Arjun didn't move for a long time.
He stood near the road, phone in his hand, staring at the last message like it might disappear if he waited long enough.
About what she signed… using your name.
Cars passed. Someone honked. A vendor shouted prices. Life continued.
Arjun felt numb, not confused.
Signed what?
Using his name?
He unlocked the phone again.
Arjun:
Explain.
The typing dots appeared.
Stopped.
Appeared again.
Then the message came.
Unknown:
Not on text. Tomorrow. 10 a.m. Come to Orion Business Center.
Arjun didn't ask why.
He typed one word.
Arjun:
Fine.
The reply came instantly.
Unknown:
Bring your ID.
That line stayed with him.
That night, Arjun didn't call anyone.
He didn't message Sameer.
He didn't message Riya.
He went home, washed his face, ate something without tasting it, and lay on the bed staring at the ceiling.
Every sound felt distant.
Around 1:30 a.m., his phone vibrated.
Riya.
He let it ring.
Then a message came.
Please talk to me. I didn't mean for things to go this far.
Arjun read it once.
He didn't reply.
The next morning, he woke up early.
He dressed carefully. Clean shirt. Simple jeans. Shoes he rarely wore but kept polished.
If someone had used his name, he wanted to look like someone whose name mattered.
Orion Business Center was crowded even at 9:45 a.m.
People with laptops. People with files. People on calls.
Arjun stood near the entrance, scanning faces.
He didn't know who he was looking for.
A man waved from near the café inside.
Same man as before. The one from the tea stall.
Kunal.
Arjun walked over.
"You came," Kunal said.
"You said bring ID," Arjun replied. "Start talking."
Kunal nodded. "Let's sit."
They took a small table near the glass wall.
Kunal ordered tea. Arjun didn't.
"Tell me what was signed," Arjun said.
Kunal took a breath. "A rental agreement."
Arjun blinked. "What?"
"A lease," Kunal clarified. "For a flat."
Arjun frowned. "Using my name?"
Kunal nodded slowly. "Joint tenant. Your name and hers."
Arjun leaned back slightly. "That's not possible."
"It is," Kunal said. "If someone has copies of your ID and signature."
Arjun's jaw tightened.
Riya had those.
From months ago. When they were planning to move in together someday.
"Where?" Arjun asked.
Kunal slid his phone across the table.
An address.
Same city. Different area.
"Why?" Arjun asked.
"Because her job transfer required a local address," Kunal said. "And your name carries stability."
That word again.
Stability.
"This was done when?" Arjun asked.
"Last week," Kunal replied. "Two days after she told you she needed space."
Arjun's hands clenched.
"And the unknown messages?" Arjun asked. "That was you?"
Kunal shook his head. "Not all of them."
Arjun's eyes sharpened. "Who else?"
Kunal hesitated.
"Vikram knew," he said.
Arjun closed his eyes briefly.
"Did she know what she was doing?" Arjun asked.
"Yes," Kunal said. "She said it was temporary. Just paperwork."
Arjun laughed once. Short. Dry.
"Paperwork ruins lives," he said.
"Why tell me?" Arjun asked.
Kunal looked uncomfortable. "Because my name was added as a witness."
Arjun looked up sharply. "You signed it too?"
"Yes," Kunal said. "And I shouldn't have."
Silence settled between them.
"You could have walked away," Arjun said.
"I tried," Kunal replied. "But she said you were aware."
That sentence hit harder than anything else.
"She lied again," Arjun said.
Kunal nodded. "That's why I couldn't stay quiet anymore."
Arjun stood up.
"Where is this flat?" he asked.
Kunal stood too. "I'll show you."
The building was new.
Fresh paint. Clean stairs. Security at the gate.
Arjun stood in front of the door.
A familiar nameplate.
Riya & Arjun.
His stomach twisted.
Kunal unlocked the door.
Inside, the flat was half-settled.
Boxes. A mattress on the floor. Curtains not yet hung.
Riya's bag lay near the wall.
Arjun stepped inside slowly.
Every step felt heavy.
"She was planning to live here?" Arjun asked.
"Yes," Kunal said. "After the transfer."
"With me on paper," Arjun said.
"Yes."
Arjun walked to the table.
There it was.
The agreement file.
He opened it.
His name.
His ID number.
His signature.
Or something that looked very close to it.
He flipped pages.
Witness: Kunal.
Broker: Signature.
Date: Clear.
Arjun's hands shook slightly.
"This is forgery," he said.
"Yes," Kunal replied. "But proving intent will be messy."
Arjun closed the file.
"She involved me legally," he said.
Kunal nodded. "That's why I asked you to come."
Arjun took out his phone.
He called Riya.
This time, he didn't ignore it.
She picked up immediately.
"Arjun—"
"Where are you?" he asked.
Pause.
"At home," she said.
"Come to Orion Residency. Block C," he said. "Now."
Her breathing changed. "Why?"
"Because if you don't," Arjun said calmly, "I go straight to the police."
Silence.
"I'm coming," she said.
Riya arrived thirty minutes later.
She froze when she saw Arjun standing near the door.
And the file in his hand.
"Arjun," she whispered.
He held up the agreement. "Explain."
Her face drained of color.
"I was going to tell you," she said quickly.
"When?" Arjun asked.
"After things settled," she replied.
"You used my name," Arjun said. "Without asking."
"I thought you wouldn't say no," she said.
That sentence ended everything.
"You didn't think I'd say no," Arjun repeated. "So you didn't ask."
She started crying. "I was scared."
"No," Arjun said. "You were comfortable lying."
Kunal stepped back, giving space.
"I needed the address," Riya said. "The HR wouldn't process without it."
"So you chose fraud," Arjun replied.
"I didn't think it was fraud," she said weakly.
"You signed for me," Arjun said. "That's fraud."
She looked at the floor.
"Is Vikram involved?" Arjun asked.
She didn't answer.
"Is he?" Arjun asked again.
"Yes," she whispered. "He helped with the broker."
Arjun exhaled slowly.
"Call him," Arjun said.
Riya shook her head. "Please don't."
"Call him," Arjun repeated.
She dialed.
Put it on speaker.
Vikram picked up.
"Hey," he said casually.
"I'm with Arjun," Riya said.
Silence.
Then Vikram spoke. "So you found out."
That confirmed everything.
"You used my name," Arjun said into the phone.
Vikram sighed. "Relax. It's temporary."
"You committed a crime," Arjun replied.
Vikram laughed lightly. "No one files cases over relationships."
Arjun smiled for the first time in days.
"I do," he said.
The line went silent.
Vikram disconnected.
Arjun looked at Riya.
"You have two options," he said. "We cancel this legally, today. Or I go to the police."
She nodded quickly. "Cancel. Please."
"Good," Arjun said. "Because I'm done protecting you."
They went to the broker's office.
Papers were signed. Cancellation initiated.
Penalties applied.
Riya paid.
Arjun didn't offer help.
By evening, it was done.
Arjun walked out alone.
No anger.
No shouting.
Just finality.
That night, Arjun sat on his bed.
Phone silent.
No unknown messages.
No Riya messages.
At 11:58 p.m., his phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
Unknown:
You handled that well.
Arjun replied.
Arjun:
You knew all this.
Pause.
Then:
Unknown:
I warned you when you still had time.
Arjun stared at the screen.
Arjun:
Who are you?
The reply came slower.
Unknown:
Someone whose life was ruined by the same signature.
Arjun's chest tightened.
Because that meant—
This wasn't the first time Riya had done this.