The rest of the day passed surprisingly smoothly.

Thanks to Sheetal and Vani’s assistance, Rohit managed to integrate a large portion of the server-side issues, though several core sections still remained unresolved.

What neither of them knew, however, was what Rohit had quietly left behind.

Inside the server room, he had installed Lisa to keep constant watch over the system and update him whenever anything sensitive surfaced — especially anything that could later be used as leverage against Arya.

He had also smoothly collected the contact details of almost everyone interested in interacting with him, using ’professional coordination’ as an excuse. A convenient resource for the future.

By the time the work finally wrapped up, it was already past eight in the evening.

Both Arya and Rohit returned home together, only to learn that Tanuj and the rest of the cousins had already left ahead of them for the party venue.

Since the atmosphere tonight was meant to be celebratory — and it had already been five days since his injury — Rohit finally decided to get rid of the sling bag. The bandages around his hand still remained, but at least he no longer looked half-hospitalized.

After a quick shower, Rohit changed into a sharp black party suit. When he went to call Arya, he paused at her doorway.

Arya stood in front of the mirror, adjusting her dress.

Artwork.

She was wearing a shimmering silver bodycon one-piece that looked like liquid metal poured over her skin. The deep plunging neckline boldly showcased her full, rounded breasts, while the thin straps rested teasingly on her shoulders.

The ruched waist highlighted her hourglass figure, while the short hemline and halter back left her long legs and smooth upper back exposed, giving her the look of someone straight out of a luxury fashion magazine.

Rohit’s eyes darkened as he slowly drank in the sight.

Arya noticed his intense stare in the mirror and turned around with a raised brow. "What?"

Rohit leaned against the doorframe, a faint smirk playing on his lips.

"I’m just thinking... how many people I’m going to have to deal with tonight because of that dress."

Arya rolled her eyes and picked up her purse. "Don’t flatter yourself. I can handle myself perfectly."

She walked past him, heels clicking sharply. Rohit’s gaze dropped, following the sharp dip of her waist and the firm curve of her ass, perfectly hugged by the tight, shimmering fabric.

Damn... this is going to be difficult, he thought.

Not because of other men.

But because even he was struggling to keep himself in control.

***

After another hour crawling through traffic that showed no interest in moving, they finally reached Sangrila night club.

The venue had a strict couples-only policy, but the bouncers let them in without any issues after stamping a small tattoo on their wrists.

The moment they stepped inside, heavy bass music pulsed through the air. Neon lights flashed across the dark, hazy space as Rohit and Arya made their way to the VIP section.

Tanuj spotted them and waved enthusiastically from a large C-shaped booth.

As they reached the table, Rohit quickly scanned the group. Tanuj was sitting comfortably between his sister Tanya and girlfriend Sheela. Tanya looked visibly depressed, shoulders slumped and eyes distant.

While Sheela looked quite satisfied, swirling a glass of red wine with a lazy, content smile on her lips.

Artwork.

On the opposite side, Aisha was trapped between Tanuj’s friends, Pankaj and Asim. both of them were leaning in her direction with the practiced casual energy of people who had decided the evening held possibilities. She caught Rohit’s eye and gave him the specific look of someone who had been waiting to be rescued for approximately forty-five minutes.

The middle section of the C-shaped seating had only two places, making the arrangement quite tight.

Arya slipped into one of the seats as the group made space for her. As Rohit was about to sit beside her, Tanuj suddenly spoke up.

"Hey bro." Tanuj’s voice came across the table with the warmth of someone doing you a favor. "Can you check on the waiter? Table nine. We’ve been trying to get drinks for a while and nothing’s come."

Rohit looked at the table. It was covered in half-empty glasses.

"You’ve clearly been managing," he said.

Asim grinned from across the booth. "Come on. You’re already standing. Do your cousins one small favor."

"Won’t take long," Pankaj added, nodding encouragingly.

Before Rohit could reply, Sheela stood up smoothly, adjusting her dress. "It’s fine, I’ll go with him." She gave Rohit a sideways glance and added, "I’ll do the talking."

Rohit shrugged. "I never said I wouldn’t."

As Sheela walked ahead, Rohit’s eyes traced her figure. She was wearing revealing cut out halter maxi dress.

Artwork.

The plunging neckline and strategic cut-outs teased smooth skin with every step, while the high thigh slit flashed her long legs. She moved with a confident, provocative sway of her hips — the kind that made a man want to grab them and cop a feel.

She spoke smoothly with the waiter, ordering the drinks, then glanced sideways at Rohit. "What would you like?"

Rohit scanned the menu for barely a second before replying with a casual smirk, "MILF cocktail."

Sheela nearly choked but recovered quickly, repeating the order with an amused smirk.

When they returned to the table, Rohit stopped short. Vijay had taken the seat right beside Arya and was leaning in, saying something Rohit couldn’t hear over the music. Arya was staring at her phone, clearly uninterested.

Sheela slipped back into her place beside Tanuj without a word.

Tanuj burped loudly and grinned. "Oops... looks like you’re out of place, bro." He raised his hand toward a passing staff member. "Waiter! Extra chair for my cousin here."

The booming music made it impossible to tell whether the waiter had heard him. The man didn’t even glance their way as he kept moving through the crowd.

Pankaj and Asim snickered. Rohit noticed but stayed silent. Aisha tried to offer her seat, but Rohit stopped her with a small gesture.

He calmly walked over to the waiter himself and arranged for an extra chair. Once it was placed, he sat down without making a scene.

From his left he heard Pankaj mutter something that included the word pest.

Rohit heard it clearly but let it pass for the time being..

"Cheers," Sheela said, raising her glass in an attempt to ease the tension.

Rohit clinked his glass with whoever was closest and took a slow sip, his posture relaxed as he glanced at the glittering city skyline.

Sheela watched him with visible amusement. "Well... the little bug really matured," she teased. "Last time I saw him, he used to whimper at a mere glance."

She was clearly referring to the way her gang had bullied him back in school.

Rohit smiled faintly, his voice carrying just the right amount of sarcasm. "Time changes people, love. That little bug has grown into a big, fat worm... one that now makes others whimper with a merry touch."

Pankaj nearly choked on his drink.

"Damn. Sheela’s in danger now."

A few people burst into laughter.

Even Sheela looked genuinely entertained instead of offended. She raised a brow and leaned back lazily.

"Oh? The kid finally became a man?"

She laughed it off and took another sip from her glass, though her gaze lingered on Rohit a second longer than before.

Tanuj clicked his tongue internally.

This wasn’t how the evening was supposed to go.

He had expected Rohit to feel uncomfortable and eventually leave on his own. Instead, the bastard looked calmer than everyone else at the table.

Deciding to shift the spotlight away, Tanuj suddenly raised his glass toward Vijay.

"Guys, I’d like to congratulate our friend Vijay here. We heard the pending cases for the telecom rights have finally yielded in their favor."

That immediately drew attention.

Sheela glanced up. "Which telecom case?"

"Vodafone partnership," Tanuj said. "The spectrum dispute."

That caught Arya’s attention. She set her glass down slightly. "Wasn’t that fined for unpaid taxes?"

Vijay looked mildly embarrassed but nodded.

"Yeah... the issue was complicated. The previous UPA government never clarified from which date the tax would apply. We were supposed to get a three-year waiver after winning the bid, but they started charging us even before we made any profit. The new government wasn’t any better — they taxed us from day one, with interest."

He took a sip of his drink and added, "That fine wasn’t for evasion. It was just a dispute about when the liability actually began."

Rohit finally joined the conversation, swirling his drink lightly.

"So basically... billions in dues were waived over a start date disagreement — while the service was running and selling to millions the entire time."

The table went slightly quiet.

Vijay hesitated, unsure whether he had just been complimented or mocked.

"...More or less," he admitted carefully. "Though operations were heavily affected during the dispute period."

Asim scoffed loudly.

"Man, the Chambanis destroyed half the telecom industry anyway. Those unlimited free data plans killed everyone else."

Pankaj immediately picked up the thread and turned toward Arya with interest.

"Big sis," he said to Arya, "we heard your family made a deal with the Chambanis. Care to shed some light on the upcoming rail project?"

Arya sipped her drink and gestured toward Rohit with her glass. "It wasn’t me. It was him. He got the deal."

The smile on Pankaj’s face froze.

Across him, Tanuj shot him a subtle glare for accidentally feeding Rohit more attention.

Vijay quickly stepped in to steer the conversation elsewhere.

"Still, it’s quite impressive how you managed the gaming company—"

"Let’s drop it," Arya cut in, looking unimpressed. "Hearing the same thing from everyone gets boring."

Asim suddenly grinned and raised a shot glass.

"Then how about a drinking contest? Loser has to obey one request from the winner."

Aisha leaned back immediately. "Not happening. I’m not agreeing to anything stupid tonight."

Before anyone could continue, Arya glanced toward Tanya and frowned slightly.

Tanya had barely touched her drink all evening and looked unusually distant.

"What happened to her?" Arya asked quietly. "Is she okay?"

Without waiting for another response, she stood up and walked toward the counter area near the bar.

Arya frowned harder.

"What the hell..."

Aisha immediately seized the opportunity to leave the awkward table.

"Excuse me. I’ll go check on her."

Sheela downed her drink and tried to lift the mood. "Hey, it’s getting boring here. Let’s hit the dance floor!"

Tanuj groaned. "What now? Come on, the night just started." He looked at his friends. "You guys go and bring my sisters back."

Vijay stood up and extended his hand to Arya. "Care to dance?"

Arya gave him a flat look before standing. "Sure... but no touching." She walked ahead as Vijay followed, looking triumphant.

Tanuj gave him a congratulatory fist bump from behind. Lucky bastard.

Meanwhile, Rohit remained seated for a few seconds, quietly watching Arya move onto the dance floor.

Under the flashing neon lights, her silver dress shimmered hypnotically as her body moved effortlessly with the rhythm of the bass-heavy music. Vijay tried inching closer every few moments, carefully pretending it was part of the dance while still respecting the distance she demanded.

Rohit watched silently for another moment before finally standing up.

Then he turned toward Sheela and extended his hand.

"Dance?"

Sheela blinked before bursting into amused disbelief.

"You? Dance?" She laughed openly. "Am I drunk already?"

Rohit kept his hand extended, unfazed.

"Want to find out?"

Sheela looked toward Tanuj with a teasing grin.

"You won’t get jealous, darling?"

Tanuj snorted and reached for another drink.

"Like hell I would. Just try not to embarrass yourself too badly."

Then he smirked toward Rohit.

"Go on."

*******************************

A/N//: Image of Sheela added in fandom and could be checked in app’s character section. Some popularity vote for her please.