Arav didn't usually lose focus.

But tonight, he replayed a moment.

Her hand gripping his arm.

Not timid.

Not fragile.

Instinctive.

He stood near the floor-to-ceiling window of his 10th-floor apartment, city lights scattered below like careless stars. His phone vibrated once.

He didn't look at it.

"Arjun," he said calmly when the call connected.

"Yes, sir."

"I want everything about Kia Sharma."

A brief pause.

"Doctor. Sixth floor."

"Yes, sir."

Arav's jaw tightened slightly.

"You have twenty-four hours."

Silence on the other end.

"And Arjun..." his voice dropped half a tone.

"I don't repeat myself."

"Yes, sir."

The call ended.

He didn't threaten loudly. He didn't shout.

But Arjun knew.

Failure was not an option.

Arav placed his phone down and leaned back against the glass.

He didn't know why he was doing this.

He didn't chase women.

He didn't get curious.

He didn't allow distractions.

Yet here he was, wanting to know:

Who she lives with.

Why she comes home past midnight.

Why she looks exhausted but refuses to show weakness.

Why she didn't look at him like other women did.

It irritated him.

And intrigued him more.

Kia

Kia lay on her bed, phone hovering above her face.

"Why am I even searching him?" she muttered to herself.

Arav.

She typed it in Instagram.

Too many Aravs.

She hesitated.

Then typed:

Arav sky line (her building name )

Nothing.

She rolled her eyes.

"Great. Mystery man."

She sat up, hair falling over her shoulder, and tried again.

This time she found him.

Private account.

Zero bio.

Just a single display picture.



She blinked.

It was a mirror shot.

Bare torso. Toned. Defined shoulders. Veins visible across his arms. No face - just his jawline slightly visible.

Her eyes widened for half a second.

Then narrowed.

"Seriously?" she muttered.

"Showing your body to everyone?"

A strange heat crawled up her neck.

She zoomed in unconsciously.

Then immediately locked her phone.

"What am I doing?"

She flopped back on the bed dramatically.

"Why am I angry? I don't even know him."

Exactly.

You don't know him.

Which is why you're curious.

Her phone buzzed with comments from her followers.

She had posted a reel earlier -

a chaotic "Day in my Life as a Doctor"

video- Clips of hospital corridors, coffee cups, tired smiles. It already had thousands of views.

She opened the comments.

"Doctor ma'am you look tired but still glowing 😭"

"Marry me please."

"How are you single??"

She snorted softly.

Single by choice.

She prided herself on being emotionally unavailable.

Controlled.

Self-focused.

No man had ever stayed in her head past 24 hours.

Until now.

She reopened Instagram.

Stared at his profile again.

Private.

No posts visible.

Just that picture.

Confident.

Unapologetic.

Annoyingly attractive.

She felt irritation bubble again.

"He didn't even follow me."

Why did that bother her?

She wasn't used to being unnoticed.

Men usually found her profile within hours.

She had built a presence.

She was admired.

Wanted.

Chased.

He hadn't even looked.

Or maybe he had.

And just didn't care.

That thought unsettled her more.

Her thumb hovered over the "Follow" button.

She didn't press it.

"I'm not that desperate."

She placed the phone aside.

But five minutes later...

She picked it up again.

Curiosity is a risk.

And she had just met a man who felt like one.

Upstairs

Arav's phone vibrated.

Arjun's message preview appeared:

"Sir, basic details collected. Sending file."

Arav unlocked the screen.

A photo appeared first.

Kia in a white coat. Hair tied. Smiling faintly at the camera. Confident.

Next: screenshots of her social media.

Doctor.

Content creator.

Lives alone rented apartment.

No serious relationships recorded.

Family in another city.

He scrolled slowly.

Paused at a short video.

She was laughing at something off-camera. Genuine.

Not the controlled version from the lift.

He replayed it.

Once.

Twice.

Then locked his phone.

His expression didn't change.

But something inside him settled into a decision.

He didn't like not knowing.

And now he did.

Downstairs, Kia stared at the ceiling and due to days exhaustion and arav thought drifted to sleep.

Upstairs, Arav stared at the city.

Both thinking about someone they had met less than twelve hours ago.

Neither willing to admit it.

Continue ♥️