Kunal Rajwat. The new CEO of Rajwat Group.
Once a mystery—now revealed.
He had secretly worked at Tech High, observing, assisting, and perhaps… admiring her from the shadows. But now, the mask was off.
That evening, long after the office had begun to empty, Anaya received a message.
Kunal Rajwat:"Anaya, can we meet for coffee today? Just a casual discussion about some future collaboration… at the café opposite Tech High. Nothing formal. Just two old colleagues talking."
She stared at the message for a moment, her thumb hovering over the screen.
But her heart, occupied elsewhere, had already decided.
No.
Not today. Not ever—at least not when her mind was still full of Rudra.
She didn't reply.
Instead, she slipped her phone into her purse, adjusting her dupatta as Janvi joined her.
"Ready?" Janvi asked.
"Hmm," Anaya nodded, her voice distant.
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The office corridor was eerily silent, our heels echoing on the marble floor. Janvi and I moved with a practiced discretion toward the back exit – an unspoken agreement to avoid unnecessary attention. Not everyone needed to know my new "status."
As we neared the private elevator near the executive wing, I clutched my bag tighter. My cherry-red Mercedes, parked in the hidden lot, shimmered in the dusk light – a blatant, beautiful symbol of us, courtesy of Rudra. A gift. A promise. A weight.
I almost reached for the elevator button when ding – the doors slid open.
And there he was.
Rudra Singhaniya.
And Aarav.
The air seemed to solidify. Rudra's eyes found mine instantly. That familiar, unnerving intensity. I froze, breath caught in my throat. I wanted to step back, retreat, but Janvi nudged me forward.
Aarav, ever perceptive, smirked and pressed the 'Open' button. "Private lift going empty? Join us."
I managed a nod, stepping inside.
The doors slid shut.
Tension.
It was thick, silent, and almost suffocating. Rudra stood tall, arms crossed, his gaze never leaving me. I could feel it, that focused heat, even as I looked away, desperately trying to focus on the floor numbers. Trying, and failing, to ignore the warmth creeping up my neck.
"You also heading home?" I finally managed, my voice a shaky whisper.
Rudra tilted his head, a playful glint in his eyes. "Maybe," he replied, his voice smooth as silk. "But it looks like someone doesn't want me to reach my own house."
The teasing was impossible to miss, and my cheeks flushed even more.
Aarav chuckled immediately. "Bhai, drop the act."
Rudra arched a brow, turning to his brother. "I'm not acting," he said coolly. "I'm teasing my wife. You got a problem, bro?"
Wife.
The word dropped like a stone in the silent elevator shaft. My eyes widened, my heart hammering against my ribs. Janvi blinked beside me, equally stunned.
Aarav just grinned, throwing his hands up. "No problem, Bro."
Rudra's gaze finally shifted from me to Janvi, who had her eyes glued to the floor, desperately avoiding eye contact. A smirk played on his lips.
Silence descended again, but this time, it pulsed with unspoken emotions, stolen glances, and a story only we understood. A story, I realized, that was becoming increasingly difficult to keep hidden.
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The soft hum of the elevator was almost deafening in the silence between us, punctuated only by the flicking floor numbers. I felt Rudra's gaze on me, that subtle intensity I knew so well, as he leaned in slightly.
"Did you enjoy the drifting, Mrs. Singhaniya?" His voice was low, intentional, cutting through the tension.
I blinked, caught off guard. Mrs. Singhaniya. The possessive way he said it sent a shiver down my spine. Was that a question… or a subtle accusation? A reminder of the lines we were blurring?
Did he just ask or blame me for enjoying something he did for me?
I didn't reply, couldn't find the words. My silence, I knew, spoke volumes.
Rudra didn't push.
Before the silence could become unbearable, Aarav jumped in, blissfully unaware – or pretending to be. "Bhabhi, I LOVED your driving today! Seriously, I want a long drive with you soon. You drive better than Bhai."
Rudra's jaw flexed. His gaze snapped to Aarav, a possessive fire in his eyes.
"Then go on a long drive with your own woman," he said, the bite in his voice impossible to miss. "Don't try it on mine."
Mine.
The word echoed in my head. I felt a thrill, a dangerous mix of pleasure and unease.
Aarav blinked, then burst into laughter, clearly sensing the tension. "Bro, I'm single! And Janvi..." He looked up, finding Janvi staring intently at the elevator floor, feigning deafness.
I chuckled softly under my breath. Janvi caught my eye, shooting me a pleading glance.
"Anaya, can you drop me home, please?" Her voice was unusually sweet, a desperate plea.
Rudra stepped forward, deliberately placing himself between Janvi's request and me. "Anaya's coming with me."
I blinked, surprised by his possessiveness. "But I was going to drop her..."
Rudra looked past me at Janvi, then tilted his head towards Aarav. "She wants a drop, right? Aarav will do it."
Before either of us could protest, Rudra pulled the G-Wagon keys from his pocket and tossed them to Aarav. "Catch."
Aarav grinned, catching them with ease, winking at Rudra as if they'd just sealed a secret deal. Rudra winked back.
Janvi crossed her arms, muttering under her breath, "At least ask me once before passing me around like a parcel."
The elevator doors finally opened. We stepped into the cool evening air of the private parking lot, the soft golden lights reflecting off the sleek cherry-red Mercedes.
I exhaled, walking towards the driver's side, eager for the feel of the wheel in my hands, the wind in my hair.
I was seconds from opening the door when Rudra's deep, husky voice stopped me. "Key?"
I turned, confused. "What?"
He walked up to me, his gaze unwavering, pinning me in place. "Car key, Anaya."
I looked at the key in my hand, then at Rudra. A silent battle waged within me. A part of me wanted to refuse, to assert my independence, to feel that control.
But then I saw his eyes, that intense command that always seemed to unravel me. I hesitated, heart pounding, then slowly extended the key towards him.
Rudra smirked, taking it, his fingers brushing against my palm in a deliberate caress.
That one touch.
Fire. Electricity. Control.
I swallowed the lump in my throat.
Meanwhile, Janvi sat stiffly in the G-Wagon, arms crossed, lips pursed in silent protest. Aarav, all smiles, opened the passenger door for her with exaggerated politeness. "Milady," he teased.
Janvi rolled her eyes but stepped in. Aarav whistled softly as he walked to the driver's side, sneaking glances at her like a lovestruck schoolboy.
Back at the Mercedes, Rudra opened the door for me, a silent invitation. "Get in," he said, his voice low and commanding.
I did.
He took the driver's seat, revving the engine gently before pulling out.
We drove in silence for a few seconds, the road smooth and empty ahead. The silence was charged, electric.
Then Rudra spoke, his voice quiet but firm. "You didn't reply to that guy's message."
I didn't flinch, though my heart skipped a beat. "I didn't think it was important."
He nodded slowly, his eyes fixed on the road. "Good. It's not."
I turned to him, my eyes soft but curious. "You saw it?"
He didn't answer, but his hand reached out, gently brushing my hair from my face. His fingers lingered near my jawline, sending shivers down my spine.
"You're mine, Anaya. Don't ever forget that."
I leaned into his touch before I could stop myself – and then caught myself, sitting up straight. But Rudra had noticed.
He smiled to himself, a satisfied glint in his eyes.
The cherry-red Mercedes disappeared into the twilight.
And hearts raced silently in the darkness, each caught in a web of unspoken desires and carefully guarded secrets.
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"Bhabhi, have a romantic time!" Aarav's shout echoed as the G-Wagon sped off, Janvi's silent suffering a stark contrast to his boisterous departure.
I blinked, turning to Rudra, who had quietly started the engine of the cherry-red Mercedes, my beautiful, extravagant gift. It purred beneath us, a beast waiting for his command. But Rudra wasn't in a rush.
Instead, he pressed a discreet button. The windows slid up slowly, sealing us in. The doors clicked shut with a soft, locked echo.
I flinched. A nervous flutter in my chest. "Rudra?" I whispered, my voice barely audible.
His hand remained on the steering wheel, fingers tapping a silent rhythm before he turned to me, that unreadable expression back in place.
He released his seatbelt with a smooth click, the belt retracting as if wary of his intensity. Then, he turned completely, arm resting on the headrest of my seat, his eyes boring into mine – dark, intense, dangerous.
"Did you try to ignore your wallet, Mrs. Anaya Rudra Singhaniya?" His voice was low, huskier than usual, smooth as whiskey but laced with a hidden fire.
My lashes fluttered, my heart skipping a beat. "What—what wallet?"
But my breath hitched when he leaned closer. Our noses were inches apart, his presence filling the small space.
"I'm not talking about money, jaan." His voice was a low rumble. "I'm talking about me."
My lips parted, trying to form a response, but Rudra didn't wait. His hand reached up, gently tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear, his fingers brushing down my cheek in a slow, lingering stroke. My skin tingled where he touched, a trail of goosebumps erupting in his wake.
"You've been acting like I'm just your boss in front of others…" His gaze intensified. "But then you look at me like you want me to forget the world for you."
My heart thundered against my ribs. He saw right through me, always.
"I didn't ignore you," I whispered, my voice trembling. "You were with Aarav… we were in the office…" Excuses. Weak and pathetic.
"I don't care," Rudra murmured, his eyes locked on mine. "Not when you're mine."
Before I could blink, his thumb traced my lower lip, gently, possessively. A jolt of electricity shot through me. Then, in a move that sent chills down my spine, he leaned forward and brushed his lips against the corner of my mouth – barely a kiss, more like a promise, a brand.
I gasped. "Rudra…" I breathed, placing my hand on his chest to hold him back, but he caught it mid-air and laced our fingers together, holding me captive.
"You still think I don't notice when someone else calls you, Anaya?" His voice was dangerously soft. "Kunal Rajawat? Really?"
I froze.
His eyes darkened, a storm gathering within their depths. "Don't worry," he said, his voice low and close, his forehead almost touching mine. "I won't ask you anything."
"But if another man calls you again—asks you to meet in some café behind my back—" His voice dropped even lower, a barely contained threat. "You better tell him, Mrs. Singhaniya, that you belong to someone."
We sat there, breathing each other in, the air thick with tension, need, and a possessiveness that made my knees weak.
"You're scaring me," I whispered, but a soft smile played on my lips, betraying how his touch unraveled me, how his intensity both terrified and thrilled me.
"Good," he whispered back. "Because I'm scared too."
"Scared of how much I want you." He cupped my cheek gently, his thumb caressing my skin, and kissed my forehead. I melted, every defense crumbling.
My hands rested on his chest now, not to push him away, but to hold him closer, to feel his heart beating against mine.
"Rudra…" My voice was a plea, a surrender.
He tilted my chin, his gaze searching. "Do you trust me?" he asked, his voice raw with emotion.
I nodded, barely. How could I not?
"Then stop looking at me like you're someone else's." His voice was a husky murmur. "You're mine," he said again, his lips now brushing against mine, barely touching, driving me mad with anticipation.
My fingers curled against his shirt, clinging to him. Then, finally, he claimed my lips. Not soft, not hesitant, but deeply, hungrily, like he'd been waiting forever.
The kiss was warm, searing, and full of unspoken words—questions I never asked, emotions he never showed. A silent conversation only our bodies understood.
Our hearts pounded, a frantic rhythm in the confined space. The luxury Mercedes transformed into our own private world, hidden behind tinted glass and locked doors.
My hands wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer, surrendering completely to the moment, to him.
The kiss broke, leaving me breathless and trembling. He looked into my eyes, his gaze intense and possessive. "You forgot to text me, didn't you?"
I blinked, caught off guard. "I—I did… I was going to—"
Rudra chuckled softly, running his thumb across my jaw. "Next time… you skip even one message…" His voice was a low, playful threat. "I'll come find you. Wherever you are."
His tone wasn't threatening, not really. It was a vow, a promise, a possessive confession wrapped in silk.
I looked down shyly, trying to control the butterflies rioting in my stomach. He leaned back finally, breaking the spell, and started the engine, the windows still sealed, our privacy secured.
"Seatbelt," he said, his voice back to that familiar bossy tone.
I quickly clicked my belt in, flustered. But he still wasn't done.
Leaning in again, he fastened my belt for me, even though I already had. "Just checking," he smirked, his eyes dancing with amusement. "You never know when a ride gets wild."
I blushed scarlet, my cheeks burning. He grinned, finally satisfied, and drove out of the parking lot onto the main road.
Outside, the world was the same.
Inside, everything had changed.