Priya's heart swelled with happiness. Her brother, Amit, was home, and the entire family buzzed with joy. She cherished every moment, spending time with Amit and easily befriending his friend, Sai. Sai, a fellow Hotel Management student, treated her with the affectionate camaraderie of an older brother, and Priya reciprocated, feeling a comfortable bond. Amit was home for a precious fifteen-day holiday, and the family doted on him, preparing all his favorite dishes and extending the same warmth to Sai.
Late that night, after dinner, Priya finally settled into bed. As she picked up her mobile, she was startled by a deluge of notifications from Manik. Her first reaction was surprise – why on earth would he be messaging her so much? She decided to ignore it, but the sheer volume was impossible to overlook: nearly a hundred messages and forty missed calls. Was he mad? she wondered. Against her better judgment, she opened WhatsApp.
Manik's messages cascaded down the screen:
* "U reach home?"
* "Y r u ignoring me?"
* "Reply me!!!"
* "😡"
* "Stay away from boys if he you brother or not."
* "Can u pick my call? Stop ignoring me?"
* "Don't make angry me."
The same demanding, possessive tone echoed through countless more messages and missed calls. Priya, her anger simmering, simply blocked him and tried to sleep.
On the other side of the city, Manik saw that Priya had read his messages but hadn't replied. A furious roar escaped him. He hurled his mobile at the wall, shattering it. "Why are you doing this?" he snarled into the silent room. "You will get punishment, Baby (Priya)."
Priya's routine resumed – college and studies, balanced with precious time spent with Amit and Sai. She learned that both Amit and Sai had girlfriends, and she was happy for Amit, hoping he'd marry his girlfriend once he was settled, even though he hadn't yet told their parents.
Manik's anger, meanwhile, was boiling over. Priya, the girl he was rapidly falling in love with (or rather, the object of his intense obsession and possessiveness), continued to ignore him. He tried calling and texting from other numbers, but each attempt resulted in another block. His employees bore the brunt of his volatile mood swings, baffled by their usually composed boss's erratic behavior. He even tried to get Jaya to talk to Priya on his behalf, but Jaya informed him that Priya refused to speak to him, which only fueled his rage further.
That Saturday, a rare weekday off, Priya and her family were all at home. Amit and Sai decided to go shopping for some things in Mumbai, and they convinced Priya to join them. Her parents readily agreed, reminding Amit to take good care of her. The trio headed to a bustling mall in CST.
As they passed a jewelry store, Amit stopped. He wanted to buy a gift for his girlfriend, so he called Priya and Sai over. Sai also spotted a beautiful necklace he liked for his girlfriend and asked Priya for her help in choosing. He asked the salesgirl to show him the necklace, but feeling unsure, he turned to Priya. "Turn around," he instructed, "I'll try it on you to see how it looks." Priya hesitated, but eventually turned. Sai carefully clasped the necklace around her neck. It looked stunning on her. Priya admired it in the mirror, her fingers gently touching the delicate chain. Sai noticed her admiration. "Box this one," he told the salesgirl, then headed to the billing counter. Priya followed, and Amit, having made his own purchase, joined them.
A few minutes later, Priya, Sai, and Amit emerged from the jewelry shop, making their way out of the mall as it was getting late. From the shadows near the jewelry store, a figure watched them, a storm of fury raging in his eyes. It was Manik. He wanted to kill Sai. How dare he touch his girl, Priya ?
Manik had arrived at the same mall a few minutes earlier for a business meeting. As he passed the jewelry shop, he had seen Priya and Sai. He had witnessed Sai putting the necklace around her neck, and a searing rage had consumed him. He'd wanted to storm in, to tear Sai away, but he had waited, a devilish plan already forming in his mind.
Now, in the present, Manik was determined to make Priya realize who she belonged to. He swiftly put his plan into motion. He immediately called Jaya, instructing her to contact Priya. His plan, though not fully revealed to Jaya, involved arranging a meeting at the five-star Greece Hotel in Churchgate tomorrow. He told Jaya that Anjali and Kavita (another friend common to Priya, Anjali, and Jaya) should also be there for something "important." He hinted darkly that he would be proposing to Priya. Jaya, shocked but delighted for her cousin brother, eagerly agreed. She then called Anjali and Kavita, ensuring they would come, making it sound like an important, genuine event, not a prank.
Manik wore a devilish smile. He had booked the exclusive hotel suite for tomorrow and left, his mind already envisioning his victory.