Five years later
Author's pov-
Time had moved forward, but somethings never truly faded. People changed, paths shifted, and life carried on, but the past had a way of leaving it's mark- whether they admitted or not.
Divya sharma had spent the last five years building a life away from everything she once knew.
After that day, she moved to Mumbai, where she pursued her bachelor's and master's degree in finance while interning at top firms. She had kept herself busy, focusing solely on her career, refusing to let emotions dictate her path again.
She was different now-stronger, more independent, and no longer the naive girl who once craved love in all the wrong places.
But despite all her success, something still felt... unfinished.
So when an offer to work in Delhi came, she accepted.
She told herself it was just a career move. Nothing more.
Purv Rathore, on the other hand, had become exactly what the world expected him to be. Cold. Untouchable. A man who commanded every room he stepped into. At the age of 25, he was already at the top, running Rathore enterprises with an iron grip.
He had no time for distractions.
No patience for emotions.
And certainly, no interest in the past.
Atleast, that's what he told himself.
Kaashi and Aditya had stayed close, both following the same path as Divya. Finance had brought them together, and despite their job opportunities, their bond remained intact.
Kaashi, though still the same at heart, had matured. She worked at a top investment firm, her usual playful nature now mixed with sharp intelligence. Aditya, ever ambitious, had risen quickly in the cooperate world, proving his worth time and time again.
Even after years apart, they still checked in on Divya-still made sure she wasn't drowning in work and solitude.
Rudra grew into a composed and sharp minded individual.
He took on major responsibilities in his family buisness.
His once carefree attitude matured into a quiet confidence that made people naturally look up to him.
Rudra's loyalty stayed unshaken, especially toward purv-he remained the only one who truly understood him, standing by his side through every storm.
Vaani had disappeared after everything. She had left Delhi and gone abroad, cutting ties completely. No one really knew what had become of her, and maybe that was for the best.
Charvi, however, had carved her own place in the world. No longer just the girl who lingered around purv, she had built something for herself-her own luxury fashion brand, standing on her own name rather than her father's influence.
She had stopped chasing after purv.
But that didn't mean she had stopped watching.
Rehan had simply... vanished.
No one knew where he was, and no one really cared.
Maybe that was the real punishment-to be erased from the lives of those he once tried to manipulate.
---------------------------------------------------
Life had a cruel sense of humor.
Divya had been back in Delhi for only a few days when it happened.
A high profile buisness event, filled with CEOs, investors, and financial elites. Kaashi had dragged her along, insisting it was "good networking."
She didn't expect to see him there.
But fate had other plans.
She felt it before she saw him-a shift in the air, a presence too familiar to ignore.
And then, as she turned, her breath caught in her throat.
Purv Rathore.
Dressed in an all-black suit, standing effortlessly among buisness elites, his expression unreadable, his aura commanding.
He looked... different.
Sharper. Colder.
Like time had stripped away the last remnants of the boy she once knew.
Divya told herself to look away. To turn, to walk past, to pretend he was just another businessman in the crowd.
But then-
His gaze met hers.
For a moment, the world around them blurred.
And just like that, five years collapsed into a single second.
But then, just as quickly as their eyes met, purv looked past her. Not through her. Not at her. But past her.
Like she didn't exist.
Like she was nothing more than a forgotten face in a crowded room.
Divya clenched her jaw, forcing herself to exhale slowly. Fine. If that's how he wanted to play it.
She turned, walking away without another glance.
But what she didn't see-what no one saw-was how purv's fingers tightened around his glass, his jaw clenching ever so slightly.
Because if there was one thing Purv Rathore was good at other than buisness, it was pretending.
And that night, he pretended he didn't feel a damn thing.
And so, after five years the game began again.