Hope you enjoy this chapter ❤️

Rajveer's POV~

My fingers tighten around the wheel as I glance to my right.

She’s lost in the moment, eyes closed, face tilted slightly upward, lips curved into the faintest smile.

Her hair is wild, caught in the wind’s playful grip, strands whipping across her face and over her shoulders, glowing under the night lights.

She doesn’t try to tame it. She just lets it happen. Like the wind belongs to her, or maybe she belongs to it.

I turn back to the road, but the image lingers. There’s something about her like this—completely free, untouched by the weight of the world.

I don’t say anything. I just drive, letting the open road stretch before us. The wind carries us forward, and her presence anchors me in a way I don’t quite understand.

I’m so distracted that it’s hard to focus on the road while a beauty sits beside me.

So, I pull the car over to the side of the empty road.

When I look at her again, she hasn’t moved. She’s sound asleep.

Should I take the car to the orphanage?

She suddenly shifts leftward in her sleep, and I relax.

I think I should wait for her to wake up. She must be tired. But still, I’m grateful she spent her time with me.

The past week has been the best of my life. I’ve learned so much about her.

Her hobbies, her likes and dislikes, and, most importantly, the lonely life she leads.

The thought of her living alone in that apartment still haunts me.

All I can think about are the horrible crimes that happen to innocent women living alone in this cruel world.

And the worst part? I can’t do anything about it.

When I voiced my concerns, she shut me down, saying her building was safe, the people were good, and it wasn’t far from the orphanage.

But I still can’t find peace in that.

I glance at her small, innocent face. Her eyelashes brush against her cheeks, and a few baby hairs stand near her ear.

Oh, shit.

I immediately turn off the AC I had left on after she fell asleep.

She relaxes almost instantly, taking a deep breath.

And I can’t stop myself from noticing the gentle rise and fall of her chest.

I can’t believe I’m totally under the spell of a sleeping beauty.

After an hour of quiet admiration, she finally stirs.

Her eyes flutter open, still hazy with sleep, adjusting to the dim light.

Then, she looks at me.

A small, lazy smile tugs at her lips.

"Your eyes are beautiful," she whispers sleepily.

For a second, I freeze.

"Are they?" I ask, smiling.

She nods slightly—then suddenly, her eyes widen.

She sits up straight, looks out the window, then checks her watch.

That was barely a nap.

She tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear before turning to me.

"I’m sorry, I didn’t realize when I drifted off."

"It’s fine. You must be tired. I’ll drop you home," I say, fastening my seatbelt and pulling back onto the road.

For the next few moments, silence settles between us. But I can feel her gaze on me now and then.

"You didn’t answer my question," I say, breaking the silence.

She blinks. "Which question?"

God. Her voice sounds so soft after a nap.

I wonder how she sounds early in the morning. Or in the middle of the night—

What the hell is wrong with me?

"My eyes. Are they really beautiful?" I ask again, this time meeting her gaze.

She quickly looks away.

"Yeah," she murmurs, nodding as she stares out the window.

She must feel embarrassed.

After about ten minutes, we reach her building.

"Thank you for the ride," she says before opening the door.

I just smile as I watch her walk inside.

"The pleasure is all mine," I mutter under my breath.

Once she’s out of sight, I drive home.

By the time I reach, it’s already past my family’s dinner time.

At least I don’t have to lie about where I was again.

I enter the living room. The servants are cleaning up, most of them having already retired to their quarters.

Taking the stairs, I’m about to turn right toward my room when I hear noise coming from Rahul’s room—my younger brother.

I march toward the door and push it open without knocking.

The moment I step in, the noise vanishes.

I sigh.

Wrappers of chips and chocolates litter the floor, and the big TV screen flashes with a Bollywood movie.

"Bhaaaiii!"

Both my younger brother and sister, Shristi, yell like they’ve seen Santa Claus.

Shristi rushes to me and grabs my hand, dragging me inside before shutting the door.

"Bhai, come on! Join us," Rahul pats the seat next to him.

I’m about to refuse when Shristi pulls her classic move—puppy eyes and a soft voice.

"Bhai, please don’t say no. It’s been so long since we watched a movie together."

I sigh. I’m trapped.

I sit between them and glance at the screen.

"Phir Hera Pheri."

Figures.

"Why are you so late today? You usually come home for dinner," Rahul asks.

I take a deep breath.

"I was with a friend."

The second those words leave my mouth, they exchange knowing glances before turning to me with suspicious expressions.

"According to my knowledge, Arjun bhaiya and Sourav bhaiya aren’t even in the country. So which friend are you talking about?" Rahul starts the interrogation.

"Is this friend male or female?" Shristi adds.

"Female. But she’s just my old college—"

They don’t even let me finish before jumping up from the sofa.

"Ohhh, finally! He’s dating again!" Rahul exclaims.

Shristi claps her hands in excitement.

"Bhai, show us the girl!" she demands.

I shake my head and turn away. "She’s just a friend."

"Really? Then why are you blushing?" Rahul teases.

"I am NOT blushing. I’m just tired and want to sleep," I say, standing up.

They look at each other and then yell in unison, "Maaaaa!"

"Quiet!" I scowl, shifting into elder-brother mode.

"Why are you both acting so immature? And have you seen the time? You shouldn’t be up this late watching these useless movies!"

"Shristi, don’t you have college tomorrow? And Rahul, did you finish reading the project file I gave you?"

They exchange glances again.

I can practically hear their thoughts: This is unfair. He always pulls the eldest-sibling card.

"Shristi, go to your room. Rahul, turn off the TV and finish your work," I say firmly.

They grumble but obey.

Shristi walks out, and Rahul begins cleaning up.

Just before I step out, I hear Rahul mutter, "I hate you."

I smirk.

They can be difficult sometimes.

But I understand their concern.

After what happened with Angelina, they worry about me.

But what they don’t know is—I don’t believe in second chances.

Especially not for people like her.

Ending my relationship with her made me realize I was never actually in love.

I was forced into it by my family.

She’s tried reaching out again, but I’ve ignored every attempt.

I don’t want to see her ever again.

Thank you for reading ❤️