to leave.

Before I could take another step, I heard Arekha's voice. She'd been standing at the back, but now she moved forward, her face a mix of concern and confusion.

"Arvi, don't you think you owe us an explanation?" Arekha's voice was steady, but her eyes were full of emotion. "We've shared so much, and now you're just... leaving?"

I looked at her, my heart aching. "I never wanted to hurt anyone. I just... I can't stay here anymore. I need to find myself again. I need to get away."

She stared at me, her expression conflicted, but she didn't try to stop me. She just looked at me, as if waiting for me to change my mind. But I couldn't. This was my choice.

Then, I heard Rayaan's voice calm, almost too calm.

"Step aside," he said, his eyes cold and unfeeling. He looked directly at his cousins, his voice sharp. "Let her go."

The room froze in disbelief. Aleesha, Vivaan, Vanisha, and Arekha all looked at Rayaan, shocked by his words. They were desperate, but he didn't flinch. His voice was final.

"Bhai, please-" Aleesha started, but he silenced her with a single glance.

"I said ENOUGH," Rayaan's voice was firm, like an order. "If She wants to leave, let her. Don't stop her."

His words were like an icy barrier between us, and I knew then there was nothing more to say. His indifference burned. There was no fight left in him, and that's when I knew I had to leave, for myself.

Aleesha stepped back, wiping her tears. Vivaan and Vanisha followed her, looking at me with pain in their eyes, but they didn't try to stop me. Arekha, too, stood still, as if caught between what she wanted and what was happening.

I felt the weight of their gazes, but I couldn't falter. I turned to Sulekha aunty, who had been watching the scene silently. She stepped toward me, her eyes soft with unshed tears.

"Arvi," she whispered, "You don't have to go. Please, don't leave."

I hugged her tightly, feeling her warmth for one last time. "Thank you for everything, aunty. I'll always remember you... but now, I need to go."

Nia, who had been standing quietly by my side, squeezed my hand gently. I nodded to her, and without another word, we turned toward the door.

Rayaan didn't say anything. His silence was a quiet acceptance, one I couldn't fully understand but had come to expect. I left the mansion, my heart heavy but resolute, knowing that this was the only way for me to move forward.

And with Nia by my side, I stepped into the unknown, leaving behind the life I had once known, and the family I'd once thought I could belong to.

Rayaan's pov:

Let her go.

That's all I said. And I meant it. Or at least, I thought I did.

I stood at the edge of the hall, arms crossed, face unreadable as Arvi walked away with Nia. My cousins looked like they were falling apart, Mom had tears in her eyes, and yet I didn't move.

Why would I? She made her choice. She wanted to leave. So be it.

She was nothing more than a girl who barged into our lives, stirred up emotions, caused unnecessary chaos and now she was walking out. Maybe it was for the best.

So why did the air feel heavier now?

"She'll still work at Oberoi Industries," my mother's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

I turned to her.

"What?"

"You heard me," she said, eyes glinting with disappointment. "She's leaving the house, not her job. She's talented and hardworking. Her place in the company isn't yours to take away."

I didn't respond. I could feel her eyes burning into me.

"You didn't even stop her," she added quietly, shaking her head. "Not once. Do you even realise what you've done?"

I clenched my jaw, refusing to let her words sink in. "She wanted to go. Let her."

Mom gave a bitter laugh, the kind that held more hurt than amusement. "No, Rayaan. You pushed her."

Then she turned and walked away.

I stood there, still, silent... pretending like her words didn't sting. Like none of this mattered.

But maybe, deep down, a part of me was starting to wonder if I'd just made the worst mistake of my life.