Ruhi Lands in Mumbai
The city greeted her with heavy clouds and misty drizzle. From the window of her cab, Ruhi saw a skyline very different from Delhi — taller, busier, somehow lonelier.
But she wasn't here to explore.She was here for him.
The hotel Rudra was staying in was all glass and marble — the kind of place that whispered wealth in polished silence.
She walked into the lobby, her suitcase rolling behind her, a small note in her pocket:
"Room 1304. Just knock. I'll always open."—Rudra
She pressed the elevator button, her heart beating like a drum.
🚪 Room 1304 — The Reunion
She knocked once.
The door opened within seconds.
Rudra stood there — hair messy, white t-shirt, barefoot — as if he'd been pacing, waiting just for this.
Neither of them spoke.
Then he exhaled and pulled her into his arms.
No kiss. No big lines.
Just a long, quiet, desperate hug.
Like all the letters they hadn't written yet.
🕯 Inside the Room
Later, as they sat cross-legged on the floor with coffee and room service pasta, Ruhi looked at him seriously.
"You wrote the ticket," she said. "But I chose the seat."
"I know," he replied softly. "That means more than anything."
Ruhi tilted her head. "Why did you need me here, Rudra?"
He looked at her, eyes darker than usual. "Because I was about to lose myself in this world again. Suits. Expectations. Devika."
Ruhi frowned. "What about her?"
"She's still trying," Rudra said. "Not for love. For power. She wants to prove she can still control me."
"She won't," Ruhi said sharply.
He smiled. "Not when you're here."
💬 The Next Morning — Devika's Surprise Visit
Ruhi was alone in the café downstairs, sipping tea and journaling in Beyond the Buzzer, when Devika walked in.
She wore a sharp navy-blue saree and a sharper smile.
"Well," she said, sliding into the chair across from Ruhi. "You must be the poet."
Ruhi looked up slowly. "And you must be the ex."
Devika laughed. "Feisty. I like it."
"I don't need your approval."
"You're right," Devika replied smoothly. "But his father does."
Ruhi raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess. You still hope he'll choose you?"
Devika leaned in. "I don't hope. I plan. And I don't need Rudra to love me. I just need him to need me — for the business, the deals, the inheritance."
Ruhi stared at her for a long moment. "You know what your problem is, Devika?"
Devika arched a brow. "Enlighten me."
"You underestimate love," Ruhi said quietly. "Real love. The kind that survives distance, noise, and girls like you."
She stood.
And walked away without another word.
📓 Beyond the Buzzer – Page 100
*"She came with perfume and poison.I came with ink and truth.
One day, he'll forget how she smelled —But he'll never forget what I wrote."*
🏙️ The Dinner — And the Statement
That evening, Rudra invited Ruhi to a dinner with his father and board members at a high-end rooftop restaurant. She wore a simple indigo saree, her hair in soft curls.
His father barely acknowledged her at first.
But mid-dinner, as the conversation turned to marriage alliances and media appearances, Ruhi did the unexpected.
She stood.
"I know I don't belong to your world," she said, voice clear. "I don't have the last name. I don't come from the right city. But I love your son — not for what he owns, but for who he is when he's not pretending."
The room went silent.
Even Rudra stared, stunned.
"I'm not here to beg," Ruhi continued. "I'm here to stand. Beside him. Whether your chair accepts me or not."
She sat down.
And calmly took a sip of water.
💬 After the Dinner — The Talk
Rudra's father didn't speak in the car ride home.
But as they reached the hotel entrance, he finally said, "She's braver than you were at her age."
Rudra turned. "So... you'll accept her?"
"I'll consider her," he replied. "Depending on whether she stays strong."
It wasn't a "yes."
But it wasn't a "no."
It was something.
🧡 Simran and Aarav — Their First Day
In Delhi, Simran woke up to sunlight in Aarav's apartment. She wore his oversized t-shirt, hair loose, and a silly grin on her face.
"Still nervous?" he asked, bringing her coffee.
"Yes," she whispered.
"But?"
"But I'm exactly where I want to be."
They kissed.
And just like that, a new chapter began — not of running, but of building.
📓 Beyond the Buzzer – Page 102
"You can't force a family to accept you.But you can make it impossible for them to forget you."
☔ End of Chapter 20