Reyna :-
The moment we turned the corner and that creepy, abandoned warehouse disappeared from the rearview mirror, something inside me finally unclenched.
For two whole seconds, the car was silent.
Then-
I burst out laughing.
Not a cute laugh.
Not a controlled one.
The what-the-hell-did-we-just-do kind.
"Oh my God," I gasped, clutching my stomach. "Did that actually just happen?"
Rohan glanced at me from the driver's seat, one hand still casually on the wheel, lips twitching like he'd been waiting for this exact moment.
"You mean you serenading a criminal with Ek Ladki Ko Dekha?" he said. "Yeah. Iconic."
Maya didn't even try to hold it in. She screamed laughing from the backseat.
"I swear," she wheezed, wiping imaginary tears, "if anyone ever asks how we saved a mafia bride, I'm saying- Bollywood music."
I shook my head, still laughing. "He was so confused. I thought he'd pull out a gun and shoot me just to make it stop."
Rohan chuckled. "Honestly? Respect to him for singing back."
"That voice though," Maya added dramatically. "I lost five years of my life."
We all cracked up again, the tension finally melting away like it had never existed.
Maya suddenly straightened, clapping her hands together. "Okay! Since we have officially completed Step One of Mission: Save Ira, I propose a celebration."
Rohan raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
She grinned. "YESSSS"
"Party?" Rohan asked.
"PARTY," Maya confirmed.
I groaned immediately. "No. Absolutely not. I am not drinking again."
Both of them turned to look at me.
Maya gave me a painfully innocent smile. "Aww. Trauma talking?"
"I mean it," I said firmly. "No alcohol. I've already embarrassed myself enough for one lifetime."
Maya shrugged exaggeratedly. "Okayyy. Fine. I won't make you."
The way she said make made me narrow my eyes. "That sounded like a threat."
Rohan laughed. "Relax. We'll behave."
I snorted. "You? Behave?"
The car sped back toward the city, neon lights slowly replacing empty streets. Music played softly, windows slightly down, the Mumbai air brushing against my face.
For the first time in days, I felt... light.
Rohan slowed the car near a familiar stretch, and when he pulled over, Maya practically bounced in her seat.
"Oh my God, yes!" she squealed. "This place!"
I looked up.
A club. Loud music thumping even from outside. Lights flashing. Life. Normalcy.
Maya threw the door open before the car even fully stopped. "Let's gooooo!"
Rohan shook his head, laughing as he parked properly. "This girl will be the death of us."
I stepped out, adjusting my jacket, feeling the buzz of the city seep into my veins.
For tonight-
no mafia.
no marriages.
no blood, no fate, no fear.
Just us. Three idiots pretending the world wasn't about to implode.
And honestly?
I needed that lie.
The moment we stepped inside the club, sound hit me first.
Loud.
Heavy.
Alive.
Bass thumping through the floor, lights flashing in violent blues and reds, bodies moving like they had no worries in the world. People were dancing without shame- laughing, grinding, drinking, kissing like tomorrow didn't exist.
For a second, I just stood there.
Awkward. Out of place. Like I'd accidentally walked into someone else's life.
I glanced at Rohan.
He looked just as uncomfortable.
His shoulders were stiff, eyes darting around like he was mentally calculating exit routes. Definitely not a club guy. More like chai-at-2-a.m. guy.
Maya, on the other hand?
She didn't even hesitate.
She grabbed my wrist for half a second, shouted something I couldn't hear over the music, and then disappeared straight toward the bar like it was her birthright.
I watched her climb onto a barstool, flip her hair dramatically, and shout at the bartender, "Vodka shots!"
Plural.
Of course.
She downed one like water, then immediately pushed another glass toward Rohan.
"Come on," she yelled. "One shot won't kill you."
Rohan shook his head, laughing. "Sorry, boss. I'm driving. I like my license. And my life."
Maya rolled her eyes. "Ugh. Responsible men are boring."
Then she looked at me.
"And you," she narrowed her eyes playfully, "don't even think about running."
I raised both hands. "I said I'm not drinking. I didn't say I'm disappearing."
Satisfied, she turned back to the bar, already ordering another round for herself.
Rohan exhaled and leaned closer so I could hear him. "You okay?"
I nodded, even though my body still felt stiff. "Yeah. Just... not used to this."
He smiled softly. "Same."
Then, as if deciding something internally, he held out his hand.
"Come," he said. "Let's dance."
I blinked. "Dance? You?"
"Hey," he protested lightly. "I can move. A little."
I laughed despite myself. "Okay. But don't blame me if people stare."
He shrugged. "They already are."
I placed my hand in his, and he pulled me gently toward the crowd.
At first, it was awkward.
Too many people.
Too close.
Too loud.
I moved stiffly, unsure what to do with my hands, my feet, my face.
Rohan noticed and leaned closer. "Relax. No one's judging. Everyone's too busy judging themselves."
That somehow helped.
I started moving-slowly at first, then with the beat. Letting the music take over instead of my thoughts. Letting go of the chaos in my head.
And then-
Maya appeared out of nowhere, drunk energy personified.
"There you are!" she shouted, squeezing between us. "I thought you two eloped without me."
She grabbed both our hands and started jumping dramatically, not even on beat, just vibes.
I laughed- really laughed.
The kind that came from deep inside your chest.
For those few minutes, there was no Ira, no Advik, no Raichands, no Rathores.
Just flashing lights.
Sweaty laughter.
And three best friends dancing like idiots in the middle of a crowded club.
And honestly?
It felt good.
The club felt like a living thing- breathing, pulsing, swallowing everyone inside it.
Bass thudded through the floor, through my bones, vibrating somewhere deep in my chest. Neon lights sliced through the darkness in flashes of blue and red, painting strangers' faces in half-moments. People danced like nothing else existed- sweaty, reckless, free. Drinks spilled. Laughter rang too loud. Someone screamed lyrics off-key near my ear.
For the first time in days, my mind wasn't screaming.
I was moving with the music, not thinking, just letting my body follow the rhythm. Maya was already half gone, drunk and shameless, shouting something about living life before death. I laughed, shaking my head.
And then...
Impact.
A hard shove hit my back.
Not playful. Not accidental.
My breath knocked out of me as I lurched forward, heels wobbling, the world tilting too fast. Panic flared- sharp and sudden-
Strong arms caught me.
Firm. Immediate.
Rohan.
His grip was instinctive, protective. One hand slid around my waist, holding me steady, the other bracing my arm so I wouldn't fall. My back pressed briefly into his chest, and I felt his body tense, alert.
"Hey—Reyna," he said close to my ear, his voice louder than usual to fight the music. "Are you okay?"
I nodded quickly, my pulse still racing. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine."
But I didn't step away.
Maybe because the club felt unsafe for a second.
Maybe because his hands felt... grounding.
He didn't move either.
The music faded- not completely, but enough that it felt like it was happening somewhere far away. The lights blurred into soft streaks. All I could feel was his hand at my waist, warm through the thin fabric of my top, steady like an anchor.
I turned slightly to face him.
Too close.
His face was inches from mine, brows drawn together in concern, lips parted like he wanted to say something else but wasn't sure how. His eyes searched mine...not teasing, not flirty. Just... checking.
Like he cared.
My chest tightened.
For a few seconds, the world narrowed down to the space between us. I forgot about Ira. Forgot about marriage dates and kundalis and blood threats and fake attacks. Forgot about Advik Raichand entirely.
There was just Rohan.
And the way his thumb pressed unconsciously into my waist, like he was afraid to let go.
Then someone slammed into him from the side.
Hard.
Rohan stumbled forward, and instinct kicked in again. He tightened his hold to keep both of us upright-
-and suddenly we were closer than before.
No space. No air.
My hands landed on his chest. His breath hitched, warm against my lips. I could see the faint stubble along his jaw, the small scar near his eyebrow I'd noticed a hundred times but never like this.
Our lips were inches apart.
One inch.
Two heartbeats.
My breath tangled with his. Time slowed, stretched thin like it might snap. I didn't know who leaned in first or if either of us did but the pull was there. Quiet. Dangerous.
And then-
"Namaste, Saali sahiba." The words cut through the moment like a gunshot.
Everything froze.
My blood ran cold.
I knew that voice before my mind even caught up.
Slowly, I turned.
Advik Raichand stood there like he owned the room- tall, controlled, dressed in black like the chaos around him had nothing to do with his world. The flashing lights caught the sharp lines of his face, throwing shadows under his eyes, making him look every bit the man people feared.
His gaze flicked—not accidentally, not briefly to Rohan's hand still resting on my waist.
Then back to my face.
Something dark passed through his eyes. The corner of his mouth curved into a smile that wasn't warm, wasn't amused.
It was territorial. Calculated. Dangerous.
The music kept pounding.
People kept dancing.
Someone laughed behind us.
But I couldn't hear any of it anymore.
Because just like that-
My fragile moment of calm
had collided head-on
with the storm called Advik Raichand.
Advik :-
The last two days blurred into one long, restless night.
I didn't go back to the farmhouse.
Couldn't.
Every corner of that place smelled like responsibility- like marriage dates, expectations, and a girl whose name I was trying not to think about and failing miserably.
So I stayed out.
Friends' apartments. Late-night drives. Loud music. Louder laughter. Too much alcohol. Too many pointless conversations that meant nothing. Rudra was everywhere- dragging me from one place to another like distraction was a cure.
And of course, Kiara was there too.
Beautiful. Rich. Perfectly dressed. Perfectly aware of her power.
She stayed close but distant, present but silent. No teasing. No drama. Just cold indifference that somehow irritated me more than her anger ever could. She barely looked at me, and when she did, it was with that wounded pride I had learned to recognize.
She wasn't talking to me.
And honestly, I didn't have the energy to fix that either.
By the second night, Rudra decided we needed a club.
"Bhai, you're getting married in fifteen days," he said, clapping me on the shoulder. "At least pretend you're enjoying your last days of freedom."
So here we were.
Music. Alcohol. Smoke. Bodies pressed together on the dance floor like nothing mattered.
We took a booth near the edge- me, Rudra, a couple of other friends, Kiara sitting across from me with her phone in hand, pretending I didn't exist. I leaned back, drink untouched, watching the crowd without really seeing anyone.
That's when Rudra stiffened beside me.
"Oye," he said slowly. "Isn't that... the same drunk girl from marine drive ?"
I frowned. "What?"
He nodded toward the dance floor. "That loud girl. Reyna's friend. The one from Marine Drive."
My spine went rigid before my mind caught up.
I followed his gaze. I first maya and a boy and then
And there she was.
Reyna.
Under flashing lights. Hair loose. Eyes alive. Laughing.
My chest tightened.
Rudra whistled softly. "Damn. Your saali sahiba looks like she's having fun."
I didn't respond.
Because I wasn't looking at her face anymore.
I was looking at the boy with her.
He was close. Too close.
His hand rested at her waist like it belonged there. She leaned into him easily, naturally- like she trusted him. Like she was comfortable. Like she wasn't thinking about the world ending.
Rudra chuckled, enjoying the show far too much.
"Look at that," he said casually. "Your future sister-in-law is enjoying college life. With benefits."
I clenched my jaw.
"I don't care," I said flatly, lifting my glass.
But then the crowd shifted.
Someone bumped into them.
And suddenly-
they were closer.
Intimate.
Her hands on his chest. His face inches from hers.
The lights flickered red.
And my mind betrayed me.
Her lips.
Her breath.
The way she had kissed me upstairs like the world had stopped existing.
My first kiss with her flashed violently behind my eyes.
Heat surged through my veins- sharp, possessive, irrational.
Jealousy.
Raw. Ugly. Unwelcome.
Rudra leaned closer, clearly enjoying my silence far too much.
"Looks like she's about to kiss him," he murmured. "Should we start clapping or..."
That was it.
I stood up.
My decision to ignore her shattered like glass.
Every step toward the dance floor felt heavy, deliberate, fueled by something I didn't want to name. The music grew louder. The lights harsher. My focus narrowed until all I could see was her face tilted upward toward his.
The boy's hand was still on her waist.
And suddenly, the club didn't feel loud anymore. It felt like a battlefield.
And I had just walked straight into it-
fully aware
that whatever I was doing next
would change everything I had sworn to control.
I shouldn't have gone closer.
Every instinct in me knew that stepping into her space- into their space- would end badly. But once I was there, once her eyes lifted and locked onto mine, there was no turning back.
The music thumped around us, bass vibrating through the floor, lights flashing red and blue across faces slick with sweat and alcohol. Bodies moved, laughed, collided—but for me, everything narrowed to just her.
Reyna Rathore.
Standing too close to that boy. Smiling too freely. Existing like she hadn't turned my world upside down and left me choking on rules and responsibilities I never asked for.
One more second.
That's all it would've taken.
I stopped right in front of them.
And before either of them could register my presence, before my restraint could return—
I spoke.
"Namaste, saali sahiba."
Her head turned sharply.
Shock first. Then annoyance. Then something darker- something that mirrored exactly what I felt inside.
"Advik?" she breathed, almost disbelieving.
Rohan stiffened beside her, his arm still half-protective around her waist.
I tilted my head, a crooked smile curving my lips.
"Oh, don't look so surprised," I said, voice dripping sarcasm. "Didn't expect to see me here, huh?"
Shock. Recognition. Fire.
The boy, I remembered vaguely- looked between us, confused, protective. His hand was still at her waist.
That did something ugly to me.
I took another step forward, invading her space deliberately, my voice calm but sharp enough to cut.
"Oh," I said slowly, eyes never leaving her face,
"Rathores ki sanskari beti club mein enjoy kar rahi hai... apne boyfriend ke saath?"
Her jaw tightened instantly.
She didn't answer.
Didn't even look at me properly.
Instead, she turned slightly away, as if I were nothing more than background noise. Like I hadn't just thrown an accusation at her wrapped in mockery.
That dismissal stung more than I expected.
I scoffed softly. "What? No reply?" I leaned closer so only she could hear me. "Or is this how you show your values now?"
Still nothing.
She reached for Rohan's hand instead.
That was it.
"You're really going to pretend I'm not here?" I asked, louder this time.
Finally, she looked at me.
And God-there was no softness left in her eyes. Only fury. Cold. Controlled. Dangerous.
She leaned closer to me, voice low but lethal.
"Mind. Your. Own. Business."
"Business?" I laughed, the sound hollow. "Sweetheart, your family and mine share a lot more than business now, don't we?"
Rohan stepped forward slightly. "Hey, back off, man. You're crossing a line."
I turned to him slowly, my expression flat but my voice edged. "And who the hell are you to tell me where the line is?"
He didn't flinch. "Someone who doesn't like guys disrespecting his friends."
"Friends?" I repeated, eyes narrowing. "That what you call it?" I glanced at Reyna, voice lowering, mocking. "Looked a little more than friendly a minute ago."
Her cheeks flushed- not from guilt, but from fury. "You're disgusting," she snapped. "You have no right to question me."
"Question you?" I leaned closer, voice sharp. "You think I'm blind, Reyna? The whole world's talking about your perfect family, your sister's perfect wedding and here you are, sneaking around clubs with your boyfriend."
Her chin lifted defiantly. "At least I'm not the one sleeping around while pretending to be an ideal groom."
That one hit. Hard.
The air between us crackled.
Rudra, somewhere behind me, muttered, "Oh shit," under his breath, but I didn't care. The club, the music, the people- it all blurred out. There was only her.
I stepped closer. "Careful, saali sahiba. You're talking to your future jijaji."
"Trust me," she hissed, "I'd rather die than call you that."
Something twisted inside my chest-rage, amusement, something I couldn't name. "Big words. You sure your family would like hearing them?"
She crossed her arms. "You think I'm scared of you?"
I smiled darkly. "No. But you should be."
"And what exactly are you doing here?" I shot back. "Planning another performance? Another distraction?"
Maya appeared beside them then, drink in hand, eyes sharp.
"Oh wow," she drawled. "Is this the part where the groom-to-be lectures people about morality from a nightclub?"
Rohan snorted despite himself.
I ignored them both, my focus fixed on Reyna. "So this is your solution?" I asked. "Clubbing? Drinking? Getting close to random boys?"
Reyna laughed- bitter, incredulous.
"Random boy?" She pointed at Rohan. "He's been in my life longer than you ever will be."
Something dark flared inside my chest.
"And what about that night in my car?" I snapped. "What about everything you said? Was that also a joke?"
Her eyes burned. "Don't you dare bring that into this."
"Why not?" I challenged. "Afraid he might hear what you were really doing?"
Rohan's brows furrowed. "What's he talking about, Rey? Which night ?"
Maya's expression shifted instantly, protective. "You don't owe him explanations."
Reyna inhaled deeply, then looked straight at me.
"You want to know the truth?" she said coldly. "I'm here because I can be. Because unlike you, I don't pretend to be something I'm not."
"And what am I pretending to be?" I asked.
"A decent man," she shot back. "Someone who cares about family while destroying it piece by piece."
The words landed like a slap.
"You have no idea what you're talking about," I said dangerously.
"Oh, I do," she replied. "I see everything clearly now."
Maya finally cut in, stepping between us before the tension snapped into something worse. "Okay, testosterone contest over. Reyna, Rohan, we're leaving."
Rohan didn't move. His eyes were still on me, steady, unafraid. "You heard her," he said quietly. "Back off."
I took a step closer, just to see the flicker of protectiveness on Reyna's face. "You know, buddy," I said softly, "you might want to be careful playing knight in shining armor. Rathores don't forgive easily. And Raichands... we don't forget."
Rohan's jaw tightened, but he didn't say anything. He just placed a hand on Reyna's shoulder.
She looked up at him, then at me. For a heartbeat, our eyes locked.
There was fire there—hers and mine. But beneath it, something else.
Something I didn't want to name.
I wanted to hate her. I wanted to walk away.
But watching her with him- seeing that softness on her face, that small smile-
It twisted something in me I couldn't untangle.
"Let's go," Maya said firmly.
Rohan nodded, pulling Reyna with him.
But she paused, just for a second, her eyes flicking back to me. "Next time," she said, her voice calm but shaking at the edges, "don't ever talk about me like that again."
I raised an eyebrow. "Or what?"
She didn't answer. She just turned and walked away, heels clicking sharply against the floor, Rohan and Maya flanking her on either side.
I stood there, watching her leave, every nerve in me still buzzing.
The music came rushing back, people started dancing again, laughter returned. But I couldn't move.
Rudra came up beside me, chuckling low. "Damn, bro. That was... intense."
I didn't reply. My eyes were still on the door she'd just walked out of.
Kiara's voice drifted behind me, sharp and cold. "She's good at getting under your skin, isn't she?"
I didn't turn around. Didn't deny it either.
Because somewhere deep inside, I knew she was right.
Reyna Rathore had already gotten under my skin.
And that was exactly what made me furious.
.
Outside the Club (Rohan, Maya & Reyna)
The night air hit Reyna's face like a slap, cold and real. Her chest rose and fell quickly, anger still burning behind her ribs. Maya muttered something about "jerk Raichands" while Rohan opened the car door, his expression unreadable.
"You okay?" he asked quietly.
Reyna laughed bitterly. "I will be. Once I forget his face."
Maya huffed. "Good luck with that. He's too good-looking to forget."
"Maya!"
"What? I'm just saying facts." She smirked, sliding into the backseat. "Now, can we please go before Mr. Mafia decides to come out and start round two?"
Rohan started the engine, but Reyna still glanced at the club door one last time.
He was standing there.
Watching.
She turned away quickly, jaw tight.
She didn't know why his words hurt more than they should have, why his anger felt so personal, or why- when he said you should be scared-her heart had skipped instead of stopping.
All she knew was that this war between them had officially begun.
And neither of them would walk out of it the same.