Chapter 26: Twenty Two

Abhimanyu and Arnav sat at the dining table, quietly enjoying their breakfast, completely unaware of the glares being shot their way. Abhimanyu and Arnav  were too focused on their food to notice the growing tension from across the table.

Misha's eyes bored into Abhimanyu, her frustration from the previous night still fresh. She clenched her fists under the table, fighting the urge to march over and punch him.

"Look at him, enjoying the food I made," she muttered bitterly. "Should’ve added extra chili to teach him a lesson."

Abhimanyu, sensing the weight of her stare, finally looked up. His eyes met Misha’s, who was practically fuming. He frowned briefly, noticing her lips moving in frustration, but simply shrugged it off, returning to his food as though nothing was wrong.

Arnav felt the weight of a stare on him and glanced up, only to meet Arthi's piercing glare. For a brief moment, he was caught off guard, his eyes widening slightly in surprise. But just as quickly, he regained his composure, his expression smoothing out as he turned back to his plate, resuming his meal in silence as if nothing had happened.

Isha, seated nearby, watched the silent drama unfold with a smirk tugging at her lips. Amused by the tension between the couples, she couldn’t help but think, "Well, breakfast just got a lot more interesting."

Abhimanyu and Arnav left for office and Aavyan was already was left for office.

Abhimanyu's POV

Abhimanyu slumped into his chair after the meeting, his frustration palpable.

"What the hell was with that glare?" he muttered, running a hand through his hair. He leaned back, staring at the ceiling. "She was looking at me like I’d wronged her. What’s her deal?"

A harsh inner voice interrupted his thoughts. "Like you could do anything about it, sleeping far away from her  with a massive great wall between you two." The blunt reminder startled him, and he sighed in exasperation.

"And why did she even wait for me?" Abhimanyu continued, his frown deepening. "It’s not like we have some kind of affection for each other. This marriage is strictly business, and she knows it. So why wait for me?"

His subconscious chimed in again, "You two like eachother! Trust me, You’re like cats and mice rather than a wife and husband, always at each other’s throats." The thought made Abhimanyu clench his jaw.

"It’s not me; it’s her who always wants to argue,"  he snapped, his hands tightening into fists.

He shook his head, trying to push the thoughts aside. "Why am I even thinking about her?" With a determined frown, he turned his attention to the file on his desk, focusing on his work to drive away the lingering frustration.

Arnav was at the headquarters with his PA, Viyan, as they sifted through information on the Shadow Dominion.

"Viyan, make sure every detail is accounted for. Nothing should be overlooked," Arnav said with a cold, commanding tone.

Viyan nodded in acknowledgment. "Understood, sir. I’ll ensure nothing is missed."

With that, Viyan departed to execute the task, leaving Arnav to continue his work.

Aavyan was heading to the office but decided to take a break. He parked his car in front of the same café he had visited before, went inside, and emerged with a drink.

Tara, exhausted from a meeting, stopped at the same café. After grabbing a quick coffee, she stepped outside and, glancing to her right, saw Aavyan-the man who had carelessly spilled a drink on her car before. Her irritation flared as she saw him preparing to throw his drink again. Determined to confront him, she marched over.

Aavyan exited the café with a drink in one hand and his phone in the other. As he fumbled with the drink, a bit of it spilled, causing him to raise his hand and step back. Just as he was about to lower his hand, someone grabbed it. He turned to find Tara standing there, her eyes flashing with anger. For a moment, he was captivated by her intense gaze.

Tara stared at the man who had turned to face her, her irritation momentarily overshadowed by his striking appearance. His features were remarkably handsome, and his eyes sparkled in a way that could captivate anyone. But she shook off her surprise, focusing on the reason she had stopped him.

"Mr, are you always this careless?" she asked, her voice edged with frustration. "What if your drink spills on my car again? I won't be so forgiving this time."

Aavyan frowned, clearly bewildered. "Excuse me?" And looked at her with a frown.

"Don’t throw your drink carelessly, without looking around," Tara said with a hint of sarcasm, releasing his hand. Aavyan straightened up, puzzled by her tone.

"Mr, do you even use your eyes, or are they just for show?" Tara continued, her hands on her hips as she looked at him mockingly.

Aavyan, still smiling, asked, "Miss, what are you talking about?" He doesn't understanding what she is talking but it entertaining to Aavyan

"About you, Mr. After making a mess, you don’t even bother to check if it’s still happening. You should look around before you throw anything," Tara said, raising an eyebrow. Aavyan found her irritation oddly endearing.

"Am I?" Aavyan asked with a frown, genuinely confused, but also amused by her demeanor.

"Well, if not you, then maybe your ghost is doing it," Tara said irritably. Aavyan nearly chuckled but maintained a cold expression.

"Miss, you may be confusing me with someone else," Aavyan said with a frosty tone, his patience wearing thin.

"Misunderstanding? Me? I never forget what I see and hear. It’s clearly you I’m talking about, not some ghost," Tara said mockingly. Aavyan clenched his jaw, struggling to control his rising anger.

"Miss, I have important work to attend to, so I don’t have time for this argument," Aavyan said calmly,his impressio on her changing into irritation now. Tara let out a mock chuckle.

"And you think I’m free? Excuse me! I run a company, so I also don’t have time for pointless arguments," Tara retorted with a sarcastic smile. Aavyan sighed.

"Then why are we arguing," he asked, trying to understand her frustration.

"You were about to toss your drink. What if it ended up on my car again?" Tara said, raising an eyebrow. Aavyan glanced around, noting the absence of her car nearby.

"Miss, where is your car?" Aavyan inquired with a calm tone and a smile.

"That’s my car," Tara said coldly, pointing to a vehicle parked a good distance away. Aavyan looked from her car to where they stood.

"Miss, I’m here and your car is over there. How could my drink possibly reach your car from this distance? Even if I throw my drink, it won't reach you car" Aavyan said, gesturing between them. Tara, realizing he was right, if even throw drink, it won't reach till her car, masked her surprise with a defensive stance.

"First of all, I’m not going to toss my drink," Aavyan added with a hint of mockery as he looked at her with stare thinking may be she is mad.

"You’ve learned your lesson then?" Tara said, a self-satisfied smile on her face. Aavyan frowned, thinking she was being unreasonable.

"Excuse me?" Aavyan asked, clearly confused.

"You didn’t apologize," Tara said, her tone a mix of shock and irritation as Tara remembered for last time, he doesn't apologise, well she took a revange but still a apology is remaining, Aavyan’s irritation flared.

"What on earth would I apologize for?" Aavyan snapped with a glare, Aavyan almost fixed that she is mad, and thought to leave from here, as he have a meeting.

"For spilling your drink on my car last time," Tara said, her tone defensive. Aavyan stared at her, baffled.

"Are you out of your mind?" Aavyan asked, his voice rising in frustration.

"What did you just say?" Tara demanded, her anger piqued as Tara looked at him with a glare and Aavyan looked away with irritation.

"That you’re mad," Aavyan replied bluntly. Tara’s eyes widened in disbelief.

"You need to apologize for that," Tara insisted, her tone sharp and with disbelief look. Aavyan looked away momentarily, then back at her.

"Why should I apologize?" Aavyan said, his tone heated. Just then, his phone beeped with a new message-footage from his company’s parking lot. The footage seemed more pressing than their argument.

Aavyan glanced at the footage and then fixed Tara with a glare that was almost menacing. Tara, who had been muttering under her breath, noticed his intense stare and grew puzzled.

"What did you say?" Aavyan asked, his tone cold and dangerously calm.

"That you need to apologize to me," Tara repeated, her irritation unabated. Aavyan simply nodded, his glare still fixed on her. Tara, mistaking his glare for guilt, felt a surge of victory, believing he was about to apologize.

Aavyan fixed Tara with a cold glare as he walked towards her car. Tara, puzzled by his sudden movement, followed him with a furrowed brow. When Aavyan reached her car, he paused, smirking as he glanced back at her. Tara’s confusion deepened.

Without a word, Aavyan poured his drink over her car’s windshield. Tara gasped, her eyes widening in shock. She shot him an outraged glare, but Aavyan only smirked, his expression full of smug satisfaction.

With his hands in his pockets, Aavyan stepped closer to Tara, leaving just enough space between them to keep her on edge. Tara’s face flushed at their proximity, and she swallowed hard.

"What the hell is this?" Tara demanded, her voice tinged with anger as Tara stared at Aavyan with a glare and her breath heavy with anger.

Aavyan chuckled softly. "I already told you, I don’t have time to argue." He turned to leave, but then glanced back over his shoulder.

"If you want to keep arguing, you’re welcome to do so with my ghost, as you know my ghost," Aavyan said, his smirk widening.

Tara clenched her fists, her anger reaching a boiling point. Aavyan turned and walked away, leaving her seething. She watched him go, her frustration palpable as she sighed deeply, and left from there.