An Innocent Crush ✓

46 | Black belt Shanvi.

“I'll handle the bill. How about you all wait outside?”

“Bhaiya, I'll pay for it!” Vikram insisted.

“You've grown so much that you won't let me do this anymore?” Dhruv teased.

Vikram chuckled softly as he rubbed his neck. Dhruv gave him a nod, and together, they headed to the cash counter. Meanwhile, the girls left the restaurant, carrying their shopping bags.

As Vikram reached the counter and offered his credit card for payment, the cashier politely declined, saying, “I'm sorry, sir, but Mr. Merha has already settled the bill,” accompanied by a gentle smile. Confused, Vikram looked towards Dhruv, who mirrored his perplexity with a furrowed brow.

“Alright…”

“Vikram, since we didn't have any desserts, how about grabbing some cake?” Dhruv suggested.

Vikram smiled and nodded in agreement. “Which flavor?” he asked, already knowing Dhruv's choice. Without glancing at him, Dhruv replied,

“Chocolate…”

"Oh, Kiara's favorite, I suppose," Vikram teased with a smirk, causing Dhruv to pause in his tracks and glance at him. Vikram swiftly adopted an innocent expression in response.

"Nope, I actually like chocolate…"

"Oh, really?"

"Are you getting it or not?”

Meanwhile, Kiara, Shanvi and Reshmi were standing near the exit of the mall waiting for Dhruv and Vikram.

"When will these two arrive? I wanna go home," Kiara sighed, wrapping her arm around Shanvi. Reshmi chuckled softly, observing Kiara's evident boredom and fatigue.

"They'll probably be here soon," she responded, observing Kiara's slightly tired expression. But suddenly, a man grabbed Reshmi's arm, causing her to turn towards him.

"Your father is worried about you, and you are having fun here!" The man exclaimed, tightening his grip on her wrist. "Let go of me!" she shouted firmly, attempting to break free, but the man's hold remained strong.

Kiara hurriedly moved towards Reshmi, her heart pounding with concern. "Please, let her go! We don't want any trouble. Can we talk this out?" she implored, gently placing a hand on the man's arm in an attempt to diffuse the situation.

Her voice quivered slightly, a mix of fear and compassion evident in her eyes. Kiara hoped her gesture would convey empathy and defuse the tension, silently urging the man to release Reshmi without escalating the situation further.

Yet, the man retained his grip on Reshmi, and another man approached them. He seemed to be associated with the man, appearing to be his companion.

Concern etched on her face, Kiara's heart raced with worry for her friend. She took a step back, trying to assess the situation, hoping to find a way to resolve it.

In a flash, another hand grabbed the man's wrist, stopping him from holding Reshmi. Shanvi intervened, insisting, "she can make her own decisions. Show some respect." Her calm but forceful tone and tightening grip unsettled the man, filling the air with tension.

With a swift, determined motion, she effortlessly broke free from his grasp on Reshmi. "Leave!" Her voice, though calm, bore an undertone that could send shivers down the spine of anyone within earshot.

“You!—”

As the man lunged for Shanvi's collar, she sidestepped with the agility of a cat, leaving him grasping at thin air like a confused mime. In a swift motion she delivered a slap that echoed through the air, leaving the man's face in shock and his ears buzzing like a doorbell stuck on repeat. His expression? Priceless.

The man looked shocked as he held his red cheek. Another person with him tried to grab Shanvi, but she moved fast, dodging his attempt.

With a swift and decisive move, she seized the other man's hand, yanking him towards her with lightning speed. In a flash, she delivered a sharp side kick to his ribs, eliciting a guttural, agonizing groan that echoed through the tense air.

Kiara flinched, gasping as Shanvi landed a powerful punch on the man's jaw. Shocked by her friend's unexpected strength and fighting skills, Kiara was both stunned and strangely thrilled by the intense scene playing out before her eyes.

The man threw a punch at Shanvi, making her stumbled back from the punch, tension thick in the air.

"You call that an attack? I've been pinched harder by my grandma!" Shanvi's laughter pierced the moment. Swift and precise, she unleashed a lightning-fast 180° taekwondo kick, sending the assailant crashing to the ground with a resounding thud.

A thug approached Reshmi, grabbing her wrist. Kiara, spotting the danger, dashed towards them. "Hey! Stop!" she yelled, attempting to shove the man away from Reshmi.

"Kiara, sweetheart, aim for the family jewels!" Shanvi bellowed while handing out a beating to the other goon.

With a resolute nod, Kiara swiftly delivered a punishing kick to the goon's most vulnerable spot, causing him to let out a guttural howl of agony and swiftly release Reshmi from his grip.

"Punch him now!"

"But his face—"

"What face?"

"It's gleaming like an oil slick, ew!”

"Kiara, just do it!" Shanvi urged, her voice filled with urgency. With a deep breath, Kiara delivered a powerful punch to the thug's face, causing him to stumble back and fall to the ground, defeated.

As the goons lay sprawled on the ground, Shanvi couldn't help but strike a victory pose. "And that's how we ended the game!" she exclaimed, tossing a wink to Kiara.

Kiara, trying to shake off the adrenaline rush, chuckled nervously, "I swear I've never punched anyone before!" Her hand was sore, and she winced, shaking it out dramatically.

Reshmi, still a bit shaken, managed a weak smile, "thank you so much guys..."

As Dhruv and Vikram approached, their eyes fell upon the scene of the subdued assailants, sprawled on the ground. Both of them wore expressions of surprise and concern.

"What happened here?" Vikram asked, his voice carrying a mix of confusion and worry as he glanced between the fallen figures and Reshmi.

“What happened? Who are they?” Dhruv asked, he looked at Kiara who was biting her lower lip, nervously before hurriedly walking towards Dhruv.

"You should've seen it! Shanvi went all kung fu master on those guys!" Kiara exclaimed, her eyes shining with excitement as she recounted the incident to Dhruv.

Dhruv and Vikram appeared completely bewildered, their eyes wide with disbelief. "Seriously? Are you for real?" Vikram stuttered, glancing at Shanvi, clearly uncertain whether to take everything seriously or not.

"I even threw a punch!" Kiara exclaimed, mimicking a few moves, while Dhruv listened, his heart thumping with concern.

He swiftly took hold of her hands, checking for any injuries. "Did they hurt you? Are your hands okay? Oh god your knuckles are all red..." He whispered, his voice filled with care and gentleness.

“I… I'm fine!”

Reshmi huffed, eyeing the couple in front of her. "I was the one who got attacked..!"

Shanvi scoffed, "Yeah, and I got a punch in while saving your ass, thank you very much..."

“Your appa will get a thrashing from me!" Vikram said, glaring at the thugs sprawled on the ground.

Reshmi shot him a look, "You couldn't even save me from these jokers, and you're on about my appa? Seriously?”

Vikram stood tall, "Ayy! I'm Vikram Raj Choubey!"

"And my appa will turn your Choubey into chopped veggies!” Reshmi smirked.