Chapter 13 - Shadows That Follow

Scene 1: Unwanted Thoughts

Pranavi stared at the message on her phone, her fingers trembling slightly.

"The more you try to run, the closer I'll get."

Vedant Rathore.

A man who refused to let her be.

A man her brother called dangerous.

A man she should be terrified of.

But then why... why wasn't she?

She locked her phone and threw it onto the bed, frustrated. "Ignore him, Pranavi. He's just playing his game."

Yet, her mind betrayed her, dragging her back to his intense gaze, his teasing words, and the way he had looked at her in the rain-like she was something he had already claimed.

Shaking her head, she tried to push the thoughts away. "Stop overthinking. Your life is normal, and it will stay that way."

But deep down, she knew the truth.

Nothing was normal anymore.

---

A Silent Presence -

The next morning, Pranavi left for her university, determined to focus on her studies. She had promised herself that she wouldn't let Vedant's words affect her.

But as she stepped outside her house, she felt it.

A presence.

She turned her head slightly, scanning her surroundings. There was nothing unusual. Just a black SUV parked a little distance away.

Her heart skipped a beat.

She tried to shake off the feeling, moving ahead like she hadn't noticed anything. But when she reached the university, the same SUV was parked near the entrance.

Pranavi stiffened. No. It can't be.

And then, as if on cue, her phone buzzed.

Vedant: I told you, wifey. The more you try to run...

Her grip tightened around the phone.

This was not a coincidence.

---

Confrontation -

The day passed in a blur, but her mind remained restless. The SUV, Vedant's message-everything left an uneasy feeling in her chest.

By evening, as she stepped out of the university gates, her worst fear came true.

Vedant.

He stood casually beside his car as if this was completely normal. His white shirt had the first two buttons undone, sleeves rolled up, and his eyes held their usual mischief-but underneath, there was something darker.

Pranavi thought about walking away, but for some reason, her feet wouldn't move.

Vedant smirked slightly. "You've been avoiding me, Pranavi."

She folded her arms. "If it took you two days to realize that, maybe you're not as intelligent as people say."

Vedant chuckled, stepping closer. "I just needed confirmation that you were noticing me."

Pranavi narrowed her eyes. "What do you want, Vedant? Why are you following me?"

Vedant leaned in slightly, his voice lower. "I'm just making sure you're safe."

She scoffed. "Safe? From you?"

Vedant's smirk slowly disappeared. "Not from me. From the ones circling around you now."

Pranavi frowned. "What do you mean?"

Vedant's eyes darkened slightly. "You're not just Aarav's sister anymore, Pranavi. You've become a part of my world-whether you want to or not."

Pranavi's heart stopped for a second.

"His world?"

She took a sharp breath. "What do you mean, Vedant?"

Vedant was silent for a moment before he spoke-

"It means, wifey... that now, it's not just you I need to keep an eye on. It's everything connected to you."

(Scene fades out - Pranavi stands frozen, realizing that whether she liked it or not... she was now caught in Vedant Rathore's world.)

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