A strange heaviness settled in his chest as Ruhi's voice echoed while he quickly hid behind the wall of the changing room, seeing the girls sitting there.

"I mean... I'm not even ready for a relationship. Let alone a set-up date for marriage!"

He stood there quietly, clenching and unclenching his fists. Why did it bother him so much?

Ruhi's eyes lingered on her phone as she realized she only had half the information. "I forgot to mention," she said suddenly, breaking the silence. "It’s not just a blind date. It's... it’s an arranged marriage proposal."

That got their full attention. Samaira choked on her champagne. "What?! Like, like proper marriage talk?"

Ruhi nodded, a strange mix of horror and dread in her eyes. "They want me to consider the guy. Apparently, he's a doctor, lives in Delhi, is family-oriented, and—ugh—Mom says he’s 'the full package.' And not to mention, his parents and my parents are good friends."

Jeevika blinked. "Wait, wait. This escalated fast. What did you say to them?"

"I told them I'd think about it," Ruhi said with a sigh. "Which obviously means no, but you know how my parents are—they’re going to push."

Nitya burst out laughing. "Imagine you married a guy named Dr. X and had to post cheesy anniversary pictures. #DoctorAndDoctorGoals."

"Don't curse me like that," Ruhi groaned, throwing a towel at her.

This made them all laugh and brought a smile to Ruhi’s face. She was hoping to end this date matter somehow.

From behind the wooden changing room wall, Reyansh stood shocked, a haunting feeling creeping into his chest.

Marriage?

Someone else was thinking of marrying Ruhi?

He clenched his jaw, unaware that his knuckles had turned white as he gripped his clothes. Something twisted inside his chest—hot, tight, and utterly unfamiliar.

The idea of Ruhi, his so-called frenemy, his bhabhi’s best friend, being someone else’s bride made his entire system rebel.

He turned abruptly, leaving the area in silence, just in his sweatpants, the girls’ chatter fading behind him.

Meanwhile

Ahaan, Vihaan, and Agastya were sitting in their private lounging room, relaxing and discussing upcoming wedding functions.

Vihaan and Agastya were with Ahaan to make sure he did not go to Amyra, disturbing her and the girls. Samaira and Nitya had specifically threatened them that if Ahaan came, it would not be good for Vihaan and Agastya.

Vihaan and Agastya, of course, knowing how mischievous the two were, didn't dare to leave Ahaan alone.

Suddenly, the door banged open, startling all of them as they saw Reyansh looking ready to burst out.

"Why does this feel like a storm just walked in?" Vihaan muttered, raising a brow as Reyansh marched in with a scowl.

Without any prior information, Reyansh slumped onto the couch and declared dramatically, "Ruhi is getting married."

All three men froze.

Ahaan laughed. "Excuse me, what?"

Vihaan leaned forward. "She's... engaged?"

"No," Reyansh grumbled. "It's a proposal. Her parents arranged a date with some fancy doctor from Delhi. Apparently, he's the 'complete package.'"

Agastya whistled. "Damn. Well, good for her."

Reyansh snapped, "What do you mean, good for her?"

The room fell silent.

Ahaan narrowed his eyes. "Wait... why are you so worked up? It's Ruhi's marriage, not yours."

"I'm not," Reyansh said too quickly. "I'm just saying—she doesn't even like blind dates. It's ridiculous."

Vihaan suddenly smirked and said with a devilish smile, "You're jealous, Rey bhai."

Reyansh looked scandalized. "I am not! Okay!! I am not jealous," he said, pacing around with quick and fast steps.

Agastya grinned. "Bro, you're pacing, ranting, and fuming over Ruhi possibly marrying a guy she hasn't even met yet. If that's not jealousy, I don't know what is."

"I'm just... looking out for her," Reyansh insisted.

"Looking out for her? And you? How long have you even known her, bro? If Samaira and Amyra said they were looking out for her, I might even understand. But you, the Reyansh Oberoi, looking out for his enemy? Oh, sorry, frenemy. Very funny indeed," Ahaan said, smugly shutting up Reyansh.

Vihaan raised a brow. "Tell me, Rey, does this protective brother act include death stares for imaginary grooms too?"

Reyansh rubbed his face in frustration. "This is ridiculous. She's Ruhi. I've known her since she moved here. We bicker, we mess around... she's just a friend."

Ahaan exchanged a glance with the others. "Okay, cool. If it doesn't matter, then let her go on the date. You don't mind, right? I mean, why does it even matter if she gets married?"

Reyansh froze.

Vihaan smirked. "Ohhh... there it is. That tiny crack in your armor."

"I don't like her that way," Reyansh muttered to them, but it sounded more like him trying to deceive himself.

Agastya chuckled and asked, "But you don't want anyone else to like her that way either?"

"...No comment," Reyansh finally said, groaning as he threw a pillow at Vihaan, who was now laughing.

Ahaan leaned back, with a knowing smile on his lips. "You're in trouble, bro."

Back in her room

Ruhi sat by the window, the night breeze feeling refreshing and cool on her face as she shivered. Her phone buzzed again—Mom, again. She turned it down.

She didn't know what to do. This was such an unexpected topic. She knew they would not force her to marry anyone, but they would force her to get married as soon as possible; it didn't matter if the man was of her choice.

But again, where could she find a man of her choice? She didn’t have crushes on even celebrities; she did have feelings sometimes, but they were never too strong to reach the marriage stage.

She looked at her reflection in the glass of the window—mehndi-stained hands, eyes glistening because of the cold breeze... and somewhere behind them, a flicker of confusion.

Her mind suddenly drifted to Reyansh, out of nowhere, making her feel more confused.

The way he made her laugh without trying, how he always had a snarky comeback ready, how his teasing wasn't just irritating—it was addicting.

Would he care?

She suddenly shook her head, throwing that idea out of her mind.

"Don't be stupid, Ruhi. God knows I need rest. My brain needs rest," she muttered to herself.

But deep down, she knew what she thought—or about whom she thought—which made her feel uneasy that she thought about him like that.

Meanwhile – In Reyansh's Room

Reyansh couldn't sleep. He tossed and turned around, stared at the ceiling, then finally gave up and walked out of the room. He went to the balcony and muttered to himself, "I don't like her. We're just... friends."

But he knew he was lying to himself; friends didn't get panic attacks at the idea of someone else marrying their friend.

Friends didn't memorize the way she laughed when she thought no one was looking.

He ran a hand through his hair, trying to calm down his nerves.

"You're in trouble, bro." Ahaan's words echoed again and again in his mind.

Maybe he was.

In big trouble.

He finally gave up and went back to his room. Maybe he would just lie down, tossing and turning, until his body gave up.

Next Morning

The Oberoi mansion was busy again. Even though there was no function or ritual to be done today, as only two days were left in the marriage, the house was thrilling with excitement for Ahaan and Amyra's wedding.

Right now, they all sat up in the hall, eating their breakfasts while discussing the marriage preparations.

Amyra sat beside Ahaan, lazily dipping her toast in her tea, while Nitya scrolled through her phone, her head resting on Agastya's shoulder—though she'd deny that detail to death if anyone pointed it out. But since it was nothing new for anyone, no one really noticed it either.

Vihaan and Samaira, as always, were seated in front of each other, eating their breakfast.

Reyansh was sitting alone on a couch, trying to eat something, looking like he hadn't slept the whole night. Despite being dressed well, his hair was a bit messy, and his eyes? Bloodshot. He bore a very unusual and daunting demeanor, which was creeping out everyone.

That is, until...

"Where is Ruhi?" Vandana asked, seeing everyone except her present in the hall.

"Is she okay? She is a morning person; from the day she has come, she has never slept late," Nalini asked, concerned.

Nitya, without even looking up from her phone, replied nonchalantly, "She left early, Ma, Badi Maa. She went to meet that doctor guy. You know, her groom."

Vandana and Nalini smiled and nodded happily—until Reyansh, who was drinking his orange juice, choked. Violently.

SPLASH.

The entire juice exploded as the glass fell, breaking into pieces just like his heart. The juice spilled on his neat and ironed outfit, on the carpet, and on the table too.

"WHAT?!" Reyansh coughed, his voice cracking.

Everyone looked at him, horrified.

Amyra gasped. "Oh my god, Rey, are you okay?!"

"No. I mean, yes. Yeah, Bhabhi, I am okay. What will happen to me? I am okay, yeah… yeah," Reyansh said, shuddering.

Vihaan, Agastya, and Ahaan, meanwhile, were fighting to hold in their laughter, seeing Reyansh. All three turned simultaneously to stare at Reyansh like wolves who had just smelled blood. They smirked.

Ahaan chuckled under his breath. "I haven't seen that man panic this badly since he lost a bet to me and had to swim in the ice-cold water last winter."

Agastya wiped his mouth with his napkin, pretending to be serious. "Imagine choking on juice because your friend went to meet her groom. Must be hard."

Reyansh, wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his kurta, glared at all three of them. "I didn't choke because of that."

"Of course," Vihaan said innocently. "You didn't..."

"I choked, not died. Shut up," Reyansh muttered to his brothers.

And then it happened.

Samaira's gaze, sharp and laser-like, landed directly on them. She had been very silent the whole time, observing everything, but the moment the juice disaster occurred and she saw Vihaan, Agastya, and Ahaan grinning at each other like mischievous schoolboys, her eyes narrowed dangerously.

She tilted her head, caught Vihaan's gaze, and raised a brow.

Ahaan, who noticed all this, muttered under his breath. "Crap."

Agastya elbowed Vihaan. "She saw you. All of us."

Vihaan gulped. "Do you think she heard what we said? Will she tell Ruhi? How badly do you think Ruhi will beat us until we reach the hospital?"

Ahaan said smoothly, "You three see yours; I am her jiju, and she won't beat me."

"In that way, she won't beat me either. I am older than her, and that girl respects me," Agastya said, giving an annoying smile.

Ahaan looked at Vihaan with a smirk and said, "You and Reyansh see yours. She doesn't mind beating Reyansh, and I am sure she won't mind beating you too, because you are the same age as her. Not to mention her classmate too."

Hearing this, they all looked at Samaira, who leaned back in her chair slowly, crossing her arms.

And then, she gave a smile to them. But it wasn't a sweet smile. It was dangerous. Mischievous. Plotting.

A smirk that screamed, "I know something you don't want me to know, and I'm going to make sure you enjoy this…"

Vihaan looked like he was going to faint. "Oh no," he whispered. "She's definitely planning something."

Agastya snorted. "You know her so well, Vihaan. It's like you have a PhD in studying her."

Ahaan added with a teasing tone, "You even picked up her smirk categories: the 'I'll kill you,' 'I'm plotting your destruction,' and 'I'm going to make you suffer for fun.' So in love, this boy."

Vihaan scowled, cheeks slightly pink as blood rushed to his cheeks. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh yeah?" Agastya grinned. "Then why are you sweating, Mr. Business-Tycoon-Who-Can-Handle-Everything-Except-Her?"

Vihaan looked away, mumbling, "Shut up."

Meanwhile, Samaira was still watching them. Still smiling. Still plotting.

After Breakfast

Amyra, Jeevika, and Nitya went outside for some work related to Amyra's hospital. They asked Samaira, but she declined, saying she had some more important work to do, making the girls confused, but they didn't insist and let her be.

Ahaan, Vihaan, Reyansh, and Agastya were once again in the lounge; anyone could tell it was their favorite spot.

Reyansh was oddly quiet for someone who always loved to cause mischief. He sat with one leg over the other, furiously scrolling through his phone screen, his jaw tight. His mind wasn't on tomorrow's rituals—it was still stuck somewhere between Ruhi and the word groom.

Vihaan, Ahaan, and Agastya caught on to this instantly.

"Rey Bhai," Vihaan said casually, "find any wedding venues you'd like to crash?"

Reyansh glared at his younger brother. "Shut up."

"Touchy," Ahaan chuckled.

Suddenly, Vihaan's gaze flickered over Reyansh's shoulder. His expression shifted from amusement to wide-eyed terror as he saw Samaira quietly standing behind Reyansh without making a sound. She gave a wink when she saw Vihaan notice her.

Vihaan muttered to himself, "Oh Rey bhai, save yourself."

She leaned down slightly like a ghost and whispered near Reyansh's head, ever so softly, "What happened, Reyansh? Missing my best friend too much?"

Reyansh flinched hard as his phone fell from his hand, and he screamed, shocking Ahaan and Agastya, who were playing video games  and not looking at Reyansh before.

Reyansh whipped his neck at the speed of light as if caught watching something illegal. "WHAT THE—Samaira!" he sputtered. "Don't sneak up on people like that!"

Samaira circled around and came and sat beside Vihaan. Agastya and Ahaan quickly closed the game and also came to sit down with the three.

Samaira took a sip from the juice glass kept on the table, clearly knowing it belonged to Vihaan, as the others were all drinking. "Aww, don't be scared. I just asked a simple question. I mean, you've been sighing more than Ahaan jiju did when Nalini aunty informed him that he can't meet Amyra after haldi till the wedding."

"I'm not sighing," he grumbled, crossing his arms.

"Right," Samaira said, nodding innocently. "Because you totally didn't spill your entire juice when you heard Ruhi's getting married."

Vihaan snorted. Ahaan and Agastya both turned away, shoulders shaking with silent laughter.

"I didn't spill it because of that!" Reyansh insisted, his voice going higher than necessary. "I choked. Big difference!"

"Sure, sure," Samaira said sweetly, setting the glass down. "But just imagine this, Reyansh."

She leaned forward, keeping the glass back on the table, and smiled mischievously. "It's her wedding day. She's walking down the aisle, looking breathtaking. Her groom—tall, charming, educated, a doctor—someone who saves lives—Reyansh, he's waiting at the mandap. She smiles at him."

Reyansh's expression turned to one of horror and dread as he looked at Samaira with wide eyes. "Why are you describing this like a horror movie?"

Samaira's grin widened. "And you? You'll be sitting in the crowd. Clapping politely. Crying a little. Eating laddoos you don't even like."

Everyone except Reyansh and Samaira burst out laughing, but Samaira wasn't done. Not yet.

She continued, "And then, on the wedding night—"

"WHOA!" Reyansh nearly jumped up. "WHAT?! Why are you telling me all this?"

"Relax," Samaira rolled her eyes. "I'm just saying, Amyra and I have already decided what to gift her. I mean, you are a doctor; it's a simple topic for you."

She paused for dramatic effect. "A beautiful, silky nightdress. Red. With lace."

Reyansh looked like he might blow fire out of his mouth. "Why—why are you telling me this?!"

"Because it's fun watching your face turn the color of a tomato," she said with a wicked smile.

Agastya couldn't hold back anymore. He leaned forward, wiping tears of laughter. "Samaira, you're amazing, bacche."

Samaira nodded proudly. "I know, bhaiya."

Vihaan grinned. "I'm enjoying this too much."

Reyansh sank into the couch, mumbling something about "needing new brothers."

But Samaira still wasn't done. "Oh! And the best part," she said, smirking and in a dreamy voice, "five years later. Ruhi has a baby. A little boy. Chubby cheeks. Total mumma's boy."

Reyansh raised an eyebrow. "What does this have to do with me?"

Samaira's eyes sparkled. "He'll call you Mama Reyansh. You'll be his funny uncle who will hold him, cradling him as he cries and wets your clothes."

The dread filled Reyansh's face as everyone watched his expression turn worse.

Samaira sat back, utterly satisfied, as if she'd just won a reality show.

"I'm just preparing you for the future," Samaira said sweetly.

"Or a nightmare," Reyansh muttered under his breath, but everyone could hear it because of the silence.

"I mean, it's fine if you're totally okay with Ruhi marrying someone else, having kids, and building a life without you," Samaira added with a shrug. "If you're cool with that, then ignore me."

Reyansh's leg bounced nervously. "It's not about being 'cool.' It's her life. Her decision."

"But you don't like it, do you?" Vihaan said gently.

Silence.

Ahaan raised an eyebrow. "Come on, man. Just say it. You're jealous."

Reyansh looked betrayed. "I am not jealous, okay?" He covered his face with a cushion. "I'm going to murder all of you," came the muffled voice.

After sitting silently for a few minutes with his face covered in a cushion, as the other four watched him, he slowly moved his head up and asked in a low voice, "By the way, where did she go on a date?"

The other four smirked hearing this, making Reyansh groan.

"I thought you said you are not jealous," Vihaan said innocently.

Reyansh rolled his eyes. "I'm just casually asking. You know, as a friend. Like a concerned friend. That's allowed, right?"

"Accept you are jealous, and I will tell you," Samaira smirked.