Shyan, seeing his adultery accusation and the assault claim failing against corporate policy, tried to appeal to the Manager's corporate loyalty. "I am a major stakeholder in the development near your upcoming convention center, Ms. Kapoor! I can assure you that failing to cooperate with a medical emergency concerning my future fiancée will have consequences for your parent company!"
The Manager's face remained composed, but her eyes held a spark of disdain for the blatant threat. "Threats do not supersede the contractual right of a guest to privacy, Mr. Shyan. I must have a reason beyond a man's bruised ego to violate my guest's contract."
The argument spiraled into a dramatic, absurd battle of entitlement versus policy. Roo's father swore he would buy the hotel chain and fire everyone. Roo's mother threatened to faint right there on the marble floor. The sheer, overwhelming force of their collective privilege was a tangible weight in the room, making the Manager's adherence to rules seem almost comical, yet desperately necessary.
Finally, after a minute of high-pitched, aristocratic fury, Ms. Kapoor raised a silencing hand. She had found the necessary compromise that satisfied both safety and policy.
"Very well," the Manager stated, her voice tight with disapproval. "We will address the medical emergency only. I will personally accompany the hotel medic. I will use the master key to open the door and visually confirm whether the client is actually suffering from a medical crisis and needs assistance, or if, as I suspect, there are other intentions at play."
She looked pointedly at Shyan, then at Roo's parents, her meaning crystal clear: the infidelity accusation was still on the table, and they were not to be trusted.
They bolted straight towards her room like the world is on fire or some apocalypse fall upon them.
When they reached her room. Ms. Kapoor warned them again to stay far from door and wait till she gets permission from guest and if she confirms medical emergency.
Roo's father, seeing the door to the room will finally open, gave a sharp, almost imperceptible nod. Shyan, wiping the remaining crocodile tears from his face, exchanged a swift, knowing look with Roo's mother—a silent, cynical agreement to cheat the system they had forced open.
The Forced Entry and The Discovery
The procession up to the room was swift and tense: Ms. Kapoor, carrying the master key card, the hotel medic, Shyan, and Roo's parents. They stopped outside the door, the corridor silent and antiseptic.
Ms. Kapoor inserted the key card. The lock gave a quiet click.
She placed a restraining hand on Shyan's chest, her eyes hard. "Mr. Shyan, I open this door to ensure the safety of our guest. You will wait outside while the medic and I assess the situation."
But the moment the door began to swing inward, the professional order broke. With a primal surge of panic and entitlement, Shyan and Roo's parents simultaneously shoved Ms. Kapoor and the medic aside. The force was brutal, scattering the two employees and sending the room door crashing open against the wall. They burst into the room, their eyes frantically searching for the alleged "man" Roo was supposedly hiding.
The suite was silent. The only sound was the heavy, labored breathing of the intruders. The dramatic lighting of the corridor spilled into the dark room.
Roo was lying face down on the enormous king-sized bed, exactly where she had collapsed. The heavy, royal-blue velvet of her lehenga was horribly crumpled beneath her. Her elaborate maang-tikka lay askew in her hair, and her cheek was pressed into the silk duvet. The kundan earrings and the heavy necklace had been ripped off and lay haphazardly scattered on a nearby bedside table—the gilded chains symbolically cast aside.
She was utterly deshelved, smelling faintly of cheap champagne and fear, lying in a deep, oblivious, alcohol-induced stupor. There was no man. No lover. Only the stark, painful reality of an emotionally shattered girl.
Shyan immediately began to search the bathroom and the small closet, his face contorted in frustrated rage.
Roo stirred faintly, murmuring something unintelligible. She looked like she is uncomfortable with multiple presence there but was not conscious enough to respond to anything