Vani and Noor reached the entrance to the private elevator, but a massive guard in a black suit stepped forward, blocking the way.

"Excuse me, ma'am. Sirf one person ki entry allowed hai," the guard said firmly.

Noor's jaw dropped. She stepped forward, pointing a finger at his chest.

"Hain? Kyun? Aise kaise? ye kya baat hui ?"

Vani looked at them, her brow furrowed in confusion. She tapped Noor's shoulder and signed: 

"Kya hua? "

Noor signed back with furious, sharp movements:

 "Yeh namuna keh raha hai ki sirf ek hi andar ja sakta hai! Dekha? Maine kaha tha na woh creep hai! usne jan buch ke ye jagh choose ki..Zaroor uski koi saazish hai!"

Vani felt a flutter of fear, but she looked at the guard's professional demeanor and the high-end security. She took a deep breath and touched Noor's arm, signing calmly

"Theek hai, Noor. Main jaungi. Itna bada hotel hai, kuch nahi hoga. Tum yahan wait karo.""Nahi! Bilkul nahi!" Noor protested. 

But seeing Vani's determined face, she sighed and reached into her bag. She pulled out a small canister and shoved it into Vani's hand.

"Yeh pakdo. Pepper spray hai. Agar usne kuch ulti-fhulti harkat ki toh uski ankhon maine daal dena okay"

Vani smiled nervously, tucked the spray into her pocket, and stepped into the elevator.

As the elevator doors closed, Noor turned back to the guard, her eyes narrowing. 

"Ab batao! Aise kaise aap mujhe nahi jaane de sakte?"

The guard looked exhausted. 

"Ma'am, please. Hamare Sir ne sakht mana kiya hai and these are the rules."

Noor scoffed, crossing her arms defiantly. 

"Acha? Kaun hai tumhara Sir? Ambani ka rishtedaar hai kya? Bulao usse, mujhe bhi toh dekhna hai kaun sa 'Don' baitha hai yahan!"

"Maine." 

Noor spun around so fast her ponytail slapped her own face. She blinked, squinting at the man walking toward her. 

He looked different—expensive, polished, and unfortunately, very handsome.

"Tum?!" she shrieked, her voice echoing in the posh lobby.

 "Tum yahan kya kar rahe ho? Mera peechha kar rahe ho?!

Rudra nearly choked on his own breath. He looked at the guard, then back at the girl who was currently accusing him of being a high-end stalker.

"Main? Tumhara peechha?" Rudra let out a dry, dramatic laugh. 

"Miss Coffee , thoda self-confidence kam karo. Main yahan kaam kar raha hoon. yaha ek event hai jise maine handle kar raha hoon..."

"Kaam?" Noor scoffed, eyeing his sharp suit.

 "Tum jaisa badtameez insaan yahan manager hai? Is hotel ki toh rating girne wali hai. Aur tumne is 'Pehlwan' ko kyun bola mujhe rokne ke liye? Meri dost andar hai!"

Rudra stepped closer, trying to look authoritative despite the fact that his heart was doing a bhangra at the sight of her.

"Dekho, 'Maate', is floor par ek private high-profile meeting chal rahi hai. Rules are rules. sirf ek person allowed hai. Security ne sirf apna kaam kiya hai. Isme mera koi personal haath nahi hai... halaki tumhari awaaz sunke lag raha hai ki mujhe poore hotel ki security yahan bula leni chahiye."

"Tum... tum..." Noor was fuming.

 "Tumhe pata hai meri dost kisse milne gayi hai? Ek bohot bade creep se! Aur tumne mujhe yahan rok diya? Agar usne meri dost ko pareshan kiya na, toh main police bulaungi aur sabse pehle tumhara naam likhwaungi as an accomplice!"

Rudra leaned back against a pillar, crossing his arms.

Noor huffed, pacing back and forth in front of the elevator like a caged tigress.

"Waise gusse mein tumhara chehra bilkul us tamatar jaisa lag raha hai jo fridge mein pada-pada sadd jata hai," Rudra remarked casually, checking his nails.

"YOU—!" Noor lunged a step forward, and Rudra instinctively flinched, remembering the coffee incident.

"Acha baba, sorry! Mazak kar raha hoon!" Rudra held up his hands.

 "Dekho, main yahan baitha hoon. Tum bhi yahan baitho. Agar 15 minute mein tumhari dost wapas nahi aayi, toh main khud tumhe upar le jaunga. Deal?"

Noor looked at him suspiciously. She looked at the elevator, then at the "Sadu" guy.

 "Fine,aur agar nhi leke gaye na apne power bank se tumahra ser phod dungi"

Rudra sat down on the plush velvet sofa, patting the spot next to him.

 "Darta hoon main tumhare power bank se. Baitho ab, Meri maa."

Noor sat down at the furthest edge of the sofa, clutching her bag like a shield, while Rudra hid a smile. 

He had managed to distract her, but his mind was upstairs. Veer, mere bhai... jaldi khatam kar. Yeh ladki mujhe kacha chaba jayegi.

The elevator 'dinged' softly.

Vani stepped out onto the rooftop. The wind was cool, carrying the scent of the nearby ocean.

 The entire lounge was empty, lit only by soft golden lamps and the twinkling lights of Mumbai below.

At the very edge of the terrace, standing by the glass railing, was a man.

 He had his back to her. He was wearing a black jacket, his hands gripped tightly on the railing.

Vani's heart hammered against her ribs. She took a step forward, her shoes clicking softly on the marble.

 She reached into her pocket, her fingers brushing the pepper spray Noor gave her, but as she got closer, she saw the way his shoulders were hunched—not like a predator, but like someone who was terrified.

She stopped a few feet away. She couldn't speak, so she did the only thing she could. She reached out and gently tapped his shoulder.

Veer stiffened. He closed his eyes for a brief second, took a deep breath, and slowly, very slowly, turned around.

Vani's hand froze mid-air. Her breath hitched.

The face in front of her wasn't a "manager" named Vivaan. It was the face she had seen on giant 

posters across the city. The face that the whole country screamed for. The eyes that had haunted her dreams since that night at Marine Drive.

It was Veer Singh Rathore.

Vani stood frozen, her eyes wide as she stared at the man in front of her. Her heart, which had 

been racing for "Vivaan," now felt like it had stopped altogether. The man standing there was breathtaking.

his features were sharper in person, his eyes deep and swirling with an emotion she couldn't name. But he wasn't Vivaan. He was the Veer Singh Rathore.

A wave of sheer panic and embarrassment washed over her. Wrong floor, she thought frantically. I've walked into a superstar's private lounge. Oh no, this is a disaster!