Morning light crept into the dorm slowly, thin and pale, but Haniya had been awake for a long time. Sleep had barely touched her. Her mind kept replaying everything—Reyansh's anger, Ayaan's calls, the promise she had buried for years, and Aarav's quiet strength standing beside her without asking questions.
Her phone vibrated again.
Ayaan.
She stared at the screen for a long moment. Her hands were shaking slightly, and she knew she didn't have the strength to hold the phone for long. With a tired sigh, she put it on speaker and placed it on the bed.
"Hello," she said softly.
There was a pause on the other side, then Ayaan's voice came through—controlled, but tight with emotion.
"So you finally picked up."
"I'm weak," Haniya replied honestly. "That's why it's on speaker."
Another pause. "You didn't answer yesterday. Or last night. Or this morning."
"I needed space," she said. "And you kept calling."
Ayaan let out a slow breath. "Do you know what's happening outside, Haniya? That video is everywhere."
"I know," she said quietly. "I didn't plan it. Reyansh lost control."
"You shouldn't have met him alone," Ayaan said sharply.
Haniya's voice hardened a little. "You don't get to decide that anymore."
Silence followed. Heavy. Loaded.
Then Ayaan spoke again, slower this time. "Are you with him?"
"Yes," she replied without hesitation. "I am."
Aarav, who had been standing near the door, froze. He didn't interrupt. He just listened.
Ayaan laughed softly, but there was no humor in it. "So it's true. You went back to him."
"I never really left," Haniya said. "I just pretended I did."
"You promised me," Ayaan reminded her. "You promised you'd give him to my sister."
The words hit the room like a crack of thunder.
"I lied," Haniya said, her voice shaking but firm. "I lied to myself first. Then to you."
There it was.
The truth.
Outside the room, Vivaan, Harsh, and Kashvi had stopped walking. They hadn't meant to eavesdrop—but those words made them still.
Ayaan's voice grew colder. "Do you even realize what you're saying?"
"Yes," she replied. "I do now."
"You used me," he said. "I helped you come back. I helped you join this team. I stood by you when you were broken."
"And I'll always be grateful for that," Haniya said, tears slipping down her cheeks. "But gratitude isn't love. And promises made out of fear shouldn't decide a life."
Ayaan went quiet for a long time.
Then he said, "My sister loves him."
"I know," Haniya whispered.
"And you still chose him."
"Yes."
That single word carried more weight than anything else she had said.
When Ayaan spoke again, his voice was calmer—but distant. "Then be ready for the consequences. Reyansh won't forgive easily. Neither will she."
"I'm not asking for forgiveness," Haniya said. "I'm choosing honesty."
The call ended.
No goodbye.
Just silence.
Aarav walked in slowly and sat beside her. He didn't speak at first. He simply took her hand, careful, steady.
"You told them," he said quietly.
She nodded. "Everything."
Vivaan stepped in first, eyes wide. "You… promised to give Aarav to someone?"
Harsh blinked. "Bro, what even—"
Kashvi raised a hand. "Let her explain."
Haniya took a deep breath, then spoke again—this time to all of them.
"I was scared," she said. "After Aarav left years ago, I broke. Ayaan helped me stand again. When I wanted to return to India and compete, he agreed—but only if I stayed away from Aarav. And if needed… stepped aside."
The room was dead silent.
"That's not a promise," Harsh said finally. "That's emotional blackmail."
Vivaan nodded fiercely. "And you're not an object to be exchanged."
Aarav's jaw tightened, but he kept his voice calm. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I was afraid," she admitted. "Afraid you'd hate me. Afraid I'd lose you again."
He pulled her gently into his arms. "You don't lose someone by telling the truth. You lose them by hiding it."
Her shoulders shook as she cried against his chest, but this time, there was relief mixed with the pain.
Kashvi wiped her own eyes. "Whatever happens next, we're with you."
Vivaan added, "Yeah. Even if it gets ugly."
Harsh smirked slightly. "Especially if it gets ugly."
Haniya laughed weakly through tears.
For the first time since everything began to fall apart, the truth was out. It didn't fix everything. It didn't erase consequences.
But it freed her.
And as Aarav held her close, she knew one thing with certainty—
No matter what storms came next, she would never again live someone else's life for them.