Aayansh's POV
I had already arrived at the party with Radhi. As soon as we entered the party hall, we saw Ronit, who waved us over and invited us to join him.
Initially, I was planning to go to the other side with Sarthak, but Radhi grabbed my hand and led me towards Ronit.
When we reached Ronit, he welcomed us with a compliment, saying, "So, finally, you two have graced this dull and boring party to light it up."
I responded with a small smile.
Then, as usual, Ronit started his chatter.
To rescue me from the boredom, my friend Sarthak arrived. As Sarthak approached, we greeted each other with friendly hugs.
Soon, Sarthak and I began to enjoy each other's company. In the midst of it all, while sipping his soft drink, Sarthak suddenly remarked, "What's up with Radhi today? She's actually listening to Ronit's nonsense. Very unusual."
"She's been acting unusual since morning," I replied to Sarthak.
"Why did your cold wife suddenly become a romantic wife today?" Sarthak casually asked as he continued to drink.
Surprised by his observation, I asked Sarthak, "How did you know?"
Upon hearing me, Sarthak inexplicably chokes up. I swiftly request water from the waiter, but he hesitates to comply.
Seeing his reluctance, I too refrain from insisting on getting water.
Sarthak then asks me with a hint of doubt, "Are you sure?"
I reassured him with a nod.
Sarthak calls over a passing waiter who is carrying trays of drinks. Handing me a drink, he says, "Here, take this; you'll need it."
At first, I was refusing, but when I caught Radhi's gaze, something clicked in my mind, and suddenly, a brilliant idea dawned on me.
As I take the drink from Sarthak's hand, I notice Radhi separating herself from her group and heading towards me.
"Seems like the plan worked? Now she'll definitely stop me," I think to myself.
Seeing her approach, I simply pretend not to have noticed her and am about to bring the drink to my lips when Radhi reaches out and grabs my hand.
"I knew you'd do this," I think to myself with satisfaction, but I don't let it show on my face.
I was just waiting for Radhi to start scolding me. Then Radhi says, "Ayan, don't drink it."
Her words bring a sense of relief to my ears because, ever since then, I've been afraid of diabetes due to Radhi's sweet nature.
With Radhi taking the drink from my hand and handing it to the waiter, saying something to him, I couldn't hear as she was standing far away from me.
After a while, I see Radhi returning to me, but I feel a bit confused because she's carrying a drink with her.
Quickly making her way to me, Radhi hands me the drink and says, "Drink this; it's better."
Taking the drink from her hand, I can't help but feel perplexed as I inquire, "But moments ago, you were the one telling me not to drink."
"Yeah, so consider this an exception for today," Radhi says, flashing him a sweet smile before walking away.
I, still a bit puzzled by Radhi's actions as they seemed a bit unusual to me, am interrupted by Sarthak, who remarks, "Dude, this is a big problem."
"Yeah, it's a huge one," I reply, acknowledging the gravity of the situation.
With that, I place the drink on the corner table.
Radhi's POV
As soon as we arrived at the party, Ronit called us over to join him. Upon Ronit's invitation, we headed towards him.
When Sarthak arrived, Aayansh immediately went over to him, and they both went off to another corner.
One good thing about this trip was the friendship between Aayansh and Sarthak. Initially, I was worried that Aayansh might get bored coming along with me on this trip, so I hesitated to invite him. But seeing him enjoy Sarthak made me happy.
"When should I end this party?" Ronit interjects, breaking into my thoughts.
Caught off guard by Ronit's sudden question, I snap back to reality and say, "Toh kya keh rahe the tum?"
(Um, what were you saying?)
"Let's get started then," Ronit prompts me.
"No, no, not yet. She hasn't arrived yet-the one we're waiting for," I say, stopping Ronit.
"Okay then, I'll go check once," Ronit says, heading off.
Once Ronit leaves, my attention shifts back to Aayansh.
Suddenly, I notice Sarthak handing Aayansh a drink, and Aayansh accepts it.
As soon as I see Aayansh taking the drink, I don't hesitate and immediately make my way over to him.
As soon as I reached Aayansh, I immediately took the drink from Aayansh's hand that he was about to sip with his lips.
"One minute, Ayan, don't drink this," I said, taking the drink from Aayansh's hand.
After taking the drink, I looked around, and as soon as I spotted a waiter nearby, I quickly went to him and handed him the drink meant for Aayansh, asking him to bring another one.
The waiter wasted no time and swiftly brought me a replacement drink.
Taking the new drink from the waiter, I returned to Aayansh. Handing him the fresh drink, I said, "Have this one; it's better."
That's when Aayansh asks me a question: "But moments ago, you were the one telling me not to drink."
"Yes, I did say that, but consider this as an exception," I say, leaving Aayansh and Sarthak alone with that statement.
By the time I returned, Ronit had also arrived. I turned around once to glance at Aayansh.
Aayansh had left the drink untouched. Seeing this, a smile forms on my lips.
I knew he wouldn't drink it, but even if he did, there wouldn't have been a problem because I had replaced the drink with a soft drink, and Aayansh didn't even notice, simply placing the glass aside.
I return with a smile, feeling pleased as I approach Ronit. With a slightly serious tone, I inquire, "So, how many minutes until she arrives?"
"I just arrived at the party area, about to enter, Ronit replies, answering her with anticipation.
"Okay, let's get started," I said to Ronit, and he understood my gesture as we began to head together.
Author's POV
Everyone at the party was having a great time until suddenly, the lights in the hall went out.
Amidst the darkness, whispers of confusion and concern filled the air. Sarthak and Aayansh, standing together, exchanged troubled glances.
Even Shivi, who was engrossed in conversation with her college friends, seemed startled by the interruption.
"Why did the lights go out?" Shivi exclaimed, her voice reflecting a mix of surprise and annoyance.
As a spotlight suddenly illuminated Radhi, holding a microphone, Sarthak's and Aayansh's curiosity peaked.
"What is Radhi going to do?" Sarthak asked Aayansh, a hint of anxiety creeping into his tone.
"I don't know. She didn't tell me," Aayansh replied, his confusion evident.
Sarthak's excitement was tinged with apprehension as he whispered, "I hope it's not what I think it is."
Shivi, approaching them, echoed their curiosity: "What is Radhi doing there?"
Sarthak and Aayansh, momentarily taken aback by Shivi's sudden appearance, quickly regained their composure.
"Is she going to make another announcement?" Shivi inquired, sarthak.
Aayansh, still trying to catch up with the conversation, asked, "Announcement?"
Shivi explained what had happened at the last party; her recount was tinged with a sense of nostalgia and anticipation.
For Aayansh, the news wasn't shocking; he knew Radhi's actions often defied expectations, and her timing was always impeccable.
At that moment, Sarthak asked Shivi, "You must have been told by Radhi about the announcement she's going to make."
"No, she didn't tell me anything. In fact, she hasn't been able to talk to me properly all day," Shivi replied, a hint of frustration in her voice.
"Now I'm starting to feel like my guess will definitely be right," Sarthak said confidently, a mix of excitement and anticipation evident in his tone.
"Why have you been insisting on this since then? Come on, tell us what your guess is." Aayansh and Shivi, feeling a bit impatient with Sarthak's cryptic remarks, asked, their impatience tinged with curiosity and a desire for clarity.
"So listen," Sarthak begins.
"Yeah, so just spill it. You've been avoiding telling us for so long, just rambling on without saying anything" Shivi's frustration is palpable.
"I'm telling you, have some patience." Sarthak continues, sensing Shivi's frustration, then he says, "Toh mujhe lgta hai ki Radhi aaj Aayansh sabke samne propose karegi."
(So, I have a feeling Radhi is going to propose to Aayansh in front of everyone tonight.)
As Aayansh and Shivi try to make sense of Sarthak's words, they exchange puzzled glances. Shivi breaks the silence, her tone incredulous: "Kuch bhi keh rahe ho!!"
Aayansh nods in agreement, offering his perspective: "I think he's just talking nonsense because he's had too much to drink."
Shivi nods, understanding dawning on her face: "Exactly, because only a drunk person can say such things."
With newfound confidence, Sarthak responds, "Well, then, listen to Radhi when she speaks next time."
Shivi shrugs, a faint smile playing on her lips. "Of course, she'll be the one to tell us," before turning her attention back to Radhi, leaving the conversation behind.
"With that said," Radhi's words draw everyone's attention towards her.
"So, guys, you might all be a bit confused about why I'm here and why the lights suddenly went off." Radhi pauses briefly before continuing.
"Well, I want to let you all know that.
I just found out this morning that it's our friend's anniversary today. Sadly, due to our get-together plans and their spouse being busy, he had to come alone."
"I told you so," Shivi says to Sarthak after hearing Radhi's words, finally proving herself right.
Poor Sarthak, who had thought Radhi would propose to Aayansh today, finds his guess wrong.
Until now, the situation for Aayansh was already quite strange, and then Radhi talking about someone else's anniversary added another layer of oddity.
On this, Shivi says, "That's all fine, but I have no idea that one of my college mates also has an anniversary, and they've come here leaving their spouse behind. How did this news escape me?"
"Isn't it weird that Radhi is talking about a friend's anniversary?" Aayansh says, knowing that Radhi didn't make efforts for anyone unless they were very close to her.
"That's exactly what surprises me too," Shivi responds to Aayansh, her tone tinged with bewilderment.
Radhi continues her speech, "So that's why I have a surprise for our friend."
As Radhi finishes speaking, the room plunges into darkness once again.
After a few moments, a spotlight shines once more, but this time accompanied by a beautiful girl entering the party.
The girl walks into the party and goes straight to her husband, Pratik Mishra, embracing him tightly.
Pratik, who had no idea that his wife Sneha, who was supposed to be on a business trip abroad, would suddenly be here,.
Excitedly, Sneha, still keeping her distance from Pratik, says, "Baby surprise."
And with that, the entire hall lights up, and the whole party area sparkles.
Once again, Radhi's voice comes through the mic: "So guys, let's give a warm welcome to Sneha, Pratik's wife."
Shivi's mouth hangs open in shock. Sarthak, seeing his wife's reaction, says, "Close your mouth, or a fly will get in."
As soon as Sarthak says this, Shivi snaps out of her shock and continues, "Ye sab kya ho raha hai... iska kya matlab hai... ye saari taam jhaam iss luchche Pratik ke liye hai."
(What is all this? What does this mean? All this fuss is for that scoundrel, Pratik?)
"The situation seems to be shaping up that way," Aayansh says, with a hint of concern in his voice.
With a smile, Radhi gestures towards Pratik and Sneha, saying, "Now that the two lovebirds have met on their anniversary, it calls for a celebration."
As soon as she says this, Radhi signals to Ronit. Understanding her cue, Ronit promptly instructs the waiter to bring a cake.
Although Pratik had a smile plastered on his face, he couldn't shake off the nagging feeling that his mortal enemy, Radhi, was up to something with all this.
"Mujhe aisa kyun lag raha hai ki kuch to hone wala hai," Pratik ponders silently to himself.
(Why do I feel like something is about to happen?)
"Pratik... Pratik..." Sneha's repeated calls draw Pratik back from his thoughts, and he responds, "Yes?"
"Cut the cake, Pratik. Sneha has been calling you for ages." Radhi says this with immense love and sweetness, but only those close to her understand the true meaning behind her words.
Pratik responds with "Yes, I'll cut it now" and proceeds to cut the cake with Sneha by his side. After cutting the cake, he offers the first bite to Sneha, and then Sneha also feeds him a piece of cake.
Radhi watches the two of them with an evil grin spreading across her face.
"What is Radhi up to?" Shivi questions.
"A blast..." Aayansh replies to Shivi's inquiry.
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***PROMO***
Scene 1
"I understand perfectly well that there's a big reason behind everything you do, because you never do anything without a purpose," Pratik tells Radhi, his tone tinged with suspicion and intensity.
"Well, it's nice to see that you understand me so well. That's great," Radhi replies with a calm smile, her demeanor betraying no hint of her true intentions.
Scene 2
"Mai tumhari Jaan le lunga, Radhi Singhania," Pratik says angrily, his voice laced with rage as he moves threateningly closer to Radhi, his expression twisted in fury.
Before he can even lay a hand on her, someone intervenes, grabbing his hand and providing assistance that causes him to cry out in pain.