The room was cloaked in a somber twilight, the fading sun casting elongated shadows that danced upon the walls. The air was thick with unspoken words, the silence broken only by the soft, stifled sobs of a woman standing near the window.

Aarini's shoulders trembled as she clutched the edge of her dupatta, her knuckles white from the strain. Tears streamed down her cheeks, each drop a testament to the turmoil within.

Across from her stood Reyansh, his posture rigid, eyes devoid of warmth. The fading light etched sharp lines across his face, highlighting the resolute set of his jaw.

"What are you saying? " Aarini's voice cracked, disbelief evident in her gaze. 

"How can you say something like that, Reyansh? "

He stepped forward, his voice calm yet unyielding. 

"Do you remember your promise, Aarini? You told me that if I helped you once, you'd agree to one of my conditions in return. I asked you that day—are you sure? And you said, 'Promise.' "

Aarini's breath hitched, her knees weakening beneath the weight of his words.

"Reyansh... that promise wasn’t meant for this,"
she whispered, pain thick in her throat. 

"You can't twist it like this. It's not fair. "

A bitter smile played on Reyansh’s lips.

  "Fair? Life has never been fair, Aarini. But this is your decision now. If your sister’s happiness means anything to you, you'll keep your word. If not, that's your choice. But understand this—her marriage to Vihaan depends on one thing: you marrying me. "

The silence that followed was suffocating.

Aarini took a step back, her heart pounding in her chest.

"This isn’t right. I’ll talk to Vihaan. I’ll tell him everything—that you're manipulating this situation. He loves Divya. He will marry her, no matter what you say. The wedding is just around the corner, Reyansh. You can’t stop it now. "

Reyansh chuckled, the sound devoid of humor.

"You forget, Aarini. If I can make a wedding happen, I can very well stop it too. And don’t forget your own words. You told me—if I made their wedding possible, you’d agree to my condition. You gave me your word, and now you're breaking it. If your promise means so little, why should I respect their love story? "

Tears streamed silently down her cheeks. Her chest heaved with every breath as she stared at the man she once thought she understood.

"How can you use my sister’s happiness like this? How can you trade her joy for revenge against me? We've always fought, Reyansh. We've always clashed. But I never thought you'd stoop this low. "

Reyansh's gaze didn’t flinch.

"Time is running out. I need your answer."

He pulled out his phone, as if ready to make a call—an action so casual, yet it sent a tremor down Aarini’s spine.

"Why are you doing this?! " she screamed suddenly, voice thick with desperation. She dropped to her knees, her sobs echoing in the silent room. Her words came out like a broken plea.

"You don’t even love me. Then why do you want to marry me, Reyansh? Why take such a cruel price from me for a promise I made in desperation? "

He didn’t move.

His expression was calm.

Cold.

Calculated.

Aarini’s mind spiraled. Every memory, every bitter argument, every forced interaction between them over the time flashed before her eyes. Their history was drenched in accidentally collision, in accusations and tension—but never in love. Never in this twisted power play.

“You’re punishing me… for everything, aren’t you?” she whispered, broken.

“You know how much Divya and Vihaan love each other. You know their story. And still… you’re doing this. At the last moment. You want to see me beg. You want to watch me break.”

Reyansh looked at her, a flicker of something passing through his eyes. But it vanished as quickly as it came. 

"Your answer, Aarini. Yes or no. "

She swallowed, throat dry. Her voice was barely audible now.

  "Why, Reyansh? Why me? "

"We didn't have such a big fight Reyansh, we accidental collided, after that whenever we met we used to fight a little, but that doesn't mean that you will do this."

Reyansh said,

"That accidental collision makes you, Accidentally Mine."

Aarini looked at him in disbelief,

"why are you doing this?"

He turned away, walking toward the door. His hand gripped the handle.

“If it’s a no, then consider their wedding canceled.”

The moment was slipping. Everything crumbled around her like ash in the wind.

"Wait! " Her voice, though hoarse, was piercing. “I’ll do it. I’ll marry you.”

He paused.

A small smile curled on his lips—smug, victorious. He didn’t turn around.

“Then be ready… soon-to-be Mrs. Reyansh Oberoi.”

Without another glance, he opened the door and walked out, leaving Aarini shattered on the floor, her tears soaking into the silence he left behind.

She stared at the closed door, her body trembling, her mind numb. All she could hear was the echo of her own heartbeat and the crushing weight of a promise that turned into a curse.