Chapter Four.
Aarvik stepped into the cold minimalist sanctuary of his bedroom, the air still vibrating with the violence of the morning.
He dialed a number, tapped the speakerphone icon before he tossed his phone onto the silk duvet.
He simply began unbuttoning his shirt, his movements was impatient.
"Hello, sir." a feminine voice filtered through the speakers.
It was calm and held a hint of obedience. Aarvik didn't respond, he never wasted breath on pleasantries.
He let the silence demand the report.
"For the update..." the lady continued, sensing his presence. "Zaira has had no contact with any males today. No one has approached her, and she hasn't reached out to anyone. She’s currently in her lecture."
Aarvik paused, his shirt hanging open to reveal the hard, sculpted of his chest and the dark ink tracing his ribs.
He caught his reflection in mirror, the image of Zaira's face, flushed and innocent from earlier, flashed behind his eyes.
His throat tightened. He could still feel the warmth of her proximity in the car.
"Did she..." Aarvik’s voice was suddenly stern as he stripped the shirt off entirely, exposing his powerful, well-muscled frame.
"Did she mention anything about a guy? Someone she might... like? Or.. a Crush?"
There was a brief hesitation on the other end. "No..No, sir. No one yet. And don't worry, I know exactly what to do. I won't let her fall for anyone. I’ll make sure no man gets close enough to breathe her air."
Aarvik’s jaw tightened. He didn't offer a 'thank you.' He reached down, picked up the phone, and ended the call with a blunt swipe.
He stood there for a moment, staring at his reflection. His eyes were voids of emotion, but his mind was a chaotic loop of the morning’s events.
The image of the young guard, the way his lips had quirked into a smile at Zaira, burned in his brain.
He gritted his teeth, the muscles in his back rippling with tension.
"I should have killed him.." he hissed to the empty room. The shoulder wasn't enough. Exile wasn't enough. Anything that touched her, even with a look, deserved to be erased.
His phone began to vibrate again. His eyes narrowed as he read the caller ID..
He let it ring for three seconds before answering. "What?"
"Oh, wow! He picks calls!, Aarvik Singhania actually picked up today?" a deep, playfully voice boomed from the receiver. "I must go out and slaughter as many cattle as possible to mark this historic occa–"
"Don't make me regret picking up, Rudransh.." Aarvik flatly cut him off..
Rudransh chuckled unfazed by Aarvik’s lethal tone.
"Chill, man! I’m at your office right now. Your assistant looks like he’s about to have a heart attack because you haven't arrived yet. Where are you?"
"I had to take care of something back at the mansion." Aarvik said, walking into his massive walk-in closet, where rows of identical dark suits hung.
"Well then, hurry up and get your ass back here.." Rudransh said, laughing.
"The world doesn't stop just because you're brooding."
Aarvik frowned, hung up without a goodbye, and pulled a fresh suit from the rack..
~??~
Mehek bit her lip so hard it almost bled. She gripped her phone like her life depended on it. As she pushed open the door of the ladies' restroom, she nearly jumped out of her skin.
Anaya was standing right there, staring at her with those judging eyes.
"Gosh! You scared the hell out of me!" Mehek yelled, trying to hide her shaking hands.
Anaya didn’t move. Her eyes dropped to Mehek’s phone, noticing how tight she was clutching it. "You were taking an unusually long time.." Anaya said calmly. "I came to see if you were okay."
Mehek let out a shaky breath. "I'm fine... really."
Zaira walked up to them, her brow creased with worry. "Mehek? Are you okay? You looked so pale when you ran off."
"Yeah, yeah... I'm good.." Mehek lied, forced a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"Then why did you run off so fast? You looked like you were in a huge rush." Anaya asked. She didn't look like she believed a word Mehek was saying.
Mehek gave her a quick, defensive glare. "Just a sudden stomach cramp, alright? It happens."
Zaira’s expression softened into sympathy, and she gave a small, trusting nod... Anaya, however, remained silent..
She watched the way Mehek wouldn't meet her eyes.
"Anyway.." Anaya said as they stepped out into the bustling hallway. "Don't bother looking for the guest lecture. Jai Kapoor won’t be coming."
Zaira stopped in her tracks, her eyes wide. "What? Why? I’ve been waiting for this for weeks!"
"Apparently, you haven't seen the notice board.." Anaya said, her voice trailing off as they walked past students. Zaira’s face fell.
"But why would they cancel?" Mehek asked, following behind.
"I don't know. Something about unforeseen flight delays and sponsorship issues.." Anaya shrugged, her voice bored. "The whispers in the faculty lounge are messy, but the result is the same. He’s gone."
"Ugh, there goes our favorite guest. What a waste.." Mehek complained...
Zaira just sighed. She felt a heavy weight in her chest. She had really been looking forward to this all week. It was the one thing making her happy this morning, and now it was gone.
The three of them walked toward their next class in silence..
~??~
Meanwhile, miles away in the heart of the city, the atmosphere was a polar opposite.
The executive suite of the Singhania tower was a cathedral of glass and cold steel.
The silence was broken only by the scratching of a fountain pen against expensive parchment.
"S..sir, here is the file. The contract from this morning’s meeting. " Aarvik’s personal assistant stammered, his voice trembling as he held out a leather-bound folder.
Aarvik snatched the file without looking up, his grey eyes scanning the text with lethal efficiency.
"Come back for it later." he dismissed him. The assistant bowed hurriedly and scrambled out of the office, closing the door behind.
Aarvik began to sign a document, but his hand suddenly stopped mid-stroke. He didn't look up, but his jaw tightened.
"I’m fairly certain you have a multi-billion dollar company of your own to run." Aarvik said boredly. "What exactly are you still doing in my office?"
Standing by the floor-to-ceiling glass window, looking down at the ant-sized cars of Mumbai below, was a man who looked like he had stepped off a runway.
Rudransh turned around, a mocking smirk spreading across his face.
He was strikingly handsome, his wavy hair perfectly styled and his piercing blue eyes glowing with a mischievous light that Aarvik’s eyes had long since lost.
"The view is just better from the top, Aarvik.." Rudransh teased, "And besides, watching you brood is the best entertainment in the city."
Aarvik glared at him.
"Anyways... I'm not a workaholic like your miserable ass, man." Rudransh quipped, his voice smooth and unfazed by the icy atmosphere. "Besides, word reached me that you personally blacklisted someone from entering Mumbai today."
Rudransh didn't wait for an invitation. He sank into the plush leather chair across from Aarvik's desk, crossing one expensive, tailored leg over the other.
Aarvik didn't move a muscle, his ghostly eyes tracking Rudransh's every movement with the stillness.
"And I did a little digging.." Rudransh continued, raising a mocking eyebrow. "It’s a professor. A guest lecturer."
Aarvik remained silent, his stare so intense it could have burned a hole through Rudransh's head.
"Don't give me that look.." Rudransh chuckled, leaning forward. "That man has no ties to the Singhania business. No history with you. And I know you, Aarvik, you don't move your chess pieces without a damn good reason."
Aarvik finally leaned back into his throne-like chair, his expression a mask of cold indifference. "He was a threat to my interests.." he stated flatly. "That's all you need to know."
Rudransh just shook his head, a knowing smirk playing on his lips as he stood up.
"If you say so. Anyway, there's a new club opening tonight. High-end, private. You coming?"
"I don't drink, Rudransh.." Aarvik reminded him, his brow furrowing in a deep scowl. "And I have no interest in another socialite trying to claw at me like last time."
"After the way you ruined that girl’s reputation for just touching your sleeve? I don't think any woman in this city will dare come within five feet of you, Aarvik." Rudransh laughed.
"Honestly, it’s tragic. How are you ever going to get married? Or wait... is this the plan? Are you retiring to become a monk?"
Aarvik’s glare sharpened into something truly lethal, but Rudransh just waved a hand, his laughter trailing behind him as he headed for the exit.
"See you at seven, Monk."
The double doors clicked shut, leaving Aarvik in a silence that felt heavier than before.
"I never said I was going.." He mumbled..
His hand reached out for his phone, his thumb hovering over the screen.
"She must have left the university by now.." he murmured.
~??~
The afternoon sun began to dip, casting long, golden shadows across the Sterling Institute campus as the final lectures let out.
Anaya and Zaira walked side by side, as they conversed.
The air was thick with the chatter of students..
"Wait, guys!" Mehek called out, stopping them just as they reached the edge of the campus premises. Zaira and Anaya turned, curiosity piqued.
"There’s this new dessert cafe that just opened nearby.." Mehek said, her eyes bright with excitement.
"Can we please go? I’m dying for something sweet."
Zaira offered a soft smile, but Anaya just rolled her eyes, her arms crossed over her chest.
"Sweets again? For a girl who was literally doubling over with stomach cramps a few hours ago, do you really think that’s a brilliant idea?"
"Can you, for once, just agree and stop being so logical?" Mehek snapped, throwing her hands up. "Honestly, Anaya, you sound like a man!"
Zaira chuckled, though she looked hesitant. "I might have to side with Anaya on this one, Mehek. You weren't feeling well earlier. Maybe we should just–"
"Ugh, you two talk way too much!" Mehek groaned. Before they could protest further, she grabbed each of them by the arm, her grip surprisingly firm.
"Let’s go get ice cream. My treat."
She flashed a grin that looked almost too wide, dragging them along the pavement. Zaira shook her head, laughing at her friend's antics, while even Anaya let out a rare, quiet chuckle.
The girls were still laughing, Mehek’s grip firm on their arms, when a sudden familiar Rolls-Royce came to a halt right in front of them, blocking their path.
The three girls stopped dead, their smiles fading into confused frowns.
The door opened, and a man stepped out. Zaira’s heart did a nervous little skip, she recognized him instantly.
He was Aarvik’s personal driver.
"Miss Zaira." the driver said, his head bowed low in a gesture of almost fearful respect. "I am here to take you home."
Zaira’s brow furrowed. She looked at Mehek and Anaya, who were both staring at the car with wide, bewildered eyes.
Usually, Zaira took a taxi or a separate car sent by Mrs. Singhania. Aarvik never sent his own transport for her.
"Um... you don't have to." Zaira said, forcing a polite, tight smile. She felt a strange chill, despite the afternoon sun.
"I can go back alone. I'm fine."
The driver didn't look up. His posture was rigid, his hands clasped tightly in front of him.
"I'm sorry, Miss, but I was instructed to bring you home immediately... by the Boss."
Boss? Zaira blinked.
He meant Aarvik. Since when did Aarvik start caring about her commute?
Since when did he start giving orders regarding her schedule?
"You really don't have to bother.." Zaira pressed, her voice gaining a streak of stubbornness.
"I’m going to get sweets with my friends. Please, you can go back..."
The driver’s composure suddenly trembled. A visible tremor ran through his shoulders, and his voice dropped to a desperate whisper.
"Please... I beg you, Miss Zaira. Get into the car." he mumbled, his eyes darting around..
"I... I fear for my life if I return without you."
The girls froze.
"What?" Zaira breathed out, her eyes rounding in shock.
"It’s... it’s nothing." the driver stammered, his face pale as he struggled to maintain his composure.
"But I was given strict orders to bring you home by the Boss himself. If I fail... I’ll lose my job, Miss Zaira."
He was lying, of course. He wouldn’t just lose his job..he’d likely lose his life, or worse.
But he knew that unemployment was a much softer blow to Zaira’s kind heart than the truth of Aarvik’s brutality.
He would say anything, promise anything, just to get her behind that tinted glass.
"Whoa! Orders from the top. That’s actually really creepy." Mehek chimed in.
Anaya remained silent, her eyes darting between the terrified driver and the looming car.
Zaira let out a long, defeated sigh. Her heart sank at the thought of this man being fired.
She couldn't let his family suffer because of her stubbornness.
She turned to her friends, a look of genuine apology on her face.
"I’m so sorry, Mehek... Anaya. I guess I’ll have to join you guys for dessert another time."
Mehek nodded quickly, almost too quickly. "It’s fine, girl! We can always go sny day you are free."
Zaira gave them a quick hug and walked toward the Rolls-Royce.
The driver moved with speed and door open for her. As she slid into the leather interior, the scent of expensive cologne and cold air-conditioning swallowed her whole.
The door clicked shut.
The driver didn't waste a second. He shot a quick, unreadable look at Mehek and Anaya before jumping into the front seat and drove away from the curb.
"That was incredibly weird." Anaya murmured, watching the car disappear into the traffic.
"Yeah." Mehek agreed, her brow furrowed in a deep frown. "And did you notice? The whole time he was talking, he wouldn't even look her in the eye. That’s beyond strange."
"Let’s just go." Anaya said, turned around and walking away.
Mehek followed, but as she took a step, she stole one last glance at the spot where the car had been. A sudden shiver raced down her spine.