Inside the spacious hall of the Saxena's palatial mansion in Jamnagar, Madhulika Saxena paints a dazzling presence, shining brightly than the amber-lit chandeliers and the glittering golden mirror embedded walls. Her expensive wine-coloured saree pleats sway as she paces the front of the foyer, her amber hair with streaks of grey put in a bun, still perfectly in place.

"Aparav!"

With authority, she calls her brother-in-law's name, her frown ever present during their peaceful discussion.

"Where's Samarth, Aparav? Why is that boy always stepping out of line? Why does it feel he's challenging me?"

"Not even you and Nakul can keep Samarth in check. He's always dancing to his tunes. Skipping meeting with clients, turning down concert dates for the flimsiest reasons like his friends and even our driver's birthday! That young lad needs to be disciplined and managed well..."

Aparav Saxena assures her he will take care of Samarth. After she leaves, he heaves a sigh, recalling how his sister-in-law is the sole lady of the house after her husband's untimely demise.

Aparav Saxena is all but his brother's shadow, a spinster, highly spiritual. If there was anything that still bound him to the Saxena House after his brother's death was little Samarth. Samarth was grieving his father's death and had trouble getting along with his mother. They were poles apart, even from childhood. In a household that's heavily business oriented than family, Aparav was his only respite. Aparav couldn't leave Samarth behind. He still cannot.

"You love your chachu and chachu loves you too... You're my only one beta Samarth warna what's there in my life?"

Aparav mutters, narrowing his gaze as fond memories swirl in his head. He shakes his head with a sigh, recalling the promise he just made to Madhulika.

It's why I'm hiring a manager, sister... Oh I will explain more to you after I succeed. You can take a horse to the water body. Can you make it drink the water? Keep robbing Samarth of his basic freedom. He turns more into a rebel. But he's a good kid, always considerate of those around us. And he won't say no to his dear chachu or Nakul.

At those words, Madhulika huffed and retired to her room on the first floor. Aparav shakes himself out of his reverie. Dawn will turn into morning. Samarth must be home soon. He looks at the entrance for Nakul's car to come up the driveway. Sammie beta, I always want the best for you... this is in your best interests. I'm always your ally no matter what I tell Madhulika bhabhi.

***

Around dawn, Nakul is driving back Samarth to the Saxena mansion, both of them satiated but sleepy after a long drive. But a couple of hours of nap should help. Nakul's phone beeps with an incoming message. Watching the device that's on the dashboard, Samarth let out a chuckle from the passenger seat.

"Haha, must be from chachu."

Nakul pulls to a side to read the message. Just as Samarth guessed it's from his chachu.

"What does chachu say?" Samarth asks.

"Something. Well, find out after breakfast. I don't know if this is good or a bad..."

Samarth pats Nakul on the shoulder, uninterested in prodding further

"If it's chachu, it's always good. "

Little does he know he's about to be proven wrong, at least in his POV.

***

Priyanka steps into the opulent Saxena House at sharp 8. A bundle of nerves though she's inside, outwardly she maintains calm. The wait seems to go on forever, giving her time to take a few calming breaths. One of the staff, a well-dressed man in a suit - the mind of suit the staff of a five-star restaurant wear gestures her to the visitors' chairs lines to the right or the foyer. With a shake of her head and a small thanks, she continues to stand, quashing her urge to pace left and right.

She's about to meet Samarth Saxena in person. The thought is electrifying for different reasons. To distract herself, she wonders how Kirtan would react in this situation. Fly to shake Samarth's arms, maybe? Heh, Priyanka clamps a hand to her mouth and chuckles noiselessly. She has just found a better strategy to counter her nerves.

After a very brief nap and breakfast with Nakul inside the small kitchenette of his room, Samarth designs the stairs to meet his chachu on his summons.

Aparav chachu doesn't mince words. "Sam, beta, meet your new manager, Miss Priyanka Palker."

Priyanka holds her ground, twisting her gaze to the said rockstar. Samarth looks at the girl his chachu is pointing, the same girl from the other concert night. What was her name again?

"Yeh... ye ladki? Yeh meri concert mein aayi thi! She attended my concert, chachu!"

Priyanka winces at Samarth's reaction. Aparav also narrows his gaze at her. The change is immediate, because they only want a nonfan for this job. She clears her throat. "Woh... I only accompanied my friend. Don't worry, sir. I never went to any of Samarth's concert..."

A relieved look crosses Aparav's expression. Samarth looks momentarily offended, but then smiles.

"Matlab, you are nonfan? Koi baat nahin. You can be a fan of whoever you love. Anyway mujhe manager ki zarurat nahin hai, chachu! I don't need a freaking manager!"

Priyanka is boggled but also relieved by Samarth's positivity. Wait, he's saying he doesn't need a manager?

"Shut up, Samarth!" Aparav chides his nephew. "Miss Priyanka is your manager from today. And she will handle all your tasks and scheduled for you! That's it. Tum uski har baat manoge. You cannot go against her word samjhe? Just follow her instructions."

"Huh? What?" Samarth lets out an amused chuckle. "Come on chachu. Is she my manager or boss?"

"Both," says Aparav.

"What? I thought I'm the boss."

"No. You don't get to be the boss. Because you're a spoiled brat."

The nephew and uncle bicker back and forth. Priyanka smiles fondly at the scene. She never expected this job would grant her special powers over Samarth Saxena, and wow, the guy is more humanlike and his relationship with his chachu is adorable.

"Chachu! This sucks!" Samarth is still whining as Aparav produces a file for Priyanka to sign.

"Priyanka, beta. Go through the agreement and sign. I assure you yahan ke staff, Samarth aur kisi se bhi tumhe koi takleef nahi hogi. Everybody here is cooperative and you won't face any issues doing your job here."

Priyanka nods and takes the file in her hand. While the uncle, nephew bickering goes on in the background, she skims through the terms and conditions. Pulling out a pen from her tote bag, she signs where her signature is required.

Samarth snatches the file from her hands before she can hand it back to Aparav. "This is outrageous," he shouts, reading the contents. "You're paying her so much for bossing me around? It's unfair!"

"It is fair," says Aparav. "Priyanka is diligent. Uski agency ne bhi uski bahut tarif ki hai. I checked her track record. She is smart and knows how to do her job. She's also an engineer and very capable. I trust she will handle your whims and put you in line."

"Put me in line, chachu? Sambhal ke Haan? What if she puts you in line? And render you bankrupt somehow, huh? There are people who take advantage, you know? Don't praise her too much. Sar par na chadhao usey!"

Slightly incensed, Priyanka intervenes. "Sorry to disappoint you, sir! I am not one of those, I only mind my business. Please don't judge like you know me. Thank you."

Samarth shakes his head, looking in Priyanka's direction. "You've taken offense already? Can you see I am just trying to dissuade my chachu from hiring you? That was all! Hadh hai yaar!"

At this, Priyanka shakes her head and smiles. With a sigh, she takes a seat on the visitor's chair the staff pointed earlier. She's hired already, right? However, Samarth needs to be convinced about this. She watches Aparav utter his ultimate words, addressing Samarth,

"Sam, this is the end of our discussion. You will do as Priyanka says from now. I asked Nakul to forward her the nature of her job and all your concert schedule details through email. Priyanka has already gone through it before coming here. That's how diligent she is."

"What? So that's the message Nakul got. Not fair." Samarth grunts. Aparav leaves the hall to attend his other tasks.

For a moment Priyanka is alone, still seated in the chair with Samarth looking at her listlessly. She pulls out his schedule for the day on her phone, ignoring him. A moment passes, after which a group of giggling girls step through the front entrance and surround Samarth.

"We came to remind you of the morning's pool party at Pooja's place!" One of the slender-waisted girl with a face straight from a cosmetic ad drapes an arm around Samarth. Priyanka finds her smile is just as bright as from a toothpaste ad. Utterly disgusting in the current scenario.

Samarth removes the arm that's draped around him, gently wards off other handsy girls from reaching him with his trademark rockstar grin, thin lips upturned to a side, little show of pearl white teeth, handsome eyes narrowed to perfection. He still nods, though, much to Priyanka's chagrin. "Sure, girls, I will be coming. How can I forget?"

Priyanka rolls her eyes and approaches him in a single straight. The skimpily clad woman's frown at her elegant, full-sleeved kurta palazzo, yet she holds her ground and meets Samarth's eyes. "I'm sorry, sir. As per your schedule, you don't have any time for this pool party. In fact, we have to write away head for the first schedule of your music video filming."

The girls all glare at Priyanka in unison. Samarth explains with a chuckle, "hey, girls, say hello to my new manager. Teacherni lagti hai na? She's still cute, don't you think?"

This time, Samarth earns the girls' glares.

"Sorry, girls, I'm kind of trapped. I have to listen to her... Aparav Chachu's order. So..." Samarth shrugs and smiles. The girls leave after giving Priyanka one last evil glare.

Left alone, Priyanka, Samarth look at each other for a long moment. Samarth regards her as a headstrong yet beautiful woman. He agreed to have her as his manager because chachu says so. Priyanka thinks Samarth is an enigma. He's not the breezy guy he is around everyone. Also didn't he protest against having a manager? All of a sudden, he agrees?

Time stills as the two regard each other but then Priyanka is the first one to break out of her stupor. "Ab aap chalenge bhi ya mujhe khinch kar le jana padega? Let's go, sir."

With a chuckle, Samarth gestures to the door. "Oh, but before that, let me call up on Mohu Mama... aka Mohit, my mumma ka driver. Abhi, he's the only one available this early, haha. Mohu Mama! He hollers, glancing at the twin staircase and vast corridors above the hall. Come on, jaha bhi ho!"

Mohu Mama comes running. As they step out in the house into the backend parking, Samarth holds Priyanka's hand, stopping her from walking ahead. He quickly releases it when she looks at him.

"Mohu Mama will bring around the car. Let's wait here."

Priyanka nods. A moment later Samarth says, "Thanks."

"Thanks? Why?"

"Because you saved me from those girls, that's why..." Samarth shrugs and smiles. It's a beautiful genuine smile, not the rockstar-ish one that Priyanka is stumped.

"I saved you?"

Priyanka closes her mouth, realising she's gawking. Samarth is breathtakingly handsome,  looking him upclose again is doing weird things to her heart though she's a professional. Okay girl this is nothing. You are a professional! You're just nervous because he's an idol!

Oblivious to Priyanka's thoughts, Samarth nod with a bright, carefree smile. "I didn't want to go with those girls."

"Then you could have said so to them."

"Come on, yaar. I have my image to maintain. How can I tell them down? Kitna boring rahega na. If I say I don't want to hangout with you guys but work and film my music video."

"Unbelievable..."

Priyanka bursts out laughing. She thinks it might be rude and tries stifling her giggles but there's no need. Samarth joins her and they laugh for a good minute together.

Mohit Mama brings the car and stops it before them. Priyanka climbs into the backseat with Samarth. She cannot believe that this is how her first day as this rockstar's manager is starting. But laughter and on a pleasant note.

***
💫tbc💫

💫up next: Priyanka watches Samarth's music video shoot. She has new thoughts about him, her opinion of him changing. Not tha she judged him to begin with Meanwhile Samarth has thoughts of his own about his new manager.  Are they getting along well already or not? What awaits them next?💖

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