ROYAL HIGHNESS

39. Friends.

Amyardh sat behind the wheel, his fingers drumming against the steering as he glanced at the villa’s entrance.  She was late.  Deliberately late.

He could almost hear her smug voice in his head: *You will be picking me up!* 

And here he was. Outside her villa. **Waiting.** 

The moment he saw her stepping out, dressed in a casual outfit, he exhaled. His grip on the wheel loosened, his tension melting just a little. 

She opened the car door and slipped inside, the faint scent of her floral perfume mixing with the leather interior. 

Amyardh turned to her and smiled. It wasn’t forced, nor calculated. Just a genuine, quiet smile. 

To his surprise, she smiled back. 

It was small, barely there, but it was enough. 

They sat in silence for a few moments, the weight of unspoken words settling between them. 

Ovie was the first to break it. 

"Kis liye?"

Amyardh blinked. "Huh? Kya?" 

She tilted her head, her eyes scrutinizing him. "Kis liye aaye ho?" 

Amyardh cleared his throat, buying himself a few extra seconds. 

"Kahan jaana hai aur kya baat hai?" she pressed, crossing her arms. 

Instead of answering immediately, Amyardh reached into the backseat and pulled out a bouquet of fresh flowers, extending it toward her. 

Ovie stared at it. Then at him. 

For a brief second, he thought she would roll her eyes, scoff, or push it back into his hands. 

But she didn’t. 

She took it. **Silently.** 

His lips curled into a quiet chuckle. "I didn’t think you’d accept it, coming from me." 

She didn’t respond to that. Just ran her fingers along the petals absentmindedly. 

"Thank you…" Amyardh said softly, watching her reaction. "...Kal ke liye." 

Ovie glanced up. "It’s okay, Mr. Phatak." 

And just like that, **his smile dropped.** 

The warmth in his eyes flickered. 

"You called me Amyardh yesterday," he murmured, his voice quieter than before. 

Ovie froze for the briefest moment, then averted her gaze. 

She hadn’t even realized she’d said it last night. Hadn’t realized that, in a moment of raw emotion, she had dropped every title, every sarcastic jab, and just—**called him.** 

By his name.

Ovie exhaled, gripping the bouquet a little tighter. **Of course, he noticed.** 

She should have known. Nothing about her ever slipped past Amyardh Surya Phatak.

Amyardh leaned back in his seat, eyes still on her. 

Ovie forced a casual shrug. "Sorry, *Mr. Phatak.* Galti se ho gaya." 

Amyardh’s jaw ticked. His grip on the steering wheel tightened for a brief moment, but he only nodded, his face unreadable. 

Ovie exhaled. "Ho gaya?" she asked, cutting through the silence.