Seven Hills Hospital: 7:30 PM
"Ahh! Finally, my shift is over!" Arya sighed, packing up her belongings and heading towards the parking lot, which was almost empty.
Almost being the keyword.
Unbeknownst to Arya, a shadow was silently following her. Completely oblivious, Arya put on her earphones, swaying her head to the beats of her music as she walked towards her car.
Suddenly, a man jumped in front of her.
"Ahhh!" Arya screamed, startled, nearly losing her balance. The man chuckled, clearly intoxicated.
"What happened, darling?" the man slurred, smirking. "Why are you scared now? Come with me… let's spend a beautiful night together," he commented shamelessly, making Arya feel utterly disgusted. He grabbed her wrist and started pulling her towards him.
The person silently following Arya clenched his fists in anger.
But Arya swiftly yanked her hand out of his grip and, without hesitation, slapped him hard—once, twice—before pushing him to the ground and kicking him with all her might. Gathering herself, she quickly ran to her car, unlocked it, and sped off.
The entire incident was videographed by the person hiding in the shadows, who smiled proudly.
"Wow... sister-in-law is quite brave!" he muttered to himself before following her car from a distance, ensuring she reached her apartment safely. Once he was satisfied, he drove back to VR Office.
VR Office Premises: 8:30 PM
"Boss! You need to see this!" Shivin barged into Rehansh's cabin, panting.
"What is it?" Rehansh asked, confused.
Shivin quickly handed over his phone and played the video of Arya bravely fighting off the drunk man and driving away safely.
"Sister-in-law is really brave, isn't she?" Shivin grinned proudly.
But instead of smiling, Rehansh's face hardened in anger.
"What the heck, Shivin?! What were you doing while all this was happening!?" he roared.
"B-boss...you told me to follow her without letting her know, so I didn't want to break my cover," Shivin stammered nervously.
"Oh really?! So you were just going to stand there and watch her get hurt!?" Rehansh snapped.
"But Boss, you strictly told me not to interfere unless absolutely necessary!" Shivin defended himself.
"I don't care! You should've stepped in!" Rehansh barked, his face dark with rage.
"Relax, Rehan! I get it—you care for her, but losing your cool won't help," Vansh tried to calm his twin.
"Care for her? Call her sister-in-law when you talk about her!" Rehansh glared.
"Not so easily, brother. Love doesn't work that way. What if this girl looks good on the outside but has a dark side?" Vansh asked skeptically.
"Vansh Raisinghania!" Rehansh snapped, making everyone flinch except Vansh, who stood his ground.
"Twinny, tone it down. I'm just saying—be cautious! Don't get too invested so quickly. What if she's not who she seems to be?" Vansh reasoned.
"Listen, baby brother! I love her, and I won't tolerate baseless accusations against her. Mind it!" Rehansh retorted.
"And I'm just saying that you don't know her well enough yet. What if she turns out to be—"
"Like your ex?" Rehansh cut him off bitterly. "Oh right! Every girl is a liar, a gold digger, a cheat, huh? Just because your girlfriend betrayed you doesn't mean every girl is like that! My Arya is not Ragini!"
"REHANSH!" Vansh thundered, his temper rising.
"Don't yell at me! I can yell louder!" Rehansh shot back. "For once, move on, Vansh! Not every girl is Ragini, for heaven's sake!" He stormed out of the cabin, leaving Vansh shell-shocked.
VR Mansion: Arav's Room – 6:30 PM
Arav entered his room, only to hear his wife Ishani giggling on a call.
"Yes, baby... sure... I'll meet you tomorrow… love you... muah!" she giggled sweetly.
Arav's heart sank, but he remained silent and headed to freshen up. When he came out, Ishani turned cold.
"I need to go out tomorrow. Make an excuse and get permission from Rehan and Vansh. I don't want any problems, got it?" she ordered coldly.
"Where are you going, and with whom?" Arav asked softly.
"That's none of your business! Just do as you're told. Remember, you're just a servant in this house, not my husband!" she snapped.
"But Ishani, think about the baby—"
"I said do as you're told!" she yelled, shutting him up. Arav quietly left to seek permission.
Private Investigator's Office: 7:30 PM
A furious man slammed his fist on the investigator's desk.
"It's been a week! Where the heck is she!? What am I paying you for!?" he roared.
"Sir, we're trying, but her identity is heavily protected. She's hard to trace—"
"I don't care about your excuses! Find her, or you'll regret it!" the man threatened before storming out with a woman accompanying him.
January 3, 2021 – Joggers Park, Shanti Nagar: 7:00 AM
Rehansh entered the park, following Arya as usual, when suddenly she vanished from his sight.
"Where did she go so fast?" he wondered, searching around.
A few minutes later, he finally spotted her playing badminton with a male friend. Laughter echoed as they played joyfully. Jealousy gnawed at Rehansh even though he knew the guy was just her friend. Yet, he craved the same connection with her—to make her laugh, to spend time with her, and to have her completely to himself.
But all he could do now was watch from afar, ensuring she was safe after the incident last night. He still hadn't recovered from the sheer panic he felt when the drunk man grabbed her wrist.
Suddenly, his mind drifted back to his harsh argument with his twin. Regret flooded him. "I need to make things right with Vansh... and also win Arya's heart," he resolved before heading home.
VR Mansion: Vansh's Room – 8:30 AM
Vansh was getting ready when Arav knocked.
"Boss! I have the information you asked for," Arav handed him a file.
But before Vansh could even open it—
"What information?" Rehansh's cold voice interrupted from the doorway.
Arav froze, and Vansh tensed.
"What the heck is this, Vansh?" Rehansh snatched the file. "You ran a background check on Arya without telling me?!"
"Rehan, listen—"
"No! Why did you do this!? She hasn't done anything to you!" Rehansh fumed.
"I was just concerned about you!" Vansh defended himself.
"Concerned? Or just projecting your past trauma onto me?" Rehansh shot back bitterly. "This is my life! My first love! And you couldn't even support me for once!"
"Rehan... I'm just afraid she might—"
"Turn out like Ragini?!" Rehansh interrupted harshly. "News flash, Ansh! Not every girl is like your ex. Move on, man!"
Vansh stayed silent, his heart heavy.
"For once, I just wanted something normal in my life... a love story without influence, background checks, or mafia interference. Can't I experience love like a normal guy?" Rehansh's voice cracked with emotion.
Vansh sighed, "I was just trying to protect you—"
"Protect me from what!? Happiness?" Rehansh scoffed. "I'm not you, Vansh. I can't push love away out of fear!"
After a long silence, Vansh finally spoke. "Fine. Do it your way. I promise I won't interfere. But please... don't get hurt, Rehan."
Relieved, Rehansh smiled and hugged his brother. "Thank you, Ansh. I promise... she's the one."
Vansh could only hope his brother wasn't making a mistake.