Rohit watched Akansha leave through the exit, her face streaked with tears. The way her husband and stepson had treated her, gave him a grim glimpse of just how "supportive" they truly were.
He couldnât catch the full reason for the commotion from here, but one thing was clear: this was his opening.
Yet before he could take a step, Ragini wrapped her arms around him tightly, pressing herself into his chest as though the world outside no longer existed. She was utterly unfazed by her rivalâs humiliation.
Then, as casually as if she were discussing the weather, she dropped the bomb and accepted his proposal, though bound by a âone time onlyâ condition.
For Ragini, this was no small decision. She was a married woman, and taking such a step with someone other than her husband, especially someone so close to the family, was unthinkable. Yet Rohit had awakened something in her: the feeling of being truly seen, desired, alive again after years of quiet neglect. With him she felt younger, lighter, desired in a way that made her heart race. A reckless part of her wanted to shatter every boundary sheâd clung to for so long.
Still, she couldnât let this become permanent. One indulgence... surely one sin could be forgiven.
For Rohit, it was never that simple.
Ragini wasnât a fleeting fantasy. She was a key piece on a much larger boardâone that had been in motion long before feelings complicated things. And beyond the plan, Akanshaâs earlier threats lingered, along with the leverage he held: her scandalous video from earlier tonight. She might have fled the hall, but his instincts screamed she was still close.
It was a pity he couldnât fully enjoy the softness in his arms, the warmth of the woman whom he just confessed, but mission came first.
He slid a hand over Raginiâs back, patted her head which was resting against his neck."Sometimes you act like a baby," he teased softly. "Want me to carry you?"
"Shh, not now. Stay like this," she whispered, clinging tighter, her voice nagging yet full of comfort.
For a heartbeat, Rohit almost gave in. Her soft curves brushed against him, her perfume dulled the sharp edge of his thoughts, and his chest loosened in a rare, unguarded warmth. The slow slide of her thigh between his legs stirred a heated response deep in his gut.
But time pressed harder than desire.
He eased back just enough to meet her eyes. "You sure? People are starting to glance again."
Ragini stiffened as reality set in. She lowered her gaze and murmured, "Letâs leave. I want to rest."Her cheeks flushed as she turned away, flustered by the sudden return to the real world.
Rohit smirked. A harmless lie was still a good lie. People were too busy dancing to notice, and now he had the perfect chance to slip away.
"Alright," he said smoothly.
They made their way back to the table. Ten minutes had slipped by since then, and many guests were already sitting down again. Ragini slipped on her jacket, her face flushed still shy from the attention earlier.
Just then a waiter passed with a tray of ice cream. Rohit flagged him down."Two, please."
Ragini frowned. "Thatâs too much sugar..."
"Come on," he chuckled. "At least have some from mineâitâs a party."
She rolled her eyes but relented.
A beat later, Rohit checked his watch and cursed under his breath."Oh, shit. Iâm late."
Ragini looked up. "Late? For what?"
"Actually, my friends arranged a small group meeting about the school project. I picked this time myself, and Iâm already five minutes late."
Ragini took a bite of ice cream. "Okay, go ahead."
"The musicâs a little loud, so I need to go out," Rohit added, brushing it off.
Raginiâs voice softened. "Rohit, when itâs about career, Iâll never stop you. Now go."
He smiled, kissed her hand, and turned to leave.
"Donât be too late," she called after him. "Or Iâll eat this whole."
"Then Iâll just order another," he grinned, before slipping away.
Through the crowd and out the exit, Rohit found himself in the quieter corridor. No sign of Akansha.
A boy, much younger than him, in a janitorâs uniform was sweeping nearby. Rohit pulled up a photo on his phone, zooming in on Akanshaâs face."Hey, bud. Seen this woman pass by?"
The boy nodded. "Yeah, she went into the ladiesâ washroom over there."
Rohitâs expression turned serious. "Listen, I need your help. That woman is my girlfriendâs stepmom, and sheâs trying to tie herself up with someone else. I have to talk to her, stop this before it gets worse. Just five minutes. Donât tell anyone I went in."
The boy, who had looked sympathetic at first, suddenly stiffened. "What? Youâre crazy. Thatâs the ladiesâ room."
Rohit placed a hand on his shoulder, pressing. "Please. Itâs about my girlfriend. Her momâs the only one who can fix this. Just five minutes."
The boy snapped, shaking his hand off. "Stay out. Whether itâs your girlfriendâs mom or your own stepmom, I donât care. I canât allow it."
Rohit raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? Do you even have the age permit? Whereâs your card?"
The boy faltered. "What nonsense? Canât you see my uniform?"
"Then show me your card," Rohit pressed.
The boy hesitated. "I... I have itâ"
Before he could finish, Rohit pulled out his wallet and flashed a stack of cashâabout 10k in 500 rupee notes. "Maybe we can settle this. How about 2k?"
"Iâm not that kind of person," the boy stammered.
"Four," Rohit said flatly.
The boy gulped hard. Rohit peeled off half the notes and shoved them into his hand. "I donât have time. Cover me, and youâll get the rest."
The boyâs face lit up as he counted. "Five now and five later?" His voice energised. "All right, bro. Take ten minutes."
Rohit grinned and rushed in.
Meanwhile, in the washroom,
Akansha was sobbing quietly. She splashed water on her face again and again, but the tears wouldnât stop.
The reason?
She felt betrayed.
From the beginning of the party, her body was already sore . It was the aftermath of the debaucherous threesome she had been forced into with her husband and Mr. Goenka.
Goenka may have had a pitiful size, but his relentless thrusting had been brutal, and her husbandâs rough handling of her mouth left her throat and back aching. Still, she had endured it all, believing she needed to prove her worth.
But her mood soured the moment she crossed paths with Mrs. Singhania, her long-time rival in terms of both beauty and fame, and that womanâs cocky son, who brutally humiliated her.
She wanted to avoid further drama and stay out of sight, but under pressure, she was pushed into dancing with someone she despised, an old aide of Mittalâs.
That humiliation only worsened. In the middle of the dance, he groped her ass in public, and when she protested, he slapped her across the face. The crowd stirred with commotion, and the worst part was seeing her husband and son smirking, not out of genuine malice, but with the cruel satisfaction of watching her fall. It was a reminder to not forget her place.
That broke her.
It was a harsh reminder that no matter how much she sacrificed or proved herself, she was nothing more than the Mittal familyâs whoreâa pawn, used as a business tool and nothing else.
If not for her own familyâs pressing issues, she might have ended it all right there. She tried to reassure herself, at least she had wealth, at least she had fame. But her heart refused the lie. Respect was gone. Even her old life, poor but dignified, felt like paradise compared to this.
And, then a male voice cut through her misery.
"Do you think crying is enough? Will that fix your situation?"
Akansha stiffened instantly. Her blood ran cold.
She turned, and there he was. Her rivalâs son. Rohit. Leaning on the wall, with that same cocky grin.
Her lips trembled. "Wh-what are you doing here? This is the ladiesâ washroom."
Rohit shrugged casually. "I know. Thatâs exactly why I came. No one else would dare."
Her face paled. Feeling far too vulnerable being alone, she stepped back. "Stop right there! Donât come closer.. or Iâll scream."
Rohit leaned lazily against the wall, folding his arms. "Go ahead. But at least hear me out first."
Akansha exhaled shakily, leaning on the faucet for support. Gathering a shred of composure, she asked, "Fine. What do you want?"
Clicking his tongue, Rohit said, "Not much time, so Iâll keep it short. I saw what happened out there. And honestly? It was sad. A pretty face like yours, treated like trash. What if I told you I could make things better?"
Akansha eyed him from head to toe. She noticed the faint bulge in his pants and scoffed bitterly. "Another teenager with hormones. You think Iâm some naĂŻve girl you can âcomfortâ and then bed with that sorry excuse of a dick?"
Rohit raised his hands, smirking."Donât flatter yourself. You have zero value left. You think your family will protect you? They already sold you twice tonight. Now... will you listen to my proposal, or keep whining?"
Her pride flared at his bluntness, but she was too shaken to argue further. She sighed. "Fine. One minute. What are you offering?"
"First," Rohit began, "we donât have to be enemies. We only met today. Second, you know as well as I do that Mittals and Singhanias are rivals. If you play double agent for me, Iâll make sure youâre treated like a queen. Yes, youâll be under me.. but at least you wonât be humiliated like tonight."
Akansha crossed her arms, skeptical. His words werenât completely without logic, but how could she take such a proposal seriously? He was just a boy. "You think this is a joke? Weâre talking about the Mittals. Sure, you embarrassed Jayesh in chess, but Mittals are an ocean. You?.. Youâre barely a drop."
She jabbed her finger toward the door. "Now get out before I lose my patience."
Rohit chuckled softly, shaking his head. "So you doubt my capability, huh? I guess polite words arenât enough for you."
He stepped closer, pulling out his phone. On the screen, it was her worst nightmare: A snapshot from earlier that night, the threesome with her husband and Goenka. The image was crystal clear.
"I also have the full video in 4K quality," Rohit said, tilting the phone toward her. "Want me to play it, right here?"
Akansha staggered forward, shocked. "How.. how do you have this? We were on the 30th floor!" She tried to snatch the phone, but Rohit slipped back with ease.
"Relax," he said calmly. "Itâs all backed up on the cloud."
Her legs buckled. She collapsed onto the tiles, trembling as tears streamed uncontrollably. "Itâs over... itâs all over..."
Rohit crouched slightly, his voice cold but steady as he left her chin "Not everything. Right now, only I know. And Iâll keep it secret.. if you agree to my condition. I showed you to show my reach."
Sniffling, she looked up at him, broken. "W-what do you want?"
His grin sharpened as he stood up. "Be my bitch. Obey me without question. Or else..." He let the silence finish the threat.
Akansha wiped her face with shaky hands, trying to steady herself. Broken, she begged with folding hands. "Iâll do it. Just.. please.. donât leak the photos."
Rohit tilted his head, feigning disappointment. "Hmm. Not convincing enough. Feels like you lack motivation."
She gulped and, with trembling resolve, moved closer. Her hands reached for his waist, unzipping him. But when his length sprang free, even in semi hard state, her eyes widened in shock.
Rohit sneered, "Sorry excuse of a dick, huh?"
Akansha froze. She had never seen one this big. Her throat tightened, her mouth watering against her will. She leaned forward to lickâonly for Rohit to shove her back abruptly.
"Youâll have to earn it," he said coldly, as he adjusted his little general back in its place. "Itâs not for free."
She blinked in confusion. Werenât men supposed to exploit her in situations like this? Why was he holding back? Part of her was disappointed. Another part... relieved.
Rohit slipped a card from his pocket and tossed it at her feet. "Text me. Iâll give you instructions. Obey them, and your secret stays safe."
Without waiting for her reply, he turned and walked out. He had other priorities as the time was actually short.