In the dim wreckage of Aisha's Bar, Nia Sharma faced Aisha Seth, her eyes heavy with resolve. "I stayed because of Robin," she revealed, her voice steady. "He pulled me from despair years ago, gave me the stage to become Drizzle Band's lead singer. I owe him everything." Her confession laid bare her debt to Robin Seth, a spark that fueled her rise.
Nia's gaze softened, a trace of pain surfacing. "I've loved him for years, unrequited, envying you for a decade," she admitted to Aisha, her words raw. "After your divorce, I'm leaving to find my own path." Her decision to depart Aisha's Bar, seeking freedom, struck Aisha like a betrayal, deepening her isolation.
Vikram Malhotra, lurking nearby, scoffed at Nia's words. "Loyalty? Just a ploy to jack up your price," he mocked, his voice dripping with disdain. Nia's eyes flashed with anger, and Aisha's patience snapped. "Enough, Vikram," she barked, reprimanding his tactless outburst. "You're making this worse." His recklessness further eroded her trust.
Aisha's suspicions churned, convinced Robin orchestrated Nia's exit as revenge. "He's tearing my empire apart," she muttered, her frustration mounting as her bar unraveled. Yet she refused to believe Nia's motives were her own, her anger blinding her to the singer's sincerity.
Nia shook her head, her voice firm. "Robin didn't force this," she said. "This is my choice. But if he needs me, I'll stand by him." Her unwavering loyalty to Robin, despite her departure, cut Aisha deeper, a testament to his lingering influence over those she relied on.
Aisha, unable to sway Nia, felt her control slip. Drizzle Band's exit threatened to gut a quarter of Aisha's Bar's revenue, its once-packed nights now at risk. Her empire, already battered by the Iron Syndicate, Black Lotus Crew, and Anna Brotherhood, teetered closer to collapse.
Anil Sharma, the casino manager, stepped forward with his team, their faces grim. "We're resigning," Anil announced, his tone resolute. "We stayed for Robin, out of loyalty to his protection." The casino masters' departure, citing their debt to Robin, shocked Aisha, stripping away another pillar of her bar's success.
Desperate to retain Anil's team and protect the casino's profits, Aisha's voice hardened. "Doubled salaries and a ten percent profit share," she offered, her words urgent. But Anil shook his head, unwavering. "Our loyalty's with Robin," he said, their resolve unshaken, leaving Aisha's plea unanswered.
Aisha's emotional collapse deepened as she realized Robin's influence had underpinned her bar's stability. The exits of Nia and Anil's team exposed her empire's fragility without him, each loss a hammer blow to her defiance. Her dream of outshining Regal Club flickered, nearly extinguished.
Vikram's continued incompetence, coupled with Aisha's mounting losses, fueled her regret. As Nia prepared to leave, her parting words hinted at seeking Robin, suggesting further shifts in loyalty toward Regal Club. Aisha stood alone in her crumbling bar, her resolve tested, her heart on the brink of breaking.