The morning sun slipped through the sheer curtains, warming the side of Avni's face. She groaned softly, blindly reaching for her phone on the nightstand. The screen lit up with a message from Siya.
Siya đ§Ą
Girls' night tonight?? PJs, wine, and a LOT of gossip. You in? I need my therapy session đ©
Avni smiled, stretching lazily as she typed back.
Tempting. But I have a business party tonight. You know, the adulting kind?
Siya didn't miss a beat.
Siya đ§Ą
Ugh. Lame. Unless⊠wait. Is this the party where you might run into a certain Italian investor again? đ
Avni rolled her eyes, already knowing where this was going.
Stop. It's just a business event. I don't even know if he'll be there.
Siya đ§Ą
Business, my foot. The way you looked all dazed after that "investor meeting" last time⊠I'm just saying, if he whispers in your ear again tonight, send me a full report.
Avni: You're ridiculous. It's not like that.
Siya đ§Ą
Mmm-hmm. Anyway, have fun at your totally professional party. And wear something lethal. For business reasons, of course đ
Avni chuckled to herself, setting her phone down. Girls' night would've been fun, sure. But something about tonight's party felt... different. Important. And she had no idea why.
After a quick shower and a shot of espresso, Avni slipped into a cream-colored blouse and tailored pants â sharp, minimal, exactly what she needed to get into work mode.
The ride to her office was uneventful, though her mind wandered. Not to him, obviously. Just... the deal. The way the investor had interrupted her schedule, completely unannounced, and yet, somehow, left a deal closed in record time.
No. Don't go there, she reminded herself, focusing back on her emails.
TIME SKIP:
After wrapping up another budget revision and confirming final numbers for next week's pitch, Avni pressed the intercom.
"Priya, clear anything after 5 today. I have a business event to attend."
A moment later, Priya stepped in with her tablet, nodding. "Noted. I'll move your 6 PM to tomorrow."
"Thank you," Avni said, her tone composed. "And please confirm my driver's schedule."
"All set," Priya replied, then quietly exited.
Avni leaned back in her chair, exhaling slowly. It was just another event. Just another deal to maintain visibility. Nothing more.
Right?
Abhimanyu's POV:
Across the city, the office air was crisp with quiet efficiency. Abhimanyu scanned the final page of a report when a soft knock came at the door.
His secretary entered, file in hand, wearing her usual overly polished look. "An invitation, sir. For a business celebration tonight. Hosted by one of the capital's venture groups."
Abhimanyu didn't look up. "Cancel it."
She hesitated. "It's a high-profile event. Might be... worth your presence."
He still didn't react â until something stirred inside him. A whisper of instinct. A pull.
"Fine," he said eventually, tossing the file aside. "Tell them I'll be there."
He had no idea why he agreed.
And certainly no idea who else would be attending.
Time Skip â That Evening
The city had begun to shimmer under the descending dusk, casting gold-tinted reflections across windshields and windows.
Avni adjusted her black satin dress one final time in the car mirror, her expression unreadable. Her fingers smoothed the hem with practiced ease, but her mind was elsewhere â partly on the speech she might have to give, partly on the expectations of the night.
Just a regular party, she reminded herself. Business. Networking. Deals.
At the same red light, just a few lanes away, a matte-black luxury car idled quietly. Abhimanyu sat inside, suit crisp, tie impeccable, his gaze focused out the window, though his thoughts were miles away.
The city moved. The lights changed.
Two cars, two minds, unknowingly on a collision course.
AT THE PARTY:
The room thrummed with low jazz, punctuated by the soft clink of champagne flutes and murmured conversation. Chandeliers scattered warm gold light across velvet-lined walls, bathing the space in a kind of decadent hush.
Avni stepped inside like she belonged thereâbecause she did. Her black satin dress clung to her frame like it was crafted solely for her, the delicate sheen catching the light with every movement. Hair flawless, heels confident, expression unreadable. Precision in motion.
She returned a few familiar nods, offered polite, practiced smiles. But her eyes? They weren't looking for anyone in particular.
Strictly business, she reminded herself.
Still, there was something in the air. Not quite tension, but something quieter. Heavier. A magnetic pull brushing against the edge of awareness. The kind that makes your spine straighten⊠like you're being watched.
She shook it off and crossed to the bar, her fingers curling gently around the stem of the wine glass the bartender offered.
"Thank you," she murmured, her voice calm.
She turned back to the crowd, ready to melt into the rhythm of the eveningâwhen suddenlyâ
The lights cut out.
Gasps rippled through the room. Conversation stilled. In that instant of darkness, the golden glamour was stripped awayâreplaced with silence, shadows⊠and POSSIBILITIES.