Chapter 17: Chapter 14

After the confrontation with Noorie at the cafeteria, Raghav drove to Rudra’s apartment, seeking refuge from the whirlwind of emotions.

Rudra opened the door, scratching his head, clearly having just woken up. “Woah, look at you! Were you seducing girls with that flat wet chest? Wait, why does it smell like coffee?”

“It’s coffee. Now let me in.” Pushing him aside, I stepped in.

Rudra closed the door and followed him to the couch. “Oh, now I see. Did you finally break up with Noorie?”

Sighing and dropping onto the couch, I replied, “Yes. It’s over.”

He widened his eyes in mocking surprise, then broke into a grin. “About time. You want a drink to celebrate? Or should I call a marching band?”

I gave him a tired look and a middle finger. “I just want silence, Rudra. Absolute silence.”

Rudra shrugged, throwing his hands up in surrender. “Fine. But I hope you told her off in style.”

A faint smirk played on my face. “You could say that.”

As Rudra disappeared into the kitchen to grab snacks, I leaned back on the couch, scrolling through my phone. My mind wandered to Siya’s words, the ones that gave me the courage to finally end things with Noorie.

I opened Siya’s chat, and after hesitating a little, began typing:

“Thank you for yesterday. I finally ended it with Noorie. Couldn't have done it without you.”

I hesitated, unsure if I should hit send, but my fingers moved on their own. Her reply came unexpectedly quick.

“Well, no thanks to me. It's you, after all. So, you feel good now? Ready to move ahead with new adventures?”

“Yes, I am good now and more than ready for this,” I replied. But my thumb slipped, and the message was sent—not to Siya but to Vasu bhaiya.

“Damn it!” I groaned, sitting up straight. Quickly, I typed a clarification: “Wait, bhaiya… that wasn’t meant for you. I was talking about something else.”

The message appeared to send, but moments later, a notification popped up: Message Failed. Retry?

I tossed my phone onto the table. “Why does technology hate me today?” I muttered before lying back down. Thinking the message would eventually go through, I let exhaustion take over. Within minutes, I was asleep.

Meanwhile, at Desai Residence

Vasu sat in his study, sipping tea and scrolling through his messages when Raghav’s text popped up.

“Yes, I am good now and more than ready for this.”

Vasu’s face lit up. Without hesitation, he called their father.

“Dad, good news!” Vasu said, excitement bubbling in his voice. “Raghav just messaged me. He’s ready. I think he’s finally willing to settle with Siya. Urmi and I always knew this.”

“Hmm, are you sure?” Mr. Desai asked, skeptical but intrigued.

“Absolutely. I’m forwarding you the message. You’ll see,” Vasu assured him.

“Then let’s pay a visit to the Singhanias,” Mr. Desai said, a menacing undertone in his voice.

At the Singhania Residence

In the Singhania living room, Mr. Desai sipped his tea with a calm demeanor, while Mr. Singhania sat across from him, visibly agitated.

“I don’t see why you’re pushing this,” Mr. Singhania said coldly. “My daughter has no interest in marrying your son.”

“Interest? Ah, Mr. Singhania, you speak as though this is about choice,” Mr. Desai replied smoothly, setting his cup down. “This is about preserving respect—both yours and mine. Surely, you wouldn’t want rumors to circulate about your daughter’s... situation.”

Singhania bristled. “You’re blackmailing me!”

Mr. Desai smiled faintly. “Not at all. Blackmail is such an ugly word. Let’s call it a mutually beneficial arrangement. After all, wouldn’t you rather have her tied to someone like Raghav than let the whispers ruin your family name?”

At that moment, Mr. Desai’s phone buzzed. Glancing at the screen, he frowned briefly before pocketing it.

“Is everything okay?” Mr. Singhania asked, masking his disdain.

“Just a small matter. Durjoy Singh’s antics never cease to amaze me,” Mr. Desai replied, his voice sharp. But I’ll deal with him later.

Singhania clenched his fists. “You leave me no choice. Have you ?”.

“Choice is an illusion, Mr. Singhania,” Desai said, standing up. “Raghav and Siya will marry. You’ll thank me later. By tomorrow, it will be news.”

Back there, Siya endured the brunt of her family’s frustration.

“You’ve always been a disappointment!” her mother snapped. “Now we have to clean up your mess!”

Her father’s voice was sharp and cutting. “If you had even a shred of decency, Cee, this wouldn’t be happening. Do you realize the storm you’ve brought upon us?”

Her elder brother, Samar, looked on helplessly. “Papa, please, it’s not entirely her fault—”

“Stay out of this, Samar!” their father barked.

Siya retreated to her room, her heart heavy with anger and despair. She slumped against the door, muttering to herself, “What the hell is Raghav plotting? Is this some kind of sick joke?”

Her phone buzzed with a message from Urmi:

“Finally, Siya! I always knew there was something between you two. Can’t wait for the wedding”.

Siya stared at the screen in disbelief. “First, he thanked me. Now his father is forcing my family into this circus. What next? A press conference to announce it?”

Rudra’s Apartment

Next day, Raghav woke up to the smell of coffee and the sound of Rudra humming off-key in the kitchen. Stretching, he grabbed his phone, expecting a few casual notifications.

Instead, his eyes widened in horror as he saw a flood of messages and missed calls.

- Missed Calls: Vasu Bhaiya (6)

- Text from Vasu: “Papa already talked with Siya’s father. He agreed, though reluctantly.”

- Text from Bhabhi: “You should’ve at least told me, but never mind. Come home quickly.”

“What the—?” Raghav bolted upright.

Rudra strolled in with two mugs of coffee, raising an eyebrow. “You look like you saw a ghost. Or worse, Noorie.”

Raghav held up his phone, his voice trembling. “I think I accidentally agreed to marry Siya.”

Breaking News flashed on the TV:  Raghav Desai is set to marry Siya Singhania. A love story or A Deal Seal ? To know more, be right back.

“What the actual hell?” Raghav shouted.

Rudra was dying constantly hitting the table, when he wiped his tears of laughter, “Oh man, let me get a drink. This can't be more funny”.