"What is all this, Aarohi? How could you do this to me?",A young man barged into the cabin and shouted at Aarohi.
Aarohi and Agastya, who had been engrossed in conversation, looked toward the door and saw a furious young man standing there—his eyes fixed only on Aarohi.
Aarohi turned to look at him and gave a sly, mocking smile. That smile made it clear that she knew this man already and had expected him to come see her today.
Seeing that smile, the man felt an overwhelming urge to wipe it off her face. Irritated, he said, "Aarohi, answer me. Why did you do this? How could you break off our engagement? Don't you realize how many months my family has spent preparing for our wedding? And now, suddenly, you send me a notice ending both the engagement and our business contract. Why? Aren't you worried about your own reputation?"
Looking at the man in front of her,her former fiancé Gaurav Raheja, with whom she had recently broken off her engagement—Aarohi said coldly,"Mind your tone, Gaurav. I don't tolerate raised voices in front of me. Don't forget, you're standing in my office right now. I could have you arrested for barging in like this. And you know very well what that kind of scandal would do to your image."
Hearing her words, Gaurav was reminded of the day his mother had told him about Aarohi and her grandmother's family business. She had made it clear that he had to marry Aarohi,because doing so would benefit their failing business immensely. Aarohi's success and reputation would help stabilize Gaurav's collapsing company.
Although Gaurav was in love with someone else, his mother's constant persuasion eventually broke him. For the sake of business, he had reluctantly agreed to the marriage. In fact, he'd even pleaded with his father, who disliked women like Aarohi—strong, outspoken, and modern. Gaurav had worked hard to win Aarohi over, and now, watching it all crumble felt like a complete waste.
Taking a few urgent steps toward her, Gaurav said,"Look, Aarohi, if there's been a misunderstanding or problem, we can sit and talk it out. But you can't just walk away from this relationship."
He reached out to grab her hand, but before he could touch her, another hand intercepted his,forcefully pushing him away from Aarohi.
Shocked, Gaurav looked up at the tall figure in front of him,Agastya—and asked,"Who the hell are you? How dare you push me? And what makes you think you can just waltz in here like this? Do you even know who I am?"
Gaurav had been so focused on Aarohi when he stormed in, he hadn't even noticed Agastya sitting right behind her.
Aarohi, looking at Gaurav with calm disdain, said,"Mr. Gaurav Raheja, he didn't just walk in—he was already here. You, on the other hand, barged in uninvited. And for that kind of behavior, you'd better have a valid reason. Otherwise, you already know what I'm capable of. I'm sure your mother must've warned you about that."
Gaurav stared at both of them for a few seconds before turning back to Aarohi."You know how important this deal is for my business right now. Your name... your brand—it's everything! We were supposed to get married. So why are you doing this? What do you want?"
Aarohi smiled—a flirtatious, dramatic smile that dripped with sarcasm—and replied,"Control. I want control—over all your companies in Delhi and Gurgaon... and over Flora Island."
Gaurav froze. Her words had left him utterly speechless.
Shocked, he asked,"W–what? So that's why you agreed to the engagement so quickly? You wanted to take over my business? That's it, isn't it? You wanted to trap me? What could a cunning, ruthless woman like you possibly see in a drowning businessman like me? It was all about your gain, wasn't it?"
Still smiling, Aarohi replied,"Why? Isn't that what you wanted from me? I was just the golden goose, right? The one who would rescue your sinking company? So tell me, Gaurav—why did you say yes to marrying a 'cunning woman' like me? You wanted to use me to climb higher. And if you can think that way, why can't I?"
Gaurav was stunned into silence. His fists clenched at his sides as he glared at her. He had no idea Aarohi had seen through him so completely. What else did she know? How could any woman be this clever?
Agastya, on the other hand, found Aarohi's every move fascinating. That dramatic smile, her sharp mind,it was impossible not to be impressed.
Looking at her, he thought to himself,"The spicy queen is setting up a chessboard. Smart move. Let's see what this man's next step is. Will he escape or get checkmated?"
Meanwhile, Gaurav snapped,
"I'm not giving you my company, no matter what. Do whatever you want,but your little plans won't work. And you will marry me. If not, I'll expose your dirty secrets to the world!"
His threat made Agastya's eyes narrow with anger. But Aarohi? She just burst into laughter.
It was rare for people to see Aarohi Smile, but today she did,and the laughter wasn't sweet, it was chilling. Even Gaurav shivered slightly and asked,"Why are you laughing? I didn't say anything funny."