Chapter 5: Collisions & Confrontation

The night air was crisp, but it did little to sober Aria as she stood outside Kapoor & khana Law Firm, the neon sign above flickering against the dark sky. The quiet hum of the city barely registered in her ears.

Her gaze locked onto the entrance.

"I'm coming, Shaan Kapoor."

The words left her lips, slightly slurred, but filled with determination. Without hesitation, she marched forward—or at least, she tried. Her steps weren't the most stable, but that wasn't her problem right now.

She knocked.

Once.

Twice.

And then, she just kept knocking.

The sound echoed in the hallway beyond, impatient and relentless.

Footsteps.

The door swung open.

Shaan.

He stood there, tall, composed, and completely unbothered, his sharp gaze flickering between her flushed face and her swaying stance. Before he could utter a word—

She tripped.

His hands shot out instinctively, catching her just before she could crash.

For a second, her weight settled against him, the warmth of his body grounding her. The scent of his cologne—a mix of something fresh yet sharp—filled the space between them.

And then—

He let go.

At the speed of light.

Aria hit the floor with an unceremonious thud.

A moment of silence.

Then—

"This bitch," she muttered, blinking up at the ceiling.

Shaan exhaled through his nose, rubbing his temple before turning around. Without a word, he grabbed a bottle of water from the table and handed it to her, his expression blank, as if she were just another random person in need of hydration.

Aria took it, slowly pulling herself onto a chair. As she gulped the water, the cool sensation hit her, but the real impact came a second later—her ears started burning red with embarrassment.

Shaan, standing near the table, coughed as he reached for some files, his eyes scanning the papers as if nothing had happened.

"So why did you call me here?" Aria asked, her voice hoarse but steadier now.

Shaan barely glanced at her as he replied, "There's a case against your professor and the hospital."

Aria stilled.

"A middle-aged man named Mr. Kishor died right after surgery. His family claims it was medical malpractice and staff irresponsibility."

A sharp sound rang in her ears—the faint but distinct beep of the monitors in the surgery room. The scene from that night flashed in her mind.

The operating table. The tension. The moment she had pointed out something was off.

And the way her professor had ignored her.

Her fingers clenched around the bottle.

But then, she shook her head.

"So what?" she said, her tone devoid of emotion.

Shaan finally looked up, eyebrows slightly furrowed.

"For now, you don't have to give a statement," he said, studying her reaction. "But if you're willing to share any details, it would be helpful."

Aria remained silent for a moment.

Her grip tightened, knuckles turning white.

And then—

"No."

Shaan blinked.

"What?"

"I won't," she said simply, her voice firmer than before. "If it's not necessary, I don't want to be involved."

For the first time in the entire conversation, Shaan genuinely looked surprised.

The Aria he knew—or at least, thought he knew—wouldn't have given that answer.

There was a slight pause. Then, clearing his throat, he said, "Oh. Yeah. That's fine... I mean, of course, it's fine. Thanks for coming here."

Aria nodded, standing up. Without another word, she walked toward the door, her movements steady now, her mind still caught in her own thoughts.

Shaan followed shortly after, both stepping out into the night air.

She turned slightly. "You're also going home?"

"Yeah."

They walked in silence. The kind that felt strange. Like something was supposed to be said, but neither of them knew what.

Nishant's Office – The Storm Arrives

Inside the same building, in a private office, Nishant sat back in his chair, eyes glued to his phone as he casually played Candy Crush. His desk was an organized mess—files scattered, coffee half-finished, stress levels barely contained.

Then, the door burst open.

Anshika.

She stormed in, heels clicking against the floor, anger practically radiating off her.

Nishant barely glanced up, lazily swiping on his screen.

"Took you long enough to show up."

"Why did you give that case to Shaan?!" she snapped.

Nishant finally looked at her.

A smirk tugged at his lips, but it wasn't amused—it was bored. "And this affects you... how?"

Anshika crossed her arms. "It's not about me, Nishant. You know Shaan doesn't need another distraction right now."

Nishant leaned back in his chair, tilting his head. "Distraction? You mean work? His actual profession?"

Her eyes flickered, but she didn't falter. "This case will put pressure on him. He doesn't need that."

Nishant stood up.

Anshika instinctively took a step back.

Her back hit the door.

He wasn't even standing too close, yet his presence alone felt suffocating.

Shoving his hands into his pockets, Nishant's expression hardened. "First of all, it's my and Shaan's business. Don't think the world revolves around you."

Anshika's jaw clenched, but before she could respond, he continued.

*"Second—" he exhaled sharply, "Shaan and you? You aren't in a relationship."

Her nostrils flared. "We are."

Nishant let out a low chuckle.

"You both are in a 'taking a break' period." His voice dripped with sarcasm.

Anshika opened her mouth, but Nishant cut her off before she could argue.

"But you know what's funny?" he mused, tilting his head. "Even though Shaan still treats you respectfully when you invade his privacy..."

His smirk disappeared.

"Don't think I'll do the same."

The room fell into silence.

Anshika's fingers curled into fists, but she said nothing.

Without another glance, Nishant walked past her, leaving her standing there.

Alone.

The night air hung heavy with an awkward silence as Aria walked ahead, and Shaan followed behind. Their footsteps echoed softly against the empty street, neither of them saying a word.

Aria exhaled deeply, gathering every ounce of courage she had left. Screw it.

She stopped suddenly and spun around.

Shaan, mid-step, paused, eyebrows slightly raised at the abrupt movement.

Aria took a small step forward and extended her hand.

"Hello," she said, her voice steady but light. "I am your classmate from middle school—Aria Shrivastava."

For a moment, Shaan just stared at her.

And then—he chuckled.

It wasn't forced or dry—it was genuine. The corner of his lips curled into a small, amused smile, breaking through the usual calm indifference he carried.

His hand met hers in a firm shake. The warmth of her palm was a strange contrast to the years of distance between them.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Shaan."

It felt odd saying that out loud—introducing himself like they were strangers when once upon a time, he knew what her favorite subject was, what her handwriting looked like, and even the way she nervously tucked her hair behind her ear before answering a question in class.

But now? Now, they were two adults who had no idea who the other had become.

Aria grinned, shaking her head slightly. "Should we grab a drink? I'm completely sober because of you."

Shaan's eyebrows quirked up slightly before he smirked.

"Shall we?"

The Restaurant – A Drink & A Past Left Unsaid

The restaurant was quiet at this hour, dimly lit with soft music playing in the background. A faint scent of coffee and burnt caramel lingered in the air, mixing with the warmth of the wooden interiors.

Two glasses clinked together.

"Cheers," Aria said, raising her drink.

Shaan mirrored her, taking a small sip before setting his glass down.

Aria leaned back slightly, her fingers tracing the rim of her drink. "You know, a person can be so egoistic that when he sees his old classmate at his anniversary party, he just pretends she doesn't exist."

Shaan scoffed, already knowing she was talking about him.

"You know," he replied smoothly, his tone casual but laced with meaning, "a person can also be so egoistic in childhood that she didn't even reply to a single letter or email when she abruptly left school."

Silence.

Aria blinked.

She tilted her head slightly, trying to process his words. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Shaan leaned forward slightly, his fingers tapping against the table. "I mean exactly what I said."

Aria let out a short laugh, shaking her head. "That's ridiculous. No one from school ever reached out to me after I left."

Shaan's smirk faded. His fingers stopped tapping.

What?

The word sat heavy in his mind. He had believed—no, he had known—that Anshika stayed in touch with Aria and gave his letters to her.

She was the one who always said, "Aria's fine, she just doesn't want to talk."

But if what Aria was saying was true…

Did she ever even get his message

Aria noticed the slight shift in his expression—the way his gaze darkened just a little, something unreadable passing through his eyes.

For the first time in their conversation, he didn't have an immediate reply.

Sneha – A Message That Changed Everything

Meanwhile, Sneha sat in the backseat of a cab, head leaned against the window. The neon lights of the city blurred together outside, flickering in and out of focus as the alcohol buzzed lightly in her system.

She was drunk but not wasted. Just enough to feel like floating but not enough to lose control.

Her phone vibrated.

She barely looked at the screen before unlocking it.

Step-Mom: Your uncle's funeral is tomorrow. Attend it if you have any shame left.

Sneha eyes widened at the message,

Her entire body tensed.

The alcohol haze vanished instantly.

"Driver," she called out, her voice suddenly firm. "Turn around. Take me back."