Next Morning – Rathore Enterprises
Sanaya's POV
I was early. Not because I had to be, but because I wanted to be. I didn't know what had changed overnight, but something inside me felt... lighter. Maybe it was the way Abhimaan had looked at me last night. Or how he hadn't shut the door.
For the first time in days, I didn't feel invisible.
I walked toward the conference room where the project files were being arranged. Some interns and employees were already there, typing away, sipping chai, discussing presentations. I exchanged a polite smile with Meera, who handed me the day's schedule.
Just then, a familiar voice echoed from behind.
"Wow. She's early now? Must be trying her luck again."
Freya.
I froze.
Her heels clacked closer as she walked in with two of her gossip-loving followers, the fake smile already glued to her face.
"I mean," Freya continued, loud enough for everyone in the room to hear, "wearing perfume this strong in the morning? Planning to throw yourself at Abhimaan sir again, sweetheart?"
A few heads turned.
Heat rushed up my neck, but I kept my eyes on the papers.
"Come on, don't act shy now," Freya smirked, stepping dangerously close. "We all saw how you were hovering around him like a lost puppy at the party. Thought maybe if you blinked twice and pouted, he'd finally look at you the way you look at him."
Her voice was sharp. Sweet only on the surface, laced with venom underneath.
"Maybe he's just being nice to you because you're—what? A charity case? Or is there some other... arrangement we don't know about?"
That did it.
Everyone went quiet.
The whisper of shame crawled up my spine. I wanted to scream. Slap her. Tell her the truth. That I wasn't what she thought, or what she was painting me to be.
But instead, I just stood there. Silent.
Because I couldn't defend what no one else knew.
Not yet.
And Freya?
She thrived in that silence.
"Poor thing," she said, mock-pouting, "must be confusing professionalism with attention. But let me give you a tip—men like Abhimaan don't fall for... girls like you. You can keep dreaming though."
She turned with a smirk and walked out, her echoing laughter stabbing me in the chest.
I stood still.
Drenched in humiliation.
But I didn't cry.
Not there. Not in front of them.
---
Meanwhile — Abhimaan's POV
I was in the middle of a heated call with the Singapore client when Ravi, one of the junior staffers, knocked.
"Sir... I—I need to tell you something, it's about—"
"Not now, Ravi," I snapped, gesturing at the Bluetooth earpiece. "I'm in the middle of a call."
He lingered for a moment, visibly nervous, then backed away. "Sorry, sir... it's urgent but... I'll come later."
I didn't hear that last part.
Didn't notice the worry on his face.
Didn't realize I was missing something important.
---
Back to Sanaya's POV
I sat alone in the canteen, fingers trembling around my tea cup. The words kept ringing in my ears.
"Charity case."
"Throwing yourself at him."
"Arrangement."
I felt small.
Smaller than I had in a long time.
But as I stared down into the rippling tea, one thought hit me like a jolt:
He would never say that.
Abhimaan would never think of me that way.
So why did I let her make me feel like it was true?
Later that Day – Rathore Enterprises
Abhiraj's POV
I don't normally notice every little conversation that happens around the office. I'm not that nosy. But when I saw Sanaya sitting alone at her desk—motionless, staring at her file like she couldn't read a single word—I knew something was wrong.
The bright spark she carried with her every day... was gone.
I walked up and leaned on her desk casually. "No sarcastic comments today? Not even a fake smile?"
She looked up slowly.
Tired eyes. Pale face. And that distant look that made my chest clench.
"What happened?" I asked, my voice low.
She shook her head. "Nothing. Just... a headache."
Liar.
But I didn't push her. Not yet.
I noticed Tanya standing nearby, biting her lip nervously, looking like she wanted to say something. I raised an eyebrow at her.
And then... I got the truth.
All of it.
Every. Single. Word. That witch Freya had thrown at her.
I wanted to break something.
No—someone.
---
Later That Night – Rathore Mansion
Sanaya's POV
I didn't eat.
Didn't speak.
I walked into our room, locked the bathroom door, turned the shower on, and sat under it—fully clothed.
Hot water poured down over me, but I felt nothing.
I wanted to scream but didn't have the energy.
I wanted to cry but was too numb.
I didn't want Abhimaan to see me like this.
Because he wasn't the one who hurt me.
---
Abhimaan's POV
I pushed the door open and stepped into the room.
It was quiet.
Too quiet.
"Sanaya?" I called.
No answer.
The bathroom door was closed, but water was running.
I knocked. "Sanaya? You inside?"
Still nothing.
A strange coldness gripped my chest.
I knocked again—harder. "Sanaya, open the door."
Panic.
"Sanaya!"
I didn't wait.
I backed up, rammed my shoulder against the door once—twice—until it burst open.
And then...
I saw her.
Sitting on the cold tiles under the shower, fully clothed, her eyes shut, her skin pale. Completely unconscious.
"Sanaya!"
I rushed to her, turned off the water, and lifted her into my arms. She was burning up. Her body was trembling, lips cold.
"Damn it... Damn it, no..."
---
15 Minutes Later – Rathore Mansion Living Room
The doctor had arrived.
Sanaya was laid on the bed, now in dry clothes. I sat beside her, holding her hand, barely breathing as the doctor checked her vitals.
"What the hell happened?" I whispered.
My mind was spinning.
"Sir..." The doctor stood up, removing his stethoscope. "She's got a dangerously high fever. Stress, mental exhaustion, and maybe exposure to hot water for too long—it's a bad combination."
"She'll be okay, right?" I asked, voice raw.
"She needs complete bed rest. At least three days. No work. No emotional triggers. She's weak. Her immune system's taken a hit."
I nodded tightly.
Just then, the door opened.
Abhiraj walked in, face dark with fury.
He didn't even greet anyone. He walked straight to me.
"I know why she did this," he said quietly.
I stood. "What?"
He turned to our parents, then to Viraj and Pihu, who had all rushed in after hearing Sanaya was unconscious.
"Today at the office," Abhiraj said through gritted teeth, "Freya humiliated her in front of everyone. Said she was throwing herself at Abhimaan. Called her a charity case. Made her feel like nothing."
Gasps echoed around the room.
Pihu's eyes welled with tears. "She said WHAT?"
"She did all that and you didn't know?" Abhiraj snapped at me.
I clenched my jaw. "Someone tried to tell me. I was on a call—I didn't hear."
"And because of that—" his voice broke slightly, "—this happened."
I turned back toward Sanaya's unconscious form.
Guilt heavier than anything I'd ever carried sank into my bones.
Viraj's usual smile was gone. "That witch Freya won't be walking into our office again."
"She works for her father's company," I muttered. "We can't fire her."
Pihu stood up. "Then make her want to leave. Because if she dares touch bhabhi again, I will ruin her."
For the first time, I saw it clearly.
Sanaya wasn't just mine anymore.
She was ours.
And the Rathores? We protect our own.
Next Morning – Rathore Mansion
Sanaya's POV
Something smelled like eucalyptus.
And warmth.
And... home?
My head pounded. My throat felt dry. I tried to move but my body ached with the heaviness of being still too long.
I blinked slowly, and light stung my eyes. Everything was a blur at first—until shapes came into focus.
People.
Familiar voices.
"She's waking up!" someone gasped softly.
A pair of hands gently cupped mine.
I turned my head.
Ruhanika Maa.
Her eyes brimmed with tears, but her lips curled in a shaky smile. "Beta... meri bacchi..."
"W-what happened?" I croaked.
Before anyone answered, a glass of warm water was held near my lips.
"Drink this," came dads voice. Calm but tight.
I sipped slowly, and as I fully opened my eyes, I realized... the entire family was there.
Abhiraj stood at the corner, arms crossed, eyes red—not from sleep, but from anger. Viraj sat on the couch looking unusually quiet. Pihu clutched a tissue, her face blotchy from crying.
And just outside the room's door... was Abhimaan.
He stood stiff, hands clenched, as if unsure whether he was allowed to come closer.
"She's okay now," the doctor announced behind them, packing his things. "But keep her away from stress for the next few days. Her fever will take time to come down."
Once the doctor left, silence filled the room.
Pihu walked to the bed first and sat beside me.
"Bhabhi..." she whispered, her voice trembling. "Why didn't you tell us? Why didn't you say anything?"
Tears pricked my eyes again.
"I didn't want to cause drama," I murmured. "It wasn't worth it."
"YOU are worth it!" Viraj snapped suddenly. "More than any Freya in the damn world."
Abhiraj stepped forward then. His voice was lower, but sharper. "What she said to you... what she made you feel... if I had known it sooner, I would've dragged her out of the building myself."
"You all knew?" I asked, looking around in disbelief.
"After you passed out, we found out everything," Pihu said. "Tanya told us. And trust me, if looks could kill, Freya wouldn't have survived today."
"She's not stepping near you again," Abhiraj added.
I looked down.
"Where's... Abhimaan?" I whispered, barely audible.
Before anyone could answer, I heard footsteps.
And then... he was beside me.
Kneeling on the floor.
His eyes held more pain than I could bear to see.
"I failed you," he said softly. "I should've protected you. I should've known something was wrong."
"You didn't know," I whispered.
"I should have," he insisted. "You came to my world, my home... and someone made you feel like you didn't belong."
He reached out, fingers brushing mine.
"But you do, Sanaya. You belong here—with me. With us."
My throat tightened.
Ruhanika Maa nodded behind him. "You're not alone, beta. You're part of this family now."
And in that moment...
Despite the fever. The ache. The tears.
I felt something I hadn't in a long time.
Safe.
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