A silent, peaceful restaurant suddenly filled with nuisance a woman grabbing and pulling a man's collar, dragging him across the floor, followed by three ladies and another man.
The man being dragged argued loudly,
"Riya, leave my collar and leave me alone!"
Riya responded sharply,
"If I leave you, you'll escape! First, come to my father and clarify everything about that blind date!"
Dev looked helplessly at a familiar man and asked,
"Ayaan, why did you betray me? I thought you were distracted by something serious... and Anaya cured your distraction. That's why I brought you here! But why am I the one falling into this mess?"
Anaya laughed lightly,
"Why are you so worried? You should be happy. It's your first time meeting your future in-laws."
Ayaan gave a thumbs-up gesture.
Dev groaned,
"Now I really feel betrayed!"
Suddenly, a butler approached them and interrupted,
"Madam Riya, finally you are here. Your father is waiting for you in Room No. 10. Also... who are these people? Especially this one the man you're dragging by the collar?"
Riya responded, narrowing her eyes,
"Who are you? My father's new butler?"
The butler replied stiffly,
"Yes, madam."
When everyone started walking toward Room No. 10, Ayaan and Dev exchanged suspicious glances at the so-called new butler a silent understanding passing between them.
Both nodded slightly, preparing to be alert.
Inside Room No. 10, an older man's voice boomed the moment they entered,
"Riya! Why the hell did you bring Mr. Dev here by grabbing his collar?!"
Riya snapped back with no hesitation,
"Father, I am your daughter! But why the hell are you shouting at me, instead of supporting me?"
---
Finally, everyone settled down.
Around a round table, Riya's father called out to his butler,
"Call the waiter. We'll order shortly."
Then, looking around the table, he introduced himself,
"Let me introduce myself. My name is Ranveer father of Riya, and City Police Commissioner."
Riya murmured under her breath,
"They don't even deserve to hear your name, Father..."
Hearing that, Ranveer slammed the table hard, making the plates rattle.
Then, turning his sharp gaze toward Dev, he said,
"So you are Dev. Just like your mother said... you really look like a strong boy."
Dev, feeling awkward, scratched the back of his head and asked,
"I never thought my mother knew the City Police Commissioner..."
Ranveer let out a hearty laugh.
But when his eyes turned to Ayaan, his expression grew serious.
"Your name is Ayaan, right? What's bothering you?"
Ayaan, steadying himself, responded politely,
"Nothing serious, Mr. Ranveer. But... is your butler truly a butler?"
Hearing Ayaan's sharp statement, Dev also leaned forward and asked,
"Same question, Mr. Ranveer?"
Ranveer, while tapping his fingers rhythmically on the table, replied calmly,
"Nothing to worry about, Mr. Ayaan and Mr. Dev. Why do you both feel that way?"
Both Dev and Ayaan caught the hidden rhythm in Ranveer's tapping.
They exchanged glances and understood the meaning underneath it was a warning signal.
Dev responded casually,
"No need for formalities, Mr. Ranveer. Just call me Dev. It's just... the body posture, the scent something feels off about that butler."
Immediately, Riya mocked Dev,
"Look, Father! He's analyzing our butler by smelling him like a dog and you were planning to arrange my marriage with him?"
Dev, ignoring Riya's insult, smiled awkwardly.
Before Riya could continue her sarcastic remarks, Ranveer slammed the table once again,
"Riya, apologize to Dev!"
But Dev interrupted quickly and honestly,
"Mr. Ranveer, no need to shout at your daughter. I heard Riya's mother was best friends with my mother... but honestly, I don't know what they both saw in me to arrange this blind date."
Then, without warning, Dev touched his stomach
Pfffft!
A small but clear fart echoed.
Dev, completely embarrassed, mumbled,
"Oops... stomach upset... Meet you in ten minutes. Ayaan, come with me!"
Ayaan slammed his hand on his forehead,
"Seriously...?"
But still nodded,
"Okay."
As Ayaan and Dev hurried outside the restaurant, they noticed the 'butler' standing at a distance, suspiciously talking on the phone.
Without a word, both gently placed their hands on the 'butler's' shoulders.
The fake butler turned around with a smug smile,
"I must say, I never met you before, yet you saw through my carefully prepared disguise."
Dev smirked,
"You forgot one important thing in your disguise."
The fake butler laughed,
"Oh? I'm curious... What is it? My smell? My posture?"
Ayaan, voice cold and serious, said,
"The main thing you forgot to disguise... is your murderous intent toward Riya. What's your real deal, huh?"
Suddenly
Ayaan and Dev sensed danger from behind.
Without hesitation, both bent low — narrowly dodging a sudden slash aimed at their backs!
Meanwhile, the fake butler used the distraction to escape.
Dev quickly knocked down the attacker from behind —
"Got you, bastard!"
—but the real target, the fake butler, was already on the run.
Without losing a moment, Ayaan and Dev sprinted after him through the narrow restaurant corridors.
----
Inside the restaurant room:
Anaya kept tapping the glass with a spoon, eyes on the door, eagerly waiting for Ayaan.
Ranveer, noticing her distraction, asked with a disappointed tone "Anaya, are you really in love with Ayaan?"
Without a second of hesitation, Anaya smiled brightly and responded,
"Not just liking, Uncle. I'm truly loving him so much."
Ranveer narrowed his eyes slightly, studying her facen "Is Ayaan feeling the same?"
Anaya, with complete confidence and a small proud smile, answered "Yes. He doesn't know how to express it properly, but I'm sure he loves me even more than I love him."
At the side, Pooja and Sneha whispered to each other "You heard that, right? She's completely crazy for Ayaan... but how does she know Ayaan loves her that much?"
Ranveer sighed, lowering his gaze toward the table, and then turned his attention to Riya.
"Riya, can we talk about something serious?"
Riya, sensing the mood shift, replied a little cautiously "Okay, Father..."
---
Meanwhile, outside the restaurant:
Ayaan and Dev were still chasing the suspicious butler.
While running, Ayaan noticed a pile of discarded fabric, rubber, and wood near an alley.
He shouted,
"Dev, don't wait for me! Keep chasing him!"
Ayaan quickly grabbed the materials, starting to craft something improvised to help.
Dev nodded and sprinted after the fleeing butler.
Ayaan quickly started gathering the materials, tying them swiftly together into a makeshift bow setup — his mind flashing with images:
The Hollow Pact...
The shadow figure with the crimson axe...
His confusion...
His encounter with the youth carrying a guitar...
But amidst the chaos, Anaya's voice and her touch the memories calmed him.
He inhaled deeply, clearing the fog from his mind, and when he opened his eyes they were sharp, focused.
"Aim steady, Ayaan," he whispered to himself.
Ayaan nocked an arrow onto his newly built bow, aimed carefully at the escaping butler's legs, and fired.
THWACK!
The arrow struck perfectly — piercing the butler's thigh and bringing him down.
Dev quickly caught up and tackled the man to the ground.
Both Ayaan and Dev pinned him firmly and started interrogating..
---
Inside Restaurant Room No. 10:
Ranveer, voice full of disappointment, slammed a folder down on the table and shouted,
"Read this, Riya!"
Confused and worried, Riya leaned forward and opened the folder.
As she read, her hands trembled —
"Under the authority of President Aditya Rajan, Captain Rathore hereby assigns a pistol to Miss Riya ."
At the same time, Ranveer grabbed Riya's handbag, unzipped it harshly, and pulled out the hidden gun.
His voice full of frustration "You didn't even know what kind of mess you were dragged into, Riya..."
Riya, face pale with guilt, murmured "Father... I-I didn't mean to hide it... I was just...".
Back in the alley:
Dev finally tackled the suspicious butler to the ground after Ayaan, using his quick instincts, shot an arrow that pierced the butler's leg.
With pain and anger, the captured man finally confessed,
"My client recently found out that the City Police Commissioner's daughter, Riya, was connected to the spear. That's why I was ordered to assassinate her!"