The boy's face turned to the side from Aarohi's blow. Both Riyan, who was approaching from behind, and Mansi, who was standing beside Aarohi, looked at them wide-eyed in complete shock.
The handsome boy himself was stunned too. After standing frozen in surprise for a couple of seconds, he suddenly glared at Aarohi in fury and shouted, "How dare you? How dare you hit me? You'll pay for raising your hand on me!"
Aarohi, already boiling with rage, pointed a finger right in his face and snapped, "Just like you had the guts to secretly marry Mansi and then abandon her and your child! If you can't handle a family, then why start one? If you couldn't convince your family, why fill her life with fake promises?"
Hearing this, the boy began glaring at Riyan with eyes that could burn holes through steel. That boy was none other than Agastya. Under Agastya's intense gaze, Riyan lowered his head in shame.
(Who is Agastya? To find out, keep reading the story.)
Riyan whispered to himself in fear, "Oh great, who is this troublemaker now? As if he wasn't already breathing fire down my neck—and now he got my share of punishment too. God help me!"
Aarohi grew even angrier when Agastya didn't respond to her directly. Without another word, she slapped him hard across the face.
Normally, Agastya couldn't care less if someone hit him. But this time, the slap landed with force—and the red imprint of Aarohi's fingers was now clearly visible on his cheek.
"Oh my God," Riyan blurted out. His eyes were about to pop out of his head from shock. Mansi stood frozen in fear.
Meanwhile, Agastya stared at Aarohi with blazing fury. His face had turned crimson with anger. Even from a distance, Riyan could sense how dangerous this storm was becoming. He wanted to run far away from these two hot-headed people before he became collateral damage. After all, he was the reason for this mess.
Agastya Roy (still glaring at Aarohi)—
Even Mansi took two steps back, but Aarohi? She wasn't scared of this kind of rage. She had probably scared enough people in her own time.
With fire in her eyes, Aarohi snarled, "I don't care what you're planning to do. But if you don't accept Mansi and her child, I swear—you'll have no idea what I'm capable of."
Agastya was now visibly furious at both her words and her attitude. He stepped closer, grabbed her arm, pulled her toward him, and stared directly into her eyes.
"Miss Fiery Chili," he whispered, "next time, do your homework properly."
Then he slid her arm toward her back, leaned close to her face, and said coldly, "Mansi is Riyan's wife. And I am not Riyan. I'm Agastya Roy. So the next time you decide to accuse someone, make sure you confirm who they are."
As soon as Aarohi heard his name, her heart skipped a beat. The fierce look in her eyes—which always seemed ready to pierce and burn anyone—softened into something strange, unfamiliar. In that brief moment, no one could have guessed this was the same ruthless Aarohi. Her face remained stern, but something had definitely shifted—something even Agastya couldn't understand.
He was still trying to process the whirlwind of emotions flickering across her face. He stared deep into her eyes and found a dark, endless depth.
(By the way, Agastya Roy wasn't just a reader of books. He was also an expert in reading people's eyes.)
Aarohi and Agastya stood frozen, silently locked in that moment, eyes locked. Mansi and Riyan exchanged confused glances and shrugged. Neither of them understood what was happening.
Suddenly, Aarohi jerked her hand free from his grasp. She didn't like showing emotions—especially not in front of people—and yet, she knew they had been visible in her eyes.
She looked at Agastya one last time, then turned and walked away.
Agastya felt an odd emptiness as she walked off. Watching her leave, he muttered under his breath, "Strange girl... couldn't even apologize after realizing she was wrong."
His voice was quiet, but loud enough for Riyan and Mansi to hear. Mansi looked at him and said, "Bhaiya, Didi doesn't apologize. She makes others apologize."
---
Meanwhile, Aarohi reached a remote location—a huge building tucked away in an isolated area. As she stepped out of her car, the guards from the ABC group, assigned specifically to protect her, followed.
She walked straight into a large office hall where a group of people was already waiting.
Manveer, who stood with his men, said, "Boss, I gave him the antidote just like you asked. But it'll only keep him alive until tomorrow."
Then he extended something to her. "Boss, we found this chip on Vivek. I think it might be useful." (Vivek—the man who had fired the shot—had been tortured until he gave it up.)
Aarohi examined the chip carefully. Without saying a word, she looked toward the girl standing beside her. Pasha understood immediately and headed to the car.
Pasha returned with a laptop, which Aarohi opened and inserted the chip into. A video file popped up.
She clicked it—and the screen lit up with a masked man sitting on a chair, clenching his fists. His voice was strange and distorted.
"Oh my dear Aarohi, you really didn't need to go through so much effort. The one you caught is of no use to you. But don't worry… I'll be coming soon. After all, I want what's rightfully mine. Bye-bye, dear."
The video ended.
Everyone was lost in thought after watching it.
Michael said, "Boss, I have no idea what that meant. Did he poison his own man just to send us a message? Is this video telling us to prepare for his arrival? Was he hinting we should welcome him with garlands?"
Everyone could see the strange expressions flickering on Michael's face—Manveer, Bhavin, Vyom, Kevin, and Pasha included. They all knew something unhinged was going through his mind. He was probably cursing that masked guy silently.
Bhavin, looking thoughtful, finally spoke up: "I think this is the work of someone who knows you personally, Boss."
Aarohi turned to look at him. So did everyone else. Since Bhavin rarely spoke, the others were curious—how could he be so sure the masked man knew Aarohi?
In her mind, Aarohi smiled cunningly. "I know it's you. Such a fool you are. Did you really think I wouldn't recognize you just because you're wearing a mask?"
Feeling everyone's gaze, Bhavin grew uncomfortable. He was a shy, quiet person and didn't like being the center of attention.
Aarohi said flatly, "Stop staring at him. Bhavin, continue."
Everyone turned their eyes away.
Bhavin continued, "From the way he spoke, it's clear he holds a grudge. I think he's afraid of you, but he wants something from you—something big. Either it's revenge or wealth. Or both."
Everyone was impressed by how accurately Bhavin had analyzed the masked man's intentions. They already knew he had the talent to read people's minds just by observing them—but this level of insight, without even seeing the person's face, surprised them.
Michael, silently, thought to himself: This guy should quit security work and become a part-time astrologer. He'd solve people's problems just like that—snap of a finger.
Meanwhile, Aarohi's phone began to ring. She glanced at the screen—Bebe was calling.
There had already been multiple missed calls from her—and Tanya too. That's when Aarohi remembered—she had left to meet Mansi in a fit of anger without informing Bebe or Tanya. No wonder they were worried.
Aarohi looked at everyone and said, "We'll talk about this matter later. For now… release Vivek."
Michael immediately reacted, "But Boss, if we let him go, he might try to kill you again!"
Everyone else put a hand on their head, silently wondering: Why did he have to say that out loud? You don't just contradict the Cruel Boss like that! What's going to happen to poor Michael now?
Aarohi shot a glare at Michael for interrupting her, then turned to Kevin, who was standing beside her, and said, "Put a few people on Vivek's tail. He's going to meet that man, and we'll get his location."
With that, Aarohi turned and began walking toward the door.
Michael, meanwhile, was fuming at his own slippery tongue.
He had just breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that Aarohi hadn't said anything further—when her parting words left him utterly stunned.
As she walked out, Aarohi said, "Michael, starting tomorrow and for the next month, you'll be cleaning my home garden. Be ready by 5 a.m."
And with that, she walked away, followed by Pasha.
The rest of the team burst into laughter, clutching their stomachs.
Vyom looked at Michael and, still laughing, said, "Boss has turned you into a garden-riding bicycle, Michael! Just wait—next time, she'll have you washing dishes at her place!"
Everyone roared with laughter again, while poor Michael could only stand there, sulking helplessly.