"A collision of rough souls"

CHAPTER 15

*HRIHAAN'S PENTHOUSE AT LATE NIGHT*

(Hrihaan sits alone in his dimly lit living room, a bottle of whiskey and an empty glass on the coffee table in front of him. The room is filled with the tension of his thoughts. He pours himself another drink, his mind consumed with the revelations about hiya as he believes that hiya is also involved with her father)

Hrihaan (to himself) : So all this time... she was just playing me.

(He downs the drink in one gulp, the alcohol burning his throat but doing little to dull the anger and betrayal he feels)

Hrihaan : Her tears, her fears... all just an act. How could I be so stupid?

(His mind replays the moments they shared—the conversations, the night spent comforting her. What had once seemed genuine now feels like a cruel manipulation)

Hrihaan (raising his voice, to no one) : She used me! Made me care for her, made me believe she needed me. And all this time, she was plotting against me.

(The thought intensifies his fury. He slams the glass down on the table, shattering it, and the sound echoes through the empty room)

Hrihaan : I hate her! I hate everything about her!

(The silence that follows his outburst is suffocating. He stands up abruptly, pacing the room as if trying to escape the torment of his thoughts. His mind is a chaotic whirlpool of anger, betrayal, and hurt)

Hrihaan (to himself) : Why didn't she tell me? Why keep it a secret? Because it was all a game. That's why.

(He stops in front of the window, looking out at the city lights but seeing only the fragments of his shattered trust)

Hrihaan : I can't believe I fell for it. Never again. Never will I let anyone get that close.

Hrihaan : She played me... and now she will pay.

(The hrihaan who had once cared for hiya is now buried beneath a tidal wave of rage and betrayal)

Hrihaan : No more games, hiya. No more lies.

*NEXT MORNING*

(Hrihaan sits at his desk, his eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep and too much alcohol. The night had been long and filled with dark thoughts.. He stares at the stack of documents on his desk, representing the problems he needs to resolve in New York before he can execute his plan)

Hrihaan (to himself) :As soon as I wrap things up here, I'm going back to India.

(He grabs his phone and calls aarush, who is at the penthouse)

Aarush (yawning) : hrihaan ? It's early, man. What's up?

Hrihaan :  I want these issues in New York resolved as quickly as possible. I'm going back to India soon.

Aarush (sensing the urgency) :Alright, alright. We'll get on it. But why the rush?

(Hrihaan hesitates for a moment, then decides to share a part of his plan)

Hrihaan : hiya played me, aarush. And now, I need to set things right.

Aarush (surprised) : Whoa,You're sure about this?

Hrihaan : yes , We're moving fast. Get everyone on board.

Aarush (more awake now): Okay, got it... But hrihaan... be careful. Don't do something that you'll regret later.

Hrihaan : I know what I'm doing. Just make sure we're ready to move.

(Hrihaan ends the call and leans back in his chair, staring at the ceiling. His mind races with plans and strategies. Revenge feels like the only way to reclaim his pride and protect his business)