Aayansh’s POV
For the first time in days, my mind was quiet.
No questions. No what ifs. No shadows of the past creeping into the present.
Ruhi’s laugh still echoed in my head as I drove back to the office. The way her eyes softened when she smiled. The way she leaned into me like she finally believed really believed that we were okay.
I tightened my grip on the steering wheel,I’d protect that peace. No matter what.
By the time I reached the Singhania Group building, work mode had settled in. Glass walls. Polished floors. Controlled chaos. This world made sense to me.
People respected order,Systems, Facts.
None of the emotional mess that tried to ruin lives quietly.
I stepped into my cabin, loosening my tie, when my assistant’s voice came through the intercom.
“Sir, you received a few emails marked urgent.”
“Forward them,” I said absently, opening my laptop.
The first two were routine.
Finance approvals.
A delayed shipment.
The third made my fingers pause.
From Anonymous
Subject: Internal Audit Irregularities Confidential
My jaw tightened slightly,Anonymous emails were common., Most were nonsense.
Still, I opened it.
I scanned the lines once then again. My brows furrowed.
Misreported figures Unusual approvals My signature referenced twice.
“That’s not possible,” I muttered.
I leaned back, exhaling slowly.
Someone was either mistaken… or trying very hard to make it look like I wasn’t.
I checked the attachments.
Screenshots,Documents, Partial data.
Carefully chosen Not enough to accuse but enough to raise eyebrows.
I felt irritation stir but not panic.
I’d built this reputation brick by brick, No anonymous whisper could shake it.
Still, something felt… off.
Too clean, too precise.
My phone buzzed.
Ruhi.
I smiled instantly, the tension easing from my shoulders as I answered.
“Already missing me?” I teased.
Her soft laugh reached me, and just like that, the office felt less cold.
“Always,” she said. “Did you reach?”
“Yes,” I replied. “I’ll come by later. Don’t wait up.”
A pause. Then, gently, “You okay?”
I hesitated just for a second.
“Yeah,” I said finally. “Just work stuff.”
She trusted me. I could hear it in the way she said, “Okay.”
When the call ended, I stared at the email again.
Work stuff That’s all it was.
Still…
I minimized the screen and stood, walking toward the window. The city stretched below me busy, alive, unaware.
I’d faced worse, handled bigger risks.
Whoever sent this thought doubt would slow me down. They were wrong.
I straightened my shoulders and returned to my desk.
What I didn’t know was that doubt doesn’t destroy you immediately.
It waits.
And somewhere, someone was counting on that.
Unknown’s POV
I still remember the day I saw my doll for the first time. She was sitting all alone, small, silent, scared.
She didn’t cry, She didn’t speak.
That’s what stayed with me.
I didn’t want to frighten her so I didn’t approach. I watched her from a distance.
I’ve always been good at that.
Watching, Waiting.
Even now, I do the same always from far away, always where she can’t see me. I learned early that presence can be overwhelming, but absence… absence creates curiosity. Dependence. Need.
She grew up without knowing I was there.
Every step she took, every place she went. I knew.
She calls her life hers now.
Her choices, Her love.
But she forgets something important.
Some bonds are formed before memory.
Before consent, Before choice.
And now…
I think I’ve waited long enough,It’s time to meet her again.
Not as a shadow, Not as a memory she can’t place.
But as someone she’ll learn she cannot live without.
I will keep her safe. I will keep her close.
This time,I won’t be watching from afar.
Author’s POV
The evening air was calm,too calm.
Ruhi stepped out of her office building, her bag slung over one shoulder, phone pressed to her ear as she laughed softly at something Aayansh had said earlier. The city moved around her cars, voices, lights but somewhere beneath it all, a strange discomfort crept up her spine.
She slowed her steps.The laugh faded,There it was again.
That feeling.
Like someone was watching her.
Not the casual glance of a stranger. Not curiosity.
Something heavier,Intent.
Ruhi stopped near the gate and turned slightly, her eyes scanning the street. People passed by, unaware. Normal. Ordinary.
Nothing out of place.
And yet her chest tightened.
She shook her head. I’m overthinking, she told herself. After everything that had happened, her mind was bound to play tricks on her.
Still…
Her fingers curled around her phone a little tighter.
Across the street, unnoticed among the parked cars, a man stood still.
He didn’t move when she looked around.
Didn’t flinch, Didn’t hide.
Because he knew she wouldn’t see him.
Not yet.
This was the moment he had been waiting for.
The first time she would feel him without knowing who he was.
He watched as she took a breath and continued walking, her pace faster now. Good. Fear sharpened awareness. It made people vulnerable.
His phone vibrated in his hand.
A single message draft waited on the screen.
Then sent.
Soon.
Ruhi’s phone buzzed just as she reached her car.
Unknown Number.
Her heart skipped.
She stared at the screen, every instinct screaming at her not to open it. Slowly, she turned, scanning the street once more.
Nothing.
Her phone buzzed again.
This time, a message appeared.
Did you always walk this fast… or only when you feel watched?
The blood drained from her face.
Her breath hitched.
She spun around, panic flaring in her chest, but the street remained unchanged. People moved. Cars passed. Life went on.
But something inside her cracked.
She unlocked her car with trembling fingers and got inside quickly, locking the doors the moment she shut them. Her hands shook as she held the phone again.
Another message appeared.
Don’t be scared. I’ve been here longer than you think.
Tears pricked her eyes, fear rising fast and sharp.
She didn’t reply.Instead, she did the only thing that felt safe.
She called Aayansh.
The call connected almost immediately.
“Ruhi?” His voice was steady, familiar. “What’s wrong?”
Her voice came out in a whisper. “Aayansh… I think someone’s watching me.”
On the other end of the line, his entire demeanor changed.
“What?” he asked sharply. “Where are you?”
“In my car. Outside my office.”
“Stay there,” he said instantly. “Lock the doors. I’m coming.”
As she started the engine, trying to calm her racing heart, she didn’t see the figure step back into the shadows.
Didn’t see the faint smile curve his lips.
Across the city, Aayansh gripped his steering wheel tighter, anger and fear coiling in his chest as he drove faster than he should have.
He didn’t know it yet.
But the moment he chose to protect her
He had stepped directly into someone else’s game.
Back on the street, the Unknown finally sent the message he’d been holding back all this time.
You still run to him.
That’s okay.
I’ll take him away slowly.
He slipped his phone into his pocket and turned away, disappearing into the crowd as if he had never been there at all.
This was only the beginning.
The watching was over.
Now
The move had been made.
Aayansh’s POV
I was still in my office, staring at the anonymous email glowing on my screen.
Something was wrong.
The message was vague but deliberately hinting that something shady was happening inside the company. I didn’t know who had sent it, but one thing was clear whoever it was, they didn’t mean well. The timing, the wording… It felt like a warning wrapped in a threat.
For now, I forced myself to focus. Whatever was going on in the company.
Then my phone buzzed.
Ruhi.
I frowned. We had spoken just a few minutes ago why was she calling again?
The moment I picked up, I knew.
“Ruhi?” I said, keeping my voice steady. “What’s wrong?”
Her voice came out barely above a whisper.
“Aayansh… I think someone’s watching me.”
Everything inside me went cold.
“What?” I asked sharply. “Where are you?”
“In my car. Outside my office.”
“Stay there,” I said instantly. “Lock the doors. I’m coming.”
I didn’t think twice.
I grabbed my keys and left the office, my mind racing with worst case scenarios. The drive felt endless, every red light testing my patience. The only thing that mattered was getting to her making sure she was safe.
When I finally reached her office, my eyes immediately found her car in the parking lot.
I stepped out quickly and walked toward it, knocking on the window.
She flinched.
But the moment she saw me, I watched the fear melt from her face as she let out a shaky breath and unlocked the door.
“You scared me,” she whispered.
“I’m here,” I said softly. “Tell me what happened.”
She told me everything about the strange feeling, the way her instincts screamed at her, the messages. When she showed me her phone, my blood boiled.
Someone had dared to scare her.
But I swallowed my anger. Right now, she needs calm not rage.
“Come with me,” I said gently. “I’ll drop you home.”
I helped her into my car, making sure she was settled before driving off. The ride was silent. Not uncomfortable just heavy. I could tell her mind was spiraling, and honestly, so was mine.
Before reaching her place, I texted Rishabh.
I’m dropping Ruhi home. Come outside. I need to talk.
When we reached, I parked and turned to her.
“It’s going to be okay,” I said, brushing her hair back gently. I kissed her forehead. “Go inside. I’ll wait till you go inside.”
She nodded and walked toward the house. I didn’t move until I saw her disappear inside.
Only then did I drive away.
I stopped at a nearby café where Rishabh was already waiting. The moment I told him everything, his jaw tightened and his fists clenched.
“This won’t be ignored,” he said firmly. “I’ll look into it. I’ll increase security around her.”
I nodded, but unease still sat heavy in my chest.
Because whoever this was
They hadn’t just watched her,They had announced themselves.
And that meant this wasn’t over,Not even close.
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