The moment those words left Kiara's lips, the air around them seemed to freeze.
Aarohi stood still, her fingers slowly curling into fists at her sides. For a brief second, the noise of the hall—the chatter, the footsteps, the distant announcements—faded into nothing. All she could hear was the echo of that humiliation.
"Bow down… and lick my shoes."
It wasn't just an insult. It was an attempt to break her.
Aarohi lifted her gaze slowly. There was no anger flashing wildly in her eyes now. Instead, something far more dangerous had settled in them—calm defiance.
"You're done?" she asked quietly.
Kiara blinked, slightly taken aback. She had expected tears, maybe a scene, or at least visible rage. But this calm response unsettled her.
"What did you say?" Kiara snapped.
"I asked," Aarohi repeated, her voice steady, "are you done? Or do you have more left to say?"
Kiara's expression hardened. "Don't act smart with me. You should be grateful I'm even giving you a chance. Girls like you don't even deserve to stand here."
A few people nearby had started noticing the tension. Whispers spread like wildfire.
Aarohi exhaled slowly. For years, she had endured this—taunts, humiliation, being treated like she didn't belong anywhere. But something was different today.
Maybe it was the fact that she had finally left that house.
Maybe it was the contract marriage that had pushed her into a completely different world overnight.
Or maybe… it was simply that she was tired.
"I won't do it," she said.
Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried enough weight to cut through the murmurs around them.
Kiara laughed mockingly. "Of course you won't. Because you know you don't have the guts."
Aarohi tilted her head slightly. "No," she replied, "because I have self-respect."
That one sentence hit harder than any slap.
Kiara's face flushed with anger. "Self-respect? You? Don't make me laugh. You don't even have a proper identity. You're just—"
"Enough."
The voice that interrupted wasn't Aarohi's.
It was deep. Cold. Commanding.
And instantly recognizable.
The crowd parted slightly as Kunal stepped forward, his presence alone enough to silence the growing whispers. His sharp eyes scanned the scene before landing on Aarohi… and then shifting to Kiara.
There was no emotion in his expression. But the tension in the air thickened.
Kiara's posture straightened immediately. Her tone softened in an instant, almost as if a switch had flipped.
"Mr. Kapoor," she said with a polite smile, "I didn't expect to see you here."
Kunal didn't respond to her greeting.
Instead, he looked at Aarohi.
For a fraction of a second, their eyes met.
And in that silent exchange, something unspoken passed between them.
Then, as if nothing had happened, Kunal turned his attention to one of the staff members nearby.
"Is this how auditions are conducted here?" he asked calmly.
The man froze. "S-sir, I—"
Kunal didn't raise his voice, yet the authority in his tone was unmistakable. "If talent is judged based on humiliation instead of performance, then I believe this entire process needs reconsideration."
A heavy silence followed.
Kiara's smile faltered slightly. "There seems to be a misunderstanding. I was just—"
"I wasn't asking for an explanation," Kunal cut in, his gaze briefly flicking toward her before returning to the staff. "I was stating an observation."
That was enough.
The staff immediately began apologizing, trying to smooth things over.
Aarohi stood there, stunned.
She hadn't expected him to step in.
In fact, she hadn't expected anything from him at all.
Kunal finally looked at her again. "You have an audition, don't you?"
Aarohi nodded, still processing everything.
"Then go," he said simply.
No softness. No encouragement. Just a statement.
But somehow… it was enough.
Aarohi took a deep breath and walked past Kiara without another word.
For the first time, she didn't feel small while doing it.
—
Inside the audition room, the atmosphere was completely different.
Quiet. Professional. Focused.
Aarohi stood in the center, script in her hands. Her heart was still racing, but not from fear anymore.
This time… it was determination.
She closed her eyes for a brief second, gathering herself.
All the years of struggle.
All the insults.
All the moments she was told she wasn't good enough.
They all came rushing back.
And instead of breaking her… they fueled her.
When she opened her eyes again, she wasn't Aarohi anymore.
She was the character.
Her voice flowed naturally, her expressions shifting seamlessly with every line. There was pain, strength, vulnerability—all blending together in a way that felt real.
Not forced. Not practiced.
Real.
The panel exchanged glances.
By the time she finished, the room had fallen completely silent.
One of the judges leaned forward slightly. "Where have you been all this time?"
Aarohi didn't have an answer to that.
Maybe she had been lost.
Or maybe… she had just been waiting.
—
Outside, Kunal stood near the corridor, his hands in his pockets, his expression unreadable.
Kiara approached him again, this time more cautiously.
"You didn't have to interfere," she said carefully.
Kunal didn't look at her. "Then you shouldn't have created a situation that required interference."
Kiara clenched her jaw. "You don't even know her. Why defend her?"
This time, Kunal's gaze shifted toward her.
Sharp. Calculating.
"You're right," he said. "I don't."
There was a pause.
"But I don't need to know someone to recognize what's wrong."
Kiara had no response to that.
For the first time, she felt like she had lost control of the situation.
—
When Aarohi walked out of the audition room, her steps were lighter.
She didn't know the result yet.
But for once… she felt proud of herself.
And that was new.
As she stepped into the corridor, her eyes instinctively searched for one person.
Kunal.
He was still there.
Leaning casually, as if he had all the time in the world.
When their eyes met again, there was no awkwardness this time.
Just a quiet understanding.
"You're done?" he asked.
"Yes."
"Good."
That was it.
No praise. No questions.
But as Aarohi stood there, she realized something.
For someone who claimed this marriage meant nothing…
Kunal Kapoor had just crossed a line he didn't need to.
And somewhere deep inside…
That changed everything.