The annual Business Excellence Gala was not just a party; it was a battlefield. Every CEO in Mumbai used this night to showcase their power, their wealth, and most importantly, their stability. For Vihaan, tonight was about damage control. The rumors of the "Silent War" between him and Akshara were already leaking into the stock market.
Vihaan stood in front of his mirror, fuming. He had sent three different designer gowns to Akshara's apartment. All three had been returned to his office within an hour, unopened.
When he arrived at the venue, he saw her. She hadn't worn his gifts. Instead, she had draped a simple yet breathtaking Emerald Silk Saree that belonged to her mother. It was modest, elegant, and screamed of the middle-class pride he had tried to crush. She looked like a queen, but not his queen.
"You look... stunning," Vihaan whispered as she joined him at the entrance for the mandatory press photos.
"The guest list and the talking points for the Minister are in your inner pocket, Sir," she replied, her voice a low, professional hum. She didn't smile for the cameras. She stood beside him like a statue, cold and untouchable.
As they entered the ballroom, the whispers followed them like a trail of smoke.
"Look at them. She isn't even looking at him."
"Is it true? Did he really try to evict her?"
Vihaan felt the eyes on his back. He gripped Akshara's elbow, trying to pull her closer, but she subtly disengaged, moving to stand a respectful—and distant—two feet away.
"Stay close to me," he commanded under his breath.
"I am exactly where my contract requires me to be," she countered, her eyes scanning the room for potential business leads.
The night was just beginning, and Vihaan realized that while he owned the building, the gala, and the company, he was the most powerless man in the room.
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The Emerald Saree is such a power move! 💚 She rejected his luxury to show him she doesn't need his money. Who else loves 'Petty Akshara'?