Rhea's pov:
The shrill sound of my alarm tore through the early morning silence of the hostel room. I groaned, fumbling to switch it off. My head ached from the weight of everything I was trying so hard to forget. The walls around me felt too close, the air too heavy.
Dragging myself out of bed, I went to the washroom, splashed cold water on my face, and let the icy sting pull me out of my numbness. I showered, trying to wash away the restlessness clinging to my skin. But some things don’t rinse off that easily.
Back in the room, I stood in front of the mirror, combing my damp hair. Staring at my reflection, I wondered if anyone else could see the emptiness in my eyes — the ache I carried behind every forced smile.
Behind me, Anaya’s sleepy voice broke the silence.
“You should talk to Kabir.”
I paused, not turning to her. I didn’t want to have this conversation.
“What’s the point? It’s not like he loves me,” I muttered, my tone sharper than I intended. “And anyway… I already told you everything. Why are you bringing this up again?”
Anaya sighed, sitting up in bed, her eyes more awake now.
“Kabir met me yesterday. He was asking about you… when you were in the library.”
I froze. The hairbrush stilled in my hand. My heart skipped a beat, then hammered painfully in my chest.
“What?” I whispered, finally turning to her. “You didn’t tell him anything… did you?”
She shook her head.
“No. Of course not. But Rhea… you need to talk to him. About everything that happened in the administration office. You can’t keep running away from it.”
I looked back at my reflection, my throat tight, my heart aching with a thousand things I couldn’t put into words.
“Go get ready,” I said quietly. “We’re getting late.”
Anaya hesitated, watching me for a moment before grabbing her towel and heading to the bathroom, leaving me alone — with my reflection and the shadows of everything left unsaid.
---
Anaya was ready by the time I gathered enough courage to step out of the room. We didn’t speak much on the way to college — or maybe I wasn’t really listening. My mind was too loud, the weight of things unsaid pressing against my chest with every step I took.
The corridors buzzed with the usual morning chatter of students, but I felt detached from it all, like I was walking through some hollow, empty version of reality.
As we approached our classroom, my heart gave an uneasy jolt. I saw Kabir and Arjun walking towards us from the other side. For a fleeting second, Kabir’s eyes met mine — those familiar, dark eyes that once felt like home, now a storm I wasn’t ready to face.
I quickly looked away, pretending to be busy with nothing, and hurried into the classroom, heading straight for my seat. I could feel my pulse in my throat.
Anaya followed, settling beside me. She leaned in, whispering, her voice laced with irritation and concern.
“How long are you planning to keep ignoring him, Rhea? You can’t run forever. You have to talk to him.”
I opened my mouth to respond — maybe to protest, maybe to confess how terrified I was — but before I could say a word, Kabir and Arjun entered the class. I felt his presence before I saw him, like a silent tension gripping the air around me.
They walked to the row behind us and took their seats.
I didn’t turn around. I didn’t dare.
But my heart… it betrayed me — pounding, restless, and aching with everything I refused to feel.
---
Kabir's pov:
I woke up with a strange heaviness clinging to my chest, like a storm that hadn’t passed yet. I didn’t know how long I lay there, staring at the ceiling, but the weight of her thoughts — of Rhea — refused to leave me.
Dragging myself out of bed, I got ready for college. My reflection in the mirror looked restless, the usual calmness in my eyes replaced by something raw, unsettled.
I sighed, splashing cold water on my face, as if that would rinse away the ache I carried.
After getting dressed, I headed downstairs for breakfast. Everyone was already there. I greeted them mechanically, my heart not really in it, and quietly ate my food while my mind… it wasn’t here. It was stuck somewhere between yesterday’s regrets and today’s desperate hopes.
Because today… no matter what happened, I knew one thing for sure — I had to talk to Rhea.
This running, this silence between us… it had to end.
Enough of this distance.
No more half-spoken words. No more hiding. She would have to answer my questions today. And maybe… just maybe, I’d finally confess what I’d buried inside for far too long.
The moment I finished breakfast, I grabbed my car keys and drove off towards college. The roads blurred past me, my thoughts racing faster than the car itself.
Parking in my usual spot, I stepped out, adjusting my bag on my shoulder when I spotted Arjun heading my way.
“How’s it going, Kabir?” he asked casually.
I gave him a half-hearted shrug.
“I don’t know yet,” I muttered honestly.
Arjun chuckled, a teasing grin playing on his lips.
“Well, well… looks like love has finally worked its magic on the great Kabir Malhotra. Not bad, man.”
I shot him a glare, though a faint smirk tugged at my lips.
“Shut up,” I muttered, and we started walking towards the classroom together.
And then — there she was.
Rhea.
Walking towards us with Anaya. Her face unreadable, her eyes tired… but still so heartbreakingly beautiful.
Our eyes met for the briefest second. And in that moment, the whole corridor, the people, the voices — everything faded.
But she looked away.
Just like that.
Turned her gaze, as if I meant nothing. As if she hadn’t spent nights in my thoughts, haunting me like a ghost I couldn’t exorcise.
It stung more than I expected. I clenched my jaw, the ache in my chest deepening.
Without a word, I followed her into the classroom. If she thought she could avoid me, she was wrong.
I walked straight to the seat behind hers, dropped my bag, and sat down.
I wasn’t going anywhere.
Not this time.
---
Today… no matter what happens, Rhea will have to talk to me. I’m done watching from a distance. I’m done pretending.
But here, in the middle of college, it wasn’t possible. Too many eyes, too many interruptions. I needed to get her alone — away from this place.
I glanced at Arjun sitting beside me. He raised a questioning eyebrow.
Leaning closer, I whispered, “Mujhe Rhea se baat karni hai… lekin yahan college mein possible nahi hai. Inhe bolo ke aaj hum sab bunk karke cafe chalein. Mana usse.”
Arjun smirked. “Okay… par ek shart hai.”
I sighed. “Kya?”
“Tu promise kar… aaj apni feelings confess karega.”
I glared at him, warning him without a word.
“Okay okay… esa look mat de, bhai. Mana raha hoon.” He chuckled under his breath.
Then he turned toward Rhea and Anaya, flashing his usual mischief-filled grin.
“Hi, both of you.”
Anaya replied dryly, “Hi.”
Rhea didn’t even bother turning around — just gave a small nod.
As expected, the wall was still up.
Arjun, ever the instigator, added, “Yaar, tum log itne boring lectures kaise attend kar lete ho? Mujhse toh nahi hota.”
Anaya raised an eyebrow. “Toh tumhe kisne kaha hai attend karne ko? Jao… waise bhi tum business ke students ho aur literature ke lectures attend kar rahe ho. Samajh mein nahi aata kya?”
I sighed internally. Iss gadhe ko maine bunk plan karne ko bola tha, aur ye Mahabharat shuru karne baith gaya.
Arjun shot back, “Tumhe har baat mein apni taang kyu adaani hoti hai? Aur waise bhi meri marzi, main jiske lecture mein baithun. Tumhe kyu itni dikkat hoti hai?”
I rolled my eyes and discreetly kicked his leg under the bench.
“Ouch!” he yelped, glaring at me.
I gave him a sharp look.
He cleared his throat awkwardly and quickly corrected course.
“Waise… chalo na, aaj hum sab bunk karte hain. Waise bhi kitne din ho gaye. Tum logon ne bhi hostel ka boring khana khake pak gayi hogi. Chalo kuch acha khate hain, maze karte hain.”
Anaya’s face lit up, her eyes twinkling. “Haan haan, chalo! Mai toh hostel ke khane se officially thak chuki hoon.”
Rhea shook her head. “I don’t want to come.”
Everything stopped for a second. All eyes turned to her.
Anaya pouted dramatically. “Please na chal. Itna bhi nahi karegi mere liye? Tujhe pata hai na hostel ka khana kha kha ke jaan nikal gayi hai meri. Chal na… kuch acha khayenge.”
Arjun added, “Haan chal Rhea… waise bhi aaj sirf do lectures hain. Baaki professors leave pe hain. Tere bina maza nahi aayega.”
They both kept pleading, trying their best.
And then, finally — finally, she sighed and nodded slightly.
I felt a strange kind of happiness fill my chest. A warmth I hadn’t known I needed so desperately.
This was my chance.
I glanced at her from the corner of my eye and silently promised myself, “Tumhe kabhi dukhi nahi hone dunga… vada hai mera khud se.”
A small, involuntary smile tugged at my lips.
Today… everything would change.
---
Rhea's pov:
I had no interest in being part of their plans. The moment Arjun started with his usual drama, I knew where this was heading.
“Yaar, tum log itne boring lectures kaise attend kar lete ho?” he complained, like he was carrying some huge burden attending a couple of classes.
Anaya, as expected, snapped back at him. “Tumhe kisne kaha hai attend karne ko? Jao… waise bhi business ke students literature ke lectures attend kar rahe hain, samajh mein nahi aata kya?”
I sighed inwardly, wishing they’d both just stop. I didn’t have the energy for their back-and-forth today. My head was already heavy with the storm I’d been carrying for days. Kabir’s presence so close behind me didn’t help either. I could feel his gaze like a flame at my back — burning, constant, impossible to ignore.
I kept my eyes down, fiddling with the edge of my notebook.
And then came the inevitable.
“Chalo na, bunk karte hain,” Arjun suggested, his voice light but too persistent.
“Waise bhi kitne din ho gaye… kuch acha khate hain, maze karte hain.”
Anaya jumped at the idea. “Haan haan, chalo! Hostel ka khana dekh kar toh ulti aati hai ab.”
I shook my head immediately. “I don’t want to come.”
It wasn’t just about the café. It wasn’t about food or bunking classes. It was about him. About what would happen if I let myself be around him, in some café, away from all this noise and distraction. About what I might hear. What I might feel.
But the second I said no, they both turned to me like I’d committed some crime.
Anaya gave me those big puppy eyes. “Please na chal. Itna bhi nahi karegi mere liye? Tujhe pata hai na hostel ke khane se meri kya haalat ho gayi hai.”
And Arjun, as usual, added, “Haan chal Rhea… waise bhi aaj do lectures hi hain. Baaki professors off pe hain. Tere bina maza nahi aayega.”
They kept trying. And for some reason… I didn’t have the heart to keep refusing. Maybe I was tired. Maybe I didn’t want to seem weak. Or maybe… somewhere deep down, a tiny reckless part of me wanted to see what he’d say if he got the chance.
I sighed, closing my notebook. “Fine.”
The moment the word left my lips, I felt a shift. I didn’t have to turn around to know Kabir had heard it. I could feel it in the air — in the sudden stillness that came with unspoken things.
This was a bad idea, I told myself.
But my heart… it whispered otherwise.
---
We stepped out of class, and Anaya was practically glowing with excitement. Watching her made me smile a little — it felt good to see her happy. For a moment, it eased the heaviness inside me.
But no matter how much I tried to stay in the moment, I could feel it.
That lingering gaze on me.
I didn’t have to turn around to know it was him. Kabir.
I could sense him like a storm cloud, always there, just on the edge of my world.
We walked toward the parking lot, and as we reached the side, Kabir spoke up.
“Wait here. I’ll bring the car.”
Anaya and Arjun both nodded, while I stayed silent, pretending like his presence didn’t affect me when it did… more than it should.
A couple of minutes later, his car pulled up in front of us. Smooth. Dark. Quietly dangerous — like him.
Anaya instantly claimed a spot in the back seat . I was about to join them when Arjun suddenly spoke, shifting things around.
“Rhea, actually… I don’t like sitting in the passenger seat. Can you sit there?”
And before I could even answer, he was already climbing into the back. I stared at him for a moment, debating whether to argue, but Anaya groaned dramatically.
“Rhea, stop overthinking. Just get in the front seat. I’m starving.”
I sighed, gave in, and opened the passenger door, slipping inside. My fingers curled tightly in my lap as I stared straight ahead, willing my heart to stay calm.
I was waiting for the car to start when suddenly Kabir leaned toward me.
My breath caught.
He reached across, his hand brushing dangerously close to me as he pulled the seatbelt over my shoulder and clicked it into place. The nearness of him, the warmth of his skin, the intoxicating scent of his cologne — it was too much, too sudden. My pulse roared in my ears, my chest tightening like it couldn’t hold the air anymore.
For a second, neither of us spoke.
Then, just as quickly, he leaned back and started the car, like nothing had happened.
I turned my face to the window, needing something — anything — to focus on besides him. The sky outside was heavy with dark clouds, the air thick with the promise of rain. A cool breeze drifted in through the half-open window, and I rolled it down a little more, letting the wind brush against my skin.
It felt like a temporary escape.
But even then, I could feel his eyes on me.
Watching. Unwavering.
I swallowed hard and ignored it.
I wasn’t ready for this.
Not yet.
---
Rhea's pov:
Kabir pulled the car to a stop outside the café, and one by one, we stepped out. The air smelled of rain — thick, heavy, like the sky could break open any second.
We walked inside, finding a quiet corner table. I slid into a seat, keeping my focus on the menu, though my eyes barely registered the words. My heartbeat still hadn’t calmed from the car ride.
Within minutes, a waiter arrived, and everyone rattled off their orders.
I kept it simple. “Just a sandwich, please.”
I could feel Anaya’s eyes on me, and I knew what she was thinking — that I should eat more, act normal, smile like nothing was wrong. But nothing about this day felt normal.
A few minutes later, Anaya stood up, tugging Arjun with her.
“We’ll go grab the order ourselves,” she said, a little too cheerfully.
And before I could protest, they were gone.
And just like that — it was just me and him.
The silence between us stretched, thick and heavy, broken only by the soft hum of music playing somewhere in the background.
Then his voice came, low and steady.
“So… you’re not even going to say hello?”
I hesitated, my throat suddenly dry. I picked at the edge of the napkin on the table, avoiding his gaze.
“It’s not like that,” I whispered. “I just… I—”
But before I could string together a sentence, he leaned in closer, his voice softer this time.
“We need to talk, Rhea.”
I forced myself to meet his eyes — dark, intense, unreadable. There was something in them that made my heart skip a beat.
Without another word, he stood up, reached for my hand, and before I could think, he was pulling me to my feet.
My breath caught in my throat, but I didn’t resist.
He led me through the café, past the curious glances of a few people, and pushed open a narrow door at the side that led to the terrace.
The moment we stepped out, a gust of cool wind hit my face. The sky above was painted in shades of grey, thick clouds rolling in as if they too knew a storm was about to break.
I swallowed hard, knowing this was the moment I’d been trying to avoid.
But there was no turning back now.
---
Kabir's pov:
I led her up to the terrace, my grip on her hand gentle, but my heart pounding like a war drum inside my chest. I knew this moment would come. I knew we couldn’t keep running in circles forever.
Today — no matter what it took — we were going to talk.
The cool wind hit us the moment we stepped out. The sky above hung heavy with dark clouds, the air thick with the kind of tension that mirrored everything I felt inside.
I turned toward her, holding her hand a little tighter as I faced her fully.
“Rhea… what happened that day in the administration office?”
Her eyes widened in shock. I saw it — the way her breath hitched, the way her fingers trembled slightly in mine.
But she didn’t answer.
I tried again, my voice softer this time.
“Rhea, tell me… what happened?”
Nothing.
I could feel my patience slipping, but I forced myself to stay calm.
Exhaling deeply, I said,
“If you don’t tell me… how the hell am I supposed to understand what’s going on? How will I ever know what’s bothering you?”
That was when she finally looked up — into my eyes.
And then she whispered, “You’re Malhotra’s heir… aren’t you?”
For a second, my world stopped.
So she knew.
I felt my throat tighten, my hands clench. But I kept my expression steady, forced myself to stay composed.
“Yes,” I admitted quietly.
And then, it came out of her — the words I never expected, though maybe deep down, I’d always feared.
“That day… in the administration office, they were saying you’re just with me for time pass.”
I felt something sharp twist in my chest. My jaw clenched.
“And you believed them?”
She didn’t reply. The silence between us felt deafening.
I took a slow step closer.
“If this is what you thought, why didn’t you tell me?”
I could hear the edge of frustration in my voice, but it was the kind born of hurt, not anger.
I knew what she was thinking. I could see it written all over her face — that maybe, just maybe, I was one of them. That this was all a game.
I ran a hand through my hair, trying to steady my voice.
“Listen to me carefully, Rhea. If you ever, even for a second, felt like you were just a time pass to me… look into my eyes and tell me. Tell me you didn’t see it — the care, the concern, every time I worried about you. Was it all fake to you?”
She shook her head silently, tears glimmering in her lashes.
That broke me.
Without thinking, I dropped to my knees in front of her.
Yes — me. Kabir Malhotra. The man who never bowed his head to anyone.
Today, I knelt for her.
I looked up at her, my voice barely a whisper but carrying the weight of everything I’d been burying inside.
“Rhea… I don’t know what you feel. I don’t know what you’ve told yourself to believe. But for me… you’ve become a part of me. A need. I can’t even imagine a life without you anymore.”
I took a shaky breath and continued,
“I fell for your words before I ever saw your face. Before I knew you, my heart had already started beating for you. You don’t know what these last two days have done to me. The way you ignored me… it killed me, Rhea. I waited for your voice, your eyes, your smile. Every minute felt like a punishment.”
I paused, my throat tight.
“I love you. I love you so much, Rhea. More than I’ve ever loved anything in my life.”
She didn’t speak. But her eyes… they were shining with unshed tears, threatening to fall.
And for now… that was enough.
Because in those eyes — I saw everything.
---
Rhea's pov:
I stood there, frozen.
I don’t know how long I stared at him — Kabir Malhotra, the one person I’d tried so hard to hate these past few days, kneeling in front of me like the world around us didn’t exist.
His words echoed in my head.
I love you… I can’t imagine a life without you… I waited for your voice, your eyes, your smile…
I felt something tighten in my chest, so painfully raw I could barely breathe.
For so long, I’d carried these walls around my heart, telling myself that people like him, people born with power and names, didn’t feel the things I did. That to them, people like me were distractions, passing time.
And yet… here he was.
Not the arrogant Kabir everyone saw. Not the Malhotra heir I was warned about. But a man. On his knees. Shattered. Vulnerable. And honest in a way that left nowhere for me to run.
I swallowed hard, my throat burning.
I wanted to be angry. I wanted to push him away. I wanted to say, you don’t get to do this after everything.
But the truth was… I’d been breaking without him too.
The past two days had felt like a slow suffocation. Every time I saw him in class, every time I felt his gaze on me, every night when my phone stayed silent and my heart stayed restless — I realized just how deep I’d fallen.
Tears blurred my vision as I spoke, my voice trembling.
“Do you have any idea… what it felt like? To hear those things… to believe, even for a moment, that maybe you were just like them?”
His face twisted in pain, and he gripped my hand tighter.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “For everything you thought. For letting you believe it. I should have told you who I was, what I felt, a long time ago.”
I bit my lip, the first tear escaping and sliding down my cheek.
“I hated you these two days,” I whispered. “I hated how badly I missed you. I hated how every part of me still… cared.”
His eyes met mine, fierce and unblinking.
“I don’t care how long it takes, Rhea. I’ll spend every damn day proving it to you if I have to. I meant every word.”
I laughed softly through the tears, shaking my head.
“You’re impossible, Kabir Malhotra.”
He smiled, a crooked, broken kind of smile that still made my heart stutter.
“But I’m yours,” he said quietly.
And maybe it was reckless.
Maybe it was stupid.
Maybe the world would burn for it.
But in that moment, I let go of every fear, every doubt, and reached for him.
Because he was mine too.
I didn’t know how to stop the tears anymore.
Maybe I wasn’t even trying to.
Everything inside me — the anger, the hurt, the ache of missing him — came crashing down at once, and all I was left with was this unbearable pull towards him.
I looked at him, still kneeling there like a fool, like he wasn’t the same Kabir Malhotra the world feared, the one I’d promised myself I wouldn’t fall for.
And yet here we were.
I took a shaky breath and finally spoke, my voice so soft it barely felt like mine.
“Do you want to know the truth, Kabir?”
His eyes searched mine, silently begging.
“Yes,” he whispered.
I swallowed hard, the words trembling on my tongue.
“I didn’t just miss you these two days… I hated how much I needed you. How every time my phone lit up, I wished it was your name. How every time I closed my eyes, your face wouldn’t leave.”
The tears kept falling, but it felt like something inside me was finally breaking free.
“I told myself you didn’t matter. That you were just another name, another arrogant rich boy playing a game. But it was a lie. And I was so damn scared of how real you started to feel.”
His lips parted, but I wasn’t done.
“I fell for you, Kabir. Long before I even admitted it to myself. In the way you looked at me like I wasn’t invisible. In the way you worried about me when no one else noticed. In the stupid arguments, the stolen glances, the nights I stayed up replaying every word you said.”
I took a step closer, my heart pounding painfully against my ribs.
“And yes… those two days without you… it felt like something inside me was missing. Like I couldn’t breathe right.”
His eyes glistened, the rawness in them stealing the last of my resolve.
I managed a small, watery smile.
“I love you, Kabir Malhotra. As reckless, terrifying, and impossible as it is… I love you.”
For a heartbeat, neither of us moved. The world around us blurred, and it was just him, just me, and this storm we’d both been drowning in for so long.
And then, without warning, he stood up, cupped my face in his hands, and pressed his forehead against mine.
“I swear, Rhea… I’ll never let you go now,” he whispered.
And for the first time in so long, my heart finally felt whole.
And then, before either of us could say another word, he pulled me into his arms.
I didn’t resist.
And I held him just as tightly.
Like my life depended on it.
Because in that moment, it did.
Neither of us spoke. There was nothing left to say. Every unspoken word, every ache, every desperate, buried feeling poured into that one embrace. And it was enough.
And then — like the sky had been waiting for this too — the first drops of rain began to fall.
A cool, gentle drizzle at first. Then heavier, faster, until the world around us blurred in silver sheets of water.
But neither of us moved.
We stood there on the terrace, in the middle of the storm, clinging to each other like the world could fall apart any second and we wouldn’t care.
I could feel the rain soak through my hair, my clothes. Could feel his breath against my ear, uneven and shaky.
For the first time in what felt like forever… the weight in my chest was gone. The fear, the doubts, the pain — all of it washed away with the rain.
It was just me and him.
Two reckless, stubborn hearts holding each other like salvation.
And in that embrace, in that rain, with my arms around Kabir Malhotra… I finally felt safe.
---
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