The Revelation
Riya could barely sleep that night. The name “Aarav Malhotra” rang in her ears again and again. She turned in her bed, staring at the ceiling fan above, her mind refusing to rest. She replayed every moment she’d shared with him—every argument, every sarcastic smile, every accidental laugh—and the weight of the truth crushed her.
All this time, I thought he was just another arrogant client. But he’s… the billionaire. The Aarav Malhotra.
It wasn’t just shocking—it was terrifying. People like him lived in a different universe. Wealth, power, influence—they were untouchable. And she? She was just a simple girl who counted coins before paying rent.
The next morning, she walked into the office with her stomach in knots. She avoided looking at his cabin, kept her head down, and tried to focus on her work. But fate, as always, had other plans.
“Ms. Sen,” came that familiar deep voice behind her.
Riya stiffened. Slowly, she turned. Aarav stood there, hands in his pockets, his usual calm, unreadable expression fixed on her.
“Good morning, Mr. Malhotra,” she said stiffly.
The formality in her tone made him frown. “Mr. Malhotra? Since when?”
“Since I learned the truth.” She shut her file, her voice trembling slightly. “You should have told me who you really were.”
His eyes narrowed. “And if I had? Would you have treated me any differently?”
Riya hesitated. “Of course… yes. You’re not just a client. You’re… you’re you.”
“And that’s exactly why I didn’t tell you,” Aarav said quietly, stepping closer. “Because I didn’t want to be treated like the billionaire. I wanted to be treated like a man.”
His words hit her harder than she expected. She opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came out. Instead, she looked away, her chest tight.
---
That week, the office atmosphere between them changed. Their easy banter was gone. Riya was suddenly too conscious of everything—her words, her clothes, her every move. Aarav, on the other hand, was patient. He gave her space, yet his presence lingered like a shadow.
On Wednesday evening, he found her again, alone in the cafeteria. She was stirring her coffee absentmindedly, lost in thought.
“Still avoiding me?” Aarav asked, sliding into the chair opposite hers.
Riya looked up, startled. “I’m not—”
“You are,” he said firmly. “And I don’t like it.”
She sighed, rubbing her forehead. “You don’t understand. You’re from a world I can never belong to. People like me… we don’t end up around people like you.”
Aarav leaned forward, his voice calm but intense. “Do you think money changes everything? That it defines who I can or cannot talk to? Riya, I’m still the same man you argued with in the corridor. The same man you called arrogant. The same man who laughed at your bad jokes.”
She blushed at the memory, but forced herself to hold her ground. “You don’t get it. People will talk. They’ll say I’m using you. They’ll say—”
“They’ll say a lot of things,” Aarav interrupted. “But I don’t care.”
Riya’s heart pounded. The seriousness in his tone unsettled her. She looked into his eyes and saw something she had tried to deny all along—a spark, a pull, something beyond logic.
---
The days that followed brought them closer in ways neither had anticipated. Aarav began showing up at her desk with excuses—“Need help with this report,” “Can you check these numbers,” “What’s your opinion on this strategy?”—and each time, Riya knew he didn’t need her help. He just wanted to be around her.
One rainy evening, the office was nearly empty when Riya realized she had forgotten her umbrella. She stood by the glass doors, staring at the heavy downpour.
“Waiting for the rain to stop?” Aarav’s voice came from behind.
She turned. He held an umbrella in his hand, a mischievous smile tugging at his lips. “Come on. I’ll drop you.”
“I’ll manage,” Riya said quickly.
“Don’t be stubborn,” he insisted. “You’ll get drenched.”
Before she could protest again, he opened the umbrella and held it over her. “Walk with me.”
And so, against her better judgment, she did. They walked side by side through the rain, the umbrella barely big enough for two. Their shoulders brushed. The air smelled of wet earth, their footsteps splashing in tiny puddles. Riya felt her heart thudding, louder than the rain itself.
At the parking lot, Aarav opened the door of his sleek black car. “Get in.”
Riya hesitated. “This car probably costs more than my entire life.”
He chuckled. “It’s just a car. You’re more valuable than this, you know.”
Her breath caught in her throat. She slipped inside, her cheeks burning.
---
The ride home was quiet, but the silence wasn’t empty—it was heavy with unspoken words. Riya looked out at the rain-soaked city lights, while Aarav occasionally stole glances at her.
When the car stopped outside her small apartment building, she quickly unbuckled her seatbelt. “Thank you… for the ride.”
“Riya,” he said softly.
She froze, turning back. His eyes held hers, steady and unwavering.
“You don’t need to be afraid of me. Or of what I have. I just want to know you. The real you.”
For a moment, time stood still. Then, before she could answer, her phone buzzed loudly in her bag, breaking the spell. She muttered a quick goodbye and hurried out into the rain, leaving Aarav watching her retreat with a complicated expression.
---
That night, Riya lay awake again, her heart restless. She had seen sincerity in his eyes, and it terrified her. Because if she admitted what she felt, she knew there was no going back.
Meanwhile, in his penthouse apartment overlooking the city skyline, Aarav sat by the window, a glass of whiskey untouched in his hand. He had faced boardrooms, rivals, and billion-dollar deals without flinching. But one simple girl with fire in her eyes was enough to shake his entire world.
And he knew one thing for certain—he wasn’t going to let her go.
---
Next part is coming....
