Abhimanyu was definitely regretting taking Mahi's offer. The room was filled with unfamiliar faces staring intently at the three of them. Now, Abhimanyu was used to people staring. After all, where he lived, people gawked at him constantly. However, the undivided attention he was receiving today was far from pleasurable. A lingering fear gnawed at his heart – the very real possibility of bumping into a family member at this party.

"Miss Sinha! I wasn't expecting you to take me up on my offer of attending this party. You never come to these events," said a man dressed in a dark blue tuxedo. He appeared to be in his mid-fifties and approached Sunheri with open arms. Noticing her lack of reciprocation, he quickly adjusted his greeting, extending a hand for a handshake instead. Sunheri returned a firm yet composed handshake, maintaining unwavering eye contact.

"Mr. Bijlani," she began, a hint of pride lacing her voice, "given your recent co-ownership of Felicity Beauty and status as one of Sinha Industries' largest shareholders, how could I refuse an invitation to an event you host? It's only fitting that Sunheri Sinha grace your occasion with her presence."

Mr. Bijlani grinned at her words, letting out a soft chuckle. "Oh, Sunheri," he said, "your confidence is something I truly admire. You remind me so much of your father, and trust me, no one knows Nikhil better than I do. It will be very interesting to do business with you, beta. I'm very much looking forward to it."

"However," Sunheri remarked sharply, "I'm not my father. I hope you'll treat me as a business partner, not just the daughter of Nikhil Sinha, your best friend." Mr. Bijlani chuckled at her retort and gave a confirming nod.

Abhimanyu found himself quite amused by Sunheri's demeanor. Though they were both 25 years old, she acted completely different from people their age. She carried herself with the poise of a woman in her mid-40s who had weathered life's storms. It made him wonder if he, too, would have become like Sunheri if he were still living at Raichand Estate. She struck him as a person devoid of emotion, a robot solely focused on achieving dominance.

Mr. Bijlani beamed at Sunheri, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Now that you're finally here, Sunheri, it would be a real treat to introduce you to some of the key players in the industry. People who could be valuable allies in your future endeavors."

Sunheri hesitated for a moment, her gaze flitting between Mr. Bijlani's expectant face and Abhimanyu, who seemed content to observe the party from the sidelines. "Well, Mr. Bijlani, if you'll excuse me," she began, her voice polite yet firm, "I wouldn't want to be rude and leave my date stranded here alone."

Mr. Bijlani waved his hand dismissively, his laughter booming across the room. "Nonsense, my dear! Mahi is keeping him company, aren't you, dear?" His gaze flicked towards Mahi, who straightened slightly, offering a small, nervous smile and a quick nod.

"Besides," Mr. Bijlani continued, lowering his voice a touch, "the young lad seems a bit out of his element. Perhaps these business gatherings aren't his usual scene. How about you check out the dance performance I've arranged for the guests, gentleman? It's supposed to be quite a spectacle." He winked at Abhimanyu, a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes.

Abhimanyu narrowed his eyes at Mr. Bijlani, the amusement he felt earlier replaced by a flicker of suspicion. The extended silence stretched for what felt like an eternity, though in reality, it was probably closer to thirty seconds. Finally, Abhimanyu spoke, his voice laced with a hint of defiance, "Yeah, a dance performance sounds alright to me."

Mr. Bijlani beamed triumphantly, clapping his hands together once. "Excellent! That's the spirit! Now, Mahi, my dear," he turned to Mahi, his voice taking on a more formal tone, "if you would be so kind, please escort the gentleman to the performance area. It's quite a sight to see, I assure you."

Mahi, caught between Mr. Bijlani's request and her unwavering loyalty to Sunheri, cast a hesitant glance towards Sunheri. As expected, Sunheri's expression remained unreadable, but a flicker of something akin to disapproval flickered in her eyes for a brief moment. With a barely audible sigh, Sunheri finally spoke, her voice laced with a hint of finality, "Go ahead and watch the performance, Abhimanyu. I'll be joining you both shortly."

Mahi's shoulders slumped slightly in defeat. Stealing another glance at Sunheri, she offered a small, apologetic smile to Abhimanyu before gesturing towards the direction of the performance with a tilt of her head. "The performance is this way," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Sunheri excused herself to meet some of the business associates with Mr. Bijlani. Meanwhile, Mahi and Abhimanyu made their way towards the arena where the dance performances were taking place.

"So, what's the deal with your boss?" Abhimanyu asked Mahi. "Why does she seem so uptight?"

"She's not uptight, exactly," Mahi replied. "She's just very ambitious and focused. There's not much time for socializing when you have her kind of responsibility."

Mahi knew Sunheri's less expressive personality often gave people the wrong impression. It seemed everyone around Sunheri misunderstood her. They resorted to harsh nicknames like "the female devil" or "Cruella." But Mahi understood the environment Sunheri came from and the struggles she'd faced.  Without Sunheri's hard work and dedication, the Sinha empire would have gone completely bankrupt.

"Whatever you say," Abhimanyu conceded. "Anyway, why'd you pick me for a date with your boss?"

"Because Ms. Sinha doesn't go on dates, especially party dates," Mahi explained. "She wouldn't be caught dead at a party, and no businessman would be interested in someone with no romantic interest in them. That's why this is a contract disguised as a date, since I'm paying you. Plus, nobody here knows you, so there's no risk of rumors swirling about Sunheri Sinha dating some celebrity."

They settled in to watch the dance performance. Abhimanyu, however, found himself getting bored. Classical dance wasn't his thing. Still, he was relieved he hadn't run into any Raichands. The dimly lit performance arena offered a perfect hideout, where he could likely remain inconspicuous for the rest of the evening.

But to his dismay, the dance performances ended far sooner than Abhimanyu had anticipated. The final flourish of the dancers' movements hung in the air for a moment, followed by a smattering of polite applause from the scattered audience. A hush fell over the arena, the dimmed lighting suddenly feeling oppressive after the vibrant spectacle.

"I think we should head back," Mahi said, her voice barely a whisper above the gentle murmur of conversation seeping in from the main hall.

"Cool," Abhimanyu replied, successfully masking his dread with a nonchalant shrug. As he rose from his seat, a groan escaped his lips, barely audible over the soft music that had started to play in the background. They both returned to the main hall, the lively chatter and clinking glasses a stark contrast to the serenity they had just left behind. Sunheri was nowhere to be seen as they scanned the throng of well-dressed individuals mingling and conducting business.

"I'll check the bar counter," Abhimanyu offered, his initial enthusiasm for the charade waning considerably. "Let me know when you find your boss." Mahi nodded in understanding as she continued her search, her eyes flitting across the sea of faces. Abhimanyu, feeling increasingly out of place, made his way towards the brightly lit bar area.

He shrugged off his blazer, the fabric feeling heavy and restrictive after the cooler air of the dance arena. He draped it casually over a nearby barstool, its worn leather a stark contrast to the polished wood of the counter. The bartender, a man with a neatly trimmed salt-and-pepper beard and a friendly smile, approached him with a warm greeting for the evening.

"Serve me your most expensive alcohol, will you?" Abhimanyu ordered.  With an amusedly raised eyebrow, the bartender gave Abhimanyu a quick nod. He started to prepare the drink as Abhimanyu pulled out his phone and pretended to be occupied with it. Well, he clearly had nothing to do. His only friend was in prison, and his phone contacts list was practically empty besides Raghav's number.

"Is this your first time at a high-class bar?" a man sitting beside Abhimanyu asked. Funny thing, Abhimanyu hadn't even noticed him there before he spoke.

"Wow, I didn't realize you were there. Yeah, it is my first time. How'd you know?" Abhimanyu responded, surprised. The man chuckled as he looked at him.

The man was striking. A man bun tamed his hair, and a single earring dangled from his earlobe – an arrow shape glinting as he turned his head. Two intertwined swordfish were tattooed on his neck, rivaled only by his sharp eyes, accentuated by a line of kohl. Who said kohl wasn't masculine? This man was the very definition of rugged handsomeness, something even Abhimanyu, who never judged based on gender, had to admit.

"First-timers at fancy places either just got rich or have someone else footing the bill," the man said, his voice a smooth honeyed drawl, soft yet clear, like a lullaby.

"I see," Abhimanyu said. "Well, I'm the second type of those two."  The man chuckled.

"Lakshya Singhania," the man introduced himself, extending his hand for a handshake. Abhimanyu took his hand and gave it a firm shake.

"Abhimanyu," he replied, introducing himself.

"So you're here with little Mahi?" Lakshya asked. Abhimanyu was taking a sip of the drink the bartender had served earlier when the introductions happened.

"Actually, with her boss," Abhimanyu replied. Lakshya's eyes widened momentarily, but his expression quickly returned to normal. A subtle smile played on his lips.

"Sunheri Sinha, walking into a party with a date? Now that's news," Lakshya joked.

"More of a contract thing, really," Abhimanyu clarified. Lakshya burst out laughing at this.

"She paid you to go on a date with her?" He asked, laughing. Abhimanyu just shrugged.

"Makes sense, I guess. No one from her business associates would want to date her, considering her reputation's basically Cruella de Vil," Lakshya said, shaking his head.

"What about you? Who are you here with?" Lakshya's eyes darted towards the crowd, landing on one specific person – his best friend.

"My idiotic best friend," Lakshya replied with a smile.

"Best friend?" Abhimanyu inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"You know, Surya Singh Pathania," Lakshya said, pointing towards a handsome man. He wore a white tuxedo, light brown hair, and striking blue eyes. Abhimanyu did remember that face. How could he not?

Surya Singh Pathania, the third-youngest son of the renowned Pathania family, was actually an illegitimate child. His father, Kamal Singh Pathania, once went to France for a business trip where he had an affair with a French woman. Surya was the end result.

"Surya Singh Pathania is your best friend?" Abhimanyu asked. Lakshya nodded.

"Does that mean you're a rich, famous businessman as well, huh?" Abhimanyu asked with a hint of curiosity.

"I'm quite surprised you know Surya but not me," Lakshya joked. "Surya and I are business partners."

"Well, the business world isn't really my cup of tea," Abhimanyu evaded. "I only saw Surya Singh Pathania on a magazine cover once." He lied, though he wasn't familiar with Lakshya, perhaps because Lakshya didn't come from a prominent family like the Raichands, Sinhas, or Pathanias.

"I see," Lakshya said. Before he could ask Abhimanyu anything, his best friend hurried towards him, shaking his shoulder.

"Laksh! Bro! You gotta see this!" Surya hyped. His energy contrasted Lakshya's calm demeanor. They were like the black cat and golden retriever duo.

"This woman! Sunheri! Is phenomenal! She ignored me? Can you believe it? She ignored this perfect face!" Surya spoke, dragging Lakshya out of his seat.

"Surya, you gotta accept it. The world won't always kiss the floor you walk on," Lakshya said calmly, pushing his over-hyper best friend away.

Surya, completely undeterred, puffed out his chest and struck a pose. "Come on, Laksh," he declared, "look at this face! It's flawless!" With a wink. He wasn't wrong; he truly was perfect. 6'3" tall, with a physique honed to perfection. A face that was a beautiful blend of French and Indian features, framed by captivating cyan eyes no one could resist.

"Don't tell me you abandoned your date for another woman, Surya. Grow up and stop being a womanizer," Lakshya scolded, making the cyan-eyed man roll his eyes.

"Neha's having a great time, see!" Surya pointed at his date who was flirting with another man.

"You definitely pick women who are like you, Surya," Lakshya grumbled. "Well, since I'm up, I guess I'll just go socialize. Don't even think about bothering Sunheri, Surya. We don't want to get on her bad side, it would affect the business."

"Whatever you say," Surya sassed.

Lakshya said goodbye to Abhimanyu with, "I'll see you around."

Surya finally looked in Abhimanyu's direction and stared at him in confusion for a good few seconds before uttering, "Have we met before?"

Abhimanyu chuckled and replied, "Don't worry, even I'm not the type to remember people and their names."

He rose from his seat, turning around to meet a pair of unsettlingly familiar eyes that mirrored his own. These weren't the eyes he dreaded to see, but neither were they the ones he yearned for. They were wide with horror, as if reflecting a ghost. And indeed, to him, Abhimanyu was a ghost of their past.

"Abhimanyu...Bhai."

♤♤♤

I have weird obsession with blue eyes, please don't judge me :,)

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