"I knew it the first time I touched her. It was like coming home, only to no home I'd ever known. I was just taking her hand to help her out of a car, and I knew it. It was like magic."
-Sleepless in Seattle
___________________________________________
[1 week later.]
PARIS
~ A A R O H I ~
The grand lobby of The Ritz Paris looked like something straight out of a royal dream.
Warm golden lights reflected against polished marble floors, crystal chandeliers hanging high above us while soft piano music floated through the luxurious space.
Everything felt expensive.
Elegant.
A little unreal.
And meanwhile,
I was standing in the middle of it trying very hard not to look too excited.
Failing miserably.
"Oh my God, Advik," I whispered dramatically while turning in a slow circle, "this place is insane."
Beside me, Advik adjusted the cuff of his coat calmly..
Unlike me, he looked completely unaffected by the ridiculous luxury around us.
As if he belonged in places like this naturally.
Which annoyed me slightly.
"You're staring at the chandelier like you've fallen in love," he commented.
"I have fallen in love."
"With the hotel?"
"With the lifestyle."
That finally earned the faintest curve of amusement on his lips.
Tiny. Brief.
But enough to make my heart do something embarrassing.
God.
I needed to stop reacting every time he almost smiled.
"Come on, doll," he murmured casually, as he guided me toward the reception desk. "Try to act like you've seen luxury before."
I gasped dramatically.
"I have seen luxury."
"Mhm."
"That tone was disrespectful."
"It was accurate."
I narrowed my eyes at him while he spoke briefly with the receptionist in fluent, practiced English.
And annoyingly
He fits into this environment too well.
The confidence. The calmness. The effortless authority.
People looked at him differently.
Listened faster.
Moved quicker.
"Mr. Oberoi, your suite is ready," the receptionist said politely.
Suite.
Not room.
Of course.
The French guys were attractive. The accent, the green eyes which bored into yours.
I felt like I was in a soap opera.
Probably Emily In Paris.
I was still mentally processing that when my attention drifted elsewhere.
Toward a familiar face standing near the elevators.
A woman in a cream dress looked around the lobby quietly, her eyes filled with obvious wonder.
Something about her felt familiar.
Very familiar.
I frowned slightly.
No way.
"Chaya...?"
The woman froze instantly.
Then slowly turned.
For a second she simply stared at me in disbelief.
Then her eyes widened dramatically.
"Aarohi didi?!"
"Oh my God!"
I rushed toward her immediately while she hurried toward me too, and the next second we were hugging tightly in the middle of the lobby like two emotional idiots.
"You're here?!" I pulled back first, still holding her shoulders. "What are you doing in Paris?!"
She laughed softly, still looking shocked.
"I should ask you that!"
I looked at her properly then. And immediately gasped.
"Look at you!"
"Didu-"
"No, seriously. My shy little junior became this pretty?"
She flushed instantly.
"You still exaggerate exactly the same."
"And you still blush exactly the same."
That made her laugh again.
Softer this time.
Happier.
And suddenly it felt like university all over again.
"How many years has it been?" I asked dramatically. "Three? Four? You disappeared after graduation!"
"I didn't disappear," she defended weakly. "Life just became... complicated after marriage."
Marriage.
My eyes widened instantly.
Then immediately shifted toward the man standing a few feet behind her.
And
oh.
Now that was a husband.
Tall. Sharp black coat. Calm in a slightly terrifying way.
The kind of man who looked less like someone's husband and more like someone people should avoid making angry.
He was very attractive. Almond eyes, tall height .
But what surprised me more
was the way his eyes stayed fixed entirely on Chaya.
Quietly attentive.
Possessive without trying. Like he tracked her existence unconsciously.
"Oh..." I leaned slightly closer to her dramatically. "That's your husband?"
"Didi," she muttered, embarrassed immediately.
"What?" I whispered loudly. "He looks like he owns governments."
That nearly made her choke on her own laughter.
"I can't believe we met in Paris out of all places," I continued excitedly. "This is fate. We're absolutely hanging out."
"I'd love that," she admitted softly.
And somehow,
she looked genuinely happy saying it.
The man finally stepped closer then.
His polished shoes clicked softly against the marble floor while his gaze shifted briefly toward me before returning to Chaya again.
Like his attention naturally gravitated back to her.
Interesting.
"He's my husband," Chaya introduced quietly, moving instinctively closer beside him. "Yash Agnihotri."
Oh.
OH.
Even I knew that surname.
"And this is Aarohi didi," Chaya continued warmly. "My senior in university."
I grinned proudly.
"Correction. Favorite senior."
Then I added "Hii Jijuuuu"
Yash gave a calm nod in acknowledgment.
Polite. Controlled. Even though he looked conflicted at that word... Jiju.
(Brother in law)
"Nice to meet the man who married this sweetheart," I teased lightly.
Then suddenly remembered
"Oh wait, my husband!"
I turned around dramatically toward the reception desk.
"Advik!"
A few seconds later, Advik finally walked toward us after finishing the check-in.
One hand casually tucked into his trouser pocket while the other adjusted the sleeve of his coat.
Effortlessly confident.
The kind that came from growing up surrounded by power.
And for absolutely no reason whatsoever
I suddenly became hyper aware of how good he looked. My husband was the most good looking man to me ...hehe.
"This is my husband, Advik Oberoi," I proudly introduced the second he reached us.
Advik offered Chaya a charming smile first.
Warm. Easy.
Then his attention shifted toward Yash.
And instantly, something in the air changed.
But noticeable enough that even I caught it.
"Nice meeting you again, Mr. Agnihotri," Advik said smoothly while extending his hand forward.
Again?
Yash accepted the handshake immediately.
Firm. Measured.
The kind of handshake businessmen probably used instead of fist fights.
"Mr. Oberoi," Yash replied calmly.
And for one very strange second,
it genuinely felt like two predators silently sizing each other up in the middle of a luxury hotel lobby.
Meanwhile Chaya and I exchanged one quick look.
Men.
Honestly exhausting.
I could feel the tension radiating off Advik and Mr. Agnihotri,it was like standing between two live wires, but honestly? I didn't care. I was in Paris, and I just found out my favorite person was staying in the exact same hotel.
I hooked my arm through Chaya's, pulling her close. "Are you staying here too?" I asked, unable to keep the squeal out of my voice.
Chaya gave me that sweet, shy nod of hers. "Yeah, we just checked in."
"Oh my God, same!" I couldn't help it; I did a little hop. This was destiny. "This is literally perfect. Paris just got ten times more fun."
I didn't even look back at our husbands. I knew they were doing that 'brooding businessman' thing, probably exchanging looks that could wither plants.
I just started pulling Chaya down the hallway, chatting a mile a minute about cafes and shopping, leaving the two of them to trail behind us at their glacial, serious pace.
I heard Advik's voice drift up from behind us, that classic, mischievous tone he uses when he's about to poke a bear. "So... you didn't tell your wife about me?"
I bit back a smile. Advik just couldn't help himself.
"And why would I tell my wife about you, Mr. Oberoi?" Yash's voice was like ice dry, smooth, and completely unimpressed.
"Because I'm handsome," Advik replied. I could practically hear the dramatic hand-over-heart gesture he was making.
"The only handsome man my wife knows is me," Yash countered.
"Look. He is So possessive of his wife!!! And you...Aduu" I blurted out.
Advik, in response rolls his eyes, smirking "you won't like me being possessive...Mrs Advik"
Chaya choked on literal air while Yash looked terrifically attacked.
Touch the grass Aarohi......
Advik was gasping about 'illegal confidence' while Yash was basically admitting, in his own very robotic, grumpy way that he was completely obsessed with his wife.
"God. You're one of those husbands now," Advik barked out a laugh. "The obsessed kind."
Yash didn't even deny it. "Problem?"
I turned around, walking backward for a second because I didn't want to miss the show. "Why are you two walking like divorced businessmen?"
I shouted at them, waving my arms. "Come faster! We have things to do!"
Then I whisper lightly to Chaya
"I am shipping them both....full on enemies to lovers trope".
Advik heard it, ofcourse. My man had hearing of a bat.
But he smirked dramatically.
While Yash Agnihotri looked too much offended. He made a strangled voice looking at Advik.
"I prefer Chaya. No offense Mr Oberoi" he said somehow.
"I prefer my Dear wife Mrs Advik. Likewise " Advik says before looking at me.
Chaya laughed.
Yash's face changed the second his eyes landed on Chaya. It was like watching a storm cloud vanish. He went from 'I might murder you' to 'I will give you the moon' in 0.5 seconds.
Advik caught it too. He leaned toward Yash and muttered something I barely caught: "Yeah, you're gone."
When we finally reached our rooms, I nearly lost it. Our suites were directly opposite each other!
"Oh my God, this is perfect!" I grabbed Chaya's arm again, shaking her slightly. "Now we can literally annoy our husbands together."
"Didi..." Chaya murmured, her face turning that pretty shade of pink again.
"No, seriously," I insisted, ignoring Advik's mock-offended face behind me. "This trip just became the best thing ever."
I heard Yash mutter something about having to 'tolerate' Advik for the whole trip, and of course, my dramatic husband had to make a scene about being 'hurt.'
This man...!!
"You'll survive," Yash told him flatly.
Advik looked at me, eyes wide and fake,teary. "See, Arohi? This man hates me already.".
His lips were curved in a very Advik Oberoi style pout, those puppy eyes looking at me.
"That's because you talk too much," I shot back. Chaya laughed, and Advik looked at me like I'd just stabbed him.
"You're my wife! You're supposed to support me."
"I support your silence," I replied with a wink.
Even Mr. Grumpy, I mean, Yash ,almost smirked at that.
We finally reached the doors. I gave Chaya one last big hug, then pointed a warning finger at her. "Tomorrow, breakfast together. No excuses. And Chaya?"
I leaned in, loud enough for Yash to hear. "If your husband kidnaps you and refuses to let you out, just blink twice from the balcony. I'll come save you."
"Didi!" she whispered, embarrassed, while Advik lost it laughing.
Yash just opened their door, looking at Chaya with that deadpan expression. "I'm considering it now."
I pointed at him triumphantly as they stepped inside. "See? Psycho behavior!"
"And if he troubles you Chaya baby ..." I pointed at Mr Grumpy cat Yash "I will -"
Chaya looked at me with mock offense.
"Didi!! You are not going to kick him in the balls like you used to do in college time" then she silently added "his my husband for love of Christ"
"So my wife was always Violent...?" Advik asks , I smirk as if I had won .
Mr. Grumpy looked two seconds away from jumping from the window.
"You are explaining to me" Yash looks at Chaya . "The whole kic
king in the groin thing"
The doors closed, and I turned to Advik, grinning. Paris was going to be absolutely legendary.
......
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Are you Excited For ADVIK OBEROI X YASH AGNIHOTRI..........?????????????
Unexpected crossover of two universes.✨
Also read:
THE DARKEST TEMPTATION by EphipanyArtful0_0
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