𝐀𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐢’𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐬 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐬𝐮𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞. 𝐖𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝, 𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠—𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞—𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬?

As Aarvi walked, she couldn't shake off the feeling that someone was following her. She quickened her pace, her heart racing with every step.

Suddenly, she heard a voice behind her. "Ms. Sharma?"

Aarvi turned to see a familiar face—Ruhan, her neighbor. She hadn't recognized him at first, but now she felt a wave of relief wash over her.

Ruhan smiled casually. "What brings you here all alone?" he asked, falling into step beside her.

Aarvi hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal. But Ruhan's friendly demeanor put her at ease, and she found herself opening up to him.

Just then, Reyansh watched from a distance, his eyes narrowing as he saw Aarvi talking to Ruhan. Who was this guy? And why was Aarvi smiling at him like that?

Ruhan smiled and said, "Hop in, I'll give you a ride."

Aarvi hesitated, unsure if she should trust him. They had never really talked before, and she didn't know him well. But Ruhan reassured her, "You can trust me."

Aarvi nodded, and Ruhan opened the door for her.

Reyansh felt a pang of jealousy, which he quickly suppressed. He was here to protect Aarvi, not to get involved in her personal life.

Reyansh leaned against his car, watching the vehicle disappear down the dimly lit road.

"Mujhpe trust nahi tha, par ispe hai? Interesting."

His grip tightened on the steering wheel. He had no right to be annoyed. And yet…

With a sigh, he slipped into the driver’s seat and followed at a safe distance. He wasn’t sure if he was doing this out of curiosity, concern, or something else entirely.

He couldn't help but feel a twinge of curiosity. Who was this Ruhan, and what was his connection to Aarvi?

Reyansh decided to keep following them, but to stay out of sight. He didn't want Aarvi to know that he was still watching over her.

As he trailed behind them, Reyansh couldn't help but wonder what other secrets Aarvi was hiding. And who was this Ruhan, really?

As she got in, Reyansh watched from a distance, his eyes narrowing in thought.

As the car pulled away, Reyansh followed, keeping a safe distance. He watched as Aarvi settled into the passenger seat, feeling a pang of frustration.

"Mujhe samajh nahi aaya, mere saath baithne mein problem ho rahi thi, jaise ki main unhein kaha jaunga," Reyansh muttered to himself, a hint of frustration creeping into his voice. "Aur phir woh dusre ke saath baith kar chali gayi woww."

As Reyansh followed Ruhan's car, he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. Where were they going?

Finally, the car pulled up to Aarvi's apartment building, and Reyansh's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, to yaha rehti hai," he muttered to himself.

Ruhan and Aarvi got out of the car, and Reyansh watched from a distance as they exchanged a few words. Aarvi smiled and thanked Ruhan, and then he turned and walked towards the building.

Reyansh's eyes followed Ruhan, and he realized that Ruhan was also a resident of the building. "Yeh bhi yaha rehta hai," Reyansh thought to himself, his curiosity piqued.

Aarvi and Ruhan both disappeared into the building, leaving Reyansh to wonder what was going on.

Reyansh drove away, his mind racing with thoughts. Why was he feeling this way? He had just met Aarvi, and yet, he couldn't shake off the feeling that he had a stake in her life.

He thought back to their encounter, trying to pinpoint what it was about Aarvi that had gotten under his skin. Was it her determination? Her courage?

But as he thought deeper, Reyansh realized that it was something more. Something that he couldn't quite put his finger on.

And then, it hit him. Aarvi was hiding something. Reyansh's instincts told him that she was keeping secrets, and that those secrets were somehow connected to the story he was investigating.

Reyansh's eyes narrowed as he focused on the road ahead. He was going to have to keep a closer eye on Aarvi, to figure out what she was hiding and why.

𝐑𝐞𝐲𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐡’𝐬 𝐏𝐎𝐕

Reyansh’s car came to a stop outside his apartment complex. He sat there for a few moments, lost in thought. His hands gripped the steering wheel tighter as he thought about Aarvi. The way she had been acting recently—so focused on the story, so secretive about the file.

Reyansh stepped out of the car, locking it behind him. He walked up to his door, but he didn’t go in right away. His mind was still racing with questions. Why did I follow her tonight? he asked himself. What’s drawing me into this?

He opened the door to his apartment, flicking on the light. His phone buzzed, and he glanced at the screen. Another message from the office. But he didn’t read it. His thoughts were too consumed by Aarvi. He had a feeling she was about to uncover something big, and he couldn’t let her do it alone.

Reyansh grabbed his coat and made his way back to the elevator. He needed to get back to her—whatever it took.

𝐀𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐢’𝐬 𝐏𝐎𝐕

Back at her apartment, Aarvi sat on her couch, staring at the file once again. The same symbol haunted her mind. What does it mean? She turned the page over, but the answers were still unclear.

She thought about the events of the day—the weird feeling she had when Reyansh followed her, the encounter with Ruhan, and how the whole situation felt like a puzzle with missing pieces.

Aarvi rubbed her temples. Am I overthinking? Or am I missing something?

She glanced at her phone and saw a message from kritka is asking "Have you reached home or not"Aarvi replied, "yes I have reached home." She needed some time to clear her head, and talking to Kritika might just be the distraction she needed.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐃𝐚𝐲 – 𝐀𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐢’𝐬 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞

Aarvi sat at her desk, tapping her pen against the table. She hadn't told Sameer about last night. Something inside her told her to keep it to herself—for now. But the file… it had information that could link everything together, yet it was incomplete.

She needed more.

Just as she was deep in thought, Kritika’s message popped up: “Boutique pe aa rahi ho na aaj? Early off toh hai na?”

Aarvi sighed in relief. A normal conversation. “Haan, aa rahi hoon.”

She needed a distraction. And Kritika’s boutique was the perfect place to clear her mind—at least for a while.

𝐑𝐞𝐲𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐡’𝐬 𝐏𝐎𝐕 – 𝐑𝐕 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬

Vidyut was speaking about some investment deal, but Reyansh’s mind was elsewhere.

He still hadn’t told Vidyut about last night.

Why? He didn’t know. Maybe because something about Aarvi intrigued him. Maybe because her fearless yet cautious demeanor reminded him of something he couldn’t quite place.

“Are you even listening, Rey?” Vidyut frowned, pulling him out of his thoughts.

“Yeah, just thinking.”

“About?”

Reyansh simply smirked, shaking his head. “Nothing you need to worry about.”

Vidyut narrowed his eyes. “Right. And I suppose this ‘nothing’ is why you were out last night when you were supposed to be working on the expansion proposal?”

Reyansh didn’t respond. Some things were better left unsaid.

𝐀𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐢’𝐬 𝐏𝐎𝐕

Later that evening, as Aarvi was walking home, it was a Saturday. The weather was perfect, and she had plans to meet Kritika after she refreshed herself. But as she walked down the sidewalk, something felt off. Her instincts screamed that someone was watching her.

She quickened her pace, but her thoughts kept racing. Is someone really following me?

Just then, she heard a car pull up beside her, and the window rolled down slowly. Aarvi glanced over and froze.

It was Reyansh.

Her heart skipped a beat, and memories of the previous night flashed before her. She hadn’t expected to run into him again so soon.

"Ms. Sharma," Reyansh’s voice came through, his tone casual, but his eyes were filled with something else.

Aarvi stared at him, shocked, her breath catching in her throat. What is he doing here?

Reyansh leaned out of the car, his eyes scanning her, seemingly amused. "You walk fast," he commented with a smirk.

Aarvi blinked, feeling a sudden wave of confusion. "What are you doing here?" she asked, her tone a mix of curiosity and disbelief.

"Me? What about you?" Reyansh replied smoothly, "I'm just… in the area. It's not a crime, is it?" His tone held a touch of sarcasm, as though mocking her surprise.

Aarvi didn’t know how to respond. She couldn’t decide whether to be angry or amused. "You were following me?" she asked bluntly, raising an eyebrow.

Reyansh smirked, leaning back in his seat. "Following? Not really. Just passing by. But hey, if you’re worried, I can stop." He gave her a pointed look, waiting for her reaction.

Aarvi didn’t say anything at first, just glaring at him. "Is this some kind of joke to you?" she asked with a sarcastic edge.

"I don’t know, is it?" Reyansh replied smoothly, his voice tinged with a teasing tone. "Maybe I’m just curious about you."

Aarvi narrowed her eyes, unsure of how to react. "Curious? About what? You think you know everything about me?"

Reyansh didn’t back down, his expression serious now. "Not everything, but enough to know you're a bit too reckless for your own good."

Aarvi’s eyes widened slightly, and she took a step back. "What’s that supposed to mean?"

"It means you’re putting yourself in danger, Aarvi," Reyansh said, his voice lowering. "You think it’s all about a story, but there’s more to it. What are you hiding?"

Just as Reyansh was about to pull away, his voice came through again, cutting the silence.

"So, you must have reached home well, maybe someone gave you a lift, right?" Reyansh asked casually, his eyes watching her carefully.

Aarvi froze, then narrowed her eyes. "What do you want to do and what do you want?" she retorted, her voice sharp, annoyed by his invasive question.

Reyansh smirked, undeterred by her tone. "I don't want anything, but what you are doing is dangerous, Aarvi. Look, this is my job, and you don't need to read any of this."

Aarvi raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms, clearly not happy with his suggestion. "Why are you asking me so many questions? I can also ask you what you were doing there yesterday, and How do you know me because I don't know you and I don't even know your name and What do you want to know about Aakash?" she shot back, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "It's my work, but why do you need to know so much?"

Reyansh’s jaw tightened, but he maintained his calm demeanor. "My name is Reyansh ok and I have my reasons,” he said slowly, his voice more serious now. “And what you are doing is not professional. That’s why I suggest you keep away from all this.”

Aarvi’s face turned hard as she glared at him. “I also suggest you keep away from me. Let me do my work, and you do your work,” she snapped, her voice firm.

Reyansh didn’t respond immediately. He simply stared at her, clearly not expecting such a direct confrontation. But before he could say anything more, Before she could respond, a figure in the distance caught Reyansh’s attention. Vidyut, who had been following them from behind, was watching them intently from his car.

Vidyut’s mind was racing, trying to make sense of this strange interaction. Who is this girl? Why is Reyansh so interested in her?

Reyansh turned his head and noticed Vidyut’s car. "This conversation isn't over," he said quickly,and sit in the car rolling up his window. His eyes locked with Aarvi's one last time, and he drove off without another word.

Aarvi stood there, confused and a bit irritated, wondering what was really going on.

As she turned to continue her walk home, she couldn’t shake the feeling that Reyansh’s words were more than just idle curiosity. They had been laced with something deeper. And now, the questions in her mind were only multiplying.

𝐀𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐲𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐡’𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐫 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭, 𝐀𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐢’𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐝. 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝—𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐚𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬?

"𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:

𝐈𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐲𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐡 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫, 𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞? 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤—𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐢 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐦, 𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐰𝐧?"

*So this was our eight chapter, if you liked it, show some love and stay tuned for the next part to see, stay happy and healthy byeee loveies .❤

@Author aanu_writes7

Instagram Id:@aanu_writes7

❤🦋