He chuckled, a deep, rich sound that sent a shiver down my spine. "Touché. I apologize for that. I didn't mean it."
"Well, apology accepted," I said with a grin, finally allowing myself to relax a little.
We stood in comfortable silence for a moment before Ishaan glanced at me, his expression softening as a smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
"You know," he said slowly, his voice warm and gentle, "I didn't get a chance to tell you this earlier, but you look... stunning tonight, Lavi."
His words were simple, but there was something in the way he said my name—like he was savoring it. I felt a warmth spread through me, my heart doing a little flip.
"Thank you," I replied quietly, trying to keep my voice steady. "You're not looking too bad yourself, Mr. CEO. Very sharp."
He chuckled at the nickname, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Well, I had to make sure I didn't disappoint on Shanaya's big night. But honestly, Lavi... that dress... it suits you. Elegant and effortless, just like you."
His words hung in the air between us, and I could feel the weight of them, the sincerity in his tone. 
I smiled, biting my lip to stop myself from grinning too widely.
"You're quite the charmer, aren't you, Ishu?" I teased, using the nickname Shanaya had mentioned once, wondering how he'd react.
He raised an eyebrow, clearly caught off guard but not displeased. "Ishu, huh? I like that. Only a few people call me that... and now you."
His gaze lingered on mine for a beat longer, and I couldn't help but feel like this was more than just casual banter. 
There was something deeper, something simmering just beneath the surface.
For a moment, the noise of the party faded into the background, leaving just the two of us standing there, our words unspoken but understood.
"So," I said, breaking the silence, "you're Shanaya's childhood friend, huh?"
He nodded. "Yeah, we go way back. Our families were close, so we pretty much grew up together. She's very close to me". 
I smiled. "She talks about you all the time, you know. She's really proud of everything you've accomplished."
His expression softened. "Yeah, she's always been supportive. I owe a lot to her."
We continued talking for a while longer, and I found myself getting more and more comfortable around him. 
He was easy to talk to, and despite his intimidating presence, he had a warmth to him that made it easy to open up.
But as the night wore on, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more to him—something beneath the surface that he wasn't showing. 
There was a mystery to him, a depth that intrigued me. 
And I couldn't help but wonder what secrets he was hiding behind those captivating eyes.
*ੈ✩‧₊˚
The party eventually started winding down, and guests began to leave. 
Shanaya was busy saying goodbye to everyone, so I found myself alone again, standing by the door, watching as people trickled out.
"Leaving already?" Shanaya's voice came from behind me, and I turned to see her standing there , Speaking to Ishaan , who had his jacket slung over his shoulder.
"Yeah, I think it's time to call it a night," He said with a smile. "It's been a long day."
He nodded and said to me, "It was nice meeting you, Lavika. I'm sure we'll see each other again soon."
I couldn't help but smile at that. "Yeah, I'm sure we will."
With that, he gave me one last look—a look that sent a thrill of excitement through me—before turning and walking out the door.
As I watched him leave, I couldn't help but feel like this was just the beginning of something. 
What that something was, I wasn't sure. 
But one thing was certain—Ishaan Agnihotri was not a common guy. 
Was he? 
No nah never.
────୨ৎ────
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Here's the chapter 2nd, i hope you liked it.
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Raspberry🎀ྀིྀིྀིྀིྀིྀིྀིྀི