Author's P.O.V...

The set buzzes with activity. Models glide in and out. Lights flash. Stylists adjust every crease, every curl. Amidst the chaos stands Prisha Sharma, confidently instructing an assistant as she pins a mood board on the wall.

Prisha to her Assistant." No. The silhouette needs to be cleaner. We're going with vintage glam, not a red carpet disaster. Fix the drape, please."

Her phone buzzes. She checks a message from the client confirming the arrival of the shoot's photographer. " Great. Hope he's not a diva." she said under her breath.

She turns and just then -CLICK....A shutter sound cuts the air. She looks up....there he is Manik. Dressed in black cargo pants, casual linen shirt rolled at the sleeves, camera slung effortlessly around his neck. His hair's a bit messy, like he rolled out of bed and still looked like a magazine cover.

Both freeze. " Tum? Yaha bhi? What are you doing here? " Prisha crossing her arms.

Manik in a mocking tone. " Oh I don't know....just thought I'd sneak in and crash a fashion shoot for fun...what does it look like I'm doing?"

Prisha is rolling her eyes." Unfortunately, running the mood board with sarcasm."

Manik mock offended." Still so dramatic, Miss Disaster."

" And you're still allergic to basic manners, Mr.Flirtzilla." Prisha snaps back instantly.

Manik gasped." You're just jealous because I carry charm like you carry drama -everywhere."

" Please," Prisha scoffed." You carry charm like a mosquito carries malaria. Pointless and irritating."

Manik chuckled darkly." Says the human version of WhatsApp forward -loud, chaotic, and nobody asked for it."

She raised a brow." Big words from someone who looks like a rejected extra from a shampoo ad."

" Oh, look who's talking Nagin 2.0" he smirked. " Ready to hiss and twist at any given moment."

Prisha leaned in with mock sweetness." And you're the mosquito from March -maleria ke maharaja."

" Face it you're just obsessed with my charm, Drama Queen of Dadar" he shot back.

" In your dreams, Chikungunya ke brand ambassador." she said sweetly." Now fly off before I find a coil"

A charged silence hung between them, the kind where words weren't needed -just glares sharp enough to slice through glass.

Just then, two excited girls rushed in from the side, nearly squealing in unison.

" Are you...are you Manik Kalra? The famous travel blogger? The top photographer and youngest brother of The Abhimanyu Kalra?"  one of them asked, breathless.

" Oh my God, we're huge fans of you!" the other chimed in, eyes sparking.

Manik blinked, the corner of his mouth twitching up as he turned to them like a star accepting his due spotlight. " Guilty as charged," he said with a charming grin.

" You're so handsome in real life!" the first one gushed. " And your ladakh vlog? We've watched it, like, twenty times! The drone shots? Insane!" the second added, clutching her phone like it might explode.

Manik gave them a polite nod and a signature half -smile. "Thank you, ladies, Really sweet of you."

Then, with a smirk growing devilishly,he tilted his head just slightly in Prisha's direction. " At least some people in this universe have working eyes " he said pointedly.

Prisha didn't even blink. She rolled her eyes like it was an art form, turned on her heel, and walked away as if shedding the weight of a particularly annoying ad jingle. " Enjoy your clown show, Mr. BuzzFeed Headline, " she muttered under her breath.

One of the fans leaned in. " Is she your friend?"

Manik shrugged, still watching her retreat. " Friend? That? No no. That's my karma. In high heels."

_____

Abhimanyu sits on the edge of his bed, phone in hands, a rare restlessness in his otherwise composed eyes. He's already admitted to himself that he's in love with Ananya. Now, all he wants is to see her again.

He opened his phone. Stares. Thinks. " Kya karu? Kya excuse banaun?" A beat. Then he dials.

Aarav answers, his voice light and teasing as usual. " Hello, aaj mausam badla badla sa kyun hai?"

Abhimanyu sighs." Kya kar raha hai?"

" Antarctica mein penguins ke saath salsa seekh raha hoon." Aarav said casually.

Abhimanyu groans. " Har time ulta jawab. Koi bimari hai kya tujhe?"

Aarav. " Kya karu yaar..tere liye kuch seedha jawab nikalta hi nahi. Waise bata, kya hua?"

Abhimanyu hesitates, looking around, slightly embarrassed. " Woh.. actually...mujhe ek idea chahiye tha."

Aarav curious. " Idea? Kis liye? Kaisa idea?"

Abhimanyu nervously." V-voh...h-how to...how to meet her?"

Aarav is slightly suspicious. " Who?"

" Arey.. woh.. A-Anan-Ananya. " Abhimanyu mumbles, getting even more embarrassed.

Aarav's voice changes, turning playful and teasing. " OHOOOO! Toh yeh din bhi dekhne ko mil gaya! Dhanya bhaag humare, is dharti pe yeh paawan ghatna ghatit ho gayi hai!"

Abhimanyu's tone shifts to frustration as he runs a hand through his hair. " Tujhe Dena hai toh de. Nahi toh main call rakhta hoon.

Aarav. " Acha baba sorry! Ab main nahi karunga toh kaun karega? Hm..idea..idea..AVNI"

Abhimanyu startled." What? Avni? Idea maaga hai..Tu avni ko beech m kyu laa rha?"

Aarav mocking." Arey mere bhole bhandari! Avni hi idea hai."

Abhimanyu confused." Avni idea hai? Kya nonsense hai?"

Aarav." Nonsense nahi, genius idea hai. Dekh -Avni ko Art pasand hai right? Aur usne bola bhi tha Ananya se ki woh Soulstrock visit karna chachti hai. Toh tu usse le jaa vha..bol dena avni ko ghumana tha."

" Wah. Kabhi kabhi dimag kaam karta hai tera. " Abhimanyu impressed.

Aarav offended." Humesha karta hai. Bas tujhe talent ki kadar nahi!"

" Okay okay, sorry and thanks, bye." Abhimanyu laughs.

" Always at your service, bye." Aarav said..

Call ends... Abhimanyu smiles to himself, A new chance to see her again. He runs a hand through his hair, nervous excitement building.

The door opens slightly as Abhimanyu steps in, trying to act casual, though his excitement is nearly impossible to hide. Avni lounged on her beanbag, flipping through an art magazine.

" Avni, Sun" Abhimanyu said lightly.

Avni with a confusing look." Ji Bhai..kuch kaam tha aapko?"

" Nahi..voh tujhe Soulstrock Jana tha na? Waha ki paintings dekhne ke liye for inspiration? Chal,main le chalta hoon. I'm free now." he said calmly.

Avni with a suspicious look. " Mere liye jaana hai... ya phir Ananya se milne ka excuse chaiye aapko?"

" Samajh gayi hai toh chale?". Abhimanyu slightly flustered, clears his throat.

Avni grinning. " Nahi. Main kyun jaun? Milna toh aapko hai. Mera kya benefit?"

Abhimanyu sighs, " kya chahiye tujhe..Avni?"

Avni tilts her head, thinking like a queen." Um...jada kuch nhi bus choti si ek condition...mujhe Florence jaana hai -art retreat ke liye. Italy for two days. You book the trip. Private villa and just ek choti si amount 25L in my acc that's it."

Abhimanyu blinks. " Ye tu condition rakhne ke naam par loot kyu rahi?

Avni. " Ab kya Karu.. ager bhai ek billionaire ho..use lootna toh padta hi na."

Abhimanyu raised an eyebrow with amusement. " Okay deal done, ab chale?"

Avni. " Haan bilkul, let me change first."

🍁🍁🍁

Ananya is surrounded by her students, each of them armed with colorful paints. They're in the middle of an impromptu art battle, running around, trying to get each other with splashes of paint. Ananya is laughing, her cheeks streaked with vivid colors, as she sprints away from her students. Her hands are covered in paint, and the energy in the room is electric.

Ritika, sneaks up behind her and playfully splashes more paint onto her cheeks. Ananya turns around, laughing, but in the process, her foot slips on the smooth floor. She's about to lose her balance, arms flailing, paint splattering everywhere.

Just as she is about to fall, Abhimanyu appears out of nowhere, standing tall and calm, like a force of nature. He doesn't grab her immediately, but his presence is enough to stop her from hitting the floor. As she steadies herself, her palms are covered in paint -press gently against his shirt.

They both freeze, their eyes locking. For a brief moment. Time slots, the paint on her palms leaving a soft imprint on his shirt. The space between them feels charged. Ananya slowly pulls back, her heart racing as she realizes the closeness of the moment. Her eyes flicker downward at the paint on Abhimanyu's shirt, and the reality of the situation hits her.

She flustered, stepping back. " Oh no... Kanha ji, ye kya kar diya humne?  Sorry, sorry! Ye aapki shirt... Kharab kar di humne!"

" It's okay. It's just paint. " He looks at his shirt with a faint chuckle, trying to calm her down.

She worriedly, glanced at his shirt. " Lakin.. aise kaise yeh toh paint mein ho gayi hai. Wait, main saaf kar deti hoon. Neha, please give me a napkin or something!"

"Ananya, it's totally fine . No need, trust me."  He said cutting her off gently, his voice soft.

She freezes at the sound of her name on his lips, a soft blush creeping up her cheeks. He flustered too, realizing this is the first time he's called her by her name in front of her.

" Okay.. but still, I feel bad. This shirt.." she slowly nods in agreement.

He smiled softly. " It's nothing.really. don't worry about it."

They are still standing close, the moment from before still hanging in the air, when suddenly. Avni pops out from behind him, a mischievous grin on her face.

" Arey..lagta hai mujhe toh bhul hi gaye hai kuch log." She said teasingly, noticing the still awkward moment between them.

Ananya looks up, realizing Avni's presence, a smile spreading across her face. " Avni! Tum?"

Avni gives Ananya a warm hug. " Hello, Ananya. Kaisi ho aap?"

Ananya hugging her back. " I'm fine, tum kaise ho?"

" I'm also good." Avni said cheerfully.

Ananya is slightly confused, glancing at them," Aap dono yaha?"

" Woh actually... Avni wanted to visit here and look at the paintings. Isn't that right, Avni?" Abhimanyu said calmly.

Avni nodded quickly. " Haan haan, mujhe toh aapke centre ki painting dekhni thi.m waise toh koi plan nahi tha mera aaj ka, par kya karein...koi bahut besabr ho raha tha yaha aane ke liye.

" Kon koi?" Ananya asked , confused raising an eyebrow.

Abhimanyu glances at Avni, trying to cover up the slip."Avni?"

Avni quickly realizing her mistake, she clears her throat. " I-I mean...mera dil bahut besabr ho raha tha yaha aane ke liye."

" Oh..okay then. Please come, I'll show you around. " Ananya said with a gentle smile.

" Thank you" Avni said happily.

Avni walks ahead with Neha and a few enthusiastic students, admiring the painted hallway walls of Soulstrock. The sunlight from high windows makes the art shimmer with life.

Avni tilting her head at a vibrant mural. " Wow.. these are so pretty! Tum sabne banaya?" .

" Haan didi! Renovation ke time sabne milke banaya tha!" one of the students said.

Neha chimed in, smiling. " Even the younger batch did some doodle work. Humne sabko involves Kiya."

" That's incredible! So much creativity." Avni grinning, clearly impressed.

" Didi, garden ke walls pe bhi hai...aur ek side pe toh humne mosaic style try Kiya hai.. come, main dikhaati hoon!" Ritika said excitedly.

Avni eyes lighting up. " Really? Let's go." Avni walks ahead with the students and Neha towards the garden.

Ananya and Abhimanyu walk slowly behind, side by side. Their steps echo lightly in the wide corridor, surrounded by colorful walls and soft chatter from ahead.

" Renovation kaafi acha hua hai.." he clears his throat, trying to sound casual.

She smiling faintly. " Haan..sabne kaafi mehnat ki thi. "

There's a small pause. Their footsteps fall in rhythm. " Aapko koi kaam nahi tha aaj?" Ananya asks trying to keep the conversation.

Abhimanyu shrugs softly. " No, I was free today." Another pause. Then he suddenly stops walking and Ananya halts too, turning toward him with a questioning look.

" Actually.. I-I wanted to meet you." he said with a soft nervous voice. Ananya blinking. " Why?" 

" Kuch dino mein ek part hai.. kalra mansion mein. You know, humara Goa Township Project? Half construction complete ho gaya hai. So it's kind of a milestone event.. media, investors, business partners sab hone. I'll be officially announcing the next phase of development. "

Ananya nods slowly, listening. " And... since Soulstrock is now one of the creative partners -so as the owner, I thought... it's important you be there...so I wanted to invite you personally, also Prisha too . Kalra Fashion has a proposal lined up for her styling firm. We might be collaborating for the township launch campaign." He continues, a little more smoothly

Ananya said softly. " Oh.. okay. That sounds good.We'll come "

They are standing a few feet apart, eyes locked -silent, heavy with something unspoken. The golden afternoon light pools gently through the glass ceiling above them. Suddenly - A CREAK.

One of the overhead ceiling lights loosens, dangling ominously.  Ananya's eyes widen , voice sharp and urgent. " Abhi!"  Without a second thought, she grabs his arms and yanks him towards her. In the rush, her back thuds lightly against the corridor wall as Abhimanyu ends up pressed close to her, both of her hands gripping his arms.

The light crashes to the floor behind them -shattering into a scatter of glass. Ananya is breathless, looking down, then back up at him. " Aap thik hai?"

She doesn't realize just how close they are. But Abhimanyu does -his breath catches. Her voice is so addictive. His name on her lips. It's like a trigger. Like something dangerous, deeply buried, suddenly awakened.

His gaze sharpens, not with shock -but something intense. Like he's fighting to stay still. His heart is pounding like war drums.  His voice is low, almost hoarse. " Say it again."

She blinks, confused and flustered suddenly realizing how close they are. " A-aap theek hai?"

He shaking his head slowly, still breathless. " Not that. My name. Say it again."

Ananya's heart races. The heat between them is thick like honey. The weight of his gaze, the way her fingers are still holding onto him. Her face burns. " A-Abhi" her voice barely audible, heart in her throat. And that's it...he completely loses his heart.

He leans in just a touch, eyes flicking to her cheeks where a smudge of paint lingers. Slowly, deliberately, he raises a hand and brushes his thumb across it. " Fuck... You have no idea how your voice makes my name sound." His voice deep, rough with restraint.

Ananya freezes. Her breath stutters. Her skin feels like it's on fire under his touch. She stares up at him, lost unable to move or speak. " H-how it sounds?" she whisper.

" It sounds...too special. Like it was never really mind until I heard it from you." his voice soft but raw, honest.

Ananya's cheeks flame, lips parting slightly, chest rising and failing. Her throat is dry, her knees shaky, stomach flips like a thousand butterflies caught in a thunderstorm. She tried to steady herself.  " H-hatiye" barely holding it together.

Abhimanyu notices the way her lips tremble, the way her breath skips. A teasing smirk lifts one corner of his mouth. " What if I don't want to." he said , Stepping an inch closer.

His words drip like honey -dangerously slow, making her dizzy. " K-koi.. aa jayega.." she whispered,barely able to breathe.

His smirk deepened, voice like silk. "  No one's coming. "

Just as the air thickens beyond repair - Student's voice echoes in the distance, followed by Avni's cheerful tone. Both of them snap back to reality, stepping apart awkwardly -faces flushed, hearts racing.

Neha rushing over, gasping at the broken glass. " Ma'am! Yeh...yeh kya hua?"

Ananya still flustered, composing herself. " Uh..I think light sahi se fix nahi hua tha.. please clean it up properly, okay?"

Neha nods, hurrying away. Avni stepped in, raising a brow at the two tomato -faced adults. " Ye aap dono ke cheeks tamatar ki tarah red kyu lag rahe...kuch hua kya?"

Ananya's eyes are wide, voice slightly high. " N-nahi! Bas..garmi thodi zyada hai na aaj"

Abhimanyu clears his throat, a small chuckle escaping. " Haan...garmi zyada hai aaj."

Ananya shoots him a look. He lifts an eyebrow in return, smug. Avni grinning, mock innocent. " Oho..garmi? Par mujhe toh nahi lag rhi?"

" Tujhse kisi ne pucha? Aur chalna nahi hai? " Abhimanyu glaring at her.

" Mujhe toh chalna hai.. but kya aapko chalna hai? " Avni asked with a teasing smile.

Abhimanyu glares again. She chuckle. " Okay okay? Let's go...kaafi late ho gaya hai."

She turns to the students and team waving warmly. " I really enjoyed today. Thank you very much ! Bye sabko" she hugs Ananya.

" Bye...take care." Ananya said still avoiding Abhimanyu's gaze.

Abhimanyu simply gives a last, unreadable glance toward her. " Bye " he said in a low voice. Ananya nods.

"Then they walk away - leaving behind shattered glass on the floor, and something just as fragile breaking loose between them.

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