The air in the grand ballroom had settled, but the undercurrents of tension remained. Whispers still carried the moment Aira Mehra and Ravindra Raizada had locked eyes, their silent battle setting the stage for something far greater than a chance meeting.
Aira had returned to her table, the epitome of calculated ease. A soldier among diplomats, she was already strategizing her next move.
But Ravindra Raizada? He wasn't one to let things slide.
Across the room, his fingers drummed against his glass in slow, rhythmic movements—a habit he indulged in only when something truly intrigued him. Or someone.
Veer Rathore, always attuned to his friend's unspoken thoughts, leaned in slightly. "You could go talk to her, you know?"
Ravindra's gaze remained locked on the woman draped in effortless power. "And let her think she has the upper hand?"
Veer chuckled, swirling the whiskey in his glass. "Oh, but she already does. She walked in, knocked over a glass of wine, and somehow, it's you who's been left off-balance."
Vivaan smirked. "I like her."
Ravindra finally turned his head, amusement flickering in his dark eyes. "You would."
Vivaan shrugged. "She's a rare kind. Most women either fall at your feet or run. She did neither." He tilted his head. "So, what's the play?"
Ravindra exhaled slowly, adjusting the cuff of his suit. "Patience."
Veer arched a brow. "Since when do you do patience?"
Ravindra's lips curled into a slow smirk. "Since I found something worth waiting for."
Meanwhile...
Aira traced the rim of her champagne glass, her thoughts momentarily drifting. The encounter had been brief, but she knew enough about men like Ravindra Raizada to understand its weight.
He wasn't just a businessman. He was a force.
And forces like his didn't stay idle for long.
"General."
She looked up as Vikram Rathore, her eldest brother, approached with his usual quiet authority. The weight of his gaze was heavy, but not unkind.
"You're watching him."
Aira didn't deny it. "He's watching me too."
Vikram exhaled. "That's not necessarily a good thing."
Aira smirked. "It's not necessarily a bad thing either."
Vikram studied her carefully. "He's dangerous, Aira."
"So am I."
Her eldest brother didn't argue. They both knew she could handle herself. But that wasn't the point.
"A man like him—he doesn't chase unless he intends to catch," Vikram warned.
Aira's eyes gleamed with something unreadable. "Then let's see if he's fast enough."
She set her glass down, her decision already made.
Across the Ballroom...
Ravindra finally moved.
Effortless. Confident.
He cut through the crowd with quiet authority, the sea of elites parting as he approached his target.
Aira felt him before she saw him—the shift in the air, the slow approach of a predator who had decided to strike.
She didn't turn.
Not until his voice, smooth and deep, reached her ears.
"General Mehra."
Aira smiled, slow and sharp, before finally looking up.
"Mr. Raizada."
Their eyes met.
A silent challenge.
A battle yet to be fought.