"I can conquer the world with one hand as long as you are holding the other."

***

Avni waited patiently outside Viransh's office room, tapping her foot on the cold tiles. She glanced at her watch before turning right, glancing at Karan, who had an unreadable look embellished on his face for the past thirty minutes. She was seconds away from bursting into Viransh's office, but the last thing she wanted was to jostle into his room and find him half-naked like today morning.

Her fingertips unconsciously touched her lips, the kiss still fresh in her mind. It wasn't that she didn't kiss before, but something about that kiss was unusual. It was a kiss that took her breath away for a while. The kiss made her skin feel like electricity, leaving her feeling dizzy and drunk. The image of them savoring the heavenly pleasure of their enticing lips struck her mind, making her heart beat faster, her skin flushing red.

After a few minutes, what seemed like an eternity to Avni, the office door burst open, and a lean man walked out, amusingly dressed in a navy blue suit adorned with a big white polka dot. From the corner of her eyes, she noticed Karan's glazed facade veering into a grimace, a heavy sigh escaping his mouth before turning expressionless again.

Avni frowned and narrowed her eyes as Pratik walked towards her, a fanciful smile etching on his lips, showing off his pearly white teeth.

It didn't take long for Viransh to come out of his office, approaching her, curling his hands around Avni, erupting warm tingles down her core. He squeezed her waist slightly when he felt her stiffen beneath his touch.

"Pratik, this is Avni." His tone sent chills down Pratik's spine, his deadly calm voice with a thick undertone of warning as he glared at Pratik, who gave Avni's form in riding outfit a subtle, perceptible look.

"Avni, my assistant, Pratik."

Pratik immediately looked away from Avni when he felt his boss drilling holes in his body. He initially planned to shake hands with her, but with the vexed expression adorned on Viransh's face, he decided to stick with a curt nod. "Nice to meet you." He said unwieldy, offering her an inept smile.

"Likewise." She responded, her gaze moving back and forth between his outfit until she heard Viransh clearing his throat.

Avni looked up at Viransh when he interjected, "I think we should go."

She nodded his head, and they walked out of there with Karan shadowing behind them.

A few miles away from the LA City lay Graceview Manor, one of the estates owned by Malik's in Westwoods. The mansion was impressive, proudly standing in the middle, shrouded by countless well-established trees.

A paved walkway behind the estate led to the stables, which had plenty of room for horses. An indoor dressage arena alongside a colossal outdoor jumping area stretched across the ground.

"I never knew this place was this big." Avni looked around the start of a cross-country and sweepstakes course spanning ground at a great distance as they went further beyond the building.

"This place is one of the estates owned by my father. My brothers and I often spent our holidays here when we were younger. After taking the CEO's position, I extended this place and turned it down into a hotel, mainly for holding exclusive events, but I didn't have the heart to destroy the beautiful view of this place, so I kept the area as it is." He told her they strolled side by side.

"I am sorry about Pratik," Viransh apologized as they walked toward a peculiar ground, enjoying the feeling of the wind caressing their faces. "He can be a bit kaleidoscopic."

"Yeah, I noticed," Avni replied with a small smile.

"He is the best, and he knows his duty very well. One of the reasons why I kept him as my assistant despite his fancifulness and talkative personality." He spoke after a minute.

Avni hummed, her scrutinizing gaze taking in the concrete walkway leading to the stables. A wooden building came into her view, and her lips tugged into an unusual smile.

As they entered inside, Avni got the view of an enormous room filled with plenty of horses, not less than twenty, who were poking their heads out of their stables and munching on hay.

Avni couldn't help but stare at the grand structure in awe. She remembered her farmhouse where her family had four horses, which they, for the most part, used for outrides and with whom she and her sister Ira competed. Nobody in their family was an enthusiast of horseriding except the sisters, probably the only thing both had in common.

"I want you to meet with someone special." Viransh led her to the corner and stopped in front of a man patting a black stallion's thick neck.

"Uncle Ben," the man spun around as his name fled Viransh's mouth.

"Vir, my boy, didn't expect that I would see you here," Benjamin commented in this thick coastal urban accent before coming forward and patting Viransh's shoulder in a fatherly manner.

"Well, Benny, now I am here," Viransh said nonchalantly and nearly winced when Benjamin glared at him for being called Benny.

Benjamin had been working for the Malik family for more than twenty years. He gave Viransh and his brothers horseriding lessons whenever they visited Graceview. Viransh didn't realize how much he missed his Benny until now. Benjamin was still the same, dressed in a checkered shirt, boots, a cowboy hat, and a wild rag worn around the neck.

Benjamin stood at an average height with a toned body underneath the red and black checkered shirt. His dirty blonde locks mixed with pepper strands remained hidden beneath his cowboy hat, a few strands around his ear peeking out, and his bronzed face sheathed with freckles.

"Do you own a cowboy hat?" Avni whispered to Viransh, sneaking a glimpse at the beige wide-brimmed hat with a large soft crown on Benjamin's head.

"Why would you ask that?" Viransh murmured as he slipped an arm behind her waist.

Avni tensed at his touch but looked up when she heard the delightful chirping of the older man in front of them.

"I am glad you decided to meet your old man," Benjamin said before his eyes bulged upon the sight of Avni. "Oh! Pardon me. I had no idea there was a lady present," he apologized with a light laugh.

His accent was so thick that it took Avni a few seconds to comprehend what Ben said. When she did, she gave him a small smile in return.

"Ben, this is Avni and-" Viransh began introducing only for Benjamin to interrupt in the middle.

"Eh, boy. Let me introduce myself." Benjamin took off his hat, "Howdy, ma'am. It's been a pleasure to meet you. You have no idea how glad I am to see you here." Avni offered him a polite smile pairing it with a frown, amazed at his words. Benjamin gestured at Viransh before mentioning, "I never thought this boy would bring any lady with him. You must be quite special. Please tell me that I am going to hear wedding bells soon."

Avni stared at his revelation in shock, and Viransh quickly interposed.

"Uncle Ben, Avni is a guest here," he said, causing Benjamin's dark brows to knit together in confusion as he turned to look at the young man. "She's here for horseback riding. She's not my..." he trailed off, trying to hide the embarrassment on his face.

Ben's eyes almost fell from their sockets as soon as he realized his mistake. "Oh, I'm so sorry, my dear," he said to her, an earnest expression etching his features, guilt reflecting in his gray eyes, "Please, forgive my ignorant remark."

"It's okay, Mr. Benjamin," she replied with a smile. Regardless, she had a hunch that his comment wasn't as ignorant as he made it out to be.

"Oh, dear. Please call me Ben. No need for any formalities," Benjamin grinned when Avni nodded her head in yes.

Viransh's phone went off, and he excused himself, glancing at the caller id before asking Ben to show her around. Avni's smile faltered as she stared at his retreating figure, a low sigh pushed out of her chest in trepidation of being left alone in an unfamiliar place. She didn't get any eerie feeling from the older man in front of her. But she was used to Viransh's presence around her in the past three days. Her mind reeled to the thought of Karan, and she wondered where he was.

"Come on," Avni broke out of her reverie at the gravelly voice of Benjamin. She looked at him and found him offering her a reassuring smile as if he sensed her discomfort.

"Let me familiarize you with all the horses," the man exclaimed in joy and bounded toward her, and then he grabbed her hand, leading her to the corner, stopping in front of a mighty black stallion.

"He looks so majestic. What is his name?" Avni couldn't help but ask as she stared at the stallion's thickest and longest mane she'd ever seen.

"This is Barkley, anointed for being bossy. He belonged to Master Arnav, Vir's uncle." Avni peered at the stallion's black coat, who had his head buried in a pile of hay.

As Ben stroked his neck, Avni couldn't look away from the stallion painted in all black from his neck to the shining black coat. Her hands reached forward, patting his thick neck when he looked up. It wasn't that she was short. However, she went on tip-toes to see over the horse's back but lowered back when she couldn't see it.

"He's the last horse from the older generation. Master Arnav was the youngest, so his horse is the last one of his generation." Benjamin informed her, an unidentifiable gleam flitting his eyes at the mention of his late master. "Master Arnav would stay here for months, spending ample time here with Barkley." He stated while brushing the mane, "After the death of his owner, it took him a while to bond with other people."

Avni's lips curled into a sad smile as the weight of the older man's words registered in her mind.

A sad smile tugged at the older man's smile as he uttered those heavy words. "In the memory of his late brother, Master Deven decided to keep Barkley here instead of retraining and then selling him to other worthy owners."

Her eyes suddenly drifted to the horse contiguous to Barkley. Seeing her attention swerving to the other horse, Ben gestured her to come near as they glanced at the copper-red mare. "Isn't she beautiful?"

Avni nodded her head in agreement. She nibbled on her lower lip, staring at the beautifully thick and tall mare with her coat, mane, and the tail entirely copper-red. Her reddish coat color lacked black.

"She is a sorrel horse brought here almost two years ago, and our youngest master got very fond of her," Benjamin said, watching the younger woman glance at the mare's shiny coat. "She belongs to the youngest prince of the family, Vihaan. Her name is Flame."

Avni smiled down at Ben. "The name suits her."

"Yes, indeed. Sometimes, this mare can be quite a temperamental creature. Only Vihaan can abide her well, just like his father, who abode Barkley despite his broody demeanor."

"Is Vihaan Mr. Arnav's son?" She asked hesitantly, biting her tongue back for suddenly being too curious about the topic.

"Yes," Ben answered as they walked to the next horse in the row. "Vihaan was barely two years old when both of his parents died. After their death, Master Deven and his wife adopted him and raised him like their own son."

Avni returned Benjamin a kind gaze as they stopped in front of a Mustang horse. The stallion was a lovely blue roan with a dark mane. "He is Carmen."

Time passed by as Avni enjoyed getting briefed about the horses by Ben. She found herself enjoying the company of Ben as he was easier to get along with his jovial nature. In between the introduction, Benjamin would reveal to her some stunts pulled up by Viransh and his brothers while they spent their holidays here. All the three brothers had a soft corner for Ben, and they never treated him as an employee. For them, he was their fun uncle.

Avni couldn't help but laugh along with him as Ben told her about the antics of the three brothers. Her curiosity about Viransh grew each time she heard his childhood story. Unconsciously the imagination of little young Viransh, with bright cognac eyes gleaming with mischievousness while pulling up pranks, sprung her sense. She was eager to meet his family, yet another piece of her wanted to go back and erase all the memories of Viransh and whatever ensued in Graveview.

Avni's heart ached in sadness at the thoughts of her siblings. She did have ample sibling time with her sister, but she wondered if she was happy with those memories. Sometimes, it's not only the bad memories that made her sad but also the happy ones that she knew would never happen again.

"And this is Marquis. Elegant and finest horse here." Ben beamed at Avni, and the younger woman broke about her conscience and looked at the gray stallion.

"Wow, he's magnificent," she commented, her hand itching to run over the smooth slate coat.

"He's the best of its kind with excellent breeding, strong legs, and fast hooves," Ben touched the stallion coat as the might grey animal shook his head and flared his nostrils. "He is the latest addition to this stable."

"Is he Arabian breed? He distinctly looks slightly smaller than other stallions." Avni's eyes raked over the horse's chiseled head to dished face to long arching neck and finally his high tail carriage. His entire appearance screamed energy, elegance, and nobility. She slowly raised her hands and glided them over the smooth, shiny coat, secretly glad that the horse didn't attack her.

The older groom nodded his head, and a surprised smile curled on his lips at her knowledge about the equines.

"Where is Viransh's horse?" Avni asked unexpectedly, her gaze darting between the horses.

"So you don't know, huh." Benjamin's eyes crinkled in the corner as he laughed. His laughter died when Avni stared at him, bewildered. A teasing glint specked in his eyes as he stifled a laugh, "Wanna know a secret?"

***

Viransh entered the stable and saw Avni laughing at one of the silly jokes cracked by Ben. His eyes slowly trailed over her body, taking note of her outfit. The white jeans accentuated the long, slender curves of her legs. The white fitted shirt underneath the breathable black coat. Her pants buckled with a thin black leather belt, and the black ankle boots made her look taller than she already was.

He still remembered the feeling of her soft lips coiled against his, and he found himself addicting to that taste of her lips, and he didn't want it to end. It took him a lot of resolve to break the kiss. Right now, he was craving for the same fleeting feeling of their lips lingering against each other.

His eyes suddenly discovered the mighty gray animal beside her with the reins of that stallion in her hands as she chatted with Ben. He swallowed hard while glaring at Marquis and decided to run away from the stable.

Why did they pull this animal out of his stable so soon?

Sensing his unwavering gaze on her, she turned and smiled at him. He smiled back at her, and his attention drifted to Ben, who looked at him remotely amused.

"Have you selected the horse you want to ride on?"

"Yes," Avni said while she watched Ben bent down to tighten the strap of the stallion's black tendon boot.

"Great. Ben will assist you in the paddock."

"Aren't you coming with me?" Avni raised her delicate eyebrows at him.

"I have some work, so I won't be able to join you," Viransh distractedly retorted as he took a step back when Avni began walking, holding the reins of Marquis.

"Vir, come on, boy, I am sure you can spare some time for this lovely lady here," Ben interjected while squinting his eyes at the grave expression on Viransh's face.

"Yes, come on." Avni groaned, walking closer to him, but Viransh only took a step back.

"I can't," Viransh said, his expression giving away nothing as he took another step back.

"Why?" Avni demanded.

"Because I-" He fought for the right words, failing miserably.

Ben and Avni burst out laughing, noticing a terrified Viransh. The younger man just stared at them, his amber flitting between both, a strange emotion swirling in his eyes. He looked back, trying to figure out the path to run away.

Avni sobered up and narrowed her eyes at him, "Admit it, you're scared of horses."

"Who told you that?"

"I did." Ben raised his hands proudly only to receive a glare from the other man, which he disregarded.

"Uncle Ben!" Viransh shrieked, his jaw clenched, a muscle ticking under his left eye.

"What?" Ben nonchalantly asked as Avni blinked a few times before she grinned at the stupified expression on Viransh's face while Ben raised his one brow, "Son, you should tell her."

Viransh snorted, "Fine, I am scared of riding horses."

Avni's eyebrow shot up before she threw her head back, laughing. She brushed a few tears off her cheeks with the back of her hand and looked at Viransh. The slight narrowing of his eyes told her he wasn't amused.

"In my defense, I was barely twelve years old when I fell off the horse. I had to wear my mom's makeup because I refused to go out with an ugly blue bruise on my face formed due to plunging straight into the concrete ground." Viransh's rant ended, and a strange silence filled the whole room. Even the horses went quiet promptly as everyone glanced at him.

Avni burst laughing in the dead silence, followed by Ben. Clutching her stomach, she shook her head as she tried to stem the flow of her laughter. "Sorry...it was way funnier in my head."

It was funny for Avni to imagine twelve-year-old Viransh wearing makeup on his face to hide a bruise mark. She couldn't help but laugh at the faint image of his honey-tanned skin dusted with layers of makeup. Wiping the corner of her eyes, she peered at his face adorned with a scowl and accusing glare.

He suddenly grinned, and for a moment, the sight of a smile stretching across his face and changing his stony but handsome profile caught her completely off guard.

"Benny, you bailed me out."

"It was inevitable, son." Ben shrugged while tautening the saddle to an appropriate degree.

It was a bad idea to leave her alone with Uncle Ben.

And it was the worst idea to come here with her.

When Viransh saw the excitement glistening in her eyes at the mention of horses, he couldn't help but bring her here for the horse riding. He initially planned to get her introduced to Benjamin and then accuse himself in the name of work so that she won't get a trace of his fear for horses. But looking at the duo of Avni and Ben, it seemed like they both bounded well when he was gone for a call.

He would've asked Pratik to get introduced to Ben, but again he didn't like how Pratik looked at her outside his office. He was scared of riding horses, but it was relatively tolerable for him to be near them, so he came along with her. Nobody knew about his fear except Benjamin and his brothers. And now she knows.

Viransh's throat constricted as he tried to force out words from his mouth, but no sound came. A twinge of embarrassment crept on his face as he heavy a sigh and flashed them an awkward smile, "I guess everyone has some fears."

He looked at both of them as they shook their head in amusement.

Ben interjected, saving Viransh from further embarrassment, "Alright, kids, now that we selected Marquis, let's head to the field."

Marquis let out a soft and quiet neigh showing his enthusiasm, and everyone