chapter 68

YOU ARE THE RHYTHM OF MY HEART!GChapter 68 :Aadhya, overwhelmed by pride and love for Nandu, stood tall. Watching him choose her—his unwavering loyalty, even at the cost of everything—filled her with a fierce sense of belonging. But Laila’s question jolted her back to the present. Her eyes hardened as she stepped forward.“I told you before—don’t chase men who are already claimed. You won’t win. Not now, not ever”.Her voice was calm, composed, and firm. “Instead of this drama, I suggest you prepare for the competition. Time’s running out”.Laila’s eyes flared with rage. “Didn’t you hear me? I said I’m pulling out of this event. If Nandu’s ready to abandon me, then I have no reason to care about his success. Let him fail. But—”, she paused, eyes narrowing in mock generosity,“—if you leave Nandu for me, I might reconsider participating”. Her tone was laced with venom and sarcasm.Aadhya’s eyes widened in disbelief. Then, she gave a cold smile.“You’re willing to ditch the company at the last minute and still talk about professionalism?”. Her tone dropped, voice icy and controlled.“Let me make this clear—I will never leave Krish. Not now. Not ever. Till my last breath”. Her words rang with quiet intensity.Laila scoffed, her lips curling in disgust. “Oh, look who’s talking. In a few moments, you’re going to watch him fall, and yet here you are, clinging to him for his fame, his fortune, and his status. What a hypocrite”.But Aadhya didn’t flinch. Her silence screamed louder than words—because her love wasn’t built on success or status, but on something far deeper.Seeing no reaction from Aadhya, Laila realized that her feeble attempts to intimidate her would never work. With a scoff, she stamped away, leaving Aadhya alone in the whirlwind of pressure surrounding the event.Aadhya stood still for a few moments, watching Laila’s retreating figure, before snapping out of her daze. She rushed toward their room, her only thought being to inform everything to Akhil.Meanwhile, Nandu stormed off to a secluded area on the outer side of the building, fuming at Laila’s audacity.Though he was outside the event hall, he could still hear the anchors' energetic voices echoing through the speakers, hyping up the models and entertaining the audience with their enthusiastic comments.He didn’t even realize how long he had been standing there, ignoring the incessant buzzing of his mobile phone. His heart was pounding with anxiety—anxiety over his first potential defeat, and that too by a woman. Though he was ready to replace the model immediately, there was simply no time left to adjust the costumes to fit a new person.Feeling utterly frustrated and helpless, Nandu didn’t even feel like watching the show anymore, despite knowing he had to face the consequences. He closed his eyes tightly, gripping the railing in front of him. His knuckles turned white, trying to contain the rage surging within him.He was still in shock at Laila’s demand—that he abandon Aadhya, the very reason for his breath, just to win a competition. Did she really think he would stoop so low? That he would give up on the love of his life for a mere trophy? The very thought disgusted him. He shook his head, appalled, and opened his eyes—only to be greeted by the sight of flowers blossoming gently in the garden before him.Aadhya’s face flashed in his mind, making his chest tighten. How was she holding up? Was she panicking under the pressure of this being her first project? Was she blaming herself for possibly failing him?Oh my God… what had he done?He had been so consumed by his own fury and anxiety, he hadn’t even thought about how she must be feeling.-  *KRISH*