Kuch rishte na chahte hue bhi zindagi ka hissa ban jaate hain, aur hum unse kabhi alag nahi ho paate
"Hey ladies, I hope you are talking about me."
Avni and Kritika turned around as they heard footsteps. Rudra was leaning casually against the wall, his arms crossed, a smug smile playing on his lips. His gaze locked with Avni’s, and for a moment, everything around her seemed to disappear. There was something about the way he looked at her that made her forget her surroundings.
After a few seconds of silence, Avni found her voice again."Kya aap humein sun rahe the?"
(Were you listening to us?)
Rudra pushed himself off the wall and started walking toward her, his smile widening. "Accha, tum log kaafi zor se baat kar rahe the. Sunne mein mushkil nahi hota."
(Well, you were talking pretty loudly. Hard not to hear)
Avni rolled her eyes, crossing her arms defensively. “I guess you were reminded of your... illegal activities?”
Rudra's brow arched, his smirk never fading. “Illegal activities?”
“Yeah, you know what I’m talking about,” Avni said confidently, though she wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to challenge him.
Rudra stopped in front of her, tilting his head slightly. “Miss...?”
“Avni,” she replied, standing her ground.
“Miss Avni,” he began smoothly, “before you go around accusing people, you might want to make sure you’ve done your research.” He leaned in just a little, his voice dropping lower. “And maybe, don’t believe everything people say. You might be surprised at how easily the truth gets twisted.”
Avni frowned, unsure of how to respond.
Rudra straightened up, flashing her one last smile. "Aur mujhe lekar sabse bura sochna band karo. Isse tumhe kaafi pareshani se bachne ka mauka milega."
(And stop thinking the worst of me. It’ll save you a lot of trouble)
Without waiting for a reply, he turned and walked away, leaving Avni staring after him, more confused than ever.
Avni stood frozen in place, her mind still replaying Rudra's words. She couldn’t shake the intensity of their brief exchange. His voice, the way he looked at her, it left her in shock, unable to move.
Kritika, noticing her Avni's expression, sighed and nudged her gently. “Avni, snap out of it! Come on, we need to head out.”
Avni blinked, as if snapping back to reality. "Kya... Kya abhi hua?" she mumbled, more to herself than to Kritika.
(What, what just happened?)
Kritika gave her a light push again, this time with more urgency. "Abhi ke liye ise bhool jao. Humein chhod dena chahiye pehle se pehle, nahi toh baatein aur complicated ho jayengi."
(Forget about it for now. We should leave before things get more complicated)
Avni nodded, but her thoughts were still swirling with questions. She allowed Kritika to guide her, though her mind was still on Rudra, his smile, his words, and the mystery behind them.
As they walked out of the room, Avni’s legs felt heavy, her mind still lost in the conversation with Rudra. Kritika kept a firm grip on her arm, steering her through the hallway, her eyes darting around nervously.
Once they were outside, Kritika finally spoke, her voice a mix of concern and irritation. "Avni, tumhe usse apne dimaag mein ghusne dena band karna hoga. That guy's bad news, aur tumhe ye pata hai."
