"Happy birthday Ms Mahajan!", said Kabir as he entered the brightly decorated Gazebo. His sudden presence caught the attention of the Mahajans.

Yuvika looked at him with an annoyance. She rolled her eyes and replied, "Thank you Mr. Oberoi! Lekin kya main jaan sakti hun ke aap, iss waqt, yahan kya kar rahe hai?'

Kabir eyed towards the huge 3-layered cake. He smiled and replied, "Mujhe laga I should wish our very own Ex- Chairperson in person. In fact, main apke liye tohfa bhi lekar aya hun!". Yuvika noticed a medium sized gift in his hand. Kabir lend it to her. Yuvika hesitated.

"Le lijiye Ms Mahajan! Pyaar se diye gaye tohfe ko yun mana karna acha nahi hota!"

Yuvika, reluctantly opened the box only to find an oddly shaped, yet familiar, teddy bear. Its eyes seemed to gleam in an eerie way, sending a shiver down Yuvika's spine. Sensing her discomfort, Kabir wore a sinister grin, reveling in the unease he had caused.

Yuvika hesitated but took the teddy in her trembling hands. As soon as the plush toy touched her skin, a wave of dread washed over her. Without warning, she dropped it as if it were a venomous creature. Panic filled her eyes as she cried out, "Mummy!"

Kabir's manipulative smile widened, relishing in the distress he had triggered.

"Kya hua Ms Mahajan? Didn't like it? Mujhe laga isse dekhkar apki poorani yaadein taza ho jayengi. Lekin apke chehre ka uda hua rang dekhkar lagta hai ho hi gayi shayad...."

Yuvika trembled. The more she looked at it, the more anxious she became, of a past which left a life long trauma. It reminded her of the traumatic past when she was stalked. On her 20th birthday, she recieved the same replica of the teddy from her stalker and that had left a huge impact on her brain.

He moved closer, attempting to exploit Yuvika's vulnerability further. However, just as he was about to make her touch the eerie teddy again, a strong hand clamped down on his wrist.

Neil, a figure of righteous anger, stood glaring at Kabir. "Don't you dare," he warned, his voice laced with determination. Yuvika looked at Neil, who had shielded her from Kabir.

Kabir, caught off guard by Neil's intervention, sneered but withdrew. The strange teddy lay abandoned on the floor.

Kabir's eyes burned with defiance. He chuckled, "Neil! Lagta hai Ms Mahajan se zyada dard apko ho raha hai. Kyun?"

Neil, undeterred, replied with a steely gaze, "Haan! Mujhe bahot dard ho raha hai. Aur mujhe dard ho, yeh tumhare liye bilkul acha nahi hoga"

Dadababu, Bhoomi and DJ were stunned at Neil's boldness. Bhoomi quickly went near Yuvika and embraced her.

Kabir scoffed, "Kiske liye kya acha hoga aur kya bura hoga yeh toh sirf waqt tay karega, Neil. Khair tumse meri koi dushmani nahi. Tumhari bhalai isi me hai ke tum mujhse pange mat lo"

Neil, tightening his fists, warned, "Tumhe kya lagta hai, main aisi 3rd class dhamkiyon se darr jaunga? Lekin woh kya hai Mr Oberoi, na toh main aisi dhamkiyon se darta hun aur na-ahi main aise dhamkiyon ko seriously leta hun"

Kabir, seemingly unfazed, circled them with a predatory grace. "Manna padega! Ladki toh out of syllabus thi hi, ladke me bhi kam dam nahi hai," he replied, his eyes fixated on Yuvika.

Yuvika, still shaken by the strange encounter, mustered the courage to speak, "Mr Oberoi, how dare you do this to me? Kya personal dushmani hai apki mujhse?"

Kabir's laughter echoed through the silent gazebo, a disconcerting sound that sent shivers down Bhoomi's spine. "Woh kya hai na Ms Mahajan, na aap mere zakhmon pe namak chidhakti aur na yeh sab hota. Lekin aisi simple si baatein apko kahan samjh me aati? Apko toh bas mahaan banna hai. Toh lijiye...this is the result of it. If my trauma means a game to you, yours means the same to me," he declared, his eyes narrowing.

Kabir's expression turned darker, and he took a step closer to Yuvika. " You're at the center of it all. Embrace it," he urged, his voice a sinister whisper.

Yuvika, defiant despite her fear, shook her head, "kya kehna chahte ho?"

"Bahot kuch Ms Mahajan!"

Kabir smirked. He was about to leave when he felt a warm hand over his shoulder. Neil went closer to him. He whispered over his shoulder, "tujhe lagta hai tu mind games khel Raha hai? Asli mind games toh tere saath khela jaa raha hai. Just wait and watch!"

Just then Kabir's phone rang.

"Sir we're sorry. We couldn't buy the 3% shares of Mahajan Group. Someone already did it before us"

Kabir glared at Neil. Neil winked at him and said, "do send me a congratulatory gift. Usme yeh 1970s hollywood zamane ke khilone mat bhejna. Send something which matches your class!"

And with that Neil left.

-----------------------------------------------

Delulu is the solulu.
Badass Neil is my Roman Empire🚶🏻‍♀️
This one was more like a drabble but who cares? Padho and maze lo!
Thanks for reading peeps!