Silence.

Rudra's mouth fell open.

"WAIT—WHAT?"

Veer walked past him, sitting down on the arm of the couch, expression unreadable.

Rudra rushed after him.

"Tu jaanta hai? Kaise? Kab? Kya matlab hai 'already know'?"

Veer exhaled slowly.

"I met her."

Rudra's eyes almost popped out.

"Met her?"

"MATLAB met her?"

"Face-to-face met her?"

Veer nodded once.

Rudra clutched his chest dramatically.

"Maa kasam, aaj toh heart attack dekar hi maanega."

Veer leaned back, gaze drifting somewhere distant.

"Marine Drive."

Rudra went still.

"Raat ke teen baje."

Now Rudra was listening. Properly.

"She was crying," Veer continued, voice low.

"I didn't plan to talk. Bas... ho gaya."

Rudra frowned.

"Tu aur small talk? Impossible."

Veer's lips twitched faintly.

"She can't hear."

Rudra froze again.

"...What?"

"She's deaf. And mute."

The room fell quiet.

Veer looked down at his hands.

Rudra swallowed.

"Oh."

Veer continued, words coming easier now.

"She didn't recognize me.

Didn't stare.

Didn't flinch."

He laughed under his breath, humorless.

"She just... talked. In her own way."

Rudra sat down opposite him, unusually silent.

"She told me her name," Veer said.

"Vani Ahuja."

Rudra looked at veer in suprise,

when veer paused and then continued.

"And I didn't tell her who I am."

Rudra studied his friend carefully.

"So... that's why you were asking about her."

Veer nodded.

"Not because I'm interested."

A beat.

"But because... for the first time in fifteen years—"

His voice softened.

"I didn't dream about my parents."

Rudra's expression changed completely.

"That girl," Veer said quietly,

"replaced my nightmares."

The weight of that settled between them.

Rudra exhaled slowly.

"Bhai..."

Then, with a softer grin,

"Tu gaya kaam se."

Veer shot him a look.

"Shut up."

Rudra chuckled, standing up.

"Evening tak info chahiye ya nahi—woh teri marzi. Par ek baat clear hai."

He pointed at Veer.

"Yeh sirf curiosity nahi hai."

Veer looked away, jaw tightening.

Outside, the city moved on.

Inside—

Veer Singh Rathore already knew one thing for sure.

He had crossed a line.

And there was no going back.

Next Morning ;

 Author's POV

Sunlight slipped quietly into Noor's room, brushing against the curtains and falling across Vani's face.

She stirred.

Blinking sleepily, she reached out for her phone—more out of habit than intention.

The screen lit up.

One notification.

Instagram — Friend Request

Her brows knitted slightly.

Vivaan Awasthi.

Her fingers stilled.

For a moment, she just stared at the name.

Memories flooded in uninvited—

Marine Drive.

Moonlight.

Those eyes behind the mask.

The way he had waited.

Typed.

Listened.

Her lips curved into the smallest smile.

She didn't overthink it.

Didn't question it.

She simply tapped—

Accept.

The notification vanished.

Vani placed the phone back on the bed, heart feeling oddly light, and walked toward the 

bathroom.

She turned on the shower.

Warm water cascaded down, washing over her shoulders as she closed her eyes.

And somewhere in her chest, a quiet thought lingered—

Ajneebi tha... par apna laga.

Silence.

Meanwhile ;

Veer walked into the bathroom, turned on the shower, but his mind refused to quiet.

Vani.

Her name echoed again.

After a few minutes, he stepped out, towel wrapped around his waist, water still dripping from 

his hair.

Without thinking—

He reached for his phone.

Unlocked it.

Opened Instagram.

And then—

He froze.

Request Accepted.

His breath hitched.

For a second, he thought he was imagining it.

He refreshed.

It was still there.

Vani Ahuja follows you.

A slow smile spread across his face.

Unfamiliar.

Uncontrolled.

Real.

He leaned against the wall, phone clutched in his hand, heart beating faster than it ever did on 

stage.

"Good morning," he murmured to the empty room.

Somewhere else in the city—

A girl stood under running water, unaware that she had just unknowingly calmed the storm 

inside a man who ruled millions... yet had been restless for one silent reply.

And this—

This was only the beginning.

The phone vibrated softly on Vani's bed.

She had just come out of the bathroom, hair still damp, dupatta loosely draped around her 

shoulders. She glanced at the screen.

A message.

From Vivaan Awasthi.

Her heart skipped—just a little.

She sat down, towel still in her hands, and opened the chat.

[Vivaan: Good morning.]

Vani smiled unconsciously.

She typed back slowly, thoughtfully.

[Vani: Good morning.]

There was a pause.

Not awkward.

Comfortable.

Like both of them were choosing their words carefully.

[Vivaan: Hope I didn't wake you up.]

Vani shook her head slightly, even though he couldn't see.

[Vani: No. I was already awake.]

She hesitated, then added—

You woke up early.

On the other side of the city, Veer leaned back against his couch, phone in hand.Early?

He almost laughed.

If only she knew he hadn't really slept.

[Vivaan: Habit. Raat ko neend kam aati hai.]

Vani read the message twice.

Something about it felt... familiar.

[Vani: same.]

Veer paused.

His thumb hovered over the screen.

[Vivaan: umm kya kar rahi ho?]

veer quiestioned himself tujhe kyu jana hai

[Vani: bus ready ho rahi thi]

[Vivaan: ooh aacha kaha ke liye.]

[Vani:college.]

[Vivaan: ohh.]

Her fingers hovered again.

Then—

[Vani: tum college nahi jaate?]

Veer stared at the screen.

College?

He glanced around his luxury apartment.

The guitar.

The awards.

The life people dream of.

College toh kab ka chhoot gaya, he thought.

He typed—

[Vivaan: nahi.]

A second later—

[Vani:ohh...toh job karte ho?]

Veer almost laughed.

Job?

Haan.

Guitar uthata hoon.

Stage pe chadhta hoon.

Log mera naam chillate hain.

He shook his head.

Pagal hai kya, Veer.

Not to her.

He typed carefully.

[Vivaan: haan...manager hoon.]

Vani read it.

Manager.

Simple.

Grounded.

[Vani: ohh nice.kis company mein?]

Veer inhaled slowly.

Okay.

Company ka naam bol de.

Technically... jhoot nahi hai.

[Vivaan: stellar arts entertainment.]

He added quickly—

[Vivaan: main ek aspiring actor ka manager hoon.Rudra Oberoi.]

Vani paused.

She frowned slightly.

The name didn't ring a bell.

But then she shrugged mentally.

Not everyone needs to be famous.

[Vani:achha.]

sounds interesting.

Veer let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

[Vivaan: bas kaam hi kaam. tumhara college better hoga.]

She smiled at her screen.

[Vani: har jagah ka apna struggle hota hai.]

A pause.

Then—

[Vani: mujhe ab jaana hoga...varna late ho jaungi]

Veer felt that same soft tug again.

[Vivaan: haan.baad mein baat karte hain.]

[Vani: haan.bye, Vivaan.]

[Vivaan: bye, Vani.]

Author's POV — 

The chat ended.

The screen went quiet.

Veer dropped his phone beside him and flopped back onto the bed, one arm covering his eyes.

"Manager," he muttered to himself.

He exhaled sharply.

Great, Veer. Ab tu jhooth bhi bol raha hai.

But even as he scolded himself... his mind drifted right back to her.

Her pauses.

The way she chose words.

The calm in her replies.

Why the hell am I so curious about her?

He turned his head, staring at the ceiling.

I don't even know her properly.

She doesn't know me.

And yet—

She's already sitting in my thoughts like she belongs there.

Veer closed his eyes.

For the first time, the silence in his room didn't feel empty.

It felt... occupied.

By a girl who thought he was just a manager.

And by a question he couldn't answer—

Why does she matter so much already?