CHAPTER 40

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To The World, Mahi Roman was a name that had only recently begun to echo through the prestigious halls of European fashion, yet her impact had been profound. Born in Spain, Mahi was known for her bold, avant-garde designs that pushed the boundaries of traditional fashion, blending art with high couture. Two years ago, she had taken a risk launching her own fashion house in the heart of Madrid. It was a gamble, but Mahi had always believed in her vision, even when others didn't.

Now, she stood on the brink of an incredible new chapter. Her business acumen and creative genius had caught the eye of one of the most influential men in the global fashion scene Vedansh Raychand, CEO of VR's. Known across Asia as "The Shark" in the business world, Vedansh was a self-made billionaire whose fashion empire had become the largest in Asia, with its influence spreading across continents. His company was known for its unmatched ability to capture the spirit of modern luxury, blending Eastern and Western design philosophies seamlessly.

The collaboration between Mahi Roman and Vedansh Raychand had been unexpected but inevitable. It was collaboration of two fashion giants one just beginning to soar and the other already reigning supreme. Mahi's innovative and disruptive designs would bring a fresh, European flair to VR's established brand, which had traditionally catered to the tastes of the Asian elite. In return, Vedansh's company would offer Mahi an unprecedented global platform, introducing her name and her designs to markets she had only dreamed of reaching.

For Mahi, this collaboration symbolized more than just business it was the validation of everything she had worked for. With Vedansh's resources and expertise, her fledgling brand was set to transform into a global sensation. The announcement of their partnership had sent ripples across the fashion world, and every major fashion outlet was already buzzing with excitement.

Their first joint collection was set to debut in the next international fashion season, and expectations were sky-high. The fusion of Mahi's distinct, rebellious spirit and Vedansh's commercial savvy promised to be nothing short of spectacular. As they embarked on this journey together, both Mahi and Vedansh knew they were on the cusp of something groundbreaking an era of fashion that would blend cultures, challenge norms, and set new standards of luxury and creativity.

What no one knew, however, was that this partnership was also the beginning of a complex personal dynamic between two strong-willed visionaries. Behind the scenes, Mahi and Vedansh's collaboration would not only shape the future of fashion but test their ambitions, their boundaries, and the fine line between business and personal entanglements.

For Mahi Roman, the journey had just begun.

Vedansh is been curious and impressed by designs he saw in Paris fashion week, The Aura, positive impact Mahi have around her is Unbelievable she have great talent. Where is this collaboration is going to lead no one knows it.

The recent Rumours are not about there collaboration, they are about the party Vedansh is hosting. After successful hosting of Paris Fashion week he is hosting party, Very Important business faces are invited in the party with his all close friends and business partners and famous faces of entertainment industry.

The thing is Vedansh is going to do a announcement about starting another chapter of his life His Marriage.

The air was charged with anticipation as Vedansh Raychand prepared to announce what would be the most significant personal and professional step in his life. Vedansh had long kept his personal life guarded. His focus on his ever-expanding empire had left little room for speculation until rumors of his relationship with Ruchi which is obviously one of his friends group, Ruchi is one of the most sought-after models in the world, began to swirl. A woman of grace and beauty, Ruchi had been more than just a glamorous face; she was his confidante, his partner, and most importantly, his best friend.

For years, the public had been speculating about their closeness, but neither had confirmed or denied the rumors. Now, standing before an exclusive gathering of the most influential people in business, fashion, and royalty, Vedansh was about to reveal what the world had been waiting for his engagement to Ruchi.

As the event began, the crowd's attention shifted towards the center stage where Vedansh, composed and charismatic as always, took the microphone. By his side was Ruchi, radiant in her elegance. Her presence alone sent whispers through the room. When Vedansh officially introduced her not just as his business partner or his best friend, but as his future wife, the room broke into applause. The news was not just about a union of two people but of two worlds the business titan and the global fashion icon.

But the guest list carried an unexpected surprise for some: seated among the most prestigious attendees was none other than Vidyuth Rathore, the King of Rajasthan. In the cutthroat world of business, Vedansh and Vidyuth had long been seen as rivals each commanding their own kingdoms, both literal and metaphorical. Professionally, they had clashed numerous times, their dealings often ending in strategic stalemates, but behind the boardroom doors, they shared an unspoken respect. Outside of their business rivalry, they had forged a friendship, one born out of their mutual understanding of power, responsibility, and ambition.

Vidyuth's presence at the engagement was a testament to this complicated bond. For those who understood the intricate dance of high society, his attendance wasn't just an olive branch, but an acknowledgment of their shared history. Vidyuth, regal and composed, observed the ceremony from his seat, a faint smile playing on his lips. Perhaps there was a sense of kinship between them two men who had built their empires from vastly different worlds yet understood each other in ways few others could.

As Vedansh continued his speech, mentioning how Ruchi had been his anchor through the storms of business and life, there was no denying the depth of their bond. It was clear this wasn't just another high-profile relationship it was the culmination of years of friendship, trust, and unwavering loyalty.

The announcement marked a new chapter in Vedansh's life, not just as a businessman but as a man about to embark on a journey of love and companionship. For Vidyuth, it was a moment to witness, and perhaps to reflect on, his own past and the choices that had led him to where he was. As the night progressed, Vedansh and Ruchi's engagement wasn't the only thing on people's minds many wondered what this union would mean for the future alliances and rivalries in the high-stakes world they inhabited.

For now, though, it was a celebration of love, friendship, and a future that promised to be as dynamic as the lives Vedansh and Ruchi had lived so far.

Vedansh stood at the podium, the room buzzing with energy, cameras flashing, and whispers filling the air. This moment wasn't just for the public; it was for the people who had been by his side through every victory, every failure, and every unexpected twist in life. With a small smile tugging at his lips, Vedansh glanced toward the crowd, his gaze landing on Ruchi, standing just a few feet away, her eyes warm with affection and quiet strength.

"Tonight isn't just another announcement,"

he began, his deep voice commanding attention as the room fell silent.

"It's the next chapter of my life one that I've been looking forward to for a long time. But before I tell you more about this new chapter, I need to take you back to where it all started."

His eyes softened as he recalled the memory, leaning into the moment.

"A few years ago, my best friend Arohi who many of you know as a force in her own right introduced me to someone she called her 'new best friend.' Ruchi, she was fifteen year old"

he said, pausing to glance at her.

"was the woman who instantly became a part of my world the moment I set eyes on her."

The audience murmured softly as Vedansh continued

"It wasn't one of those instant love-at-first-sight stories you hear about in movies. It was something quieter, deeper. I remember thinking to myself that day how did Arohi manage to find someone so genuine, so effortlessly kind, and somehow even more beautiful on the inside than out?"

A brief laugh escaped him.

"And for those who know Arohi, you'll understand when I say that she rarely gives her heart away easily so when she did, I knew there was something special about Ruchi"

Vedansh paused, his eyes locking with Ruchi's.

"And I wasn't wrong. Ruchi became not just Arohi's best friend, but mine as well"

His gaze shifted slightly to the people seated near the front, his only friends who had seen him through the years.

"Speaking of best friends, there are a few people in this room who have been with me for every high and every low Arohi, Rohan, Tushar, and Madhavi. We've shared memories, built empires, and seen each other through challenges none of us expected to face. You all know how important my friends are to me, but tonight, I have to say that Ruchi has become more than any of that."

Vedansh's voice grew more intimate, though still strong enough for the room to hear.

"With Ruchi, it wasn't just about friendship. Over time, I realized she wasn't just someone who made the hard days easier, or the good days even better. She was my anchor, my calm in the chaos that surrounds this life we lead."

He took a deep breath, the significance of the moment clear in his eyes.

"Tonight, I'm not just sharing this chapter with all of you. I'm sharing it with the person who's walked beside me when the lights weren't on us, when the stakes were high, and when it was just the two of us navigating through the storms. Ruchi, you've been my partner, my confidante, my home."

The room was completely silent now, all eyes on him and Ruchi.

"So, tonight, I want to say this in front of everyone our friends, our families, and everyone who has been a part of this journey. Ruchi, you aren't just my best friend, my love, or my partner. You're the reason I know that no matter how high we climb, or how low we fall, we'll always have each other."

He smiled then, a real, genuine smile that only those close to him ever saw.

"And I can't wait to spend the rest of my life proving that to you."

The grandeur of Vedansh Raychand's announcement had left the crowd buzzing with excitement. Glasses clinked, conversations flowed, and laughter echoed through the opulent ballroom. The lights sparkled, reflecting off chandeliers that cast a golden glow across the sea of finely dressed guests. The atmosphere was alive with the energy of celebration, completely absorbed in the unfolding event, unaware of the undercurrents of tension between two figures at opposite ends of the room.

In a corner, the King of Rajasthan, Vidyuth Rathore, stood tall, a presence of quiet authority despite the festive surroundings. His eyes scanned the crowd with a cool detachment, his expression unreadable. Clad in a perfectly tailored suit that seemed to emphasize his regal stature, he exchanged brief pleasantries with a few high-profile attendees, though his attention was elsewhere, pulled by a force he couldn't yet place.

On the other side of the ballroom, Meera stood in the midst of a group of fashion elites, her aura commanding as always. She wore a stunning gown that highlighted her timeless beauty, drawing eyes her way. Her laughter was polite, her smile practiced, yet her mind was distant, her senses heightened. Something in the air had shifted, a tension she couldn't quite define, a pull she had been trying to resist ever since she returned to India.

Neither Vidyuth nor Meera were fully engaged in their surroundings. The world around them had dimmed in importance, drowned by a silent awareness that stretched between them, fragile yet unbreakable. It had been years since they had stood in the same room, and though no one else noticed, they both felt it the magnetic force that bound their past.

The party swirled on, guests dancing and celebrating the future of Vedansh and Ruchi, but for these two, the night was about something far more personal. They hadn't locked eyes yet, but there was a current between them, an invisible line of gravity pulling them toward each other. It was only a matter of time before they noticed before the rest of the world saw the storm that brewed between the King of Rajasthan and his ex-wife.

As the music swelled to a luxurious crescendo, the lights dimmed for a brief moment, casting an almost cinematic glow across the ballroom. The crowd, entranced by the celebration of Vedansh and Ruchi's future, swayed with the rhythm of the evening. Yet amid the lavish tapestry of laughter, flowing champagne, and glittering gowns, a single, quiet moment of inevitability was about to unfold.

Vidyuth Rathore's gaze, cold and distant as it swept the room, suddenly stopped. Time seemed to slow as his eyes landed on her Meera. It wasn't a gradual recognition, but rather a sharp, visceral jolt. His breath caught, and for a second, the weight of his title, the pretense of his royal indifference, melted away. She was there, standing mere feet from him, oblivious to his attention.

Meera hadn't noticed him yet. She was speaking to someone, her hand wrapped around a delicate glass of champagne, her lips curving into a polite smile. She looked serene, at ease, yet Vidyuth knew better. He knew that the woman who once shared his life, his bed, his heart, was never as composed as she appeared. Beneath the surface of her elegance was a torrent of emotions, buried deep but never truly forgotten.

The two years had changed her in subtle ways. There was a certain maturity in her face, a sharper confidence in her posture. Her hair, once wild and carefree, now cascaded in soft waves down her back, styled yet natural. She had always been beautiful, but now she radiated a different kind of allure, one that came from having endured heartbreak and emerged stronger for it.

It was then, as if sensing his gaze, that Meera's eyes flickered toward him. In that split second, the room fell away. The music, the people, the noise it all became a distant hum, as though the universe had dimmed everything else to highlight this singular moment.

Her heart stopped, just for a beat. There he was. Vidyuth. The man she had once had crush fiercely, the man she had left behind with so many unresolved emotions. His eyes were the same dark, intense, unreadable but she could see the storm behind them. Her body betrayed her, the familiar pang of something deep and raw twisting in her chest.

For a moment, neither of them moved. They stood locked in each other's gaze, a silence louder than anything around them. It was as though the years between them had evaporated, leaving only the weight of their shared past hanging in the air. The heartbreak, the love, the betrayal all of it came rushing back, crashing into the space between them like a tidal wave.

Vidyuth's face was a mask of calm, but his eyes told another story. He drank in the sight of her, his jaw tightening imperceptibly. There was anger there, yes, but also something far more dangerous yearning. He had never truly let go of her, even though he had tried, even though he had built walls so high that not even the strongest emotions could breach them. But now, seeing her again, those walls trembled.

Meera's heart raced, and she swallowed hard, willing herself to stay composed. This was what she had feared when she returned to India the inevitable confrontation with the one man who could still break her. But now, as their eyes met, all the emotions she had buried surfaced with a vengeance. Her skin tingled, her pulse quickened, and suddenly, she was back in that place where love and pain coexisted, where the line between desire and resentment blurred dangerously.

The air between them crackled with tension, thick and electric. Neither moved, neither spoke, but everything was said in that one look. There were questions in his eyes Why? How could you leave? Do you still feel it too? And in hers, an answer she wasn't ready to give.

Vidyuth's hands clenched at his sides, his control slipping ever so slightly. He wanted to speak, to close the distance, to demand answers to questions he hadn't even admitted to asking. But the crowd around them felt like an invisible barrier, a reminder that they were no longer the only two people in the world. There were eyes on them, always.

Meera, sensing his hesitation, broke the spell first. She blinked, her gaze dropping to the floor as she tore herself away from the magnetic pull of his eyes. She couldn't do this not here, not now. With a quiet exhale, she turned back to the conversation she had been pretending to follow, though her mind was still reeling from the encounter.

But Vidyuth... he couldn't look away. Even as she tried to retreat into the crowd, his eyes followed her, unwilling to let her slip away so easily. There was unfinished business between them, and this moment had made it painfully clear. He wasn't ready to walk away, not this time.

The party continued, the laughter and chatter of the guests rising once more, blissfully unaware of the storm brewing between the King of Rajasthan and the woman who had once been his queen. But for Vidyuth and Meera, the night was no longer about celebration it was the beginning of a reckoning, one that neither of them could avoid any longer.

For in that one glance, the past had returned with a vengeance, and both of them knew that nothing would ever be the same again. The moment he saw her getting outside of the party hall near balcony he Marched towards her, he followed her till he reach near her.

"Meera"

The painful raspy yet deep voice of Vidyuth her world stopped her mind went blank she couldn't turn and confront him, she left him two years ago by wishing never meet him again.

And here her past is right infront of her.

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He he sorry took alot of time.

Stay tuned for next chapter.

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