[Ishita Sharma's Perspective - ]**

*Shiv Mandir - Delhi, India | 7:12 AM*

The bells chimed gently. The scent of incense and marigold filled the cold winter air. **I pulled my shawl tighter around me and took a deep breath.**

It had been four years since the first time I stepped foot on these very stairs. Since that strange moment where the universe had made me trip-only for *him* to catch me.

And here I was again.

A top makeup artist, a model, a fighter, a survivor-but today... just a girl seeking peace from her God.

**I climbed the stairs slowly**, whispered my *prarthana* (prayer), placed white lotus flowers on the *shivling*, and closed my eyes.

**Ishita:** ***"Mahadev, bas itna hi... jo bhi aaye... mujhe tootne na dena."*** (Mahadev, just this... whatever happens... don't let me break.)

As I turned to go, I felt a strange pull in the air-like something had changed around me. The energy was electric, heavy, familiar.

**And then I saw him.**

At the bottom of the stairs.

Same place. Same man. But not the same.

**His body looked stronger now**-broad, firm, masculine. A full beard trimmed just enough to make his face look sharper. And those eyes-**those damn ocean-blue eyes**-still hauntingly beautiful. **Still *dangerous***.

My breath hitched for a second. **Memories hit me like glass:** Our first meeting on these stairs. Him stealing glances. Whispering *"jaan"* for the first time. His hand in mine in *gurudwara*. His lips on my forehead. The betrayal. The *night of the storm*, his words *"You're not my type."* And *me crying in the rain like a fool.*

**I clenched my jaw.**

**Ishita** (Inner Monologue): *No. Not again. I will not break here.*

I refused to give him the satisfaction. The power. The *access*.

So, **I straightened my dupatta, tightened my grip on my phone, lifted my chin-And walked right past him.**

Like a stranger.

**Didn't flinch. Didn't look. Didn't let even a tremble show on my lips.**

Even though my heart was pounding so hard... it hurt. *Thump. Thump. Thump.* It screamed his name with every beat, but I forced my feet to keep moving.

**Ishita** (Inner Monologue): ***"Don't turn around. Don't let him see the pain. He gave up on you. So now... you give up on the memory."***

I stepped out of the gate, leaving the scent of incense and the ghost of the past behind.

[Rudra Singh Rathore's Perspective]**

*Shiv Mandir - Delhi, India | 7:12 AM*

I had been waiting. Three years of exile ended for this one moment.

**She looked like a vision.** Draped in a simple white suit, minimal makeup, *jhumkas* gently swinging, hair braided like she always wore in mornings.

She was climbing down the stairs. The *same stairs.*

*The same place where I caught her for the first time.*

Four years ago, I had saved her from falling. Today... **I was the one falling.**

My heart dropped the moment I saw her.

**Rudra** (Inner Monologue): ***"Ishita..." My jaana.***

I had imagined this moment for three years. A thousand times. In a million different ways.

But I was never prepared for this.

**She walked past me.**

**Didn't blink.**

**Didn't say my name.**

**Didn't even glance at me like I ever mattered.**

Like I was nothing. I was air.

For someone who had once cried *into my chest* like the world was ending-**She passed me like I was air.**

My throat burned. My fists clenched. The cold metal of the ring box in my pocket dug into my hand.

**Rudra** (Inner Monologue): *I wanted to scream her name. To grab her hand. To fall on my knees and confess everything.*

But I just stood there.

Frozen.

**Rudra** (Inner Monologue): ***"I deserve this. Every damn second. But still... Jaana... please, just look at me once. Just once."***

I watched the girl I broke... now walk like *I never existed*.

She walks out the temple gates, blending into the morning rush.

I stay at the bottom of the stairs... Where their story once started.

Alone. Again. My war is over, but my penance has just begun.

*Outside Ishita Sharma's Makeup Studio, Delhi - Early Evening*

For a man like me-who used to get everything he wanted with a snap of fingers-**Standing outside someone's studio like a lovesick fool for days in a row... wasn't just humbling. It was *penance.***

The golden letters of **"Blush & Brush"** glowed above the black glass entrance. Her name, **Ishita Sharma Makeup Studio**, was the beacon I navigated by.

For hours, I stood there. Sometimes leaning on my car. Sometimes with a coffee I never drank. Sometimes with flowers I didn't have the courage to give. **But always with hope.**

I didn't text. Didn't call. Didn't send anything through anyone.

Because I knew-If I wanted to earn her back, **I had to do it right.** Face-to-face. Heart-to-heart. No manipulation. No shortcuts.

Every time the glass door swung open, my heart stopped. And when it wasn't her, it sank.

But the day she *finally* stepped out... I forgot how to breathe.

She wore a pastel blue *kurta*, minimal makeup, messy bun-probably from a long day of work. She looked tired... but ethereal.

**I took a step forward.**

**Rudra:** **"Ishita..."**

She paused.

Eyes met mine. Cold. Unflinching. But my heart still fluttered like the first time I saw her.

**Rudra:** **"Just two minutes... please."**

Her jaw tightened. She didn't even blink.

**Ishita:** **"Why are you here?"** she asked sharply. **"What do you want now, Rudra?"**

My voice cracked.

**Rudra:** **"To talk. Not to justify. Not to beg. Just... to tell you *why.* The real reason."**

She crossed her arms, creating a physical barrier.

**Ishita:** **"I don't care. The reason doesn't change the action."**

**Rudra:** **"I know you hate me. You should. But just once-let me tell you what happened. Why I had to say those things. Why I left-"**

**Ishita:** **"No,"** she snapped, cutting me off, her voice laced with poison. **"You made your choice, remember? I was cheap, loud, and not your type. *Ishita Sharma* wasn't made for *Rudra Singh Rathore*."**

The way she repeated my words... **Like knives carving into my soul.**

But I didn't step closer. Didn't touch her. Didn't raise my voice. I let her hate me. Because I had *earned* it.

**Rudra:** **"There was a man-a blackmailer-he sent me a video with a gun pointed at you during your shoot. If I didn't break up publicly, he would have hurt you. I was scared. I was a desperate coward-"**

**Ishita:** **"Stop."** She looked away, blinking fast, fighting the tears I knew were there. **"Rudra, if you truly loved me... you would've fought *with* me. Not *against* me. Not leave me in the middle of a road like trash. You treated me like a disposable item, not a partner."**

Her voice cracked now. **I saw that flicker of pain she tried to hide.** It killed me.

**Rudra:** **"I know,"** I whispered. **"And I hate myself for that moment every day. I was wrong to leave you alone in the storm. It was the biggest mistake of my life. But I swear to you-I loved you then. I love you now. And I'll keep loving you, even if you never look at me again."**

She stared at me. Something in her eyes flickered-the memory of *Ru*-but she shut it down instantly, the defenses snapping back into place.

**Ishita:** **"Good. Love me from far. That's what cowards do. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a home to go to."**

She walked past me. Head high. Tears threatening, but not falling. She got into a waiting cab and sped away.

[Ishita Sharma's Perspective - ]

I saw him for three days straight outside my studio.

At first, I thought it was a coincidence. Then I saw the same car. Then the same man... leaning... *waiting.*

And then I knew. **He was here.** *Rudra.*

I promised myself I wouldn't flinch if he showed up. Promised that I wouldn't care. That I'd walk past him like he meant nothing.

But the first time I saw him again so close-**My heart... betrayed me.** It hammered against my ribs, a loud, panicked drumbeat.

I wanted to scream. To cry. To hit him.

But I didn't.

I stood. I listened. And then **I reminded myself of *who I became without him.***

The girl who rose. Who didn't wear backless dresses and still walked international ramps. The girl who held it together even after heartbreak. The girl who fought panic attacks silently.

So when he said he loved me... and told me about the blackmail-

**Ishita** (Inner Monologue): *A man with his power runs from a threat? No. He chose to save his reputation over my heart. He chose the lie over me.*

I told him good. Let him love from far.

**Because I was no longer the girl he abandoned in the rain.**

I was Ishita Sharma.

And if he truly wanted me back... **He'd have to earn every ounce of the trust he shattered.**

I didn't let him see the fear that clawed at my throat. I walked straight to the cab.

**Ishita** (Inner Monologue): *Don't look back. Don't fall for the blue eyes. He broke you once. Never again.*

Time skip

One day

*My Home | Living Room | Evening*

I was hunched over my laptop, the screen glowing, trying to finalize the details for a massive brand collaboration. My brain felt fried, but work was the only thing that kept the ghosts of the past three years at bay.

Suddenly, the door to the living room opened, and my **Mummy , Gayatri**, walked in, balancing a tray with my favorite horliks milk

**Gayatri :** **"Ishu, **beta** (child), your eyes must be burning. Close that thing for five minutes and drink this."** She set the tray down on the coffee table.

**Ishita:** **"Thanks, Mummy. Just one more email. This client is being impossible."** I try to smile, but my focus is shattered by the familiar, slightly nervous energy radiating off her.

Mummy didn't leave. She sat down, her hands folded neatly in her lap. **I knew that look.** The serious, hopeful look.

**Gayatri :** **"Ishu, I had a call this morning. From Mrs. Kapoor-you remember her, from the *Mandir*?"**

**Ishita:** **"Maa, please, not today. If this is about that new designer's ego, I can't handle it."**

**Gayatri :** **"No, **beta**. This is about *you*."** She leans forward, her voice softening, but firm. **"A *rista* (proposal) came for you. A very nice family. Very respectable. And the boy is also amazing-he runs his own tech company in Pune. He's settled, kind-hearted, and he knows about your work. He respects it."**

My stomach sank. Marriage. The word felt like a physical weight, heavy with broken promises.

**Ishita:** **"Mummy, I've told you-I'm not interested. My career is finally exactly where I want it. I don't have time for this."** **At first, I denied** immediately, trying to shut down the conversation.

**Gayatri :** **"You say that every time, **Ishu**. But you're twenty-four. You need someone. You're always working, always alone. You deserve happiness, **beta**."** She gently takes my hand. **"You need a fresh start, not just work."**

**Gayatri :** **"Please, **puttar**. **Just meet once.** No pressure! Just talk to him on the phone. **Maybe you will like him.** If you don't, I promise, I will tell Mrs. Kapoor politely."**

I look at her face, seeing the genuine worry and hope there. I know she just wants to see me happy, settled, and finally moving past the shadow of my broken relationship.

**Ishita** (Inner Monologue): *Rudra is back. He's standing outside my studio like a statue. He's throwing his guilt at me. I need a wall. I need a clear sign that I am truly done with him and that past.*

**So, just to get rid of it** all-the guilt, the waiting, the silent daily battle with Rudra's presence-** It was the only way to prove to myself that I had truly moved on.

**Ishita:** (I sigh, pulling my hand away and picking up my milk.) **"Fine, Mummy. Give me his number. I'll talk to him once. But only talk! No immediate meetings, no family lunch, nothing."**

**Gayatri :** (Her face lights up instantly.) **"Oh, thank you, **beta**! That's all I ask! Just a conversation. I will give you the number right now."**

**Ishita:** **"But Mummy, be very clear with them. I am saying yes to talking, **but not marriage yet**. I have to think about it. I need time. I am not ready for forever again."**

**Gayatri :** **"Understood, understood! I will tell them everything! You just drink your tea and relax!"** She practically dances out of the room, leaving me staring at the laptop screen, the reflection of my tired, guarded face looking back.

**Ishita** (Inner Monologue): *A new proposal. A new distraction. Maybe this time, the walls I build will be strong enough to keep the pain out.*

[Rudra Singh Rathor's Perspective]

*Rathor Mansion - Delhi | My Study | Late Evening*

I am seated at the massive mahogany desk in my study, surrounded by reports and screens, but my mind is a million miles away, stuck outside Ishita's studio door. **I am working, but mostly thinking about her.** The memory of her cold, unforgiving eyes is far sharper than the numbers on the screen.

**Since I came**, Bebe hasn't shared a single meal with me. She hasn't asked me about work. She hasn't given me her usual warm, exasperated scolding. **My Bebe didn't talk to me at all because she is angry with me because of what I did with Ishita.**

I hear the heavy door open, but I don't look up. I already know who it is.

**Vardaan:** **"Back to work, *Bhai* (Brother)? You just got back from three years of self-imposed exile, and this is what you do?"** Vardaan's voice is sharp, hurt, and disappointed.

**Rudra:** **"Vardaan. I'm busy. Whatever it is, discuss it with Laksh."**

**Vardaan:** **"It's about you, *Bhai*. It's about *us*. You weren't here. You missed my engagement."**

Here

**My younger brother Vardaan is angry with me because I was not in India when Vardaan is getting engaged with Reet.** The accusation stings, but I deserve it. They don't know the truth.

**Rudra:** **"I was occupied, Vardaan. I sent my blessings and a gift. It was an urgent matter."**

**Vardaan:** **"Urgent? For three years? *Bhai*, I'm marrying Reet! **Reet**! The girl you practically raised and sponsored! I expected you to be here! She was heartbroken you missed it."**

He is right. **Yes, same Reet who is Ishita's fashion designer.** She has always been like a younger sister, and now she is marrying Vardaan. **She is now a big fashion designer and Ishita is the main model always when they work together.** That connection is the only thread of hope I have left.

**Rudra** (Inner Monologue): *If only they knew I was risking my life, moving heaven and earth, finding that fucking blackmailer to ensure their Reet and her friend, Ishita, could live in peace.*

I remember the start of that connection, two years before the breakup. **I remember how I sponsored Reet to grow her career** with my company's resources. It was through those meetings, discussing fashion and models, **where I and Ishita came closer to each other through work**. Our secret dates often began at her studio, disguised as business meetings with Reet.

**Rudra:** (I rub my temple, my voice heavy with exhaustion.) **"I apologize, Vardaan. I truly do. But believe me, it was a war I couldn't share with anyone. It was necessary."**

**Vardaan:** **"War? What war? It always comes back to some dark, secret business! And now Bebe won't talk to you because don't know what you did

I clench my jaw, resisting the urge to shout the truth. It was our secret, fiercely guarded to protect her from the media circus and my toxic world.

**Rudra:** . I will fix it. But my actions were mine alone. Now, please leave me to work."**

He stares at me, disappointed, before sighing and walking out.

**Rudra** (Inner Monologue): *They think I'm heartless. They think I abandoned her for profit. Let them think that. It's safer. But I need to talk to Reet. She is Ishita's friend. She is my only bridge.*

The heavy silence left by Vardaan's anger is suffocating. I am leaning back in my chair, my thoughts spinning-Bebe's cold shoulder, Vardaan's hurt, and the crushing weight of Ishita's hatred. I need a plan, a clean entry back into her life, and I need it fast.

**As I am thinking about what to do**, my dedicated, secured phone line rings. It's Laksh. My gut immediately clenches. Laksh only calls directly when it's urgent, and when it involves *her*.

**Rudra:** (I answer instantly, my voice sharp.) **"Laksh? What is it? Is she safe?"**

**Laksh (On Comm):** **"Yes, Sir. She's safe. She's home. But... I have news regarding her personal life. Something you need to know immediately."**

My body goes rigid. Laksh's measured tone signals something big. **Actually, since that blackmailer thing happened, I didn't take risk her safety and know about her each move.** I deployed the most discreet security and surveillance measures imaginable, all designed only to protect her, never to interfere-until necessary.

**Rudra:** **"Spit it out, Laksh. What kind of news?"**

**Laksh (On Comm):** **"Sir, a *rista* (proposal) came for Ishita Ma'am today. Her mother, Gayatri Ma'am, brought it up. The boy is from a reputed Pune family, runs a tech company. Ma'am initially refused, but Gayatri Ma'am insisted she at least talk to him once."**

The air is sucked out of my lungs. .** My protective shield, meant only to ward off external threats, has just delivered the most crushing internal blow.

**Rudra:** **"She said yes? She agreed to meet him?"** My voice is dangerously quiet, the ice from the basement returning.

**Laksh (On Comm):** **"She agreed to *talk* on the phone, Sir. Not meet, and definitely not marry yet. She told her mother she needs time. But she didn't shut it down completely. It seems... she wants a fresh start, Sir."**

Fresh start. Without me.

I slam my fist silently onto the desk, the polished wood groaning under the force. Three years of brutal suffering, fighting a war in the shadows, believing I was protecting *our* future, only for her to seek a future with another man.

**Rudra:** **"Laksh, find out everything. His name, his company details, his schedule. I want a full profile on this 'Pune boy' by morning."**

**Laksh (On Comm):** **"Sir, if I may... She's trying to move on. Maybe this is-"**

**Rudra:** (I cut him off, my voice laced with steel.) **"No, Laksh. This is not moving on. This is *running*. And I am done letting her run from me. I earned the right to tell her the truth. I will not lose her to some stranger just because she believes my lie."**

**Rudra:** **"tell me each information If she is talking to him, I need to know where, when, and how to stop this. She is still my wife, Laksh. Secret or not. And no one takes what is mine."**

[Ishita Sharma's Perspective - ]**

*Outside Makeup Studio - Rainy Evening - 6:47 PM*

It had been **fifteen days** since that confrontation.

He was still outside my studio. Sometimes just sitting in his car. Sometimes pretending to read something on his phone. Sometimes just... standing. In silence. Like a statue carved from guilt.

I thought I'd get used to it.

But how do you get used to the presence of someone who once meant *everything*?

Today was just another chaotic day. Celebrity shoot, last-minute fittings, product interviews.

And yet... what kept replaying in my mind wasn't the makeup tones or contracts-**It was *my parents.***

**Maa (Echoing):** ***"Ishita, it's time. You're doing well now. You need a life partner."***

**Papa (Echoing):** ***"We've spoken to a family. They're interested. You'll meet someone next week."***

And you know what? **I said yes.**

Maybe I was tired. Maybe I was just *numb.* Or maybe, deep down, I was trying to prove that I was finally over *him.*

I didn't want to be a girl who kept waiting for someone who walked away.

So **I stepped out of the studio that evening.** Umbrella in hand. Rain lashing down in grey sheets.

**And there he was.**

Like always.

**Soaked.**

Standing there... drenched in the rain. Not a car to hide in. Not an umbrella. Nothing.

Just him. And those damn *ocean-blue* eyes, now clouded with an unbearable pain.

He stepped forward the moment he saw me. I tried to walk past like always, head high, pretending the rain wasn't washing away my resolve.

But this time...

**Rudra:** **"Ishi, please."** His voice broke, ragged and desperate. **"*Please just listen once... don't do this.***"

**I froze.** The sound of my name, the desperate plea-it shattered my composure.

[Rudra Singh Rathore's Perspective -]

Fifteen days. Fifteen days of watching her walk past me like I didn't exist. Like I was air. Like I was dead.

And I deserved every second of it.

But tonight... tonight was different. Because Laksh told me something that shattered my chest in half.

**Laksh (On Comm):** ***"She said yes. Match meetings are starting next week, Sir."***

I laughed when I heard it. Not out of amusement. **Out of pure panic.**

**Rudra** (Inner Monologue): *No. No. No.*

I didn't come back to let her go into someone else's life. I didn't fight that blackmailer. Didn't tear myself apart in guilt. Didn't stand in rain for 15 days to see her become someone *else's bride.*

So **I stood out in the rain today.** No suit. No car. No guards.

Just me. Rudra. The *real* one. The broken one. The one who ruined the best thing that ever happened to him.

And when she came out-looking graceful in that rust-orange *kurti*, files in hand, slight frown from the long day-

I couldn't keep quiet.

**Rudra:** **"Ishi..."** I stepped forward, ignoring the shivers down my spine from the cold rain. **"Please... just once. Listen to me."**

She paused. But didn't look at me.

**Rudra:** **"I'm not here to justify. I just... I want you to know the truth before you say yes to someone else. He was holding a gun to you, **Jaana**."**

She finally turned to me. Eyes hard. Rain glistening on her lashes.

**Ishita:** **"Why now, Rudra? Because someone else might take me away? You only care when you lose control."**

I choked.

**Rudra:** **"Because I've lost you once. And I won't survive it again. I broke my own life to save yours. Don't throw away your life on a lie I was forced to tell."**

She blinked. A small inhale. But she masked it with a scoff.

**Ishita:** **"You already survived, remember? You moved on. You became the top 3 richest man. Canada made you stronger. Congratulations."**

I stepped closer, letting the rain soak my face, hoping it masked the tears.

**Rudra:** **"Canada made me hollow, Ishi. I slept with your *dupatta* in my fist every night like a madman. I talked to your pictures like they could hear me. I worked out until I collapsed. And now-now when I can finally breathe again, I hear you're about to become someone *else's*. I can't breathe knowing that."**

The words hung there. Tangled in the rain. Soaked in heartbreak.

[Ishita Sharma's Perspective -]

His voice... his eyes... his trembling lips...

They all screamed one thing: **He wasn't faking.**

And yet... the wound in my heart wasn't ready to be bandaged.

**Ishita:** **"I don't know, Rudra... I don't know if I can trust you. If I *want* to trust you. I'm tired of pain. I can't go back to that fear."**

He knelt down in the rain. **Right there. In the middle of the footpath.** In front of my studio. The powerful, ruthless Rudra Singh Rathore-kneeling like a beggar.

**Rudra:** **"Then let me carry the pain now, **jaana**. All of it. Yours. Mine. Everything. I deserve it. I deserve your hatred, but don't punish yourself by marrying a stranger."**

The sound of rain filled the silence between us.

And for the first time... **A tear slipped down my cheek.** It mingled with the rain, indistinguishable, but the raw pain of it was all mine.

**Ishita:** **"Get up, Rudra. You don't belong there."**

**Rudra:** (He lifts his head, water dripping from his wet hair, his eyes shining.) **"I belong wherever you tell me to belong, **Ishi**. Just don't shut me out before I can apologize properly."**

**Ishita:** **"You think an apology fixes four years of loneliness? Four years of believing I wasn't good enough? Get up."**