Samaira Lakshmi Deshpande is caught between two worlds, two masks. Amidst the hunt for her missing twin and the pressure to fit her family's mold of the perfect daughter facade, she's trapped in a life she despises.
Everything shifts when a strange...
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Mumbai, India October
Aryan's POV
"Aryan?"
"Huh?" I glance up from my phone, feeling a pang of guilt wash over me as Vivek's voice interrupts my thoughts.
"Yeah?" I respond, trying to shake off the unease that lingers in the back of my mind.
"I've been calling you for the last 10 minutes, man. And you've been glued to that phone all day," Vivek says, irritation evident in his tone as he stands at the door.
I roll my eyes, feeling a twinge of annoyance at being called out. "That's an exaggeration," I mutter under my breath, my gaze flickering away as I pretend to focus on loading my pistol.
But deep down, I know he's right. I've been staring at my phone all day, unsure of what to say to Amaira. The events of last night replay in my mind like a broken record, leaving me feeling unsettled and uncertain.
I can't believe we were both so drunk that we almost kissed. The thought sends a shiver down my spine, a mixture of excitement and apprehension swirling in the pit of my stomach.
Part of me wonders what would have happened if she hadn't pulled away at the last second. But another part of me knows that it wouldn't have been right, not in the state we were in.
We - I mean she just said yes to the alliance, what would she have taken of me if I had kissed her last night? A pervert who can't keep it together after being drunk? I don't know.
Things are already awkward enough between us as it is. We haven't exchanged a single text all day, and I'm at a loss for what to say to her.
I turn my attention back to Vivek as he scoffs and moves to stand in front of me. "Seriously?" he says, his tone filled with exasperation.
I don't respond, instead focusing on loading the bullets into my pistol and securing them into place. "What do you want?" I ask, finally looking up to meet his gaze.
"It's only 5 o'clock, man. Relax. No bar or pub is going to be open this early," I remind him, slipping the pistol into the waistband of my trousers before shrugging on a leather jacket to conceal it.
"But it's a long-time criminal we're dealing with. I don't want to take any chances," Vivek mutters, his expression serious as he fusses over his appearance in the mirror.
"Relax, Vivek. We'll get him today," I assure him, offering a pat on the back in an attempt to ease his nerves. But he remains silent, lost in his thoughts.
"I'll go meet the others," I announce, making my way towards the room across from ours. I knock on the door three times, but before anyone answers, I hear a door slam shut at the other end of the hallway.
As I turn towards the sound, the door in front of me swings open, revealing a familiar face. "Karthik," I acknowledge, feeling a twinge of surprise as I nod in recognition.
