𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙊𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙈𝙤𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜

📍 Malhotra Mansion | Morning

Shrishti walked downstairs sleepily.

And froze.

Two security guards were standing outside the dining hall.

Shrishti: 😳

Shrishti: "Why are there bodyguards near the kitchen?!"

Aryan: 😂

Aryan: "Ask your Mafia—"

Kartik looked at him.

Aryan: 😐

Aryan: "—I mean CEO sahib."

Shrishti looked suspiciously at Kartik.

Shrishti: "Did you do this?"

Kartik: "Safety."

Shrishti: "From what? Flying spoons?"

Priya burst out laughing.

Priya: 😂

Priya: "Honestly, the spoons should fear Kartik."

𝘽𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙛𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙤𝙨

Everyone sat for breakfast.

Kartik was once again working on his laptop.

Shrishti: 😐

Shrishti: "Do you ever rest?"

Kartik: "Do you ever stop talking?"

Everyone:

😳😳😳

Shrishti: 😤

Shrishti: "Fine."

She grabbed the coffee pot aggressively.

And accidentally spilled juice.

Directly.

On Kartik's file.

Silence.

Dead silence.

Shrishti: 😨

Aryan: (whispering)

"She's brave."

Aarav: "Or suicidal."

Kartik slowly looked at the ruined papers.

Then at Shrishti.

Who looked ready to escape India.

Suddenly—

Kartik sighed.

Kartik: "You're banned from touching liquids."

Everyone exploded laughing.

Shrishti: 😭

𝙎𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙈𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣

Later…

Priya forced everyone to help buy supplies for the NGO.

Priya: "No excuses."

Aryan: "I had plans."

Priya: "Nobody cares."

Aryan: 😐

At the mall…

Children surrounded Aarav immediately.

Child: "Bhaiya! Ice cream!"

Aarav: "Traitors. They use me for food."

Shrishti: 😂

Kartik quietly watched her laugh.

And smiled unconsciously.

Aarohi: 👀

Priya: 👀

Aryan: 👀

Everyone noticed.

𝙅𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙮 𝘼𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣

Shrishti was checking decorations in a shop.

Suddenly—

A random guy approached her.

Random Guy: "Excuse me… can I get your number?"

Everyone froze.

Shrishti: 😳

Before she could answer—

Kartik stepped forward.

Dangerously calm.

Kartik: "No."

The guy looked confused.

Random Guy: "Sorry?"

Kartik: 😐

Kartik: "She said no."

Shrishti: 😳

Random Guy: "But she didn't even—"

Kartik: "Leave."

The poor man immediately left.

Aryan: 😭

Priya: 😂

Aarav: "Bro got rejected by someone else's anger."

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙧𝙜𝙪𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩

As soon as the guy left—

Shrishti: "Why did you do that?!"

Kartik: "He was bothering you."

Shrishti: "I could handle it myself."

Kartik: "I know."

Shrishti: 😳

Kartik: "I still didn't like it."

Silence.

Priya: 👀

Aryan: 👀

Aarav: 👀

Shrishti: 😤💖

𝙋𝙧𝙞𝙮𝙖 & 𝘼𝙧𝙮𝙖𝙣 𝙈𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩

Meanwhile…

Priya was trying to reach a decoration box.

She stood on a stool.

Bad idea.

Aryan: "You're going to fall."

Priya: "No, I'm no—"

The stool slipped.

Priya: 😨

Before she could scream—

Aryan caught her by the waist.

Pulling her directly against him.

Priya: 😳

Aryan: 😳

For a moment…

Neither moved.

Aarav: 😂

Aarav: "Interesting."

Both immediately jumped apart.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙮 𝙀𝙡𝙚𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙧

Later…

Shrishti entered the mall elevator alone.

Just as the doors closed—

Kartik entered too.

Silence.

Awkward silence.

Shrishti: 😳

Kartik: 😐

Then suddenly—

LIGHTS FLICKERED.

The elevator stopped.

Complete darkness.

Shrishti: 😰

Her breathing instantly became uneven.

Kartik: "Shrishti."

No response.

Another flicker.

Darkness again.

Her panic worsened immediately.

Shrishti: (shaking)

"I-I can't breathe..."

Kartik immediately understood.

Panic attack.

Again.

𝙆𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙠 𝘾𝙖𝙡𝙢𝙨 𝙃𝙚𝙧

Without hesitation—

Kartik moved closer.

Kartik: (softly)

"Look at me."

Shrishti couldn't.

Her hands trembled uncontrollably.

So Kartik gently held her face.

Making her look at him.

Kartik: "Focus on my voice."

His tone was calm.

Steady.

Protective.

Kartik: "You're safe."

Shrishti's breathing slowly slowed.

Kartik: "Nothing will happen to you."

Another thunder echoed outside.

Instinctively—

Shrishti grabbed his shirt tightly.

And buried her face against his chest.

Kartik froze.

Because for the first time…

She came to him willingly.

Slowly…

He wrapped his arms around her.

Protectively.

Gently rubbing her back.

Kartik: (soft whisper)

"I'm here."

And somehow…

That was enough.

𝙃𝙚𝙧 𝙎𝙖𝙛𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚

The elevator lights finally returned.

But neither moved immediately.

Because Shrishti was still clinging tightly to Kartik.

Her face buried against his chest.

And Kartik…

Still had his arms wrapped around her protectively.

Outside the elevator…

Priya, Aryan, Aarav, and Aarohi waited impatiently.

Then—

DING.

The elevator doors opened.

Everyone froze.

Because the scene in front of them looked straight out of a romantic movie.

Shrishti was literally snuggled into Kartik's chest.

Holding his shirt tightly.

While Kartik stood there calmly like this was completely normal.

Priya: 😳

Aryan: 😏

Aarohi: 😂

Aarav: 😐

An awkward silence filled the air.

Then suddenly—

Priya: fake cough

"Ahem."

No response.

Because Shrishti still hadn't realized the lights were back.

She only tightened her grip on Kartik's shirt more.

Aarav: 😭😂

Aarav: "Shrishti WHAT are you doing?!"

Still hiding inside Kartik's chest—

Shrishti replied innocently.

Shrishti: 😭

Shrishti: "There's dark..."

Everyone:

😳😂😭

Kartik actually looked like he was enjoying this.

A little too much.

Then Priya pointed dramatically.

Priya: 😂

Priya: "Madam, first look at WHAT you're holding."

Shrishti blinked.

Slowly looked up.

And realized—

She was wrapped around Kartik Malhotra.

Completely.

One of Kartik's hands was still around her waist.

And the other was protectively behind her back.

Shrishti: 😳😳😳

Her soul left her body.

Immediately—

She jumped away from him.

Shrishti: 😭

Shrishti: "OH MY GOD."

Aryan: 😂

Aarohi: 😂

Priya: 😂

Even Aarav started laughing loudly.

Meanwhile…

Kartik calmly adjusted his sleeves.

As if nothing happened.

But the tiny smile on his lips exposed everything.

Because secretly?

The Mafia King absolutely loved the fact that Shrishti felt safest in his arms. 🖤🌸✨