Arjun read the message three times before responding.
I'm one of the lenders. And she put your name down as secondary contact.
His fingers hovered over the screen.
Then he typed.
Arjun:
Explain.
The reply came almost immediately.
Unknown:
She listed you as financial backup. If she defaulted, we approach you.
Arjun's jaw tightened slightly.
Arjun:
I never agreed to anything.
Pause.
Then:
Unknown:
We know that now.
Arjun leaned back slowly.
Arjun:
What do you want?
There was a longer pause this time.
Then:
Unknown:
To meet.
Arjun didn't hesitate.
Arjun:
Where?
The address arrived within seconds.
A small warehouse area near the highway.
Public enough to not be isolated.
But private enough to avoid attention.
Arjun didn't like it.
But he didn't refuse.
Arjun:
Tomorrow. 11 a.m.
Reply:
Fine.
The next morning, Arjun informed his lawyer before leaving.
"I'm meeting someone connected to her debt," he said.
"Alone?" the lawyer asked.
"Yes."
"Share location live," the lawyer said.
"I will," Arjun replied.
He also informed Sameer.
"If I don't respond in two hours, call me," Arjun said.
"Bro, are you serious?" Sameer asked.
"Yes," Arjun replied.
The warehouse area was quiet.
A few trucks parked outside.
Some small offices.
Arjun parked in open view.
He didn't go inside immediately.
His phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
Unknown:
Come in. Second office on the left.
Arjun walked in calmly.
The office was simple.
Metal table.
Plastic chairs.
One man sitting inside.
Early forties.
Clean shirt.
Calm expression.
Not what Arjun expected.
"You're Arjun," the man said.
"Yes."
"I'm Rahul," he replied.
So this was him.
Not some masked threat.
Just a lender.
Arjun sat down across from him.
"You've been messaging me," Arjun said.
"Yes," Rahul replied.
"You could've called directly," Arjun said.
"I wanted to be sure you weren't part of it," Rahul replied calmly.
Silence.
"You're not," Rahul added.
"No," Arjun replied.
Rahul nodded once.
"She borrowed from us," Rahul said.
"How much?" Arjun asked.
"From me, five," Rahul replied.
"Lakh?" Arjun asked.
"Yes."
"And from others?" Arjun asked.
Rahul leaned back.
"Total around seventeen. Maybe more with interest," he said.
Arjun nodded slowly.
"And she listed me as backup," Arjun said.
"Yes," Rahul replied.
"Did she sign my name?" Arjun asked.
"No," Rahul said. "She verbally mentioned you."
Arjun frowned slightly.
"She said you were fiancé," Rahul continued. "Stable job. Reliable."
Arjun stayed silent.
"When payments stopped, we approached her," Rahul said. "Then we approached secondary contacts."
"You came to my building," Arjun said.
"Yes," Rahul replied.
"Why message me secretly?" Arjun asked.
Rahul looked at him steadily.
"Because I recognized the pattern," he said.
Arjun didn't react.
"She did this before," Rahul added.
Arjun's eyes narrowed slightly.
"With someone else?" he asked.
"Yes."
Silence.
"Same story," Rahul continued. "Stable partner. Backup name. Emotional angle."
Arjun's jaw tightened slightly.
"She defaults. Then chaos," Rahul said.
"Why not file legal recovery?" Arjun asked.
Rahul gave a small, humorless smile.
"Because she avoided formal documentation," he replied.
Cash.
Private transfers.
Unregistered agreements.
Messy.
"You want me to pay?" Arjun asked directly.
Rahul shook his head.
"No," he said.
Arjun watched him carefully.
"Then what?" he asked.
Rahul leaned forward slightly.
"I want clarity," he said.
"Clarity?" Arjun asked.
"Yes. Are you involved financially?" Rahul asked.
"No," Arjun replied.
Rahul studied him for several seconds.
"You seem calm," Rahul said.
"I document things," Arjun replied.
Rahul nodded.
"We are not criminals," Rahul said. "But we expect repayment."
"From her," Arjun replied.
"Yes."
"Not from me," Arjun said.
"Not from you," Rahul confirmed.
Silence.
"But understand something," Rahul added.
Arjun waited.
"If she collapses financially, she may drag your name again," Rahul said.
Arjun's eyes sharpened slightly.
"She already has," he replied.
Rahul nodded.
"We don't want police," Rahul said.
"I didn't call police about you," Arjun replied.
"I know," Rahul said.
That meant he had checked.
"She said you might settle," Rahul continued.
"Settle what?" Arjun asked.
"Her debt," Rahul replied calmly.
Arjun almost laughed.
"No," he said.
Rahul watched him carefully.
"Good," he replied.
Silence.
"Because if you paid once," Rahul added, "she'd repeat it."
Arjun didn't respond.
Rahul leaned back.
"One more thing," he said.
Arjun waited.
"She has one lender who isn't patient."
Arjun's fingers tightened slightly.
"Meaning?" he asked.
"He doesn't negotiate," Rahul replied.
"Name?" Arjun asked.
Rahul shook his head.
"Not mine to share," he said.
Silence filled the room.
"Is he dangerous?" Arjun asked.
Rahul didn't answer directly.
"He doesn't like delays," he said.
Arjun understood.
At 1:28 p.m., Arjun left the warehouse.
His phone buzzed immediately.
Riya.
He answered.
"You met him," she said.
"Yes."
"What did he say?" she demanded.
"That you owe money," Arjun replied.
Silence.
"They won't wait," she whispered.
"That's your issue," Arjun replied.
"They'll come to you again," she said.
"I told them clearly," Arjun replied.
"They won't listen," she said.
Arjun's tone stayed steady.
"Then fix your debt."
She didn't respond.
"You could help," she said quietly.
"No," he replied.
Silence.
"They'll ruin me," she whispered.
"You already did that yourself," he replied.
She started crying softly.
"I didn't think it would spiral," she said.
"It did," he replied.
She hung up.
At 6:02 p.m., Sameer came to his place.
"You actually met a lender?" Sameer asked.
"Yes."
"Are you crazy?" Sameer asked.
"No," Arjun replied calmly.
Sameer paced slightly.
"What did he say?" he asked.
"That I'm not responsible," Arjun replied.
"For now?" Sameer pressed.
"For now," Arjun said.
Sameer stopped pacing.
"This is dangerous," he said.
"Yes," Arjun replied.
"But you're still calm," Sameer said.
Arjun looked at him.
"Because panic helps no one," he replied.
At 9:17 p.m., his phone buzzed again.
Unknown number.
He opened it.
Unknown:
He spoke to you.
Arjun typed.
Arjun:
Yes.
Pause.
Then:
Unknown:
That was the easy one.
Arjun's fingers paused.
Arjun:
Explain.
The reply came slowly.
Unknown:
The other lender doesn't message.
He visits.
Arjun stared at the screen.
Because that meant—
This wasn't over.
And the next knock on his door…
Might not be polite.