"Avira, lock the door quickly and come downstairs!"
Adya didi's voice echoed from downstairs, making me panic instantly.
"Aa rahi hoon didiiii!" I yelled back while running downstairs like my life depended on it.
AVIRA MALHOTRA-"She looked like poetry written in sunlight - soft, beautiful, and impossible to forget."
Class twelfth neet aspirants.
"Simple and sweet unless someone harm the people she loves."
And carefully picked up the offering plate for Mahadev's darshan.
Because honestly?
If I made my sister wait for even two extra minutes, she'd roast me for the next three business days.
The second I sat on the bike, Adya glared at me.
"Can you behave like a civilized person for once?" "Basic decency naam ki bhi koi cheez hoti hai, Avira.
she snapped. "
You jumped on the bike like a monkey."
I gasped dramatically.
"Wow. Character assassination in broad daylight."and by the way"I did not jump."
"You almost killed all three of us."
Before I could defend myself further,
Ekansh bhaiya sighed tiredly.
"Both of you stop fighting," he said while starting the bike."Or we'll miss the aarti."
And just like that, my future jiju saved me once again.
He's like my unofficially personal bodyguard whenever Adya didi decided to murder me.
Honestly, Ekansh bhaiya deserved an award for tolerating my sister.
In two years, they'd get married anyway. Bhaiya handled his family business while didi was currently interning at Rajvansh & Co.
Even though he had offered her a high position directly under him, didi refused.
She wanted to earn success herself.
No favoritism.
No privilege.
Very Adya-like behavior.
Soon we entered through brijhamdari Gate through evening roads were quieter than usual as we crossed balshri Guest House and disksha Hostel.
But the moment Royal Crest Hostel came into sight, my heartbeat slowly started increasing.
That hostel was infamous.
Most boys there belonged to rich political or business families. People whispered stories about guns, fights, and boys who acted like laws didn't apply to them.
Some even carried kattas openly.
I hated people like that.
Spoiled rich monsters who treated fear like entertainment.
Lost in my thoughts, I didn't notice the black sports bike speeding toward us until-
SCREEECH!
The bike rammed into ours from the side.
Everything spun.
I lost balance and fell straight onto the road.
"Ouch!"
"Gayi bhains paani mein!" I groaned while dusting my ruined dress angrily.
Perfect.
Absolutely perfect.
"Didiiii!" I complained dramatically. "My dress got dirty because of some idiots!"
Adya rushed toward me instantly while Ekansh bhaiya walked toward the boys near the black bike.
One of them removed his helmet casually.
And suddenly-
The atmosphere changed.
Tall.
Broad shoulders.
Black shirt folded till his elbows.
Sharp jawline.
Cold eyes.
He looked terrifyingly calm.
Not loud.
Not angry.
Just... dangerous.
The kind of person whose silence felt heavier than screams.
Beside him stood another guy wearing a grey hoodie.Unlike the first boy, his expression was sharper, more alert.
Serious.
Observant.
But calmer.
More human.
AVYUKUT SHEKHAWAT- At just twenty-six, Avyukt Shekhawat was already one of the most feared names among political and business circles.
And when he did Someone usually suffered afterward.
Unlike loud politicians' sons who wasted time partying publicly, Avyukt remained controlled and dangerously intelligent.
Every move he made was calculated.
Every word carried authority.
Every silence carried threat.
"You blind or what?" Ekansh snapped angrily. "Can't you see the road?"
The hoodie guy immediately frowned.
"Watch your tone," he replied coldly.
"Your bike hit us!"
Before things escalated further, the tall boy finally spoke.
"Reyansh."
One word.
That was enough.
The other boy instantly stopped talking and looked at him.
So his name was Reyansh.
Ekansh clenched his jaw angrily. "Your friend almost made us fall."
The tall boy slowly looked at him.
"And?"
That single word carried enough arrogance to suffocate the entire road.
Ekansh stepped forward. "Someone could've gotten seriously hurt!"
The boy stared at him silently for two seconds.
Then suddenly-
He pulled out a gun.
And pointed it directly at Ekansh.
My breath stopped.
Adya froze beside me.
Fear crashed into my chest violently.
The gun looked horrifyingly normal in his hand.
Like he had held it a thousand times before.
"Ekansh..." Adya whispered shakily.
The tall boy's expression remained emotionless.
"You're talking too much."
His voice was deep.
Calm.
Th calmness scared me more than shouting ever could.
"Bhai," Reyansh muttered seriously this time, "leave it. It was our mistake too."
The tall boy didn't move.
Reyansh sighed before stepping closer to him slightly.
"Avyukt."
So this monster's name was Avyukt.
For a moment, silence stretched dangerously between them.
Then finally-
Avyukt lowered the gun a little.
Not completely.
Just enough to show he had listened.
My eyes widened slightly.
So Reyansh was probably the only person he actually listened to.
"Thank you," Reyansh muttered sarcastically. "Very kind of you not to start a murder case outside kashi international collage."
Avyukt ignored him completely.
Then his eyes shifted toward me.
And suddenly-
I forgot how to breathe.
His gaze slowly traveled across my terrified face before stopping at my trembling hands.
His eyes stayed on me for a few silent seconds.
Too long.
Long enough to make me uncomfortable.
Then slowly, he started walking toward me.
Every step felt controlled.
Dangerously slow.
Adya immediately pulled me behind her.
"Stay away from her."
Avyukt stopped walking.
Then looked at the hand gripping my wrist.
Something dark flashed through his eyes for a second.
"Move," he said coldly.
"No."
Reyansh closed his eyes briefly.
"Great," he muttered under his breath. "Now both sides are stubborn."
Avyukt's expression hardened slightly.
But before things could worsen, Reyansh stepped between them casually.
"Relax," he said while looking at Adya.
"He's not gonna shoot anyone now."
"Now?" Ekansh repeated angrily.
Reyansh looked genuinely thoughtful.
"Fair point."
Even in that terrifying situation, I almost stared at him in disbelief.
How was he joking right now?
"Reyansh," Avyukt warned quietly.
"Okay, okay," Reyansh sighed. "Anger issues activated again."
Then Avyukt looked at me once more.
"Are you hurt?" he asked quietly.
N-no
His gaze softened slightly.
Not warm.
Just less sharp.
"Pretty," he murmured absentmindedly.
My eyes widened.
Adya looked ready to murder him.
Ekansh stepped forward angrily again. "Enough. We're leaving."
The softness disappeared instantly.
Avyukt raised the gun again.
This time directly at Ekansh's forehead.
"I don't remember giving permission."
Fear exploded inside me.
"Please don't..." I whispered shakily.
His eyes immediately shifted toward me.
And something terrifying flickered inside them.
Possessiveness.
Interest.
Obsession.
All at once.
"Bhai," Reyansh said seriously this time.
"Lower the gun. She's crying."
For a few seconds, Avyukt didn't respond.
Then slowly-
He lowered it.
Relief rushed through me instantly.
Reyansh glanced at me before speaking casually again.
"You know, this is a big achievement."
Nobody replied.
"He usually gets more irritated when people cry."
"Reyansh," Avyukt said flatly.
"What? I'm helping your image."
Avyukt ignored him and looked back at me.
"What's your name?" he asked quietly.
"A-Avira..."
"Full name."
"A-Avira Malhotra..."
Then finally, he spoke properly.
"Myself Avyukt Shekhawat."
My heartbeat stopped.
"Final-year PG student.
No wonder he acted untouchable.
"And this idiot is Reyansh Singhania,"
Reyansh looked offended.
"Future CM," he corrected proudly.
"Future headache," Avyukt muttered.
Reyansh smirked. "Yet you keep me around."
Avyukt didn't deny it.
That somehow felt worse.
Then his gaze returned to me again.
"You're scared of me."
It wasn't a question.
I couldn't answer.
Because yes.
I was terrified of him.
Terrified of how calm he stayed while holding a gun.
Terrified of the way he looked at me like he had already decided I belonged to him.
Then suddenly, he stepped closer.
Too close.
His tall frame towered over mine as he leaned down slightly.
"Don't cry," he said quietly. "I don't like seeing pretty things cry."
My throat tightened.
"You crashed into us..." I whispered weakly.
A faint smirk appeared on his lips.
"And now I'm talking to you because of it"
He leaned a little closer.
" trust me, Avira... I don't let go of things I like."
"And Avyukt Shekhawat never lies."
A shiver ran down her spine.
She prayed this night would end there.
She didn't know one mistake on a crowded Varanasi road was about to tie her fate to the most dangerous family in the state.
Before the silence could turn more intense, Reyansh suddenly clapped his hands dramatically.
"Okay! Enough of this filmi staring competition."
Avira blinked looking completely confused.
Reyansh grinned at them casually.
"You guys are going to the temple, right?"
"Yes..." Avira answered slowly.
"Perfect. We are too."
He pointed between himself and Avyukt.
"So now everyone's going together."
Avira frowned immediately.
"That's not necessary."
"It is," Avyukt said calmly.
Reyansh stepped between them before another argument could begin.
"Listen," he said with an easy smile, "we'll drop you to the temple, take darshan, and then leave. Simple."
Her fingers tightened around Adya's hand as she forced herself to speak.
"We don't want any trouble."
Avyukt spoke again.
"And who said we are trouble?"
His voice was calm, but somehow that scared her more.
Avira looked up at him nervously.
"You're misunderstanding... we can go ourselves."
Yes "We'll manage," Ekansh said politely, clearly trying not to offend them.
That single scene told Avira everything.
People like them lived in danger every day.
Reyansh looked between the terrified girls and her silent future brother-in-law before muttering dramatically,
"Bhai, congratulations. You officially scared them enough to make them run away."
For the first time, Avyukt finally looked away from Avira.
But his next words made her heart stop.
"She'll come with us eventually."
Not confidence.
Not arrogance.
It sounded like certainty.
The atmosphere remained tense for a few more seconds.
Neither Avira nor Adya wanted anything to do with the Shekhawats.
And Ekansh made that very clear.
"We'll go separately," he said calmly but firmly.
Reyansh looked ready to argue again, but Avyukt simply slipped one hand into his pocket and nodded once.
"Fine."
That single word surprised everyone.
Avira looked at him suspiciously, almost as if she didn't trust him to agree so easily.
A faint smirk tugged at his lips when he noticed.
"You're free to leave, Avira," he said quietly.
"I'm not forcing you."
But somehow his eyes said something completely different.
Ekansh quickly guided Adya and Avira toward the bike.
"Come," he muttered softly.
The girls followed immediately.
Behind them, Reyansh let out an exaggerated sigh.
"Bhai, I think she hates you."
Avyukt's gaze remained fixed on Avira as she walked away.
"No," he replied calmly.
"She's scared."
"And that's better?"
A dangerous half-smile appeared on his face.
"For now."
A few minutes later, both vehicles moved toward the temple roads.But peace didn't last long.
Because every few minutes, the deep roar of two superbikes echoed behind their bike.
Avira glanced back.
Her breath caught instantly.
Avyukt and Reyansh were riding beside them.
Reyansh drove recklessly as usual.
But Avyukt-
He rode silently.
One hand on the handle, black shirt sleeves rolled up, rings glinting under the streetlights, his expression unreadable behind the dark intensity in his eyes.
Even on a bike, surrounded by chaos, he looked terrifyingly in control.
And somehow... his gaze kept finding her through the bike mirror.
Avira immediately looked away every single time.
Adya noticed it and turned slightly toward her.
"He's staring at you again."
"I know," Avira whispered nervously.Ekansh tightened his grip on the bike.
"I don't like this."
Neither did she.
The streets of Varanasi glowed beautifully at night-temple bells ringing, diyas floating on the river, devotees chanting loudly-
Yet for Avira, the only thing she could feel was the strange fear settling deeper inside her chest.
Because no matter how much distance they kept...
Avyukt Shekhawat still followed.
That night in Varanasi was supposed to be ordinary.
A temple visit. A peaceful prayer. A simple mistake on the road.
But fate had other plans.
Because sometimes, one collision is enough to change everything.
Avira wanted distance from the Shekhawats.
From their power.
Their danger.
Especially from the man whose eyes followed her like a silent promise.
But destiny had already written her name beside his.
And Avyukt Shekhawat was not a man who forgot what caught his attention.
Not people.
Not feelings.
And certainly not her.
Thank you for reading. Don’t forget to leave your thoughts and drop one vote for fast upadtes.❤️🫶🏻
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