[FF] Stealing the Table, Owning the Night ~ AaRhuv SS ~ Chapter 1

AN: Hey Friends! I started writing again this week, and I just couldn't stay away from AaRhuv! 💖 Excited to share more stories with you all. Thank you for reading and keeping the love alive! Share your thoughts in the comments below! 👇✨

Chapter 1: The Reservation

The Tandon dining room was relatively quiet as the family settled into their seats, waiting for the final dishes. Aarambhi walked out of the kitchen and carefully set a steaming bowl of daal on the table.

"Oh... my... goodness."

DC’s dramatic voice cut through the room like a blade, followed by slow, mocking applause. Everyone froze.

Leaning casually against the dining room column with his arms crossed, DC sported a dangerously sharp, petty smirk. He looked Aarambhi up and down like she was walking a high-fashion runway.

"Dr. Aarambhi! You look absolutely beautiful tonight," DC announced, intentionally projecting his voice so it bounced off the walls.

The dining table went dead silent. A heavy, public compliment like that felt like a bomb dropping. Doctor Sunil’s spoon paused halfway to his plate, his eyebrows shooting up.

"I mean, wow! Amazing!" DC continued, completely unbothered by the family's suffocating awkwardness.

Aarambhi shot DC a massive, warning glare. Are you crazy? Stop! Her eyes screamed. "DC sir, please," she muttered under her breath, setting the bowl down with a sharp thud. "This is how I always look."

"Please, don't be so modest. You are gorgeous tonight," DC said, ignoring her entirely as he stepped fully into the room. "Maybe it's the light hitting you at the perfect angle. Or did you do something different to your hair?"

The Tandons looked from him to her, trying to gauge the room's temperature.

“I know what it is,” DC snapped his fingers, stepping closer to her. “You’re ready for your big, romantic date night with Vishwas. Right?”

Aarambhi’s frustration instantly dissolved into pure confusion. Across the table, Nandita and Harry exchanged bewildered glances, mouthing the word 'Date?' to one another.

"Date... night?" Aarambhi echoed, caught entirely off guard.

"Hey, Vihaan buddy, doesn't your mom look like a superstar right now? Tell your dad he's a lucky man!"

"Yes! Mom looks like a queen!" Vihaan cheered loudly from his chair. "Dad, look!"

Right on cue, Vishwas walked into the dining room. Unlike Aarambhi, he was already dressed for a lavish, high-end dinner—wearing a premium designer jacket, his hair styled to perfection. His eyes were glued to his phone screen, his thumbs flying across the keyboard as he aggressively texted, totally clueless.

DC’s smirk widened. "Oh, look! The busy doctor finally graces us with his presence!"

Vishwas snapped his head up. Seeing DC standing so close to Aarambhi, he tightened his jaw. "What, son?" he asked, confused.

"Look at Mom, doesn't she look like a queen?" Vihaan beamed.

Realizing his father and the rest of the family were watching, Vishwas forced a plastic, PR-ready smile. "Aarambhi… yes, she looks like she always does."

"No," DC interjected, his voice dripping with faux-admiration. "She looks like she's ready for her date night with you, Dr. Vishwas."

Vishwas’s eyes flared with sudden fury. Date night? How the hell did he find out?

Before he could answer, the sharp click-clack of heels echoed, and Avantika glided into the room. She wore a sleek, stunning designer outfit, fully expecting to walk out the door with Vishwas. The second she saw the family staring, her smug smile vanished.

Looking from Avantika’s stunned face to DC’s amused, glittering eyes, Aarambhi instantly understood. The reservation was meant for Avantika. A wave of disgust washed over her, but instead of blowing her cover, Aarambhi kept quiet and watched the play unfold.

DC turned his gaze slowly toward Avantika. "Oh, Avantika! Wow, look at you. Dressed up too?!"

Caught in the headlights, Avantika swallowed hard. "I... yes. I have a private event tonight."

"Wow, is everyone going somewhere special tonight? Avantika has a private event, and Dr. Vishwas and Dr. Aarambhi have a special date. Wow!"

DC feigned a dramatic gasp, looking at Avantika’s shocked face. “Wait… oh my god. I am so sorry. Did I just spoil the surprise? I passed Vishwas in the hallway earlier, and he was on the phone confirming a premium reservation for a nice dinner for two at 8:00 PM. I mean, it’s at The Grand Pavilion—the kind of spot where ordinary people wait months for a table. I thought he told you, Dr. Aarambhi. Don't tell me he didn't tell you?"

Clenching his jaw so hard that a vein popped in his temple, Vishwas forced a loving smile. He stepped toward Aarambhi, grabbing her shoulders firmly to put on a grand show for the audience. "Actually, DC... you did spoil it. Aarambhi, I know we’ve had some really rough times lately, so I wanted to surprise you tonight."

Aarambhi’s entire body went rigid. She cringed under his touch, her eyes darting straight to DC with pure panic and disgust. She did not want to go to dinner with the man who had covered up their son's kidnapping, and DC's little stunt was putting her in a corner.

Across the room, Avantika looked ready to combust. She shot a lethal, burning glare at Vishwas that screamed, *'Fix this. Now!'* before turning on her heel and marching out to the driveway.

Vishwas was internally frantic, desperately seeking an escape route. Right on cue, his phone began vibrating violently with Avantika’s caller ID. He casually silenced it and stepped away from Aarambhi. "You know what, though... let me check this. It might be an emergency from the hospital. If duty calls, we might just have to cancel the dinner—"

"Oh, come on, Dr. Vishwas, that is not fair!" DC interrupted loudly, stepping between Vishwas and Aarambhi and physically breaking his hold on her. "Look at her! Aarambhi is dressed beautifully."

To emphasize his point, DC gently caught Aarambhi by the fingertips and spun her in a slow, graceful circle, showing the family her everyday saree.

"What are you doing?" Aarambhi hissed under her breath, her heart hammering against her ribs.

"She looks breathtaking," DC insisted, his eyes dancing with pure mischief. "You can’t let all that effort go to waste, Doc. But then again, you never have time for your family, do you? Always working, always neglecting this beautiful wife of yours."

DC leaned in slightly, his voice dropping into a dangerous, low rumble meant only for Vishwas. "You better watch out, Dr. Vishwas. If you keep ignoring her like this, she just might end up with someone else one day. Someone who actually knows what she's worth."

Vishwas’s teeth ground together. He wanted to swing at DC, but he couldn't—DC was the hospital's primary investor. He held all the cards. "I take care of my wife just fine," Vishwas muttered through clenched teeth.

DC looked over at Vihaan. "Hey buddy, wouldn't your mom be super disappointed if your dad canceled date night right now?"

Vihaan bounced up, his little face falling. "Yes! Mom looks beautiful. Dad, you can't cancel!"

Sensing the suffocating, dangerous tension, Aarambhi stepped forward to defuse it. "It's okay, really... Vihaan, DC sir, it's fine. We don't have to go. Vishwas has a lot of responsibilities—"

"No need to stress yourself out, Doc. I already have The Grand Pavilion on the line," DC interjected, pulling out his phone before Vishwas could react.

Vishwas froze as DC spoke directly into his receiver with a victorious smirk. "Yes, hi, I'm calling about the reservation under Dr. Vishwas Tandon for 8:00 PM. He has a medical emergency, so please switch the reservation name to mine—Dhruv Chawla. Yes, make it extra special, and please add one more seat to the table. Thank you."

DC hung up and beamed at the stunned family. "Problem solved! I can easily step in where you can't handle family things, Vishwas. I’ll just take both Aarambhi and Vihaan out myself!"

"Yay! Restaurant night with Mom and DC!" Vihaan cheered, sprinting up the stairs to change.

Vishwas stood rooted to the spot, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white. He was entirely trapped.

"DC sir, wait..." Aarambhi panicked slightly, looking at the family's stunned faces. "I'm really not dressed appropriately for a place like that… in this saree?"

"Are you kidding me? You look perfect," DC assured her warmly. "But hey, you still have five minutes to change if you want. Doctor Sunil, you agree, right? I'm just stepping in so Dr. Vishwas can dedicate himself to his medical duties."

Doctor Sunil looked at his furious elder son, sighed deeply, and nodded. "Go ahead, Aarambhi. Take Vihaan out. Don't let the evening go to waste."

A sudden rush of satisfaction washed over Aarambhi. She turned and headed to her room to change quickly. The Tandon family began to disperse from the table, leaving Vishwas standing completely alone as his phone buzzed frantically in his hand.

DC walked past him toward the hallway, stopping just long enough to lean in and drop one final whisper right into Vishwas's ear.

"Looks like you successfully freed up your evening for the hospital, Doc. Go ahead and enjoy your night shift."

With a sharp, petty wink, DC walked off, leaving Vishwas fuming in the ruins of his own plans.

---

Ten minutes later, Vishwas was still standing in the living room, aggressively arguing with a hysterical Avantika over the phone when footsteps sounded from the staircase.

Vihaan reached the bottom of the stairs first.

"Whoa." His eyes went straight toward the hallway. "DC! You look like a superhero!"

DC stepped out from the corridor, laughing softly as he adjusted his jacket. He had changed into a completely monochromatic black suit, the tailored jacket sitting sharply across his broad shoulders over a black shirt with the top three buttons undone. No tie, no unnecessary accessories, just pure, dark elegance that made his usual charm look infinitely more dangerous.

"Do I?" DC asked with an amused smile.

"Yes! A really cool one!" Vihaan exclaimed.

Then, the soft rustle of chiffon echoed down the steps. DC turned toward the staircase, and his breath caught in his throat for a fraction of a second. The playful smirk vanished entirely from his face.

Aarambhi was coming down the stairs.

She hadn't simply changed into another everyday saree. She wore the red designer chiffon saree she had bought two years ago for their anniversary—the one that had sat untouched in the back of her closet after their plans fell apart at Vishwas' convenience. The fabric caught the warm lighting as she descended, the deep crimson bringing a radiant richness to her complexion. Her hair fell in soft, voluminous waves around her shoulders, and for once, she carried herself without worrying about who was watching.

She looked confident. Breathtaking.

"Mom! Look at DC!" Vihaan chimed in, breaking the stillness.

Aarambhi’s eyes traveled over DC’s new look, taking in the black suit before she could stop herself. A subtle, genuine smile touched her lips.

"You look... very nice, DC sir," she said softly.

DC’s gaze softened into something strikingly warm. "Very nice?"

Realizing she had given him an opening, Aarambhi caught herself quickly. "Yes. The suit suits you."

"Coming from you, Doctor, I'll take that as the ultimate compliment," DC murmured, a quiet smile playing at his lips. He looked her up and down, dropping his voice just enough for her to hear. "And you look breathtaking."

Aarambhi shot him a quick warning look, though it held no real bite. "DC sir..."

"What? I'm simply returning the compliment," DC grinned playfully. He stepped forward and held out his arm. "Ready to own the night, Dr. Aarambhi?"

Aarambhi looked at his offered arm, then glanced at Vishwas, who stared at them in absolute, helpless rage. For the first time in ten years, she didn't feel afraid of the fallout. She placed her hand lightly on DC's arm.

"Ready," she said clearly.

As they walked out the front door, DC's headlights lit the driveway—perfectly illuminating Avantika in the passenger seat of Vishwas’s car, staring through the glass in absolute horror as the trio glided toward DC's luxury SUV.

Back in the living room, Vishwas stood frozen, his phone slipping an inch from his ear as the front door clicked shut.

Buzz.

A sudden notification flashed across his phone screen.

An unknown number. No message. No explanation. Just a single image file.

With shaking fingers, Vishwas tapped it open.

The photograph had been taken inside The Grand Pavilion's private dining office that afternoon. It showed the restaurant's reservation ledger for tonight's 8:00 PM slot.

Under the 8:00 PM reservation, Dr. Vishwas Tandon's name hadn't just been crossed out. Beneath it, printed cleanly in bold ink, stamped, and approved, was the replacement:

DHRUV CHAWLA

PAID IN FULL — THREE DAYS PRIOR

Vishwas stared at the glowing screen, his phone trembling in his grasp as the blood drained entirely from his face.

DC hadn't intercepted his reservation tonight. He had set this entire trap three days ago.

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TO BE CONTINUED…