Chapter 14: when the storm break down

The Internet Erupts

Kyara's morning started like any other—coffee, rushing to class, dodging last-minute assignment submissions. But the moment she stepped onto campus, she felt it.

The stares. The hushed whispers. The deliberate nudges as people passed by her.

Her phone buzzed nonstop in her bag. She finally pulled it out and clicked on the first notification.

A student forum post.

Her breath hitched.

BREAKING NEWS: Kyara Shrivastava's Marriage is a Lie?!

Turns out our college's so-called feminist queen isn't as independent as she claims. A leaked contract shows she agreed to marry Dr. Niki Agnihotri for convenience!

Kyara scrolled down, her stomach twisting as she read the comments.

So all that 'I don't need a man' talk was just for show? LOL.

Why do rich boys always get these types of girls?

Damn, Niki actually agreed to this?

Her whole personality was fake?!

If she had a sugar daddy, she could've at least gotten better clothes.

A shaky breath escaped her lips.

Her contract marriage had been exposed.

A Storm She Couldn't Control

She clenched her phone, her mind racing. Who leaked this? How did it spread so fast?

Then, she heard it—her professors discussing her in hushed tones.

"This is an embarrassment for the institution."

"If she needed financial security, why act high and mighty?"

"We trusted her with student leadership, and now this?"

Kyara turned sharply, her nails digging into her palm. She had worked for everything she had achieved. She never used her engagement for personal gain. And yet, in their eyes, she had lost everything in one day.

She wanted to scream. To fight back. To prove she was still the same person.

But the damage was done.

Niki's Parents' Humiliation

Across town, in the Agnihotri household, the atmosphere was even colder.

Niki's father, Rishant Agnihotri, sat at the dining table, phone in hand, scrolling through articles. His grip tightened with each passing second.

His mother, Richa, sat beside him, a deep frown on her face. "This… this is everywhere."

Aria stood near the kitchen, her jaw clenched. "This is ridiculous! People are twisting everything!"

Rishant placed his phone down, his expression unreadable. "Cancel it."

Richa blinked. "What?"

"The engagement. Call it off. I won't have this family dragged into a scandal and the girl she --."

Aria's stomach dropped. "Dad, wait—"

"No," he said, his tone final. He turned to Niki, who sat at the far end of the table, silent. "I warned you. I let you make your own decisions, and this is the result?"

Niki clenched his fists. His father's voice blurred, his mother's disappointment felt like a weight on his chest.

Then, he finally snapped.

"STOP BLAMING HER OR HER FAMILY!"

The words left his mouth before he could think. His chest heaved, his face burned. His father's expression darkened, but Niki didn't stop.

"Yeah, we made the contract! It's the truth! What the hell do you expect us to do?!"

He wanted to say more, so much more—but his head spun, his ears rang, and before he could steady himself, his vision blurred.

The vase beside him crashed to the floor.

"NIKI!"

Aria and Rohan rushed to his side, grabbing his arms as he collapsed onto the couch. His breathing was shallow, his skin burning hot.

"Take him to his room," Richa said, voice unsteady. Aria and Rohan guided him, and as soon as he hit the bed, exhaustion pulled him under.

A Memory That Never Faded

Sometime later, a knock came at his door.

His parents.

Rishant entered first, his presence heavy. "Let's end this matter. The engagement is canceled. You are going for your Master's. That is final."

Niki wanted to argue. His lips parted—but then, his mind dragged him back to the past.

A two-year-old Niki, curled up in a hostel bed, sobbing into a phone.

"Mom… Dad… I wanna come home. I don't wanna live here. Please…"

He remembered waiting. Crying.

Then days later, his parents arrived. But instead of taking him home, they had rushed to the school clinic.

"He's in the clinic? Anxiety attack?"

They had hurried, worried, promising to take him back. But as they walked a few steps away from his bed, Niki could hear them.

Fighting.

"This is your fault," Richa's voice was sharp. "He never wanted to be here!"

"He has to learn to survive without us," Rishant shot back. "You think life will coddle him? He'll get over it."

"He's a child, Rishant! He begged us to take him home! And look at him now!"

Niki had clutched the blanket tightly. He had wanted to scream—to beg them to stop.

But he was too scared.

Scared to be a disappointment.

Back to the present—Niki just nodded at his father's words.

Kyara's House: A Different Kind of Battle

Meanwhile, Kyara sat in her living room, staring at her mother.

"That's what we taught you?" her mother's voice was sharp, cutting through the silence. "To play with your family's emotions?"

The slap came before Kyara could react.

Her face stung, but she didn't lower her gaze.

Raj stepped forward, his hand blocking the second slap. "That's enough."

Kyara clenched her fists. Unlike Niki, she argued.

She let out everything—her anger, her frustration, her exhaustion. She didn't stand still and take it.

Night Before the Exam

Kyara sat at her desk, textbook open, but her mind wasn't on her studies.

Niki.

How was he handling all this? Was he okay? Should she call him? Or would he rather be left alone?

She shook her head, forcing her attention back to the pages.

Not now. She had to focus.

The Exam Day

At the examination center, Kyara stood alone.

She watched as students hugged their parents, their friends—everyone had someone.

She had no one.

Cheer up, Kyara. You have yourself.

She whispered the words in her head, steeling herself.

"BOO!"

She didn't flinch, but her eyes widened as Niki and Rohan appeared behind her.

"Are you guys crazy?" she said, surprised. She hadn't expected them. Not now. Not when everything was a mess.

They grinned. "Yeah."

Rohan tossed her a water bottle, and Niki handed her a chocolate bar.

"Fighting," they said in unison.

Kyara smiled softly. "Thanks."

But then Rohan's expression shifted. He hesitated before speaking.

"I… have something to tell you."

Niki and Kyara exchanged glances, their smiles fading.

Rohan exhaled. "I ignored it at first… but I saw a red car that day. It was Tara's. She bribed the lawyer—she leaked the contract."

Silence.

Then, Kyara and Niki turned to each other. Then back to Rohan.

And without a word, they both hugged him.

Rohan froze. "W-What?!"

"Dumbo," Kyara murmured. "Why are you feeling guilty?"

Niki smirked. "Yeah, it all started with a stupid contract. It had to end sometime."

Rohan groaned. "Your love is suffocating me. I can't breathe."

They all burst into laughter.

As the laughter faded, an unspoken tension lingered between Niki and Kyara.

Rohan coughed dramatically. "I, uh… forgot to park the car." He walked away.

Kyara glanced at Niki. "I have twenty minutes till my exam…"

She trailed off.

And Niki? He just looked at her.

(To Be Continued…)

Author's note 

Some storms come without warning, leaving behind nothing but chaos. This chapter was one of those moments—where emotions ran high, choices were made, and the weight of the past refused to be ignored.

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