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Background song: Baat RAGHUVEER'S POV

"Ishq mein rahi manzil ko na pata hai na khota hai"

VANSHI'S POV

"Kyun mohhabat par yakeen nahi tumko? Kya lagti nahi

Haasen main tumko?"

♥*♡∞:｡.｡　　｡.｡:∞♡*♥

Vanshi swung open the car door and plopped into the front seat, panting slightly. Her hair was slightly messy from rushing, and she blew a stray strand away from her face before sighing dramatically.

Raghuveer chuckled, his fingers gripping the steering wheel as he watched her with amusement. "Did you run a marathon before getting in?" he teased.

Vanshi shot him a playful glare. "No! You should've parked closer!" she huffed before pulling out her phone.

"You know what! Main inn dino kushaant ko bohot saare kinderjoy lekar Deti thi..lekin ye tharki..ye toh apni pasandida aurat ko woh saare de deta tha" she muttered rolling her eyes up in irritation

"What the hell?" Raghuveer was shocked, how does a 5 year old child like him can be like this?

"What's his pasandida aurat's name by the way?" Raghuveer asked acting all shocked

"Iri..viya....I don't quite remember.." vanshi said and Raghuveer slithly nodded

As she scrolled through her feed, a wide grin appeared on her face. "Look! My best friend Dhvani posted a photo holding a bouquet of flowers. Must be from some boy,"

she mused, tapping on the image. Then, with a knowing smile, she added, "Anyway, boys only give flowers to girls when they love them."

Raghuveer stiffened, his grip tightening on the wheel. His throat suddenly felt dry. "Who… who told you that?" he asked hesitantly.

Vanshi shrugged, still focused on her screen. "Think about it. Why else would a boy buy flowers for a girl? It’s clearly because he loves her."

Raghuveer cleared his throat, trying to shake off the strange feeling that settled in his chest. He forced his eyes back on the road, but his mind was elsewhere.

By the time they reached the office, Raghuveer quickly stepped out and walked around to open the door for Vanshi.

"Aap chali jayein..ham jald hi aa jayenge" he said, his voice softer than usual.

Vanshi, oblivious to the storm in his mind, nodded cheerfully. She hopped toward the entrance, her movements light and carefree, humming a tune as she disappeared inside.

Raghuveer remained still, staring at the back of the car. With a deep breath, he reached inside and carefully pulled out a bouquet of white roses..her favorite. He had bought them because she once told him how her late father always gifted her white roses on her birthday.

He looked at the flowers in his hand. His heart pounded.

"I love her? Do I?"

He asked himself the question a thousand times in that single moment. His fingers trembled slightly as he debated his next move. But doubt crept in.

What if she didn’t feel the same? What if she just saw him as a friend?

With a sad pout, he exhaled sharply and, before he could overthink any further,he tossed the bouquet into the trash.

Fixing his suit, he straightened his shoulders and walked towards the office, his expression unreadable.

As soon as he stepped inside, heads turned. Every woman in the building seemed to pause, their eyes following him. After all, Raghuveer was the man every model dreamed of catching the attention of. Some even auditioned in his company just for the chance to see him every day.

But Raghuveer’s eyes were looking for only one person.

And there she was.

Sitting comfortably at her desk, Vanshi was happily munching on a big bar of chocolate, completely oblivious to the effect she had on him.

Raghuveer sighed.

She really was something else.

Raghuveer leaned back in his chair, adjusting his cuffs before turning his gaze toward Vanshi, who was happily munching on her chocolate. With an amused smirk, he cleared his throat.

"I signed you for one project yesterday… Have you prepared the clothes?" he asked, his deep voice calm yet firm.

Vanshi’s movements froze mid-bite. Her big, expressive eyes widened as she slowly lowered the chocolate bar, guilt creeping onto her face. She blinked a few times before nervously biting her lower lip.

"I forgot…" she admitted in a small voice, her head tilting slightly in an attempt to look innocent. "I was so sleepy that I just… fell asleep."

She pouted, her eyes pleading for mercy.

Raghuveer had expected himself to be annoyed..he never tolerated laziness in his work. Efficiency and discipline were everything to him. Yet, the frustration that should have been there never came. Instead, a chuckle escaped his lips.

He nodded slightly, acknowledging her words, but then paused.

Wait.

He never liked someone being careless about work. It was one of his biggest pet peeves. If it were anyone else, he would have given them a long lecture by now. But with Vanshi… it was different.

His heart hesitated.

He didn’t want to scold her. He didn’t want to see her guilty face.

What was she doing to him?

He sighed inwardly, shaking his head in disbelief. This girl had him wrapped around her little finger, and she didn’t even know it.

Snapping out of his thoughts, he glanced at the chocolate still clutched in her hand. "Now, who gave you that chocolate?" he asked, leaning forward slightly.

Vanshi smiled mischievously and took another small bite before answering. "Someone special… someone very close to my heart," she said, her tone teasing.

Raghuveer’s eyes widened. His heart skipped a beat.

Someone special?

"Your… boyfriend?" he asked, his voice coming out sharper than he intended.

Vanshi’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. She gagged on her chocolate, coughing dramatically as she turned to him with an exasperated expression. "Aishhh! Kushaant! My… my nephew, you idiot!" she huffed, rolling her eyes.

Raghuveer blinked before letting out a relieved breath he didn’t even realize he was holding.

Of course.

Why did he even feel nervous? Why did that question slip out so desperately?

"Ah… Kushaant," he muttered, trying to play it cool.

Vanshi smirked. "Why? You sound so relieved."

He immediately straightened. "I do not."

"You do," she insisted, narrowing her eyes at him.

Raghuveer looked away, suddenly interested in the documents on his desk.

Vanshi, on the other hand, couldn’t help but feel a strange warmth in her chest.

But why?

She shook her head, pushing away her thoughts before casually leaning her elbow on the desk, resting her chin on her palm. "You never told me who you like," she said, her voice light but with a hint of curiosity.

Her heart raced.

Did she really want to know?

No.

Yes.

NO!

What if he said someone else’s name? What if he was already in love with someone? Would she be able to handle it?

She swallowed, her fingers tightening around the chocolate bar.

Raghuveer didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he stared at the surface of his desk, his fingers tapping lightly against it. A long silence stretched between them before he finally murmured,

"I don't believe in love."

Vanshi frowned, her chest tightening.

Her lips parted as if she wanted to protest, but no words came out.

She didn’t know what hurt more...the fact that he didn’t believe in love… or the fact that it meant he would never look at her the way she looked at him.

For a moment, she wanted to tell him that love wasn’t just a fairytale. That it was real. That it was standing right in front of him, in the form of a girl who adored him more than she had ever adored anything else.

But instead, she forced a smile and took another bite of her chocolate.

"That’s… sad," she whispered.

Raghuveer glanced at her, and for the briefest moment, their eyes met.

A thousand unspoken words hung in the air between them.

But neither of them spoke.

And perhaps, that was the saddest part of all.

Vanshi stared at him for a long moment, her fingers tightening around the half-eaten chocolate bar in her hands. There was something about the way he said it..I don’t believe in love.

So simple. So final.

Like a door slammed shut on a world of possibilities.

Her heart squeezed painfully in her chest. She had always known Raghuveer was different..reserved, logical, and not the kind of person who indulged in romantic fantasies. But to hear it so directly, to know that the man she secretly loved didn’t even believe in something she held so dearly, made her throat dry.

Her lips parted slightly, and in a voice barely above a whisper, she said, "You know… love can be beautiful in any way."

Her words hung in the air like a fragile piece of glass, shimmering under the weight of their meaning.

Raghuveer’s gaze flickered to her. His sharp, unreadable eyes softened for just a second before his expression returned to its usual guarded state. He leaned back in his chair, exhaling slowly, as if debating whether or not to engage in this conversation.

"You really believe that?" he asked, his voice low.

Vanshi nodded without hesitation. "Of course."

He scoffed lightly, shaking his head. "Love isn’t as perfect as people think. It’s messy. It complicates things. It makes people weak."

Vanshi’s heart twisted. She had heard people say things like that before, but hearing it from him—the man she admired, the man she… loved—it felt different

She swallowed, her eyes never leaving his. "Pyaar kaamzori nahi..takat hai Raghuveer....because somewhere out there...if no one..no one is there..maybe you know that the person you love will always be!" She argued but in a sweet tone

(Love doesn’t make people weak, Raghuveer. It makes them stronger)

He let out a dry chuckle, as if amused by her words. "Stronger? That’s a naive way of looking at it."

"It’s not naive," she argued again, leaning forward. "It’s the truth. Love isn’t just about grand gestures or fairy tales. It’s about feeling safe with someone. It’s about knowing you’re not alone, no matter what happens."

Raghuveer watched her carefully, his jaw tightening. "And what happens when that love fades? When the same person who once promised to stand by you walks away? When all those ‘beautiful’ feelings turn into pain?"

Vanshi’s breath hitched. She could hear the bitterness laced in his voice, and suddenly, she realized—this wasn’t just his opinion. This was his experience.

Someone had hurt him.

Someone had taught him that love wasn’t worth believing in.

Her chest ached at the thought

"Nothing happens..we just- we break..that love breaks us but just to make us more stronger.." she took a long breath as they made a eye contact

"And you get most strongest when you find a right person who loves you with...all their heart" she muttered

She wanted to ask. She wanted to know what had made him this way, who had made him this way. But she knew Raghuveer wasn’t the type to open up so easily. So instead, she took a different approach.

"And to be honest pain is a part of love," she admitted softly. "But that doesn’t mean love isn’t worth it. Even the most painful love leaves behind something beautiful. A lesson. A memory. A piece of yourself that you never knew existed."

"Aur ye bhi jaan lijiye..ki agar ye pyaar nahi hota na..toh ye shrushti bhi nahi hoti" she muttered the words in a deep tone

Raghuveer’s fingers tapped lightly against the table, his eyes locked on hers as if trying to find a flaw in her words.

"If you have this much knowledge about love..." he took a pause taking deep breath

"..what is love?" He asked raising his eyebrows

Vanshi slowly stood up from the couch and went towards him,leaning against his desk

"You watched kuch kuch hota hai?" She asked him but rolled her eyes up when he shook his head as no

"Pyaar dosti hai" she said and was about to leave but in an instant he held her wrist

She slowly looked behind

"Who is your bestfriend then?" He asked looking deep into her eyes

"No one" she muttered and with disappointment he left her wrist and his gaze shifted at his lap tone again

"But it can be you..if you will start believing in love" she said with a small comforting smile

He looked up ,his eyes held unspoken emotions laced with fear

"I will take my leave..I have to go to buy some fabric" she said and went away sensing the weird environment

He said nothing,just kept quiet looking at her closing the door behind her

Vanshi entered the elevator and as the door closed she cried in irritation

How can she say that?

He would probably feel that she feels something for her!!

Boys should always take first step!!

As she was heading out she saw a bouquet of white roses in the trash bin

"Whoever did this..uhhh!! I just wish he regrets..he would realise the worth of confession when the person he loves would go away from him and after that he would die to give her these bouquet..but can never!" She spoke the words put bitterly

"But wait- it can be she also..not matter if he is she or she is he....he and she would surely regret!" Saying that she left while a watchman who was sitting just in some distance was a laughing mess