In the grand auction hall, the atmosphere buzzed with anticipation. The spotlight illuminated a painting, ancient and majestic.

"Behold this masterpiece, crafted in 310 BCE," the auctioneer's voice rang out, his gaze sweeping across the room. "Bidding starts at 30 lakh. Who will raise the first hand?"

"50 lakh!" a voice shouted.

"70 lakh!"

"80 lakh!" another called out.

The auctioneer's eyes gleamed. "Do we have any further bids? 80 lakh once... 80 lakh twice... 80 lakh... going..."

Suddenly, a young woman in her twenties entered the hall with a friend by her side. "I hope I'm not too late?" she said, her tone light but hurried.

"Mira! It's been ages," greeted a woman seated nearby, cradling a baby in her arms.

"Anu, you're holding a baby? Since when did you get married?" Mira teased, taking a seat.

Anu laughed, shaking her head. "Oh no, I'm still very much single. This little guy belongs to the woman next to me. She just stepped out for a moment."

Mira smirked. "Still, it's a funny sight. You, with a baby."

Anu motioned for her to sit. "Why don't you settle down? Tanvi, come sit here too."

As they settled into their seats, Mira leaned closer. "You should bid on that painting," she suggested.

Anu shrugged. "It's overpriced."

Before Mira could respond, a man's teasing voice interrupted them. "Well, if it isn't *Tanvi Raghav* herself."

Mira rolled her eyes. "Oh, grow up," she snapped, but quickly covered her mouth in surprise. "Sorry. Shouldn't speak unless necessary." She turned to Tanvi. "Anyway, I need to tell you something."

"Not interested," Tanvi replied coldly, not even glancing up.

The man smirked. "Even if you're not interested, you'll want to hear this. A rare red diamond is being auctioned today. The starting bid is between 1 and 1.5 crore. Care to place a wager on it?"

Tanvi remained silent, but her eyes flickered with a hint of interest.

"Oh, Rahul, I want to bet on that!" Anu said eagerly, her eyes sparkling. "I need that diamond."

Rahul waved her off. "Not interested in you."

Anu blinked, confused. "Why do you want the diamond?" Tanvi asked, finally speaking.

Anu grinned. "You know I love swords, right? I want to decorate my sword with it and hang it in my home office. That red diamond would make it look so… fierce. Just wait, I'll show you once I win."

"Look, there it is!" Rahul pointed as the red diamond was brought out for auction.

Tanvi's eyes locked on the gem. Its beauty was undeniable, and something about its radiant glow pulled at her.

The bidding war began. Rahul and Tanvi battled fiercely, the bids soaring higher and higher as the crowd watched, mesmerized by their intensity.

Finally, the auctioneer's gavel came down. "And the new owner of the red diamond is..."

---

Outside the auction hall, Mira tried to console Tanvi. "It's okay if you didn't win. At least you gave it your best shot. Cheer up!"

As they were walking away, Rahul caught up with them, waving his hand in front of Tanvi. She avoided eye contact, embarrassed about the auction's outcome.

"Hey, wait up." He grinned, holding the diamond up for them to see. "Here."

Mira's eyes lit up. "Wow, you're giving us the diamond? That's so generous!" She reached out eagerly, but Rahul quickly pulled it back.

"Who said I'm giving it away?" he chuckled. "I'm just letting you take a look. It's cold—just like you," he teased, holding it toward Tanvi.

She stared at the diamond for a long moment before handing it back to him, her expression unreadable. Just as she turned to leave, a voice called out from behind them. They both turned, curious.

In that instant, the world seemed to ripple and shift. The ground vanished beneath their feet, and they found themselves plummeting into an infinite, dizzying loop. The red diamond slipped from Rahul's grasp, spinning in the air as they tumbled through space, panicking, hands clutching at each other in desperation.

Their fall ended abruptly. When they hit the ground, they found themselves no longer in the auction hall—but in the middle of a dense, unfamiliar forest.