**PRESENT DAY**
Kavi was deep in thought, lost in thought of the past sweet, painful memories that still clung to his heart.
A knock at the door pulled him back to the present. He wiped his tears quickly with the sleeve of his shirt and stood up. Time had passed without him even realizing.
He opened the door and found Riya standing there, all smiles and excitement. "The Chandras just left," she said happily. But when she saw his red, swollen eyes, her smile faded. "Kavi… were you crying?" she asked in a concern tone.
Kavi led her into the room. They sat on the bed. He forced a small smile. "I'm just really happy you're getting married," he lied.
Riya's face lit up. "I know! He's so sweet, Kavi. I think I'm already falling for him."
A sharp pain cut through Kavi's chest. He tried to keep his voice steady. "Is he really the one you want?"
Riya nodded. "Yes. I can't imagine my future without him. I'm really happy our families are coming together."
Kavi nodded slowly. "That's good," he said. Then, trying to end the conversation, he added, "When you go downstairs, tell one of the maids to bring Kiki to me."
She agreed and left. Kavi gently closed the door and then sank to the floor, pressing his cheek against the cold tiles. His heart ached. The tears came again, quietly.
In the car, Kiaan sat stiffly in the backseat beside his mother, his father beside the driver. His eyes were fixed on the window, watching buildings pass by, though he wasn't really seeing anything.
His mother was still smiling, chatting about how lovely the Oberois were. His father nodded occasionally, content with the alliance that had just been formed.
Kiaan's hands rested on his lap, one of them curled into a tight fist. He clenched his jaw.
He had played his part tonight, charming, respectful, everything his parents expected.
He had smiled through dinner, answered Riya's cheerful questions, and even joked when her dad poured him a drink. But now that they were alone in the car, the mask slipped.
He felt a lump rising in his throat and blinked fast, refusing to let the tears win.
He had no idea Riya Oberoi was the girl his mother picked. Back when she was shortlisting girls, he didn't care to check. He just told her to choose whoever she liked. He thought it wouldn't matter.
But now it did. It mattered more than anything.
He wasn't just getting pulled into some arranged match. He was being tied by family, by tradition to the sister of the boy he left.
And the worst part?, He still loved him, he has never for once stopped loving him.
Kavi stayed on the cold floor for a while, staring blankly at the ceiling. His breathing had calmed, but his heart still felt heavy. A soft knock on the door brought him back to the moment.
It was one of the maids, gently pushing the door open with Kiki in her arms. The kitten, not a kitten anymore was bigger now, her fur shining like polished silver under the light.
"Here you go, sir," the maid said quietly.
"Thanks," Kavi whispered, sitting up to take her in his arms. As soon as Kiki touched his chest, she purred and curled into him like she had missed him too, Kiki had gone to the vet for a check up earlier with the maid so Kiaan didn't get to see her, it been a while.
He held her close, burying his face in her fur. She smelled like rose soap and home.
His fingers absentmindedly touched the diamond necklace still resting on his collarbone. The same one Kiaan had gifted him, the one he never had the heart to take off.
"I don't even know how to feel anymore, Kiki," he whispered, voice barely above a breath. "How did it all turn into this?"
Kiki just blinked at him, curling deeper into his arms. And for a moment, he let himself pretend that this, just the two of them, in a quiet room, wrapped in a memory was enough.
But deep down, he knew it wasn't.
Kiaan got home, barely stepping through the door when his curious younger sister, Kiara, rushed over.
"So? How was it? Did she look pretty?" she asked, eyes wide with excitement.
Kiaan forced a smile, nodding slightly. "Yeah… it was fine," he muttered.
Kiara didn't notice the crack in his voice. She kept talking as he walked past her, heading straight to his room.
Once alone, Kiaan locked the door and slumped onto his bed. He pulled out his phone, the screen lighting up with the message that had haunted him since graduation.
It was still there.
A video of him and Kavi's intimate, moment, lost in each other in Kavi's apartment.
And beneath it, the message that had changed everything:
"Leave Kavi Oberoi alone if you don't want this to get leaked."
Kiaan stared at the screen, his chest tightening. The same message that had made him walk away. That made him break Kavi's heart.
His fingers trembled as he dropped the phone to his chest, his eyes stinging.
And for the first time in months, Kiaan Chandra cried silently, bitterly, for the love he lost… and the choice he never wanted to make.