When everyone looked inside the car's trunk, they were overjoyed—because it was filled with beer bottles! Salena couldn't hold herself back. She grabbed a bottle, popped the cap open with her mouth, and took a sip.
After taking a sip, Salena grinned. "Looks like Karishma knows exactly what everyone likes!" Hearing this, Karishma simply smiled. Just then, Hazel turned to Kevin and teased, "But what about our dear Kevin? Should I order some milk for him instead?"
Everyone burst into laughter. Karishma smirked and said, "No need for that! Tonight, I want to see for myself why Kevin doesn't drink beer." She glanced at Kevin with a mischievous smile, and Kevin could only give a helpless grin in return.
Salena then spoke up. "Are we just going to have a beer party here on the road? Or is there another plan?"
"What are you even saying?" Hazel exclaimed. "Tonight, we're going on a full California tour! And we're going to enjoy every moment—Yahoooo!!"
Her excitement was contagious, and soon, everyone was hyped. They all jumped into the car, and Hazel stepped on the gas. She turned on some party songs, and the whole group started dancing and singing inside the car as they cruised through California.
At one point, Karishma looked at Kevin, smiled, and handed him a beer bottle. Kevin hesitated, unsure. The moment everyone noticed this, they fell silent and started making teasing noises— "Oooooh!!" "Aaaahh!!"
Seeing their reaction, both Karishma and Kevin blushed. But when Karishma realized that Kevin was still reluctant, she withdrew the bottle, took a sip herself, and then extended it toward him again.
The bottle still had her lipstick mark on it. Seeing this, the group went wild with teasing whistles and gestures. Kevin, flustered, glanced into Karishma's eyes. There was an unspoken expectation in them—she wanted him to drink.
Taking a deep breath, Kevin took the bottle from her hand and downed the entire beer in one go. The group cheered in celebration, thrilled to see Kevin and Karishma together. Hazel turned up the music again, and the party continued in full swing.
Kevin looked at Karishma and, deep inside, made a promise to himself:
"I won't let any of your expectations be broken, Karishma."
The night passed in a blur of laughter and joy. They visited Texas, then Florida, and continued roaming the country until their car finally stopped in New York.
The sudden brake caused Karishma to lurch forward. Just as her head was about to hit the seat in front, Kevin swiftly placed his hand in the way, cushioning the impact. Their eyes met, and Kevin softly said, "I will always protect you. I will never let you get hurt."
Karishma's eyes softened, her expression filled with emotion. It was as if she had been waiting for those very words. She wanted to say something in return, but just then, Hazel spoke up.
"Karishma, isn't your friend supposed to meet us here?"
Hearing this, Karishma looked outside and nodded. "Yeah, he texted me earlier. He said he was on his way."
Hearing the mention of Karishma's 'friend,' Kevin and his sisters exchanged surprised glances. Karishma continued, "Someone attacked him today, so he got delayed. You know how he is—always buried in his business."
Her words made everyone suspicious. Kevin turned to her and asked, "What's your friend's name?"
Karishma looked at him, confused, and chuckled. "Oh? Are you joining us too?"
Her playful remark made everyone laugh, including Kevin himself. He shook his head and thought, "This girl… When will she ever be serious?"
Just then, Hazel pointed outside. "Karishma, look! Your friend is coming on a bike!"
Everyone rolled down their windows, eager to see who this mysterious friend was. They watched as a guy approached them on a motorcycle. The moment Karishma saw him, she excitedly jumped out of the car. One by one, the others followed suit—except for Kevin and Isabella.
Isabella turned to Kevin and, in a serious tone, asked, "Are you too late?"
Kevin smiled confidently. "I love Karishma. And she loves me too. Everyone knows that."
Hearing his unwavering confidence, Isabella smiled. "Alright then. Best of luck, my charming bro." With that, she stepped out of the car as well.
At the same time, another scene was unfolding—Kevin pulled out a small ring box from his pocket. He opened it, gazed at the ring inside, and whispered to himself,
"Today is the day I make you mine, Karishma. I've waited for this moment for so long. No one in this world could love you more than I do."
Kevin's mind wandered to the past—memories of their college days, their endless fights, their moments of laughter. Every second spent with Karishma had been the happiest part of his life.
Snapping back to reality, he clenched his fist.
"Dreams don't come true just by dreaming. You have to take risks. And today, I'm ready to take that risk!"
Determined, Kevin stepped out of the car—only to freeze in shock.
There was no one in front of him. Confused, he turned around, and what he saw made his entire body tremble. His heartbeat stopped. The ring slipped from his fingers and fell to the ground.
The girl he loved more than his own life—the one he had considered his soulmate for seven lifetimes—the one for whom he had worked day and night to buy this ring…
That very girl was in someone else's arms, kissing him.
Kevin's legs wobbled. His entire world crumbled before his eyes.
Even nature seemed to turn against him. The sky darkened, winds howled, and a torrential downpour began, as if the heavens themselves were mourning with him. Thunder rumbled through the sky, but the storm within Kevin's heart was far louder.
Isabella, seeing her brother in such a state, couldn't hold back her own tears. Salena's mood darkened, while Hazel silently clenched her fists, knowing how much Kevin loved Karishma.
"Oh, God… what kind of cruel joke is this?
You made him a Romeo… but she belongs to someone else's arms."
Meanwhile, Karishma finally broke the kiss and turned to introduce the guy to everyone.
"This is Isabella and Salena—my best friends. And you already know my elder sister, Hazel."
Then, her eyes met Kevin's. Without hesitation, she continued, "And this is Isabella and Salena's brother, Kevin."
Hearing this, both Isabella and Salena clenched their fists in fury.
"Shameless girl! She's not even acknowledging him as her friend anymore? Just a while ago, she was feeding him beer like they were something special. And now, she's pretending like he's just some random acquaintance?"
Their anger grew, but Kevin?
He was beyond emotions now. He couldn't hear. He couldn't speak. He felt like a lifeless corpse standing there.
And then… something inside him stirred.
From deep within his chest, a faint white light flickered.
A sign.
A warning.
Kevin's instincts screamed at him—danger was near. His eyes darted around, searching for the source.
And then, his gaze locked onto Karishma's boyfriend.
The man was staring directly at him. Karishma's boyfriend was staring at Kevin, with great focus. Suddenly, her gaze shifted to Kevin's chest, and her eyes widened in surprise. The next moment, a spark of excitement lit up in them. She thought to herself,
"The one I searched for in every street is standing right in front of me. The person the whole world is looking for, I have found."
With a big smile on her face, she walked toward Kevin.
When Kevin saw the guy approaching him, he became alert and instinctively took a step back. But before he could react further, the guy quickly hugged him tightly.
Everyone around was left confused, watching Karishma's boyfriend act this way. Sensing the awkwardness, Karishma tried to explain,
"He loves meeting new people. That's just his warm and friendly nature. He is a perfect man."
Even after hearing this, no one fully trusted her words. To them, it seemed more like the guy was mocking Kevin rather than being friendly.
Just then, Karishma's boyfriend pulled away from Kevin, looked straight into his eyes, and said,
"Kevin! Nice to meet you. By the way, my name is Jack Carter."
The moment Kevin heard that name, his senses sharpened. He suddenly remembered the gangsters he had encountered earlier—they had mentioned the name Jack Carter.
A mixture of fear and anger rose within him. He couldn't believe that Jack Carter, the guy Karishma liked, was nothing but a thug. How could a criminal be someone Karishma admired?
As these thoughts raced in Kevin's mind, Karishma suddenly asked,
"Why was there a white light coming from your chest?"
She had seen it too and was eager to know the truth. But Kevin quickly responded,
"Oh, that? My phone is in my upper pocket. The flash goes off whenever I get a message. Nothing special."
Hearing this, Karishma lost interest in the topic and turned her attention back to introducing everyone to Jack Carter.
Meanwhile, Jack kept staring at Kevin. A sly smile formed on his lips as he thought to himself,
"Flash… You're right, it was a flash. But definitely not from a phone."
Kevin had no intention of staying there any longer. He turned to Salena and said,
"Listen, Salena, I have to leave urgently. My friend just messaged me—he had an accident. He needs me. I have to go!"
Except for Karishma, everyone else knew Kevin was lying just to get away from there. But before anyone could call him out, Karishma spoke up,
"We'll come with you! Your friend is our friend too."
Before Karishma could say more, Isabella interrupted,
"Kevin and I will go. You guys don't worry."
Isabella also didn't want to stay there any longer—after all, her brother had just faced a huge betrayal.
Before Karishma could argue, Kevin quickly said,
"No, no! Please, you all continue. I'll handle it."
Without wasting another second, Kevin turned and walked away. The moment he was out of sight, the tears he had been holding back finally streamed down his face.
While Kevin drowned in his pain, Karishma turned to the others and said,
"We have another plan! We're going to—"
Before she could finish, Salena cut her off,
"Sorry, guys. You enjoy. We have to leave."
Isabella added,
"Yeah! We already booked a cab."
Just as she finished speaking, a cab pulled up in front of them. Before Karishma could react, the two sisters got in and left.
Karishma stood there, stunned, her mouth slightly open in confusion. She turned to her sister Hazel, silently asking what had just happened.
Hazel understood her unspoken question but controlled her anger. Even though she was furious at Karishma, she was still her sister. Taking a deep breath, she calmly said,
"They probably had something important to do. And… their college is tomorrow, remember?"
Hearing this, Karishma sighed in disappointment and nodded.
---
Did Karishma really not love Kevin? What will Kevin do now? And what did Jack mean by what he said? What kind of twist has come into Kevin's life? Will Kevin be able to overcome this pain?