Sia saw Arjun's hands tied to the bed. A strange girl, whose face she couldn't see clearly, was sitting on him while he lay helpless beneath her. Arjun was shirtless. The girl was kissing him continuously, without stopping.
And Arjun wasn't stopping her.
As Sia collapsed to the floor, the girl got interrupted.
"Who the hell is here at this time?" she muttered.
She walked toward Sia, looked down at her, then turned to Arjun with a smirk.
"Look," she said mockingly, "your darling girlfriend is here. What will you tell her? Who am I?"
Arjun looked at Sia and froze. Terror flashed across his face.
He turned to the girl. "Open my hands," he said urgently.
She smiled and ignored him.
Arjun struggled, trying to free himself, but the handcuffs held tight. His voice trembled.
"This isn't a joke anymore. Open my hands!"
"I will," she said calmly. "But first, tell me—what will you tell her?"
"I'll tell her the truth," Arjun said desperately.
"I can't lie to her anymore."
The girl laughed.
"Don't you care about your image, baby boy? Don't you love Sia?"
"What about her sweet image in society?"
Arjun tried again to free himself. He failed.
"Fine," he said finally, defeated. "I'll listen to you."
She tilted her head. "So?"
"What should I tell her?"
"Tell her you cheated. Tell her I'm your girlfriend."
"No," Arjun said sharply. "I can't lie to her. I can't break her heart."
"Then society will break her bones," she replied sarcastically.
"Are you fine with that, my poor baby?"
A storm of anger and fear passed through Arjun. His jaw tightened.
Slowly, he nodded.
The girl unlocked his hands.
Arjun rushed toward Sia, lifted her, and carried her into the drawing room. He splashed water on her face.
As Sia regained consciousness—
She slapped him.
Once.
Twice.
Again.
She pushed him hard in the chest.
"Who is she?" she shouted.
"Why was she in your bedroom?"
"And what the hell were you doing with her?"
Arjun couldn't meet her eyes. Instead, he noticed her clothes. She was wearing his favourite colour. Dressed exactly the way he always liked.
It shattered him.
How can I break my Sia's heart?
But he had to.
In a calm, hollow voice, he said, "We were engaged in… a physical relationship."
"What?" Sia whispered.
"Don't you have any shame left?"
"No," Arjun said quietly.
"I cheated on you."
He still didn't look at her.
"And you're saying this so casually?" Sia screamed.
"I gave you four years of my life. Four years! How could you do this to me?"
She slapped him again.
Arjun didn't move.
Sia turned to the girl, her voice strangely calm.
"Who are you? And since when has this been going on?"
"I'm Mona," the girl said, laughing.
"It's been a while now."
"You knew Arjun had a girlfriend," Sia said in disbelief.
"And still chose to be with him?"
"Oh yeah," Mona replied casually.
"I knew he'd break up with you eventually. I mean, look at you."
She gave Sia a disgusted look.
Sia felt like ocean waves crashed inside her head. Anger. Pain. Humiliation. Her eyes burned.
She had never imagined—even in her worst dreams—that Arjun would cheat on her.
She remembered college. Everyone had warned her.
He's controlling.
He's not a good guy.
But she never listened.
Because of Arjun, she stopped talking to other boys. She cut off friends. She dressed only the way he liked. She had been the obedient girlfriend.
She remembered telling him about her uncle looking for a groom. Asking him to talk to her guardians.
He had brushed it off. Changed the topic.
Then stopped answering her calls.
She came back to the present.
Arjun was staring at her.
Without saying a word, Sia turned toward the door.
Arjun grabbed her hand tightly.
"Say something," he begged.
"I have nothing to say."
"You caught me cheating," he said desperately.
"Slap me more. Hate me. But forgive me."
"Why?" she asked coldly.
"You already have a girlfriend. She said you'll leave me for her. So leave me."
"Sia, listen—"
"No, Mr. Arjun," she interrupted.
"You listen to me. I wasted four years on you. I made you my world. I loved you."
Her voice broke.
"But you broke my trust. You burned my world. I don't want to see your face ever again."
"My uncle has found a groom for me," she continued.
"And I will marry him."
"Sia, you can't!" Arjun shouted.
"You love me!"
"You don't have any right over me," she said firmly.
He stepped closer.
"Back off from me!"
Sia walked out of his house.
The moon and stars shone above her, but her eyes burned with tears. She walked endlessly, crying silently.
She removed her jhumka and threw it away. Tied her hair. Her kajal faded under her tears.
She rang Nisha's doorbell.
Nisha opened the door. Sia collapsed into her arms.
Inside the room, Sia told her everything.
After a long silence, Nisha asked, "What will you do now? Will you really marry that guy?"
"I don't even know his name," Sia said.
"How can I marry him?"
"Then what will you do?"
"I don't know," Sia whispered.
"My only hope was Arjun. Now my world has collapsed."
"I won't be able to love that man," she added.
"So how can I marry him?"
"Whatever you decide," Nisha said gently,
"you have to decide fast. Your wedding date is near."
"I don't have the energy to think anymore."
Later, Sia returned home.
The moment she entered, she froze.
Her entire family was there—grandparents, distant cousins, her uncle and aunty.
"Where were you?" they asked.
"I was at Nisha's house."
"Why are you so late?" her grandmother scolded.
"You're a bride-to-be now. From today, you won't go anywhere. Understood?"
"Okay, Granny."
She avoided all conversation and went straight to her room.
Inside, she turned on her phone.
200+ missed calls from Arjun.
55+ unread messages.
She opened the chat.
Hey.
Sia.
Pick up the phone!
I am not cheating on you.
She scrolled without reading.
What she saw was enough.
She blocked him. Deleted his contact.
As she placed the phone aside, she noticed two missed calls from an unknown number.
She hesitated. Then called back.
"Hello," an unfamiliar male voice answered.
"Am I speaking to Sia?"
Sia froze.
What she heard next made her heart stop.