They stood at the back section where the big screen displayed Veer's close-ups.

Vani's eyes lifted lazily to the screen—

And then she paused.

Her breath stilled.

because the man..no..no.

He wasn't just a man.

He was... magnetic.

Dangerous.

Beautiful.

And entirely out of reach.

While Noor danced beside her, hair bouncing, hands swaying in excitement, Vani simply stood still, watching the lights, watching people feel something she never could.

A loneliness she never admitted crept into her chest.

She looked at Noor and smiled softly seeing her friend so happy... but the feeling in her own 

heart only grew heavier.

She tapped Noor's shoulder and signed,

"Washroom. I'll be back."

Noor nodded without looking away from the stage.

Vani slipped out quietly.

Outside, the night air was cool.

The loud vibrations from the bass echoed faintly through the walls—she couldn't hear them, but she could feel the faint tremors under her feet.

She sat on the low staircase and looked up at the sky.

Vani's Inner Thoughts:

Why am I here? Why did I agree?

Everyone inside is singing with him... feeling something together. And I'm... just watching 

lights and lips move.

I know I said I want to be normal. I don't want people's pity.

But right now... I feel like I'm standing outside a world that doesn't have a door for me.

She swallowed, blinking up at the stars.

Maybe I shouldn't have come.

Maybe Noor deserves someone who can scream and sing with her.

Someone who fits in her world.

Her fingers curled on her lap.

I don't belong in places filled with sound...

vani decide she will walk and eat something outside till the concert over...

Author's POV

Vani stepped out of the arena gate, brushing the cold night breeze off her face. 

She crossed the small sidewalk and walked toward the roadside stall glowing under yellow lights. The auntie there already knew her orders by the way Vani pointed at the menu.

White sauce pasta.

Her comfort food.

She paid, sat at the small counter, and waited quietly. When the steaming smell hit her nose, she smiled faintly. Her order was ready.

She picked it up carefully, clutching the warm container to her chest, and stepped onto the road to cross back into the arena.

And then—

A hand grabbed her wrist.

Her breath hitched as she stumbled straight into a solid chest, her pasta slipping from her hands and falling to the ground.

She opened her eyes—

And froze.

It was him.

The guy from the screen.

The star.

Veer Singh Rathore himself... holding her.

Veer's POV:

Break time.

I climbed down the back stairs, sweat clinging to my neck. Rudra appeared instantly, bouncing like a terrified rabbit.

"Bro that was amazing—but we have a 20-minute break. REST. Please."

I wiped my face with a towel.

"I'm going out."

Rudra's eyes widended like I had announced my own funeral.

"A-are you MAD, Veer?! It's a LIVE CONCERT. Fans are everywhere. Agar kisi ne dekh liya toh—bhagwan kasam—security, stampede, FIR, sab ho jayega—"

I walked past him, bored.

"Relax. I'll wear a mask. And I need a smoke."

And I left, ignoring Rudra's dying soul behind me.

Outside, the night was cool. I leaned against a tree in the shadows, pulled off my mask, lit a cigarette, and inhaled deeply.

God, I needed this.

The street was half empty, lights flickering, people buzzing around the arena. My gaze drifted lazily until—

White suit.

Crossing the road.

Her.

Again?

What the hell is happening to my brain?

First in the morning.

Then on stage.

And now outside?

I blinked hard. Maybe it really was hallucination.

But then—

I saw the speeding car.

Coming straight at her.

For one second I froze—

Then instinct took over.

I threw the cigarette, sprinted across the road, and grabbed her wrist, yanking her into me.

She crashed hard against my chest, her pasta falling and spilling everywhere.

Her eyes lifted—

And I swear the world went still.

Those eyes.

Soft.

Confused.

Pure.

I frowned.

Anger breaking through the moment.

"Behari ho kya?"

She only blinked at me.

Blank.

Unresponsive.

I frowned and was about to ask further when..

Someone shouted behind us.

"Vani!!"

A voice. Female. Running toward us.

Shit.

More people.

I pulled away instantly, tugged my mask back on, and stepped back into the shadows.

Before she—or anyone—could see my face again...

I disappeared.

Author's POV

Vani stood frozen.

Her heart racing.

Her palms cold.

She didn't know what to think.

What just happened?

Why does her chest feel tight?

Noor rushed to her and grabbed her shoulders.

she signed quickly,

"Kaha thi tune kaha tha washroom jaa rahi yaha kya kar rahi!"

Vani blinked, signing slowly,

"...Nothing. I just... came to take fresh air."

Noor stared at her for a long second.

"You sure?"

Vani nodded hurriedly.

"Let's go inside."

Hand in hand, they walked back into the arena.

But Vani... couldn't focus on anything.

Her heart kept beating faster.

People around her screamed Veer's name...

Girls jumped...

Lights flashed...

Music vibrated...

And she just stood there...

Remembering the warmth of his chest when she fell into him.

While others wished to see him closely...

Vani had just been in his arms.

Even if only for a moment.

Veer's POV

It was past midnight. The concert was finally over, the crowd gone, and the echo of screams and flashing lights still vibrating faintly in my head.

I returned to my apartment and didn't even bother taking off my jacket. I collapsed onto the couch, guitar lying next to me, the faint smell of smoke still clinging to my fingers.

 My body ached from the performance, but my mind... my mind wouldn't rest.

That girl.

Why the hell was she everywhere today? On stage... at the roadside... in my head.

I rubbed my face, trying to erase the memory.

Was she mad?

Was she... really unable to hear the car?

The thought twisted in my chest. The way she had collided with me... the way she had looked 

up at me with those wide, bewildered eyes.

I leaned back, staring at the ceiling. My apartment was silent except for the faint hum of the city 

outside.

And somehow... that stillness made her presence even louder.

My eyes closed involuntarily, and sleep dragged me under.

IN HIS DREAM'S

I was standing in a dimly lit street. The city buzzed around me, but I could barely hear it.

Then she appeared—white suit, hair catching the streetlight—walking as if the world didn't exist.

And again... the car came speeding toward her.

This time, I wasn't fast enough.

I reached for her—couldn't grab her in time—and everything blurred.

Her eyes.

Her helplessness.

Her vulnerability.

And then... she turned toward me. Not scared. Not angry. Just... looking.

Looking right into me.

I wanted to speak. To say something. But no words came.

I woke up with a start.

It was the first time in fifteen years that I hadn't woken up screaming from dreams of my parents leaving me.

No blood. No screams. No darkness swallowing me whole.

It was... her.

Her face. Her eyes. The way she had felt in my arms, even for a second.

I sat up abruptly on the couch, heart hammering.

Why the hell is she in my mind?

I leaned forward, elbows on my knees, fingers running through my hair.

I don't know her. I've seen her for what... a few seconds?

And yet... I can't stop thinking about her.

For the first time in years, I wasn't haunted by my past. I was haunted by the present.

By her.

By the girl who didn't hear me call. Whom i don't even know.

Gosh what is happening.

Author's POV

Vani sat on the edge of her hostel bed, assignment notebook open in front of her, pen circling absentmindedly around her finger. 

The numbers and words on the page blurred as her mind drifted back to earlier moments.

The memory hit her again—the way he had saved her. The solid strength of his chest against her, the rush of air, the sharp metallic smell of the city—

but beneath it, there had been something else... a rich, smoky scent she couldn't place. She shivered slightly, finger tapping against her pen.

And then Noor's words echoed in her mind: "He's so beautiful and hot, bhai!"

Vani let out a soft sigh, setting the pen down. Her curiosity gnawed at her. She reached for her phone and typed his name.

The screen filled with pictures of him—concerts, candid shots, magazine covers. 

Every photo radiated the same energy she had felt in person: magnetic, untouchable, almost dangerous.

She scrolled slowly, her eyes drinking in every image.

Huh... Noor was right.

Hot. Beautiful. Absolutely breathtaking.

Her fingers hovered over the screen, pausing on a close-up where he was strumming his guitar, sweat glinting on his cheekbones, eyes focused somewhere beyond the lens.

How is someone like this real? she thought.

Her lips curved into a small, almost guilty smile. 

Somehow, she didn't want to admit it, but a strange flutter in her chest told her that this was more than just curiosity.