Chapter 14: A goodbye & Unspoken war

The Words Left Unsaid

Niki stared at Kyara. His lips parted as if he wanted to say something—so much, in fact. But the words refused to come.

A slow breath. A small pause.

"All the best for your exams," he finally said.

Kyara's fingers tightned around the strap of her bag. Something felt off. The silence between them wasn't just empty—it was too full, bursting with things neither of them dared to voice.

She gave a small nod. "Thanks." Then, after a pause, "And… thanks again."

Niki tilted his head slightly. "Again for what?"

"For everything."

An awkward silence followed.

Kyara shifted on her feet. "I gotta go inside now. Bye."

She turned, ready to leave—but before she could take a step, Niki grabbed her wrist.

The sudden pull made her gasp, but before she could react, he hugged her.

Kyara stiffened, her breath caught in her throat. Her hands hovered mid-air, unsure if she should push him away, hold onto him, or simply let the moment be.

But she didn't move.

She didn't have to. Niki pulled away just as quickly.

As Kyara slowly turned to leave, he placed a firm hand on her shoulder and gave her a light push forward.

"Go."

She did.

A Hesitant Goodbye

The airport bustled with movement—families reuniting, flights being announced, hurried footsteps filling the air.

Aria stood beside Niki, her suitcase handle gripped tightly in her hands. Her eyes darted toward him before she finally spoke, her voice uncertain.

"Bhai… are we really doing the right thing?"

Niki glanced down at her, smirking. "What do you mean 'we'? You're the one leaving."

Aria rolled her teary eyes and smacked his arm. "Yeah, yeah." But the playful tone faded as she wiped at her face.

Her shoulders trembled. The first tear slipped before she could stop it.

Niki sighed, shaking his head with a small chuckle. "Hey, hey. Stop crying. What's with this sly fox acting all sentimental?" He gently flicked her forehead. "So you don't want to go?"

"I do," she sniffled, rubbing her eyes. "I wanna go… but I don't want to disappoi—"

Before she could finish, Niki cut her off.

"You're not disappointing anyone. Okay?" His voice softened. "Do whatever you want with your life. Just don't be irresponsible. And hey, if you ever feel like coming back, just call me or Rohan. Tell your homeroom teacher. We'll figure it out."

Aria looked up at him, her lips wobbling. "And if I don't wanna come back?"

"Then live your life."

She bit her lip, nodding. Then, without warning, she lunged forward, wrapping her arms around his waist.

Niki stiffened for a second before sighing and ruffling her hair. "Now go before I get emotional and start crying too."

Aria laughed through her sniffles, rolling her suitcase toward the gate.

Niki stood there watching her disappear into the crowd.

A deep breath.

It felt… good.

To give someone else the words he once desperately needed to hear.

"You're not a disappointment."

But he shook off the thought as he turned toward the exit.

The Real Battle Begins

By the time Niki arrived home, he already knew he was about to get an earful.

Sure enough, the moment he stepped inside, his father's voice cut through the air like a blade.

"You sent your sister off without telling us?! "

Niki let out a slow breath, rolling his shoulders as he stepped further in. His mother sat stiffly on the couch, her expression unreadable, while Rohan stood awkwardly in the corner, clearly not wanting to be part of this mess.

"Didn't think you'd find out so soon," Niki muttered.

His father slammed his hand on the table. "So you knew we'd be against it, and you still did it?"

Niki's jaw ticked, but he kept his tone calm. "She wanted to go."

"And you thought it was your decision to make?" Rishant's voice rose with anger. "She is still a child! She—"

"She's sixteen," Niki cut in. "And you wouldn't have let her go."

Richa finally spoke, her voice tight. "You think that justifies hiding it from us?"

Niki scoffed, crossing his arms. "Yeah, well, last time a kid in this family wanted something different, he got dumped in a hostel."

The silence that followed was heavy.

His father's hands curled into fists. His mother's expression faltered for a second.

But before they could respond, another slam.

This time, a file landed on the table.

Niki's stomach dropped.

The cover was unmistakable. His gaming studio investment papers.

His father's gaze was cold. "Explain this."

Niki exhaled slowly, running a hand down his face. So this was why Rohan was here.

His father's voice was dangerously calm. "You've been funding a company behind our backs while working at the hospital?"

Silence.

"You planned to leave medicine for this?"

Silence.

"Niki."

Niki finally snapped.

"Yes, okay?! Yes, I invested in a gaming studio! Yes, I worked on something that actually makes me happy! Yes, I wanted to leave medicine! But clearly, I don't get a damn say in my own life!"

His mother flinched at his tone. His father's lips pressed into a thin line.

For a long moment, no one spoke.

Then, his father exhaled, rubbing his temples. "Fine."

Niki's breath hitched. "What?"

"You will work at the hospital," Rishant said. "And you can keep working on your… business. If it stabilizes, we won't stop you from leaving medicine."

Niki felt his blood turn cold.

A compromise. Not freedom.

Not what he wanted.

But he didn't argue. His hands trembled, so he shoved them into his pockets, gripping the fabric tightly.

Without another word, he turned on his heel and walked straight to his room, slamming the door shut.

The Silence That Followed

Rohan sighed, running a hand through his hair. He walked up to Niki's door and knocked lightly.

No response.

He stood there for a few seconds before exhaling and walking away.

Some battles weren't meant to be fought in a single day.

For now, he'd leave Niki alone

Meanwhile, Kyara's Call

Kyara tapped her fingers against the table, staring at her phone screen. The call rang. And rang.

No answer.

She sighed, lowering the phone, her stomach twisting. Something wasn't right.

Without thinking twice, she called Rohan.

"Hello?" His voice came through almost immediately.

"Rohan," she started, then hesitated. "Uh… how was your exam?"

Rohan chuckled lightly. "Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

"It was fine," Kyara muttered. "Just hoping the cutoff won't be too high."

"It won't," Rohan reassured her. "Don't overthink."

There was a brief silence before Kyara finally asked, "Is… Niki okay?"

Rohan exhaled slowly, his tone shifting. "Kyara… he's not really okay."

Her fingers curled into her sleeve. "What happened?"

Rohan hesitated but told her everything—Niki's outburst, the argument, the compromise he didn't want but had to accept. He didn't hide anything.

Kyara felt a weight press on her chest. "I should go see him."

"Kyara—"

"I need to," she insisted.

Rohan sighed. "I get it. But right now, the situation at his house is bad. His family is already mad, and Niki… he needs space."

Kyara's throat tightened. She hated the idea of leaving him alone, but she also knew Rohan was right.

"Just give him a little time," Rohan added gently.

She closed her eyes, exhaling through her nose. "Okay."

For now.

Meanwhile, Inside Niki's Room

The room was dark. Only the faint glow of the city lights outside flickered through the curtains.

Niki sat on the edge of his bed, head lowered, fingers pressed against his temple.

His breath was slow. Measured. Too controlled.

His hands still trembled inside his pockets.

A heavy silence surrounded him—but it wasn't empty.

It was filled with unsaid words. Buried frustration. The weight of years spent doing what he was told, only to still end up… here.

Alone.

He clenched his jaw, his nails pressing into his palms. The memory of his father's voice. The slammed file. The compromise.

The suffocating cycle.

His chest tightened, his ears burned. His control was slipping.

Then, finally—the silence broke.

His hand lashed out, grabbing the closest object—a book, a lamp, something—and flung it across the room.

The sharp crash echoed in the dark.

But it didn't make him feel any better.

The Night of Realization

Dinner sat untouched on the table.

Niki stared at it, but he didn't move. His appetite was gone. The food was the same. The setting was the same. But everything felt wrong.

He glanced at the empty space across from him—the place where Aria used to sit.

The place where, not long ago, Kyara had sat too.

His grip on the fork loosened.

Across the city, Kyara sat in her own home, her plate in front of her.

She wasn't eating either.

She poked at her food, but her mind was elsewhere. Every time she chewed, it felt mechanical—like she was just going through the motions.

Like something was missing.

Like someone was missing.

For the first time, both of them felt it.

This wasn't just habit or circumstance.

They missed each other.

The Next Morning –

A New Problem

Kyara stepped into the studio, taking a deep breath.

She had barely slept, her mind clouded with too many emotions, too many thoughts. But there was one thing she had been hoping for.

She crossed her fingers. Please, let Niki be here.

She walked in. Looked around.

He wasn't.

Her heart sank.

She sighed, pushing her hair back before stepping further inside.

That's when she spotted Rohan.

He was at his desk, flipping through documents at an almost frantic pace. His brows were furrowed, his jaw clenched, panic written all over his face.

Kyara's stomach twisted. "Rohan?"

His head snapped up, his expression tense.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Rohan ran a hand through his hair, his voice tight. "Tara."

Kyara stiffened.

"She's doing something," Rohan continued. "The investors who had already agreed to our project—they're suddenly backing out."

Kyara's fingers curled. "Why?"

Rohan hesitated before muttering, "I think she's threatening them. Using her dad's influence."

Kyara inhaled sharply.

Rohan clenched his fists. "I should've handled this better. If I had been responsible enough—"

He stopped himself, frustration leaking into his voice. "I don't want to tell Niki right now. But I have to."

Kyara cut him off.

"No."

Rohan blinked. "What?"

"Let me handle it."

"Kyara…"

She held his gaze, determined. "Just give me one day. You trust me, right?"

Rohan hesitated, his expression conflicted.

Then, finally, he exhaled.

"I do."