The rain fell hard that evening, tapping against the glass like a thousand restless thoughts.

The city below was a blur of headlights and stormwater, and inside the penthouse apartment of Veeresh Rajawat, silence reigned.

Until the doorbell rang.

He looked up from his laptop, surprised. No one visited him without warning. Not here — not in his private world. He walked to the door and opened it, only to find Poornima Rathore standing there, drenched in rain, eyes blazing with anger and pain.

Her mascara was smudged, her saree clung to her, and her hair dripped onto the marble floor. She looked nothing like the poised CEO the world admired — she looked like a storm herself.

“Cancel it,” she said, her voice sharp, breath trembling.

Veeresh blinked slowly. “Cancel what?”

“The marriage,” she spat, stepping inside without waiting for permission. “I don’t want to marry you, Veeresh. Tell your lawyers, your company, your father — whoever — I’m not doing this.”

He closed the door behind her calmly, slipping his hands into his pockets. “Not possible.”

She turned to him, incredulous. “Not possible?”

Veeresh’s voice was cool, even. “The deal between V Business and Rathore Industries is already signed. Our families have made it official. You’re the face of the merger now, Poornima. You should marry me.”

Her voice rose. “Should?” She took a furious step closer, her eyes wet — whether from the rain or tears, even she didn’t know. “Do you even hear yourself? I don’t love you, Veeresh! I love—”

She stopped, her voice breaking. “I love your brother.”

The words hung in the air, echoing through the quiet apartment.

Veeresh didn’t flinch. His face remained unreadable, his calm almost cruel.

Poornima’s hands shook as she grabbed his collar, pulling him closer. “Why, Veeresh?” she demanded, her voice cracking. “Why are you doing this? You know what I did to you. You know how horrible I was. I bullied you, I insulted you, I made your life miserable — and yet you agreed to marry me?”

Veeresh said nothing. He just looked at her — his eyes deep, steady, unyielding.

Then, faintly, he smiled.

That small, infuriating smile.

It broke something in her. “You’re stupid,” she whispered, pushing him away. “Absolutely stupid.”

She turned sharply and walked toward the door. But when she opened it, the sound of heavy rain greeted her. Sheets of water poured from the sky, drenching the city in silver.

She hesitated. The storm outside was wild — and she was still soaked from when she’d arrived.

Behind her, Veeresh’s calm voice spoke. “Stay.”

She turned slightly, eyes wide. “What?”

“Stay here tonight,” he said simply, looking out the window instead of at her. “You’re wet, angry, and half-frozen. Don’t be reckless.”

Poornima laughed bitterly. “You suddenly care?”

He didn’t answer.

For a long moment, silence filled the space between them — the only sound was the rain.

Then, out of frustration, she walked to the small bar counter, grabbed a beer bottle, and opened it.

Without hesitation, she drank.

One gulp.

Then another.

Until the bottle was empty.

Veeresh stood near the window, watching quietly. The storm outside reflected the one inside her.

For the first time, beneath her anger, he could see it — her heartbreak.

The girl who once laughed at him was now shattered.

Her shoulders trembled. “You think this marriage will make me forget Pavan?” she muttered, her voice slurred slightly from exhaustion. “You think you can… fix something that never belonged to you?”

Veeresh’s expression softened, almost imperceptibly.

He said nothing.

After a while, her steps grew slower. She placed the empty bottle down and looked at him one last time — eyes glossy, face pale.

“Congratulations, Veeresh Rajawat,” she murmured softly. “You finally get to ruin me.”

Before he could respond, she stumbled toward the guest room and pushed the door open. Within moments, the sound of her quiet sobs faded into silence.

Veeresh walked to the door, standing there for a long moment, his expression unreadable. He could hear her breathing faintly, see the outline of her curled on the couch under his blanket.

He exhaled slowly, rubbing the back of his neck, his heart strangely heavy.

He had waited years for revenge.

He had imagined her pain a thousand times.

But seeing her broken in front of him… didn’t feel like victory.

He turned off the lights in the hallway, his gaze still lingering on the closed door of the guest room.

Outside, thunder rolled through the night sky.

Inside, two hearts — bound by hatred, guilt, and fate — began a story neither of them had expected.