CHAPTER 6

When Kishika, Rithvik, and Arun sat down for lunch, Kishika asked them about their business. Rithvik and Arun exchanged a quick glance before telling her that they were there for a business meeting. Kishika then explained that she was involved in marketing for her own business, which she had built from the ground up with her father's support.

Kishika: "Well, my father actually started the company from scratch. He worked really hard to build it up to what it is today."

Rithvik: "That's impressive. I have a lot of respect for self-made entrepreneurs. What kind of products does your company manufacture?"

Kishika: "We specialize in manufacturing eco-friendly cleaning products. It's a small business, but we're growing steadily."

Arun: "That's really interesting. I didn't know there was a market for eco-friendly cleaning products."

Kishika: "Yes, more and more people are becoming conscious about the environment and the harmful chemicals in traditional cleaning products. We're trying to make a difference by providing a safer and more sustainable alternative."

Rithvik: "I'm glad to hear that. We need more businesses that prioritize sustainability and social responsibility. Speaking of which, Arun and I are actually here on behalf of our organization to explore opportunities for renewable energy projects."

Kishika: "That's fantastic. I think it's great that your organization is focused on renewable energy. We definitely need to shift away from fossil fuels and towards more sustainable alternatives."

Arun: "Absolutely. We're always looking for innovative partners who share our values and vision. Would you be interested in exploring potential collaborations with us?"

Kishika: "Definitely. I think there could be some great synergies between our companies. Let's exchange contact information and explore this further."

Kishika: So, Arun, what do you do exactly in Rithvik's business? Arun: Oh, I'm just the muscle. Rithvik likes to keep me around for my charming personality. Kishika: (laughs) I see. And what about you, Rithvik? What's your role in the business? Rithvik: I wear many hats, but let's just say I'm in charge of making sure everything runs smoothly. Arun: Yeah, he's the boss man. Although sometimes I think he just likes to order people around. Kishika: (laughs) Well, as long as he gets the job done, right? Rithvik: Exactly. Arun: Speaking of jobs, Kishika, you must have some pretty tough clients in the marketing business. How do you deal with them? Kishika: Oh, you have no idea. But I have a secret weapon. Arun: Really? What's that? Kishika: Coffee. Lots and lots of coffee. Arun: (laughs) I like this girl.

As they continued their lunch, Kishika was surprised to see Rithvik cracking jokes and making her laugh. Arun, who was accustomed to Rithvik's serious demeanor, was also taken aback.

Kishika: "Rithvik, I didn't know you had a funny bone in you!"

Rithvik: "Oh, I have many bones, Kishika. Funny ones, serious ones, and even a few mysterious ones."

Arun: "You know, Kishika, I have known Rithvik for years and I have never seen him make jokes like this. Maybe he has finally found his calling as a stand-up comedian."

Rithvik: "Hey, watch it Arun. I have always been funny. It's just that I usually reserve my humor for special occasions, like when I'm trying to win over a beautiful woman."

Kishika blushed at his words, and Arun couldn't help but roll his eyes at his friend's smooth talk.

Arun: "Well, it looks like I have been replaced as your wingman, Rithvik. I didn't know you had such a way with words."

Rithvik: "What can I say, Arun? When you're in the presence of a beautiful woman like Kishika, the words just flow out of you."

Kishika laughed and shook her head at Rithvik's charming words. She was surprised at how quickly she had become comfortable around these two strangers, and she felt a pang of sadness knowing that they would soon have to part ways.

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Arun noticed that Kishika's face had suddenly turned somber, and he asked her what was wrong. Kishika replied, "I don't have many friends. After college, I became quite reserved, and as a result, I lost touch with most of my friends. I feel sad that we'll have to part ways after this lunch."

Rithvik could see the sadness in Kishika's eyes and felt a pang of sympathy. He didn't want her to feel lonely, so he spoke up, "Hey, don't worry. We could always keep in touch. Who knows, maybe we could even hang out again sometime soon."

Kishika looked up at Rithvik, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "Really? That would be amazing. I would love to hang out with you guys again."

Arun couldn't help but notice the connection between Kishika and Rithvik, and he felt a sense of happiness knowing that Kishika had found some new friends.

As Kishika was talking to Rithvik and Arun, her phone suddenly rang. It was her dad calling.

"Hey, dad! What's up?" Kishika answered cheerfully.

"Hey, sweetheart. Listen, an old friend of mine is coming over for dinner tonight and I forgot to buy some sweets. Can you pick some up on your way home?" Kishika's dad asked.

"Sure, dad. No problem. Who is this friend?" Kishika inquired.

"You don't know them. We grew up together and he's passing through Mumbai. I thought it would be nice to catch up," Kishika's dad explained.

"Okay, I'll grab some sweets on my way home. See you later, dad!" Kishika said as she hung up.

Just then, Rithvik's phone rang. It was his sister calling.

"Hey, sis! What's up?" Rithvik answered.

"Hey, bro! Guess what? We're in Mumbai and we're coming to see you!" Rithvik's sister exclaimed.

"What? Today?" Rithvik asked in shock.

"Yes, today! We're on our way to your place right now with Mom, Dad, and my husband," Rithvik's sister explained.

Rithvik was taken aback. He had not expected his family to visit him so suddenly. He stood up from his seat, looking worried.

Kishika noticed his reaction and asked, "Is everything okay?"

"No, my family is coming over. They're already on their way," Rithvik explained.

Kishika could see that Rithvik was flustered, so she tried to lighten the mood. "Oh, so you have a family? I thought you were an alien from outer space," she teased.

Rithvik chuckled. "Very funny. I'm not an alien, I'm a prince," he joked.

"A prince? Wow, that's impressive. Does that mean you have a castle and a dragon too?" Kishika asked sarcastically.

Rithvik laughed. "No, I don't have a castle or a dragon. But I do have a lot of responsibility," he said.

Just then, Arun joined in. "Yeah, and I have the responsibility of handling his mafia business," he said with a smirk.

Kishika was surprised. "What? You're a mafia boss?" she exclaimed.

Rithvik and Arun both burst out laughing. "No, no, Kishika. We were just joking. We're just regular businessmen," Rithvik assured her.

Kishika let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank goodness. For a moment there, I thought I was having lunch with the Godfather," she joked.

The three of them laughed and enjoyed the rest of their lunch together.

Arun: "You know Kishika, my father has more friends than I can count. I think he could even give Facebook a run for their money."

Kishika: laughs "Really? That's impressive."

Arun: "Yeah, he's the king of socializing. But hey, don't worry, you have us now. We can be your new friends."

Kishika: "Thanks, Arun. I appreciate that."

Arun: "No problem, just don't be surprised if we start tagging you in our posts and inviting you to all of our parties."

After finishing their lunch, Kishika, Rithvik, and Arun stepped out of the hotel. Arun and Kishika exchanged numbers, and Arun made a joke about how his father has more friends than Kishika. They all laughed and Arun said, "Don't worry, I'll be your friend now."

As they were walking out, Rithvik excused himself saying that he had to take an urgent call. He handed over his medical kit to Kishika, saying, "Take care of this. You never know when you might need it." Kishika nodded and smiled, thanking him for his concern.

Arun, who noticed the exchange between Kishika and Rithvik, teased her, "Looks like Rithvik wants you to get injured so that you'll need his medical kit." Kishika playfully rolled her eyes and retorted, "Oh please, I hope I never need to use it."

Arun and Kishika walked in one direction while Rithvik headed towards his car. As Kishika and Arun walked, they continued to chat and laugh. Arun shared some of his funny stories and Kishika found herself enjoying his company.

After Kishika left in the cab, Arun and Rithvik went to the parking area to get into Rithvik's car. As they settled inside the car, Arun couldn't resist teasing Rithvik about Kishika.

"So, you got her number, huh?" Arun said with a smirk on his face.

Rithvik rolled his eyes, "It's not like that, Arun. I just wanted to make sure she gets home safely."

"Sure, sure," Arun teased, "I saw the way you were looking at her. Don't tell me you're not interested."

Rithvik chuckled, "I'm not interested in her that way, Arun. She just seemed like a nice girl."

"Nice girl, huh?" Arun said, "Well, I think you should ask her out. She's definitely interested in you."

Rithvik raised his eyebrows, "What makes you think that?"

"I could see the way she was looking at you," Arun said, "And don't forget, I'm an expert at reading women."

Rithvik laughed, "Yeah, right. But even if she is interested, it's not that simple, Arun. I have a lot of responsibilities to take care of."

"I know, I know," Arun said, "But you also deserve to have some fun, my friend. Don't let your royal and mafia duties take over your entire life."

Rithvik smiled, "Thanks, Arun. I appreciate your concern."

Arun grinned, "Anytime, buddy. Now, let's get going. We have some business to take care of."

Arun laughed at Rithvik's situation and said, "Well, you can't be a mafia prince and not be prepared for unexpected visits from family. Maybe they just miss you too much."

Rithvik chuckled and replied, "Yeah, maybe. But you know how it is with family. Sometimes they can be a bit overwhelming."

Arun nodded in agreement and said, "Yeah, I get it. But hey, you've got us to help you handle them. We'll be there for you."

Rithvik smiled and thanked Arun for his support. "Thanks, man. I appreciate it."

As they drove through the busy streets of Mumbai, Arun couldn't resist teasing Rithvik a little more. "So, do you think Kishika is interested in you?"

Rithvik rolled his eyes and said, "Come on, Arun. We just met her. Let's not jump to conclusions."

Arun laughed and said, "I'm just kidding. But seriously, she seemed pretty cool. Maybe we should hang out with her again sometime."

Rithvik thought for a moment and said, "Yeah, maybe. It's always good to have new friends."

The two friends continued chatting as they made their way back to Rithvik's home, where they would soon face the thunderstorm that awaited them.

Rithvik drove his car towards the mansion, feeling a mix of excitement and apprehension. As he pulled up to the entrance, he saw his sister and her family standing there, waiting for him. His sister was the first to see him and rushed towards the car.

As Rithvik stepped out of the car, his sister enveloped him in a tight hug, almost knocking the breath out of him. "I missed you so much, Bhaiya!" she exclaimed, tears of joy streaming down her face.

Rithvik hugged her back, feeling a lump in his throat. It had been a long time since he had seen his sister, and he was overwhelmed with emotion. "I missed you too, Choti," he said, his voice choked with emotion.

As his sister released him, Rithvik turned to her husband and his parents. He greeted them warmly, feeling a surge of happiness at the sight of his family. "Come inside," he said, leading them towards the entrance of the mansion.

As they walked inside, Rithvik's sister couldn't stop talking about how excited she was to see him. "I can't believe we're finally here, Bhaiya," she said. "We've been planning this trip for so long!"

Rithvik smiled, feeling grateful for the unexpected visit from his family. He knew that it would be a challenge to balance his responsibilities as a prince and a mafia boss with spending time with his loved ones, but he was determined to make it work.

As they all settled down in the living room, Rithvik's sister started telling some of her crazy stories from their childhood. Arun and his sister's husband listened intently while Rithvik groaned and rolled his eyes.

"Oh, come on Rithvik, you know it's true!" his sister exclaimed, teasingly.

Rithvik chuckled and shook his head. "Yeah, yeah, I remember those days. But I never thought you'd bring them up in front of our guests."

Arun and his sister's husband laughed, and his sister replied, "Oh, don't be such a spoilsport. Besides, you have to admit, those were some good times."

As they continued to talk and joke around, Rithvik's sister's husband shared some of the things that his wife did to him on their way to Mumbai, including stealing his phone and making him sing karaoke in the car.

Everyone laughed and had a good time, and even Rithvik couldn't help but join in. It was nice to have some lighthearted moments with family and friends, and forget about the stresses of work and business for a little while.

Rithvik's sister's husband, Rohan, chuckled as he shared his story, "You know, Rithvik, your sister can be quite the terror sometimes. On our way here, she made me stop at every rest stop so she could buy snacks. And then, she proceeded to eat them all herself and refused to share with me!"

Everyone laughed, and Rithvik's mom added, "Yes, and she used to do the same thing to Rithvik when they were younger. Always taking his food and leaving him with nothing."

Arun joined in, "Looks like your sister has a history of being a snack thief. I'll have to keep an eye on her when we're all eating together."

Rithvik rolled his eyes but couldn't help but smile at the lighthearted banter.

As they were all talking and laughing, suddenly they heard Rithvik's dad's authoritative voice from the hallway, "Get ready, all of you! We are going to see the girl for Rithvik!" This statement left both Rithvik and Arun in shock, and they looked at each other with horror in their eyes.

Arun tried to lighten the mood and jokingly asked Rithvik's dad, "Sir, do we need to bring flowers for the girl or not?" but Rithvik's dad was not in a mood to joke and gave a stern look to Arun.

Rithvik was worried and hesitant, but his mom reassured him and said, "Don't worry, beta. It's just a meeting. We are not forcing you for anything." However, Rithvik was still not convinced and looked worried.

As they all got ready to leave, Arun whispered to Rithvik, "Looks like we are going to face more thunderstorm than you did earlier." Rithvik chuckled a little at this, trying to lighten the mood, but the tension in the air was palpable.

They all piled up in the car and drove towards the girl's house. Arun tried to make jokes and lighten the mood, but everyone was too tense to laugh. Rithvik's dad seemed to be lost in thought, and his mom kept reassuring Rithvik that everything would be alright.

Finally, they reached the girl's house, and they all got out of the car, nervously waiting for what was to come.