Hiiii Moodies 

How are u all? So here it is, the first chapter of 'Randhawa's Sweetheart.' I know it's not even near perfect, but it's my first time posting something I wrote. Comments and reviews are always welcome! ENJOYYYYY!!!

It was a calm day — at least that's what I thought.

We were having breakfast at our old dining table, just like every other day. Our house wasn't very big, but it felt like home. It always does. Since Papa died, Maa has been my only home. My only family. The reason I haven't given up yet.

But today... Something felt off.

I could see the hesitation on her face.

Hesitation... with me?

"Avu beta, aaj toh kuch gadbad hone wali hai", I muttered quietly to myself.

(Something wrong is gonna happen today.)

Before I could dive deeper into my thoughts, Maa's phone rang.

Mr. Randhawa.

Mom is his P.A., but they're more like friends. He's one of the richest business tycoons in India. And from what I've found out... well, practically stalked... his family isn't just powerful in business. They rule the underworld too — with five intimidating heirs backing them.

His father laid the foundation of Randhawa Industries, and now the empire stands untouchable.

"Hello... haan, Adhiraj. Nahi, abhi nahi. Bas karne hi wali thi main usse baat. Tum tension mat lo, main samjha dungi. Woh samajhti hai mujhe."

(Hello...yes, Adhiraj. No, not yet. I was just about to talk to her. You don't worry. I will explain it to her. She understands me .)

She hung up. Then walked toward me.

And served breakfast. Way too casually.

Breathe, Vannya. Breathe.

Maa sat across from me, flashing that hesitant smile she gives before serious conversations.

"Anvika beta... I want to tell you something."

I literally gulped.

"Woh actually na..."

"Haan, Mumma... bolo," I forced the words out.

She took a deep breath.

"Listen... actually, Adhiraj and I... we love each other."

It felt like someone had snatched the earth from beneath my feet.

But I let her continue.

"We want to get married. But it's completely your decision. If you don't want me to, I won't. Adhiraj has left the decision to you."

To me.

"Their family is very loving. They've always wanted a daughter. You can have a real family again — chachis, chachus, dada, dadi... papa... and brothers."

No.

No. No. NO.

This can't be happening.

Hey Mata Raani... why always me?

I'm not ready. But... It's been five years since Papa left us.

Mumma has done everything for me. She raised me alone. Never let my smile fade.

She deserves love, too.

I stood up and sat beside her, holding her hand.

"Mumma... you don't have to ask me to choose your happiness. Of course, you're allowed to start over. To love again. You should get married."

Her smile...

It was the kind I hadn't seen in years.

As if I had just handed her the entire world.

"I'll go tell him", she said softly.

"Mumma..." I swallowed. "I won't come with you. I'll stay here."

Her expression changed instantly.

"I'm not ready to accept someone else as my father. Not now. Maybe not for a long time. And I still have my additional board exams left. After that, I'll have workshops... then college applications."

Her smile faded.

"But ladoo... how will you manage alone? How will I manage without you? And we're not even getting married until your boards end. They're good people, beta. At least give them a chance."

"I get it, Mumma. I do. But please... I'm not ready. If Mr. Randhawa can keep you happy, don't hold your life back for me. I'll shift to a hostel after my workshops anyway."

She nodded. But I could see it.

The hesitation. The reluctance. The fear.

She left for work after saying goodbye.

And soon after, I left for school, too.

I had my second-last board exam.

And suddenly...

It didn't feel important anymore.

At School

I entered the exam hall and quietly took my seat, revising my notes

But today... Everything felt different.

It wasn't that the paper was tough. It never really is. I've always glided through grades and exams like they were stepping stones instead of obstacles. Marks were never my problem.

Concentration was.

My mind kept replaying the morning.

Maa wants to get married.....And I had said yes.

Hadn't I?

The bell rang, snapping me out of my thoughts. I walked up and submitted my paper. Even with the storm inside my head, I had completed it.

Of course, I had.

I stepped into the hallway, where the noise of students buzzing around me was. Laughter. Relief. Freedom.

But my mind was somewhere else.

"Anvika!Avu!

I froze.

"Oh gadhi, kahan bhaage jaa rahi hai?!"

(Idiot, where are you running off to ?)

I didn't even have to turn around.

Only one idiot calls me that.

My best friend.

The only boy — the only man — I've trusted after... that incident.

No. Not thinking about that. Not today.

Walking beside him was my female best friend, rolling her eyes dramatically as always.

The two of them had practically become my life.

"There were things they knew about me that I had never managed to tell Maa."

Not because Maa didn't care.

She cared too much.

But she was busy holding the world together — raising me alone, managing work, surviving. And even when she tried to know what was going on inside my head... I never told her.

How could I?

She had her own battles.

Why would I add mine?

"Hi, topper," Kavya nudged me. "How was the exam?"

"As always," Reyaan smirked, "even the question paper was scared of her."

"Why do you even ask?" he continued dramatically. "Have you ever used common sense?"

"Shut up," she said, and hit him lightly.

I tried to smile.

It felt forced.

"Stop," I muttered. "Today was... a disaster."

They both stopped walking.

"What?" she frowned. "The paper?"

"No. The paper was fine. It's just..." I ran a hand through my hair. "There's a lot I need to tell you guys."

The seriousness in my tone wiped the teasing expressions off their faces.

"Okay," he said immediately. "Café?"

"Café," she agreed.

"And the last exam is what? Art and craft?" he asked while we started walking toward our usual spot outside school.

"Art," I corrected automatically. "Sketching. Fashion designing."

Her eyes lit up. "Oh, please, that's your therapy subject."

I exhaled softly. "Yeah. That won't be a problem."

If only life worked like exams.

At the Café

We sat at our usual corner table.

The one with the cracked wall behind it and the window that never fully closed.

He leaned forward first.

"Now tell me, Avu. What's wrong?"

She studied my face carefully.

"You look tense. And don't say 'nothing.' I can literally see it."

He added softly, "Is Aunty okay?"

That did it. My throat tightened. Everything around me blurred.

No. Not now.

Breathe, Anvika. Breathe.

The edges of my vision started to fade slightly. My reminding signs. The warning before the spiral.

They noticed. Of course they did. They always do.

Before I could say anything, they both shifted closer to me.

He slid my usual chocolate across the table without saying a word.

She pushed my coffee into my hands.

Grounding ritual.

Same as always.

"Look at me," she whispered gently. "It's okay. He's not here. You're safe."

I clenched my jaw.

The word safe always felt complicated.

"Inhale," he said calmly. "Four seconds."

I followed.

"Exhale."

Again.

Tears burned behind my eyes.

No. Not here. Not in public.

I've carried worse without breaking.

"I'm fine," I forced out.

They didn't argue. As always. They just wait.

That patience is exactly why they're the only ones who know everything.

She rubbed my back softly. "Talk."

I swallowed.

"It's about... my mom."

She frowned instantly. "What? What happened to Aunty? Is she okay? Is everything alright?"

"No, no," I shook my head quickly. "It's nothing like that."

"Then what?" he asked, eyes still scanning my face for cracks.

I hesitated.

"It's about... marriage."

There was a pause.

Then—

"WHO?" he blurted.

She gasped dramatically. "Yours? Anvika Mehra, aren't you a little too young? What is this, some royal alliance? Are they marrying you off to a king of Rajasthan?"

Despite everything... I laughed.

Actually laughed.

The tension cracked just enough for me to breathe.

"No, idiot," I muttered, wiping under my eyes quickly. "Not mine."

They both leaned in.

"Then whose?"

I swallowed.

"My mom's."

This time, the silence was different.

Not dramatic. Not shocked. Just... careful.

He sat back slowly. "Oh."

She blinked. "Oh."

She reached for my hand again. "Okay. And?"

"And..." I exhaled. "She wants to get married."

He nodded once. Processing.

"And how do you feel about that?" he asked.

I stared at the table for a moment.

"It's not that I oppose it," I said slowly. "It's been five years. Of course, she has the right to move on. To love again. To be happy."

My voice softened.

"The smile on her face... It's worth every struggle I'll ever go through for her."

They didn't interrupt.

"She's the only reason I've pushed myself this hard. The reason I code through nights. The reason I am still going on despite everything that happened in the past. The reason I didn't give up

That got their attention.

But I wasn't done.

"And you know what's even more terrifying?"

They leaned in.

"She wants to marry into the Randhawas."

Silence.

The words landed heavily.

Their faces changed instantly.

"What?" she whispered.

"Wait," he straightened. "Big one? Aunty wants to become a Randhawa?"

"Yes."

My throat felt dry.

"She wants to marry Adhiraj Randhawa."

Another silence.

"She'll become the eldest daughter-in-law of that house."

She blinked. "The Randhawa mansion... Jaipur Randhawas?" I just nodded

"She loves him," I continued. "And he loves her. That's not the problem."

"Then what is?" he asked.

I exhaled slowly.

"It just feels too quick. Too fast. I can't process it."

I leaned back in the chair.

"I already told her I won't move in. I said I'll manage on my own. She agreed... reluctantly. Only because I promised I'd shift to a hostel after workshops."

They both stayed quiet.

And then I added—

"But the Randhawa mansion is in Jaipur."

They both froze.

"And the colleges I'm applying to?"

"Jaipur," he finished.

The realization settled between us.

"So even if I don't move in..." I whispered, "our worlds are going to collide anyway."

He leaned forward suddenly.

"Wait. When aunty first joined their company... didn't you—"

I shot him a look.

"Oh. Oh, oh, oh—" his eyes widened. "Shit. I remember."

She straightened. "You Stalked out their information ."

"Not stalked," I corrected automatically. "Observed and Found ."

"Vanu."

"Fine. Briefly accessed."

They both stared at me.

"You said they have five sons," he continued. "Two real sons. Three nephews. All involved in the business."

I groaned softly. "Exactly. How am I supposed to manage that?"

She nudged my shoulder, voice grounded as always, "First of all, calm down. You're not moving in."

He nodded. "You're just going to attend the wedding. That's it."

"And even if you do stay in Jaipur," she continued, "it's only for graduation. Three years."

"And after that," he added, "you're leaving for post-grad. Russia. That's been the plan since forever."

I exhaled slowly.

They were right.

This wasn't permanent.

This wasn't a cage.

It was temporary.

"Oh yeah," she suddenly muttered, narrowing her eyes. "That innocent-faced, flirt-first-think-later brat."

My expression tightened slightly.

"The youngest one?" she continued. "If he was already that annoying in school, imagine now."

He cut her off gently. "Stop."

She looked at him.

"They don't matter," he said firmly. "Not unless you let them."

Then he turned to me.

"They can't shake your existence, Anvika."

His voice wasn't dramatic.

It was calm. Grounded.

"You've already outpowered them in a field they don't even know you exist in."

A small, reluctant chuckle escaped me.

He wasn't wrong.

In the gaming and tech space, under a name they had never traced—

I had already beaten them.

They just didn't know it.

And somehow... That thought steadied me.

No matter how violent the storm feels—

I am not powerless.

I looked at the two of them.

No matter how dark things get...

They are my sunlight.

We finished our food slowly, conversation shifting to lighter topics.

Exams. Scholarships. Her disastrous math paper. His ridiculous gym obsession.

And for a moment— It felt normal again.

We stepped out of the café together.

But deep down...

I knew something had shifted.

And whether I moved into that mansion or not—

The Randhawa world was already walking toward mine.

We agreed to take a break for an hour, freshen up, and then meet at our usual study spot. The library.

At Home

I took out my key and unlocked the door.

Mom wasn't home, as expected. Her office hours end at five, and it was barely two.

For the first time in my life, that thought relieved me.

At least I didn't have to face her yet.

The house was quiet. Too quiet.

I dropped my bag, walked straight to the bathroom, and let the water run longer than usual. The cold helped. It always does.

I pulled out my usual baggy clothes — comfort over everything. But today... my hand paused.

Instead, I reached for my Anarkali.

I don't know why.

I just did.

Before I could overthink it, I left the house and walked toward the small temple nearby.

Mata Durga.

My anchor.

The temple was quiet in the afternoon. No crowd. No chaos. Just silence wrapped in incense and sunlight filtering through carved stone.

Perfect.

I placed my phone beside the steps and played the Durga Stotram softly, letting the rhythm echo through the empty hall.

Then I did something I hadn't done in two months.

I took out my ghunghroos.

My fingers trembled slightly as I tied them around my ankles. The tiny bells felt heavier than I remembered.

I rarely dance.

Only when my thoughts become too loud.
Only when I don't know how to speak.
Only when I need to release something that refuses to stay inside.

And here — in front of Mata Rani — it was different.

It wasn't performance.

It wasn't practice.

It was surrender.

As the beats continued, my body moved on muscle memory alone. Each step grounded me. Each turn steadied my breath.

I wasn't dancing for perfection.

I was dancing because I was lost.
Because her child didn't know which direction life was taking.
Because strength sometimes feels heavier than weakness.
Because even warriors need somewhere to break.

The temple remained silent.

But somehow... I felt heard.

The stotram faded.
My ghunghroos stopped echoing.

I opened my eyes.

And for one second—

There was a shift in the air.

Not fear.

Instinct.

I turned.

No one.

But outside the temple gate—

A shadow moved.

Not enough to identify.
Just enough to confirm.

I wasn't alone.

But what unsettled me more was this—

I didn't feel watched.

I felt seen.

By a stranger.

After four long years.

And that fact disturbed me more than it should have.

I hurried home, made my coffee, and gathered my books. After a moment's hesitation, I changed back into something comfortable.

I had just finished my coffee when the doorbell rang.

And despite everything...

A small smile played on my lips.

The Library

We walked to the library together, teasing Reyaan the entire way about the girl from school who had been staring at him in the café.

"She was practically burning holes into your soul," Kavya smirked.

Reyaan rolled his eyes. "Delusion. Both of you."

We studied for two solid hours and finished our theoretical portions. Since the exam was the day after tomorrow, we decided that was enough for the day.

Quality over panic.

On the Way Back

The street was quiet. Too quiet for three best friends walking together.

Breaking the silence, Kavya asked, "So... that new game? It's hitting headlines. When are you planning the reveal?"

I smiled faintly. "Not before a thousand days."

Both of them gave me a collective eye roll.

"As we planned," I reminded them. "No reveal until we're twenty or twenty-two. Degrees in hand. Legal shield ready. After that — investments, buildings, expansion."

Reyaan nodded. "Structure before spotlight."

"Exactly."

We reached home — practically neighbors.

I dropped my bag and returned to my desk.

I had fashion designing theory and practical to revise. Kavya had literature as her additional subject.

And Reyaan?

He was lost in animation and digital sketching — character design, music production, and editing. Hours disappeared when he worked.

Even in these quiet corners of our lives, Altair was growing.

Me coding.
Kavya writing.
Reyaan animating and producing.

Different skills.

One empire.

Altair was alive.

Even here.

So, did you all like the chapter?

I am sorry if I didn't fulfill your expectations, but pls give the story  a little time to get settled, and me too

The upcoming chapters will surely be longer and more interesting 

Love u allll 💖💖