5.
"Sir, we were informed that Aarav Sir isn't planning to leave Udaipur anytime soon," Raghu reported. "So, I believe we'll be able to meet him during this visit."
Vedansh, sipping his tea calmly, nodded. "That's good. Still, I'll call him first — don't want to give the poor guy a heart attack by showing up unannounced." A soft smile played on his lips. "Where is he staying these days?"
"The same apartment, Sir — close to his company. But as I mentioned earlier, my team's spotted him visiting someone almost daily."
Vedansh raised an eyebrow. "Someone?"
"A blonde-haired woman. She appears to have a child — young, probably five or six. The kid seems... attached to Aarav."
"Could be a friend," Vedansh mused casually, though something flickered in his eyes. "What about Shaurya? Is he coming to Udaipur too?"
"No, Sir," Raghu replied. "Shaurya Sir's caught up with the Verma murder case."
Vedansh's expression sharpened with interest. "Oh? How many did he kill?"
"The entire family. Twenty-one people, Sir," Raghu answered grimly. "Only the wife and a child were left alive."
"Hmmmm... interesting".
He set down his teacup and stood. "Anyway, get ready. We're meeting Aarav tomorrow."
Raghu blinked. "I'm coming with you, Sir?"
Vedansh glanced at him dryly. "Of course. You think I can handle that brat on my own?"
Raghu snorted, trying — and failing — to suppress a grin.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The gym was quiet — save for the steady clink of metal and the low hum of treadmills. A faint playlist echoed across the spacious room, but no one paid much attention to it.
Aarav stood near the squat rack, panting lightly, towel slung over his neck.
His pale olive-toned skin glistened with sweat, muscles pulled taut from exertion.
The sharp lines of his body looked almost sculpted, like some long-forgotten Greek deity had stepped out of myth and into Lycra.
A broken crown tattoo stretched along his left arm, partially hidden under the sheen of perspiration.
Beneath it, barely noticeable unless someone looked closely, were words — inked in a script that seemed almost too personal to read aloud.
He adjusted his tank top and reached for his water bottle, unaware — or more likely, uncaring — of the small group of women giggling in hushed tones a few machines over.
Their stolen glances were met with indifferent silence.
Aarav was used to being looked at like that — with curiosity, admiration, and questions that didn't deserve answers.
One of them, a young woman in sleek gymwear and a little too much confidence, made her way toward him. She had the smile of someone rehearsed — the kind that tried to look harmless but wasn't.
"Hi, sorry to bother you," she began, breathless in a way that had nothing to do with working out. "I just wanted to say I'm a huge fan. Have been following you on Instagram for years now."
Aarav offered a tight-lipped smile, nodding slightly, already sensing where this was going.
"But I couldn't help but notice," she continued, voice lowering into conspiratorial curiosity, "you don't post much about your personal life.
No photos with women, no parties, no weddings.
Everyone just knows you're the Crown Prince of Amritnagar who left royal duties six years ago and moved to Udaipur with your business partner, Yug Khurana. You've kept things... mysterious."
Aarav wiped his forehead with the towel, exhaling slowly, avoiding her eyes.
"You know, people talk," she added. "You and Yug — you're seen together a lot. Are you two... involved?"
Aarav let out a sigh, finally looking at her, eyes unreadable.
Before he could respond, a familiar voice cut through the space behind him.
"It wouldn't be the worst thing if people thought we were dating."
The girl turned sharply. Yug Khurana stood near the bench press, smirking casually, a water bottle in hand. His hair was messy, like he'd just rolled out of bed, and there was a glint in his eye — that unmistakable chaos he brought with him wherever he went.
He sauntered over and threw a casual arm around Aarav's shoulder. Aarav immediately rolled his eyes and swatted it off with a sharp flick of his hand.
"I said if," Yug chuckled, clearly enjoying himself.
Aarav glanced at the girl, jaw clenched, and then gave her a dismissive nod.
"Excuse us," he said curtly.
Without waiting for a reply, Aarav turned and headed toward the locker room, leaving the girl stunned in place. Yug gave her a wink before following.
Inside the locker room, the atmosphere shifted — less performance, more rawness. Aarav tossed his towel on the bench and opened his locker without looking at Yug.
"You really need to stop playing into their nonsense," Aarav muttered, pulling out a clean shirt.
"Who said I was playing?" Yug leaned against the wall, arms folded. "It's not my fault you're irresistible."
Aarav turned, expression flat. "Yug."
"What? It's fun watching them squirm. And besides," he shrugged, "they'd have a meltdown if they knew the truth."
Aarav paused for a second, holding the shirt in his hands, his body still gleaming from the workout, his tattoo catching the light under the locker room's dim glow.
"I didn't come here to play games," he said, quieter this time. "Not with them. And definitely not with you."
Yug didn't respond immediately. He studied Aarav for a long moment, the smirk fading into something more thoughtful.
"I know," he said finally. "But maybe give it a chance? This is very simple."
Aarav gave him a side glance. "They were never simple, Yug."
There was a brief silence between them, the kind only people with a shared history could sit in.
"You are making it hard for yourself Aarav. Why can't things happen between us?"
"Because Shaurya Shekhawat would burn you alive".
Then Aarav slipped on his shirt, shutting the locker with a sharp clang.
"Let's go," he said, brushing past Yug.
Yug followed — a step behind, as always gritting his teeth.
---------------------------------------------------
The car glided down Udaipur's quieter lanes, dusk wrapping the city in a soft violet haze. The scent of sweat and eucalyptus lingered faintly on Aarav's skin after his workout, but his silence was heavier than anything physical.
Yug leaned back in the passenger seat, scrolling through his phone half-heartedly, occasionally glancing at Aarav.
Then the car screen lit up.
Vedansh Shekhawat.
Aarav's breath stuttered.
Yug noticed immediately. "Is that... him?"
Aarav didn't reply. His thumb hovered over the screen, hesitation carved deep into his features.
The last time Vedansh Shekhawat had spoken to him—if you could call it speaking—was nearly five years ago, to beg him to comeback. It was always the others but not Shaurya himself.
Taking a breath, Aarav tapped the green icon. His voice, when it came, was steady, if overly casual.
"What's up, old man?"
A pause. Then came the voice—deep, razor-edged, laced with authority—a voice Aarav once feared, once admired.
"You still didn't change".
Aarav forced a small smirk. "Well, you trained me yourself".
Vedansh chuckled, the sound dry as gunpowder.
"Good. That means you're doing well".
Aarav said nothing.
Another beat.
"I'm in Udaipur. I want to meet."
The words landed like a stone in still water. Aarav's hand tightened on the steering wheel. His pulse spiked, but he kept his voice even.
"Is Shaurya—?"
"Don't worry, he won't be coming."
Aarav actually didn't believe that. If Vedansh is in Udaipur, surely Shaurya is somewhere near as well.
Vedansh continued, tone unreadable.
"Tomorrow morning. Your office. Ten."
There was no room for negotiation.
Before Aarav could respond, the line disconnected.
Aarav stared blankly at the dashboard for a moment. The city outside was a blur. Yug shifted, sensing the shift in energy.
"Well?" he asked softly.
Aarav blinked, came back to himself. "That was Vedansh Uncle".
"Of course, now what? He really wants to see you?"
Aarav let out a dry laugh. "Apparently, yeah. Says he's in Udaipur. Wants to meet. Alone."
Yug whistled under his breath. "And you?"
"I said nothing. He hung up before I could. Such an arrogant old man." Aarav exhaled and leaned back into the seat, one hand running through his damp hair. "But I'll go."
"Sure?"
"No," Aarav muttered, smirking bitterly. "But I don't think I have a choice."
They drove on, the hum of the engine underscoring a silence that was anything but peaceful. And as Udaipur flickered past their windows, Aarav knew—tomorrow wasn't just about a meeting. It was about reopening a chapter he'd tried to bury.
And Vedansh Shekhawat never showed up without a reason. But all he could think of was Aarya. What if Vedansh got to know about her? Would he take her away from him?