The beginning

Kavya’s POV

The clock struck 9:15 a.m. — the opening bell of the Bombay Stock Exchange echoed across Dalal Street.

From my window seat in the newsroom, I watched the city pulse with noise and movement.

Inside those glass towers, screens flickered red and green — lives rising and falling with each number.

For most people, it was just another trading day.

But for me… it was the beginning of something far bigger.

My laptop glowed with a single anonymous email.

No sender. No subject. No trail. Just words that demanded my attention.

“Malhotra Securities is manipulating IPO data and insider trading reports.

Find the truth before it disappears.”

I read it twice, then once more.

Anonymous tips were normal for investigative reporters like me — but this one felt personal.

There was precision in the words, almost urgency. Whoever sent this knew exactly what they were risking… and who they were talking to.

I leaned back, my eyes falling on the glossy magazine lying on my desk.

Aarav Malhotra.

The headline beneath his photo read: “The Market’s Golden Boy.”

He wasn’t just another CEO — he was a phenomenon.

Sharp suit, sharper mind. Calm eyes that hid storms.

Every investor wanted to be him.

Every rival wanted to destroy him.

And now, maybe… I was supposed to expose him.

“Still chasing ghosts, Kavya?”

Riya’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts. She placed a mug of coffee beside me.

I smiled faintly. “Sometimes ghosts leave better clues than people.”

She sighed. “You’re talking about Aarav Malhotra, aren’t you? Don’t get pulled in. Men like him control every narrative — even yours.”

I didn’t answer. My gaze returned to Aarav’s picture — that subtle smile, that confidence that didn’t feel fake.

There was something in his eyes that didn’t match the rumors — not greed, but… grief?

Maybe it was just my imagination. Or maybe, deep down, I wanted to believe there was more to him than numbers and scandals.

Author POV

That evening, the city melted into shades of amber and silver.

Traffic lights flickered like restless stars as Kavya stood outside the Malhotra Securities building — a sleek glass fortress rising into the sky.

She adjusted her blazer, checking her reflection on the mirrored doors.

Her request for an interview had been approved within minutes — something that almost never happened.

CEOs usually ran from hard-hitting journalists.

But Aarav Malhotra? He’d personally invited her in.

The elevator doors slid open with a soft chime, carrying her to the top floor — his world.

Aarav’s POV

From his office window, Aarav Malhotra watched the city he helped shape.

To most, he was untouchable — precise, powerful, disciplined.

But behind the glass, even perfection had cracks.

The message he received that morning still lingered in his mind — a message that mirrored Kavya’s anonymous tip.

Someone was playing a game, and he wasn’t sure whether he was the player… or the target.

When the elevator chimed, he didn’t turn.

“They say the city never sleeps,” he said quietly, still gazing at the skyline. “But have you ever noticed how still it looks from up here?”

Kavya’s POV

For a second, I froze.

That voice — calm, deep, deliberate — carried the kind of confidence that could disarm anyone.

When he turned, I finally saw him — tall, sharp, effortlessly composed in a charcoal suit.

His presence filled the room without him even trying.

“Mr. Malhotra,” I said, keeping my tone professional, “thank you for seeing me on such short notice.”

He gestured toward the chair opposite his desk. “I always make time for good journalists… though I hear you’re more dangerous than most.”

I smiled faintly. “Depends on who’s hiding the truth.”

Our eyes met — and in that brief moment, something unspoken passed between us.

Not attraction. Not yet.

Curiosity. Challenge.

Like two players studying their first move on a chessboard neither wanted to lose.

Author POV

For the next hour, questions turned into conversation — numbers became confessions, and silences spoke louder than any answer.

Aarav’s words were smooth, practiced.

Kavya’s questions, sharper than usual.

Neither of them realized they were already reading each other, not as journalist and CEO — but as two people who might destroy or save one another.

When she finally asked, “You built an empire in five years. Doesn’t that seem… too perfect?”

Aarav’s lips curved slightly.

“Perfection,” he said, “is just good timing, Ms. Mehra. In this world, you either predict the next move… or become someone else’s loss.”

He held her gaze — steady, unreadable.

Not arrogance, not defense — a warning.

Kavya’s POV

When the interview ended, he walked me to the elevator himself.

I wasn’t sure why that small gesture felt… deliberate.

Just before the doors closed, his voice softened — low, almost intimate.

“Be careful where you look for the truth,” he said. “Sometimes it looks right back at you.”

The doors slid shut, but his words didn’t leave.

They echoed in my chest, somewhere between curiosity and fear.

As the elevator descended, I opened my phone and typed a single line in my notes app:

“Aarav Malhotra — charming, confident, but hiding something. The question is… what?”

Outside, the city shimmered under the night sky — a million stories unfolding at once.

I didn’t know it yet, but this one would change both of ours forever..

…………………………………………………..

So… this was the first chapter of my very first book — Love, Lies & Shares.

A story that started as an idea in my heart, and slowly turned into a world filled with emotions, suspense, and love.

Every line I wrote carries a piece of me — my dreams, my fears, my hope that love can survive even between lies and chaos.

If you felt even a small heartbeat in these words, if you smiled, paused, or felt something real… then this story has already found its purpose. 💌

I’d love to know — how did you feel reading this chapter?

Did you sense the spark between Aarav and Kavya?

Because to me, their story isn’t just about the market or power — it’s about two souls meeting where truth and love collide.

Thank you for being here, for giving my first story a place in your heart.

This is just the beginning — of the story, and of my journey as a writer.

With love,

T 💖