🎵 Song: Raataan Lambiyan – Shershaah (Instrumental)

"Sometimes, a dinner table can become a battlefield...

especially when one person keeps smiling...

and the other keeps pretending not to notice."

"Dinner is ready!"

Meera's cheerful voice echoed throughout the mansion.

The aroma of freshly prepared food quickly filled every corner of the house.

Everyone slowly gathered in the spacious dining room.

The long wooden dining table was beautifully decorated.

Fresh flowers adorned the center.

Elegant crockery had already been arranged.

The table was large enough for everyone to sit comfortably.

"Come, come!"

Meera smiled warmly.

"I hope everyone is hungry."

Rajeev looked at the delicious spread.

"Meera, you've prepared enough food for an entire wedding."

Vikram laughed.

"I told her the same thing."

"What could I do?" Meera smiled.

"My best friend's family was coming."

Nandini shook her head with a smile.

"You've spoiled us already."

One by one, everyone began taking their seats.

Rajeev sat beside Vikram.

Nandini sat next to Meera.

Kabir immediately occupied the chair beside Anaya.

"I called this seat first."

Anaya grinned.

"I wasn't even trying to take it."

Just as Aarohi was about to quietly sit on the empty chair beside her mother...

A calm voice interrupted.

"Senior."

She looked up.

Reyansh was standing beside the chair opposite hers.

He gently pulled it back before sitting down.

Completely intentionally.

Exactly opposite Aarohi.

Their eyes met for barely a second.

Then...

A slow, teasing smirk appeared on Reyansh's face.

Aarohi immediately lowered her gaze.

"Not again..."

She quietly sat down.

The conversation among the elders began almost instantly.

"So, Rajeev..."

Vikram laughed.

"Do you still wake up at five in the morning?"

Rajeev proudly nodded.

"Of course."

Vikram dramatically looked at Reyansh.

"See?"

"Learn something."

Reyansh calmly picked up a glass of water.

"I wake up at six."

Kabir coughed.

"Liar."

Everyone looked at him.

Kabir innocently smiled.

"He wakes up after Mumma shouts five times."

The entire table burst into laughter.

Reyansh looked at his younger brother.

"Traitor."

Kabir simply grinned.

Meanwhile...

Aarohi quietly served herself some dal.

She deliberately kept her eyes on her plate.

She could practically feel someone looking at her.

She didn't need to guess who.

Very slowly...

She looked up.

Exactly as she had expected...

Reyansh was already looking at her.

The moment their eyes met...

That same teasing smirk returned.

Aarohi immediately looked back at her food.

"Why does he keep doing that?"

Her ears slowly turned pink.

Across the table...

Reyansh found her reactions unexpectedly entertaining.

"She won't even look at me properly."

"But the moment she does..."

"She looks away again."

He rested his elbow lightly on the table.

Trying very hard not to smile.

"Interesting..."

None of the elders noticed.

They were completely occupied talking about college memories, office life, and old adventures.

But...

Two pairs of eyes noticed everything.

Kabir.

And...

Anaya.

Kabir looked from his brother...

to Aarohi...

then back to his brother.

His eyebrows slowly rose.

"Bhai keeps looking at Aarohi Didi..."

On the other side...

Anaya had also noticed.

"Didi hasn't looked at him even once..."

"But every time she accidentally does..."

"She gets shy."

Both children silently exchanged a glance across the table.

Neither spoke.

Neither smiled.

Neither teased.

They simply...

noticed.

Dinner continued peacefully.

Meera lovingly served everyone.

"Aarohi, beta."

"Have some paneer."

Aarohi smiled politely.

"No, Aunty."

"This is enough."

"Nonsense."

"You hardly ate anything."

Before Aarohi could refuse again...

Meera placed another piece of paneer onto her plate.

"There."

"You remind me so much of myself."

"You eat too little."

Aarohi smiled shyly.

"Thank you."

Reyansh quietly watched the interaction.

His mother rarely fussed over guests this much.

Yet with Aarohi...

She naturally behaved as though she had known her forever.

He smiled to himself.

"Maa already likes her."

A few minutes later...

Aarohi reached for the bowl of rotis at the exact same moment Reyansh did.

Their hands almost touched.

Both paused.

Aarohi quickly withdrew her hand.

"You..."

She spoke softly.

"You take it."

Reyansh looked at her for a second before silently taking one roti.

Then...

Without saying a word...

He pushed the basket toward her.

"Now your turn."

Aarohi looked at him.

"...Thank you."

He simply nodded.

No teasing.

No arguments.

Just a quiet gesture.

It lasted only a few seconds.

Yet somehow...

It didn't go unnoticed.

Kabir saw it.

Anaya saw it too.

Once again...

The two little observers looked at each other.

Kabir slowly raised one eyebrow.

Anaya responded with the tiniest nod.

No words were exchanged.

But both silently stored another observation inside their growing list.

As dinner came to an end...

The elders continued laughing over old memories.

The younger ones sat quietly.

Aarohi still avoided looking directly at Reyansh.

Reyansh, however...

Didn't seem interested in looking anywhere else.

And every time Aarohi accidentally glanced up...

She was greeted by the exact same teasing smirk.

A smile that somehow managed to make her heartbeat just a little faster each time.

Neither of them realized...

That while they were trying to hide their growing curiosity...

Two eleven-year-olds sitting at the same table had already begun collecting clues.

And in their minds...

The first chapter of "Operation Ocean" had officially begun.

End of Chapter 10 💙🍽️