I had won.
At least, that's what I told myself as I walked away from Aditya Singhania, leaving him drenched and humiliated in the middle of the Sangeet venue.
The image of water dripping from his stupidly sharp jaw, his expression unreadable yet deadly, should have filled me with regret.
But it didn't.
Instead, it made something twistedly satisfying bloom in my chest.
Take that, you arrogant bastard.
But as I made my way through the crowd, past relatives, friends, and guests who had witnessed the entire scene, a cold realization crept up my spine.
Right now, my goal was simple-avoid him at all costs.
The music was loud, the air filled with the scent of flowers and expensive perfumes, and the dance floor was alive with energy. People twirled, laughed, and celebrated around me.
I forced a smile, pretending like my mind wasn't consumed by a certain man whose presence I was desperately trying to ignore.
"Avni!" My cousin Shreya appeared beside me, her hands decorated in intricate henna designs. "Why are you standing here like a statue? Come dance!" I gave her a sheepish smile. "I'm just... tired."
"Tired? You?" Shreya scoffed. "You're always the first one on the dance floor." I hesitated.
She wasn't wrong. Normally, I loved dancing, especially at weddings. But tonight, my nerves were shot, and my patience was thinner than ever.
"Come on, you can rest later. It's my sangeet!" Shreya grabbed my wrist, pulling me toward the center of the dance floor before I could protest. I sighed, deciding to go along with it. Anything to keep my mind off a certain someone-
And then I felt it. That presence.
That heavy, lingering gaze that sent a chill straight down my spine. I didn't even need to look to know.
He was watching me.
I swallowed, keeping my focus on the dance, pretending like I wasn't affected. But I was. Because he was there. And I hated how aware of him I was.
I spent the next hour doing everything in my power to stay far, far away from him. I dodged conversations, took unnecessary detours through the venue, and even hid behind an overly large floral arrangement at one point.
But no matter what I did, I felt him. UGHH I hate this man.
It was like he was everywhere. A shadow lurking, waiting for the right moment to strike.
I caught glimpses of him-standing near the bar, talking to someone, his posture effortlessly confident. Leaning against a pillar, a knowing smirk playing at his lips as if he knew exactly what I was doing.
And each time our eyes met-just for a second-I quickly looked away, my heartbeat spiking in frustration.
By the time the night started winding down, I was exhausted. I had barely eaten, barely rested, and the constant paranoia of Aditya cornering me had drained every ounce of energy I had left.
I grabbed a glass of water from the buffet table, sighing in relief as I finally let my guard down for just a moment.
Big mistake.
Because the second I turned around- I collided into something hard.
Correction-someone.
My breath caught as I looked up, my heart sinking the second I saw him. Aditya Singhania, standing in front of me, his eyes glinting with something I couldn't quite decipher.
"You've been avoiding me all night," he murmured, his voice smooth, teasing. "I'm almost offended." I clenched my jaw, stepping back instantly, but he only leaned in slightly, just enough to make my skin prickle.
"You have something to say, sweetheart?" he smirked. I swallowed back a string of curses, my fingers tightening around the glass in my hand.
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Sorry for small chapter.
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