Page 130 of Mrs. Rathore

"Rhea, watch your language," Aryan warned his sister, walking away without another word, leaving a hint of tension in the air.

After half an hour,

"Hey, Bhabhi!" Saurav called out, a perfect grin on his handsome face. He looked casually cool in his olive green T-shirt and light cargo pants. His hair, like most of the men in our group, was cut short, showing his profession in the Indian Air Force. He had brought his eight-seater Kia Carnival for our trip.

I looked past him and saw a very muscular man sitting inside the car, seemingly unaffected by our presence. He didn't even bother to get out and greet us.

"That one is my friend, Karan Shekhawat," Saurav explained, still grinning. "He's a medical officer in the Indian Army."

"Oh," I said, a little surprised by the man's reserved manner.

"I would have never agreed to come if you told me this Lovezilla is also coming," Kavya spat, dramatically flipping her hair as she walked towards the car.

"Excuse me, Lovezilla has feelings too. And a fan following, unlike someone who still thinks flipping hair is a power move," Saurav retorted.

Kavya froze, turning to give him a look that could curdle milk.

"Oh my, my, we got a handsome hunk in here," Kavya cooed, now fully focused on the medical officer who looked clearly uninterested in her flirting. "It's Kavya Singh..."

She held out her hand, a dazzling smile on her face, but Karan simply frowned and looked away, as if she were invisible. Kavya, undeterred, kept going.

"You're the first one to give me this cold look, and it makes me want to know you more."

Karan finally met her gaze, his eyes cold and blank.

"That's cute, Miss Singh. But I'm not a puzzle. I'm a warning label most people are smart enough to read and walk away from."

He paused, his lips curving into a faint, almost unnoticeable smirk.

"You, unfortunately, seem like the type who'd lick a 'high voltage' sign just for fun."

Saurav, unable to control himself, burst into the loudest laugh I had ever heard from him. I bit my lip, trying to hold back a smile for my friend's sake. Kavya, however, looked genuinely offended, her jaw dropped as she stared at Karan with the coldest glare she could manage.

"What's so funny?" Rhea asked, walking out with a duffel bag over her shoulder. I glanced back, but Aryan was still inside, finishing his last bits of work.

"Nothing, just someone found out her place," Saurav shrugged playfully, still chuckling.

Rhea walked up to the car and sat next to Kavya, who still seemed frozen in angry silence.

"Where's Bhai?" she asked, looking back at the house.

"I'm here," Aryan announced, running his fingers through his hair. He looked incredibly handsome, a charming figure in his simple white T-shirt and blue jeans.

"We also need to pick up Ira and Prashant, who are probably fighting right now," he added, before sliding next to Karan, who was driving. I, Rhea, and Kavya settled into the back row, while Saurav sat in the middle seat.

Within a few minutes, we spotted Ira and Prashant, just as Aryan had predicted, deep in what looked like an argument.

Ira stood poised and calm, even amid the obvious tension, in a striking blue strappy dress and high heels. Her hair was loosely tied in a bun, with a few delicate strands framing her beautiful face.

Prashant, in contrast, wore a burgundy T-shirt and black jeans, his expression clearly showing his amusement at whatever Ira had just said.

"Is she going to walk in a fashion show?" Kavya whispered, her earlier anger temporarily forgotten as we pulled the car to a stop.

Ira stood perfectly straight, her face showing no emotion. The click of her heels echoed as she walked with a clear, determined purpose, barely looking at us.

Next to her, Prashant dramatically dragged her small bag, pretending it was very heavy, with a playful grin on his face.

"Look at her," he said loudly, letting out a fake sigh. "Always graceful, but I'm just the unlucky person carrying her fancy bag."