Monty reached for the phone with a reluctant sigh, still half-lying against Romy's chest. The screen lit up with the name: Dad – Prem Choudhary. Romy's hand didn't stop moving across his back, fingers softly tracing his spine, as if trying to anchor him in the moment.
"Pick it up," Romy whispered, sensing Monty's hesitation.
Monty swiped to answer. "Hello?"
Prem Choudhary's voice came sharp, straight to the point, as always. "Monty, we found Preety."
Monty shot up slightly, surprised. "What? Is she okay?"
"She's fine. And with Tina," his father's voice held a bite of disapproval, though he tried to conceal it. "They're together. Tina won't be troubling us anymore. She... leaving the country for a while."
Monty swallowed hard. He already knew what was coming.
"So," Prem continued, "this whole scandal is over. No more gossip. No more threats. And since the Preety situation is taken care of... I want you to bring Romy home tomorrow. It's time you came back and faced the family."
Monty felt his throat tighten. He couldn't speak right away. He just sat there, frozen.
On his chest, Romy had paused. The air between them turned heavy. Romy's eyes lifted to Monty's face, catching the shadows falling over his features.
The call ended quickly after that. Monty didn't say much. Just a short, "Okay," and then silence.
Romy touched Monty's cheek gently. "What happened?"
Monty turned toward him, the words caught in his mouth for a moment before they spilled out. "My dad found Preety. She's with Tina. They're back together."
Romy blinked. "Tina... her girlfriend?"
Monty nodded. "Yeah. My sister... Preety is lesbian."
There was a beat of silence before he added, "Dad never accepted it. Never liked Tina. So... he arranged her marriage. With you."
Romy's breath caught. "What?"
Monty's voice lowered, pained. "That wedding day... she ran away. You know that. What you don't know is, after she left, Dad forced me to marry you. To avoid a scandal. To keep the media quiet. 'One Choudhary on the altar is enough,' he said."
Romy stared at him, lips slightly parted in disbelief, then... slowly, a crooked grin spread across his face. Mischievous, teasing.
"So… what you're telling me is," he said, his tone mock serious, "I'm the groom… and you are technically my wife?"
Monty looked both amused and exasperated. "That's not exactly how it works,"
But Romy leaned in, whispering close to his ear with a devilish smirk, "Then we never had our first night, Mrs. Roy.... and I think we need to fix that."
Monty groaned and dropped his face into his hands. "Oh god…"
Romy laughed, the first real laugh in days. "Come on, baby," he teased, brushing Monty's hair aside and pressing a kiss just behind his ear. "Let's not let a perfectly good wedding night go to waste."
Monty looked at him, eyes half-playful, half-tormented. "You're unbelievable."
Romy raised a brow, now fully straddling him, his hands planted on Monty's chest. "You married trouble, sweetheart. And you're stuck with me now."
Romy's fingers had just started to trace circles on Monty's bare shoulder, his breath warm against his skin, when Monty suddenly tensed beneath him.
"Romy…" he said softly, his voice hesitant, almost breaking the moment.
Romy looked up, surprised by the shift in tone. "Hmm?"
Monty's eyes stared past him, lost in thought. "We… we have to leave tomorrow."
Romy blinked. "What?"
Monty sat up a little, propping himself on his elbows, avoiding Romy's eyes. "We have to go back home. Dad said everything's settled now… Preety's back. And Tina won't be a problem anymore."
There was a long pause. Romy didn't speak. He simply sat back, the warmth between them cooling rapidly like someone had opened the window to a winter night.
Monty exhaled deeply, struggling with the words. "And when we go back… it'll be you, me… and Preety."
Romy swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry. "So, you're telling me that tomorrow I go back… to live under the same roof as my so-called wife?"
Monty nodded, guilt written all over his face. "Yes. Technically, she's still your legal wife."
Romy let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. "And what are you then, Monty? just the man who stole my heart for one night before throwing me back into a lie?"
"Romy, no, that's not fair,"
"Fair?" Romy stood up abruptly, pulling the sheet with him, wrapping it around his waist. His voice trembled, part rage, part heartache. "You knew this whole time that she might come back. That this moment, right here, between you and me, wasn't going to last."
Monty sat up, reaching for him. "I didn't know what else to do. I didn't expect to feel this way. About you. It just… happened."
Romy's eyes glistened, but he didn't let the tears fall. "So what now, Monty? We go back and pretend this night never happened? I go back to being a husband to someone who doesn't even want me, while I carry around this… this thing between us?"
Monty stood slowly, facing him. "I don't want to pretend. But we have no choice right now."
"No choice?" Romy repeated with a hollow laugh. "There's always a choice. You just don't have the courage to make it."
Monty flinched at the words, but didn't deny them. Romy stepped away, his back to Monty now, breathing hard. For a long moment, there was silence.
"I thought tonight meant something," Romy whispered.
"It did," Monty said firmly, stepping closer. "It means everything to me."
"Then don't make me walk back into that house like nothing's changed," Romy said, voice cracking. "Because everything has."
Monty closed his eyes. "I know. I know it has. And I'll fix this. I promise."
Romy didn't turn around. He just nodded faintly, then whispered, "I wish I could believe you."
And with that, he walked into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him, leaving Monty standing alone, naked, conflicted, and painfully aware that love, when tangled in lies, always comes with a price.