Chapter 8- When Worlds Collide.
Then both spoke in unison:
"This is ridiculous."
Neither of them was confused about the situation-but Veer had this unsettling feeling of déjà vu gnawing at him, while Pari, on the other hand, was downright exasperated.
Never, in their wildest imaginations, had they thought they'd cross paths again-and definitely not in this ridiculous way.
Pari planted her hands on her hips. "What are you doing in my house?"
Veer blinked. "Hold on. Your house? When did I ever say this was my house? It's a rental. I moved in this morning."
"Oh, right. So what am I supposed to believe, Mr. Veer?" she shot back, voice dripping with sarcasm.
"That this isn't my house," Veer said, his tone maddeningly calm. "I'm just renting it." He tilted his head. "Wait-how exactly is this your house?"
"I remember Zain telling me this was a rental owned by someone named Sharma... or something. Are you Sharma?"
Pari froze for a beat, then scoffed. "What? No! I'm not Sharma. But yes-I also moved in today."
She threw her hands up. "Why is this always happening to me? Ugh!"
Veer raised a brow. "Excuse me? Here also?"
"I'm not happy about this," Pari said, pointing an accusing finger at him. "Living under the same roof as you-again-is not an option for me!"
Veer's expression hardened. "Wait-what did I do? I don't want to live with such a moody person either."
"That's it," she muttered. "I'm calling him."
"Who?"
"Obviously the person who created this mess."
Pari yanked out her phone, dialing Mr. Sharma with the kind of precision that suggested she might break the screen if she pressed any harder.
"Hello? Are you-" she stopped herself before saying "mad," remembering Veer was standing right there. "Uhh, I mean... Sir, this is Pari Shah. I'm the new tenant who moved into your house today. I wasn't informed there'd be someone else living here. Honestly, sir, this is completely unprofessional."
Veer eyed her like she'd just revealed she was a secret government agent.
On the other end, Mr. Sharma's voice crackled through. "What the hell are you-oh... ohhh. Damn. I forgot."
His mind shot back to a conversation days earlier.
Flashback
In his office, Sharma had called in his secretary. "Listen, we should put my relative's old house up for rent. If we don't, those people I told you about will demolish it. It's been untouched for years."
The secretary frowned. "I can try, sir. But no one will want it-it's huge, and everyone calls it 'the abandoned house.' Still... I'll clean it up and list it."
"Fine," Sharma said distractedly.
A few days later, Zain had spotted the ad and called about it. The secretary had checked with Sharma, who-half-listening-told him to rent it out. The deal was made.
And then Sharma forgot all about it.
Present
"Sir? Are you there?" Pari's voice snapped him back.
"Yes, yes. I'm sorry, beta, I forgot. Been drowning in work. Please forgive me-oh, I'm getting another call. Bye!"
He hung up before she could respond.
"Ugh." Pari ended the call and let out a long sigh.
"What happened?" Veer asked.
"All I can say is-confusion and misunderstanding. He forgot he rented it to you."
Veer shrugged. "So... are we supposed to live together now?"
Pari narrowed her eyes. "I don't know. Do you have another place to go at this hour? I'll confront him tomorrow."
Without another word, she walked to her room, pulled out her suitcase, and began packing.
Veer leaned against the doorframe, baffled. "What are you doing?"
"Packing. I'm leaving. I'll find a hotel. You can enjoy this place all to yourself."
"That's not right," Veer said, stepping forward. "Don't go. It's not like I'm uncomfortable with you staying here. There are plenty of rooms-just think of me as a roommate. Besides, it's late. Stay. I'll even owe you a favour for the hotel incident."
Pari paused, her expression softening for half a second-before she caught herself. "Oh, great. First of all, I don't care if you're comfortable-I'm not. Secondly, that day in the hotel? That wasn't a favour, FYI. And lastly-why do you care if it's late? Worried about me? Don't be."
Veer's brows knit tighter, confusion giving way to disbelief.
"I make you uncomfortable?" His voice dropped, almost hurt. "How does that even make sense? Are you holding a grudge? Or... angry with me?"
Pari slammed her suitcase shut harder than necessary, her breath hitching slightly. She wasn't just angry-she was hurt. But Veer couldn't see that.
"You really don't remember, do you?" she whispered, voice raw.
"Remember what?"
She stepped closer, eyes blazing. "Maybe that night-when I saved you, helped you-and you just vanished. No explanation. No thanks. Just... gone. Do you even realize how dangerous it was? How scared I was to be left alone like that?"
The silence stretched, thick and suffocating. Veer's usual composure faltered. For the first time, the steel in his gaze softened, cracked. His voice came low, sincere-almost vulnerable.
"...Sorry."
The word hung between them, weighty and unexpected. Veer rarely apologized. But now, looking into her eyes, he meant it.
"I should have told you everything. You deserved that. That night... it was chaos. I didn't know who those people were. Enemies, maybe."
"Enemies?" Pari echoed, suspicion knitting her brow.
Veer swallowed hard, lips pressed tight. "I'm... a businessman. Lands all over the world. Some deals aren't clean. Some people want what I have. I've made enemies." His voice hardened, but there was a tremor beneath. "Maybe it sounds like a lie. Maybe it is. But I didn't mean to leave you in the dark."
Pari's expression faltered, the fire dimming just a little.
"If I'm making you uncomfortable," Veer continued, his tone almost desperate now, "I'll leave. You don't have to stay here."
Pari shook her head, almost reluctantly. "No. I'm... fine now."
A faint smile ghosted on Veer's lips, but the tension wasn't fully gone. He hesitated, then ventured, "Can I ask you something?"
"If I say no, you'll ask anyway," she shot back, half-smiling despite herself.
He grinned. "True. Are you... a secret agent? Or maybe mafia?"
Her eyes widened in disbelief. "What?"
"Just kidding." His voice dropped to a teasing murmur. "I just thought you fought like a pro. Never seen a girl like that."
"Meaning?"
"That girls can't fight?"
"When did I say that?" She shot back, arms crossed.
"Self-defense classes, huh?"
"Exactly."
Veer's grin softened as he stepped back. "Well, get some rest. Goodnight, Pari."
She nodded, moving to close the door-until Veer's voice stopped her.
"Wait... you're not from India, are you?"
Her breath caught. "How do you know that? I didn't say."
He chuckled, the warmth in his voice catching her off guard. "The accent gave you away."
She groaned, half embarrassed. "Right... forgot about that."
"So?"
"Half Indian, half South Korean. Born and raised there."
"Cool," he said softly. Then, at the threshold, he paused and turned. "And... thanks for helping me. I mean it."
The sincerity in his eyes was almost disarming, leaving Pari standing frozen for a heartbeat longer than she expected-caught between irritation and something more fragile.
More than half an hour had passed before Zain returned from Anvika's office. He had stayed behind to make sure every last task was completed. When he was satisfied, he handed the original documents to Patil without ceremony and left.
By then, Anvika had finished work for the day. She stepped outside with Saurav, scanning the quiet street until she spotted Zain leaning casually against a lamppost, waiting.
"Hey, Zain!" she called as they approached. Her voice carried a note of relief. "All the materials and ingredients reached the hotel in one piece. Everything's sorted now. Thank you for helping me out."
Zain shrugged lightly, as though it wasn't a big deal. "It's fine. Veer Sir helped too-it wasn't just me."
Saurav's eyes widened slightly. "Seriously, man-thanks. I don't know who you are or how you pulled this off, and honestly, I don't care. You just saved us a lot of trouble." His tone was unusually warm, almost boyishly sincere.
Anvika smirked.
"Let's go, Senior." Saurav Spoke;
"I'll drive you," Zain offered suddenly, his voice softening in a way that made him sound almost shy. He glanced at Anvika with what could only be described as puppy eyes. "It's late."
Anvika blinked at the change in tone.
"Uh... you too, Saurav?" Zain asked:
"Yeah, sure. I'll take the ride," Saurav said, grinning. "I usually take the bus, so this is a luxury for me."
Anvika turned to him with narrowed eyes, suspicion dripping from her tone. "Saurav..."
He held a finger to his lips and whispered, "Shhh."
"No need, Zain," she said, flipping her car keys in her hand. "I'll drive myself. And you-Junior-come here. You're getting a special interference ride today."
Saurav frowned. "Special what?"
"Nothing," she replied, catching the strap of his bag and tugging him toward her car.
She glanced over her shoulder. "Bye, Zain!"
Saurav waved.
Zain's drive home was quiet, the aroma of the takeaway in the passenger seat filling the car. When he reached the door, he balanced the bag in one hand and rang the bell. Veer had the keys, so Zain expected him to open.
Instead, it was Pari who answered.
Inside, Veer was slouched on the sofa in fresh clothes, watching something absentmindedly. Pari had come downstairs for a bottle of water, her bare footsteps barely making a sound against the floor. Their interaction was as stiff as it had been since they'd met-neither quite knowing how to greet the other.
Veer looked at her once, then dropped his gaze. She uncapped her bottle, took a few sips, and had just set it on the dining table when the doorbell rang.
Since she was closest, she went to answer it. A quick glance through the peephole showed Zain standing outside.
"Your person's here," she called over her shoulder to Veer. "And I can already tell he's bringing a hundred questions. You're dealing with him."
"Sure," Veer muttered.
Pari opened the door.
Zain's expression shifted instantly from polite to panicked. "YOU?!" he blurted, almost dropping the food. Then, forcing a laugh, "Ohhh-sorry! Wrong house. You must be the neighbour, ha-ha." The laugh was so awkward it almost hurt to listen to.
He was just about to back away when Veer's voice rang from the living room. "You're in the right house."
Zain leaned sideways to see Veer sitting on the sofa with a cup of tea. "What the-"
"You planning to stand outside all night?" Veer asked. "I'm closing the door."
"One second!" Zain stepped in quickly, looking between them like he'd walked into the wrong scene.
Pari gestured toward Veer. "Ask him, not me."
"She's the person we met earlier," Veer explained, "and our new housemate. No one bothered to tell us, but... here we are."
Zain's mouth opened, then closed again. "Right. Okay. Cool. Totally fine," he said in a tone that meant the exact opposite. Under his breath, he added, "How the hell am I supposed to accept this?"
He set the food on the dining table. Veer gave him a look-one that clearly meant, Offer some to her. Zain shot back a look that said, Why don't you?
With a sigh, Veer finally spoke. "The food's too much for us. Want to join? You haven't eaten, have you?"
Pari hesitated. Truthfully, she hadn't. But the thought of sitting down to eat with them made her chest tighten. "No. I had a late lunch. You two eat. And yes-I'll find a new place as soon as possible. Until then... adjust."
She turned and left the room before either could say more.
Veer frowned after her. "Is she actually not hungry, or just uncomfortable eating with us?"
Zain shrugged, then grabbed a pillow and smacked Veer with it. "You couldn't call me and tell me she was here? I almost had a heart attack!"
Laughing, Veer dodged. Soon, they were chasing each other around like schoolboys-rare moments when Veer actually let himself laugh.
Later, as they were eating, Veer's phone buzzed.
Message from Mahesh Roy:
I'm the owner of Retro Restaurant. My employee told me you got my number from my daughter. Surprisingly my daughter isn't someone who hands out my number so casually. I'll be back in two days-we can meet at my restaurant then.
Veer's eyes lit up. He turned the screen toward Zain. "Finally-progress."
Upstairs, Pari sat in her room, stomach growling. She wasn't used to eating with others; it would take time before she felt comfortable doing so.
"Ugh. Now I have to sleep hungry," she muttered. "This is making me more annoyed."
THE NEXT MORNING
The next morning, Pari was ready to leave by 7 a.m. She was about to open the front door when she noticed Veer descending the stairs-in a completely different set of pajamas from last night.
She arched a brow. "Veer... are you-"
"Oh. Morning," he said, half-asleep as he shuffled to the fridge. Halfway through drinking from a water bottle, he seemed to realise her expression. Without a word, he turned, climbed the stairs at a speed that defied physics, and disappeared.
Pari chuckled quietly-the first genuine smile she'd allowed herself in days.
In the car, she called Sharma Sir.
"Good morning, Pari."
"Morning, sir. I need Rahul's number. I'm ending this chapter today."
"This early?"
"I've got a list of Patil's business partners, but it's missing the ones who deal drugs. Rahul can hack into their accounts and get that info."
Sharma paused. "You think he's capable?"
"Not bad for a rookie," she said.
"And?"
"There's a hotel-Rosemont Grand. I stayed there when I first came to India. They used to work with Patil but broke the contract a few months ago. Paid a fine to get out of it."
"Suspicious. How does that help us?"
"If I can get someone from there to talk, it'll back up our evidence."
"You think they'll talk?"
"Let's just say... I'm the heir to my father's hotel empire. People talk when they know who they're dealing with."
Sharma chuckled. "Not bad, Pari."
By 10 a.m., she arrived at Rosemont Grand. The receptionist politely explained that the CEO couldn't see her without an appointment.
Pari smiled faintly and slid a sealed letter across the counter. "Give him this. Tell him someone's waiting."
Flashback - Earlier That Morning
Before heading to Rosemont Grand, Pari had stopped by her father's hotel. The guards at the entrance didn't even bother asking questions-one glance at her, and they waved her straight in.
Inside, she walked into the main office without knocking, because, well... who was going to stop her?
Sharan Sir-sharp suit, reading glasses perched low on his nose-looked up from a stack of files and broke into a wide smile.
"Ah, Pari ma'am! I was just thinking about you. What brings you here so early in the morning?"
Pari dropped into the chair opposite his desk, crossing one leg over the other like she owned the place. "Sharan Sir, I need your help."
"For you, ma'am? Anything. Even if you ask me to jump from this building, I'll only ask if you want me to do it with or without a parachute."
She paused with a cold but clumsy expression. "Nothing that dramatic. I need a letter-one that will make the CEO of Rosemont Grand drop whatever he's doing and meet me immediately."
Sharan's brows rose above his glasses. "Rosemont Grand? We don't work with them. Company policy, you know-no ties with other hotels. But since this is your company, your father's legacy, and you're asking me personally..." He leaned back, grinning. "Rules are... bendable."
"Exactly why I came to you."
He picked up his pen like a sword. "What should it say? 'Dear CEO, if you value your peace, you will meet this lady at once'? Or should I go with something softer, like, 'Please meet the charming and important Ms. Pari Shah'?"
Pari smirked. "Go with the one that sounds like it'll give him a heart attack if he refuses."
"Done," Sharan said, scribbling away. "I'm telling you, if I write this letter, even the Prime Minister will clear his schedule."
Two minutes later, he slid the sealed envelope across the desk like it was a top-secret dossier. "There you go, ma'am. The key to making men twice your age panic."
Pari stood, taking the letter. "Knew I could count on you, Sharan Sir."
"You always can," he said with mock solemnity, before adding, "And next time, bring me coffee if you're going to show up unannounced this early. I nearly spilled mine."
Back at Rosemont Grand
Pari waited in the lobby, scrolling absentmindedly through her phone. That was when she heard a voice behind her-one that made her freeze.
In fluent Hangul, sharp with impatience, someone was pleading:
"매니저님! 제발요! 나가게 해주세요! 공항이랑 이 로비밖에 못 봤어요. 만나고 싶은 사람이 있다고요!"
"Manager, please! Let me go out! Since we came, I've only seen the airport and this lobby. I have someone I want to meet!"
The manager's reply was firm, almost scolding:
"안 돼. 너 여기 아는 사람 없잖아. 그리고 넌 연예인이야-봐, 사람들이 벌써 쳐다보고 있잖아. 진짜 아는 사람이 있으면 여기로 오라고 해."
"No. You don't know anyone here. And you're a celebrity-look, people are already staring. If you know someone, tell them to come here instead."
The boy whined desperately, his voice carrying across the marble-floored lobby.
"아! 제발, 제발 형!"
"Oh! Please, please hyung!"
Frustration hung heavy in his tone-until his eyes caught sight of her.
He stopped. Blinked. And then his entire expression shifted into shock before exploding into uncontainable excitement.
"Oh my goodness!" he burst out in English, striding across the lobby without hesitation. Heads turned, whispers spread, but he didn't care. "Noona! Long time no see! I'm Soo Han-remember? We met that day!"
Then, with all the reckless honesty of a boy who lived too loudly, he added, voice ringing through the lobby:
"You're the reason I'm here!!!"