As the shadows of night slowly dissolved into the embrace of dawn, the nocturnal symphony of stars faded away, paving the way for the gentle whispers of sunlight to dance upon the horizon. The moon, like a silent sentinel, bid farewell as the first light of morning tiptoed across the sky, painting the world in hues of amber and gold. The velvety darkness yielded to the soft glow of daybreak, a seamless transition from the mysteries of the night to the promises of a new day.

The Shergill house chirped with happy whispers as the elder son got engaged yesterday and will be married soon.

Completely unaware of the storm approaching them with a slow yet steady pace.

12:45 PM

Drishti was already suspicious about the Shergills, so she went on her mission to search the whole house to find the thing she's searching for, if its even here.

"Someone go and check my jewelry. I need new ones, ain't wearing them twice." Shalini said with obvious show off tone.

One servant was going but Drishti took the chance and said "I'll go, you have to serve Mahima ma'am, right?"

The servant nodded and changed his path.

She went inside Shalini's room, desperate to find the thing which will unlock all the mysteries.

Walking through the stairs, her gaze lingered over every room until she find Malini's room and entered inside.

Drishti took a deep breath and entered the room, carefully closing the door behind her. She released the breath she didn't realized she was holding and began to search the room, trying to be as quiet as possible.

She needed to find something, something that could unlock the secrets she was desperate to uncover.

As she rifled through a drawer, she heard the door creak open. Drishti's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly turned around to see Divya standing in the doorway with a raised eyebrow.

"What are you doing here, Ms. PA?"

Divya asked, suspicion lacing her voice. Her eyes darted to the open drawer and then back to Drishti.
Drishti straightened up, trying to compose herself.

"I was just checking the jewelery as per Shalini ma'am's orders"

She said, her voice as steady as it could be. She motioned towards the jewelry box she threw on the bed before the door opened.

Divya stepped further into the room, closing the door behind her. "Really? Because it looks like you were searching for something." Her tone was cold, and her gaze was piercing.
Drishti felt a pang of annoyance. She and Divya had never gotten along, and this wasn't helping. She rolled her eyes before turning towards Divya

"Its none of your business. If you have any doubt, go and ask Shalini ma'am" she said with annoyance

Divya scoffed, her eyes glaring at the latter's, hating the confidence in her voice.

"Right. Because you're known for being so helpful, Ms. PA"

There was a tense silence between them, the air thick with unspoken animosity. Drishti clenched her fists, trying to keep her cool. She needed to get out of this situation without arousing more suspicion.

Before Drishti could come up with a response, Divya sighed and shook her head. "Its useless to talk to you, ms PA."

"I'm not dying to talk to you either, Ms. Doctor."

Both of their voices were filled with hatred-- no, hate would be a big word. They just disliked each other, they didn't hated each other.

Divya gave her one last annoying look before turning on her heel and leaving the room. As the door closed behind her, Drishti took a sigh of relief.

She quickly resumed her search, more determined than ever to find what she was looking for.

After searching for almost 15 minutes, cupboard, drawers, corners of the room, top of the shelves, under the bed, she found nothing.

She sighed, her voice filled with disappointment but this was just the beginning. She had 15 floors to search, each with atleast 8-10 rooms.

She knew it will be hard, but she was determined to unravel the secrets which has been hidden for 17 years or maybe, more.

"Shalini ma'am's room is done, will proceed to other members' room." She said, walking away with the jewelries.

Akshit came downstairs with his usual charm which mesmerized everyone.

"Kidhar ja rha hai?" (Where are you going?)

Rakshit asked as he came downstairs too, looking charming as always.

"I'm going outside, bhaiya. I'll be back in sometime, bye!" Akshit said, walking outside the house.

Drishti was downstairs, helping Mahima in her arrangements as Rakshit told her to look after his mom for the time being. She was standing in the corner of the room with a check list in her hands.

The office work has been quite less these days as the news of Rakshit Shergill, the one and only CEO of Shergill group of companies getting married has reached every corner of the world. People had been congratulating him through e-mails, video calls, text messages and letters.

Mahima went into the kitchen as Tejashri, who has been cooking for the past half an hour, called her.

As Rakshit descended the stairs, Drishti's eyes were involuntarily drawn to him. A familiar wave of annoyance washed over her, mingling with an unwanted acknowledgment of his striking appearance.

She hated how he always seemed so composed and confident, like he owned every room he walked into. The black shirt with folded sleeves highlighted his broad shoulders, and the way his hair was perfectly styled added to the image of a man who never missed a beat.

Despite her irritation, she couldn't help but admit that he looked good--- not good but freaking ethereal. It was annoying how effortlessly he exuded charm, and how that confident I-always-win smirk on his face made her want to roll her eyes.

But even as she mentally calculated all the reasons she disliked him, a tiny part of her couldn't deny the appeal of his appearance.

She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing that she noticed these things, but it was hard to ignore the sharp lines of his jaw, his perfect veiny hands or the way his presence seemed to fill the space.

Her irritation simmered, fueled by the fact that even in her frustration, she couldn't entirely dismiss the magnetic pull he seemed to have.

He gazed back at her when he saw she was continuously staring at him, taking broad steps towards her, he stood infront of her.

"Ms sud, Aap mujhe ghoor rahi hai."
(Ms sud, you're staring at me.)

She finally came out of her trance. Her breath hitched when she saw how close he was, but she composed herself before replying

"N-nhi woh mai bas..." she struggled to find the right words. Anything that will save her from the embarrassment, but nothing came.

He smirked, not the normal one, the I-always-win-I-told-you smirk, a feeling of satisfaction crossing his perfect features when he saw her struggling with words.

"Just accept it you were staring at me, I know I'm good looking."

He stated, voice laced with usual confidence. He slid his hands inside his pockets, turning his heels, ready to walk away but his feet stopped at its place and his fists clenched when he heard her reply.

"I wasn't staring at you, was just wondering how someone can be so full of themselves and still have room for a brain."

She crossed her arms over her chest after keeping the list on the table kept behind, her voice laced with sarcasm.

He turned, walking towards her with his clenched fists and hardened jaw.

"What did you said?" His voice held visible anger but it made no affect on her until he closed the distance between them in a few quick strides.

Before Drishti could react, he grabbed her arm and pushed her against the table behind her, his grip firm but not painful.

Drishti's eyes widened in surprise, her heart racing as she felt the cold edge of the table pressing into her back. Her breath hitched at the sudden proximity, her pulse pounding in her ears. She looked up at him, defiant yet undeniably startled by the intensity in his eyes.

Rakshit leaned in closer, his face just inches away from hers. His expression was a mix of anger and something else-something darker, more complicated. His voice was low and dangerous as he spoke.

"You think you're so clever, don't you?"

He hissed, his eyes piercing into hers.

"Always with the smart remarks. But maybe you should learn to keep that sharp tongue in check."

Drishti felt a surge of anger flare up in response to his words, her pride refusing to let her back down. Despite the intimidating closeness, she met his gaze head-on, her chin jutting out defiantly.

"Maybe you should learn to handle a little sarcasm. Not my fault you're bad at that."

she clapped back, her voice steady despite the wild fluttering of her heart.

For a moment, they stood frozen in that position, their breaths mingling, the tension between them almost recognizable. Drishti could feel the heat radiating off Rakshit, his eyes blazing with a mix of emotions.

Rakshit held her gaze for a few intense seconds, his grip on her arm loosening slightly. Then, just as abruptly as it started, he released her and stepped back, running a hand through his hair in frustration. His face was a mask of controlled anger, his eyes flickering with something unreadable.

Drishti straightened, trying to calm her racing heart. She felt a strange mix of triumph and confusion, caught off guard by the unexpected encounter.

Her body still hummed with adrenaline, and she struggled to regain her composure.

Rakshit turned away, his jaw clenched. He didn't say another word as he walked off, leaving Drishti standing there, confused and restless.

Stepping out of the house, Rakshit growled, his eyes closed due to annoyance and something else-- which he couldn't quite figure out.

"How does she manages to get into my nerves every goddamn day?" He questioned himself, irritated by her sharp comebacks.

He shrugged it off and focused on his work as he sat inside his car and drove away, but their unexpected encounter still lingered in the corner of his mind.