Rai POV:

I am so pissed off by now. First, I heard her conversation with someone on phone and now this drama. How dare she disrespect anyone like that. Who is she to decide to fire someone from job of my company or not? I am surprised by her audacity. 

Without a second thought, I grabbed my phone and dialed Kevin, my right-hand man.

"Kevin," I said, my voice cold and sharp, "I want a complete dossier on Nisha Roy. Every single detail—from her childhood to the present. I want it all. I don't care how trivial it seems. I want her file on my desk by tomorrow evening."

"It'll be done, boss," he replied, sensing the intensity in my tone, and I hung up, a satisfied smirk playing on my lips. Just wait, Nisha Roy. You have no idea what you've unleashed.

As the night deepened, I buried myself in work, the glow of my laptop screen illuminating my determined expression.

Finally, the clock struck nine, and I decided to call it a night. I returned to my lavish apartment, the opulence surrounding me feeling hollow in contrast to the chaos in my mind. After a quick shower, I collapsed onto my king-sized bed, hoping to drown out the day's frustrations. Just as I started to relax, my phone buzzed insistently. It was Rudy.

"Hello?" I answered, my heart sinking at the sound of his voice. There was a pause, heavy and laden with unspoken words.

"What are you doing?" he asked, his tone laced with something deeper, something that sent a shiver down my spine.

"Nothing, why?" I replied, trying to keep my cool. But I could sense the storm brewing on the other end.

"I want to say something, something important, for the last time," he said, and it felt like a dagger piercing through my heart. My breath caught in my throat.

"What is it?" I asked, bracing myself for the inevitable.

"I know my marriage is fixed—my engagement is in two days. But Rai... I can't make my heart understand. I need to ask you something."

"Go ahead," I urged, my stomach twisting in knots.

"Do you really feel nothing for me?" His voice was low, almost breaking, and I was rendered speechless. What could I say? That my heart burned for him, that he was the only one I wanted? But the truth hung heavy in the air, unspoken and suffocating.

"I understand now," he continued, his words cutting through the silence like a knife. "You really don't feel anything for me. It hurts... but I love you, Rai."

The confession hung between us, charged and electric. I could hear the pain in his voice, the desperation clinging to each syllable. "Don't worry! I'll marry Nisha in front of you, just like I promised. I just needed to express my feelings, one last time."

"Are you... drunk?" I asked, alarmed at the fragility in his tone.

"Uh... no, not at all!" he protested, but I could hear the slur creeping into his words.

"How much did you drink, Rudy?" I sighed, my heart aching for him. I knew his limits, and this wasn't like him at all.

"Just three and a half bottles of whiskey," he confessed, his laughter tinged with bitterness.

"Where are you?" I pressed, my concern growing.

"I'm on the balcony—where else would I go? The one place I thought I could escape is now closed off," he said, his voice tinged with sadness.

"You can still come here whenever you want," I offered, my heart breaking for him.

"Really? But I only want you, Rai! Only you!" he exclaimed, and I could almost feel the weight of his longing through the line.

"Rudy, go to your room and sleep. You'll have a headache tomorrow," I urged, knowing all too well the consequences of his drunken state.

"No! I want you!" he insisted, the stubbornness I loved and hated mingling in his voice.

I felt a rush of heat at his words, a thrill that sent butterflies swirling in my stomach. "Rudy!... just go to bed."

His next words sent shivers down my spine. "You know, there's something about the way you talk to me—so bossy, so commanding. It drives me wild."

My heart raced, disbelief coursing through me. "What... what did you just say?"

"I want to hug you, Rai. I want to kiss you like there's no tomorrow..." His voice dropped to a husky whisper, igniting a fire that I fought to suppress.

Without thinking, I cut the call, my breath coming in shallow gasps. My heart thundered in my chest, and I could feel the heat pooling in my cheeks. What the hell had just happened? A cocktail of confusion and desire surged within me, making my skin tingle.

"What is he talking about...?" I whispered to myself, sweat beading on my forehead. I instinctively reached for the remote to turn down the AC, desperate to cool the sudden heat enveloping me.

I resolved then and there to never engage in a drunken conversation with Rudy again.

I tried to sleep but his words are playing in my head. Ughh! Just stop it Rai! It's not that you never kissed him!

Then my inner voice said "That was not a kiss that's a peck."

I keep a pillow on my head pressing both side of ears. Then sleep engulfed me.

Rudy POV:

Sunrays streamed through the balcony, warming my face and pulling me from the depths of sleep. I blinked against the brightness, disoriented, and realized I had dozed off on the couch. What a night it must have been. A dull throb pulsed in my head, a reminder of the drinks I had indulged in.

As I stumbled to the washroom, fragments of last night's phone call crashed into my mind like a tidal wave. What had I done? The memory of my words echoed painfully: "I want to hug you, Rai. I want to kiss you like there's no tomorrow..." The call had ended abruptly, leaving a chasm of uncertainty in its wake. How could I face her now?

After a quick shower, I dressed and made my way to the dining table, where my family was gathered. The atmosphere was thick with the scent of breakfast, but I felt a different kind of tension in the air. 

I took my seat, trying to ignore the curious glances directed my way. "Rudra, tumhare tabiyat to thik hai na? Aankhe laal kyu hai beta?" My mother's voice cut through my thoughts; concern etched on her face.

"I'm fine, Mom. Bas wo neend nahi aayi thi achhese kal," I replied, avoiding eye contact. I hadn't spotted my sister yet, but the weight of their gazes felt heavy on my shoulders. Grandma's voice chimed in, breaking the silence.

"Office jane se pehle Nisha ko leke engagement ke liye rings lene jana. Rai aur Devika bhi jayegi sath mei. Aur agar chaho to Om ko bhi bula sakte ho."

I sighed inwardly. Engagement rings? I had no interest in this, especially not today. "But Dadi, I've so many works today. I can't—"

"Kal tumhari sagai hai aur tum yaha kaam ki baat kar rahe ho. Agar tum donoke rings lene tum Nisha ke saath nahi jaoge to use kitna bura lagega socha hai?" Her tone left no room for argument.

Just then, I heard my sister's voice, sweet yet pleading. "Rai dii please na? Bas do raat ki hi to baat hai reh jao na!?"

"Princess, I have so much work I can't stay here tonight," Rai replied, trying to reason with Devika.

"No no! Dadii!!! See... Rai di ko bolo na ki aaj raat ko bhi yhi par ruk jay waise bhi kal subah hi to ayengi wo." Devika's persistence was relentless.

"Haan gudiya, ruk ja aaj raat ko jo jaruri cheeze hai wo aj shaam ko le ana." Grandma's decision was final.

Rai sighed, her resolve crumbling. "Achha baba, thik hai, reh jaungi aaj raat ko bhi."

As Rai took her seat across from me, I noticed her reaction. Her eyes widened slightly, and a flush crept across her cheeks. Interesting. I couldn't help but smirk at her embarrassment, a small victory in the midst of my own turmoil.

"Huh? Bhai? Why are you smiling?" Devika's innocent question pulled me from my thoughts.

"Nothing just caught someone blushing," I teased, watching as Rai coughed, her face turning a deeper shade of crimson. The attention shifted to her, and I reveled in the moment.

"Aram se beta. Why is your face so red?" Mom asked, concern mingling with curiosity.

"Yeah! You are looking like a tomato, Rai di!" Devika giggled her laughter infectious. 

"Uhm... Ac..actually it's so hot today, maybe that's why," Rai stammered, her nervous smile betraying her. Beads of sweat glistened on her forehead, and I couldn't help but find her flustered state utterly captivating.

As I watched her struggle to maintain composure, a thought crossed my mind. What would her men think of their mafia boss reacting like this? The idea was amusing, and I couldn't suppress the smile that crept onto my lips. 

Rai was trying so hard to avoid my gaze, but the tension between us was palpable, a silent acknowledgment of the words we had exchanged the night before.
                                                                                                                                                                 (To be continued)

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