A Shocking Confession & A Bizarre Welcome

The car ride was tense. The silence between Aditya and Avira stretched long, yet it wasn't the comfortable kind. It was thick with unspoken thoughts, the weight of emotions pressing down on them.

Aditya kept his eyes on the road, but his mind was far from driving. Every now and then, he would steal glances at Avira from the corner of his eye. She was staring outside, lost in thoughts, her fingers anxiously tracing circles on the edge of her dress.

Her face still looked pale, a stark contrast to the warmth of the morning sun that seeped through the car windows.

He wanted to say something, ask her if she was okay, but the words felt stuck in his throat.

On the other hand, Avira was drowning in her own emotions. The events of last night kept flashing before her eyes—the way she had broken down, the way he had held her, comforted her.

And then…

The kiss.

Her face heated up at the memory.

Did I really kiss him?

She covered her mouth, her heart hammering in her chest.

Oh god, what did I do?

She turned slightly to steal a glance at Aditya. He looked calm—at least, on the outside.

Did he even think about it? Or was it just a moment of sympathy for him?

The thought made her feel something strange, something unpleasant, but she shook her head. It was a mistake, Avira. Forget it.

But then, another thought crept into her mind—the way those people at the office had spoken about her, the way they had humiliated her. She clenched her fists. She was tired of it, tired of always being seen as weak.

Before she could stop herself, she blurted out—

"I want to resign."

SCREECH!

The car came to an abrupt halt, jerking Avira forward. Her heart nearly jumped out of her chest as she gripped the dashboard to steady herself.

She turned to Aditya, startled.

His hands were frozen on the steering wheel, his jaw clenched so tightly that she could see the muscles twitch.

His eyes, dark and sharp, turned toward her. "What. Did. You. Just. Say?" His voice was dangerously low.

Avira swallowed. "I said… I want to resign."

Silence filled the car.

The temperature inside suddenly felt suffocating, the air heavy with tension.

Aditya's fingers curled into a fist on his lap, his knuckles turning white.

"Because I think—"

"Stop," he cut her off, his tone controlled but cold. "Listen to me carefully, Avira. Don't say that again."

His voice held an unfamiliar intensity, something that sent shivers down her spine.

She blinked at him. "But I—"

"I said stop!" His voice rose slightly, and then he exhaled, shutting his eyes for a second. He was losing control, and he hated that.

Taking a deep breath, he spoke again, his tone calmer but firm. "This is peak time for my company. I need hardworking employees, and you are not allowed to leave just because of some useless people who don't even matter."

She stared at him, taken aback. "You're keeping me because of the company?"

"Of course," he said instantly, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes.

Something she couldn't quite understand.

Avira turned her gaze back to the window. Her heart was still racing, but she decided not to argue.

Aditya restarted the car and drove the rest of the way in silence.

Raj's Great Escape & Ananya's Fury

As Aditya pulled up in front of Avira's house, a strange sight greeted them—one that made both of them stop in their tracks.

There, in the middle of the porch, Raj was getting beaten up mercilessly.

By none other than Ananya.

"You shameless creep! How dare you show up at my door first thing in the morning?!" WHACK!

"Ouch! Wait, listen to me first—"

"I don't want to hear your excuses!" WHACK!

Aditya and Avira stood frozen as they watched the chaos unfold. Raj was dodging left and right, barely escaping the deadly swings of the broom Ananya was brandishing like a weapon of destruction.

"Have some humanity, woman!" Raj yelped as he narrowly avoided another smack.

"Oh, I'll show you humanity!" WHACK!

"Why are you so violent?!"

Aditya finally found his voice. "What the hell is happening here?"

At the sound of his voice, Raj immediately perked up, grabbing onto Avira as a human shield.

"Sir! Thank god you're here! Help me!"

Ananya pointed her broom at Raj, her face red with rage. "Get out of the way, Avira! I need to teach this rat a lesson!"

Avira looked at Raj in confusion. "Wait, why are you even here?"

Raj straightened up, clearing his throat dramatically. "I am here as a responsible assistant of Mr. Aditya. I simply came to return your bag and phone and check if you were okay!"

Ananya narrowed her eyes. "Liar!"

Aditya frowned, crossing his arms. "Raj, I don't remember sending you here."

That's when Raj stiffened.

His eyes darted between Aditya and Ananya, and it was clear that a single drop of sweat was trickling down his forehead.

Oh crap. I've been caught.

Ananya turned to Aditya, arms crossed. "Oh, so you're acting all innocent now? First, you send this idiot here, and now you're pretending like you don't know anything?"

Aditya blinked. "Excuse me? When did I send him?"

That's when Raj's entire life flashed before his eyes.

Ab main gaya.

His cover was blown.

Avira turned to him, raising an eyebrow. "So, you weren't sent by Aditya?"

Raj gulped. "Well, technically…"

Aditya's lips curled into a dangerous smirk. "Raj. You used me as an excuse, didn't you?"

Raj chuckled nervously, taking a slow step back. "I mean, 'used' is a strong word—"

Ananya's eyes flared. "So you came here ON YOUR OWN?!"

"Uh—"

Ananya lunged at him, and at that moment, Raj had one and only one chance to escape.

And he took it.

Before she could swing the broom again, Raj grabbed her wrist, spun her around, and without warning—

He kissed her cheek.

Dead silence.

Ananya's entire body froze. Avira's jaw dropped. Aditya blinked in disbelief.

Raj smirked mischievously, knowing he had exactly two seconds before death came for him.

Before Ananya could even react, Raj quickly turned and sprinted away, but not before shouting over his shoulder—

"Namaste to your bhabhi, Aditya sir!"

Aditya was still processing what had just happened when he realized what Raj had said.

His eyes widened for a second before narrowing, a dangerous smirk playing on his lips.

"You idiot," he muttered, shaking his head.

Ananya, on the other hand, was still standing there, frozen in place, her hands clenched into fists. Then, as realization hit her—

"RAJ!!! I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!!!"

She grabbed the broom again and took off running after him.

Raj's laughter echoed through the street as he dodged her attacks, making his great escape.

Aditya turned to Avira, who was still too stunned to speak.

"Did that just happen?" Avira finally managed to say.

Aditya let out a small chuckle, shaking his head. "I'll deal with him later."

But deep inside, there was a slight smile on his face. Raj was going to get it later—but for now, this was entertainment.