Bani was on her way to the café when she had an accident. Seeing the man who stepped out from the driver's seat, she was shocked. She said to herself, "Aryan Oberoi, shit!"
Quickly, she covered her face with a scarf. Aryan hadn't seen her yet because Bani had her helmet on.
With a calm expression, Aryan said, "Sorry, miss, it was just an accident."
Bani quickly responded, "Okay, no problem."
She hopped back onto her bike and started it. Glancing at the car, Bani had a strange feeling, as if someone inside the car was watching her. Her heart started racing as she passed by the car. The windows were tinted black, so nothing inside was visible.
Aryan smirked slightly as he watched Bani leave and then got back into his car.
Starting the car, Aryan said, "The plan to bump into her was perfect. She sensed it."
The person sitting in the passenger seat smiled mysteriously upon hearing this.
A little distance away, Bani stopped her bike, trying to calm her racing heart. She muttered to herself, "What was that? Why am I feeling so scared? After two years, this fear... Could it be him? No, that's not possible."
Shaking her head, Bani rode off toward the café.
Bani spent the whole day at the café and returned home early in the evening. She went straight to her room, changed, and began getting ready for the party.
She wore a grey shoulderless gown with floral prints, and the gown was backless. She left her hair loose, applied hot pink lipstick, and put on earrings.
As she put on her bracelet, her eyes fell on her ring finger. Bani was still wearing the ring Reyansh had given her. She had never taken it off. Lost in thought, she whispered to herself while looking at the ring, "I don't know why I've never been able to take this ring off. Even though you're not here, this ring has always stayed with me. I've tried so many times to remove it, but I just couldn't. I've lost... I've lost to what you said that night. It's the biggest proof of my defeat."
Saying this, Bani closed her eyes. After calming herself down, she went downstairs.
As soon as she came down, Priya asked, "What time will you be back, Bani?"
Bani replied, "Mom, I'll be late. Just lock the door and go to sleep. I have a duplicate key."
Priya said, "Alright, take care of yourself."
Bani hugged her mom and said goodbye before leaving the house.
Outside, Vineet was waiting for Bani in his car. He was wearing a blue suit.
Seeing Bani, Vineet said, "Hey. Whose heart are you planning to steal tonight?"
Annoyed, Bani replied, "Yours."
With that, she got into the car.
Vineet glanced at her and said, "You really are like a cat. Always ready to pounce. Here I am trying to compliment you, and instead of a thank you, I get sarcasm."
Bani, irritated, snapped back, "Stop it! I don't want to hear compliments. Now, drive!"
Vineet chuckled, "Alright, alright, but why are you so angry?"
He started the car, and they drove off.
After a while, they arrived at the venue. Vineet parked the car, and both of them got out. Bani felt a strange uneasiness. Sensing this, Vineet took her hand and said, "Let's go."
They walked into the party hall together.
As soon as they entered, Bani's eyes widened. The party theme was exactly like the cruise party from two years ago.
Vineet, equally surprised, glanced around and said, "This looks just like—"
Bani interrupted, "Yes... just like the cruise party."
She looked at Vineet nervously and said in a trembling voice, "I'm scared. What if it's him? If it is, he won't spare me."
Vineet placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder and said, "Relax, Bani... It can't be him. He's dead."
Just then, Naina appeared from the crowd and hugged Bani. As she pulled away, she said, "You look amazing tonight!"
Bani, with a forced smile, replied, "You too."
Naina then looked at Vineet and asked, "Is this your boyfriend, Vineet?"
Bani glanced at Vineet and said, "Yes, this is Vineet."
Naina extended her hand toward him and said, "Hey, I'm Naina, Bani's friend."
Vineet shook her hand and said, "Hey, I'm Vineet. Bani's told me a lot about you."
He then glanced at Bani, who was nervously scanning the room. Vineet grew worried, noticing how Bani was behaving just like she did two years ago.
After a while, Naina left to enjoy the party. As soon as she was gone, Vineet took Bani's hand and asked in a concerned tone, "Are you okay?"
Before Bani could respond, all the lights in the hall went off. A single spotlight turned on, revealing Aryan standing beneath it.
Both Bani and Vineet turned their attention toward him. Aryan looked at Bani and smiled strangely. Then, addressing the crowd, he said, "Good evening, everyone. As you all know, for the past two years, I've been managing Oberoi Industries' legal and illegal businesses in the public eye."
Bani thought to herself, *"In the public eye? What does he mean by that?"*
Aryan continued, "Yes, in the public eye, because the real king of this game was the one who was away from everyone's sight for a while. But now, it's time for the king to return."
As soon as Aryan finished speaking, the spotlight went off, and Bani's heartbeat quickened. She was breathing heavily, and Vineet was trying to calm her down.
Suddenly, another spotlight turned on, and a man walked into the light. The moment Bani saw him, it was as if she forgot how to breathe.
The man spread his arms and said, "Reyansh Oberoi is back."
Reyansh smirked devilishly at Bani as he spoke. Bani's legs nearly gave out beneath her, but Vineet held her up.
Sweat began to form on Bani's forehead as she stared at Reyansh, and he stared right back at her.
From a distance, Bani could see the fire in Reyansh's eyes. Looking at him, she muttered to Vineet, "He's alive, Vineet. How? I... I..."
Vineet gently held her hand and whispered, "Shh, Bani, relax. Stay calm. We need to talk to Kabir about this."
Bani didn't respond. She just kept looking at Reyansh, who had now turned his gaze away from her and back to the crowd. He continued, "So I'm back. I was gone for a while, but the king has returned."
Then, looking directly at Bani, he added, "And this time, I'm back for good."
People started approaching Reyansh to greet him, and he began chatting with them.
Meanwhile, Vineet took Bani aside. He was about to say something when Reyansh appeared in front of them.
Bani took a couple of steps back upon seeing him. Reyansh noticed her reaction and smiled slightly. Extending his hand, he said, "Shall we?"
But Bani didn't extend her hand. Seeing this, Reyansh, with a devilish grin, forcibly grabbed her hand and led her to the center of the hall.
Everyone's attention turned toward them. People were already shocked by Reyansh's return, and now seeing him with a girl only added to the surprise.
Reyansh wrapped his arm tightly around Bani's waist, pulling her close. His grip was so tight that Bani's eyes began to well up with tears.
Reyansh was behaving rudely, pressing her body against his. Vineet could see what was happening but knew he couldn't do anything at the moment.
Reyansh pulled Bani closer, whispering in her ear, "You belong to me. How could you bring someone else as your boyfriend, baby?"
Saying this, he kissed her ear.
Then, pulling her even tighter against his chest, he began kissing her neck. Bani couldn't bear it anymore and tried to break free, but Reyansh tightened his grip.
Spinning her around, he pulled her back into his arms. He bent down and kissed her back, whispering in her ear, "Your efforts are useless, baby. Escaping me is impossible."
Kissing her shoulder, he turned her around to face him. Tears were now streaming down Bani's face. Seeing this, Reyansh kissed her eyelids, then lifted her by the waist, spinning her around before setting her down.
Finally, Bani managed to break free and hurried away. Watching her leave, Reyansh smirked devilishly and muttered, "This is just the beginning, baby. You have no idea what's coming. No one can save you from this villain."