His altruistic love

Chapter 5 - Shattered trust

Misha

"How can a man be so ethereal?" I whispered under my breath, my gaze drawn helplessly to him. The world seemed to fade away as I focused on his features, the man who had gone unnoticed by me until now. He stood a little apart from the crowd, yet commanded attention like some kind of Greek god come to life. His dark hair, slightly tousled, framed a face so perfectly sculpted it could have been carved from marble. But it was his eyes—those deep, mesmerizing brown eyes—that captivated me the most. They held a warmth and depth that seemed to pull me in, like rich, dark earth inviting new life.

I was still walking, my mind consumed by thoughts of him and my regret at not asking his name when I had the chance, when suddenly, a hand grabbed me, pulling me to the side.

"Can't you even walk properly? Abhi aapke pure lehenga pr wine gir jati!" a deep, authoritative voice growled, shaking me out of my reverie.

I whipped my head around to see the source of my disruption. Of course, it had to be him—Divij Rajvanshi, Ridhi's older brother and the bane of my existence. Possibly the most infuriating man I had ever met. His tall figure loomed over me, his outfit casual yet sharp: a black button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up, light jeans, and—seriously?—sunglasses at 11:00 p.m.

I rolled my eyes at the absurdity, yanking my hand free from his grip. "I can walk perfectly fine on my own, Mr. Rajvanshi," I snapped, trying to suppress the heat of embarrassment creeping up my cheeks. "I don't need you playing bodyguard and saving me from imaginary accidents."

His eyes narrowed, his expression unreadable behind the dark lenses. Before he could retort, someone called out his name from across the room. Taking advantage of the interruption, I quickly made my escape. If I had stayed even a second longer, we would have ended up arguing in front of everyone.

I wove my way back to our table where Anya sat waiting, her face bright with excitement. As soon as she saw me, her mischievous grin spread wide. "Had fun, huh?" she teased.

"You know me," I shot back, trying to appear nonchalant, but my mind was still buzzing from the encounter.

Laughter bubbled up between us as we rejoined Ridhi and Sam, who were already deep in conversation at the table. The chatter, the jokes, the gossip—it all felt like the perfect distraction from the strange mix of emotions swirling inside me. But something was off. As the laughter flowed around us, I noticed Ridhi was quieter than usual, her smile barely masking the sadness in her eyes.

Concern gnawed at me, but I didn’t want to dampen the mood. "Hey guys," I said, feigning cheerfulness, "let’s hit the dance floor!"

Sam and Anya perked up immediately, their faces lighting up with excitement. But Ridhi hesitated, her eyes downcast. "I don’t know..." she mumbled, her voice soft, uncertain.

I nudged her playfully. "Come on, Ridhi. Let’s dance! It'll be fun." I grabbed her hand, pulling her up gently. "You need this."

She finally relented with a small smile, and we all made our way to the dance floor. The music thumped through the air, a vibrant mix of beats that reverberated through my body. For a while, it was just us, lost in the rhythm, dancing away the worries of the world. Ridhi's stiff movements loosened, her smile returned, and her laughter—so infectious—filled the space around us.

We twirled and danced for what felt like hours, but eventually, exhaustion began to creep in. "I’m going to grab some water," I told Ridhi, excusing myself from the floor. She nodded, her smile bright, before diving back into the dance with Anya and Sam.

As I made my way to the drinks counter, something caught my eye—a shadowy figure in the dim corner of the room. My breath hitched as I realized who it was: Mayank, Ridhi’s boyfriend. But instead of joining us on the dance floor, he stood apart, his attention elsewhere. A wave of unease washed over me, but I shook it off, determined to say hello and bring him over.