Vihaan couldn't get her smile out of his head. Her face lit up as if thousands of diyas were lit on a Diwali night. He felt as if a hundred Diwalis had come at once. And the smile felt like a jolt of recognition. Recognition of what? He had no idea. He didn't believe in the stupidity of knowing each other in previous lives or the crap about star-crossed lovers taking rebirths to reunite with their lover.He felt suffocated because the feelings were so strong. What was so special about her?Yes, she was a beautiful woman, but he had seen many beautiful women in his life. He had women throw themselves at his feet even before he made his first million. So, what was so different about this particular woman?He found this meeting so damn disturbing and wanted it to end soon. The purpose of the visit was to know whether or not she would be open to the idea of meeting the daughter she had given up years ago. There was no question about that. The memorabilia of Drishti's life on her

Divyanshi strolled slowly along the lakeside, feeling a bit early for her lunch with Vihaan and Drishti. If she had stayed in her apartment for a moment longer, she would have succumbed to the anxiety that had led her to change her outfit four times already. She had tried to think about what a twelve-year-old would like to see her mother wearing – smart and classy, soft and feminine, casual and approachable, bright and boldly chic – there were so many looks one might present. Finally, after much contemplation, she settled on vanity. She was wearing a lemon-yellow short-sleeved top and a long emerald green skirt that matched her eyes. And however foolish it might sound, she wanted Vihaan to take a long second look at her. If only he could see her with the same eyes as he did during their first meeting, on their thirteenth anniversary today, maybe the magical connection could happen again. As she neared the deck, she spotted Vihaan leaning against the railing, his profile in view, with

"I don't see how he could forget you," Drishti mumbled the same line multiple times during her chat with her real mother. She found it so unacceptable that anyone could forget her oh-so-obviously gorgeous mother. Vihaan felt the same.With no acquaintance at all, he found Divyanshi Trilok unforgettable to a point that she haunted his dreams. However, the way he looked, it appeared supernatural. He was glad when the lunch arrived, forcing himself to eat everything on his plate. It proved, at least to those who looked at him, he was handling everything with ease.Occasionally, Drishti called on him to comment on some points of the conversation, but Divya never once tried to draw him into it. He sensed she was wary of him, guarded, perhaps over conscious of his power to call a halt to this meeting and take Drishti away from her. Or was she as acutely aware of him as he was of her, and hiding it in case it created a problem in future meetings with her daughter? Was she as attracted to hi

Vihaan observed the mother-daughter duo walking away, feeling a twinge of envy for his niece, Drishti, who had claimed her mother's attention entirely.Divyanshi looked stunning today, but she always looked beautiful. Those green eyes, locking with his for a brief moment when she greeted him, stirred up emotions that had been running through him since they first met. Sandhya cleared her throat to get his attention, causing him to blush slightly. She had dropped in an hour ago, but with Drishti around, they hadn't been able to talk yet.Now that his niece was in her room with her mother, it was time to discuss his relationship with Sandhya. "Sandhya...""Yes, Vihaan?""We need to talk.""Oh, I was about to say the same thing," Sandhya replied."You go ahead," Vihaan suggested."No, I'd rather hear you first. It will give me time to gather my thoughts too," Sandhya chuckled.Vihaan hesitated briefly before deciding not to delay the conversation any further. "I don't think this would wor

Vihaan watched his niece skip away and heaved a sigh of relief. Finally, he had some alone time with Divyanshi Trilok. No woman had ever resisted him so determinedly. In fact, women had thrown themselves at him, and he had to fend them off like a broomstick-wielding warrior. He had never felt so frustrated and intrigued by someone at the same time.Luckily, today, he got a chance to make her feel comfortable with him, all thanks to Drishti. The little minx had schemed and prodded until they rearranged their lives, making it convenient for her to get what she wanted.Anyone could see her intentions from a mile away. One day, he would have to teach her the subtle art of subtlety. Her obvious schemes had been pushing Divya away from him instead of bringing them closer. Now, with Drishti gone, he had to address the issue and put Divya at ease."It's natural for Drishti to want us to be together," he said. "I am sorry if it makes things awkward for you.""I can handle it, Divya. Drisht