The clock struck 5:00 AM. While the rest of the city was still deep in sleep, Aryan Roy was already wide awake. Discipline was the foundation of his life.
He started his day in his high-tech private gym. His muscular body glistened with sweat as he pushed his limits, the intensity in his eyes matching the heavy weights he lifted. After an hour of training, he went out to the vast, lush green gardens of the Roy Mansion for his morning run. Every stride he took was powerful and firm, reflecting his unwavering focus.
By 6:30 AM, he returned to his room. After a refreshing warm shower in his luxurious bathroom, he dressed in a crisp, expensive shirt and headed downstairs. At exactly 7:00 AM, he reached the dining table for breakfast.
"Good morning, Aryan," the family members greeted him one by one, and he responded with a polite, brief nod.
His father, Mr. Roy, looked up from his newspaper with a serious expression. "Aryan, I have an important task for you today. There is a critical file at my friend's house. It contains the evidence regarding that company which was taken from us illegally. I was supposed to take it to court today, but my friend is caught up with some urgent work and can't make it."
Mr. Roy took a sip of his tea and continued, "Since I have to be at the hearing, can you go and collect that file for me?"
Aryan set his coffee cup down calmly. His voice was deep and steady. "Consider it done, Dad. I'll go and get it."
Mr. Roy smiled with relief. "Thank you. That file is vital for our case. I'll feel much better knowing it's in your hands."
Aryan nodded, but behind his calm face, his mind was already drifting back to the events of last night. He had no idea that this simple mission to collect a file was about to lead him straight back into the path of a certain "Miss Puddle."
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While Aryan was busy with his royal discipline, Ana was a complete disaster. She woke up at 8:00 AM with messy hair and a mind full of last night's nightmares. As she brushed her teeth, she kept seeing Aryan's smirk in the bathroom mirror.
"Divert your mind, Ana! Focus!" she scolded herself.
She took a quick shower and was drying her hair with a towel when she heard the roar of a powerful engine. She peeked through the window and her heart stopped. A sleek, BlackPorsche was parked right in front of her house.
"No way! Is that Mr. Arrogant?" she gasped. Then she slapped her own forehead. "Uff, Ana! Relax. Is there only one black Porsche in this entire world? You're losing your mind!"
She quickly changed into a simple dress and started heading downstairs for breakfast. But halfway down the stairs, she saw a sight that nearly gave her a heart attack.
There he was—Aryan Roy—sitting comfortably on the sofa and chatting with her father!
Ana turned around and bolted back to her room like a ninja. She slammed the door and locked it. "Oh my God! What is he doing here? Did he find out the truth? Am I dead? Is Shila dead? Are we all dead?!"
Just then, her father shouted from downstairs, "Ana! Come down, dear. We have a guest!"
Ana felt like she was heading toward her own funeral. But then, a crazy, "brilliant" idea hit her. She ran to her vanity and grabbed a packet of Neem Face Pack. She didn't just apply it; she plastered it on her entire face and even her hands until she looked like a green swamp monster. She wrapped her hair tightly in a huge, ugly towel and marched downstairs.
Her father looked at her and almost dropped his tea cup. "Ana?! What on earth is this? You never use face packs, and why is it all over your hands? Are you planning to become a tree?"
Ana disguised her voice, making it sound like a squeaky old radio. "Oh, Dad... I just felt like having some 'Green Therapy' today. It's a sudden hobby!"
"What happened to your voice?" her father asked, looking genuinely concerned. "Are you sick? Should I call a doctor?"
"No, no! I'm completely fine! Just... puberty hitting late, maybe?" Ana squeaked.
Meanwhile, Aryan was watching this 'Green Creature' with extreme suspicion. Even though she was covered in green mud, something about her felt... familiar. Her height, her eyes, that annoying spark—it felt exactly like Miss Puddle.
"Aryan, meet my daughter, Ana," her father introduced them.
Aryan stared at her, trying to suppress a laugh. "Nice to meet you, Miss... Hulk? What kind of face pack is that?"
Ana looked him straight in the eye, trying not to shake. "It's pure Neem. Very bitter. Just like some people's personalities. You should definitely try some, Mr. Guest. It clears the skin and the ego!"
Aryan was stunned. "Why does this weird girl remind me of Shila... I mean, the girl from the restaurant?" he wondered. "I think I'm working too hard. Now I'm seeing Miss Puddle even in green monsters!"
Ana's father was a very hospitable man. He looked at Aryan and insisted, "Aryan, you must have some breakfast with us before you go."
Aryan politely declined, "No, Uncle, thank you. I've already had my breakfast at 7:00 AM."
But Ana's father wouldn't take no for an answer. After a lot of persuading, the three of them ended up sitting at the dining table. By a stroke of terrible luck, Ana and Aryan were seated directly opposite each other—face to face.
Aryan barely touched his food. Instead, his sharp, observant eyes were fixed on the "Green Monster" sitting in front of him. He found her behavior increasingly bizarre. Ana, on the other hand, was trying to eat her toast while making sure her towel didn't slip. She felt extremely uncomfortable under his intense gaze.
As she was chewing nervously, a small patch of the dried Neem face pack cracked and fell off her cheek, revealing a bit of her fair, glowing skin underneath.
Aryan noticed it immediately. A playful smirk crossed his face. "You know," he said, leaning forward slightly, "your Hulk color is starting to fade. You might want to go for a touch-up."
Ana didn't realize what he meant at first. She kept eating for a second, then suddenly froze. She touched her cheek and felt the smooth skin where the green mud had peeled off. Her eyes widened in horror. She realized that if more of it fell off, her identity would be revealed right there!
Without saying a word, she jumped up from her chair, nearly knocking over her juice, and bolted toward her room like a track star.
Aryan couldn't hold it back anymore. He burst into a loud, hearty laugh—the kind of genuine laugh his family rarely heard. Even Ana's father started chuckling at his daughter's sudden "skincare emergency."
"She is definitely not a normal girl," Aryan thought, still smiling as he watched her disappear. "But why does her panic feel so familiar?"