Chapter 60: ✿Chapter 53✿

जादू है, नशा है, या प्यार की बात,

दिल को लुभाए ये कैसी सौगात?

नज़रें मिलीं तो असर छा गया,

धड़कन ने जैसे कोई गीत गा दिया!

◇

Author's POV

The atmosphere in the Agarwal house was thick with tension. The once lively mansion, always brimming with arrogance and pride, now felt suffocatingly silent.

The grand chandelier cast dim light over the living room, where four figures sat-Avantika's father, her uncle, and their respective wives.

The women remained quiet, their eyes downcast, listening intently as the men discussed the inevitable downfall that had started to consume their empire.

Manoj ran a frustrated hand through his hair, his usually composed demeanor cracking.

"This isn't normal. Everything-our deals, our partnerships, even our long-standing clients-everyone is pulling away. And no one is giving us a straight answer!"

Pratgham shook his head, his fingers tapping restlessly against the glass table.

"We didn't make any wrong moves bhaiya. There were no mistakes, no leaks in the business plans, and yet... projects are getting canceled overnight."

Viransha glanced at her husband cautiously. "Could it be a competitor?" she asked hesitantly.

Manoj scoffed. "Which competitor has the power to do this? We've dominated the market for decades. No one can destroy us this easily!"

"But someone is," Pratham muttered.

"And whoever it is... they're doing it too precisely, too quietly. No media scandals, no legal trouble-just a slow, silent collapse."

Meenakshi finally spoke, her voice low. "Then it means whoever is doing this isn't attacking for money. This isn't business rivalry... It's personal."

A heavy silence settled in the room.

Manoj's fists clenched. "Then who? Who would dare come after us like this?"

No one had an answer.

But deep down, a faint unease crept into Manoj's mind, a nagging thought he refused to acknowledge. Because if it truly was personal....

The Raghuvanshi family was going on a trip.

A long one.

And the mastermind behind this unexpected plan? Avyansh Raghuvanshi.

The moment he announced it, the entire dining table fell into stunned silence.

Forks were paused mid-air, glasses were left untouched, and every pair of eyes turned toward Avyansh, as if confirming whether they had actually heard correctly.

For a man who prioritized work over leisure, a family trip was the last thing anyone had expected from him.

Ruhaan, being Ruhaan, was the first to react.

He leaned forward dramatically, squinting at Avyansh.

"Bhai... theek hai tu? Kahin chot-wot toh nahi lag gayi?"

"Did someone blackmail you bhai?" Devika added, raising an eyebrow suspiciously.

Dev, still munching on his roti, spoke with a mouthful, "Yaa toh koi dhamki mili hai. Bhabhi ne dhamkaya hoga."

Avyansh just sighed, shaking his head at his so-called intelligent siblings.

And just as he was about to take a sip of water, Anjali decided to drop a bomb.

"Agar honeymoon pe jaane ka plan hai toh jao, hum mana thodi karenge. Hume kyu le ja rahe ho?"

Cough-Choke-Gasp.

Avantika, who had just taken a bite, immediately choked on her food. She grabbed her water, coughing, while Avyansh patted her back, shaking his head at his Choti Mummy for her boldness.

"Mummy yaar, hesitate," Devika scolded, though she was also grinning.

Dev smirked, adding fuel to the fire, "Dadi so gayi hai na, isliye Mummy ki hesitation bhi so gayi hai."

Ajay sighed, shaking his head at his wife. "Bacho ke saamne kya baat karti ho, Anjali?"

"What? Bhabhi, maine kuch galat kaha kya?" Anjali asked innocently, looking at Pakhi, who only shook her head, suppressing a laugh.

The entire table burst into laughter, while Anjali smacked Dev on the back of his head for his earlier comment.

Meanwhile, Avantika's face was still bright red, whether from choking or embarrassment, no one could tell.

And Avyansh?

He simply leaned toward Avantika and whispered in a low, teasing voice, "Toh... honeymoon pe chalein?"

This time, she nearly dropped her spoon.

Avyansh had planned this trip solely to distract Avantika.

To pull her away from the darkness she was drowning in.

As they returned to their room, he followed her, his eyes naturally trailing behind her-again.

And again, his gaze landed on her waist.

Why? Why was it always her waist that drew his attention?

His thoughts were cut short when she suddenly turned around.

Busted.

Avyansh quickly jerked his eyes up, clearing his throat as if nothing had happened.

"Kya?" She asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Kya?" He repeated, playing dumb.

"Suna aapne?" She asked, tilting her head slightly.

"Ah-ha... suna na," he nodded, trying to act casual.

She gave him a blank look and, without

missing a beat, said-

"Haan toh ja rahi hoon mai. Oggy ke shaadi mai. Doraemon ne bulaya hai, Shinchan ne call kiya tha."

"Hein? Kya-kya-KYA??" Avyansh blinked rapidly, confusion written all over his face.

"Kya?" She repeated, her expression serious.

"Suna na aapne jo kaha maine?" She asked again, crossing her arms.

His brows furrowed. "Kis Oggy ki shaadi? Doraemon? Kya keh rahi ho aap?"

Avantika simply shrugged. "If you haven't heard it, you should've told me. Jhuth kyu bola ki suna tha?"

Before he could respond, she turned on her heel and walked ahead.

Avyansh stood there for a second, processing what just happened.

"Aree Jaan-" he called after her.

She stopped in her tracks. "STOP calling me that!" She snapped, turning around to glare at him.

A smug smirk tugged at his lips. "Apni jaan ko 'jaan' keh kr nhi bulayenge ko kya bulayenge?"

Her glare only intensified. "Kuch bhi!"

He stepped closer. "Matlab... koi aur naam rakh lein?"

She clenched her jaw. "Avyansh!" She warned.

He chuckled, tilting his head slightly. "Thik hai, Mishti Jaan."

"Don't cross your line. Abhi tak haan nahi kaha maine!" Avantika warned, her voice firm as she pointed her finger at his face.

Her eyes were sharp, but the slight tremble in her hand didn't go unnoticed.

Wrong move.

Before she could pull back, Avyansh grabbed her wrist, his grip firm but gentle.

And in a swift motion, he placed her palm over his chest, right above his heart.

"Isse feel kijiye," he murmured, his voice low and steady.

Avantika's breath caught in her throat as she felt it.

His heartbeat.

Fast. Intense. Uneven.

"Bina haan kahe hi aapke liye kitne zor se dhadak raha hai," he continued, his eyes never leaving hers.

Her lips parted slightly, but no words came out. Her mind went blank.

She could feel it-each beat, rapid and desperate. Like his heart was trying to tell her something before his lips could.

She swallowed, her body betraying her as warmth crept up her neck.

And then-

"Jab aap haan kahengi.."

He tilted his head slightly, his gaze dipping to her lips for a brief second before locking onto her eyes again.

"Tab kahin shock mein dhadakna band na karde," he smirked.

Avantika snatched her hand away, her face burning.

"Aapka drama khatam ho gaya?" She huffed, crossing her arms.

"Abhi toh shuru kiya hai, Mishti."

And that smirk on his face? Undeniably dangerous.

Meanwhile...

Dev and Ruhaan had originally come to talk about the trip, but as soon as they reached the door, they heard voices from inside.

At first, they leaned in closer, thinking it was a normal conversation. But what they heard next made them freeze.

Their quiet, introverted, yet dangerously sharp-tongued cruel brother was... flirting?

And not just flirting-effortlessly.

"Abhi toh shuru kiya hai ,Mishti "

Ruhaan's mouth fell open. Dev nearly choked on thin air.

Yeh... Bhai... hai??

They had grown up seeing Avyansh as the silent, unreadable, business-minded, slightly terrifying elder brother. But here he was, throwing out romantic lines as if he were the lead in some Bollywood movie.

And their Bhabhi?

She wasn't blushing or getting shy.

She was angry.

Dev dramatically placed a hand on his chest, shaking his head. "Chi... Bhaiya prem mein pagal ho gaye hain."

Ruhaan smirked, nodding in agreement. "Haan, pehle toh sirf Bhabhi ka naam lene pe sirf expression change ho jata tha, aur ab dekho..." He whispered

Dev snorted. "Humari bhabhi ne multiple personalitiy disorder wale admi se shaadi kr li. "

Ruhaan sighed dramatically. "Maine socha tha Avy majnu nahi banega... Par yeh toh full romantic hero nikla!"

Before Dev could reply, the door suddenly creaked open.

Both of them froze.

And there stood Avyansh, arms crossed, an eyebrow raised, and a look that screamed Tum dono ki band bajne waali hai.

Avantika, peeking from behind, looked confused.

Dev gulped, nudging Ruhaan. "Bhaiya... kuch boliye... warna humari antim yatra yahi nikal jayegi."

Ruhaan grinned nervously. "Uh... woh hum toh bas... night patrol!"

Dev nodded rapidly. "Haan! Security check kar rahe the... Aap dono safe ho na?"

Avyansh narrowed his eyes. "Main abhi dikhata hoon kaunsi security check ho rahi thi."

Before they could react, Avyansh took a step forward, and both Dev and Ruhaan sprinted down the hallway, laughing and dodging the inevitable punishment.

Avyansh shut the door as Avantika turned around and sat on the bed, picking up her phone.

"I am not going on the trip," she said casually, scrolling through her screen.

Avyansh, who had just settled onto the bed with a pillow under his chin, lifted his brows. "Why?"

"There are some assignments I have to submit. And then projects hai kuch," she replied, her tone indifferent.

He propped himself up on his elbow. "We will be back in one week."

"I have already wasted one week." Her voice was calm, but firm.

Avyansh narrowed his eyes. Wasted? Did she really think that?

Before she could react, he snatched the phone from her hands.

"Aree-!" She tried to grab it back, but he was faster.

His gaze landed on the screen.

A competition banner filled the display.

Different categories. Music. Debate. Creative arts. It was happening next week-right after their trip.

His lips curled slightly. "You're going to participate?" He asked, his voice holding a hint of curiosity.

"Nahi... I was just looking, then saw this." She shook her head.

Avyansh hummed, still staring at the screen.

She wasn't the type to just 'look' at something like this.

"You want to participate?" he asked again, his voice softer this time.

"No," she replied without looking at him, still focused on the screen.

A small smirk played on Avyansh's lips as he shifted closer, inch by inch.

She didn't notice.

Her fingers absentmindedly scrolled through the competition details, her brows furrowing slightly. He noticed.

His gaze flickered to her face, then back to the phone screen.

Music category. His smirk grew.

"Sochiye phir se," he murmured, his voice just a little too close.

She blinked, finally realizing the lack of space between them.

Her head turned-only to find his face just inches away.

Her breath hitched. When did he get this close?

"You don't want to participate?" he asked again, his voice smooth, challenging.

She swallowed, gripping the phone tighter. "I said no."

"Hmm," he hummed, unconvinced.

She should have looked away. But she didn't.

And neither did he.

Avyansh shifted back suddenly, his expression unreadable. "I'm coming," he muttered before standing up and walking out of the room.

Avantika frowned. What was that?

Meanwhile, Avyansh strode in his office, his phone already in his hand. He had just remembered something-a coincidence, or maybe fate.

He had been invited as the chief guest for an upcoming inter-university event, but he had initially declined due to their planned trip.

Now, it seemed like he needed to change a few things.

He scroll dialing number-straight to the university's administration office.

"Hello, Mr. Raghuvanshi, what a surprise! How may we assist you?" the voice on the other end greeted politely.

"I need a favor," Avyansh said, leaning against his desk. His tone was polite, but firm enough to indicate he wasn't asking-he was telling.

"Of course, Sir. Please let us know."

"I want the upcoming inter-university competition postponed by two weeks," he stated casually, as if shifting an entire event's schedule was no big deal.

There was a pause. Then, a hesitant reply, "Sir... that competition has been planned for months. The arrangements are already made. The participants, the judges... we-"

"I understand," Avyansh interrupted smoothly, "but you will reschedule it."

"Sir... rescheduling such a large event on short notice-it would require a strong reason, a high-level approval-"

"Then get the approval," he said, his voice calm but laced with quiet authority. "I will be there as the chief guest."

A stunned silence followed.

"You... you will be attending, Sir?" the official finally asked, sounding surprised.

"Yes. And I assume that changes things?"

"O-Of course, Mr. Raghuvanshi! Having you as the chief guest would be a great honor for our institution. If you wish for the competition to be rescheduled, we will see what can be done immediately."

"Good. Also, make sure the final list of participants is available by the end of this week. I want it sent to me personally and..allow more participants to join." he added, sitting down in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the desk.

"Understood, Sir. I will ensure it is arranged accordingly."

"One last thing."

"Yes, Sir?"

"Keep it discreet. I don't want anyone-especially certain participants-knowing that the change was made because of me," he said.

"Absolutely, Sir. It will be handled quietly."

"Good. Then I'll see you all soon."

He ended the call, leaning back in his chair, satisfied.

Back in the Room

Avantika was still sitting on the bed, scrolling through her phone, deep in thought.

The competition... it wasn't that she didn't want to participate. She did.

But something was stopping her.

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