Silence filled Khushi's room as she lay curled up in Zahir's arms, savouring the warmth and closeness between them. They had finally let their walls down and the silence that hung between them now felt intimate, peaceful.

"If you say that this doesn't mean a thing..." Zahir trailed off, his voice a low, warning murmur as he brushed a hand through her hair, his eyes locked onto hers.

Khushi laughed softly, resting her head on his chest.

"You are mine, Khushi Trivedi," he whispered possessively.

"And you are mine, Zahir Singh Oberoi," She whispered back, equally possessive.

Zahir smirked, a glint of satisfaction in his eyes. He loved how she was never intimidated by him, always ready to challenge him, push back, stand toe-to-toe.

They lay there for a moment, wrapped up in each other, enjoying a rare, unguarded moment. But suddenly, the sound of the front door opening and footsteps approaching the living room startled them out of their reverie.

Khushi quickly pulled the blanket up, her eyes wide, and before either could react, Vansh's voice echoed from the hallway.

"Khushi? Are you asleep?" Vansh's footsteps paused just outside her room, and then the door cracked open. His gaze swept over the two of them in bed, the scattered clothes on the floor painting a clear picture. His eyes narrowed as he took in Zahir's bare chest and the unmistakable scene before him.

"You b*stard. Come out, right now!" Vansh barked, his voice sharp with anger. Without another word, he stormed out of the room, leaving them to scramble out of bed.

"Karma is a boomerang, isn't it?" Khushi murmured with a chuckle, her eyes gleaming with amusement as she watched Zahir's expression shift from startled to frustrated.

Zahir groaned, glaring at her. He remembered all too well catching Zada and Amar in this very apartment and the way he had gone after Amar without a second thought. And now, he was about to face Vansh's wrath, the tables turned in a way he hadn't anticipated.

After hurriedly pulling on his clothes, Zahir stepped into the living room, bracing himself.

Khushi took her sweet time. She wasn't worried. Vansh was a softie. He couldn't hurt a fly even if he tried. But then he is a brother who loves his sister too much. So, he must be worried after catching them like this. His reaction is pretty much expected.

Vansh was pacing, his hands clenched into fists, his expression livid.

"You seriously have a death wish, don't you?" Vansh seethed as soon as Zahir entered. "How could you just use her like that?"

"I am not using her, Vansh. I am serious about her." Zahir held his ground, his jaw tightening.

Vansh let out a bitter laugh.

"Serious? You? That's rich." He glared, his voice full of disbelief. "After the party last week, everyone was talking about your little threesome escapade. Heera was very vocal about it. And you expect me to believe that you are serious about my sister?"

Zahir opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, Khushi's voice cut through the tension from the doorway.

"What?" Her voice wavered with a mixture of shock and hurt. She stared at Zahir, her expression twisting as realisation dawned on her. "Is that true?"

"Khushi, listen—" Zahir looked back at her, his face going pale.

"Answer me!" She interrupted, her voice shaking with anger. "Did you actually hook up with two girls after the party last week?"

"Khushi, I... Look, it's not how you think—"

When she joined here, she had heard that Zahir has a playboy reputation. But she has never seen him with any girl. So she hadn't given much thought to it. And for the last few months, they have been making out every chance they got. And she had assumed she was the only one in his life.

"You f*cking bastard!" She screamed, her face red with rage as her heart broke into a million little pieces. "I thought I meant something to you! I thought... after all this... I assumed I was the only one." Her voice broke, her anger giving way to the pain she had been fighting to hide.

She thought she meant something to him. They had been fighting like cats and dogs always, but from the very beginning, it has only been him for her. And she had assumed it was the same for him too.

"Listen. Just listen.." Zahir pleaded.

Khushi shook her head, refusing to listen to him. Vansh was equally angry. Seeing his sister crying, his very strong and very bold sister crying, Vansh lost it. He lunged at Zahir with a force that even surprised himself.

Zahir barely had a moment to react as Vansh lunged at him, his fists swinging with raw anger. The first punch landed squarely on Zahir's jaw, forcing him to stumble back. Zahir gritted his teeth, resisting the instinct to strike back, knowing full well that Vansh's rage was fueled by heartbreak on Khushi's behalf.

"You piece of sh*t!" Vansh roared, delivering another punch that caught Zahir in the ribs, sending a sharp jolt of pain through him. "How could you? How could you do this to her?"

"Vansh, calm down. It's not what you think!" Zahir raised his hands, taking a step back to defend himself without striking back.

But Vansh wasn't listening. With a quick step forward, he aimed a hard kick to Zahir's stomach, knocking the breath out of him. Zahir staggered, his eyes never leaving Vansh's, enduring the blows as best he could.

"Stop it!" Khushi's voice rang out, raw and filled with pain, but neither man looked her way. Zahir stood firm, his fists clenched tightly at his sides, his jaw set as he took another blow.

"Is this all just a game to you?" Vansh seethed, his voice thick with disgust. "You think you can just play with her heart?"

"I will never hurt her. I swear..." Zahir's voice was hoarse as he responded, holding back the pain.

Vansh threw another punch, and Zahir barely deflected it.

"I am serious about her, Vansh. I swear to you." Zahir said.

Vansh's hand trembled as he held his fist mid-air, finally pausing, his rage clashing with the exhaustion overtaking him.

"Just leave.." Khushi yelled...

Just then, Zada and Zian also came in. They worriedly hurried towards a hurt Zahir.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Zian asked.

"This f*cking playboy chose to play with my sister.." Vansh gritted his teeth in anger.

"I am not a bloody playboy..." Zahir screamed at the end of his wits, leaving everyone in the room other than Zian, Zada and Sam shocked by his declaration.

A/N

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SF❤️