It's been a week.

A week since I ran into him. And I still don't even know his name.

Yet, here I am, sitting on my couch, staring at the ceiling like some filmy heroine, thinking about a stranger. Well, not just any stranger. A very tall, very handsome, and very intimidating stranger. The way his deep voice made my heart skip a beat... uff. Besharam dil, control kar.

I groaned, rolling onto my stomach, grabbing my phone, and immediately calling the one person I had to tell—my sister. Because honestly, I might burst if I don't.

The phone rang twice before she picked up.

"Haan, bol," my sister, Anaya, greeted, already sounding amused. Typical.

[Yes]

"Didi, ek baat bataun?" I asked dramatically, hugging a cushion.

[Sister i want to tell you something]

"Bata, bata, waise bhi mujhe do bacho ne pagal bana diya hai," she sighed, and I could hear her toddler babbling in the background. "Toh bata, kya kiya tu ne ab?"

[Tell me, anyway, two children have driven me crazy, tell me what did you do now ]

"Maine kuch nahi kiya!" I huffed. "Bas ek aadmi se takra gayi thi... matlab takra gayi nahi, matlab collied type? Like—uff leave it, samajh lo na!"*

[i didn't do anything ,Means i collied with a man.like, leave it]  

"Ek ladke se takra gayi? Acha? Phir? Kya woh tujhe uthake le gaya? Mafia toh nahi tha?" she teased, laughing.

Did you bump into a boy? Ok?then? Did he take you away?was he a mafia?

I sat up immediately. "Oye, meri baat suno na! Mafia jaisa toh lag raha tha, par mujhe nhi lagta!"

[hey, listen to me. He looks like mafia, but i don't think so]

"Oh? Banda itna khaas hai ki tu ek hafte se usi ke baare mein soch rahi hai?"

[he is so special that you have been thinking about him for a week.]

I sighed, flopping back down. *"Didi, woh na... ekdum alag tha. Matlab, bohot intimidating tha, par phir bhi usne mujhe flowers uthane diye nahi. Khud uthaye. Aur jab bola ki 'gentleman ka farz hota hai madad karna' I will not going to tell her about that incident i know she will worry.

[i did not know anything different. Meaning, it was very intimating but still he did not let me pick the flowers. He picked them himself and when it is the duty of a gentleman to help]

"gentleman ka farz hota hai madad karna'—uff, main wahi melt ho gayi, didi!"

['It is the duty of gentlemen to help'—uff,i melted here]

"Aree, matlab tu seedha pighal gayi? Yeh toh naya hai!" she teased, laughing.

[ooh means you just melted? This is so new.]

"Arey sach mein! Aur didi, uski height—matlab, main uske saamne ekdum chhoti lag rahi thi! 6ft se bhi zyada hoga!" I dramatically waved my arms, even though she couldn't see me.

[oh really ! And sister, his height—-meaning i was looking very short in front of him! Will be more than 6feet!]

"Haan, haan, aur kya? Six-pack abs bhi the?" she teased.

[yes, yes and what? Also had six-pack abs]

"Didi! Yeh kaise pata? Matlab coat ke neeche obviously dikh nahi raha tha, lekin andar se feel aa rahi thi, samjhi?!"

[sister, how do you know this? Meaning, it was not visible obviously under the coat, but i could feel it from inside understood.

"Haye baghwan, tu toh sach mein gayi kasam se!" she burst out laughing.

[ hey god, you are gone i swear]

Before I could argue, my Siberian Husky,PUMPKIN, jumped onto the couch, tail wagging as he licked my face.

"Pumpkin! Bas kar!" I giggled, trying to push him away.

[pumpkin ,stop it]

"Waise tujhe toh bas ek bahana chahiye bak-bak karne ka," she sighed. "Lekin ek minute—tujhe uska naam bhi nahi pata?"

[well you just need an excuse to blabber.one minute do you even know his name].

I paused.

"Nahi..." I muttered.

[no]

"Matlab tu ek ajnabi ke liye itni lattoo ho rahi hai jiska naam bhi nahi pata? Wah, kya baat hai!"

[i mean, you're so crazy about a man stranger whose name you don't even know? Wow]

"Main lattoo nahi ho rahi!" I protested. "Bas... woh ajeeb hai. Matlab, intimidating tha par phir bhi soft bhi tha. Jaane ka mann nahi kar raha tha, but phir bhi distance bana raha tha. Ek second mujhe dekh raha tha, doosre second jaane ki jaldi thi. Mujhe samajh nahi aa raha, didi!"

[i'm not getting crazy ,that was strange, it meant intimating but yet he was also soft and didn't want to go but was still maintaining distance. One second he was looking at me and the other second was in a hurry to go. I was not able to understand.] 

"Aree beta, yeh toh pakka ya toh banda Mafia hai ya phir ekdum complicated banda hai!" she said dramatically.

[this guy is definitely a mafia or a very complicated person]

I groaned. "Bas didi, mujhe confuse mat karo!"

[sister,Don't confuse me]

"Arre, main nahi kar rahi, tera dil khud hi confuse ho raha hai!"

[i am not confusing you it's your heart who is confused]

I sighed, running my fingers through Pumpkin's thick fur. "Kya pata, shayad phir kabhi mile woh."

[who knows if i'll will ever meet him again?]

"Mil gaya toh naam puch lena, varna firse ek hafte tak dimaag kharab karegi!"

[If you meet him again then ask the name, otherwise you will again going to eat my brain]

"Haan, haan, didi, love you too," I muttered, rolling my eyes as she laughed and ended the call.

{Okay, okay sister }

I hugged pumpkin, sighing. "Samajh nahi aa raha, pumpkin. Mujhe usse phir milne ko bhi milega ya nhi. Yeh kya chal raha hai mere saath?"

[i didn't understand pumpkin if i will meet him again or not. What is happening with me?]

Pumpkin simply wagged his tail and licked my face again.

"Haan, haan, tujhe toh bas pyaar chahiye, na?" I giggled, scratching his ears.

But deep down, I knew the truth—I wanted to see him again.

1 week ago,

The moment I stepped into the house, I knew they were waiting for me. The air was thick with something—anticipation, curiosity, and the undeniable scent of mischief.

Standing right in the center of the living room were my gang members, arms crossed, smirks plastered across their faces. Rowan was the first to step forward, tilting his head slightly, eyes gleaming with amusement.

"So, how was your little night adventure, Andrew?" he drawled, his voice laced with teasing.

I didn't respond immediately. Instead, I walked past them, unbuttoning my blazer, pretending as if their prying eyes didn't affect me. But they weren't ones to let things slide.

Luna, ever the bold one, crossed her arms and blocked my way. "Come on, don't act clueless. We know you met her," she said, her tone dripping with satisfaction.

Jaxson chuckled, leaning against the couch. "You were out longer than usual. Should we assume something interesting happened?"

I exhaled sharply, shooting them a glare, but that only fueled their excitement. Olivia and Isabel were whispering among themselves, barely suppressing their giggles. Emma, despite being pregnant, sat comfortably on the couch, her face glowing with interest. Even James, who usually stayed quiet, was watching me with raised brows.

I knew better than to let them keep going. They would push until they got a reaction.

"She got hurt," I stated simply.

The room went silent for a beat. The teasing faded slightly, replaced with curiosity.

"Hurt? What do you mean?" Isabel asked, her brows furrowing.

"Just a minor scratch," I clarified. "She was reckless, standing on the road, and nearly got hit. I had to take her to the hospital."

That was a mistake.

Immediately, Rowan smirked. "You? Taking a woman to the hospital? The same Andrew who tells us to stay out of unnecessary business?"

Jaxson whistled. "Damn. That's a first."

"Was she crying?" Olivia asked, her tone genuine but playful.

I clenched my jaw. "No."

"Did she hold your hand?" Luna pressed on.

"No."

"Did you hold her hand?" Emma interjected, smirking.

I didn't respond.

That was enough for them. A collective Ooooooh filled the room, followed by laughter and exaggerated nods of approval. Rowan, being the most insufferable, slid onto the couch, legs crossed, enjoying himself way too much.

"You like her," he stated as if it were a fact.

I shot him a glare. "You all are acting ridiculous."

Jaxson shrugged. "We're just stating the obvious."

"Besides," Olivia chimed in, "it's been a while since we've seen you react this way about anyone."

I had enough.

"Pack your bags," I said, switching the subject entirely.

They blinked.

"For what?" James asked cautiously.

I leaned against the table, crossing my arms. "We're going to Paris."

A collective groan filled the room.

"You've got to be kidding me," Rowan complained, throwing his head back. "We were planning to visit Shayeli's café tomorrow!"

"Yeah," Luna added, narrowing her eyes. "You knew we were planning that."

I smirked slightly. "And that's exactly why we're leaving."

Another wave of complaints echoed through the room, but I didn't budge.

For the past two years, we had been missing the annual fashion show in Paris—something we attended every year before things got too chaotic. It was a perfect excuse to keep them away from Shayeli. They were already too interested in her, and I wasn't about to let them invade her space even more.

"Come on, Andrew!" Olivia whined. "You never care about this event, and now, suddenly, we have to go?"

"Yes," I said simply. "We're leaving in the morning."

They groaned again, but I knew they had no choice. I was their leader, after all.

Still, as I walked toward my room, I couldn't help but feel a small sense of satisfaction.

I was staying back.

I didn't need to go to Paris. I had my own reasons to stay.

Watching her from afar, making sure she was safe—it gave me a kind of peace I couldn't explain.

She had no idea I was keeping an eye on her.

And she had no idea how much she was starting to affect me.

But right now , i needed something to clear my mind.

I walked into my private pool, the dim lights casting a soft glow over the crystal-clear water. The air was cool, and the faint scent of chlorine filled my senses as i removed my shirt and stepped towards the pool. The moment my body hit the water, the world outside faded away. The tension in my muscles melted as i moved through the water with smooth, practiced strokes.

Swimming had always been an escape for me. In the water, there were no responsibilities, no rivals, no betrayals—just silence and rhythm. I didn't have to think about the weight on my shoulders or the fact that a single woman had started to occupy my thoughts more than anything else.

I surfaced, running a hand through my wet hair, my breathing steady. But even here, she lingered in my mind. I found myself wondering what she was doing at that moment, if she was safe, if she was smiling. A ghost of a smirk touched my lips at the thought.

After a while, i pulled himself out of the water, grabbing a towel. The brief moment of peace was over. Now, it was time to do what i did best—watch over her from the shadows.

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thanks for reading.

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