Advik :-
The moment I stepped into the Rathore mansion with my family, I forced myself to remember:
I'm here for Ira.
Not Reyna.
Not the girl who pointed a gun at my head.
Not the girl who somehow messed with my mind in less than 24 hours.
But destiny clearly had a sick sense of humor.
Because the first person my eyes landed on was her.
Reyna Rathore.
Standing in the hall in a black kurti, kajal smudged just enough to look dangerous and beautiful at the same time. Bangles tinkling softly on her wrist. Hair open, framing her face like she walked straight out of a damn perfume commercial.
And she froze when she saw me.
For a second, the whole room blurred out.
Her eyes widened.
My heartbeat kicked in-hard, fast, irritating.
And then I remembered.
She is not the girl I'm here for.
She is not the one Chachu wants me to marry.
She is not part of the plan.
I forced my gaze away instantly.
I had to.
Because staring at her felt like stepping into a trap I didn't know how to escape from.
Chachu and Papa greeted Rajveer. I stayed behind him, jaw tight, eyes fixed anywhere except her. But I could feel her stare burning holes in the side of my face.
And I hated that I noticed.
Ira wasn't here yet.
The real reason for this visit.
The elder daughter.
The one my uncle wanted as a stepping stone to power.
Not Reyna.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" I scolded myself silently.
But then it happened-
my eyes betrayed me.
Just once.
I glanced back.
She was still looking at me...
just a little hurt when I looked away earlier.
Something twisted in my chest.
Annoyance, Guilt and Attraction.
Everything mixed in one big mess I didn't ask for.
I tightened my fists.
No.
I can't afford to feel anything for Reyna Rathore.
Because she is NOT the one I will marry.
She is NOT part of the deal.
She is the girl I must avoid at all costs.
Seeing her yesterday was an accident.
Touching her was a mistake.
Feeling her tremble under my hand... an even bigger one.
And today?
Today I had to act like none of that ever happened.
I had to stay away.
Keep my distance.
Shut down every stupid spark that lit up inside me when she walked into the room.
Because the girl in black...
She was temptation.
She was danger.
She was the exact kind of distraction that destroys men like me.
And she wasn't mine.
She would never be mine.
I was here for Ira.
So I forced myself to breathe, straighten my posture, and look away from Reyna again- Even though every part of me screamed to look back.
My family sat on one of the expensive white sofas in the drawing hall-the kind of furniture you buy to show power, not comfort.
My father talked to Rajveer Rathore like they were discussing weather instead of politics, his tone smooth enough to fool anyone who didn't know him. My mother laughed politely at Devika's comments, though I could tell she was studying every corner of the mansion. My uncle sipped tea as if it wasn't spiked with subtle threats.
Every Raichand in that hall was smiling but every smile hid a blade.
I should have sat quietly, acted indifferent, played the dutiful son.
But I wasn't listening to a damn thing.
Because the only person I was aware of...
Was her.
Reyna Rathore stood near the staircase, not blending in with the decorations or the polite chaos-she stood out like a burning match in a dark room.
She didn't smile.
She didn't speak.
She didn't even try to pretend everything was normal.
She simply watched.
Watched us.
Watched me.
Her hair fell messily over one shoulder, her eyes sharp with suspicion, her lips pressed into a thin, annoyed line. She looked like she wanted to throttle someone and I had a pretty good idea who her favorite candidate was.
Our eyes met.
Just for a second.
But in that second, the memory of yesterday slammed into me like a punch.
I had tried to drown the thoughts of her last night in alcohol, in parties, in people whose names I didn't care to remember.
But every time I blinked, she was there.
And now... she was standing only a few feet away staring like she could still feel the echo of our fight.
As if she couldn't forget either and then,
My phone buzzed in my pocket.
A good distraction.
RUDRA CALLING.
My best friend since childhood.
My only friend, actually.
"Excuse me," I murmured to my family, already getting up. No one objected. They were too busy pretending alliances weren't another word for survival.
I walked upstairs, grateful to escape the suffocating fake politeness downstairs. The hallway was quiet. Empty. A little too dim. Perfect.
I answered just before it rang out.
Finally!" Rudra barked. "Took you long enough."
"Busy," I muttered, leaning against the railing.
"I know. Your uncle hauled you to that Rathore thing. Listen-party tonight. Big one. Come."
"No."
There was dead silence.
"No?" Rudra repeated slowly. "Advik Raichand, the definition of reckless nightlife, said no? Who are you and what have you done with my best friend?""
"I'm not in the mood."
"Who is she?" he asked instantly.
I sighed.
Rudra laughed. "Only a girl can make you this grumpy. Spill."
"I'm not talking about this."
"So there is a girl!"
"Rudra..."
"Fine, fine." He snickered. "Tomorrow then. You sound like you're about to stage a massacre."
"Tomorrow," I said.
And then everything stopped.
Because I felt her before I saw her. A shift in the air.
A subtle warmth at my left.
A spark crawling up my spine.
And then Reyna stepped out from around the corner.
Her arms were crossed, eyes were blazing and jaw was clenched.
She didn't look surprised to find me here.
She looked... ready.
Ready to fight me.
Interrogate me.
Probably kill me.
"Why are you here?" she demanded.
Her voice wasn't loud but it carried enough force to cut through steel.
"Rudra, I'll call you later," I said quickly and hung up.
Reyna marched closer.
One step, two and three.
Her energy shifted the whole hallway's temperature.
"I'm asking you something," she snapped. "Answer me."
"Reyna..."
"Why is your family here? What do you people want? What is the Raichand agenda?"
Her tone was sharp, but beneath it was fear.
Not fear for herself.
Fear for her family.
Of course she cared about them more than her own safety that made her even more dangerous.
"I'm not answering this," I said firmly.
Her eyes narrowed. "So you admit you're planning something."
I sighed. "I admit nothing. And you shouldn't jump to-"
She grabbed my collar.
Just like that.
No hesitation. No fear.
Her small fingers curled into the fabric of my shirt, pulling me down to her level with surprising strength.
"Tell me," she hissed.
I stared at her, really stared.
Her eyes looked beautiful in the dim light. Her lips were parted slightly, breath uneven. She was close enough that I could smell her- something warm and sweet and infuriatingly distracting.
"Let go," I said quietly.
"No."
"Reyna..."
"Answer me."
"I'm serious," I warned. "Let. Go."
"Make me." She said
That did it.
My control snapped like a poorly tied thread.
I grabbed her wrist- not harshly, but firmly enough and stepped forward, forcing her back. She wasn't expecting the sudden shift and stumbled, hitting the wall lightly.
I didn't stop.
I opened the nearest door, pulled her inside before she could protest.
I closed the door behind us.
The click of the lock echoed through the room like a gunshot.
Reyna's eyes widened for a second-surprise, not fear before she masked it behind that sharp, infuriating glare of hers.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she demanded.
Her voice didn't shake.
Of course it didn't.
"This," I said calmly, "is what happens when you grab my collar in a hallway."
"You dragged me into my own room," she snapped. "Are you insane?"
"Yes." I stepped closer. "You seem to bring that out in me."
She scoffed and tried to look away, but I caught her wrist before she could turn.
"Let go," she said, annoyed.
"You first," I replied.
Her jaw tightened. "I'm not done questioning you."
"Then ask without strangling me."
"I'll strangle you if you don't answer me."
I stared at her, half amused, half tempted to pin her to the wall again—just to watch her fight it.
"Why is your family here, Advik?" she demanded.
I kept my expression blank. "A visit."
"Don't lie to me." She stepped even closer, invading my space with surprising ferocity. "Raichands don't just visit. Especially not with the entire patriarchal lineup."
"My family can travel if they want to."
"No." She shook her head, eyes blazing. "Something's wrong. Something big. What are you planning?"
"Nothing."
"Bullshit."
"Reyna...."
"What did your father say to mine?"
"Nothing important."
"What did your uncle threaten?"
"He didn't threaten anyone."
"Do you take me for a fool?"
"Never," I said quietly.
Her glare faltered. Just a little.
But she kept going.
"What deal are you here to push?" she asked. "What alliance? What agenda? Are you planning an attack? Retaliation? A takeover? Don't pretend this is just a normal visit."
"You're thinking too much."
"I'm thinking exactly enough," she shot back. "Because I know families like ours. No one comes empty-handed. No one comes without a reason. Especially the Raichands."
I clenched my jaw.
She wasn't wrong but she wasn't ready for the truth.
"Your parents didn't tell you," I finally said.
Her brows knitted. "Tell me what?"
I didn't respond.
"Advik," she said, softer but more dangerous, "tell me. Now."
I stared at her.
She stared right back.
And then she grabbed my collar again.
Both hands this time.
Her face inches from mine. Her body nearly touching mine.
Her voice low, breath brushing my lips.
"Tell me why you're really here."
I felt her fingers tightening on my shirt.
Hot.
Angry.
Desperate.
"Let go," I said again.
"No."
"Reyna..."
"No. Not until you tell me the truth."
"You don't want the truth."
"Yes, I do."
"You won't like it."
"Try me."
"You'll hate it."
She smirked. "I already hate you."
God, she had no idea how much I liked hearing that from her.
"Remove your hands," I said again, slower this time.
She leaned in, eyes daring me.
"What will you do if I don't?"
As if she wanted to see the worst in me.
As if she wanted to provoke the monster she thought I was.
As if she didn't know she was the reason I was barely holding on.
You don't want to know," I said.
"I do."
"No, you don't."
She pulled me even closer. "Stop telling me what I want. Tell me why you're here."
"I told you-"
"LIE to me again," she said through her teeth, "and I swear..."
"Swear what?" I challenged softly. "What can you possibly do to me?"
"More than you think."
Her confidence was intoxicating.
And absolutely reckless.
"You're getting bold," I murmured.
"Bold?" She scoffed. "You dragged me into my room. Locked the door. And you're calling me bold?"
"You're the one holding my collar."
"You're the one hiding things."
"You're the one asking questions with no idea what you're walking into."
"I don't care."
"You should."
"I won't."
I exhaled sharply, frustration and admiration tangled in a mess inside me.
"Reyna..."
A warning. A plea.
A losing battle.
She didn't care.
"Tell me," she repeated. "Why are the Raichands here?"
"Your parents must have told you something," I tried.
"They told me nothing."
"Impossible."
"They didn't."
Her voice cracked.
Just a little.
But enough to make something in my chest twist.
"You really don't know," I said quietly.
Her grip loosened for the first time.
"Know what?" she whispered.
Everything in me stilled.
"Why don't you ask your parents?" I said.
"Because they won't tell me." Her voice rose. "They won't tell me anything! They treat me like a child. Like a soldier. Like a pawn. They think I should just stand pretty and obey. I'm asking you because you were there. I saw the way they spoke to you. I saw the way your grandfather looked at my father. I know something is happening and I deserve to know.."
She didn't realize her fingers were shaking.
And she didn't realize I could feel it.
Something in me snapped.
And I didn't even recognize myself in that moment.
One second, I was trying to hold on to logic,
to control,
to the damn walls I had built around myself for years.
But hearing her voice break...
Seeing that crack in her armor...
Feeling her hands clutching my collar like she wanted answers only from me-
It did something to me.
Something I couldn't undo.
A pulse hit my chest - hard.
Hot,Sharp and Dangerous.
Her next breath brushed my lips.
And that was it.
I lost control.
I didn't think.
I didn't plan.
I didn't stop to consider consequences.
I just reacted.
My hands shot up, cupping her face, my thumbs digging into her jawline. I tilted her head back, my eyes locking with hers, a silent, desperate question. Her lips, slightly parted, beckoned.
I couldn't resist. I leaned in, my mouth crashing down on hers, a savage, desperate kiss. Her back hit the wall with a soft thud, a gasp muffled by my lips.
For a moment, she stiffened, a silent shock radiating from her. But I didn't stop.
I kissed her harder, deeper, my tongue delving into her mouth, a desperate claim. My hands tangled in her hair, pulling her closer, pressing her against the cool plaster. Then, slowly, hesitantly, her lips softened.
Her hands, still clutching my jacket, relaxed, then rose, her fingers curling around my neck, pulling me even closer. Her mouth opened, responding to mine, a fiery echo of my own desperate need.
The world outside the room, the families downstairs, Ira, the marriage alliance – it all vanished, dissolving into a hazy, unimportant background. There was only Reyna. Her taste, her scent, the feel of her body pressed against mine. Only Reyna.
She tasted like defiance.
Like temptation.
Like the worst mistake I could possibly make and the only one I wanted.
When I finally tore my mouth from hers, both of us were gasping for air.
Her forehead stayed pressed to mine.
Her lips were swollen.
Her breath trembled.
She looked at me like I'd rewritten her entire world.
"Why..." she whispered, voice barely there, "why did you do that?"
I couldn't answer.
Because there were no words for what she did to me.
There never would be.
Before she could pull me or push me or scream at me...
I moved away
And everything after that wasn't talking anymore.