"Wait, she didn't recognize you?" Vidharth exclaimed, his eyes wide with surprise.

"Yeah, I don't think so!" I replied, still trying to process the encounter.

"So, does she not know you, or is she pretending not to? Or was it all just your imagination that she existed in the first place?" Vidharth uttered, his voice filled with skepticism.

"Wait, what...what are you saying, man? Seriously?" I spoke, feeling a bit defensive.

"Well, let's confirm it first..." Vidharth trailed off, a hint of intrigue in his voice.

"How? You want me to go up to her and ask her if she's the girl I met years ago?" I asked, feeling a bit absurd.

"Exactly," Vidharth said, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"But first, let's dig up some information about her."

"Whatever, man...but be careful. I don't want to take any risks with her," I warned, my voice firm.

"As you wish, Your Highness," he said with a flourish, bowing low before departing.

I sighed and returned to my work, but my mind was now a jumble of worries and doubts. Vidharth's warnings had struck a chord, and I couldn't shake the feeling of unease. I didn't want to risk any harm coming to her, whether she was the girl from my past or not. The weight of responsibility settled heavy on my shoulders, and I knew I had to tread carefully.

A knock on my cabin door broke the silence, and I granted entry. Sameer, my secretary, stepped inside, his expression fraught with anxiety. "A grave issue has arisen, sir."

I lifted my head from the file, my gaze meeting the man's panicked eyes. "What's the nature of this problem?" I asked, my tone composed.

"Several international projects have lost investors and partners, sir," Sameer replied, his voice laced with urgency.

"Which ones, and what's the reason behind this?" I questioned, my curiosity piqued.

Sameer handed me the file, and I was taken aback by the extent of our losses.

"This is staggering," I muttered, my brow furrowed in concern.

"But why are they withdrawing their support? They initially showed enthusiasm for collaborating with us." I queried, my tone tinged with disbelief.

"Their excuses are unconvincing, sir. No one has provided us with sufficient details, but it appears we're being targeted," Sameer declared, his eyes locked on mine.

I raised an eyebrow, skeptical of his conclusion. "All of them terminated their contracts over the phone, and we're the ones incurring the losses in each case," Sameer elaborated.

"Very well, Sameer. You may leave now. I'll take it from here." I dismissed him, and he bowed before departing.

I scanned the list, and my eyes landed on a familiar name - Daniel, a friend I had known for years. I decided to reach out to him, curious about his involvement in this mysterious situation. I dialed his number, and he answered on the second ring.

"Hey, Adwait! How's it going, man?" he exclaimed.

"I'm good, Daniel. How about you?" I replied, trying to sound casual.

"I'm fine, bro. I was actually expecting your call," he revealed, his tone turning serious.

"Expecting my call? What do you mean?" I inquired, my curiosity piqued.

"I was told to cancel all my contracts with your company, and if I didn't, I'd face the consequences. Someone powerful is trying to bankrupt you, Adwait," he disclosed, his voice laced with concern.

"What? That's absurd! I haven't done anything to anyone," I protested, my mind racing with questions.

"I don't know the details, bro, but I was threatened too. Several other companies that worked with you received similar threats. Someone is out to ruin you, and they're really powerful," he warned.

"I had no idea... I don't think I've wronged anyone," I declared.

"Be careful, man. Try to dig up more information about them," he advised.

"Thanks for the heads up, Daniel. I appreciate it," I expressed, grateful for his honesty.

"Forget it, man. I'm not even supposed to be telling you this. The information is still incomplete," he whispered, his voice barely audible.

"Still thanks man."

"Bye"

"Bye"

"We hung up, and I was more determined than ever to get to the bottom of this. Someone was clearly out to destroy us, but I had no idea who or why. I decided to focus my energy on changing their minds and asked Janav to dig up some information about the person targeting us.

"Hey brother, today's your Mehendi ceremony. What are you still doing in the office?" Janav asked, entering my cabin with Vidharth.

I glanced at my watch and saw it was already 12:30. "Yeah, I was just leaving."

"Lagta hai humare dulhe ko apni galti ka ehsaas ho gaya hai.."Vidharth chimed in,

(Looks like our groom has finally realized his mistake.)

"Hain! Kaisi galti"Janav asked

(What kind of mistake?)

"Dulha banne ki" Vidharth replied, and they both burst out laughing.

(The mistake of becoming a groom,)

"Seriously, guys, can we skip this?"I wasn't in the mood for their jokes.

"Kamal hai bhai? ab hum log dulhe ki tang nahi khechenge to kaun bezzat karega usse"
Vidharth teased.

(Amazing, brother! If we don't tease the groom, who will?)

"Don't you guys have any other work to do?"I shot back,

"No." Vidharth replied,

"Sach bata raha hun agar tu mera dost na hota na toh katal kar dena tha Tera maine." I said, playfully threatening.

(I'm telling you the truth, if you weren't my friend, I would have killed you)

"Try toh kar maine bhi koi kacchi goliyan nahi kheli" Vidharth replied, grinning.

(Oh, just try it! I didn't come here to play nice either)

(Just give it a try I also did not play any raw bullets.)

"Seriously you guys are even worse than Ariv and Vritika. Unse bachne ko office aaya tha or yaha aap dono unse bhi battar tarike se lar rahe ho" Our banter was interrupted by Janav, who shook his head and said,

(Seriously, you guys are worse than Ariv and Vritika. I came to the office to escape them, and here you're fighting even more fiercely.)

"Chal nikal bada aaya Gyan Dene" Vidharth retorted.

(Don't lecture us.)

"Waise kya kiya unhone?" I questioned.

(What did they do anyway?)

"Nothing just the usual fighting." He replied shrugging.

"Hmm"

"Waise bhai jaldi jao warna pata nahi woh Moga... I mean bhabhi next kiska band bajayengi?"Janav chuckled and said,

("By the way, brother, you better hurry up or else I don't know who'll be my sister-in-law's next target!")

"Ab kya kiya usne?"  I quired.

(What did she did now?)

"Her dress got burned, and she was giving the staff a hard time. She even asked the wedding planner to buy her a new dress." Janav replied,

"Oh no! How did her dress get burned?" I exclaimed

" Pata nahi stylist room se do minute ke liye bahar gayi or jab wapas aayi toh dress jali huyi thi or is time room mein Sanya ke alawa koi nahi tha." Janav explained,

(The stylist stepped out of the room for just two minutes, and when she returned, the dress was burned. And at that time, only Sanya was in the room.)

"What unfolded next?" Vidharth inquired, captivated by the drama.

"She threw tantrums, demanding that the stylist, Anisha, purchase another dress from a designer who's notoriously selective about their clients. I'm unsure how she'll manage this, given the sangeet preparations still need to be done tonight," Janav elaborated.

"Wow, she's quite something! What did Anisha do then?" Vidharth exclaimed.

"What choice did she have? She didn't want to risk losing her job or garner negative reviews, so she reluctantly agreed to buy the dresses," Janav replied.

"Let's head home." I interjected,

"You go ahead, I'll join you later. I need to tackle some issues here."Janav responded,

I nodded in understanding, aware that our team was working overtime due to the person hell-bent on destroying us.

"Let's roll!" Vidharth exclaimed, hopping into the passenger seat as I took the wheel.

"Where are we off to, hero? To rescue the damsel in distress, I presume?" he quipped.

"No! Damn it, can you be serious?" I exclaimed.

"You know my family has a knack for digging up information," he remarked, and I raised my brows, prompting him to continue.

"Matters, and as their heir, I've inherited the same skill."

"Yeah, that's why you guys excel in the information department," I acknowledged.

"By the way, what's happening with your company? The index isn't in your favor." He nodded, and then inquired

"I don't know, but someone is targeting us, and I have no idea who or why. I called Daniel, and he hinted at it, but he was too scared to share any details. They were threatened," I revealed.

"Damn it, man, you should have told me..." he trailed off, concern etched on his face.

"Don't worry, I can handle this," I assured him, and a silence fell between us.

"By the way, do you know where they're from?"
He broke the silence

"I think they're from Germany, given the cancellations are mainly happening there," I deduced after a moment's thought.

"Actually, I know someone who can help us. Like me, he's an expert in digging up information, and I have a favor to ask of him," he said, and I raised an eyebrow.

"Then let's get his help," I encouraged.

"Hey, man! How's it going?" He called the person, and after a few rings, they answered.

"I'm good, thanks. How about you?" the person replied.

"I'm doing well too. By the way, have you uncovered any new information?" The man asked.

"Actually, it's been tough to find anything since it all happened 14 years ago, and he doesn't have any family members to provide leads," Vidharth explained.

"I understand. So, why did you call me? Is everything okay?" he asked.

"Well, I need a favor from you..." Vidharth began.

"Sure thing, man! Just ask, and I'll do my best to help," the person offered.

"You see, my friend's business is being targeted by someone in Germany," Vidharth explained.

"I see. Just send me the details, and I'll get back to you soon with some information. I'll definitely try to help solve your problem," the person assured him.

"Thanks, man!" Vidharth said gratefully.

"No need to thank me, your friend is my friend too!" the person replied.

As we entered the palace, I pulled up in my car and handed the keys to the valet.

"Who's she?" Vidharth inquired and I followed his gaze to find my enchanting nymph, Anisha, standing there.

"That's Anisha," I declared, and Vidharth's eyes widened in surprise, followed by a huge grin spreading across his face.

"Now I understand why you couldn't forget her and why Saniya is giving her a hard time," he remarked with a smirk.

"Not again, man," I muttered, shaking my head as I walked past him. But Vidharth did something entirely unexpected, leaving me speechless.

"Miss Anisha," he called out to her.

Damn, what is going through his mind? I thought to myself. I need to stop him before he does something crazy. But before I could intervene, she turned around, and he walked towards her. I followed closely behind him, trying to intercept, but he had already started conversing with her.

I noticed the suitcase in her hand and realized it was definitely meant for Saniya. We exchanged a brief conversation and then parted ways. I quickly dragged Vidharth into my room, my anger boiling over. I almost punched him, but he dodged out of the way just in time.

"What the hell, man?" He exclaimed.

"Well, I should be the one asking you that," I retorted.

"Sorry, man... I was just trying to help you out," he explained.

"Yeah, help me?" I repeated, my skepticism evident.

"Okay, okay... fine. I won't pull any more stunts, I promise," he conceded.

I sat down on the bed, still fuming, and he sat beside me.

"Aren't you going to help her?" He inquired.

"She already has," I replied.

"How did you know?" He probed.

"Didn't you notice the bag in her hand?" I asked, a hint of amusement in my voice.

"Oh, yeah!" He acknowledged, finally catching on.

Vidharth departed shortly after, and I succumbed to sleep without realizing it.

Ariv roused me later, reminding me of an impending ceremony. I hastily freshened up and made my way to the venue.

My eyes instinctively scanned the room for the one person I longed to see all day - the one whose mere glimpse was enough to drive me mad with desire. Soon, my eyes locked onto hers, and I discovered she was already gazing at him.

However, the moment our eyes met, she quickly averted her gaze, her eyes darting around the room in a failed attempt to feign nonchalance.

Soon, Saniya arrived, and the ceremonies commenced.

Everything proceeded seamlessly, and the seemingly endless function finally concluded peacefully.

I departed for my room to prepare for the next events. After attending to some important tasks and completing a few files, I glanced at my watch and got ready for the next function.

I was heading towards the grand hall, where all the family gatherings took place, when I spotted Vidharth conversing with Anisha.

I observed them from a distance, and they exchanged handshakes before he departed, leaving her engrossed in a phone call. I pondered for a moment and decided to approach her.

I positioned myself beside her, awaiting the right moment to initiate a conversation.

"Shut up, Jarek! I'm here to work, not to get entangled in some romantic mess. You're unbelievable... I'm not here to 'fuck up' someone, you jerk!" she exclaimed, terminating the call and spinning around.

She stumbled upon my sudden presence, and I attempted to assist her, but she swiftly regained her balance.

We were engrossed in conversation when Vritika summoned me, and I jumped in response.

I accompanied her to the venue, where everyone was already seated.

My mother instructed me to take a seat and shared a few words with me. Soon, Saniya entered, followed by Anisha.

Our eyes locked in a brief, intense gaze before Saniya flung herself onto my shoulder, inquiring about her appearance.

I responded mechanically, my mind elsewhere. Despite my lukewarm responses, she continued to chatter incessantly, eliciting mere murmurs of "hmm" or "yes" from me. The performances commenced, with each person taking their turn.

Suddenly, Saniya persuaded Anisha to dance, with her mother enthusiastically supporting the idea. My mother attempted to reason with them, but the mother-daughter duo refused to listen.

I found the situation suspicious and messaged Vidharth, who replied that he would investigate further.

Finally, Anisha succumbed to their persistent pleas and agreed to dance.

Just then, my phone vibrated with an incoming message from Vidharth.

Vidharth: "Let's see how good your Manjulika is 😉."

Me: "Just wait and watch 😏."

Me: "By the way, did you look into it?"

Vidharth: "Yes! And guess what? You were right. I'll share the details with you after the ceremonies."

Me: "Okay!"

As the music began, Anisha started dancing, and I watched her in awe, mesmerized by her grace.

Her movements were identical to those I had witnessed years ago. My eyes refused to budge from her, and I couldn't help but feel that she was indeed the same girl from my past. Her denial of visiting that place still puzzled me, but my heart knew the truth - she was the one.

The music ceased, and Anisha stood there, radiant, as Vidharth praised her remarkable dancing skills.

She then departed, leaving Vidharth and me in awe.

Vidharth: "She dances like a nymph, truly mesmerizing!"

Me: "Told you she's incredible!"

The performances resumed, and my phone buzzed, signaling an incoming call.

I stepped away to answer it, noticing Anisha heading towards the wedding planners' station.

I considered intercepting her but thought better of it. Returning after the call, I saw her enter the hall a few minutes later.

The show eventually concluded, and the audience dispersed, retiring to their respective rooms.

I exhaled heavily and headed towards my room, feeling a mix of emotions.

Upon entering, I decided to freshen up and stepped into the bathroom.

Just as I emerged, Vidharth walked into my room, dressed in casual attire, and closed the door behind him.

"You were right; they've plotted to kill her by knocking down the light," he revealed, his expression serious.

"And they'll even shift the blame onto themselves," he added.

I responded with a thoughtful "Hmm."

Vidharth handed me a file containing details about Anisha.

"She was telling the truth; she never went to Bengaluru," he confirmed, shattering my hopes.

"Have you heard from your friend again?" I inquired diverting the topic.

"Yes, he mentioned that it's SYL Corporation," Vidharth replied.

"They're one of the largest corporations, and they're also involved in Mafia activities," he explained.

"Why are they targeting us?" I wondered aloud.

"He's still investigating the reason," Vidharth replied.

That is all I have for today's chapter I hope you liked it and sorry for the late update I was busy in some personal buisness.

Love you all ........

Let's meet in next chapter with much more fun and secrets that are still need to be unraveled .

See you all soon again.....