The rain lingered over Chandrapur, draping the haveli in a misty veil for days. The steady rhythm of falling water seemed to echo the unease between Rohan, Ishita, and Aditya. Conversations were brief, filled with unfinished sentences and glances that spoke more than words ever could.

Ishita felt the weight of it all pressing down on her. The work, once a source of pride, now felt like a battlefield. Every decision seemed to carry more than structural consequences—it carried the fragile balance of their relationships. And beneath her frustration with Rohan and her growing confusion about Aditya, there was a question she couldn’t silence: What does my heart want?

One evening, as dusk settled over the haveli, Ishita stood beneath the arches of the courtyard, watching the rain fall in soft silver streaks. Her sketchbook hung loosely in her hands, though she hadn’t drawn a single line.

"I thought I’d find you here."

She turned at the sound of Rohan’s voice. He stood in the shadow of the old pillars, sleeves rolled up, dark hair slightly damp from the rain. His usual guarded expression was absent—he just looked…tired.

"Couldn’t sleep?" she asked quietly.

He shook his head, stepping closer. "Too much on my mind."

Ishita offered a faint smile. "You? The always-in-control Rohan Kapoor?"

A flicker of a smile touched his lips. "Even I have limits."

For a moment, the storm outside seemed to fade as they stood there—two people caught between arguments and something far more fragile.

"I didn’t mean to undermine you," she said after a pause. "I know you’re doing what’s best for the haveli."

Rohan exhaled, his voice softer. "And I didn’t mean to dismiss what this place means to you. Sometimes…I forget that preservation isn’t just about the building. It’s about the people too."

The warmth in his words made her heart ache. She had spent so much time fighting him—how had she missed the truth hidden beneath his frustration? He cared. More than he let on.

"You’re not as heartless as I thought," she murmured.

"I’d like to think not." His gaze softened as it lingered on her face. "You make me want to be better, Ishita."

The confession hung between them, heavier than the rain. And as the silence stretched, Rohan took a step closer, his hand brushing against hers.

Ishita’s breath caught. She should have pulled away—but instead, she stayed.

"You’re—" Her voice faltered. "You’re important to me, Rohan."

He lifted a hand, gently brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. The touch was feather-light, but it sent a tremor through her heart.

Before she could speak again, his fingers curled beneath her chin, tilting her face toward his. "Tell me I’m not imagining this," he whispered.

Ishita’s heart pounded in her chest. For all their arguments and stubbornness, there was something undeniable pulling her toward him—a warmth she hadn’t expected to find.

"You’re not imagining it," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

Rohan closed the space between them, his lips brushing against hers with a gentleness that unraveled every carefully guarded part of her. The kiss was soft at first—uncertain—but as her hands found their way to his chest, the hesitance melted away.

In that moment, the tension that had hung between them for weeks gave way to something deeper. Something real.

When they finally broke apart, Rohan rested his forehead against hers, his breath warm against her skin. "I’ve wanted to do that since the day we argued about the main staircase," he murmured.

Ishita laughed softly, her heart still racing. "I hated you that day."

"I know." His smile was warm. "But you still couldn’t stop talking to me."

She shook her head, but the warmth in her chest wouldn’t fade. "Maybe I’m a glutton for punishment."

"Or maybe," he said softly, "you just feel what I feel."

For the first time in weeks, everything felt…simple.

But nothing ever stayed simple for long.

---

Aditya saw the kiss.

He hadn’t meant to. After hours spent wandering through the haveli’s upper levels, trying to clear his head, he had come back to find them standing in the rain-soaked courtyard—locked in a moment that shattered everything.

His breath caught in his throat as his heart clenched tight.

He had always known Rohan and Ishita shared something—an undeniable pull that neither of them could hide. But seeing it unfold before his eyes cut deeper than he thought possible.

He should have walked away. But instead, he stood frozen, watching as the woman he loved slipped further from his reach.

When he finally turned and left, the ache in his chest was heavier than any burden he had ever carried.

---

The next morning, Ishita woke with a strange mix of warmth and guilt twisting inside her. The memory of Rohan’s kiss lingered on her lips—but so did the thought of Aditya.

Her friendship with him had always been easy—until it wasn’t. Lately, she had sensed something shifting between them, but she had ignored it. And now…

Now, everything was different.

She found Aditya in the main hall, reviewing photographs from the restoration. His usual playful demeanor was missing, replaced by a quiet stillness that unsettled her.

"Hey," she said softly, sitting beside him. "You okay?"

He didn’t look at her. "Just busy."

His distance hurt more than she wanted to admit. "Aditya, if this is about—"

"You don’t have to explain," he interrupted, his voice low. "I get it. Rohan’s the better choice."

The words struck her heart like a blow. "It’s not about choosing—"

"But it is." He finally met her gaze, and the pain in his eyes was impossible to ignore. "I was too late, wasn’t I?"

Ishita swallowed hard. "Aditya…I never wanted to hurt you."

A bitter smile touched his lips. "Funny. You and Rohan both say that, but here we are."

Tears burned behind her eyes as she reached for his hand, but he pulled away.

"You know the worst part?" His voice cracked. "I thought—just for a moment—that maybe I could be the one you chose."

Ishita’s heart shattered. She wanted to fix this—to fix him—but she didn’t know how.

And as Aditya stood and walked away, she realized that no matter how much she cared for both of them, someone was always going to be left behind.

---

That night, as the rain fell again, three hearts lay broken in different ways.

Rohan, wondering if his best friend would ever forgive him.

Aditya, wondering if he had lost both his friend and the woman he loved.

And Ishita, caught in the middle—torn between a past she couldn’t rewrite and a future she wasn’t sure how to face.

And none of them realized that the biggest storm was still yet to come.

---