CH 7 THE Elevator
then -
ashiana rushing and running before the elevator door closes she quickly enters in and turns and quickly presses her floor number button
Ashiana stands with heavy breathes of rushing in she stands facing at elevator door , breathless, clutching her bag.
"Oh god... second day ko hi late ho gayi.
.. pata nahi aur kya kya hoga aage," she muttered in one long frustrated rush.
"Aur kal woh badtameez aadmi... bhagwan, vo fir se aaj na dikhayi dejaye ?
Ek toh waise hi dukh kam nahi hai zindagi mein.
.. uff, uff, aur kya bacha hai hone ke liye kal cab punture ho gyi thi aur ab y lagta h meri zindagi patthar se likhi h aapne? "
She huffed, too busy grumbling at the walls to notice the reflection that wasn't hers.
"Interesting prayers you make in the morning."
The voice froze her blood.
Her heart froze. Slowly, she turned and there he was.
Aarav Malhotra. his eyes locking onto hers through the mirror, his presence filling the elevator like oxygen itself bowed to him.
One hand slid casually into his pocket, the other resting against the railing as if he owned it. As if he owned her breath.
Her heart skipped.
No. Not here. Not again.
The elevator climbed smoothly, but the silence was suffocating. smirk ghosting across his lips as if he had been listening to her every word.
"So..." his voice was low, steady, almost amused, "a badtameez aadmi? That's what you call your boss?"
Clink. His ring tapped the railing once, sharp in the silence.
Ashiana swallowed, forcing a nervous smile. "Ohh... n-no sir, aap kaha badtameez ho. Aap toh ekdum sushil, sanskari... ekdum devta ho. Haan, devta."
His smirk deepened, storm-grey eyes narrowing with a predator's amusement.
"Devta?" he drawled, the word dripping with mockery as it rolled off his tongue. He leaned in just enough for his voice to brush her ear.
"Careful what you call me, Ashiana... Devtas save. I don't."
Her chest skipped a beat, and a shiver ran down her spine despite herself. His words weren't just teasing they carried a weight, a danger that made her stomach twist.
Save? He doesn't save...
Her nervous smile faltered, replaced by a flicker of heat creeping up her neck. The boldness she had clung to moments ago wavered, but her hazel eyes still narrowed, trying to mask the sudden flutter of fear or something darker, thrilling behind them.
Her hands instinctively gripped her bag tighter, knuckles whitening, as if grounding herself. She could feel the magnetic pull of his presence, impossible to ignore.
Okay... wow. He's... terrifying. And yet... why does it feel like he's the only one who could ever see me like this?
chhii..
ashiana stop how could you even think of this attitute ka forest like this.
he is Nothingggg.
Then she narrowed her eyes muttered, '' hey bhagwan y hamesha mere age piche ku hota h.. aur apni vip elevator chodd kar yhaa ku aa gyaa''
Aarav caught every word. His gaze gleamed, storm clouds alive with dark amusement. He leaned back against the wall, towering, his dominance effortless.
"Maybe..." clink-the ring tapped again, deliberate, "it's not me in your elevator, Ashiana. Maybe it's you... in mine."
The realization struck.
VIP elevator.
Not public.
Her stomach sank.
Shit.
BLUNDERRRR.
His eyes darkened further, voice dropping to a whisper that brushed her skin.
"You really think you keep running into me by accident?"
Her pulse stuttered. She muttered again, panicked, "Bhagwan... aaj toh pakka y mujhe fire kar dega."
The doors slid open. Relief short-lived. Her heel caught the edge, balance tipping, bag slipping, papers threatening to scatter. A sharp gasp escaped her lips—
And then his hands. One firm, steel-strong hand gripped her waist, the other snaking around her torso, anchoring her to his chest. The heat of him pressed her back against him, unyielding, every inch of him a silent warning.
She could feel the deliberate strength in his hold, his body a wall she couldn't escape.
His cologne hit her rich, dark, inescapably him.
"Clumsy," he murmured, storm-grey eyes smoldering down at her, voice low, edged with something dangerous. "You should be careful, intern. Not everyone will catch you when you fall... or want to."
The world outside the elevator ceased. Just him. His grip. His breath. His presence a storm she couldn't outrun.
Then, almost teasingly, he released her, his hands sliding away smoothly, leaving her trembling. Calm. Controlled. Effortless.
"Go," he said softly, voice dark and measured, eyes still locked on her. "Before you make yourself any later."
Her face burned as she stumbled away, heels clicking unevenly, bag clutched like a shield. She nearly tripped again, disappearing into the maze of cubicles.
The elevator lingered open a moment longer.
Aarav stood still, hands in his pockets, his eyes following her retreat. The corner of his lips curved slightly a shadow of amusement over an unreadable mask.
Clumsy. Stubborn. Fearless. Terrified.
A contradiction wrapped into one intern.
As the doors slid shut with a soft ding, he murmured, low, certain, almost a threat—
"She runs fast... but not fast enough to outrun me."