Chapter 48

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Words:- 3400+

He ended the call and rolled his phone between his palms – fidgety, restless.

I hesitated… then asked

“Subh ki girlfriend hai?”

(“does subh have a girlfriend?” )

He blinked.
“Huh?”

I shrugged casually.

“Nahi, nahi… misunderstanding ho gayi Maa ko. She’s forcing him to make her meet, his not so girlfriend. So he asked me to save him.”
He paused.

“But tumhe kaise pata main Shubh se baat kar raha tha?”

(“But how did you know I was talking to Shubh?”)

“The way you were talking. I guessed.”

“Oh-kay.”

I nodded at his open buttons.

“Thand lag jayegi, Mr. Brar. Button bandh kar lijiye.”

(“You’ll catch a cold, Mr. Brar. Close your buttons.”)

He looked down, then smiled.
I smiled back as he began fastening them.

“Main chalti hoon fir.”

(“I’ll leave then.”)

“Ruko. I’ll give you a ride.”

(“Wait. I’ll drop you.”)

“Nahi nahi, I’m in my own car. I’ll manage.”

“Bye, Nav.”
I picked up my purse and walked out.

I sat on my bed with some files, brows furrowed, trying to focus for the last several minutes…
but today kept replaying in my head.

Why?
Why did Vani reject me?

I stared at the window, frustrated – and suddenly an idea struck.

I picked up my phone and dialed the number.
But as it rang, I realized it’s too late.
I almost hung up –
but the call connected.

“Hello?” she spoke.

“Oye bandariya, tu soyi nahi abhi tak?”

(“Hey monkey, you’re not asleep yet?”)

“veerreeeee” she whined

” bandariya maat bulao mujhe…” ehe whine again and I almost laughed.
I love teasing her.

“And for your kind info Nahi veere, padh rahi thi.”

(“No brother, I was studying.”)
My sister Mehak.

“Pakka?”I narrowed my eyes.

(“Sure?”)

“hor ni ta ki…? Exam hai kal mera.”

(“Of course. I have an exam tomorrow.”)

She sounds calm. Probably telling the truth.

“Oh! Matlab I disturbed you?”

“Arre nahi nahi veere, I was just revising. Tusi daso kive ho??”

(“No, no brother, I was only revising. You tell me, how are you?”)

“Vadiya vadiya. Tu das, ghar kiven sab?”

(“Good, good. You tell me, how’s everyone at home?”)

“Badiya… daso, kaise yaad kiya?”

(“Good… what made you call?”)

Somehow, her “badiya” didn’t sound convincing.
But I let it go.

“Yaar, wanna ask something.”

“Haan pucho.”

(“Yes, ask.”)

“A friend of mine likes a girl. But she rejected him… and now he doesn’t know why. He doubts himself – ki kya woh uske laayak nahi? But he thinks she likes him too… so what should he do?”

Silence.

For so long I checked my phone screen to make sure the call was still connected.

“Friend of yours???”
She paused.

“Is it really a friend or are you using the ‘friend’ title?”

My eyes widened.

Yep. Definitely my sister.

“Friend! Business partner hai mera aur Yash ka… aur tu khud soch: tere bhai ko koi reject kar sakta hai?”

(“Friend! He’s a business partner of mine and Yash’s… and think yourself: who can reject your brother?”)

…except Vani.
(That part stays in my head.)

“Nahi… Thounu toh koi reject nahi kar sakta. Waise kaunsa friend, veere?”

“Tujhe jaana zaruri hai???”

(“Do you NEED to know???”)
I snapped lightly.

“Nahi nahi… just curious. But okay… so where were we? Haan- are you sure she likes him?”

“Maybe.”

“Bhai… it should never be ‘maybe’. Either yes or no. First find that out. And does your friend really love her?”

“I think he likes her pretty much.”

“Likes?? Then forget it, bhai. He doesn’t like her. Maybe it’s just attraction. He’ll give up soon.”

“Ayyy ayyy- what do you mean ‘give up’?? He likes her for a long time! Why would he give up?”

“Because there’s a difference between liking and loving. And between thinking you like someone and actually liking them. Samjhe?”

“Like… a probability difference?”

“Haan. Kind of.
Jese Papa kahe: ‘Nav bhi jeet sakta hai.’
Matlab probability.
You could win, Yash could win.
But when someone says: ‘Nav will win’ – that’s assurance. Confidence. Belief.”

Her words hit harder than expected.

I finally understood why she was angry earlier.
How could I say something like that to Vani?

“So according to me, your friend should wait.
Find out if she likes him back.”

“Aur woh kaise hoga?”

(“And how will he find that out?”)

“Time do. Don’t rush.
And bonus point…
Ignore her. Like totally.”

“Pagal hai kya tu??? Esa thodi kar sakte hain! She’ll get angry!”

“Dekh veere…
If she likes him, she’ll try to fix things.
Even after being ignored.
But if she stays nonchalant…
Then it’s tough.”

“Hmmmmm… risk hai…”

“Par ishq bhi toh hai…”

(“But it’s love too…”)

I smiled.

“Filmein kam dekha kar tu.”

(“Watch fewer movies.”)

She scoffed.

“Aur phir bhi aap mere paas aaye advice lene.
Kaab tak doston ki zindagi sudharo ge?
Apni bhi sudhaarlo… ek bhabhi le aao.”

(“Yet YOU came to me for advice.
Fix your own life too… bring me a sister-in-law.”)

“Ek bhabhi hai toh ghar pe.”

(“There already is one at home.”)

“Haan, par 3-3 aayengi.
Aap jaldi se ek aur le aao.
I’ll make reels with her.”

“Kuch nahi ho sakta tera.
Padh le. Paper hai kal.”

“Haan haaann… kaam jo nikal gaya ab.
Ja rahi hoon.
Khayal rakhna apna.”

I smile at her drama.

“Tu bhi.
Aur sun – yeh ‘dost’ wali baat kisi ko batana mat.
Yash ko bilkul nahi.”

“Kyu? Dost hi toh hai. Agar bata bhi-“

“Nahi!!!”agar us maa ke laal ko bta diya to voh jaad tak jayega.. use to pehle hi mujh par shak hai

( If that lovable son of mother finds out a clue he’ll reach the root, and he already doubts me )

“I mean… he’s his friend too.
And he doesn’t want anyone to know.
And if Yash knows, he’ll tell the whole world.

You JUST taught me he needs to be sure of his feelings first.
Don’t tell anyone, Mehak. I repeat.”

“Okay okay… I won’t. I promise.”

“Hmm… chal. Bye. Jaldi so jaana. Good night. Best of luck.”

“Thank you… good night, veere.”

And the call ended.

Its 7’o clock in the morning

I came back from running.

His confession play on loop on my mind.

Why he likes me?

Didn’t we have an internal aggreement to hate each other?

Teri tarf se hi tha voh sirf
My subconscious mind mocked me

Whatever.
Do not think much vani. Let everything go with the flow.

✧

Its 8 in the morning

I stepped out of my apartment, locking the door behind me.

Across the hallway, Nav walked out at the same time.

Perfect timing. Or worst possible timing. I’m not sure.

we both stopped for a second
Awkward.
Unsure.
A little hesitant.

I smiled.
A small, polite one.

He almost smiled back – I saw his lips twitch –
but then something flickered in his eyes.

And suddenly…
the smile died before it even formed.

He looked away first.

The elevator dinged.
He walked toward it without a word.

I followed behind.
Maybe without meaning to.

Inside the elevator, he moved to the back wall and leaned against it, arms at the back rod of the elevator, looking anywhere but at me.

Why is he quiet?
Why is he… distant?

Just yesterday he was teasing me, messing with me, staring at me like I was the only woman in the room –
and today, suddenly, it’s like I’m invisible.

‘ Ohhh to tumhe yeh saab pta hai??’ my subconscious mind again mocked me

‘ tum shant nahi reh sakte kya?’ i said to my mind

Mai bhi pagal hi ho gai hu, khud se baatein kar rahi hu

I stood in front of him, facing the doors.
I could feel his eyes on me

But

Silence.

Uncomfortable silence
Not our usual kind of silence after the irritation, and me always thanking the god that haash abb to Shant hua… But today……

Is he upset?
Annoyed?
Or… is he doing this on purpose?

I didn’t ask.
But it bothered me more than it should.

Vani stepped into the elevator.
Her hair was open – soft, neat, slightly curled at the ends.
Looked good. Really good.

My chest tightened for a second.

Then Mehak’s words hit me like a slap.

“Ignore her.”
“If she likes you, she’ll come on her own”

So I kept my eyes down.
Hands in my pockets.
Mouth shut.

She stood in front of me like a quiet question mark.

Part of me wanted to hold her hand, pull her close, say good morning, ask if she slept well……

but instead I leaned back against the elevator wall, forcing my face blank.

Don’t look.
Don’t smile.
Don’t give in.

But damn… her hair.
Her perfume.
Her presence.

It was driving me insane.

I could feel her confusion like a physical heat in the small elevator.

Still… I said nothing.

I stayed silent.

Even though it hurt like hell.

Agar yeh gussa ho gai to?
Agar yeh vapis ai hi na to?
And what if , this ends everything that doesn’t even started yet?

The elevator doors slid open.

He stepped out first.
No glance.
No gesture.
Not even a polite “after you.”

He wasn’t rude…
just distant.

Too distant.

I followed behind him down the corridor, trying not to overthink it – and failing miserably.

His footsteps were steady, sharp, confident.
Mine felt… unsure.

Why is he avoiding me?
kal to saab koch theek tha ….
to aaj kya hua????

Writer note:- yeh saab apki nanand ni ki meharbani hai vaani ji…

We reached the lobby.
He walked a little ahead of me, hands in his pockets, jaw clenched.

Outside, the morning air was cold really cold

He put his arm straight, clicking the car key

His car beeped somewhere in the parking lot.

He didn’t look back to check if I was behind him…

but I could feel him noticing my footsteps even if he pretended not to.

He reached his car door.
For a second – just a second –
his hand paused on the handle.

He hesitated.
Then pulled the door open for himself and got in.

No eye contact.

I stopped a few steps away, watching him

He started the engine, looking straight ahead – not even glancing at me once.

Fine.

Fine!!!

I turned away and walked toward my own car, forcing a neutral expression on my face.

But inside?

Inside I was annoyed.
Confused.
A little… disappointed.

‘ kyu tujhe to farak nahi padta tha.. ab kyu?’ again… My so called mind interjected

And i chose to ignore

But the question which lingered on my mind was

Why does it bother me this much now?

I opened my car door, sat down, closed it, and for a second, I let myself admit:

I liked the attention.
And today, I hate not getting it.

” mai layak hi nahi hu, nav tumhare liye.”

I took a deep breath, gripped the steering wheel, and whispered:

“Don’t ignore me Mr. Brar”

But obviously, he couldn’t hear me.

✧

The roads were half-empty, the morning sun still soft, but my mind was anything except calm.

I drove in silence, one hand on the wheel, the other tapping against my thigh.

Annoyance, confusion, something I didn’t want to name – it all mixed together.

I replayed the morning again.

His almost-smile.
His sudden distance.
His hesitation at the car door.
His refusal to even look at me.

Why did that sting?

I don’t expect him to be sweet.

One moment he’s sarcastic, the next he’s serious, then he’s dramatic…
But he’s always-
at least-
There with me.

Today he felt like he was somewhere else entirely.
I caught myself glancing at every black SUV on the road, wondering if it was his.

Pathetic.

I exhaled sharply, muttering to myself

“Get a grip, Vani.”

The traffic light turned red.

I stopped the car, fingers drumming impatiently.

Two seconds later, a familiar black SUV came right beside me.
I froze.

My heartbeat did a stupid flip.
Nav.

I looked towards the car, and he looked at me the same time

Shit… Vanii dekhna nahi tha ..

I looked straight ahead, pretending I didn’t see him.

but I did see him

The way he sits,

one hand loose on the wheel, the other resting on the gear, shoulder muscles flexing under his shirt

I kept my eyes fixed on the red light.

Don’t look.
Don’t look.
Don’t-

I turned my head an inch again.

He didn’t look back.

Just stared at the road, jaw tight, expression unreadable.
My brows pinched.

Fine.If he wants to act unbothered, I can do it better.

The light turned green.
He pulled ahead first.

I followed behind, keeping a safe distance, a bit too safe, actually.

Is he actually upset with me?
Or is he doing this on purpose just to prank with me?
I shook the thought away and pressed the accelerator.

✧

The boardroom was colder than usual.

Everyone sat around the long table, flipping files, adjusting glasses, whispering in low tones.

Nav walked in exactly on time.
Sharp suit.
Perfect posture.
Expression unreadable.

He didn’t look at me.

Not even once.

Typical.

Akde raho..huh!!

He placed his laptop on the podium, connected the display, and cleared his throat.
Professional. Calm.
Almost… distant.

“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Let’s begin.”

His voice was steady – soundproof walls couldn’t block that confidence.

I sat two seats away from him, pretending to read the agenda, even though I was watching him from the corner of my eye the whole time.

He presented the quarterly projections, breaking down numbers, strategies, risk factors.

Usually he glances at me mid-presentation
today he didn’t.

Not once.

The board noticed.

Mr. Oberoi leaned forward.
“Mr. Brar, could you explain the drop in sector three?”

Nav answered flawlessly.

He was trying too hard to pretend I didn’t exist.

“Miss Rathore,” Mrs. Kapur said, adjusting her glasses,

“what is your analysis of Mr. Brar’s projection model?”

The room went silent.

He did that on purpose

Nav paused.
His hand froze on the mouse.

He finally looked at me.

Direct.
Sharp.
Unavoidable.

And for a moment , just one,
I forgot what I was supposed to say.

This never happens with me before.

His eyes held mine like he was waiting for my answer yet confident in me

I straightened my back.

“The projection model is solid,” I said evenly,

“but the risk margins should be revised. The Asia branch expansion needs a fallback timeline.”

The board nodded.

Nav’s jaw tightened, but he nodded sharply

“Noted,” he said quietly.

Our eyes locked again,
longer this time.

Then he looked away first.

Of course.

He checked his watch and looked at the board members

” Its 1’o clock. Lets take a short lunch break, and we’ll continue.”

Everyone started going out.

After the break

The presentation was running smoothly
graphs, numbers, projections
my voice steady, my face calm.

At least until he walked in.

Raghav Malhotra – CEO of Veritas Group.

Arrogant. Overconfident.
A type of man who thinks every woman finds him charming.

He entered silently and took the empty seat near Vani.

Of course.

I clicked to the next slide and kept talking, but my eyes flicked toward her,
just once.

He leaned toward her.
Said something under his breath.
Something that made her tilt her head slightly to hear.

My jaw tightened for half a second only half
nothing noticeable.

To them.

Not to me.

I kept presenting.

Then he did it again.
Another whisper.
Another stupid half-smile from him.

Vani wasn’t smiling back
she was being polite
but that didn’t matter.

My throat went dry for a moment.
I took a sip of water I didn’t need.

I clicked to the next graph.

Stayed calm.
Professional.
Neutral.

But the pointer in my hand suddenly felt too tight in my grip.

I loosened it.

Didn’t help.

I forced my eyes back to the screen, but my mind kept drifting to their side of the table.

He shifted closer to her
too close.

I cleared my throat lightly.
“Moving on,” I said, keeping my tone smooth.

Someone asked a question.
I answered it professionally…

but my eyes involuntarily went back to the side.

Raghav was still talking.
Still leaning in.

What was he even saying?
Why does he have so much to discuss during my presentation?

Ridiculous.

I switched the slide harder than necessary.
The click echoed a bit too loud in the room.

Mrs. Kapur blinked.
Raghav finally sat straight.

Good.

I continued speaking as if nothing happened, but inside?

Burning.

Quietly.
Silently.
Sophisticatedly.

Halfway through explaining market projections, I saw Raghav pass a pen to Vani.

A pen.

That tiny, insignificant things that shouldn’t matter
but do.

I controlled my breathing.

But i don’t know

why my fingers tapped the podium twice.
Why I avoided looking at her.
Why I spoke a little faster.
Why the muscle near my jaw twitched once.

I finished the slide with a voice so calm it could win awards.

Then Mr. Oberoi said from the corner,
“Excellent clarity, Mr. Brar.”

If only he knew the chaos going on in my head.

✧

The meeting wrapped up chairs scraped, files shut, people stood.

Raghav – of course – walked straight to her.

“Miss Rathore,” he said smoothly, “You made those insights right?” She nodded “Your insights were impressive.”

She gave a polite smile.
“Thank you.”

He took a step closer, too close, lowering his voice like they were suddenly old friends.

“Would you be open to discussing a collaborative idea? Over coffee, maybe?”

Coffee?
During office hours?
With Vani?

I didn’t glare.
Didn’t interrupt.

I simply picked up my laptop, walked behind her, and said in a calm, even tone:

“Vani, I need you for a minute.”

She turned to me, confused.
“Right now?”

“Yes.”
I didn’t break eye contact.

Raghav looked mildly annoyed.
Good.

Vani glanced between us, then nodded, collecting her file.

She followed me out, clueless, unaware how close I was to strangling that man with his own tie.

We walked down the hallway.
He was a few steps ahead of me, shoulders tight, jaw set, breathing controlled.

Did I do something wrong?

“Nav?” I said softly.

No response.

He kept walking.

I tried again.
“Nav, why did you-“

He stopped abruptly.

I almost bumped into him.

He turned just enough to look at me from the side.

His expression wasn’t angry…
just unreadable.
Shielded.

“You shouldn’t talk to him alone,” he said flatly.

I blinked.
“Why?”

He paused.

Writer note, his thoughts,:- “because I’m jealous like an idiot.” and i don’t have logical answer for that

“He’s not trustworthy.”

I raised a brow.
“He just asked for a discussion.”

“With coffee.”
His tone sharpened by one percent.
Just one.
But I caught it.

“So?” I asked, confused.
“He’s a CEO. It’s normal.”

He exhaled slowly, like he’s holding back a hundred responses he refuses to say out loud.

“Just stay cautious.”

Oh.
That’s it?

I crossed my arms.
“You pulled me out of a conversation for this?”

His jaw clenched.
“No. I pulled you because he was wasting your time.”

I stared at him.

He stared at the wall.

” and how you know that?”

” i just know.”

I was staring at him, and he was still starting at the wall, oh now at the ceiling

Something was off.
Seriously off.

“Nav… are you alright?” I asked quietly.

His eyes flicked to mine for a second

He looked away instantly.

“I’m fine.”

He wasn’t.

Not even close.

She took a step closer.

I felt it.
Every inch.

“Nav?” she said again.

I swallowed.
Hard.

If she asked me one more time what’s wrong, I might actually say it.
And that can’t happen.

“Focus on work, Vani.”
It came out softer than I intended.

She frowned slightly.
“Okay… but why are you-“

I cut her off.

“We’re getting late.”

And I began walking again.

Not too fast.
Not too slow.

Just fast enough that she had to follow.

Because no matter what Mehak said,
ignoring Vani Rathore
is the hardest goddamn thing on the planet.
______________________________________

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