Chapter 1 .. An unexpected encounter
Mahi was exhausted.
After a long day at her internship, she just wanted to reach home, throw herself on the bed, and forget the entire world existed.
She got into her red convertible and drove away.
For the first few minutes, everything was peaceful.
Until—
She noticed three motorcycles behind her.
Then another.
Mahi glanced at the rear-view mirror.
Once.
Twice.
She sighed.
“Seriously?”
She kept driving.
The motorcycles kept following.
Mahi's eyes narrowed.
“Okay… that's annoying.”
Meanwhile, a little farther behind her, a black Rolls-Royce Cullinan suddenly slowed down.
Araiz looked up from his phone.
His brows pulled together slightly.
“Why did we stop?”
Zayn glanced toward the dashboard.
“I stopped it.”
Araiz gave him a brief, questioning look.
“Why?”
“I think something's wrong with the car. Let me check.”
Zayn was about to open the door when Rayyan suddenly looked through the windshield.
“Wait.”
Shahveer leaned forward.
“What?”
Rayyan pointed toward the road.
“Look at that red car.”
The four of them watched as Mahi's car continued ahead.
And the motorcycles followed.
Zayn narrowed his eyes.
“Those guys have been following her.”
Araiz barely glanced up.
“Hmm.”
That was it.
He went straight back to his phone.
Shahveer looked at him.
“That's all?”
Araiz didn't even look up.
“What do you want me to say?”
Rayyan laughed.
“Nothing. We already know you don't care.”
Araiz continued working.
Until—
The red convertible suddenly stopped.
Mahi stepped out.
Araiz's fingers stopped moving over his phone.
His eyes lifted.
For the first time, he actually looked at her.
Something about the way she stood there caught his attention.
She looked exhausted.
Annoyed.
But not even slightly intimidated.
Araiz leaned back slightly.
His expression remained calm and unreadable.
But his attention was no longer on his phone.
It was on her.
---
MAHI 🌸
The three boys stopped their bikes behind her.
One of them smiled.
“Hey, pretty!”
Mahi stared at him.
She was tired.
Annoyed.
And absolutely not interested.
“Yeah?”
Another boy laughed.
“Why are you so serious?”
Mahi gave him a small smile.
“Because I'm tired.”
“Then let us make you feel better.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“That's your plan?”
The boys laughed.
Mahi shook her head.
“Cute.”
She turned as if she was going back to her car.
One of them called,
“Wait!”
Mahi stopped.
“What?”
“You're really pretty.”
She looked at him for a second.
Then smiled.
“Finally. Someone with decent lines.”
The boys grinned.
Mahi pointed at them.
“But don't get too excited.”
Her smile disappeared.
“I'm exhausted.”
Inside the Rolls-Royce, Rayyan laughed.
“She actually has a sense of humor.”
Shahveer nodded.
“And she's definitely annoyed.”
Araiz said nothing.
His gaze remained fixed on her.
He wasn't interested in what the boys were saying.
For some reason, he was more interested in seeing what she would do next.
Mahi turned toward the boys again.
“Okay. Enough.”
One boy laughed.
“Don't be angry, sister.”
Mahi froze.
“Sister?”
The boys nodded innocently.
She put a hand on her chest.
“Wow.”
She sighed dramatically.
“It was going so well.”
Rayyan burst out laughing.
Mahi continued,
“I was actually enjoying the flirting…”
She pointed at the boy.
“And then you called me sister.”
She shook her head.
“Ruined the whole mood.”
Even Shahveer laughed.
Araiz's lips curved into the faintest hint of amusement.
Mahi had no idea anyone was watching.
She simply turned toward her car.
The boys exchanged looks.
They thought she was leaving.
She opened the door.
Reached inside.
And pulled out a baseball bat.
Silence.
Rayyan's mouth dropped open.
“Oh.”
Shahveer slowly leaned back.
“Here we go.”
Zayn laughed.
“I knew it.”
Araiz's eyebrows lifted slightly.
For the first time, genuine surprise flickered across his otherwise controlled face.
He watched as Mahi casually rested the bat against her shoulder.
She didn't look nervous.
Didn't hesitate.
If anything—
she looked relieved.
Mahi walked toward them.
“Now…”
She smiled.
“Who's sister?”
The boys immediately stepped back.
“Wait—”
THUD!
The bat hit the side of one of the bikes.
“Sorry!”
Another swing.
THUD!
“Sorry! Sorry!”
Mahi didn't even slow down.
All the exhaustion from her day seemed to have turned into energy.
“Following strangers?”
THUD.
“Bad idea.”
Another hit.
“Annoying them?”
THUD.
“Even worse.”
The boys were practically running away now.
“Sorry!”
“Okay! We won't do it again!”
“Please!”
Mahi finally stopped.
She looked at them.
Then smiled sweetly.
“Good.”
One boy, already halfway onto his bike, shouted,
“Sorry, sister!”
Mahi stared at him.
“Again?”
The boys sped away.
Mahi watched them disappear.
Then she sighed.
“Yaar…”
She looked at the empty road.
“That was actually a good flirting opportunity.”
Inside the Rolls-Royce, the three friends stared at her.
Rayyan started laughing.
“She just beat them up and she's disappointed the flirting ended.”
Shahveer shook his head.
“She is unbelievable.”
Zayn looked at Araiz.
But Araiz wasn't laughing.
His gaze was still on Mahi.
There was something different in his expression now.
Not amusement.
Not exactly.
More like quiet fascination.
He watched her walk back to her car as if nothing unusual had happened.
Mahi had just chased three guys away with a baseball bat.
And somehow, she looked completely normal afterward.
Araiz's eyes narrowed faintly.
Then, almost under his breath—
“Vita mia.”
The three friends went silent.
Rayyan turned toward him.
“What?”
Araiz said nothing.
Shahveer frowned.
“Did you just say Vita mia?”
No answer.
Zayn looked between Araiz and Mahi.
“What does that mean?”
Araiz picked up his phone again.
“Nothing.”
Rayyan smirked.
“Then why did you say it?”
Araiz ignored him.
His eyes returned to Mahi.
Shahveer laughed.
“Okay. Now I definitely want to know.”
Araiz didn't respond.
---
THE MYSTERIOUS CALL 📱
Mahi had just closed her car door when her phone started ringing.
She looked at the screen.
A small smile appeared on her face.
Dad's Darling ❤️
She answered immediately.
“Hello, Darling?”
The three men looked at one another.
Rayyan's eyebrows shot up.
“Darling?”
Shahveer leaned closer.
“Who is she talking to?”
Zayn smiled.
“Now I'm curious.”
Mahi listened for a moment.
Her expression suddenly became a little nervous.
“No, no…”
She laughed softly.
“I'm fine.”
A pause.
She glanced toward the road.
“Nothing happened.”
Another pause.
Mahi's eyes briefly moved toward the bikes disappearing into the distance.
She lowered her voice.
“Those boys?”
The three men immediately became more attentive.
Mahi smiled innocently.
“They're fine.”
Rayyan looked at the damaged bikes.
Then at her.
His eyebrows slowly rose.
Shahveer had to press his lips together to stop himself from laughing.
Mahi continued listening.
Her smile became awkward.
“What?”
She laughed nervously.
“No, Darling, I didn't do anything.”
Araiz's eyes narrowed slightly.
He watched her face carefully.
A few moments ago, that same girl had been swinging a baseball bat without the slightest hesitation.
Now she was standing beside her car, speaking in a soft, almost nervous voice.
There was the faintest amusement in Araiz's eyes.
Mahi listened again.
Then quickly said,
“I swear.”
A pause.
“No, I didn't hurt them.”
Rayyan turned toward Shahveer.
His eyes widened.
Didn't hurt them?
Shahveer silently pointed toward the bikes.
Mahi continued.
“Not really.”
The three friends immediately started laughing.
Mahi glanced around, completely unaware of them.
The voice on the other end continued.
Her eyes widened slightly.
“Okay, okay! I'm sorry.”
She laughed nervously.
“I promise I won't do it again.”
Rayyan whispered,
“She was beating them five minutes ago, and now she's scared.”
Zayn grinned.
“Completely different person.”
Shahveer shook his head.
“This is actually hilarious.”
Araiz didn't laugh.
He simply watched Mahi.
His expression had softened into something almost amused.
He looked genuinely entertained by the contrast.
The girl who had confidently chased three boys away with a baseball bat was now standing beside her car, quietly trying to convince someone that she hadn't done anything.
Mahi suddenly laughed.
“No!”
She looked at the road again.
“I didn't hit anyone that much.”
A pause.
Her eyes widened.
“Okay, fine!”
She covered her face for a second.
“Maybe I hit them a little.”
The three friends burst out laughing again.
Rayyan shook his head.
“A little?”
Shahveer pointed toward the bikes.
“She almost destroyed them!”
Mahi continued listening.
Then her expression softened.
“Okay, Darling.”
She smiled.
“I'll be home soon.”
She ended the call.
For a few seconds, she simply stood beside her car.
Then she slipped her phone away.
She looked up at the sky.
A tired smile appeared on her face.
“Today…”
She took a deep breath.
“…I survived.”
She looked toward her car.
“Now I should leave before another disaster finds me.”
She got inside.
The red convertible started.
And Mahi drove away—
completely unaware that someone had been watching her the entire time.
Inside the Rolls-Royce, Araiz remained silent.
His eyes followed the red car until it disappeared.
Rayyan slowly looked at him.
“So…”
No response.
“Vita mia?”
Araiz didn't even look at him.
Shahveer smiled.
“What does it mean?”
Silence.
Araiz's expression remained unreadable.
But the faintest trace of a smile appeared at the corner of his lips.
“Forget it.”
The three friends exchanged curious looks.
They clearly weren't going to forget it.
And somewhere down the road, Mahi was already on her way home—
completely unaware that she'd just caught the attention of a man who rarely noticed anyone at all.
TO BE CONTINUED ❤️
