Devraj glanced at Mishti through the rearview mirror, who was sitting right behind him, smiling softly while gazing out of the window. His eyes, filled with irritation, tried to focus straight ahead, but the very next moment, they were back on the mirror again. He was driving the car, but today, his mind wasn’t in it at all. The steering wheel felt heavier in his hands than usual, and it was clear he couldn’t concentrate.

And the truth was, Devraj didn’t trust anyone with the wheel, not even Mantra, who was sitting in the passenger seat beside him. No matter how close they were, Devraj preferred to be in control. But today was different. Mantra, noticing Devraj’s distracted state, suddenly looked forward and yanked the steering wheel towards his side, shouting loudly at him in panic.

“Dude, what are you doing…”

Only then did Devraj realize they were seconds away from colliding with an oncoming car. The realization of his mistake hit him hard, and he immediately regretted it. But before guilt could completely sink in, his eyes darted to the back seat where both girls were sitting.

Divyanshi looked at him with visible fear in her eyes, while Mishti blinked repeatedly, as if she were trying to process what had just happened. Devraj instantly reached out to place a reassuring hand on Divyanshi’s head, examining her carefully, and asking in a low, concerned tone.

“Are you okay?”

She nodded silently. Devraj then turned toward Mishti, who, without him even asking, gave a slight nod as if something had just passed between them, unspoken but understood. Mantra didn't waste another moment before speaking firmly.

“You just sit and relax. I’ll drive from here.”

“It was just a small mistake. I’ll handle it.”

Devraj replied flatly. Mantra wasn’t convinced.

“Dev, don’t act like no one else knows how to do anything and you’re the only responsible one. I know you juggle a lot of things, constantly running around, exhausting yourself in the process. Just rest for a while. Let me take the wheel.”

Devraj looked back at the two girls again. The guilt was still fresh, he hadn’t been paying attention to the road at all. For once, he didn’t argue much. Silently, he stepped out of the car. All three of them exchanged surprised looks, this was the first time Devraj had given in so easily. Mantra didn’t waste a second; without saying anything more, he quickly jumped into the driver’s seat. Devraj then opened the rear door, glanced at Mishthi, and said calmly,

“Why don’t you come and sit in the front passenger seat for a while? I’ll sit in the back and rest.”

Just as Mishthi opened her mouth to respond, Divyanshi beat her to it. She quickly got out and slid into the passenger seat herself, turning to Devraj with a playful smirk.

“I’ll be sitting here. Every time you drive, I end up sitting in the backseat. You're my chauffeur, and I’m your employer.”

Mantra and Mishti erupted into laughter upon hearing her words. Mishthi quickly turned away, sliding around the car toward the other seat, while Devraj, who had been holding the door open for her, silently climbed in and sat beside her.

In truth, he had suggested the seat switch just to avoid being close to Mishti. But now, ironically, he was sitting right next to her again. For a moment, he hesitated, uncertain of how to deal with the awkwardness, but eventually gave in and sat down quietly.

Mishti, meanwhile, was rummaging through her bag, and without a word, unwrapped a chocolate and leaned forward, popping it directly into her brother’s mouth. Despite his efforts to ignore her, Devraj couldn't help but glance at Mishti.

Then Mishti took out another chocolate and, smiling warmly, handed it to Divyanshi in the front seat.

Finally, she took out a third chocolate and, with a soft smile, turned toward Devraj, who had been looking at her. She waved the chocolate in front of him, offering it. He immediately wanted to refuse, and Mishti already knew he wasn’t fond of sweets. Still, she softly mumbled under her breath while pulling the chocolate back toward herself:

"Kadva karela (bitter gourd…)"

But before she could pull it back completely, Devraj unexpectedly reached out and grabbed the chocolate, and in doing so, his fingers brushed against hers.

The moment their hands touched, both of them froze. Their eyes locked, and a wave of electricity seemed to surge through their bodies, intense and paralyzing. Mishthi quickly pulled her hand away as if she'd been shocked, turning toward the window, trying to hide her flushed cheeks. Devraj sat still, holding the chocolate in his hand, silently dealing with the strange sensation that had overtaken him.

The car continued to move at its usual pace, but neither Devraj nor Mishthi dared to look at each other again. Mishthi sat rigidly, trying her best to stay calm. However, some internal turmoil was building.

An inexplicable restlessness raced through her veins, a strange tension that accelerated her heartbeat. Just his presence beside her, his nearness, was enough to cause her to lose her balance. She didn’t want to look at him, but it was like her whole being was demanding she do just that.

“F**k…”

Mishthi muttered this under her breath, so softly that only someone really close would hear, but Devraj did hear it. He turned slightly to look at her, just for a second, but said nothing. Instead, he quietly pulled out his phone and tried to refocus his attention on his work, anything to distract himself from the rising emotions threatening to take over.

Mantra was driving the car, but his focus kept drifting to the side where Divyanshi's phone screen was constantly lighting up with messages. He kept stealing glances at it from the corner of his eye. Yet he could clearly sense that Divyanshi wasn’t responding to any of them. She had placed her phone aside and hadn’t even touched it. A faint smile spread across his lips, and he looked at her again. She was entirely engrossed in eating her chocolate, unaware of his quiet observation.

Mantra had already taken care of all the necessary arrangements. He knew that if they wasted any time with hotel bookings or check-ins after arriving, no one would be able to save them from Devraj’s wrath. So he had made sure everything was already sorted. Taking out his phone while continuing to drive, he glanced at Divyanshi and spoke calmly:

“Confirm the hotel room details and inform them we’ll arrive in about 15 minutes. If we want food in the room, inform them in advance.”

“No, please… We are not eating in the room,” Divyanshi instantly objected. “Not even once. Look, we’re already overloaded with work due to the office, and we’ll be stuck there for five days straight. If we start eating in the room, too, we won’t step out at all. At least keep in mind that your sister is also traveling with us. If you make her this busy, she’ll start avoiding work right from day one!”

Hearing that, Mishti leaned forward slightly through the middle space between the seats, looked at her brother, and chimed in:

“Yes, Bhai… Besides, you guys will be working only in the mornings, right? After that, you’ll be free. You two never seem to enjoy your lives at all. Ever since college ended, it's like you both renounced fun altogether... I’ve even packed my swimsuit, we're definitely going swimming, hitting the disco, and going out for late-night ice cream runs.”

The moment Devraj's eyes moved forward through that gap, they landed directly on her. The way she was stubbornly pushing her plans in front of her brother… he should’ve felt frustrated. But for the first time, he did not feel frustrated. He just kept looking at her in silence. Divyanshi, turning around from the passenger seat, looked back at Devraj and added playfully:

“Dev, please… This time let’s go to a disco.”

“I have no interest in such places,” Devraj replied bluntly. “And I suggest you don’t go either.”

“Come on, Dev… A little fun won’t hurt. Just for a change,” Divyanshi insisted.

She began pleading with him like a little sister, and Mishthi turned to watch her. Devraj didn’t respond directly to Divyanshi. Instead, he looked at Mishthi and answered his sister through her.

“What are you even going to do at a disco?”

“Dance,” Mishti answered flatly.

Mantra and Divyanshi burst out laughing while Devraj shot her a sharp glare.

“You just danced at a party recently. It’s not necessary to do it again at a disco.”

“We don’t have parties every day, do we? That’s exactly why discos exist, for people to dance,” Mishti shot back casually. “Besides, if you don’t feel like dancing, you can always sit in the corner and watch the girls. I’m sure you won’t mind that.”

Divyanshi was clearly enjoying the conversation. She knew Mishti never agreed to anything easily and wasn’t afraid to speak her mind, no matter who she was talking to. And Devraj, the man who never listened to anyone, was actually arguing with Mishti now. As soon as Mishti said that, Devraj muttered.

“I don’t like watching girls…”

“Damn it!” Mishti responded with exaggerated shock, “I never realized you were into boys…”

At that, Divyanshi and Mantra couldn’t hold back and started laughing loudly. Devraj gave Mishti a hard stare, but she just laughed even louder and turned to Divyanshi with a wink.

“No problem, the three of us will go… And if these two don’t agree, don’t you worry, I’ll handle my brother. Convincing him is super easy for me. You don’t need anyone’s permission. Just come with me.”

Hearing that, Divyanshi looked at Devraj as if to ask what he’d do about it. Mishthi immediately followed up, turning to Devraj but speaking to Divyanshi:

“Come on, Divyanshi… You should know for yourself if what you’re doing is right or wrong. If you’re not doing anything wrong, you don’t have to fear anyone, not your brother, not your parents. Deep down, we all know when something is right and when it’s not.”

Devraj clenched his fists tightly. He didn’t want to say anything further. Meanwhile, Mantra, who had been listening intently, added with a subtle smile:

“You know what, I really liked what you said, that you should know what is right and wrong for yourself. I just hope you truly do… right, bachcha…? And if you ever realize you’re doing something wrong… I hope you’ll have the strength to fix it too.”

Mishthi’s eyes immediately turned to her brother. A sudden chill passed through her heart. Somewhere deep down, a fear sparked within her: what if her brother actually did know about her wrong habits? What if he had sensed something already? She finds his statement like a silent warning.

She fell silent, her confidence visibly shaken. Divyanshi, unaware of the tension, simply turned back to face forward. Mishti looked again at her brother, who was quietly driving, but she could feel Devraj's attention was on her. As she turned to look at him, he quickly averted his gaze. This time, she felt unsettled by his reaction. She turned her face toward the window, her mind screaming inside.

What the hell is wrong with me? His presence alone is enough to mess with my head. And I don’t even like this man… Then why am I getting these weird feelings that make me want to be near him? Is it his masculinity?… No doubt he is very manly…. Is that what’s pulling me toward him? … Of course, it could be. Objectively, he is handsome. He could easily be any girl’s desire. There’s nothing missing in him. If I forget the fact that I don’t like him… If I forget that he is my brother's friend, whom I have known since childhood and who tends to be bossy with everyone, then yes, I might fall for a man like him. No, Mishti… Get your mind straight. This man is not your preference. It might be beneficial to maintain some distance. There are plenty of men in the world; someone somewhere will come along who’s meant for you. And when the time is right, it will all fall into place. But one thing is absolutely certain: you need to stay miles away from this man.

Mishti was already exhausted from the roller coaster of emotions inside her. Being someone who processed everything practically and logically, she made a firm decision in her mind; she knew exactly what she had to do now. Fixing her gaze outside the window, she sat still and quiet, locking her thoughts deep inside, unwilling to let herself fall again.