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The next week, Jadeja found himself standing outside Kuldeep's clinic again, his mind making up a dozen excuses as he stared at the door. His heart thumped in his chest as he finally walked in like a man on a mission.

"Back already?" Kuldeep glanced up from the patient chart he was writing on. His tone was dry but his eyes betrayed a hint of curiosity.

Jadeja ran a hand through his hair, trying to keep his cool. "I think I twisted my ankle," he said, his voice so casual it almost made Kuldeep laugh.

"Twisted your ankle? You're not limping," Kuldeep replied, a sarcastic edge to his voice. "I can't believe you're back. You sure it's not just an excuse to come see me?"

Jadeja's lips quirked upward at the thought. "Of course not," he said, sitting down on the examination bed.

"I'm in pain. Can't you see?" He winced dramatically totally opposite to his original nature. He pulled up the leg of his pants, showing off a completely uninjured ankle.

Kuldeep couldn't help but sigh. "You're impossible."

But Jadeja only watched him, his gaze softening.

It wasn't just about the injury—he was beginning to realize that he wanted to see Kuldeep again, to feel the inexplicable comfort that seemed to envelop him when he was around the doctor. It was an unsettling feeling.

"I think I'll need another round of that ice pack," Jadeja said after a moment, his voice low. "Seems like it's getting worse."

Kuldeep didn't even bother responding to the blatant lie. Instead, he just grabbed an ice pack while muttering something under his breath about stubborn patients.

As Kuldeep applied the cold compress to Jadeja's ankle, Jadeja couldn't stop himself from asking. "What are you doing later? Maybe you could grab a coffee?"

Kuldeep froze for a second.

He then quickly continued what he was doing, trying to mask the sudden flutter of nerves that rose in his chest. "I don't know. You're... you're too much. I'm busy."

Jadeja leaned in a little, close enough that Kuldeep could feel the heat from his body. "I won't bite. I promise. Just... a coffee."

It was clear that Kuldeep was trying to remain indifferent, but the redness creeping up his neck betrayed him. "You're persistent," Kuldeep muttered, not looking at him.

Jadeja smirked, and as usual his heart had already started to pound at the thought of being with Kuldeep again.

He couldn't explain why, but something about the doctor made him want to be close to him every time they met.

Days passed, and Jadeja's "excuses" became increasingly ridiculous.

A sore throat. A small bruise on his arm. A headache.

Kuldeep had seen it all and after the third "accidental" visit, he was starting to catch on. But he couldn't help the flicker of something inside when Jadeja would flash that charming, almost apologetic smile.

"Are you trying to drive me crazy?" Kuldeep asked one evening as Jadeja sat in front of him once more, pretending to have a sprained wrist.

"I'm just here for my treatment," Jadeja said innocently, though his eyes sparkled with mischief. "It's a serious injury. You wouldn't want it to get worse, would you?"

"Well, I'm afraid you're too much for me, Jadeja," Kuldeep said, trying to keep his distance but his voice softened despite his best efforts.

There was something about Jadeja—something magnetic that kept pulling him in.

Jadeja just smiled, leaning closer. "I thought you liked taking care of people."

"I don't know about you, but you're definitely a handful," Kuldeep said, trying to sound stern. But deep down, he liked the attention, the way Jadeja made him feel special in the most unexpected ways.

"I think you owe me that coffee now," Jadeja said, his voice smooth as he closed the distance between them.

Kuldeep stopped in his tracks, his heart suddenly racing. "I—" He didn't know what to say, not when his mind was so tangled up in confusion and yearning.

"Please?" Jadeja asked, his voice softer now, like a plea that hit Kuldeep square in the chest.

This was the moment when Kuldeep felt his defence crack.

There was a pause where Kuldeep struggled to maintain his cool. But then, to his own surprise, he nodded.

"Fine. One coffee."

Jadeja's eyes lit up and for a moment Kuldeep had to look away, unable to handle the intensity in his gaze.

They sat across from each other at a small café a few blocks from the clinic.

Jadeja was unusually quiet, almost hesitant, while Kuldeep was trying not to blush under his gaze. The air between them crackled with an energy neither of them fully understood.

"I never imagined I'd be having coffee with you," Kuldeep said, taking a sip of his drink. "I thought you'd never leave me alone after the first time you came in."

"I couldn't stay away," Jadeja admitted, his voice low but earnest. "I wanted to see you. I wanted to know you."

Kuldeep's breath hitched.

The honesty in Jadeja's voice was disarming.

He was used to seeing this man as a figure of power, cold and untouchable. But in this moment, Jadeja was vulnerable, and it was a side of him Kuldeep had never expected to see.

Before Kuldeep could stop himself, he laughed nervously. "You really don't give up, do you?"

Jadeja leaned forward, his eyes softening. "Not when I'm sure of something."

The words hung in the air, a confession that both men knew was more than just about coffee, more than just the constant stream of excuses Jadeja had been making to visit.

There was something more growing between them, something undeniable.

Kuldeep looked into Jadeja's eyes, his heart racing. "This... this is crazy," he murmured.

"I don't know how to say this," Jadeja admitted, his voice unusually hushed. "I'm not good with... feelings. Never have been."

Kuldeep tilted his head.

He could sense the struggle in Jadeja, the way the mafia king was fighting something within himself.

"You don't have to explain everything to me. I know you can't show weakness ," Kuldeep murmured.

Jaddu's hand reached across the table, fingers brushing Kuldeep's with a tentative touch that spoke volumes.

"Maybe it's not weakness," Jadeja said, his voice raw, almost vulnerable.

His thumb lightly traced the back of Kuldeep's hand, sending an unexpected shiver through both of them. "You've changed something in me. I don't know how or why, but here I am. And I can't ignore it any longer."

For a moment, the world outside seemed to fade away, leaving only the sound of their heartbeats.

"Jadeja..." Kuldeep started, his voice softer than usual, his eyes searching Jadeja's as if trying to decode him. "You don't have to apologize for wanting something more than just power."

Jadeja leaned in, his gaze never leaving Kuldeep's face. The distance between them narrowed as the air was thick with anticipation.

"And what if what I want... is you?" Jadeja whispered, his lips a breath away from Kuldeep's.

Kuldeep froze, his heart skipping a beat. For a moment, he was lost in Jadeja's intense stare—there was no arrogance in those eyes, no cold calculation.

Just sincerity.

Without another word, Jadeja closed the space between them as his lips brushed against Kuldeep's in a kiss that was slow and deliberate. It was almost as if Jadeja was testing the waters, unsure of the response he would get.

Kuldeep didn't pull away as his hand slid into Jadeja's hair, tugging him closer. Jadeja deepened the kiss, pouring in all the emotions he felt.

The kiss was a battle, a surrender, and a confession all at once.

Jadeja had always been a man of power but in this moment he has let himself fall into Kuldeep—trusting him and needing him in a way that was terrifying and intoxicating.

When they finally pulled apart they both were breathless as their foreheads rested against each other. Jadeja let out a quiet laugh, his breath warm against Kuldeep's skin.

"You make me feel like a different man, Kuldeep."

Kuldeep smiled softly, his hand still tangled in Jadeja's hair. "Maybe that's because you are one."

For the first time, Jadeja didn't feel like a king. He felt human. And for the first time, he didn't mind it.

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