CHAPTER 8

As soon as Rithvik's family reached their home, they all gathered in the living room. Sara, Rithvik's mischievous sister, along with her husband Rohan and their friend Arun, were already present there.

Sara saw Rithvik and couldn't resist pulling his leg. "Oh, look who's here! Our dear Rithvik is finally getting married. You sure you're ready for it, bro?"

Rithvik rolled his eyes and replied, "Oh come on, Sara. Give me a break."

Rohan, Sara's husband, chimed in, "Yeah, Rithvik. You're not getting any younger, you know. Time to settle down."

Arun added to the teasing, "Yeah, man. And don't worry, we'll be here to keep you entertained even after you're married."

Rithvik's mom, who was known for her dramatic and sarcastic comments, said, "Oh, I'm sure Kishika will have a lot of work on her hands trying to handle our Rithvik."

Everyone burst out laughing, except for Rithvik's dad, who had gone to his room to rest.

Sara continued teasing, "So, bro, have you started planning the honeymoon yet? Or do you need our help?"

Rithvik couldn't help but laugh, "I think I'll manage on my own, thanks."

His mom interjected, "Oh, but we want to be a part of the planning, dear. After all, we want our Rithvik to have the best honeymoon ever."

Everyone burst out laughing again, enjoying the light-hearted banter.

It was a nice and relaxed moment for the family, and even though Rithvik's dad was not present there, they knew he would have enjoyed the teasing and laughter just as much as they did.

Rohan grinned mischievously. "Oh come on Rithvik, don't act like you're not excited to get married."

Rithvik rolled his eyes. "I am excited, Rohan. But you guys don't have to tease me about it."

Sara giggled. "Oh, we absolutely do. It's our duty as your siblings to embarrass you as much as possible."

Rithvik's mom chimed in. "And don't forget that I have plenty of embarrassing stories about Rithvik that I can share."

Arun snickered. "Yes, please do share. I want to know all of Rithvik's deepest, darkest secrets."

Rithvik groaned. "You guys are impossible."

Sara draped an arm over Rithvik's shoulder. "Aw, come on bro. We're just having some fun. You know we love you."

Rithvik smiled despite himself. "Yeah, I know. But sometimes you guys take it too far."

Rithvik's mom smiled. "Well, we just want to make sure you're ready for married life. It's not easy, you know."

Rohan raised an eyebrow. "Oh, and I suppose you were ready for it, mom?"

Rithvik's mom smirked. "Of course I was. Your dad was the one who needed some convincing."

Everyone laughed as Rithvik's dad emerged from his room, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "What's all the commotion about? Can't a man get some sleep around here?"

Sara grinned. "Sorry dad, we were just teasing Rithvik about getting married."

Rithvik's dad yawned. "Ah, well in that case, carry on. I need my beauty rest anyway."

Everyone laughed as they continued their teasing, enjoying the lighthearted moment with their family.

Rohan, suddenly spoke up, "Hey, Rithvik bhai, do you remember that girl from college who used to follow you around like a puppy dog? What was her name again?"

Rithvik's face turned red with embarrassment as he remembered the girl, "Oh, don't remind me, Rohan. She was so clingy, it was suffocating."

Sara chimed in, "Oh, I remember her! She was always so desperate for your attention. I bet she's still pining for you."

Rithvik's mom added, "Well, she was a nice girl, but you never showed any interest in her. You were always too busy with your work."

Arun, suddenly spoke up, "Come on, Rithvik, spill the beans! You must have had a crush on someone at some point in your life."

Rithvik rolled his eyes, "No, I've always been too busy for that kind of stuff. Besides, I'm more focused on my career."

Sara laughed, "Oh, come on, Rithvik bhai, don't be so boring! You're young, handsome, and successful. You should be out there living it up!"

Rohan interjected, "Yeah, and what about Kishika? She seems like a sweet girl, don't you think?"

Rithvik's face softened at the mention of Kishika, "Yes, she is a sweet girl. And we're taking things slow, so don't get any ideas."

Rithvik's mom smiled slyly, "Oh, we're not getting any ideas. But you never know what could happen in the future."

Everyone laughed as Rithvik shook his head in exasperation, "You guys are impossible."

As the group was in the midst of teasing Rithvik, his phone suddenly vibrated with a message notification. Rithvik's face lit up with a smile as he reached for his phone, but before he could even read the message, his sister Sara snatched it out of his hand.

Sara: "Well, well, well, who do we have here? Kishika, huh? What's she saying?"

Rithvik: "Give me my phone back, Sara."

Sara: "Oh no, I don't think so. I want to see what lovey-dovey message Kishika has sent my little brother."

Rithvik's mom chimed in, "Let her read it, Rithvik. We all want to know what your future wife is saying to you."

Rohan added with a grin, "Yeah, come on Rithvik. Share the love."

Rithvik reluctantly sat back, as Sara began to read the message out loud.

Sara: "Hey, just wanted to say good night and that I had a really good time today. Looking forward to getting to know you better. Sleep well."

Sara then turned to Rithvik with a smirk, "Aww, isn't that sweet? I guess Kishika likes you after all."

Rithvik rolled his eyes but couldn't help but smile, "Yeah, she's pretty amazing."

Rithvik's mom interjected, "You know, Rithvik, Kishika comes from a really good family. They're well-respected. You're lucky to have her."

Rithvik sighed inwardly and he just smiled and nodded, "I know, Mom. I'm really grateful."

The teasing and joking continued throughout the night, but Rithvik couldn't help but think about Kishika and how he was looking forward to getting to know her better.

After their sweet conversations, Rithvik and his family retired to their respective rooms. Rithvik took a relaxing shower and changed into his nightdress. As he settled into his bed, he picked up his phone and saw a message from Kishika.

"Hey, just wanted to say good night and that I had a really good time today. Looking forward to getting to know you better. Sleep well," the message read.

Rithvik smiled to himself as he read the message. He quickly typed a reply, "Hey Kishika, I had a great time too. I'm really glad we're getting to know each other. Sweet dreams."

Satisfied with his message, Rithvik put his phone aside and drifted off to sleep, his mind filled with thoughts of Kishika and their future together.

MIDNIGHT…..

Rithvik was sound asleep, completely unaware of what was happening around him. His breathing was deep and steady, and he was lost in a world of dreams. Suddenly, he was jolted awake by the sound of his phone ringing. He groggily reached for his phone, wondering who could be calling him at this hour.

As he looked at the screen, he saw that the number was unknown. He hesitated for a moment, but then decided to answer the call. As he held the phone to his ear, he heard a deep, sinister laugh coming from the other end of the line.

Rithvik's heart rate spiked as he immediately recognized the voice. It was his enemy, the one who had been causing him so much trouble over the past few months. Rithvik sat up in bed, alert and ready for whatever his enemy had to say.

"What do you want?" Rithvik growled into the phone.

The laughter on the other end continued, as if the person was enjoying the discomfort they were causing Rithvik. "I just wanted to check in on you, Rithvik. See how you're doing."

Rithvik knew that his enemy was not one to make idle chit-chat. He braced himself for whatever was coming next. "Cut the crap. I know you're not calling just to check in on me."

There was a brief pause on the other end of the line before the voice spoke again. "You're right, Rithvik. I'm not. I'm calling to give you a warning. You know what you did yesterday morning. That member you took out was one of mine. And I won't stand for it."

Rithvik felt a surge of anger in his chest. He knew that his actions would have consequences, but he had made the decision to eliminate the threat to his business. "I did what I had to do. I won't apologize for defending myself and my interests."

His enemy let out a cold, humorless laugh. "We'll see about that, Rithvik. You might have won this round, but the game is far from over. Consider this a warning. You cross me again, and there will be hell to pay."

With that, the line went dead, and Rithvik was left alone in the silence of his room, his mind racing with thoughts of what his enemy might do next. He knew that he needed to be careful, but he also knew that he couldn't back down. The stakes were too high, and he was willing to do whatever it takes to protect what was his.

After the call, Rithvik sat silently for a few minutes, staring at the wall with a deep frown on his face. He knew that he was in deep trouble and that he had to act fast to protect himself and his family.

Finally, he reached for his phone and dialed a number. After a few rings, a deep voice answered, "Hello?"

"It's me," Rithvik said quietly. "I need your help."

"What's wrong?" the voice on the other end asked.

"I just got a call from one of my enemies," Rithvik replied. "He knows that I killed one of his men, and he's giving me a warning. I need to make sure that my family and I are safe."

"I'll take care of it," the voice said in a reassuring tone. "Just stay put and keep a low profile. I'll handle everything."

Rithvik breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that he could trust this person, and he felt grateful that he had someone he could rely on in such a dangerous world. He hung up the phone and sat back in his chair, hoping that everything would be okay.

AUTHOR'S POV…

After the call from his enemy, Rithvik was furious and scared at the same time. He knew that his enemy was warning him about the recent murder he had committed, and he couldn't take it lightly. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, and decided to call his trusted associate, Joy.

Joy was Rithvik's right-hand man in his mafia business. He handled most of the day-to-day operations and was responsible for the execution of many of Rithvik's plans. Rithvik knew he could trust Joy with his life and was confident that Joy would have his back in any situation.

Rithvik quickly dialed Joy's number and waited for him to pick up. When Joy answered, Rithvik's voice was tense and urgent. He explained the situation to Joy and asked him to increase their security measures immediately. Joy, who knew how to handle such situations, reassured Rithvik that everything would be taken care of and advised him to stay calm and vigilant.

After the call ended, Rithvik felt a bit better knowing that Joy was on top of things. He tried to get some sleep but couldn't shake off the feeling of unease. He kept replaying the conversation with his enemy in his head and wondered what other dangers lay ahead for him and his business.

END OF AUTHOR'S NOTE….

It was past midnight, and Kishika was fast asleep in her bed. The room was dark and quiet, except for the sound of the crickets outside. Suddenly, something rustled near the window, and then there was a soft thud. Kishika stirred slightly in her sleep, but then settled back down.

A moment later, a piece of paper fluttered in through the open window and landed on Kishika's face. Startled, she jerked awake and sat up, rubbing her eyes. The paper rustled in the dark as Kishika picked up the paper; she saw a message written in bold letters that sent shivers down her spine. It read, "You will pay for what you did. Watch your back." There was no name mentioned, but she had a sinking feeling in her stomach that it was related to the incident she witnessed earlier that day.

She tried to calm herself down and think logically. Who could have sent this message? Was it someone from the mafia group that she saw earlier? Or was it someone else entirely? She felt a knot in her stomach as she realized that she was in danger, and she didn't even know who her enemy was.

Kishika got out of her bed and went to the window. She looked outside, but there was no one there. It was dark and quiet, and the streetlights cast a dim glow on the empty road. She felt helpless and vulnerable, like she was being watched.

She remembered the men from the morning incident, and the thought of them being related to the threat made her feel even more uneasy. She wondered if they had seen her, if they knew who she was. She decided that she needed to be cautious and alert from now on, as she couldn't afford to take any risks.

Kishika went back to her bed, but she couldn't sleep. She kept thinking about the threat and the possibility of danger lurking around her. She wished she had someone to talk to, someone to confide in. But she knew that she was alone in this, and she had to be strong and face whatever came her way.