Arnav’s Return

The heavy silence in the Oberoi mansion was shattered by the sound of footsteps.

Slow. Controlled. Powerful.

Ayush, Aryan, and Avni froze as Arnav stepped into the living room. He hadn’t been home in weeks, handling business outside the city. But now, he was back—and furious.

His sharp gaze landed on Anirudh first. "Explain."

Anirudh, always the composed one, crossed his arms. "Avni snuck out. Ayush and Aryan let her. And now Devraj Malhotra knows about her."

Arnav’s eyes darkened. He turned his attention to Avni.

"Do you have any idea what you’ve done?" His voice was low, dangerously calm.

Avni hated that tone. It meant he was more furious than he let on.

"Relax, Bhaiya," she muttered. "It was just a party—"

SLAM.

Arnav’s fist crashed onto the table, making them all jump.

"You think this is a joke?" His voice was like ice. "Devraj Malhotra is a man who destroys people for sport. And you just put yourself right in his path."

Avni swallowed. She had never seen Arnav this angry.

Ayush, ever the reckless one, scoffed. "It’s not like she met with him personally."

Arnav turned to him, his gaze like a blade. "You think that matters? Devraj doesn’t need to meet her to use her."

He exhaled sharply, forcing himself to stay calm. Then, in a tone that left no room for argument, he spoke:

"From now on, Avni doesn’t go anywhere alone. She’s under surveillance 24/7."

Avni’s eyes widened. "What?! You can’t be serious!"

Arnav’s expression was stone-cold. "I don’t repeat myself, Avni."

Meanwhile…

In his office, Devraj Malhotra smirked as he watched the Oberoi mansion’s security feed—a feed that had been hacked.

He chuckled. "You can protect her all you want, Arnav. But every cage has a key…"

His gaze flickered to a photo of Ayush and Aryan.

"And every family has a weak link."

To Be Continued…