Aman stood frozen in the parking lot as Arnav’s car roared into its spot, Before Aman could even speak, Arnav was out, his face held anger. He didn't even glance at Aman as he stepped into his private lift, which opened directly into his executive cabin.

Aman followed quickly, catching the next elevator. When he pushed open the doors to Arnav’s cabin, he saw Arnav pacing like a caged lion. His eyes immediately fell on Arnav’s hand, which was covered in fresh blood stains.

Without a word, Aman turned and grabbed the first-aid box from the shelf. He walked over to his friend, his voice filled with worry. "What happened, Arnav? How did this happen? Did you get into a fight with someone?"

Arnav didn't even look at his hand. "How dare she?" he roared, his voice shaking with rage. "Now she is going to tell me what manners are? I’m not letting this go. I will not leave that girl!"

Aman paused, his brow furrowing in confusion. "A girl? Who? Yesterday you met with a 'Rain Girl,' and today you met another girl? What is going on?"

Arnav turned to him, his eyes dark. "The Rain Girl and today's girl... they are the same person! And do you know what she said? She called me mad. She actually called me a Laad Governor! I will not leave her."

Aman studied Arnav’s face, seeing a level of frustration he hadn't seen in a long time. "Do you even know who she is?"

Arnav simply shook his head, his jaw still tight. Aman sighed, guiding him toward the sofa. "Sit down, Arnav."

Arnav sat, still fuming, as Aman opened the first-aid box and began to carefully bandage the wounds on his hand.

Aman finished securing the bandage and looked up. "Forget about her for a moment, Arnav. You know that Maa has already selected a girl for you? They’ve already started preparing to go to her house."

Arnav didn't respond immediately. He stood up from the sofa and walked toward the floor-to-ceiling glass wall of his cabin. He stared out at the city skyline, his back to Aman.

"Yes... I know, Aman," Arnav said, his voice dropping to a low, heavy tone.

Aman stood up and followed him. "But Arnav, after what happened... are you sure? I mean—"

"I know," Arnav interrupted, his gaze fixed on something far in the distance. "But I can't see Mom upset because of me. For her sake, and for the family's happiness, I said yes to this marriage."

Aman walked up beside him and placed a supportive hand on his shoulder. Arnav turned slightly, meeting Aman’s gaze. He knew Aman was the only one who truly understood the weight he was carrying.

"You know I'm always here for you, right?" Aman said firmly.

Arnav’s intense expression softened for a split second, and a small, confident smirk touched his lips. He gave a sharp nod, acknowledging the brotherhood between them.

"Let's go," Arnav said, shifting back into his professional persona. "We have a meeting to run."

With their masks back on, they turned and walked together toward the conference room.

Gupta House

Khushi was sitting cross-legged on her bed, stuffed with a plate of hot jalebis. Between every sweet bite, she was busy complaining to her best friend—her idol of Devi Maiyya.

Laad Governor kahin ka!" Khushi muttered, waving a half-eaten jalebi in the air like a weapon. "Did you see that, Devi Maiyya? How rudely he was arguing with me? Instead of apologizing for hitting me, he had the nerve to show me his temper! He actually tried to pay me for my scratches... as if my pain has a price tag!"

As Khushi continued her heated conversation with the silent idol, her sister Payal walked into the room. She stopped in her tracks, watching Khushi vent her frustrations to herself. Payal shook her head with a small smile and walked over to the bed.

"What happened now?" Payal asked. "Who are you talking to so intensely?"

Khushi jumped slightly, then quickly pouted, her cheeks full of jalebi. "Nothing, Jiji... it’s just that nowadays, some people act like they bought the entire road! Like it’s their private property or something."

Payal sighed, sitting beside her. "Don't tell me you got into another argument today, Khushi. You were supposed to be careful."

"No, Jiji! It wasn't my fault," Khushi insisted, her eyes wide and innocent. "He was the one who hit me with his car! And instead of saying a simple 'sorry,' he started acting like he was the King of the world. He doesn't even know how to talk to a girl!"

Payal decided it was best to steer her away from her anger before she finished the whole plate of sweets. "Forget that for now. I just came for my dupatta—do you know where it is?"

Khushi hopped off the bed, swallowed her last bite, and pulled the dupatta out of the cupboard. She handed it to Payal with a flourish. As soon as Payal left the room, Khushi’s expression shifted right back to her 'complaint mode'.

She turned back to the idol, picking up the stickiest jalebi left on the plate. "As I was saying, Devi Maiyya... that man has no manners at all! He thinks his money can buy everything. But just you wait—if I ever see him again, I'll show him surly.

She took a defiant bite of her jalebi, her eyes sparkling with a mix of sugar and mischief.

--------At Night-------

The living room was filled with laughter and excitement as the entire family gathered to discuss Arnav’s marriage. Ratna was at the center of it all, her face glowing with pride as she passed around the photograph of the girl she had chosen.

"She is beautiful, isn't she?" Ratna asked, her eyes searching for approval.

One by one, everyone admired the photo. Even Aman leaned in to take a look, he smiled, genuinely impressed by the girl’s grace. "She's perfect, Maa ".

While the family chatted away, Arnav sat apart from them on the single-seater sofa. He was slowly sipping his black coffee, his eyes fixed on the dark liquid as if the world around him didn't exist. He didn't look at the photo. He didn't even look at his mother. To him, this was just a deal he had agreed to for the sake of his family’s peace.

Aman kept a close watch on him. After seeing the photo, he turned to Arnav, waiting for even a flicker of curiosity or a change in his expression. But Arnav remained a stone wall.

Without saying a single word, Arnav set his empty coffee cup on the table and stood up. Without a glance at the photo or a change in his cold expression, he turned and walked toward his room.

Aman’s smile faded as he watched Arnav’s stiff shoulders. Knowing his friend was struggling more than he let on, Aman quietly excused himself from everyone and followed Arnav upstairs.

Ratna stood in the living room, her eyes following Arnav’s retreating figure until he disappeared upstairs. She knew exactly why he had walked away without a word. It was still too early for him, Seeing his silent eyes, she didn't have the heart to call him back. Instead, she quietly told everyone to retire to their rooms for the night.

A few minutes later, Ratna was sitting on the edge of her bed, completely lost in her thoughts. She was so deep in her own mind that she didn't even hear the door open or notice when Arvind walked in. He watched her for a moment, seeing the worry etched into her face, before quietly sitting down beside her.

Ratna only snapped back to reality when she felt the warm weight of his hand on her shoulder. She turned, her eyes swimming with unshed tears, and looked at him.

"What are you thinking about, Ratna?" Arvind asked softly.

"I’m thinking about Chotte," Ratna confessed, her voice trembling slightly. "I don’t know why, but I feel like I’m doing something wrong by forcing him into this. Did you see his face tonight? He looked so disturbed... so lost. Arvind, and it's breaking my heart."

Arvind stayed silent for a moment, pulling her closer to offer some comfort.

Arvind sighed, his expression turning grave. "Ratna, I know that by forcing him, it feels like we are doing something wrong. But we have to do this. We don’t have any other choice if we want to save him. He must be married before he turns twenty-eight... you know what is at stake."

Ratna looked down, her heart heavy with the weight of a secret they couldn't share with the rest of the family. She gave a slow, reluctant nod. "You are right, Arvind," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Arvind reached out and took her hand, trying to offer some reassurance. "The girl you have chosen... you will see, Ratna. She will be the one to bring light back into our Chotte’s life. She will bring him the happiness he lost. Just have faith in Devi Maiya."

Ratna was about to respond, her lips parting to speak, when they heard a knock on the door, They turned toward the entrance to see Dadi standing there.

Arvind stood up immediately as his mother entered. "Maa... you're here? Is everything alright?"

Dadi walked in, her face showing her frustration. "Arvind, I’ve been trying to reach Purohit ji since this morning, but his phone is unreachable."

Arvind’s eyes widened in shock. "What? Maa, please don't tell me you haven't spoken to Purohit ji about Arnav’s alliance yet."

Dadi sighed, felt a bit stressed. "Beta, everything happened so quickly. Between selecting the girl and making the arrangements, I didn't get the chance to discuss the details with him yet".

Arvind took a deep breath to calm his own nerves. "It’s okay, Maa. Don't worry. We will call the Ashram first thing tomorrow morning and sort it out."

Dadi nodded, looking a little relieved by his words and She gave them a small, tired smile and walked out of the room.

Ratna watched her go, her hands trembling slightly. "I’m so worried for Chotte, Arvind. My heart is restless. I just hope everything goes well tomorrow."

Arvind walked back to her and tried to calm her down. "Don’t worry, Ratna. We’ll settle everything in the morning. Try to get some sleep."

Arvind helped Ratna settle down and wait for her to fall asleep, but as he lay down beside her, his own sleep remained far away from his eyes.

---------Arnav's Room--------

Arnav stood by the poolside, his eyes fixed on the distant stars. He didn't know if what he was doing was right or wrong, but for the sake of his family’s happiness, he was walking into this marriage that he didn't want it. He wasn’t looking for a partner. He knew he would be loyal to her, but he also knew his heart was closed—he could never love her. it weighed heavy on his chest.

He closed his eyes, and suddenly, a sharp flash of the past flickered behind his eyelids. Before the memory could consume him, he felt a familiar hand on his shoulder. He didn't need to look back, he knew exactly who it was. Taking a deep breath, he opened his eyes.

"Thinking about the past?" Aman asked softly.

Arnav turned to look at him, his expression unreadable in the moonlight.

"Arnav, move on," Aman urged, his voice full of concern. "How long will you live with these old memories?"

Arnav looked back at the water, his voice low and raspy. "Aman... jakham jitne purane hote hai utne hi gahre hote hai... As much as we run away from the past, the past never leaves us."

Aman felt a pang of sadness. He knew how hard it was for Arnav to let go, and he silently prayed that someone would enter Arnav's life who could finally wash away this pain. Noticing how heavy the air had become, Aman decided to change the subject to lighten his friend's mood.

Aman gave a teasing smile, trying to shake Arnav out of his dark thoughts. "Forget the past for a second. Tell me... how is your 'Rain Girl' doing?"

Arnav’s jaw tightened. "She is not my girl, Aman. And she never could be. Do you even know what she had the nerve to call me?"

"What?" Aman asked, leaning in.

"Laad Governor," Arnav snapped, the memory of her defiant face flashing in his mind.

Aman’s eyes widened. "What? Laad Governor?" He burst into a short laugh. Arnav sighed and explained the whole chaotic incident at the temple.

"Hmm," Aman mused, his grin widening. "Finally, someone has arrived who can actually challenge the great Arnav Singh Raizada."

"I will show her exactly who I am," Arnav muttered, his pride still stinging.

"Ha! Please do," Aman chuckled. "Show her exactly what you're made of."

Arnav glared at him. "Why are you smiling like an idiot?"

"Nothing," Aman said, pressing his lips together to stifle a laugh. "I’m just wondering who this girl is. Who has the guts to talk back to ASR like that?"

"Shut up, Aman," Arnav growled.

Aman ignored the glare and looked out at the pool, his voice turning soft as he recited a few lines of poetry:

"Milne ke baad unse...

Yuh ruthe mat rahiye,

Pachtayenge aap...

Ishq jaag uthta hai,

Aisi hi mulakaato ke baad."

Arnav looked at him in disbelief. "What? Since when did you start this nonsense?"

"Since now," Aman smiled. "Arnav, love can happen to anyone, anywhere. We never truly know when we’re going to fall for someone."

Arnav let out a sharp, cynical smirk. "Don't start with that now. Staying around Di, you turned you just like her."

"But I’m telling the truth," Aman insisted. "Do you remember? She always tells you that..."

Aman was cut off mid-sentence as someone interrupted them from the doorway.

Ek din tumhari zindagi mein woh ladki aayegi, jiske bina tumhaari dhadkane rukh jayengi. Jiske bina tum jee nahi paoge. Tumhe aisa lagega ki, agar woh tumhe na mili na, toh tumhaari saansein hi rukh jayengi."

(The day that girl comes into your life... your heart will stop beating without her. You won't be able to live. You'll feel as though your very breath will stop if you don't have her.)

They both turned at the sound of the voice and saw Anjali standing there, a knowing smile on her face. She walked toward them, her eyes sparkling.

"Am I right, Aman?" she asked softly.

Aman smiled back at her, while Arnav simply rolled his eyes.

"Di, this is never going to happen," Arnav said firmly. "Even if a girl like that ever came into my life, I would stay far away from her. I live my life using my mind, not my heart."

Anjali’s smile only widened. "You won't be able to do it, Chotte."

"And why is that?" Arnav raised his left eyebrow.

"Because if you try to walk away from her," Anjali replied, with bright smile, "you won't be able to breathe."

Arnav stared at her with an unbelievable look, completely stunned by her romantic logic, while Aman couldn't help but burst out laughing at the expression on Arnav’s face.

"You are unbelievable, Di," Arnav muttered. "I mean, saansein rukh jayengi? My breath will stop?"

Anjali nodded seriously, and Arnav just shook his head.

"Whether my breath stops for a girl or not," Arnav smirked, "after listening your cheesy words, my breath will definitely stop from exhaustion!"

Anjali’s mouth dropped open into a shocked 'O' shape. She shot a glare at Aman, who is now laughing at her, and he quickly pressed his lips together to go silent.

"Whatever!" Anjali huffed, rolled her eyes. "I actually came here to show you this picture. Look at her, Chotte. I know you will definitely like her."

Arnav closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to control his frustration. He didn't want to hurt his sister's feelings with his sharp words, so he stayed silent. Seeing the tension, Aman stepped in.

"Anju, you give it to me," Aman said gently. "I'll show it to him later."

He took the photo from her hand. Anjali looked at him, surprised that Arnav wasn't looking at it right now, but she didn't push.

"Okay..." she said, her smile returning. "But don't you even want to know her name?"

Both men looked at her, waiting. Anjali's smile wide.

"Payal Gupta."

To be continued......