"3RD PERSON POV"
As Shankar left, Chandni quickly walked up to Aravind, her eyes filled with curiosity. "What did you say to him that made him leave like that?"
Aravind looked at her calmly and replied, "Nothing much. I just told him it's wrong to act that way and that he should treat women with respect. He's not a bad guy, he understood my point and decided to walk away."
Chandni raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. "Really? Then why did he look like he'd just seen a ghost?"
Aravind gave a soft smile. "Why would I lie to you? I simply told him the path he's walking isn't good for him. If he keeps going down that road, it'll only bring him harm."
She narrowed her eyes, still suspicious. "And he just... understood your advice that quickly?"
Without missing a beat, Aravind smiled, slipped his arm around her shoulder, and gently pulled her into a side hug. "Forget it, Nini. It's over now. Calm down. How about this—come with me tonight. It's already late, and I'll make dinner for you."
Chandni paused, remembering the taste of his cooking. A small smile crept onto her face as she hugged him back. "Alright."
Aravind smiled again, and just then, the contractor walked over and thanked him sincerely for his help. Aravind gave a small nod, and with that, he and Chandni headed home together.
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"3RD PERSON POV"
"ARAVIND'S HOUSE"
The evening sky was painted in soft shades of orange, and the clock tower nearby struck 6 PM. The streets were filled with tired workers heading home after a long day.
Outside the house, Suryakantham stood in front of the door, her face weary. Ever since she had become the director of AB Group, her workload had lessened, but the weight of responsibility had only grown heavier.
She sighed and slowly took out the house key from her purse, unlocking the door. As it creaked open, a wave of darkness greeted her from inside.
She stepped in, automatically reaching for the light switch while walking through the hallway toward the living room. One by one, the lights flickered on, filling the house with a soft glow.
Entering the living room, she placed her purse on the table and headed toward the kitchen. Turning on the light, she opened the fridge, grabbed a cold bottle of water, and returned to the living room.
She sank into the sofa with a relieved breath, turned on the TV, and slowly twisted the bottle open. Bringing it to her lips, she took a long sip, letting the coolness calm her down after the exhausting day.
After sitting on the sofa for a while and flipping through a few TV channels, Suryakantham stood up. She picked up the water bottle and walked to the kitchen. After refilling it, she placed it back in the fridge.
She then made her way toward the bedroom. As she entered, she turned on the lights and began changing out of her work clothes. With a tired sigh, she stepped into the bathroom.
After a refreshing shower, she came out wearing her comfortable nightwear. She headed straight to the kitchen and started preparing a quick cup of coffee. While waiting, she opened the fridge and took out a cake Aravind had baked the day before.
Cutting a slice and placing it neatly on a plate, she put the rest back in the fridge. Carrying the cake and her coffee, she returned to the living room and sat down on the sofa, finally settling in for a peaceful evening.
She started eating the cake slowly while watching TV, her eyes occasionally drifting toward the door. She was waiting for Aravind to come home so they could make dinner together. It wasn't that she couldn't cook—she could—but she genuinely enjoyed the meals Aravind prepared. There was something comforting about the way he cooked, and she liked helping him in the kitchen, even if it was just chopping vegetables or setting the table.
Before she moved in with him, Aravind used to come home late—sometimes around 10 or even 11 p.m. But after they started living together, his routine changed. He began coming home earlier, usually around 6:30 or 7 p.m. It became their quiet ritual—making dinner together, sharing stories about the day, and enjoying each other's company over warm food.
Later at night, around 11 p.m., they would go for a casual walk to the café to help with the closing. Since the café was nearby, it didn't take long to reach, and those peaceful nighttime walks had slowly become one of her favorite parts of the day.
As Suryakantham finished eating, she walked to the kitchen. After cleaning her plate and coffee cup, she returned to the living room. Just as she was about to sit on the sofa, the sound of the doorbell rang through the house. A smile instantly appeared on her face—she knew it had to be Aravind.
She quickly walked to the door, and as she opened it, there he was—standing with his usual gentle smile. Without wasting a second, she threw her arms around his neck. Aravind caught her effortlessly, and she wrapped her legs around him, hugging him tightly.
Aravind chuckled softly, "Hey girl, I'm all sweaty… I'm a little late today. Let me take a quick shower first."
"It's okay," she murmured, resting her head against his shoulder with her eyes closed, just enjoying the warmth of him.
But the moment was short-lived. She suddenly felt someone's gaze on her. Opening her eyes slowly, she turned her head—and there stood Chandni, staring at her with a weird, unreadable expression.
Suryakantham's expression shifted immediately. She didn't need to hear a single word to know—her peaceful evening had just been officially ruined.
She quickly let go of Aravind and pointed at Chandni. "Why is she here?" she asked sharply.
Aravind was just about to answer when Chandni jumped in, arms crossed. "And why can't I be here?"
"Because this is my boyfriend's house," Suryakantham replied, her voice firm.
Chandni smirked and said casually, "So is mine."
Suryakantham blinked in confusion. "W-What?"
Ignoring her completely, Chandni slipped off her shoes and walked inside like she owned the place, heading straight toward the living room. Her confidence only irritated Suryakantham more, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she shook her head with a sigh. To her, Chandni was like an annoying little sister—always pushing buttons just for fun.
She looked up at Aravind, eyes questioning. Aravind gave her a soft smile and gently cupped her face. Leaning in, he placed a light kiss on her lips. The moment their lips touched, Suryakantham's irritation melted away, replaced by a calm warmth.
When they pulled back, Aravind looked at her with a soft grin. "It's fine, Suri. Let her be. She's always like this."
Suryakantham gave him a small smile and nodded. "I know."
With that, they walked hand in hand toward the living room.
As they walked into the living room, they saw Chandni sitting comfortably on the sofa, holding a water bottle and watching TV calmly.
Aravind smiled softly and said, "Hey Nini, didn't you want to take a shower first?"
Chandni glanced at him and replied, "I'll do it later. I'm tired. You go first."
Aravind nodded without another word and headed toward the bedroom.
Suryakantham sat down next to Chandni casually. Neither of them spoke. They just leaned back and quietly watched the TV, letting the soft sounds fill the silence between them.
After a while, Aravind was in the kitchen, washing vegetables under the sink. Suryakantham and Chandni stood nearby, helping him. Once he finished washing, he started cutting them with practiced ease.
With a gentle smile, Aravind asked, "How was your day, Suri?"
Suryakantham let out a soft sigh and smiled back. "As usual—tiring."
Chandni, who was now sitting on the kitchen counter swinging her legs, spoke casually, "But aren't you the company's director now?"
Suryakantham gave her a sharp look. "Exactly. I am the director now. That means my responsibilities have increased."
Chandni tilted her head and said with a confused look, "But I thought when you become a CEO or director, your work gets easier. That's how it is in movies."
Hearing that, Suryakantham rolled her eyes and said, "Don't believe in those things. That's all just nonsense made for entertainment. A CEO or director actually has a ton of responsibilities. Anyway, what about you two?"
Aravind smiled and replied, "My day was fine, but…" He glanced at Chandni.
Noticing this, Suryakantham turned to Chandni. "Did something happen with you?"
Chandni nodded and sighed. "Yeah… as you know, I recently started working on those new construction projects."
Hearing that, Suryakantham nodded, and Chandni continued.
"So the contractor took help from some local thug named Shankar to clear the site before construction started. Today, he came and started demanding money. The contractor told him he didn't have the full amount right now. Honestly, Shankar wasn't completely wrong to ask for his payment—but the problem is, he started threatening to stop the construction work altogether."
She paused, a bit frustrated.
"If the work stops, what happens to the workers? Most of them are on daily wages—they'll lose their jobs just like that. So, I tried to talk to him, but he started using abusive language. I swear, I really wanted to break a few of his bones. But instead, I called Aaru for help."
She gave a short laugh and shook her head.
"But instead of fighting, Aaru just said something to him… and then that Shankar guy suddenly walked away like a scared puppy."
Hearing that, Suryakantham looked at Aravind, who had just finished cutting the vegetables, and asked, "What did you say to him, Aaru?"
Before Aravind could answer, Chandni jumped in, "I asked him the same thing! And you know what he said? 'I just told him the path you're walking isn't good… it's going to harm you,' or something dramatic like that. And just like that, the guy ran away! Can you believe that? Doesn't that sound suspicious to you, Suri?"
Both Suryakantham and Chandni turned to look at Aravind at the same time and said in unison, "Suspicious."
Aravind rolled his eyes and smiled. "Nothing's suspicious," he said calmly. Then, looking at Chandni, he added, "And you—stop throwing yourself into trouble. Don't get involved in other people's problems, especially when they're linked to criminals. It's not worth the risk."
Hearing that, Chandni smiled playfully. "I know," she said, "but I also know you'll always help me… and save me if something happens."
Then, her expression shifted. She looked serious, a bit nervous, but hopeful. "You will save me, right, Aaru?"
Aravind met her eyes calmly and replied, "What do you think?"
Without missing a beat, Chandni threw herself into his arms. Aravind caught her instinctively as she wrapped her legs around his waist and hugged him tightly. "Of course you'll save me—from everything," she said with a wide grin.
Aravind chuckled softly and patted her head, amused by her usual dramatic flair.
Suryakantham, watching the scene unfold, crossed her arms. "Aren't you hugging my boyfriend a little too much?" she said with a raised brow.
Chandni just smiled at her in response, clearly unbothered.
Annoyed, Suryakantham stepped closer and wrapped her arms around Aravind from behind. "He's mine first," she muttered, giving Chandni a look.
With both girls clinging to him, Aravind let out a helpless laugh. "You two are impossible," he said under his breath.