𝐑𝐚𝐨: 𝐀 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐎𝐟 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐥.

╰┈➤"𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐥."

≻───── ⋆✩⋆ ─────≺

A sleek luxury car glided to a stop in front of the towering high-rise, its façade emblazoned with "Rao Groups" in bold, golden lettering.

Athrav emerged from the vehicle, effortlessly draping his coat over his shoulder. A security guard hastened to claim the car keys, disappearing to park the vehicle.

Athrav strode into the building, his commanding presence drawing subtle glances from passersby. As he traversed the lobby, the receptionist greeted him with a bright "Good morning, sir!"

Athrav acknowledged her with a curt nod, offering similar nods to others who wished him a good morning.

Athrav's assistant, Vivek Sharma, approached with a warm smile. "Good morning, Sir," he greeted.

"Good morning," Atharv greets back. As Vivek falling into step beside Athrav as they headed toward the elevator.

"Today's schedule is quite packed. We have a meeting with the American clients at 10 a.m., followed by a meeting with the management team at 2 p.m., and another at 4 p.m. with—"

Vivek continued to rattle off the day's itinerary as they stepped into the elevator, Athrav listening intently, his expression focused.

≻───── ⋆✩⋆ ─────≺

Athrav strode into his spacious cabin, Vivek following closely behind. "Coffee," Athrav said, his deep voice low and smooth, as he settled into his high-backed leather chair.

Vivek nodded and turned to leave, but Athrav's voice halted him. "Wait. And pick up two breakfasts, nothing fancy, just something straightforward."

Athrav puts his phone on his desk as he continued, "Also, have one breakfast sent to Ayur's cabin."

Vivek nodded, his expression efficient. "Anything else, sir?"

Athrav's gaze remained fixed on his laptop screen. "That's all. You may leave now."

With a discreet nod, Vivek exited the cabin, leaving Athrav alone to prepare for the day ahead.

≻───── ⋆✩⋆ ─────≺

Parvika and Veda knocked on Tejal and Ayur's bedroom door, but the silence was deafening.

They exchanged glances before Parvika turned the handle, finding the door unlocked. Cautiously, they stepped inside, calling out, "Tejal?"

The room was empty. Both of them exchange a worried glance. "Tejal?" Parvika calls out her name but got no answer.

Veda's knocks on the bathroom door went unanswered, and she reported back to Parvika, "She's not here, didi."

Parvika's grip on the plate she was holding tightened. Veda's eyes scanned the room before settling on the balcony door, which was slightly ajar. "Wait, didi, let me check there."

Veda pushed the door wider, revealing Tejal sitting on the swing, lost in the vast expanse of the blue sky. Parvika and Veda stepped onto the balcony, concern etched on their faces.

"Tejal didi, we were looking everywhere for you," Veda said, trying to keep her tone light. "Why didn't you answer?"

Tejal's gaze remained fixed on the horizon, her silence a palpable, unsettling presence.

Parvika approached Tejal, placing gentle hands on her shoulders. "Tejal..." Tejal flinched, her eyes widening in surprise.

"Oh, didi! You scared me," Tejal exclaimed, her voice laced with relief.

Veda's expression turned stern. "Scared you? We've been calling you for the past five minutes Tejal didi!" She planted her hands on her hips, her tone playful yet concerned.

Tejal's gaze darted between Parvika and Veda, confusion etched on her face. "Huh? But I didn't..."

Parvika's expression softened. "We know you didn't. And you also didn't have breakfast, right?"

She placed the plate on the swing beside Tejal. "Here, we brought you breakfast. Go wash your hands and come eat."

Tejal's eyes drifted to the plate, her voice barely above a whisper. "Thanks, didi, but I'm not hungry..."

Her gaze lifted, a hint of desperation in her eyes. "I just wanted to escape...from him."She said while remembering yesterday night conversation with Ayur.

Parvika's expression turned sympathetic. "We know, Tejal. We want that too...but starving yourself won't help us escape, okay? Please eat something. We'll think of a plan together."

Veda's voice piped up, her tone fierce. "Of course, we should escape! I can't stand that Avyan. He's crazy! He even dared to kiss me on the cheek."

Tejal's confusion deepened, her eyes darting to Parvika, who chuckled softly.

"Stop laughing, didi! I'll kill him when he gets back from the office today. Also Tejal didi, have your breakfast, you're stronger than this."Veda stormed off, leaving the balcony.

Parvika's amusement lingered as she watched Veda depart. "She's certainly planning something. I'll pray for poor Avyan...and have your breakfast, Tejal."

Tejal nodded, a hint of determination in her voice. "You're right, didi. Why should I starve myself?"

As Tejal began to eat, Parvika sat beside her, a thoughtful expression on her face. "We need to come up with a solid plan to escape . We can't let them continue to cage us here forever."

Tejal's eyes met Parvika's, a spark of defiance igniting within them. "I'm ready, didi. Let's do this."

Parvika's smile was a promise of solidarity. "Together, we will."

≻───── ⋆✩⋆ ─────≺

The sun dipped below the horizon, a warm orange glow seeped into Athrav's cabin through the glass walls.

The only sound was the soft clacking of his fingers on the laptop keyboard, the faint hum of the computer illuminating his face. The reflection of the screen danced across his glasses.

The silence was interrupted by a sudden presence. "Yes?" Athrav said, not looking up from his laptop.

Avyan peeked in from the doorway. "Athrav Bhai, it's me. It's almost 6. Maa called; Papa and Chacha are coming home tonight. She wants us to come home early."

Athrav closed his laptop, removed his glasses, and stood up, his movements fluid. "Did you call Ayur?"

Avyan nodded. "Yes, but he didn't answer. I told his assistant, but she said he'd already left."

Athrav nodded, pocketing his phone and grabbing his coat. "Did you finish your work for today?" he asked Avyan, who was scrolling through his phone.

Avyan looked up, scratching his head. "Y-yes... I did." Athrav shot him a knowing look. Avyan sighed, "Okay, fine. I didn't complete it. But just one report is pending, and I'll finish it tomorrow."

Athrav shook his head, familiar with Avyan's procrastination. As they exited the cabin and walked toward the elevator, Athrav's phone buzzed. He smiled slightly at the message: "It's done."

The elevator doors slid shut, enveloping them in silence as they descended.

≻───── ⋆✩⋆ ─────≺

Vote and comment for this cutie!