I still remember the day Rhea and I first met. We were in school, and she was the first person to really befriend me on that new campus. We used to talk a lot, help each other with studies, and cover up for each other's crazy antics.

Rhea was always caring, but only with the people she chose to be close to. She was almost been unseen in school because she showed less interest in others, not like she didn't have friends but she was clear in her boundaries and never letting anyone too far into her space.

After my shower, I threw on some shorts and a loose V-neck top. Honestly, I’m done with all this drama. Thank God I’ve survived this far.

I lay on my stomach, lost in thought about Rhea. I was sure something was going on between her and Kabir. He admitted he liked her, and I’d seen how comfortable they were together, which wasn’t like her at all.

Rhea wasn’t one to just hang out with anyone like that.

I was flicking my bedside lamp on and off, completely zoned out, when I felt someone’s hand on my head. I sat up, leaning back against the pillows.

"Where were you lost? I’ve called you many times," Rajveer asked, sitting beside me and brushing a stray hair behind my ear.

"Oh, sorry. I didn’t hear you."

He shifted closer, gently touching my cheek. "You’re thinking about Kabir and Rhea, aren’t you?"

I nodded. "She didn’t even meet me or text me before leaving today."

"Rhea texted me," he said casually, and I looked at him, shocked.

"Wait, she texted you and not me?"

I was hurt. I mean, why would she message Rajveer and not me? I’m supposed to be her best friend!

"I don’t know," he shrugged, as if it was no big deal.

His nonchalant answer made my irritation spike. Could he be any more clueless?

"Come on, let’s go have dinner," he said, pulling me out of bed, successfully dragging me along.

We both headed downstairs. Samrat and Kabir were staying tonight. They didn't said anything to me and were behaving nicely to me. I liked the way we all stayed together; it felt like a small, chaotic family.

I missed home, but my parents and In-laws kept me updated on everything happening there. They never insisted on us coming back to India because they knew Rajveer had expanded his business in London, and we are settled here now.

As we sat at the dining table, Rajveer called out to Samrat and Kabir. Both came over, though Kabir still seemed a bit off despite having resolved his issues with Samrat.

I didn’t have the courage to approach him yet, especially since I was the one who encouraged him to confess his feelings for Rhea. Now, everything felt messed up.

The maid served dinner, and everyone started eating in silence.

"I checked the CCTV footage. Someone did this on purpose," Kabir said out of nowhere, still chewing. We all looked at him in shock—except one person, Rajveer.

"I know," Rajveer said calmly. "Just find out who’s responsible."

"It’s obvious, isn’t it? It could be Rohan. What was he even doing in the office when all the employees had left? And how did he know where you both were?" Samrat chimed in, sounding convinced.

I nodded in agreement. Rohan was there when we left, and it didn’t add up how he found us afterward.

"Maybe," Rajveer said, "but this time, we play it safe. No aggressive moves, not without evidence. We can’t jump to conclusions."

"Besides, he did help us out. Who knows what could’ve happened if he hadn’t shown up," Rajveer added, a flicker of fear in his eyes.

Even with all his power, there were moments when things were beyond his control, and I could see that weighed on him.

We agreed with Rajveer’s cautious approach. Kabir finished his meal first and excused himself to take a call.

Meanwhile, Samrat continued eating, and it was... loud. Very loud.

"Can you please eat quietly? Like a normal human?" I snapped, annoyed by the obnoxious chewing sounds.

Samrat,ate like a farm animal. For someone who seemed perfect in most areas, this was where he became utterly unbearable.

"You're so rude. Why are you acting like your husband?" Samrat retorted, dramatically, as always. Rajveer raised an eyebrow at him, clearly amused.

"Because he is my husband idiot and you're eating like a pig. Have some manners," I shot back, making a face as Samrat stood up, plate in hand.

"Oh, the injustices of this world!" Samrat exclaimed theatrically.

"You fat women with a nose of pig. Can't even let me eat in peace," He dramatically huffed and puffed his way across the room.

I pouted and glanced at Rajveer, who was trying—and failing—not to laugh.

"Seriously? You're laughing? Samrat just called me a pig, and you're on his side?" I said, crossing my arms in a mock annoyance.

Rajveer smiled, leaning closer. "Your nose is cute, though."

I blushed slightly, feeling the warmth rise in my cheeks. Just then, Samrat’s phone vibrated on the table. I picked it up and saw Rhea’s name on the screen.

"What?"Rajveer asked, seeing the expression on my face. I turned the phone to him, wordlessly showing him the caller ID.

He went silent, and honestly, I didn’t know what to say either. I just placed the phone back on the table as Samrat walked back to retrieve it.

"You had a call," Rajveer informed him casually.

Samrat looked at his phone, made a bunch of weird faces at me, and then left the room without a word.

"Leave this, I'll clean up," Rajveer said, gesturing to the table.

I didn't argue. There was no way he’d let me do it after saying he would. He walked into the kitchen while the maids finished clearing up and left us alone.

I walked into Rhea's room, everything neat and clean, her familiar scent still lingering in the air.

Memories of the past few days flashed through my mind—us laughing, talking nonsense, and gossiping.

As I moved toward the window, I heard someone mumbling. Curious, I crept closer, and the voice became clearer.

"I really missed you today," Samrat said.

I peeked out the window and saw him on the phone. My instincts kicked in—who was he missing? I inched closer, trying to listen more closely.

Just then, Rajveer called out, "Sweetheart!"

Startled, I jumped and quickly covered his mouth with my hand. "Shh!" I whispered, gesturing towards Samrat still on his call.

Rajveer raised an eyebrow, his expression both confused and amused. "Are you spying on my friend?"

I felt a little embarrassed, but I tried to play it off.

"What? I wasn’t spying, I just overheard… accidentally," I said, giving him my most innocent pout.

"Yeah, right. Who knows you better than me?" he teased.

"I need to tell you something." I grabbed his wrist and pulled him out of the room, leading us upstairs to our room. Once inside, I shut the door behind us.

"I heard Samrat saying to someone that he missed them," I admitted, the words tumbling out, my brain still scrambling to piece things together.

"It was Rhea," Rajveer said, without hesitation.

"Yeah, I figured. But... why?" I asked, my voice shaky, feeling ridiculous the moment the question left my mouth. Rajveer’s expression twisted, unimpressed.

"What do you mean why? Why can't it be Rhea and Samrat?"

"But I thought Kabir and Rhea were... together," I said quietly, clutching at the last bit of my assumption. I’d been so sure of it, so certain.

I released a holding breath.

Rajveer’s eyebrows shot up. "Did Rhea ever tell you that?"

His tone was sharp, and I could feel my stomach drop.

I hesitated. "No, but..." My voice trailed off.

No, Rhea never actually said anything about her feelings for Kabir. I just assumed. We talked about other guys, but I’d never asked her how she felt about Kabir.

"She's been staying with us for a week, Prerna. Amd I could say, Rhea never wanted a relationship—she’s been clear about that from the start. How could you not understand that?"

His words felt like a slap, hitting me harder than I expected. Harsh? Yes. True? Unfortunately, also yes. I stayed quiet, unsure what to say.

But all I had done was make assumptions, and now... now it was blowing up in my face. I could feel the embarrassment rising in my chest.

"Wait!Were you the one who told Kabir to confess his feelings for her?"

I froze. He knows. Stupid, stupid me. Oh no.Guilt twisted in my stomach.

I tried to step away, to escape the weight of it all, but Rajveer wasn’t letting me off that easily. His hand grabbed my arm, pulling me back toward him.

His eyes were piercing, cutting through all the defenses I was trying to put up.

"Yes, it was me," I confessed, my voice small, filled with regret. He sighed, and in that moment, I knew—he wasn’t just disappointed. He was mad.

"Do you even realize what you’ve done?You’ve made things awkward between Rhea, Kabir, and Samrat. You didn’t even stop to think before pushing Kabir into this."

Rajveer’s expression stayed cold, making me feel even smaller. No matter what I said, it was like he couldn’t see my side.

His voice was sharp, almost accusing.

Tears stung my eyes, but I forced them back. The worst part? How could I have been so blind? How could I have misread everything so completely?

"Kabir might get over it eventually," Rajveer said, a bit calmer but still stern.

"But what if Rhea and Samrat are supposed to be together? What if they give up on themselves because of this?"

"So you are blaming me? You want to say I did all this on purpose? This all happened because of me?" Rajveer stared at me in disbelief.

"Prerna." His voice hoarse as he steps towards me. His gaze blazing with anger and hands cleanched tightly.

"Are you listening what are you saying? I'm just making you understand don't be in so hurry to reach at conclusion. You’re a lawyer, right? Don’t you go deeper, investigate the facts, or do you just assume everything?"

"Okay."I swallowed, trying to keep my voice steady.

"So now, you’re questioning me as a lawyer? My ability to think things through? Is that what this is? I make one mistake, and suddenly, I can’t be trusted to handle anything, not even my own profession?"

My patience broke of holding the tears back, it slides down my cheeks. He cleanchedhis jaw and looked away.

"I didn't mean to say th-"

"Please leave me alone,"I said, I just want to stay alone right now .

I hesitated, guilt weighing heavy in my chest, but I nodded and turned away, giving us both the space we needed.

Neither of us was in the right state of mind to talk. If we tried, it would only lead to more fighting, making things worse. So, for the sake of us, I stepped out of the room, distancing myself for a while to calm down.

This wasn’t how I wanted things to be. I wasn’t supposed to behave like this, but I don’t know why I did. Maybe it’s because I’m so concerned about Samrat and Kabir. I know them well.

Kabir is mature and understanding, and eventually, he’ll come to terms with this. He’ll be hurt if there’s something between Samrat and Rhea, and at first, it’ll destroy him, but he’ll pull through with time.

The real issue is Samrat. The way he behaves doesn’t always show how deeply he feels. He’s too emotional when it comes to relationships.

I know that if he sees Kabir hurt, Samrat would be the type to sacrifice his own love for Kabir’s sake. And that would leave all three of them broken. No one would be happy.

It’s not that Prerna doesn’t care about them—she does, just as much as I do. But for some reason, I couldn’t control myself. I shouted at her.

She misunderstood their bond and thought it was a relationship, and with Kabir developing feelings, she might have just wanted to encourage him.

In reality, there’s no real fault here. It’s just a misunderstanding, and with time, it will sort itself out. But I forgot about her—about her feelings. Instead of calmly explaining things, I yelled at her and blamed her.

I realized what I did was wrong. This isn’t how you behave in a relationship. I was too harsh on her. I made her cry.

And in all of this, I forgot about 'US'—the bond of husband and wife. No matter what’s going on with Samrat, Kabir, and Rhea, we’re not supposed to fight like this over someone else’s issues.

Now that I’ve calmed down, I need to talk to her. I know she will be angry and supposed to be. But I know how to fix this. I’ll make it right and promise her that I won’t let this happen again.

I entered the room, she was standing near the window but didn’t turn around.

Walking closer, I gently turned her to face me. Seeing the tears in her eyes made me realize, I had fucked up.

I softly held her face and said, “I know I was wrong. I shouldn’t have shouted at you. What I said was unreasonable, and no matter the situation, I shouldn’t have let those words leave my mouth. But believe me, Prerna, you’re capable of anything and everything.”

Her lips trembled, but she held it in, brushed my hands away, and walked off.

“Sweetheart! I’m sorry. Please, let’s fix this—for us,” I said, following her.

She turned and embraced me, clinging to me like a child. I comforted her. After a moment, we pulled apart.

I took a deep breath and said, “It’s better for us to stay out of their issues. Whatever happened, happened. From now on, we won’t fight over others.”

“Okay. Can we sleep now? I’m exhausted. Take me,” she said, her voice soft, with a pout. She looked drained.

“So, you forgive me?” I asked.

She nodded, a small smile forming.

We climbed into bed. I pulled her into my arms, her head resting on my chest. I could hear her breathing—steady and slow.

Running my fingers through her hair, I felt her drift into a deep slumber.

Placing a kiss on her forehead, I wrapped my arm around her waist, pulling her closer.

At the end of the day, we were together.

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✨

What were your emotions after so long, meeting your characters?

Did you missed their pov's?

Who's POV you like more.

What you think about Rhea, Kabir and Smarat's relationship?