I woke up at exactly five in the morning, like I always did.
The room was still dark and peaceful, with only the faint morning light slipping through the curtains. For a moment, I stayed still beneath the blanket, listening to the soft sound of my sister breathing beside me.
She had slept next to me last night like she always did whenever she wanted comfort or simply wanted to annoy me less than usual.
I turned my head slightly and smiled.
She was completely wrapped up in the blanket, sleeping peacefully without a single worry in the world.
Carefully, I brushed a few strands of hair away from her face and pressed a soft kiss against her forehead.
She stirred slightly but didn’t wake up.
“Sleep peacefully, Sweet heart” I whispered quietly.
Then I slipped out of bed and started my day.
The world outside was still quiet, wrapped in the soft darkness before sunrise. I tied my hair up and began my workout while the cool morning air drifted through the open balcony doors.
Working out always cleared my mind.
After finishing, I wiped the sweat from my forehead and headed downstairs to make my tea. The warm scent filled the kitchen as I leaned against the counter, slowly sipping from the cup while watching the sunrise paint the sky in shades of orange and gold.
Peaceful.
Calm.
Completely opposite to what my morning was about to become.
After getting ready, I wore a deep red salwar with delicate golden embroidery along the sleeves and neckline. The soft fabric flowed elegantly around me, simple yet beautiful. I paired it with tiny jhumkas and left my hair loose over my shoulders.
I love jhumkas,I twirl My jhumka around my index finger absentmindedly, gently tapping the tiny bells as they Jingle with every movement. I let out a quiet chuckle, amused by how something so small can make me this happy.
Once I was done, I walked back toward the bed where my sister was still sleeping like the world’s future depended on it.
I sighed dramatically and shook her shoulder.
“Wake up.”
No response.
I shook her again.
“Get up.”
She pulled the blanket over her head. “Five more minutes…”
I crossed my arms. “Fine. Then I’ll just go shopping alone.”
Her eyes snapped open instantly.
“WHAT?!” she yelled, sitting up so quickly that her hair became a complete mess. “Why would you even joke about something this serious?!”
I laughed softly. “Because today is shopping day.”
That was enough motivation for her.
She immediately jumped out of bed and rushed toward her wardrobe.
“Oh no. What am I even supposed to wear?!” she cried dramatically while throwing outfits everywhere.
“You own half the fashion industry,” I said calmly.
“And yet I have nothing to wear!”
She continued pulling clothes out dramatically like her life depended on it.
I stared at her for a moment before saying, “First go and brush your teeth. Then you can continue your fashion crisis.”
She gasped like I had deeply offended her.
“How dare you interrupt my styling process?”
“Go. Brush.”
She pointed at me suspiciously. “You’re ruining my artistic vision.”
“You currently look like a confused squirrel.”
She let out an offended noise, grabbed random clothes dramatically, and finally marched toward the bathroom while still mumbling about “fashion emergencies.”
I sat on the edge of the bed trying not to laugh at her behavior.
A little while later, she finally came downstairs after getting ready.
And of course…
She made an entrance.
She wore a pastel pink salwar decorated with tiny silver details that sparkled whenever she moved. Her dupatta rested perfectly over one shoulder, and she looked ridiculously proud of herself.
“How do I look?” she asked dramatically, spinning once.
“Like you’re about to attend an award show.”
She placed a hand over her heart. “Thank you.”
“That wasn’t a compliment.”
She ignored me completely and sat down beside me.
Meanwhile, I served breakfast onto the table.
The kitchen slowly filled with warmth, sunlight, and my sister’s nonstop talking. We ate while arguing about random things like always. Most of the time, she talked dramatically while I listened and laughed at her reactions.
After breakfast, we finally left for Elite Shopping Mall — the most luxurious and famous mall in the world.
The huge glass building glittered under the sunlight, looking more like a palace than a shopping mall. Golden chandeliers hung from the ceilings inside, and every single store looked breathtakingly expensive and elegant.
My sister, however, looked like she belonged there.
The moment we entered, she grabbed my wrist excitedly.
“Oh my god, look at that store!”
“And THAT one!”
“No wait, we’re going there first!”
I barely had time to react before she dragged me from one luxury store to another.
The entire day became pure chaos.
We tried on gorgeous dresses, judged outfits dramatically, and laughed so much that people actually turned to stare at us.
“You need this dress,” my sister declared while holding up a stunning designer outfit.
“I already have too many dresses.”
“There’s no such thing as too many dresses.”
“Spoken like a true shopping addict.”
She gasped in fake offense.
After hours of shopping bags, laughter, and complete chaos, I suddenly stopped walking.
My eyes landed on an ice cream shop nearby.
I slowly turned toward my sister.
“Can we get ice cream?”
She looked equally emotional. “Oh yes.”
Five minutes later, we sat at a small table with our ice creams.
I held chocolate cone in my hands–My favourite.Hers black current. That too is my favourite and hers too. But she won't share.Ufffff.
Guess I have to buy another ice cream. One ice cream is not enough for me.
I held mine carefully like it was treasure.
Because honestly?
I loved ice cream so, so, so much.
"I love ice cream so so so much",I said to my sister.
"I know madam",She said sarcastically.
My sister leaned toward me suspiciously while pretending to eat her own.
I narrowed my eyes immediately. “Don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
“Steal my ice cream.”
“I would never.”
She immediately tried taking a spoonful.
I pulled the cup away dramatically. “EXCUSE ME?”
“You weren’t eating fast enough!”
“It’s MY ice cream!”
“You should learn to share.”
“You should learn self-control.”
She gasped in fake offense while I protected my ice cream with my life.
But in the middle of our arguing, something strange happened.
A sudden feeling crawled up my spine.
Like someone was watching me.
My laughter slowly faded.
I looked around the crowded mall casually at first. People walked past us normally. Families. Couples. Children running around.
Nothing unusual.
Still…
That feeling wouldn’t disappear.
It felt intense.
Heavy.
Like a pair of eyes following my every movement.
I tightened my grip on the ice cream cup unconsciously.
For some reason, my heart skipped once.
And I couldn’t explain why.
I sat in my office chair silently, my thoughts completely occupied by her.
Heer Malhotra.
Even after the party ended, her face still lingered in my mind effortlessly.
The way she carried herself.
The way she spoke.
And those eyes…
I leaned back slightly before looking toward my PA.
“Aaryan.”
He immediately stepped forward. “Yes, sir?”
“Get me all the information about Heer Malhotra.”
Aaryan’s expression stayed professional as always. “Right away, sir.”
Without asking a single unnecessary question, he left the office.
Exactly ten minutes later, he returned with a file in his hand.
Efficient.
As always.
He placed the file carefully on my desk.
“Sir, this contains the information you asked for.”
I opened the file calmly.
Name: Heer Malhotra
Parents: Vikram Malhotra and Meera Malhotra
Sibling: Pihu Malhotra
Profession: Self-made businesswoman and a Psychologist
Age: 27
Height: 5’3”
My eyes stayed fixed on her name for a moment longer than necessary.
Aaryan continued speaking professionally.
“Today, Miss Heer Malhotra and her sister are going shopping at Elite Shopping Mall.”
My fingers paused slightly against the papers.
Elite Mall.
Aaryan continued, “Their schedule for the day has already been arranged, sir.”
I closed the file slowly, my eyes still resting on her name for a brief moment.
Heer Malhotra.
For some reason, even the name sounded dangerous.
I placed the file down on the table before looking up at Aaryan.
“Cancel all my meetings for today.”
For the first time in years, Aaryan’s professional expression cracked slightly.
“Sir… all the meetings?” he asked carefully, almost like he thought he had heard wrong.
“Yes.”
He stared at me for a second.
Because in all the years he had worked for me, I had never skipped a single meeting. Not one.
Work always came first.
Always.
But today was apparently becoming an exception.
Aaryan quickly recovered his expression, though the shock was still visible in his eyes.
“May I ask the reason, sir?”
I calmly picked up the car keys from the table.
“I have something more important to do.”
The moment those words left my mouth, his face changed again.
Shock.
Pure shock.
Probably because my version of “important” usually involved billion-dollar deals, not suddenly canceling an entire day’s schedule.
Still, being the efficient PA he was, he nodded immediately.
“I’ll handle it, sir.”
I stood up calmly and buttoned my coat.
But internally, my thoughts had already wandered somewhere else entirely.
After that, I took my black Rolls-Royce and drove toward Elite Shopping Mall.
The entire drive felt strangely different.
Usually, my mind would be occupied with business deals, meetings, numbers, and schedules.
But today—
It was occupied by her.
To avoid unnecessary attention, I wore a black mask before entering the mall. Even then, people still moved aside the moment they recognized me.
I ignored all of them.
My eyes searched for only one person.
And then I saw her.
Standing near one of the luxury stores in her red salwar.
For a second, I simply watched from afar silently.
She looked even more beautiful than I remembered.
Not because of the expensive surroundings.
Not because of her appearance.
But because of the way she carried herself so effortlessly.
I watched her try on dresses while her sister created absolute chaos beside her. The two of them argued dramatically over colors, designs, and shopping bags, yet somehow she stayed calm through all of it.
And then I noticed something else.
The way she spoke to the staff.
Softly.
Politely.
Kindly.
No arrogance.
No pride.
Even though everyone in that mall clearly knew who she was.
That caught my attention more than anything else.
Most people with power demanded respect.
But Heer Malhotra earned it naturally.
Without trying.
Without forcing it.
And somehow, I found myself admiring every little thing she did.
The way she smiled slightly while listening.
The way she adjusted her dupatta absentmindedly.
The way her eyes softened whenever she laughed at her sister’s dramatic behavior.
Every single detail.
Then they entered the ice cream shop.
I stayed far enough away that they wouldn’t notice me, but close enough to hear bits of their conversation.
“Can we get ice cream?” she asked hopefully.
And for some reason, the small excitement in her voice almost made me smile.
A millionaire.
Yet excited over ice cream like a child.
I watched her protect her ice cream from her sister like it was the most precious thing in the world.
And when she said she loved ice cream “so, so, so much,” I actually let out the quietest laugh behind my mask.
Weird.
Everything about this situation - this version of me was weird.
I didn’t watch people.
I didn’t admire people.
Yet somehow…
I couldn’t stop looking at her.
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