A big ballroom, dropped in suffocating silence of old money and new sins.The air was heavy, expensive blend of white lilies and ambition.Every face here is wearing a facade of honesty, truth and innocence, but in reality they were merely showcasing their price tags.

At the middle of the room, my brother Vardaan Jindal, stood probably judging the hypocritical people surrounding him

Vardaan is elegance distilled, a man who built his empire of controlling every variable.

Every few minutes, his eyes would sweep the ballroom, only to halt at me, his little sister. I am his cherished sister, a tether to his morality.

I am Kashvi Jindal, people call me rebellious, but I think accepting everything without question is perhaps called compliance.Non compliance is rebellious, then I am fine with it.

I am 5'5, a fair complexion with eyes drooling curvy body only because of my rigorous workout routine-a routine that helped me burn off the excess pampering of being a Jindal.

"So, ladies and gentleman, give a round of applause for Mr Vardaan Tindal forgiving the largest bid of this diamond studded necklace" the auctioneer announced, his voice booming with fake enthusiasm.

It was a bidding where a necklace cast with seven hundred million worth diamonds was just sold, and guess what? It was now owned by my brother.

I stood by a secluded bar, letting the ice in my rejected single-malt whiskey melt.

The jewels sparkled, the crowd cheered and Vardaan bhai smiled-a smile that didn't reach his eyes

The auctioneer's voice boomed again drawing attention to the next lot.

It was not a grand piece, but a pair of daimond-studded earring, minimal yet exquisite.

I am not a kind of person who ever bids or participate in any of these theatrical auctions, but tonight something shifted.

Perhaps, it was the magnetic pull of those diamonds, or the sheer recklessness that sometimes bubbled up inside me.

I watched a women wearing an elegant floor length gown and subtle makeup, places the first bid.The others followed, participating mostly out of habit or competitive spirit.

The price climbed swiftly.

The necklace was Vardaan's official display of power; the earring, however felt personal.They reached a high benchmark.And then without planning it, I raised my hand.

"35 millions" I announced, the number surprising even myself.

The small, sharp sounds of my voice cutting through the hushed tension was louder than any of the thousands of jewel present.

The whole ballroom paused.Head swiveled.Thirty five millions was a significant sum, and the surprise was not the money, but that I was the one spending it

My brother, Vardaan, was standing near the front.He looked momentarily stunned then his face broke into a genuine. beaming smile, the rare smile reserved for moments when I truly pleased him.

He was genuinely happy that I had shown interest and staked a claim on something specially something so beautifully created.

He signaled me a thumbs-up, his eyes sparkling with amusement and pride, showing that he caught the glint of likeness towards the earring in my eyes

The bidding fell silent. It was a clear signal to everyone: the money didn't matter, the Jindal family was closing the deal.

"Sold to Misss Kashv__"

A wave of satisfying, reckless adrenaline washed over me.It felt good to have that feeling, genuine moment with my brother, claiming something beautiful in the middle of this cold transaction.

The auctioneer was going to announce the ownership but

"50 millions"

The sound came from behind me, near the entry gate.It wasn't just a bid, it was a challenge, a claim of territory.

Every head in the ballroom swiveled, and the murmuring started, laced with fear.

Who is this intruder, audacious enough to challenge the Jindals ?

I also turned to see the new chalenger but all I can see were silhouettes.

A wall of men- huge, imposing, dressed in shared black suits.They weren't regular security, they were muscle, silent and toned with lethal efficiency wearing logo of some company same as our security wears Jindal's logo.

The man came forward, head only visible because of his 6'3 height, parting the sea of terrified onlookers, and stopped directly infront of my brother

Every colour drained from bhai's face. Itwas instantaneous, a flash of anger terror..? before he snapped his control back into place.The familiar, cold mask descended.

The auctioneer, his voice trembling repeated the figure."fifty millon..going once..going twice.."

Vardaan took a deliberately step back yielding the space he just conquered.

He didn't bid again, he couldn't

"Sold" the auctioneer announced pointing the gavel not at me, but the silent, formidable figure.

The unknown man had just stolen the earring-not for the money, but for the principle.For the first time tonight, my deficient satisfactory was replaced by a pure, visceral anger.

Vardaan bhai moved towards me, his hand brushing the small of my back to usher me away. His voice though low, was tight with urgency.

"Bacha, you go home now yeah! Jay bhai will drop you"

I glanced confusedly towards the unknown man.

My brother panic behaviour was real, and his immediate thought was to remove me from this man's sight. But it was too late.The moment my eyes found him, he has already fixed his eyes on me.

He was cold, dominating and though still shrouded by his imposing bodyguards, I saw the stark lining of his jaw and eyes that were the colour of steel.Those eyes were fixed on me, unmoving

Before I could protest, bhai turned me fully away from the intruder, and lovingly, kissed my forehead.It was a gesture of protection.

"Go, Bacha! now."

Jay bhai, Vardaan's PA and friend came up

to me and said "let's go princess."

Jay's usual cheerful demeanor was gone, replaced by a rigid urgeny that mirrored Vardaan Own's panic.

I knew this wasn't an escort but; it was a rushed extraction.I had sensed the tension between the two men, but I joined Jay bhai without any resistance.

All the way back to the home, there was an unnatural silence in the car, but my mind was entirely focused on the mysterious intruder.

How could someone challenge Vardaan Jindal so openly and get away with it so easily ? It was so unlike my brother.

Whatever the reason, we reached home 'The Jindal mansion'at 2 in the morning which means everyone is sleeping

I went straight to my bed, the image ofbthat dark figure, his cold and dominating eyes-still etched behind my eyelids.The mystery was consuming.

I didn't know when I finally fell asleep, but I recognised bhai coming in.In my sleep I felt him kiss my forehead, a lingering touch that was his daily routine, a gesture of protection

I don't know his name. I don't know his intention

But I know one thing-this wasn't the last time, our paths would cross.

...............................................................Vote if you felt the tension⛓️

Mystery begins here..💀

For spoilers, intro and updates follow me on youtube "author_kashvi_" And subscribe on youtube "Kashvi_wrts"