100.
Yug stood outside the restaurant, staring at the elegant glass doors and the warm golden lights spilling onto the pavement. It was the kind of place where businessmen like closed deals over wine and couples celebrated anniversaries.
Then he glanced down at himself.
Plain green shirt. Plain black pants. No effort.
Beside him, Ravi stood in a Hawaiian shirt and khaki shorts, looking like he'd taken a wrong turn on the way to a beach party.
Yug sighed. "Dude, I thought we were just going to drink."
"We are gonna drink," Ravi said confidently.
Yug raised an eyebrow.
"And maybe have dinner too," Ravi added, completely unfazed.
"Our outfits do not match this place," Yug muttered.
"You look fine to me."
"Look at yourself," Yug shot back.
Ravi rolled his eyes. "Relax. Nobody's going to pay attention to us. Bar first or dining area?"
"We can check out the bar first," Yug said.
"Good. Follow me."
They stepped inside. The interior was dim but classy—soft amber lights, polished wood, quiet conversations blending with low music. It wasn't too crowded, and the music wasn't blasting. Yug approved.
"Haider!"
A man with a wide, gummy smile waved from the bar. He had the kind of face that looked suspicious at first glance—sharp eyes, trimmed beard—but his grin was oddly warm. Looked quite like a drug dealer to Yug.
Ravi grinned back and walked over. Yug trailed behind, mostly hidden by Ravi's broad shoulders.
"What's up, man?" the person said, shaking Ravi's hand. "I was shocked when you asked me to reserve a seat. Did you finally bring a girl?"
"Not a girl," Ravi replied, glancing to his side. "It's him—"
He stopped.
Yug wasn't there.
Ravi frowned and turned around.
Yug was a few steps away, staring at the bartender like he'd forgotten why he'd come here in the first place.
"Oi," Ravi called.
Yug blinked. "Oh. Sorry." He walked back over.
"Yug Khurana. Special indeed."
Yug offered a small, polite smile and extended his hand. "Nice to meet you."
"Well," Ravi said, gesturing between them, "Yug, this is Ravi."
Yug blinked. "You're both Ravi?"
"Unfortunately," the other Ravi said dryly. "But I'm the important one. I own the place."
That got a faint smile out of Yug.
"Sit. Make yourselves comfortable," the other Ravi said. "I'll go call my wife. She'll be offended if I don't tell her Ravi finally showed up."
He walked off, still smiling.
Ravi slid onto a bar stool. Yug followed, adjusting his sleeves as he took the seat beside him.
"Can we eat here instead? I'm liking the music," Yug said, nodding toward the small stage where a live band played soft acoustic covers.
"Sure. As you wish," Ravi replied easily.
Yug's attention drifted to a couple seated a few stools away. The guy awkwardly pulled out a chair for the woman before sitting down himself.
"You do stare at people a lot," Ravi muttered.
"Look at them," Yug said quietly. "First date."
"And probably the last one as well."
Ravi snorted. "Why so?"
"They're at a bar," Yug said calmly. "And the waiter just served them coffee." He tilted his head slightly. "They might even be exes. The guy looks interested. The woman? She couldn't care less."
Ravi studied them for a second. "I'm not sure if you're making this up in your head... but your theory is impressive."
"I'm not making it up," Yug replied. "I'm just good at reading people."
"Okay then." Ravi leaned back against the counter. "Let's make a bet. I bet they're going to end up kissing here."
Yug looked at him flatly. "Are we twelve?"
Ravi shrugged. "What? Makes it interesting."
"Fine. Bet," Yug said after a pause. "Since I already know I'm going to win... what are you giving me?"
"You decide."
Ravi casually pulled out a cigarette, twirling it between his fingers.
Yug glanced at it, then back at him. "If I win, we're never going out on a 'date' again."
Ravi raised a brow. "So you just hate me for no reason?"
Yug only shrugged.
"And if I win," Ravi continued, his tone turning lighter but his eyes sharper, "I get to kiss you tonight."
Yug blinked. "Are you insane?"
"No strings attached," Ravi said. "I just want to know what it feels like to kiss a guy."
Yug didn't respond. His jaw tightened slightly, but he kept his eyes forward.
Before either of them could say more, the other Ravi returned—this time with his visibly pregnant wife and a younger woman trailing behind them.
"Hey! Raviii!" the pregnant woman beamed, wrapping Ravi in a warm hug. He side-hugged her carefully.
"I was shocked when he told me you brought Yug Khurana," she said, turning to Yug with a kind smile. "Nice to finally meet you."
Yug nodded politely. "Nice to meet you too."
They chatted casually for a few minutes. The younger woman, however, seemed far more interested in Ravi than the conversation. Her hand kept brushing against his exposed chest, lingering longer each time.
"You're getting more handsome every day," she teased. "Such a hunk."
Ravi laughed, playing along, occasionally tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.
For a brief second, Ravi's eyes flicked toward Yug.
Yug was already looking at him.
And slowly—very slightly—Yug shook his head.
Not amused. Not impressed.
Just watching.
So he's a player. In some way.
The thought lingered in Yug's mind as the four of them continued talking. Ravi, the other Ravi, his wife, and the overly touchy girl were deep in some animated discussion. Yug, however, had mentally checked out.
Their voices blurred into background noise.
After a few minutes, Yug quietly excused himself and slid off the stool. He walked to the bartender, studying the menu displayed above the counter.
Ravi noticed.
"Well, could you please stop sticking to me?" Ravi muttered to the girl, gently removing her hand from his chest. "I'm feeling hot."
She pouted dramatically but let him go.
Ravi stood and followed Yug.
Yug was still staring at the bartender, who was enthusiastically explaining different drinks—single malts, craft cocktails, aged rum.
"Hey," Ravi said softly.
"Hey," Yug replied, not looking at him. His attention remained fixed on the bartender as he nodded absentmindedly.
"Let's have dinner first," Ravi suggested.
Yug finally turned slightly. "It's not too late, Ravi. You can go back and talk with your friends." He paused. "Do you and the others want something to drink?"
Ravi frowned. "It's our date. Let's not include the others."
Yug let out a small chuckle. "It's not like it's real anyway."
He turned fully to face Ravi now.
For a second, Ravi's expression shifted—something faintly disappointed flickered across his face before he masked it.
Yug's eyes drifted past him.
The girl was watching them. Not casually. Not innocently. She looked like she was waiting for Ravi to return so she could attach herself to him again.
Yug looked back at Ravi.
"Let's go to the dining area," he said.
Then, more quietly—almost under his breath—
"It's our date. Let's not include the others."
Ravi followed his gaze, immediately understanding what Yug meant.
A slow smirk tugged at his lips.
Without another word, he gestured toward the dining section.
And this time, he walked beside Yug.
----------
"The taste of this is actually good," Yug said, taking another bite of the paneer. "But that doesn't mean you get to serve more."
He caught Ravi's wrist mid-air before it could reach his plate.
"You don't have to worry," Ravi said casually. "Everything here's made with olive oil."
"It's still oil," Yug replied dryly.
"Suit yourself." Ravi shrugged, his mouth half full.
"Idiot," Yug muttered, though he couldn't stop the small snort that escaped him.
They ate quietly for a moment.
"By the way," Yug said, wiping his hands, "when are they having the baby?"
"Who?" Ravi blinked.
"Your friend and his wife. She's pregnant, right?"
Ravi nearly choked. He coughed, grabbed his water, and took a long sip.
"She's not pregnant."
Yug froze.
"Oh." His eyes widened. "Oh."
Embarrassment spread across his face instantly. "I— I'm sorry."
He took a large sip of his drink and leaned back in his chair, pretending to be very interested in the ceiling.
Ravi tried not to laugh.
"You drink too much, you know."
"I like it," Yug shrugged. "And I have good tolerance. So it doesn't matter."
Ravi gave him a look. "You start crying when you drink."
Yug's expression hardened immediately. "Forget that, okay?"
He kicked Ravi lightly under the table.
Ravi smirked.
After a brief pause, Yug spoke again, quieter this time. "It's been seven years since we first met. You look different now."
Ravi tilted his head. "Where did we meet again?"
"In a café," Yug said. "Aarav and I had just started working together. We were discussing our project and he spotted you there."
Ravi nodded slowly, remembering.
"How different was I?"
"You looked less intimidating," Yug said honestly.
Ravi scoffed. "I was clean-shaven."
Yug shrugged. "Trust me. You looked better."
"Oh?" Ravi leaned back, amused. "Better?"
Yug ignored the tone and took another sip of his drink.
They fell into a comfortable silence after that.
Yug had already finished five glasses, yet his eyes remained steady, his posture relaxed. He wasn't slurring. Wasn't swaying.
He really did have a high tolerance.
Ravi watched him for a second.
Yug, in turn, studied Ravi.
No one would guess.
No one would assume that this casually dressed man in khaki shorts, drinking beer and eating paneer makhani, was a bodyguard tied to one of the most powerful mafia families.
Right now, he just looked... normal.
Almost harmless.
And that contrast unsettled Yug more than he expected.
They had known of each other for years.
But they had only really started talking four months ago—when Shaurya re-entered Aarav's life and everything shifted again.
Four months.
And somehow, Ravi had become important.
Yug genuinely believed he had made a good friend. Ravi was a jerk sometimes—arrogant, annoying, reckless—but he showed up. He listened. He stayed.
Everything had been fine.
Until Yug learned what his father had done.
"Ravi?"
Ravi looked up immediately.
Yug exhaled. "It's nothing."
Ravi didn't look convinced.
He calmly wiped his mouth with a napkin, dipped his fingers into the bowl of warm water, and cleaned his hands before pushing his plate slightly aside.
Then he leaned forward and placed a steady hand on Yug's shoulder.
"What are you thinking?" Ravi asked quietly.
"Nothing much."
There was a pause.
"Can I ask you something?" Ravi said, taking a slow sip of his wine.
"Yeah."
"Tell me about your childhood."
Yug frowned slightly. "Why?"
Ravi shrugged. "I just want to know."
Yug studied him for a moment, as if trying to figure out whether there was something hidden behind the question.
"Well..." He leaned back. "I lived in Mumbai almost my whole life."
"You had friends there?"
"In school, yeah. A few." He paused. "Not in high school though. That phase was the worst."
Ravi watched him carefully.
"I didn't like making too many friends," Yug continued. "Or being close to anyone."
"You still don't," Ravi said gently.
Yug didn't respond to that.
"My childhood wasn't anything special," he added after a moment.
"I still want to know about it," Ravi said. "Everything."
Yug sighed.
" I belong to a middle class. family Maybe that's why I know how to do everything myself. Folding clothes, washing dishes, fixing small things." He gave a faint shrug.
Ravi smiled softly.
"Both my parents were involved in my life until I became a teenager," Yug continued. "Then my dad left."
The words came out flat.
"You liked your dad?" Ravi asked carefully.
Yug went quiet.
"I don't know," he admitted after a few seconds. "But from what I remember... he cared. He knew what I liked. What I didn't." His gaze drifted somewhere far away. "He knew I loved football. So he enrolled me in a club."
Ravi didn't interrupt.
"His salary wasn't great," Yug continued. "But he still managed to pay for it somehow."
A small, almost reluctant smile touched Yug's lips.
"I used to think he was invincible back then."
The smile faded just as quickly.
And for the first time that evening, Ravi didn't smirk.
He just listened.
"You remember the football at my place?" Yug said quietly. "The one near the bookshelf?"
Ravi nodded.
"He bought that for me. And those old video games—you won't even find them in the market now." Yug gave a small, confused smile. "I still don't know how you managed all that."
Ravi didn't interrupt. He just watched him.
Yug's expression slowly changed.
"I seriously don't understand how he could do that to your brother," he said, his voice shaking slightly now. He grabbed his glass and took a long gulp of alcohol.
"Okay. Stop drinking now, alright? Please," Ravi said gently.
He motioned to the staff to take the bottles away.
Yug didn't protest, but he held his neck for a moment, as if trying to steady himself, then cleared his throat.
"My mum was cool," he continued, softer now. "You already know her. She was a Sardarni. Her family's in Punjab."
"You don't meet them?" Ravi asked.
"I do. Rarely." Yug's gaze lowered. "They came for her funeral."
The table fell silent for a second.
"And your friends?"
"I have three," Yug replied. "Two are from school. You met them in Udaipur, remember?"
Ravi nodded.
"And the third one is Aarav. That's all."
Ravi slowly reached forward and lightly held the back of Yug's neck.
"You didn't take my name," he said.
There was something different in his voice.
Not playful.
Not teasing.
Something closer to jealousy.
Yug swallowed.
"Enough about me," he said quickly. "Let's talk about you."
Ravi leaned back slightly. "What do you want to know?"
Yug hesitated, then asked, "Why did you break up with Alizeh? She seemed nice."
Ravi's eyes flickered—briefly guarded.
"It's okay if you don't want to answer," Yug added immediately.
Ravi exhaled.
"She thought I'm just a bodyguard to Shaurya. A slave to him," he said calmly. "She wanted me to leave that life. Stay normal."
Yug frowned. "She called you a slave?"
Ravi nodded, giving a small, humorless chuckle. "I didn't mind it much."
"She constantly reminded me of my past," he continued. "But my own family does that too. I was getting tired of hearing it."
Yug's fingers tightened around the napkin in his hand.
Ravi drank some water, then looked up with the same easy half-smile he always wore.
And that unsettled Yug.
How could someone say things like that so casually?
How could he smile after admitting something like that?
He didn't deserve to carry it that lightly.
And he definitely didn't deserve to be called a slave.
"It's getting late. We should leave," Ravi said.
Yug nodded.
They walked back toward the bar to say goodbye. The other Ravi and his wife were still there. And the couple Yug had been observing earlier?
They were kissing now.
Yug slowly turned his head toward Ravi.
Ravi noticed—but said nothing. He simply continued talking casually with his friend, as if the bet had never existed.
A few minutes later, they were in the car.
Ravi drove in silence.
The city lights passed in streaks across the windshield.
"Ravi," Yug said quietly. "It's none of my business... but what's Alizeh doing at your house right now?"
Ravi kept his eyes on the road. "My grandmother and my mum asked her to stay. They're probably discussing marriage."
Yug felt something tighten in his chest.
"I heard her father already approved it. They're just waiting for my answer."
"What will your answer be?"
Ravi didn't respond immediately.
"I think I'll just marry her," he said finally. "At least my mum will stop nagging me."
Yug's heart dropped.
"What?" His voice sharpened. "Have you lost your mind?"
Ravi glanced at him briefly. "What else should I do? I have to move on from you. It's necessary."
The words landed heavy.
"And you'll ruin your life for a woman who doesn't even respect you?" Yug shot back.
"I don't really care."
"Stop the car."
Ravi frowned. "Why?"
"I said stop the car."
There was something in Yug's tone that made Ravi pull over immediately at a nearby gas station.
The engine idled.
Before Ravi could ask again—
Yug grabbed his collar and pulled him forward.
The kiss was sudden. Quick. Rough around the edges.
But it was electric.
Ravi froze for half a second before instinctively responding—but it was over almost as soon as it began.
Yug pulled back first.
"You won the damn bet, idiot," Yug muttered, breathing unevenly. "You didn't kiss me."
He didn't know whether it was the alcohol or the anger—or something deeper—but whatever it was, it made everything worse.
And better.
And terrifying.
He immediately turned his face toward the window, staring out into the darkness.
Ravi cleared his throat, still trying to process what had just happened.
"Can we... kiss again?" he asked bluntly without hesitation.
"No." Yug's answer was immediate.
Ravi didn't argue.
He simply started the engine again.
But this time, he drove fast.
Too fast.
Neither of them spoke.
Within minutes, they were outside Ravi's house.
The car had barely stopped when Yug stepped out and walked quickly toward the entrance without looking back.
Ravi remained in the driver's seat for a few seconds longer, hands gripping the steering wheel.
What the hell just happened?
"Ravi, itni der laga di aane mein? Bachcha hai kya tu?" his mother snapped the moment he stepped inside. "Iss umar mein bhi aisi harkatein karta rehta hai. Shaadi bhi nahi hui hai teri... kaise samjhau tujhe?"
Yug had quietly walked past them toward his room, wanting nothing more than to shut the door and process what had happened in the car.
But as he passed by Ravi's grandmother's room, voices made him pause.
"Allah ka shukar hai tum idhar aa gayi," Dadijaan was saying warmly. "Ravi ab sudhar hi jayega."
"Dadijaan, aap aisa mat bolein..." Alizeh said softly.
"Kyun na bolun? Hum tumhare shukarguzar hain. Tumne mere pote ko apna liya. Mujhe to hamesha darr tha ki yeh humein samajh mein sharminda na kar de. Tumhare waalid to—"
"Excuse me?"
Yug stepped inside the room.
All three women turned toward him.
"Yug?" Alizeh gave a small, uncertain smile.
Dadijaan, however, did not look pleased.
"I'm sorry," Yug said, voice steady but firm. "I heard what you were saying. And honestly... you should be ashamed."
"Kya bol raha hai yeh ladka?" Dadijaan snapped.
"Behre ho kya aap?" Yug replied calmly, maintaining a controlled tone. "You heard me."
The room fell silent.
"You don't deserve Ravi," he continued. "He's a good person. A genuinely good person. And you all treat him like he's some burden. Like he needs fixing."
Alizeh looked down.
"You think low of him for something that wasn't even his fault," Yug said, his jaw tightening. "And instead of standing by him, you're worried about what society will say?"
By then, Ravi had reached the doorway. His mother stood behind him.
Yug noticed them.
He inhaled slowly.
"I'm sorry, Aunty," he said, turning toward Ravi's mother. "He's your son. But you failed to understand him."
Ravi's mother stiffened.
"If you think no one will accept him, you're wrong," Yug continued, calmer now but just as intense. "People care about him. Shaurya, Aarav, Veer — they're his brothers. They love him. And I've only known him properly for a few months... but I care about him too."
Ravi's expression changed slightly at that.
Yug looked at Alizeh.
"And if this marriage is happening because you think he needs controlling, then don't do him that favor. You're no one to control him"
The air felt heavy.
Yug looked at Ravi.
"If you marry this woman, I'm going to kick your balls".
And with that, he walked out.
The room remained frozen in silence.
No one spoke.
They just looked at each other — unsure of what had just shifted inside that house.