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The afternoon sun hung lazily over Mumbai, washing the roads in a warm golden haze. The city hummed with its usual chaos—honking cars, hurried footsteps, vendors calling out, life moving too fast for anyone to slow down.

Nandini walked carefully along the pavement with grocery bags in both hands. Her phone was tucked between her ear and shoulder, balancing the weight like a warrior who had just survived a battlefield.

“I don’t know how girls even enjoy shopping,” she sighed dramatically. “God, it took me four hours just to buy groceries. Four hours! I seriously hate this whole fucking thing..”

A sharp laugh came from the other end.

“Princess Nancy,” Barkha teased before immediately scolding her, “who told you to go when you know how much you hate it? I’ve been telling you for a whole month that I’d bring everything. Why did you even step out? If something happens to you, your brother will kill me.”

Nandini rolled her eyes, shifting the heavy bags as she walked slower. “Yaar, let me do something on my own. Before coming here, I used to buy everything myself, you know.”

“That was different,” Barkha insisted. “Back then no one was with you. Now I am here. I can handle it. At least tell me you didn’t eat anything outside.”

A mischievous smile touched Nandini’s lips. “I only had ice cream… and I was planning to eat golgappe.”

“Nandita, don’t you dare—”

Before Barkha could finish, a car hit Nandini hard from the side.

The phone slipped from her hand and the grocery bags tore open, everything fall onto the road as she crashed down. Her knees scraped painfully against the rough road, her left hand burning as skin tore, but the pain barely registered.

“Nandita! Nandita! What happened-” Barkha’s voice came through the fallen phone.

But Nandini wasn’t listening anymore. Her heart had shattered at the sight in front of her.

She pushed herself up slightly, tears blurring her vision as she stared at the mess scattered across the road—milk spreading like a pale stream, apples rolling away, tomatoes crushed, packets soaked and torn. Her four hours of effort, gone in an instant.

A broken sound escaped her as she crawled forward, gathering the scattered groceries into her arms as if she could somehow fix them. “No… no, please…” she whispered helplessly.

“Mere pyare-pyare fruits, veggies, milk… sab us kutte andhi aankhon wale suar ki wajah se barbaad ho gaye,” she cried, clutching the ruined bags to herself.

(My lovely fruits, vegetables, milk… all got ruined because of that dog blind pig man.)

“Bhagwan kare use insaan ko khana na mile, aur mile to sada hua mile meri 4 ghante ki mehnat,” she muttered bitterly through her tears, earning a few strange looks from passersby.

(I pray he never gets food, and even if he does, it’s spoiled—after ruining my four hours of hard work.)

Her quiet sobs were suddenly cut off by the sharp blare of a car horn. She looked up to see the same car that hit her reversing, the driver clearly about to leave without a word.

Something inside her stilled. The sadness drained away, replaced by a slow, rising anger.

She got to her feet and strode toward the car, slamming her palm against the window again and again. “You stupid maroon broken-eyes idiot! Come out!” she shouted furiously.

Inside the black luxury car, it was a different world altogether. The steady hum of the engine filled the silence, mingling with the faint scent of expensive leather. Manik drove with one hand on the steering wheel, his jaw tight, phone pressed to his ear as his gaze shifted sharply between the road and the traffic ahead, impatience already creeping into his expression.

“Sir, I’m telling you, this meeting was finalized since morning,” Daksh’s voice came in fast and slightly breathless from the other end. “I sent the mail, the reminder, the follow-up—”

Manik exhaled sharply in irritation. “You know very well I had other things lined up.”

“Yes, sir, and I also know you forgot to check them. Like always.”

Before Manik could snap back, suddenly a girl come in front of his car, forcing him to hit the brakes hard. The vehicle jerked to an abrupt stop.

“Fuck…” he muttered, slamming his palm against the steering wheel.

“What happened, sir? Are you okay? Did something happen?” Daksh shouted worriedly. “Should I call an ambulance? Fire brigade? Police? Rescue team? 911? Veer sir—”

“Will you shut up!” Manik barked in anger. “This is happening because of you. I’m stuck here because of you. Why didn’t you tell me properly how important this meeting was this afternoon?”

“So now everything is my fault?” Daksh shot back dramatically. “I remind you, I schedule your meetings, I handle the company, I look after you, I update Veer sir—I basically run your entire life—”

But Manik had already stopped listening. His focus had shifted back to the road as he slowly began to reverse the car in irritation.

But before he could move properly, a figure suddenly appeared at his window. Nandini started banging against the glass.

Manik stilled for a brief second, surprise flickering across his face before it was quickly replaced by annoyance. Without thinking much of it, he rolled the window down just enough, pulled out a few notes from his wallet, and thrust them toward her without even properly looking.

“Take this.”

Nandini’s mouth fell open in disbelief.

“Take it fast. I don’t have time for your stupidity,” he snapped, his tone harsh enough to make her flinch, before turning back to the call. “Daksh, stall them. I’ll be there in a few minutes. What the hell…”

Instead of taking the money, Nandini grabbed his wrist and pulled his hand outside hard.

Manik’s head snapped toward her, his eyes narrowing dangerously. “What the hell? If you want more money, you can ask directly. What kind of behaviour is this?”

She didn’t answer.

Instead, she leaned inside through the open window, catching him completely off guard.

Manik instinctively leaned back, trying to create as much distance as possible, his brows knitting in confusion as she reached past him and, in one swift motion, pulled the keys out of the ignition.

The engine died instantly.

She stepped back, holding the keys between her fingers with a sweet almost innocent smile playing on her lips—one that clashed dangerously with the fire blazing in her eyes.

“When you don’t know how to drive,” she said calmly, tilting her head slightly, “you shouldn’t use a car.”

For a second, Manik just stared at her, stunned.

“What the hell? Just give me my car keys back,” he said, reaching out, but Nandini quickly stepped back, keeping them out of his reach.

“Sorry,” she said, all sweetness and innocence, “but I can’t do that until you pick up my groceries—the ones that are scattered on the road because of you.”

“Wait, what?” he let out a short, disbelieving laugh. “You seriously think I’m going to pick those up?”

She nodded, far too enthusiastically. “Yes. You.”

Manik’s jaw tightened, a flicker of irritation flashing in his eyes. “Do you even know who I am?”

“Aww, wait,” Nandini tilted her head, pretending to think. Then she turned, casually rummaging through her bag before pulling out a small diary and pen. She scribbled something quickly, tore the page, and handed it to him.

Manik frowned, glancing down at it. “What is this? The price you want?”

“No,” she replied, her voice dripping with mock sweetness. “It’s a neurologist’s address. You clearly need it. Your condition seems serious—you don’t even remember your own name.”

Manik’s eyes widened, disbelief colliding with rising anger as she went on, completely unfazed, “You can’t even drive properly. Maybe old age is catching up as anyone can tell you’re fifty-plus…” she shrugged lightly, as if diagnosing him on the spot, “…or maybe it’s Alzheimer's disease with a bonus of weak eyesight.”

“Shut up!” Manik snapped, his voice sharp enough to make her flinch.

The last thread of his patience snapped. He yanked off his seatbelt and pushed the door open, stepping out of the car, his expression dark and dangerous.

As soon as he stepped out of the car, Nandini realized she hadn’t picked a fight with an ordinary man. The moment his shoes touched the ground, his guards were already moving, stepping out alertly, eyes scanning the surroundings, positioning themselves around him with practiced precision.

But she wasn’t someone who backed down. Not when he had treated her hard work like it meant nothing.

“Give me my car keys. Now.” Manik’s voice came low and sharp as he walked toward her, each step measured, his gaze fixed on her with dangerous intensity. He stopped right in front of her, towering over her small frame, his presence heavy and suffocating against her five-foot-two height.

For a fraction of a second, the street fell silent.

Nandini clenched her jaw, her fingers tightening around the keys. Her eyes flicked downward briefly, catching sight of a small stone near her foot. She stepped onto it subtly, lifting herself just enough to meet his gaze head-on, refusing to look small and weak.

“I also told you,” she shot back, her voice just as cold, just as dangerous as his, “first pick up everything which was on the road. Then you get your keys. As simple as that.”

For a moment, Manik was taken aback.

It was subtle, almost invisible—but it was there. The fire in her eyes didn’t waver, didn’t flicker under his gaze. It held strong and unapologetic. As if she didn’t know who he was… or worse, as if she didn’t care.

No one stood like this in front of him. No one spoke to him like this. His name alone was enough to make people think twice, his presence enough to silence a room. And yet here she was—looking straight into his eyes like he was just another man.

How dare she?

The surprise faded as quickly as it had come, replaced by cold anger.

“You—” he stopped himself, jaw tightening before he changed his tone, making it colder, sharper. “Just tell me your price. I’ll pay ten times more than whatever you’re thinking. An amount you’ve never seen in your entire life.”

The words hit harder than he intended.

For a split second, her expression changed. The anger didn’t lessen—it deepened as his words tore open memories she had buried—days of running, of humiliation, of being looked at like something that could be bought.

Her face flushed red, fingers trembling for a split second before she forced herself to breathe, to compose, to lift her chin once more.

Then she smiled sweetly confusing him.

Before he could understand what she was doing, she lifted her hand and casually tossed the car keys over her shoulder.

They landed straight into the open sewage nearby with a faint, sickening splash.

Manik froze. For the first time, genuine shock crossed his face.

Even Roy and his guards stiffened.

Nandini brushed her hands together calmly, as if she hadn’t just done something completely outrageous. “You hit me, I threw your car keys,” she said lightly, almost cheerfully. “Score settled. Thank you and don’t ever come in front of me again.”

Without waiting for his reaction, she turned and walked back toward the road, crouching down to gather what was left of her groceries, as if the storm she had just created meant nothing at all.

Behind her, Manik stood unmoving, his shocked gaze following her every movement.

One of his guards instinctively stepped forward, about to grab her, but before he could even reach out, Manik’s hand shot out and clutched the guard’s wrist with crushing force. His eyes darkened dangerously as he glared at him.

The guard stiffened, immediately stepping back and bowing his head in apology.

Roy, his head guard, caught the signal at once and gestured subtly. Within seconds, all the guards retreated to their positions, maintaining distance.

Manik’s eyes shifted back to her.

Nandini was muttering under her breath, completely unaware or perhaps completely unbothered. “Gadha, ullu ka pattha… meri poori mehnat kharab kar di bewakoof, suar… Kansh mama kaika…”

(Idiot, useless fool… ruined all my hard work, you stupid pig… acting like some evil tyrant…)

Something in him shifted as he watched her. The shock slowly changed into interest.

No woman had ever walked away from him like that. No one had ever dared to challenge him, let alone humiliate him in the middle of the road. And yet she had done it without a second thought. Who was she? Why wasn’t she scared? Why didn’t she care about his money?

The questions irritated him more than the situation itself.

Then reality slammed back into him. His jaw tightened as he strode toward her. “How dare you—how dare—”

Before he could even finish, Nandini was already on her feet, moving so quickly toward him that he instinctively stepped back until his back nearly hit the car, to put distance between them.

She stopped right in front of him.

“The same dare you had to ask my price,” she shot back, her voice sharp with anger. “Who the hell do you think you are to say something like that to a girl? What if someone said the same thing to your sister or your mother? How would you feel then?”

The mention of his sister made something snap inside him. His anger flared violently as he tried to speak. “Listen, you—”

Her hand slammed hard against his Lamborghini with a loud thud, the force of it pushing him further back until he was almost pinned against the car, the suddenness of it catching him completely off guard.

“NO, YOU LISTEN TO ME,” she snapped, her voice ringing with fury. “Not everyone is after your goddamn money, you rich, spoiled brat. You can’t buy everything, you hear me? YOU CAN’T BUY EVERYTHING. And I am not something you can just buy. GOT IT?”

For a moment, Manik simply stared at her. And then, almost unconsciously, he nodded.

It was so unexpected, so unlike him, that even he didn’t realize it at first. For the first time in his life, someone had shouted at him like this, stood this close, challenged him without fear.

And he didn’t know how to respond. The usual authority, the dominance, the dangerous aura that made people step back… it simply wasn’t there in that moment.

Nandini blinked, clearly not expecting that reaction. Only then did she realised just how close she was to him, how she had practically pinned a man twice her size against his own car. A breath of laughter almost escaped her but she caught herself quickly, composing her expression before straightening.

“Good,” she said, stepping back. “Now behave like a good boy and help me pick up my things.”

She turned and walked back toward the scattered groceries.

As she bent down again, she noticed the silence around her. People had stopped to watch, and even his guards were staring at her as if she had just done something unimaginable.

Manik, still standing by the car, almost nodded again before catching himself. The realization hit him hard. What was he doing? And this time, the anger that rose wasn’t directed at her—but at himself.

His jaw tightened, his expression turning cold once again.

Now, he was determined.

This little fearless girl needed to be taught a lesson.

His gaze swept over the small crowd that had gathered, a slow smirk curling on his lips.

“Whoever picks up her things,” he announced casually, his voice carrying enough authority to silence the murmurs around, “I’ll give them one lakh.”

A stunned silence followed. People looked at each other, unsure if they had heard him right. Even Nandini turned to look at him, disbelief written all over her face.

Manik’s smirk only widened. “Ten lakhs.”

Still no one moved, shock holding them frozen while Nandini’s eyes remained fixed on him, her disbelief now laced with something darker.

“Twenty.”

That was all it took.

The hesitation shattered. Within seconds, people rushed forward, bending down to pick up the scattered groceries, some even pushing and arguing with each other in their urgency to gather more. The road turned chaotic, voices overlapping, hands grabbing whatever they could.

Manik watched it all with quiet satisfaction, his smirk settling into something colder, more assured—as if saying, without a word, see… money can do anything.

Nandini, on the other hand, stood frozen for a second, her face slowly turning red. Anger, humiliation and disgust churned violently inside her as Vidyut's words echoed in her head like poison.

I can buy anything, baby girl. Anything. Or Anyone… and that includes you.

Her chest felt tight, breath coming hard as rage flooded her veins like volcano.

Manik watched her reaction with pleasure, drinking in his victory. Then he glanced at Roy. “Give everyone their money.”

He turned slightly, ready to leave, when something flew at him out of nowhere and hit him squarely on the back.

The impact was sudden enough to make him stiffen.

He turned sharply—just in time to see her another sandal flying straight toward his face. He dodged it instinctively.

The entire street froze. Gasps rang out.

Nandini stood there, beetroot red, bare foot. In her anger, she began snatching the groceries back from the people who had picked them up, throwing whatever she grabbed toward him without care.

“You… how dare you!” she shouted, her voice shaking with rage.

His guards immediately moved, forming a protective wall around him, some stepping forward toward her, ready to intervene.

“Stop.”

Manik’s voice cut through sharply, low but lethal. His eyes never left her. “I fucking dare anyone to touch her,” he growled, each word deliberate. “The moment someone does, I swear that person will dies by my hand.”

The warning froze everyone in place instantly.

Nandini pointed at him, her hand trembling with anger. “Never. Never ever come in front of me again,” she said, her voice fierce despite the strain in it. “Otherwise, I will kill you.”

With that, she turned and walked away without looking back.

Manik stood there, unmoving, his expression unreadable, but his mind far from calm. The fire in her eyes, the disgust directed at him—it lingered.

For some reason, instead of feeling victorious, instead of feeling dominant the way he usually did, there was only a strange, hollow ache settling inside him. He knew he had crossed a line. He knew he was wrong. But the realization came too late.

The moment he saw her figure disappearing down the road, something in him snapped back to action.

“What the fuck am I paying you all for?” he barked at his guards. “Go after her. Follow her. Don’t let her go. Just don’t touch her.”

The guards scattered immediately, moving in different directions, and Manik followed without wasting another second.

But when they reached the turn where she had disappeared, she was nowhere to be seen.

They searched the nearby lanes, asked people, looked around every corner but it was as if she had vanished into thin air.

“Find her!” Manik snapped, his patience wearing thin. “She has to be here somewhere. She can’t just disappear. Find her!”

The search continued, but it led to nothing.

A little distance away, unnoticed by everyone, a figure in a black hoodie stood leaning casually against a Range Rover, watching the entire scene unfold with quiet interest.

A faint smirk played on his lips as his eyes followed Manik. After a moment, he signaled someone nearby with a slight nod. The other person acknowledged it and slipped away silently.

Only then did the man push himself off the car and slide into the driver’s seat, shaking his head lightly as if amused by what he had just witnessed. He had barely started the engine when a sharp slap landed on the back of his head.

He groaned instantly, wincing as he shot an irritated look at Nandini, who stood beside him glaring like she was ready to hit him again.

“What the hell are you doing out here watching that bastard?” she snapped. “Don’t tell me you’ve fallen in love with him?”

Nishant rolled his eyes, a lazy smirk forming on his lips. “No, no… but yes, I do like him,” he said casually. “The man’s got something. He got under your skin pretty fast.”

He chuckled at his own words—only to receive another sharp slap.

“Go and marry him then,” Nandini shot back, her voice filled with irritation. “You both will have a happily ever after because somewhere down the line, you’re also like him.”

Nishant only laughed, clearly entertained. “I was actually thinking,” he added, glancing at her sideways, “how about I arrange a date for you with him? I mean, he looks good… and yeah, rich too.”

Nandini turned to him slowly, staring as if he had completely lost his mind. “Are you serious?” she said flatly. “Handsome? From which angle did you find that old beast handsome? And rich? That bastard is nothing but a waste of oxygen. I’m warning you, Nishant—keep him away from me. Because if I see his face again, I will punch him.”

She tightened her grip on the water bottle in her hand so hard that it nearly crumpled.

Nishant watched her, barely holding back his laughter. “Are you sure you want to stay away from him?” he asked again, clearly enjoying this.

“Thousand percent,” she replied instantly, making a disgusted face.

This time, Nishant almost burst out laughing, but he controlled himself. He was the only one who truly knew who Manik was, but he chose to stay quiet. Instead, he tilted his head slightly and said, “I’m surprised, though. You’re angry instead of celebrating.”

Nandini frowned, confused. “What?”

“You just realized what you did?” Nishant continued, his tone turning amused again. “You controlled him, cornered him, scared him to the point he was actually shocked for a second. And you basically lived your fantasy—bumping into a rich, spoiled brat and putting him in his place.”

For a moment, she just stared at him. Then her confusion turned into realization and she laughed.

“Yes…” she said, almost in disbelief, clapping her hands lightly. “Oh my God, I can’t believe I actually did that. He was so shocked… literally so shocked. Oh God!”

Nishant watched her quietly, a small smile forming on his face. It had been a long time since he had seen her laugh like this—so freely, so openly. Two years of silence, restraint, and buried emotions… and now, for the first time, something had cracked through. It felt almost unreal.

“But why did you even pick a fight, Twiny?” he asked after a moment, his tone turning more serious. “You know how it works. Middle-class people don’t go around picking fights with rich, spoiled brats.”

Nandini’s smile faded slightly. She let out a small sigh. “I know I shouldn’t have,” she admitted quietly. “But his words… they reminded me of Vidyut. I couldn’t stop myself. I just kept getting angrier… and I think I took all that anger out on him.”

She paused, then added, her voice sharpening again, “But let me tell you one thing—he really is mannerless. Disrespectful, egotistic, arrogant, rude… I hope I never see him again.”

She turned her face toward the window as she said it.

Nishant watched her for a second before speaking again. “Yeah… but he didn’t let anyone touch you.”

Nandini hummed softly, the thought crossing her mind again. “Hmm… maybe,” she said, but then shook her head slightly. “Still doesn’t matter. He has no respect for anyone. Did you see how he used money just to prove a point? That was disgusting. Who does he think he is? Some kind of god who can control everything just because he has money?”

She exhaled, pushing the thought away. “Anyway, I’m not here for him. I’m here for Raj Malhotra. We should focus on that.”

Nishant smirked faintly to himself but said nothing.

Instead, after a brief pause, he pointed toward the back seat, trying to keep his expression neutral. “Look behind.”

“What?” she asked, turning around.

Her eyes widened when she saw the backseat overflowing with bags.

Confused, she leaned back and started checking them one by one—only to realize every single thing she needed was there. Groceries, milk, vegetables… even her toiletries.

For a second, she just stared at them, completely caught off guard then slowly, she turned back to him, smiling.

Nishant, on the other hand, kept his eyes fixed on the road, jaw slightly tight, clearly trying to maintain his usual composed, dominant demeanor as if he hadn’t just gone full personal shopper for her.

A smile crept onto Nandini’s face. She leaned closer and pinched his cheek. “Aww… you bought everything for me?” she teased.

Before he could react, she pulled his cheek again, grinning wider. “Can you imagine? The mafia king, Nishant Singh Raghuvanshi, goes grocery shopping for his cute, beautiful, and extra smart sister… aww, how cute.”

Nishant’s expression immediately twisted in annoyance as he pushed her hand away. “Just shut up,” he muttered. “You’re not that important, okay? My guards brought everything. You should actually be grateful I’m even here with you. You don’t deserve even 0.000001% of my time, bhatkati hui chudail.”

Her face turned red instantly. “You stupid, smelly dog, moron, gobar ke keede… Bhagwan kare teri meeting ke beech tera nada khul jaaye,” she snapped, starting to slap his arm repeatedly.

(May your drawstring come undone in the middle of your meeting.)

Nishant abruptly hit the brakes and pointed toward the door. “Get out.”

“Tu tadap tadap ke marega, kide… baddua lagegi meri!” she shot back dramatically as she opened the door.

(You’ll suffer and die miserably, my curse will hit you!)

“Out,” he repeated, deadpan.

“Tera cheese pizza jali hui roti ban jaaye. Coca-Cola gutter ka paani ban jaaye. Tere saare kapde chuhe kha jaaye—tu—” she continued ranting as she stepped out.

(May your cheese pizza turn into burnt bread. May your Coca-Cola turn into drain water. May rats eat all your clothes—)

“Wait,” Nishant suddenly said, unbuckling his seatbelt.

But before he could say anything else, Nandini burst out laughing and ran a few steps away. He shook his head, a small smile escaping despite himself.

A second later, she came back and knocked on his window. He instantly straightened, his expression turning serious again as he rolled it down. “Say it fast. I don’t have time.”

“Tell your men to bring those bags to my apartment,” she said quickly. “My back is hurting, and my knee and leg are already paining because of that bastard.”

Before he could respond, she grabbed the chocolate bar from the dashboard without asking and walked away, leaving him there.

Nishant let out a quiet sigh, shaking his head again, though the faint smile didn’t leave his face this time.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

Meanwhile, after failing to find Nandini anywhere, Manik finally returned to his penthouse, irritation and something heavier sitting in his chest. He had already instructed his men to keep searching, but the fact that she had disappeared so easily didn’t sit well with him.

The moment he stepped inside, Daksh rushed toward him. “Sir, are you okay? Why did you cancel the meeting? You know Neyonika ma’am took advantage of that and secured the deal,” he said, clearly worried and already bracing himself for Manik’s anger.

But instead, Manik simply loosened his cufflinks and said, “It’s okay. Let her enjoy.”

Daksh blinked, completely thrown off. “What?”

He stared at him, trying to process what he had just heard. “Sir… are you okay? What happened? How did the accident happen? Who was that girl shouting at you? Are you hurt? Should I call a doctor? Ambulance? Do you need anything?”

Questions poured out one after another, but Manik didn’t respond.

“Not now, Daksh,” he said curtly before walking straight inside, leaving him standing there, completely stunned.

Because Manik Malhotra never stayed quiet after losing a deal—especially not to Neyonika. Never.

Daksh ran a hand through his hair, already losing his patience. “What the hell just happened to him…” he muttered under his breath.

Just then, Roy walked in. The moment Daksh saw him, he rushed forward. “What happened? Why is he so…”

“Quiet?” Roy completed, raising a brow.

Daksh nodded immediately. “Yes!”

Roy’s expression shifted into something almost amused, mixed with disbelief, and then he started explaining everything that had happened on the road. By the time he finished, Daksh was staring at him as if he had just narrated some impossible story.

“She seriously did this to sir?” Daksh asked, unable to process it.

Roy nodded, still slightly stunned himself.

A second later, Daksh snapped out of it and quickly dialed a number. “Veer sir, you won’t believe what just happened,” he said the moment the call connected, and then went on to narrate everything in one breath.

On the other end, Veer went silent for a moment before letting out a disbelieving laugh. “She did what?”

“I’m not joking!” Daksh insisted. “She literally made him speechless!”

The amusement in Veer’s voice faded slightly, replaced by concern. “Daksh, make sure Manik doesn’t do anything to that girl, okay? I’ll try to reach Mumbai as soon as possible.”

“Don’t worry,” Daksh said, but then a mischievous smirk spread across his face. “Actually, Veer sir, I’m telling you from today—I’m praying daily that she becomes my bhabhi. I mean, what kind of girl is she? She made Manik sir speechless! I want her as my bhabhi, no matter what.”

Veer laughed on the other end and agreed.

After the call ended, Daksh looked at Roy with renewed excitement.

Roy immediately understood. “Don’t worry. I’ll find her.”

Daksh clasped his hands dramatically. “She’s not just a girl, Roy. She’s a devi… the only one who can control this monster. Jai ho devi ki!”

Roy couldn’t help but laugh at his theatrics.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

Inside Manik's private room,

Manik stood alone in the silence. The noise of the outside world felt distant, irrelevant. Slowly, he reached into his pocket and pulled out her sandal—the one she had thrown at him.

He placed it carefully on the table in front of him, his gaze fixed on it as if it held all the answers he was looking for.

For a moment, he just stared.

Even now, he couldn’t believe he had picked it up and brought it with him. Something about the entire situation felt off, unfamiliar.

And yet…

A faint, unreadable expression crossed his face as flashes of her came back to him—the fire in her eyes, the anger, the way she had looked at him without even a trace of fear. The disgust in her gaze still lingered, sharp and unfiltered. It was different. She was different.

No one had ever spoken to him like that. No one had ever told him he was wrong—not like that, not so openly, so fearlessly. People obeyed him, agreed with him, stayed silent even when they shouldn’t… because he was Manik Malhotra. Because he had money, power, a name that meant death.

But she… she hadn’t cared about any of it.

She hadn’t even taken his money.

Why?

The question echoed in his mind, growing louder with every passing second. Why wasn’t she like the others? Or was she… just pretending in front of him?

The confusion only made him more restless.

His jaw tightened slightly as he looked down at the sandal again, his thoughts spiraling in directions he wasn’t used to.

“Don’t know who you are,” he murmured under his breath, almost unconsciously, “but don’t worry… I’ll find you.”

༺★༻

So…

How was the chapter, guys?

Did you enjoy their first meet… or should I say, their first fight?

What do you think about Nandini?

And Manik—any thoughts on him?

Also, tell me… any words for our handsome Nishant or our cutie pie Daksh?