A/N

I am so happy today because I exercised my right to Vote 👆💜. 

******

Vritka has just landed in Mumbai. She was continuously trying Rohit's phone but it was saying switched off. 

"Itna ajeeb lag raha hai...ek phone nahi kiya aur phone switch off hai. Charging par lagana bhul gaya hoga...bhulakad kahi ka."

Vritika pushed open the door to Rohit's home, her suitcase trailing behind her. She closed the door behind her and set her bag down, kicking off her shoes. Just as she reached for the light switch, she froze. Rohit was sitting on the couch, his elbows on his knees, staring at the floor.

"Rohit?" she said, surprised but delighted to see him. "Tum yaha ho? I was so worried. Phone kyun off hai tumhara? Maine kitne baar call kiya—"

He came over and grasp her arms in a tight grip. "Did you reject the Dream11 project?" he demanded, his voice sharp and accusing. His eyes bore into hers, searching for an answer.

Vritika's mouth parted slightly, taken aback by his sudden aggression. "Rohit, what—"

"Answer me!" he barked, cutting her off. "Did you or did you not tell Ankit to cancel the deal?"

Her heart pounded as she looked at him. "Rohit, listen to me—"

"Just answer the question, Vritika!" His grip tightened, and his tone was laced with betrayal.

She winced but managed to speak, her voice trembling. "Yes, I did. But Rohit—"

He let go of her hand as if it burned him. 

"Why? Do you even understand what you've done?Do you know what this deal meant for me? For my family? We're drowning in debt, Vritika! And you, you just—how could you make such a big decision without talking to me first?"

Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes. "Rohit meri baat toh suno...."

"Baat sunne ka time khatam ho chuka hai, Vritika!" Rohit shouted

Vritika blinked rapidly, her tears threatening to spill. "Rohit, please... tum samajhne ki koshish karo. Dream11 is not a nice company. Agar kuch galat hota, tum legal troubles mein fas jaate! Main tumhare liye hi toh—"

"Mere liye?" Rohit cut her off, his voice was dripping with sarcasm. "Tumne mere liye nahi, apni so-called moral values ke liye kiya hai! Tumhe mere ghar ki halat pata hai? Mere papa ki tension, meri maa ka din-raat ka rona?"

"Rohit, I didn't know" she tried again, her voice cracking, " Aur bhi kahi brands hai, woh..."

Rohit's grip on her arms tightened. "Tumhe kya lagta hai, paise ped par ugte hain?" he spat. "Aur bhi brands hai? Kahan hai woh brands, Vritika? Kya tumhare paas koi contract hai jo mujhe abhi milne wala hai?"

Vritika flinched. She took a shaky step toward him. "Rohit, please...I did this for you."

"Tumne mere liye nahi apni ego ke liye kiya hai. 48 crore ki deal thi uss brand ki. Kabhi dekhe hai tumne itne paise zindagi main?......Main bhi kisse puch raha hoon? Usse jisne 60 lakh ka ghar ki EMI bharne main ek saal lagaa diya."

His words were like a blade, cutting deeper than anything she had ever felt before.She felt the sting of the insult, the way he had degraded her, reduced her to nothing more than someone struggling with basic financial burdens. 

 It stung and it stung deep.  

She had never imagined that he would bring it up in such a cold, cruel way. Itni mehnat se, raat raat bhar jag kar apne ghar ka EMI bhara tha...She had worked tirelessly to pay that EMI, had poured every ounce of energy into keeping the house that once belonged to her father—a house that was the last of what her mother had of her father. Losing him had been the hardest thing she'd ever faced, but she had to carry on. Every month, the pressure of that EMI weighed on her, but she had never once let it show to Virat or anyone else. And now, hearing him degrade her struggle, it felt like the world had turned against her. His judgment had hit her in a place she never thought he would reach—the place where her vulnerability, her pain, and her pride all lived.

"Batao?"

Tears welled up in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Here he was, belittling her for something that was beyond her control. The last thing she ever expected was to be judged for her struggle, for her efforts to keep her family's life from falling apart.

"Rohit," she whispered, "you have no idea..."  Her voice trembled, but she couldn't bring herself to say more. The words caught in her throat, stuck somewhere between the hurt of what he had said and the overwhelming guilt that she had failed him in his eyes.

 "Idea toh tumhe nahi hai tumne kya kiya hai. Tumne kis haq se yeh faisla liya?"

"Rohit, I did it because I care about you." Vritika's lips trembled.

"Arey ab toh sach bolo. You did it because you felt that you couldn't match me right?"

It was like a slap after slap on her face. She blinked rapidly, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to fall. She never imagined he would think that about her—

"Rohit—"

"I gave you this home to live, Vritika. Maine jara bhi nahi socha," Rohit continued, his voice edged with something between bitterness and anger. "I didn't think for a second that you might feel inferior to me. But now I'm seeing it."

The hurt in her chest was almost unbearable, and she felt a wave of emotions—betrayal, guilt, anger, and sadness—all crashing down on her at once. She couldn't believe what he was saying, how he was twisting everything she had done into something ugly.

"Rohit, please..." she whispered, her voice shaking. "I swear, I never saw myself as better than you, never."

 "Pataa hai tumhari problem kya hai... Tumhe lagta hai ki tum akeli samajhdaari ki moorat ho aur baaki sab bewakoof hai." His words were sharp, bitter.

"Aisa nahi hai..." she tried to interject, but he cut her off again

"All my teammates have signed the contract today, next month uski shooting hai. Tumne socha ki sirf main wahaa nahi honga toh mujhe kaise lagega?"

"I am so..sorry Rohit...I was only protecting you from what it could have cost you, legally." Vritika was still trying to explain it to him.

He scoffed, shaking his head " You don't get it, do you? You're not my protector. I am cable to make my own decisions. Aur waise bhi kis haq se mere liye tumne decisions liye?!"

"You said you trusted me..."

"GALTI HO GAYI BOHOT BADI! I thought you could be trusted!!"

"I just... I didn't want you to get hurt. I thought if I stopped you from signing that deal, you'd be safe."

"Well, you thought wrong. Don't ever try to make decisions for me again. And don't you ever try to interfere in it again."

Rohit turned and walked out of the room without another glance at her, Vritika felt a sharp, suffocating emptiness settle in her chest. 

Her legs gave way beneath her, and she sank to the floor. Her hands came up to cover her face but it didn't help. It was as if the walls had caved in around her, trapping her in a suffocating silence. Tears spilled from her eyes, hot and relentless. She didn't even try to stop them, letting them fall freely as the hurt, the confusion, and the regret overwhelmed her. She had never felt so small, so insignificant and degraded before anyone. 

"Tumne hi to kaha that Ro, ki main tumhare life main har decision le sakti hoon...... lekin uski baat bhi toh sahi hai, use ye deal chahiye thi.....aur Maine reject kar diya. "

She thought back to the moment Veer had called her.

"Hey Vri, you will believe kis kis brands ke project mile hai hume."

"Accha? Bataa phir."

"Puma, LG, Adidas, MPL, Firebolt,Titan, Boost , Vivo....aur bhi bahot saari!"

"Arey waah."

"And the biggest one toh reh hi gayi... Dream11."

"Dream11?" she had repeated, confused, not understanding why he was so excited. 

"Yeah, big deal," Veer had continued, oblivious to her inner turmoil. "It's huge. We can't miss out on this one."

"No Veer. Baki sab toh think hai lekin Dream11 main mat ghus."

"Kyu? Pataa hai kitna paise de rahe hai ye log?" His voice held a note of disbelief.

"Main samajhti hoon, Veer. Lekin yeh gambling ki duniya hai. Tujhe pata hai na?" She wasn't going to compromise his integrity for money.

"Vritika, yeh toh business hai."

"Nahi Veer! Ye company logon ko gambling karwata hai. Jua hai ye. Pataa hai kitne logon ka loss ho gaya hai isme. Aur tum kya chate ho? Tumhe jo follow karte hai woh ye sab karne lage?" 

"Lekin sab hi kar rahe hai Vri."

"Toh tum bhi karoge kya?  It's not good, Veer. You know how many people have lost their entire savings because of this? We had a professor who is now broke because he lost all his hard-earned money because of such apps. Do you really want to promote such things?"

"You are right Vri....thik hai main nahi karta ye. I never promote brands which I do not follow myself." 

Vritika sighed in relief as she heard Veer's words.

"Lekin Ro ka kya? Woh bhi toh kerega...."

"Nahi nahi Veer. Main use aise brand ke piche fasne nahi dungi."

"You should talk to him."

"Main kabse call hi to lagaa rahi roon use...."

"Flight main hai an who Vri....ab uske saath rehkar uske jaisi bhulakkad ban rahi hai tu bhi."

"Arey haa.... thik hai baad main call karungi usse..."

"Arey nahi abhi uske manager se baat karle, nahi toh contract sign kar denge."

 "Haan, sahi keh raha hai tu. Main abhi baat karti hoon," she said hurriedly, already fumbling for her phone.

She scrolled through her contacts, found Rohit's manager's number, and hit dial.

"Hello, Ankit?" she said.

"Yes, Vritika? Everything okay?" came the manager's calm but slightly distracted voice.

"Bhaiya, ek urgent baat karni hai. Dream11 ke contract ke baare mein. Ro woh sign toh nahi kar raha, right?" she asked, her words tumbling out in a rush.

There was a pause on the other end before Ankit spoke. "Actually, he's about to. Sab kuch finalize ho chuka hai, Vritika. Why? Kya hua?"

"Nahi! Please use rok lo. Ye brand... it's not good for his image. Woh gambling promote karta hai. Please, kisi tarah yeh signing delay karwa do! Plus kitne saare cases hai uss company par. Rohit phas gaya toh problem ho jayegi"

Ankit sighed. "Vritika, main samajh raha hoon, lekin yeh kaafi badi deal hai."

"Ankit, I'm begging you. Bas ek din ka waqt de do mujhe. Main usse samjhaungi. Please," she pleaded.

"Alright," Ankit relented after a moment. "Main kuch karne ki koshish karta hoon. But it won't be for long. You'll need to talk to him as soon as possible."

"Thank you. Thank you so much," she said, relief flooding her voice.

And she had convinced him to cancel the deal. But now she starting to regret it. All the things Rohit had said were all over her mind."Tumne mere liye nahi, apne ego ke liye kiya hai!"  The way he had looked at her—as though she had betrayed him—was a memory that refused to fade. Why..why did she have to interfere? She buried her face in her hands.

"Galti thi woh bohot badi." His voice echoed again. She shut her eyes tightly.

She should have let him make his own choice. Lekin phir who phas gaya hota toh.... Maybe she had overstepped. She had wanted to protect him, to shield him from harm, but instead, she had become the villain in his eyes.

"Maine galti kar di," she muttered, tears slipping down her cheeks. His words played on a loop, ripping through her defenses. She had only ever wanted ensure he didn't make a mistake he might regret. Every time she thought about his words her chest tightened, and a lump formed in her throat.

"Main tumhare liye hi toh kar rahi thi," she whispered into the silence.  She curled into herself, hugging her knees to her chest. Lekin galti toh hui hai...meri wajah se nuksaan ho gaya uska...nahi main yeh nahi hone dungi.

Vritika fumbled with her phone and pressed the call button.

"Hello?" Ankit's voice came through.

"Ankit... main Vritika bol rahi hoon," she began.

"Oh, Vritika , Rohit abhi available nahi hai—"

"Main Rohit ke baare mein nahi, Dream11 deal ke baare mein baat kar rahi hoon," she cut him off. "Kya koi tareeka hai isse reverse karne ka? Please, mujhe bataiye."

There was a pause on the other end. "Vritika, wo deal toh reject ho chuki hai. Ab kuch karna mushkil hai. Isko reverse karna almost impossible hai."

His words hit her like a blow, and her phone almost slipped from her hand. "Impossible? Kuch toh ho sakta hai, Ankit!" she pleaded, her voice cracking. "Please, kuch toh..."

"I'm sorry," Ankit said "It's out of my hands now."

Before she could respond, the call ended. 

Vritika stared at the screen, her heart pounding as the words "Call Ended" flashed back at her. Her legs gave way, and she slid to the floor, her phone clattering beside her. The weight of helplessness pressed down on her chest.

But she wasn't ready to give up yet. Wiping her tears with the back of her hand, she grabbed the phone again and dialed another number—Aanya, the ICT manager, her last hope.

The phone rang, and with every passing second, her anxiety mounted. 

"Pick up, Aanya, please," she whispered under her breath. Finally, the call connected.

"Vritika?" Aanya's familiar voice came through, slightly surprised. "Is everything okay?"

"Aanya!" Vritika gasped. "I need your help. It's about the Dream11 deal. It got rejected, but I need to know if there's any way to stop it or undo it. Please, bolo na ki kuch ho sakta hai."

"Ek baar deal reject hui toh use wapas pana mushkil hai. Brands ki compensation fee bharni padti hai, uske baad hi who offer consider karte hai."

"Kitni...kitni fees hai uski..."

"Vritika, compensation fees depend karti hai brand ki terms pe. Dream11 ke case mein, woh amount kaafi heavy hoga, considering the scale of the deal."

"Kya...kya tum exact amount pata kar sakti ho? please batao."

"Vritika..."

"Aanya, Rohit mujhse nafrat karta hai... aur mujhe lagta hai, maine uska bharosa tod diya. Main kuch bhi karungi yeh fix karne ke liye."

"Dekho is brand ki compensation fees hai 80 lakhs."

"Eighty lakhs..." Vritika whispered. It was 16 lakhs more than she had in her account.

"Vritika?"

"Okay okay....I will pay it."

"Fine....I will get the contract going then. When will you pay it?"

"Today itself."

"Eighty lakhs is not a small amount. Agar tumhe thoda time chahiye—"

"No, Aanya," Vritika interrupted firmly. "I don't have time. Main aaj hi payment kar dungi. Please, just make sure the contract gets reinstated."

"Alright," Aanya said. "Main team ko inform kar deti hoon. Tumhe payment proof bhejna hoga so they can process it immediately."

"I will reach the office in an hour an pay it upfront."

"Okay." She hung up.

Vritika swallowed. There was only one person who could help her now,Taking a deep breath, she dialed his number.

"Arre, Vri! Kya haal hai? Aaj itni subah subah call? Kuch kaam hoga, right?" He chuckled lightly, clearly in a teasing mood.

She forced a small laugh. "Haan, Veer. Kaam hi hai... ek... bada kaam."

His tone shifted immediately, sensing the seriousness in her voice. "Sab thik hai na, Vri? Tum theek ho?"

"Main thik hoon," she said quickly, though her voice wavered slightly. "Bas... mujhe tumhari help chahiye."

"Of course, bolo. Kya karna hai?"

Vritika hesitated. "Virat... mujhe paise chahiye."

There was a pause on the other end before he spoke. "Paise? Kitne, Vri?"

"Sixteen lakhs," she said in a rush. "I know it's a huge amount, and I hate asking, but—"

"Of course, main bhejta hoon," Virat interrupted without hesitation.

"Thanks Veer. Main...main wapas de dungi tumhe—"

"Vri," he said softly, cutting her off, "yeh baatein mat karo. Tumhari problem meri problem hai, samjhi? Main abhi transfer karta hoon. Tumhare paas account details hai na?"

"Haan," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "Hain mere paas."

"Bas toh main abhi bhejta hoon," he said lightly. 

She almost let out a sob.

"Kya hua Vri, kuch problem hai..?"

"Haan thodi ho gai thi...but abhi sab theek ho jayega. Main bataungi tumhe baad main."

"Okay, bye mujhe gym jaana hai."

"Veer, tum best ho," she murmured, a faint smile breaking through.

"Obviously," he teased "Ab jaldi se kaam sambhalo. Main abhi transfer kar raha hoon."

As the call ended, Vritika held her phone close to her chest, her heart feeling a little lighter. 

Then hurried into the sleek, glass-walled office of the brand, clutching the documents and proof of the compensation fee transfer in her trembling hands. 

She was going to give all her savings to this disgusting brand....her bank account was now almost empty. But she will fo it for Ro....

"Good afternoon, ma'am. How can I help you?" the receptionist asked with a polite smile.

"I'm here to submit the compensation fee for the Dream11 contract reinstatement," Vritika said, 

The receptionist nodded and gestured to a waiting area. "Please wait a moment, ma'am. Someone will assist you shortly."

Minutes felt like hours until a representative arrived, verified the details, and confirmed the process was complete. "Thank you, Ms. Vritika. The deal will now proceed as planned. You'll receive official confirmation soon."

Relieved Vritika nodded and left the office. Her fingers fumbled as she tried dialing Rohit's number. The phone rang and rang, but he didn't pick up.

"Come on, Rohit, please..." she murmured, pacing outside the building. Desperate, she tried video calling him. 

This time, someone picked up—but it wasn't Rohit.

"Aanya?" Vritika asked in confusion, seeing the manager's face on the screen. "Why do you have Rohit's phone?"

Aanya smirked. "Rohit is busy talking to my parents."

"Why?"

"Woh hamari shaadi fix kar rahe hai..."

The words hit Vritika like a punch to the gut. Her grip on her phone tightened as her mind raced, trying to make sense of what she'd just heard.

"No...that's not possible," Vritika stammered. "Rohit wouldn't—he can't—"

"Ab main kya karu...Rohit aur uski family aaye the muje dekhne kal. Aur aaj sab final kar rahe hai."

"Nahi..you are lying."

"Oh? You don't believe me? Look." She showed Vritika the view of Rohit and his parents taking to some couple.

"Aanya," Vritika's voice cracked, her throat dry. "Please... let me talk to Rohit. This...this must be a misunderstanding."

Aanya brought the phone back to her face, her expression cold now. "Why should I? Rohit is finally understanding that we are great together. He knows now what a selfish bitch you are.It's time you move on."

Vritika shook her head. "I said let me talk to him! He deserves to hear the truth from me—directly."

Aanya sighed dramatically. "Suit yourself." She waved toward Rohit, calling out casually, "Rohit, tumhara phone hai."

For a brief moment, hope flickered in Vritika's chest. But Rohit didn't even glance at the phone. He waved Aanya off with a dismissive gesture, his attention fixed on the conversation with the couple.

Aanya shrugged, turning back to the camera. "See? He doesn't want to talk to you. Now Fuck off."

********

Vritika was numb. Her mind unable to process what she had just seen and heard.  Rohit had gone to see a girl for marriage behind her back....and now he was going to marry her....

What was she then?

A timepass?

"Tum mere life ka hissa ho, Vritika."  He had said it with such conviction, such warmth, that she had believed him completely. She had let herself imagine a future with him, trusted him with her heart.

And now...

Her chest felt heavy as the realization washed over her. Had she meant so little to him? Was everything they had—? Every conversation, every laugh, every moment of closeness was a lie.

The thought tore through her like a blade, and she pressed her hand to her mouth, stifling the sobs that threatened to escape. She had believed him when he told her she was special to him. She had believed him when he had said she mattered. When he said he trusted her completely.

Her fingers trembled as they hovered over her phone screen, desperate to call him again, to demand answers, to ask him why. Why did he do it to her...what had she done to deserve this?  God she was so naive.....

It felt like someone had stabbed her heart, leaving it raw and bleeding.

The ache was unbearable, spreading through her chest like fire, consuming every coherent thought. She wrapped her arms around herself, as though it would somehow piece together the shards of her shattered heart, but it didn't help. The pain was too much.

She pressed her forehead against her knees. She had always been a little dismissive when her friends cried over their breakups, silently thinking they were exaggerating or overreacting. She had been so ignorant. She had offered the usual words of comfort—time heals all wounds, you deserve better, it's their loss. But now, as the agony clawed at her insides, she realized how little she had truly understood.

But now? Now she got it.

And God, it hurts.

And it hurts like hell.

Her eyes darted around the room, and everywhere she looked, she saw traces of him. The couch where they'd spent hours talking about nothing and everything. The bookshelf that still held his favorite novels. The framed photograph on the wall—a moment they had once laughed at but now felt like a cruel reminder of what she had lost.

This house was his. His presence was imprinted in every corner, every creak of the floorboards, every echo of her own heartbeat in the stifling silence.

It was becoming unbearable. Suffocating.

She couldn't stay here anymore. No, she wouldn't. She had to leave. But where?

The hostel? It was a fleeting thought, but reality hit her just as quickly. She had emptied her savings to pay the compensation fee.

Damn. Not only was she heartbroken, but now she was also broke.

A hollow laugh escaped her lips, bitter and tinged with despair. Could it get any worse? She had given everything, only to be left with nothing.

They say blood is thicker than water...perhaps it was true. Her hands trembled as she picked up her phone. Her vision blurred with tears, but she somehow managed to scroll to his name—Her Veer. The one person who had always been her anchor, no matter what storm she faced.

"Hello? Vri? Itni raat ko phone kyun kiya?" His voice was groggy as if he had woken up from sleep.

"Veer..."

"Vri? Tum thik ho?" he asked, immediately sensing something was wrong from her uneven breathing. "Kuch hua hai kya?"

The sound of his concern undid her completely and the dam broke. A choked sob escaped her lips, and she covered her mouth with her hand, trying to stifle it.

 "Vritika?!" Virat's voice sharpened with worry. "Kya hua? Bol na!"

 "Rohit...he..." She trailed off, unable to say it out loud, the pain too fresh, too sharp. 

" Tu ro kyun rahi hai? Sab thik hai an?" 

"Nahi... kuch bhi thik nahi hai. Mujhe... please, tu yahan aa sakta hai? Main... I can't...Veer, please... just come. I need you right now.  Mujhe mat puch kyun. Bas aa jaa. Please Veer...."

"I'm booking the next flight to Mumbai. Don't move, don't do anything stupid. Main bas aa raha hoon."

"Please, jaldi," she whispered, clutching the phone like it was her lifeline.

"I am coming, Vri. Just hold on."

******

A/N

Virat to the rescue..... 🙌🙌

Don't forget to comment and vote if you want Rohika to make up quickly. ❤️❤️