Riya didn't go to school the next day.
Or the next.
She couldn't.
Her name was everywhere—
gold digger,
paid girlfriend,
pity case.
The whispers had turned into open gossip.
People recorded her drowning video.
Comments flew online.
She shut her phone off.
Shut the curtains.
Shut the world.
Her father sensed something was wrong but was too weak to question.
She stayed by his side, pretending she was fine.
But inside…
Everything was falling apart.
---Three days later, she forced herself out.
She had a shift at the small café.
She needed money.
She needed distraction.
The bell chimed as she entered.
The manager sighed in relief.
"Riya! Thank God. The crowd increased again. Because that handsome guy keeps coming."
Her stomach twisted.
No.
Not again.
But it was true.
Half an hour later—
Arav walked in.
Still a little weak from drowning, hair messy, wrist slightly bandaged, black hoodie, tired eyes.
He sat at his usual corner seat.
Riya pretended not to look.
But her hands shook as she took orders.
She went to hand him water.
"Why… why are you here?" she snapped in a low voice.
Arav smirked tiredly.
"I'm a customer. Can't a customer drink coffee?"
"You're increasing attention. Girls are literally staring at you. Go."
"I can't."
"Why?"
"Maybe I like this place," he said softly. "Maybe… I like someone here."
Her heart dropped.
She looked away.
"I'm not talking to you."
"And I'm not leaving."Two boys from college entered the café.
Riya froze—recognizing them as the ones who mocked her at the party.
They saw Arav.
"Oh ho, Arav bhai. Where's your paid girlfriend?"
"Bhai, café discount milta hai kya? She works here na—"
Arav stood up, jaw tightening.
"Say it again."
They laughed. "Why? Truth hurts?"
Arav punched him.
Hard.
The café erupted.
Chairs fell.
People screamed.
Riya rushed to stop them.
"Arav! Stop—stop it—"
But one boy raised his hand at her.
Arav saw it.
He snapped.
He pushed him against the wall.
"I swear if you touch her again—"
"ARAV! ENOUGH!"
Security dragged the boys out.
The manager scolded him.
Riya was shaking with anger.
"WHY DO YOU ALWAYS CREATE SCENES?!" she yelled at him outside the café.
Arav didn't reply.
He just whispered:
"Because they shouldn't talk about you like that."
Her breath hitched.
But she still told him to leave.
He obeyed.
Or… she thought he did.
Next day
This mans again there,he never leaves me .the train had left it will not affect me or i must say every singke cell of my body hates him..i have sippressed the feelings for him and if not then will do soon,but i'll move on
Until if he let me so ,i can't tolerate him
Just looking.drinking coffee .
I ignored him like he never existed
Someone yelled may be a college student "hair in my food "
"Oh ..sorry sir it may be by mistake, will get you another one" i replied
"Didn't your chef wear hairnets"-said angrily
"Sir they do but it may be of someone else or a mistake "-i try to clearify
He leans toward me and touch my hair -"It may be yours ,see your hair open "
"But sir i attend bills not the kitchen"-i take stel back
But you said it can be of anyone ,why not your
"Buttt..."my manager come and apologize and asked me to tie
"Okk sir no prob i'll"-i eesponded
But then pervert leans in front of my hair and start admanting to tie my hair ,touching my neck and back ,i was feelin very uncomfortable until then arav punched him so tightly that he wasn't in condition to order again
"Are u insane?"
He was sent to hospital
"So punching other can help me to talk to you"
"I have no time for this,i need to go to apologise for all this you done "
:You don't need to because you are going with me "-ordered
"What,?i am so sorry this is not your shop and i need to finish my shift ,coz i need money for my dad's bill,so its better you leave i already have so many problems:
Within second he buyed the coffee shop frenchise and declared holiday there and pulled me to out of the coffe shop,he held my hand so tight but i manage to disconnecr my hand for him
"Whats wrong with you what do you think about yourself ,if you are rich then it doesnt mean you can do anything.you think i am a toy .buy.use .and throw."
Tears drop from both of us eyes
"I love you"-he said quietly cinvincing me
"I would have died for this word if you said this earlier but nothing effects me now"- i said during sobbing and ran from there
He remain stay there numb,still ,quiet super upset.
I'll not look back as he is still looikng at me
At hospital-
Omg i wish it wouldn't that late to pay bill...
.
Butttt
Someone paid the bill who was arav only
Ohhhh
Howw
What on earth i should do
Walking home, she felt it again.
The same footsteps.
Same shadow.
Same slow, heavy breathing behind her.
She turned—
no one.
She started walking faster.
The footsteps matched her pace.
Her heart pounded.
She broke into a run.
She reached the narrow lane near her building—
and someone grabbed her wrist.
Riya screamed.
But it wasn't the stalker.
It was Arav.
"Riya! It's me!"
Before she could scold him—
a car rushed toward them at full speed, trying to hit her.
Arav pushed her aside.
THUD.
He took the hit.
His body slammed onto the road.
"ARAV!!!"
The car escaped.
The street was empty.
Arav lay unconscious, blood on his forehead.
Riya fell to her knees, shaking uncontrollably.
"Arav—please—open your eyes—please—"
She called an ambulance with trembling hands.
For the next two hours, she sat outside the emergency ward, drenched in sweat and fear.
When he opened his eyes, the first word he whispered was—
"Riya…"
She burst into tears silently.
Ananya pushed inside the room, eyes red.
"You don't know… how much he scolded me…" she said in a broken whisper.
"For revealing the deal. He yelled for hours. He was so angry at me."
Riya froze.
So it was Ananya.
Arav never betrayed her.
Ananya swallowed.
"But destiny… brought us here again."
She looked at Arav and then at Riya.
"You should stay with him. He… calms down when you're around."
Arav's father insisted he come home.
Riya reluctantly went along, only to help.
Arav needed medicine.
Someone needed to watch him.
And she couldn't leave him alone after the accident.
His mansion felt even bigger, colder, richer than before.
Inside his room, she placed the medicine tray on the table.
Her eyes fell on the wall.
An old photo under the bed she accidently found
Two women.
Laughing.
Holding hands.
One was Arav's mother.
The other was—
HER mother.
Riya's legs went weak.
Her mother… and his mother…
together?
Friends?
Why… how… what happened between them?