Rivan sleeping on Devyanis breasts #3
Fairy lights hung overhead like tiny stars.
The scent of fresh waffles filled the air.
Somewhere nearby a violinist played a slow melody.
Everything felt peaceful.
Safe.
Almost magical.
They chose a table near the edge of the patio.
A place overlooking the street.
Within minutes their order arrived.
Chocolate chip for Devyani.
Exactly as always.
And some strange tropical flavor for Zaid that she immediately judged.
"What even is that?"
"It's mango passion fruit."
"That sounds illegal."
"It tastes amazing."
"It looks suspicious."
"It doesn't."
"It does."
Eventually Zaid forced her to try it.
She took one bite.
Made a face.
And immediately pushed it away.
"Horrible."
Zaid looked offended.
"You're horrible."
She pointed at the ice cream.
"No. That thing is horrible."
The two continued arguing while finishing half the bowls.
Several people around them laughed hearing their ridiculous debate.
For the first time all day...
Devyani forgot.
Forgot the villa.
Forgot RIVAN.
Forgot the pain sitting inside her chest.
Forgot everything.
She simply existed.
And that felt nice.
Very nice.
After a while the conversation slowed.
The laughter softened.
The atmosphere became calmer.
Devyani looked at the melting chocolate ice cream in her bowl.
A shadow crossed her face.
Almost invisible.
But Zaid noticed.
He always noticed.
"You okay?"
Her smile weakened.
A little.
"I don't know."
The answer was honest.
Painfully honest.
For a moment she stared toward the road.
Watching strangers pass by.
Watching a little girl laugh while holding her father's hand.
Watching life continue.
Then she whispered softly.
"I thought I had happiness once."
The words hung between them.
Heavy.
"I really believed it."
Her fingers tightened around the spoon.
"But maybe I was wrong."
Zaid remained silent.
Listening.
Only listening.
Because sometimes people don't need advice.
They just need someone willing to hear them.
A few moments later he reached across the table and gently squeezed her hand.
"Not everyone is like him."
Devyani looked up.
The fairy lights reflected in her eyes.
"Maybe."
"Not maybe."
His voice softened.
"Definitely."
A long silence followed.
Comfortable.
Warm.
Healing.
Then he smiled.
"You don't need to trust anybody right now."
She looked at him.
"Not anybody."
Another squeeze of her hand.
"Just me."
For some reason those two words felt different.
Safer.
And she found herself smiling again.
A small genuine smile.
The kind that reached her eyes.
The evening continued.
Stories replaced sadness.
Laughter replaced silence.
Dreams replaced memories.
For a little while the world felt normal again.
Then suddenly
Zaid's phone rang.
The vibration broke the atmosphere instantly.
He looked at the screen.
And everything changed.
The smile disappeared.
His jaw tightened.
The warmth vanished from his eyes.
Business.
Devyani recognized that expression immediately.
The expression of a man carrying responsibilities heavier than himself.
"I need to take this."
She nodded.
"Go."
He stood.
"I'll only be a few minutes."
That turned out to be a lie.
A very big lie.
Because ten minutes later he was still on the call.
Twenty minutes later he was pacing.
Thirty minutes later his voice had become sharper.
More frustrated.
More dangerous.
Through the car window Devyani watched him.
His free hand constantly ran through his hair.
His shoulders remained tense.
Several times he stopped walking completely.
Several times he looked like he wanted to throw the phone into the river.
Whatever was happening wasn't good.
Not good at all.
She wanted to help.
Wanted to ask.
Wanted to make him sit down and breathe.
But she knew better.
Some battles had to be fought alone.
So she waited.
And waited.
And waited.
Eventually exhaustion caught up with her.
Last night had been chaotic.
The lack of sleep finally demanded payment.
Her eyelids became heavier.
The warmth of the car wrapped around her.
Outside, city lights blurred together.
Inside, the distant sound of Zaid's voice became softer and softer.
Soon she couldn't keep her eyes open anymore.
Her head slowly rested against the window.
Her breathing steadied.
And sleep claimed her completely.
Peacefully.
Silently.
Like a child finally finding rest.
Nearly forty minutes later Zaid ended the call.
The moment he disconnected, he closed his eyes briefly.
The deal was a disaster.
The meeting would be worse.
And tomorrow promised even more problems.
For a few seconds he simply stood there.
Trying to gather himself.
Then he turned toward the car.
And froze.
Because there she was.
Sleeping.
The city lights danced across her face.
Her lashes rested against her cheeks.
Her breathing was soft and steady.
Without the walls she normally kept around herself...
she looked younger.
Softer.
Fragile in a way she never allowed anyone to see.
A small smile appeared on his face.
The stress instantly faded.
Not completely.
But enough.
He quietly opened the driver's door and slipped inside.
Careful not to wake her.
The car remained still.
The engine remained off.
He simply sat there.
Watching over her.
Protecting her peace.
For the first time all evening, neither business nor responsibilities mattered.
Only this moment did.
His eyes drifted toward her sleeping figure again.
And a quiet smile touched his lips.
"Sleep, Devu."
His voice was barely above a whisper.
"So many people keep hurting you."
He looked away toward the glowing city.
Then back at her.
"But not tonight."
The car remained parked beneath the fairy lights.
The city continued moving.
The world continued spinning.
And for the next twenty minutes
Zaid simply sat there.
Guarding the sleep of a girl who deserved far more peace than life had ever given her.
The night had been peaceful.
Too peaceful.
The kind of peace that never lasted in the lives of men like RIVAN and Zaid.
The engine of the car hummed softly beneath them while fairy lights from the little ice cream parlor painted golden reflections across the windshield.
Inside the car, Devyani slept peacefully.
Her head rested against the window.
Her breathing was soft.
Steady.
For the first time in days, there wasn't a single frown on her face.
No pain.
No tears.
No memories.
Just peace.
Zaid sat quietly in the driver's seat, watching her sleep.
A small smile touched his lips.
Then suddenly
Headlights.
Bright.
Blinding.
Dangerous.
The entire parking lot lit up.
Zaid's expression changed instantly.
His eyes narrowed.
A black SUV had pulled directly in front of his car.
Blocking the exit.
Blocking the road.
Blocking everything.
The engine died.
The night fell silent.
And somehow
the air became heavier.
The driver's door of the SUV opened.
A tall figure stepped out.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
Dangerously.
Zaid recognized him immediately.
Of course.
Who else would be insane enough to do something like this?
RIVAN Thakur.
The man looked like a storm wrapped inside human skin.
The sleeves of his white shirt were rolled up.
The top buttons remained undone.
His hands rested inside his pockets.
But somehow that looked more threatening than clenched fists.
His face was unreadable.
Cold.
Calm.
Controlled.
And that was the scary part.
Because everyone knew
when RIVAN stopped shouting...
people started worrying.
Zaid sighed heavily.
"Of course."
His gaze shifted toward Devyani.
Still asleep.
Still completely unaware.
For a moment he simply looked at her.
Then gently adjusted the seatbelt near her shoulder.
Carefully.
Protectively.
Making sure she wouldn't wake up.
Only then did he open the door and step outside.
The cold London wind immediately hit his face.
The two men stood facing each other.
Ten feet apart.
Neither speaking.
Neither moving.
The fairy lights above continued flickering softly.
Cars passed somewhere in the distance.
Yet the entire world felt strangely silent.
RIVAN looked at him.
Zaid looked back.
And the atmosphere immediately turned lethal.
Finally
RIVAN spoke.
"I heard your company suffered some losses."
His voice was calm.
Far too calm.
Zaid laughed.
A humorless laugh.
"So it was you."
No denial.
No surprise.
Nothing.
RIVAN simply stood there.
The silence itself became an answer.
Zaid slowly nodded.
"I was wondering."
He took a few steps forward.
Another step.
"A contract cancelled."
Another.
"Three investors suddenly changing their minds."
His eyes narrowed.
"And now here you are."
A bitter smile appeared.
"Makes sense."
RIVAN finally moved.
One step.
Then another.
Until only a few feet separated them.
The tension became suffocating.
"You came into her life."
His voice remained low.
Dangerously low.
His gaze shifted briefly toward the sleeping figure inside the car.
Then returned to Zaid.
"And now you're surprised I noticed?"
Zaid folded his arms.
"I'm not surprised."
His voice hardened.
"I'm disappointed."
That made RIVAN's jaw tighten.
For the first time.
A crack in the armor.
Zaid pointed toward the car.
Toward Devyani.
"Did you see her tonight?"
Silence.
"Did you actually look at her?"
The question landed harder than expected.
"She is happy."
Another pause.
"She is actually happy without you."
Another.
"For the first time in a long time."
Something flickered inside RIVAN's eyes.
Pain.
Regret.
Guilt.
Gone almost instantly.
But Zaid saw it.
The man wasn't unaffected.
Not even close.
"Don't."
RIVAN's voice came out rough.
A warning.
Zaid ignored it.
"She spent months trying to survive what happened."
His gaze never wavered.
"And you think showing up after two years fixes everything?"
The night became still.
RIVAN slowly looked away.
Toward the car.
Toward Devyani.
Asleep.
Peaceful.
Beautiful.