kaho Na Pyaar Hai

The last straw

Ruhaan's POV

It was late when I received the call. My phone buzzed in the dead silence of my room, the number flashing on the screen was unfamiliar. I hesitated before picking up.

"Hello?" I said, voice hoarse from the exhaustion of the last few days.

There was a pause, and then the voice on the other end chilled me to my core.

"Ruhaan, it's Mia." Her voice was icy, but there was something else—an undertone of smugness that made my stomach churn.

I sat up in bed, the weight of the conversation pressing down on me. "What do you want?"

"Oh, don't worry, I'm not calling to chit-chat. But I think you might want to hear what your precious Ariyana has been up to," she said, her words dripping with venom.

I clenched my jaw. "If you think for one second that you can hurt her—"

"Relax, Ruhaan. I'm not the villain in this story. But someone has to teach Ariyana a lesson before she gets too carried away."

My heart began to pound in my chest. "What are you talking about?"

A dry chuckle echoed through the line. "You'll see soon enough. Just don't be too surprised when you find out what your perfect little Ariyana has been hiding."

Before I could reply, she hung up. The phone dropped from my hand, my mind racing with a thousand thoughts. What the hell was Mia talking about? What did she know about Ariyana? And why did it feel like a storm was coming?

I shook my head, trying to push the unease away. I couldn't let Mia's words get to me. Not now.

I needed to talk to Ariyana. Now.

Ariyana's POV

I hadn't expected to hear from Mia again after everything that had happened. But when the phone rang, and I saw her name flashing across the screen, I froze.

I debated whether to pick it up. I had enough problems on my plate without adding Mia's toxicity to the mix. But the thought of her bothering Ruhaan made me anxious.

With a sigh, I pressed the green button.

"What is it, Mia?" I said, keeping my voice as neutral as I could.

"Well, well. Someone's in a hurry to hang up," she sneered. "I was just thinking about you. After all, it's not every day that I get to see Ruhaan's little princess act all innocent."

I clenched my fists, the frustration bubbling inside me. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, nothing much," she said nonchalantly. "Just the small matter of your little secret. Let's see how long you can keep it hidden."

I felt my heart race. "Mia, I don't know what game you're playing, but—"

Before I could finish, the line went dead.

Panic surged through me. What the hell was she talking about? What secret? I had nothing to hide, nothing that anyone needed to know.

But Mia's words stayed with me. They dug into my mind like nails, scratching at the edges of my thoughts. I had to tell Ruhaan. He deserved to know. But was I ready? Could I really explain everything?

I needed him. Now more than ever.

Ruhaan's POV

I knocked at Ariyana's door with urgency, my knuckles rapping sharply against the wood. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. When she opened it, her face was pale, her eyes wide with concern.

"Ariyana, we need to talk," I said, my voice low but urgent.

She stepped aside without a word, and I walked in, my eyes scanning her face for any signs of distress. The tension in the air was palpable.

"What happened?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

Her lips trembled, but she stayed silent for a moment, clearly grappling with what to say. "Mia called," she whispered, looking down at the floor as if the words burned her.

I felt a spike of anger shoot through me. "What did she say?"

Ariyana hesitated, looking up at me with vulnerable eyes. "She said I have a secret... one that will ruin everything."

I felt a chill crawl down my spine. "Ariyana, what is she talking about?"

Her eyes flickered with something like shame, and she looked away. "I—Ruhaan, I didn't want you to find out this way, but Mia... she's right. I've been hiding something from you."

My heart sank. "What? What is it?"

Ariyana took a deep breath, her hands trembling as she looked at me. "Ruhaan, I've been keeping something from you. Something about my past. About my family."

I moved closer to her, taking her hands in mine. "Whatever it is, we can face it together."

She bit her lip, tears welling up in her eyes. "I'm scared, Ruhaan. I don't know how you'll react."

I cupped her face, gently lifting it so she had no choice but to meet my eyes. "You don't have to be afraid. Whatever it is, it won't change how I feel about you."

She looked at me, her tears threatening to spill, before she whispered, "My father... he's not who he says he is. He's not the man I've always thought he was."

I felt the ground shift beneath me. "What do you mean?"

Ariyana stepped back, her hands running through her hair in agitation. "I found out things about him. Things that don't make sense. The lies he told... everything he's been hiding. And Mia knows. She's been using it against me."

I stepped forward, pulling her into my arms. I could feel the weight of her fear, her vulnerability, and it only made me hold her tighter. "Whatever it is, we'll face it. You don't have to face this alone, Ariyana."

For the first time in days, I felt like I was finally getting through to her. But something in her eyes told me that this was only the beginning. The storm was just starting to pick up.

Ariyana's POV

In that moment, with Ruhaan's arms around me, I felt like maybe, just maybe, I could survive whatever Mia was threatening.

But deep down, I knew that the worst was still to come.