A little thing called FIRST LOVE ft.Avneil

Chapter 49

Chapter 49:

Neil woke up early, his mind already occupied with the meeting scheduled with the French client. The discussion had gone smoothly, but instead of returning to his room, he stepped onto the balcony, seeking a moment of tranquility. The crisp morning air brushed against his skin, carrying the refreshing scent of damp soil. It was a familiar comfort—one that always came right after the gardener watered the plants.

Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes, allowing the scent to soothe his senses. But when he opened them again, his gaze fell upon his father, Prakash, pacing in the garden, phone pressed to his ear. Neil frowned. It was unusual. His father never woke up this early—especially not at 6:30 AM. Something was off.

Without wasting a second, Neil descended the stairs and stepped into the garden.

“Dad?” he called out.

Prakash, still engaged in his call, responded with a short instruction. “Thank you for your work. Keep following them and update me regularly.” He then ended the call and turned towards Neil.

Neil narrowed his eyes. “Who were you talking to?”

Prakash exhaled, his expression unreadable. “I’ve found out who’s behind this entire master plan.” His voice was calm but carried a weight of seriousness.

Neil's jaw tightened. “Who?”

Prakash met his son’s gaze. “Ajay Malik—son of Veer Malik.”

Neil’s brows furrowed deeper. “Malik Industries?”

Prakash nodded. “Yes. But there’s more. Ajay isn’t just anyone—he was a close associate of Avni’s father. Years ago, they were business partners, but in the end, Veer Malik betrayed him.”

Neil processed the information quickly. “That means Ajay, Avni, Riya, and Vidyut have known each other since childhood. But why would Ajay target Avni now?”

Prakash’s lips pressed into a thin line. “That’s what we need to find out. Vidyut might have answers.”

Neil immediately reached for his phone. “I’ll call him right now.”

But before he could dial, the sound of a car approaching drew their attention. Both men turned towards the entrance just in time to see Vidyut stepping out of the vehicle, accompanied by Juhi.

Prakash’s gaze flickered with recognition, but without a word, he turned and entered the house. Neil remained rooted to the spot, his grip tightening around his phone as he watched them approach. A storm was brewing, and he could feel it in his bones.

***

Bebe and Swetha stood at the entrance, welcoming the guests into the house. While Swetha had always been warm towards Juhi, Bebe had never truly liked her. She had tolerated her presence all these years only for Swetha’s sake. But today, something felt different. Bebe carefully observed Swetha’s demeanor—there was a shift, a certain distance in her behavior towards Juhi that hadn’t been there before.

Juhi, oblivious to the silent scrutiny, stepped inside with her usual confidence. "So? Where is the groom?" she asked, looking around with a smirk.

As if on cue, Ali entered the hall, his hair disheveled, a clear sign that he had just woken up. He yawned, rubbing his eyes, visibly grumpy.

Ali and Kareena, much like Bebe, weren’t particularly fond of Juhi, but they always maintained a polite front—for Swetha’s sake.

"Hi, Juhi," Ali greeted, his voice flat.

Juhi’s face lit up. "There comes the groom!" she said dramatically before stepping forward to hug him.

Ali returned the hug but pulled away almost immediately, making his lack of enthusiasm quite obvious.