Cliché or not, Rahul's body moved on pure instinct. He quickly stepped forward and picked up the delicate bracelet from the marble floor.
Holding it in his palm, Rahul noticed it was a traditional Bangladeshi design, heavily adorned with local, uncut gemstones. Even though Rahul was no jewelry expert, he could tell just by the weight and craftsmanship that this piece was seriously expensive.
He immediately quickened his pace and jogged toward the two women.
"Excuse me, ma'am! You dropped your bracelet!"
At Rahul's call, both women stopped almost simultaneously and instinctively touched their own wrists.
The girl on the right breathed a visible sigh of relief, but the one on the left, feeling her bare wrist, immediately spun around.
But the exact second she turned and saw a ridiculously handsome Indian guy walking toward her holding her jewelry, she froze completely in her tracks.
He is way too handsome! How can a guy look like this in real life?! The other girl turned around as well, and the moment her eyes landed on Rahul's face, she wore the exact same spellbound expression.
Looking at the two women standing side-by-side, facing him, Rahul finally confirmed it: these two were identical twins!
Rahul quickly took in their appearance. They were both wearing sharp, tailored charcoal-gray suit dresses with hems resting just above the knee. Sheer stockings tightly hugged their well-proportioned legs, ending in a pair of sharp, pointed-toe stiletto heels that brought their height up to an impressive five-foot-seven.
Their jet-black, silky hair was tied back into sleek, no-nonsense ponytails. Both of their faces were contoured with flawless, modern Western-style makeup.
They didn't just look like sharp, highly efficient corporate beauties; they gave off a very distinct, magnetic aura of confident, youthful maturity.
Judging by their high-end attire and immaculate styling, Rahul figured it out instantly.
These twins were the ultimate self-reliant, strong-independent-woman types.
"Miss, your bracelet."
Rahul stopped a polite distance away, a brilliant, sunny smile on his face, and very chivalrously handed the jewelry over.
"Thank you!" The twin who had dropped it reached out, her fingers lightly brushing his as she took it.
"Are you Indian?" she asked, her eyes wide. "How do you speak Bengali, and with such a perfect accent?"
Hearing the girl actually identify his nationality correctly on the first try, Rahul was genuinely surprised.
Over the past two days, literally everyone on the streets of Dhaka had mistaken him for a Korean K-Pop idol. Suddenly hearing someone give the right answer felt incredibly refreshing!
"Guilty as charged. I'm from India," Rahul said, keeping his effortless, boyish smile.
"But how did you guess? Literally everyone here assumes I'm Korean. It's been driving me a little crazy!"
The other twin covered her mouth and let out a soft, elegant chuckle before explaining:
"It's true, people here tend to immediately assume any guy with really flawless, sharp features must be a Korean actor."
"But we're different. We travel to Mumbai and Delhi for business all the time. Plus, just looking at your styling and the way you carry yourself, we could instantly tell you're an Indian guy."
So that's how it is, Rahul thought to himself, extremely pleased. It seemed his initial read was perfectly accurate. These twins were successful, well-traveled businesswomen.
I wonder if I can farm Charm Points from them? Should I try flirting with one, or both? Wait... children make choices; adults take everything! But seriously, if I succeed, does the System give me 1 Charm Point or 2?! Before Rahul could finish his completely shameless internal math, the twin who had lost her bracelet extended her hand to him.
"Namaste!" she said, tossing out a perfectly pronounced Hindi greeting. "My name is Anika. It's so nice to meet you!"
Rahul snapped out of his thoughts and confidently reached out to shake Anika's hand.
At that exact moment, the twin standing beside Anika also extended her hand.
"Hello, my name is Anisha. I'm Anika's twin sister."
Rahul smoothly released Anika's hand and shook Anisha's.
"To thank you for finding my sister's bracelet, would you let us invite you into our boutique for a cup of coffee?"
Anisha held onto Rahul's hand for just a second longer than strictly necessary. Her deep, dark eyes were fixed intently on his face, her gaze bold and alluring.
Hearing the invitation, Rahul agreed without a second thought. "I'd love to."
"What kind of boutique do you run?"
Only after Rahul agreed did Anisha finally let go of his hand. She turned and pointed gracefully to the brightly lit, incredibly luxurious fashion boutique right behind them.
"It's a high-end women's fashion store. We own and manage it together."
"Come on in!" Anika added, flashing Rahul a highly charming smile. "A lot of the designer pieces inside are actually curated from our trips to India."
With that, the two sisters turned on their stiletto heels and confidently led Rahul toward the glass doors of the shop.
Walking a few steps behind them, Rahul couldn't help but appreciate the view. The tailored skirts perfectly accentuated the sisters' very impressive curves as they walked.
As a man matures, he truly learns to appreciate the finer, well-rounded things in life! Rahul joked to himself.
Stepping into the boutique, Rahul took a quick look around. Aside from the incredibly plush, minimalist modern decor...
The clothes hanging on the racks were absolutely top-tier. They would easily rival the most exclusive designer boutiques in South Bombay or DLF Emporio in Delhi.
The sisters weren't exaggerating; these pieces were meticulously curated. Whether it was the cut, the fabric, or the avant-garde design, these outfits could hold their own on the streets of New York or Paris.
Placed here in a Dhaka mall, it was an absolute monopoly on high-end fashion.
Furthermore, only the absolute wealthiest echelon of society could afford to shop here.
Rahul had to admit, these sisters had a brilliant head for business. Wealthy socialites and heiresses never cared about the price tag; as long as the outfit made them look superior to everyone else, they'd swipe the card!
"Have a seat, handsome."
Anika gestured to a plush velvet sofa in the center of the shop, inviting him to sit.
Meanwhile, Anisha walked over to a sleek, commercial-grade espresso machine behind the counter and bent over to start making the coffee.
The angle heavily emphasized her impressive figure, and Rahul's gaze was inevitably drawn in that direction.
Anika noticed exactly where he was looking.
A playful smirk appeared on her lips as she sat down gracefully on the sofa right next to Rahul. Leaning sideways, she rested her arm on the backrest, propped her chin on her hand, and gazed at him with an intense, calculated look.
"So, what's your name?"
"Are you just visiting Bangladesh for a holiday?"
Rahul smoothly withdrew his gaze from Anisha, tapped the DJI camera in his hand, and looked right back at Anika.
"I'm Rahul. And I'm a travel vlogger."
"Is it nice?"
Anika suddenly dropped the question, completely unprompted. Her voice had dropped an octave, carrying a seductive, naturally captivating charm.
Rahul was no rookie. He knew exactly what she was doing. She definitely wasn't asking if his vlogging career or Bangladesh was 'nice'. She was asking if the view of her twin sister bending over the espresso machine was nice.
Facing the blatant trap, Rahul didn't even blink. He looked Anika right in the eyes and replied smoothly:
"It's a fantastic view. Both of you sisters are absolutely stunning."
Smooth flattery rarely fails.
Anika and Anisha ran a luxury boutique catering to the elite of Dhaka; they had interacted with every kind of wealthy, arrogant man the city had to offer. They had seen every terrible pickup line and experienced every type of subtle harassment.
Anika had originally asked the question just to tease Rahul and put him on the spot, expecting him to get flustered or embarrassed. She didn't expect him to be so effortlessly candid and bold.
A strong spark of genuine appreciation flared up in Anika's chest.
Before she could stop herself, the ultimate trap question slipped from her lips.
"So... who do you think is prettier? Me or my sister?"
This was the deadliest question known to man. Answering either way was guaranteed to offend the other twin.
But Rahul knew exactly how this game was played. When beautiful, successful girls ask questions like this, it's just their competitive spirit talking. They are fishing for emotional validation and testing his emotional intelligence.
The strategy was simple: pinpoint each of their unique strengths and shower them with undeniable praise!
At that exact moment, Anisha walked over, holding a steaming cup of Americano.
Just as Rahul reached out to take the coffee cup from Anisha, opening his mouth to deliver his perfect, charming response...
A very familiar, highly bossy voice echoed from the boutique's glass entrance, forcing the words right back down his throat.