ᴀ ᴅᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴇᴠɪʟ

A little bit of Revansh’s scene from last chapter while he was waiting for Aarini)

The night was glamourous. Music filled the huge hall of Malhotra mansion. Everyone were high on chaos except Revansh. He knew Aarini would come, she had to and so he wanted silently, calmly, delicately for his prey to enter in the trap.

His sharp gaze scanned the crowd, ignoring the usual faces, his so-called friends, the girls who always clung to him, the business associates his father forced him to acknowledge. None of them mattered at all.

He was looking for her. For the girl who had become his latest game.

And when he finally spotted her near the grand staircase, his breath caught in his chest.

Aarini Joshi was stunning.

She wasn’t wearing anything overly fancy or revealing like the other girls. No, her elegance was understated but impossible to ignore. The deep blue gown hugged her curves in all the right places, the soft fabric flowing effortlessly as she walked. Her dark hair cascaded down in waves, framing her delicate features, and her lips were painted in the softest shade of pink.

She looked like a dream.

And yet, she wasn’t his.

Revansh smirked, picking up his glass of whiskey as he leaned against the bar, watching her with an intensity that made several people around him shift uncomfortably.

Aarini felt the weight of his gaze before she even turned.

When she finally met his eyes, something inside her shifted for a second and Revansh had noticed it. But then Tanya came interrupting the two which made Revansh internally groan.

The time passed and after the dance, Aarini managed to have a distance between the two of them.

And Revansh...he hated it.

He hated the fact that a simple girl like Aarini was ignoring him.

***

"Aarini," his deep voice cut through the chatter as he appeared beside her, holding out a glass of juice. "Enjoying the party?"

She turned to him, raising an eyebrow. "Do you really expect me to?"

He chuckled, swirling the whiskey in his glass. "You wound me, sweetheart. I went through all this trouble, and you’re not even a little impressed?"

Aarini sighed. "Let’s not pretend you threw this party for me, Malhotra."

"Touche." He leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a teasing whisper. "But I did dress up for you."

Aarini fought the urge to roll her eyes. "How thoughtful."

Revansh smirked. "You know, you should really consider smiling more. It would make this night a lot easier for you."

"I would," she replied sweetly, "if you weren’t standing next to me." She mocked.

Revansh laughed, hr genuinely laughed, and the sound sent an unfamiliar shiver down Aarini’s spine.

He tilted his head. "You’re the first girl to reject my charm so effortlessly. I should be offended."

"But you’re not."

"Exactly," he admitted, eyes gleaming. "It makes you even more interesting."

Aarini sighed. "Revansh, we both know what this is. You’re doing this for fun. I’m not."

He took a sip of his drink, watching her carefully. "Who said I’m doing this for fun?"

She blinked, caught off guard by the seriousness in his voice.

Before she could respond, the music changed.

A slow, haunting melody filled the air.

The couples around them drifted towards the dance floor.

And then Revansh held out his hand.

"Dance with me, again."

Aarini froze. She wanted to deny.

For a moment, she genuinely considered saying no.

But the way he was looking at her… like he had already won… like he knew she wouldn’t refuse…

It infuriated her to no extent. And so she squared her shoulders. "Fine."

Revansh smirked, pulling her onto the dance floor before she could change her mind.

***

The second his hands touched her waist, she knew she had made a mistake.

He was too close, his warmth seeping through the thin fabric of her dress. His scent, the mix of rich cologne and something distinctly him wrapped around her senses.

She placed her hands on his shoulders, careful to maintain a respectable distance.

Revansh, of course, had other ideas.

"You’re tense," he murmured, his fingers pressing lightly into her waist as he guided her across the dance floor.

"I wonder why," she shot back.

His lips quirked. "Relax, Aarini. It’s just a dance."

"With you? That’s hardly just anything."

Revansh chuckled, his grip tightening slightly. "Flattering me already, aren't you??"

She glared at him. "You’re insufferable and stubborn, Malhotra."

"And you’re adorable when you’re mad."

Aarini huffed, trying to focus on the steps instead of the way his thumb was tracing lazy circles against her back.

The dance floor felt smaller. The world outside blurred into nothing. All that remained was him. And it terrified Aarini.

Revansh noticed the shift in her expression.

For the first time, she looked uncertain and that did something to him.

His grip on her tightened. His teasing smirk faded.

"You’re not like the others," he murmured.

Aarini blinked. "What?"

He stared at her, his usual arrogance momentarily replaced by something raw. Something new, something soft.

"You get under my skin, Joshi," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

Aarini’s heart skipped a beat. Before she could respond, the music ended. But Revansh didn’t let go.

His fingers lingered on her waist, his dark blue eyes locked onto hers.

Aarini felt her breath hitch.

And then he smirked. "Bet you’re falling for me already."

Just like that, the spell was broken.

Aarini pushed him away, stepping back with a glare.

"Not in this lifetime, Malhotra."

Revansh grinned. "We’ll see."

Aarini turned on her heel and walked away.

But she could still feel his eyes on her. She could still feel the warmth of his touch. She could still feel the danger of the game she had unknowingly entered.

And for the first time she wasn’t sure if she could win.

Because Revansh Malhotra was getting under her skin and it was....dangerous.

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So how was the chapter yall?