Ekansh POV:-

              The sharp rays of sunlight streamed into my room, piercing my sleep. I groaned, sat up, and dragged myself toward the washroom. After a quick shower, I changed into my gym clothes. My house gym was always waiting for me—weights, bars, and the silence I loved. I never liked going outside to work out. Too many eyes. Too many distractions.

I got on the floor, arms steady, and started push-ups. My muscles flexed, sweat dripping slowly from my forehead.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed. Siddh.

He never called me this early unless something serious had happened.

I picked it up without stopping.

“Hello,” I said, continuing my push-ups.

His voice was tense. “Boss… one of our warehouses caught fire.”

I froze mid-push-up.

“What?” I growled.

“I’m already on my way there.”

“Okay. I’ll be there in minutes.” I cut the call, my chest tightening with rage.

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[Warehouse Scene]

When I arrived, the smell of burnt metal and ash hit me immediately. The building still smoked, and the air was thick. My men stood in a line, heads bowed, afraid to even look up at me.

Siddh was already waiting. He walked toward me.

“We controlled the fire… but some of our suppliers didn’t make it.”

My jaw clenched. My eyes swept over the building, then over the men.

“How did this happen?” My voice was calm, too calm. They knew—calmness in me always meant the storm was coming.

Not a single one dared to answer.

I took a step forward.

“I asked something. HOW did this happen?”

My voice boomed, and instantly, the men flinched. Silence. Fear.

Finally, one man stepped forward, trembling.

“B-boss… we were working like usual… then suddenly the lights went out. And within minutes, f-fire… fire spread everywhere. We couldn’t stop it.”

“Did you check the CCTV footage?” I turned my gaze toward Siddh.

“Yes,” Siddh said, shaking his head. “Nothing unusual. Someone made sure not to get caught.”

I exhaled slowly, my lips curving into a dangerous smile.

“It’s a warning. And it’s not the work of an outsider. Someone inside my gang betrayed me.”

The men shifted nervously, sweat trickling down their foreheads.

I stepped closer to them, my eyes sharp as a blade.

“Find that rat. I want him in my basement.”

“Yes, boss,” Siddh replied.

I glanced back at the burnt warehouse. It hadn’t destroyed anything crucial, but whoever dared do this… I would make sure they tasted hell before death.

Siddh cleared his throat. “Boss, tomorrow’s Avimanyu’s haldi ceremony. Are we going?”

“No. We deal with this first. We’ll go on his wedding day.”

“As you say,” Siddh said, bowing slightly before leaving.

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[Three Days Later – Wedding Day]

“Ekansh, we’ll reach in five minutes,” Siddh said beside me, sounding unusually excited.

I leaned against the car window, watching the road.

“Finally, Avi is marrying the love of his life,” I said quietly.

Siddh laughed. “When will I marry, God knows…”

I smirked at his dramatic sigh.

We reached Avi’s mansion—grand, filled with lights and laughter. Guests in bright clothes roamed everywhere. Avi stood near the entrance, talking with people. The moment he saw us, his face lit up. He came rushing forward, arms wide.

Before we could reach him, Samir jumped on us out of nowhere, hugging both me and Siddh tightly.

“God damn it, Samir!” Siddh groaned, but Samir only laughed, squeezing tighter.

“I missed you, yaar!” Samir said dramatically.

“I missed you too!” Siddh replied, hugging him back, spinning him like a child.

Avi and I exchanged glances, shaking our heads and laughing. They’d never grow up.

“Sorry, Avi,” I said, patting his shoulder. “I couldn’t come earlier.”

“It’s fine,” Avi said warmly.

“Siddh told me everything. Everything’s fine back there?”

“Yeah,” I nodded shortly.

Then Avi’s gaze shifted behind him. His eyes brightened.

“Come, I want you to meet someone.”

I turned lazily, not expecting much—until I saw her.

My breath caught. My world froze.

There she was. My kitten. My Ishani.

She stopped dead in her tracks when her eyes met mine. Her face turned pale, her lips parted as if she had seen a ghost.

But for me… it was heaven. My heart roared in my chest. After a year of madness, of searching, of burning inside—I had finally found her.

Now you can’t run, kitten. Not anymore.

“Why did you stop? Are you okay?” Avi asked her, concern lacing his voice.

She just nodded quickly, unable to speak. My eyes didn’t leave her for even a second.

“Choti, meet my best friends. This is Ekansh Singh Rathor and Siddhant Rajvanshi,” Avi introduced.

Her eyes widened in shock. She looked between us, trembling. Amusement flickered in my chest.

So fate had brought her back to me… and as my best friend’s sister.

“Nice to meet you… kitten,” I said, smirking, my voice deliberately soft on the last word.

Her eyes darted up to mine, panic swimming in them. She knew exactly what I meant.

Siddh stepped in, still shocked himself. “H-hi, Ishani. It’s… surprising to see you here.”

Her lips trembled. “B-bhaiya… I-I’m going to my room,” she stammered, and before Avi could stop her, she ran off, nearly tripping on her dress.

I watched her flee, my smirk deepening.

Run as much as you want.

⊙◎⊙◎⊙◎⊙◎⊙◎⊙◎⊙◎⊙◎⊙◎⊙◎⊙◎⊙◎⊙◎⊙◎⊙◎⊙◎⊙◎⊙◎⊙◎⊙

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Author’s Note:

And here we are—the long-awaited face-off. After a year of distance, fate finally played its hand and brought Ishani back into Ekansh’s world… not just as a stranger, but as his best friend’s sister. Destiny, or a cruel twist? That smirk of Ekansh’s says only one thing: the game has just begun, and Ishani’s running days are over.

This chapter was one of my favorites to write because it sets the stage for chaos, emotions, betrayal, and a storm of unspoken love that’s about to unravel in the most unexpected ways. The warehouse fire is just the spark—what comes next will burn deeper.

Stay tuned, because the wedding celebration is only the beginning… 💍🔥

If you enjoyed this chapter, don’t forget to drop your thoughts—it keeps me motivated to pour even more into the story.

You can also connect with me on Instagram [@author_ananya_09] and follow my journey on Scrollstack for early updates, extras, and exclusive sneak peeks! 💌✨

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