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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October Bangalore, India
Samaira's POV
"So?" Aryan raises an eyebrow, prompting me to speak up. I clear my throat nervously, feeling a knot of uncertainty forming in my stomach. "Hmm, can we sit?" I suggest, and he nods, lowering himself onto my low bed. I notice the tension in his posture, his pants tightening around his legs, and I can't help but feel a pang of unease.
"Are you comfortable?" I ask, trying to ease the awkwardness, but he brushes it off with a casual reply. "It's fine. Just for a few minutes, right?" he says, and I nod, taking a seat at the opposite end of the bed.
We sit in silence, the air heavy with unspoken words. I steal a glance at Aryan, who seems lost in thought, his gaze wandering around my room. Summoning up my courage, I decide to address the elephant in the room.
"You seem upset with me since before the ring exchange," I say, nervously picking at the end of my saree. Aryan turns to look at me, his expression serious.
"Yeah, I am," he admits, his hands casually resting on his knees as he meets my gaze. My heart sinks at his confession, and I can't help but pull my knees closer to my chest, waiting for him to explain.
"Why are you?" I inquire, my voice barely above a whisper as I search his eyes for answers. He hesitates for a moment as if carefully choosing his words.
"I didn't like what you said earlier. I thought... you will..." His voice trails off, leaving me puzzled. "Iru iru," I interject in Tamil, realizing too late that he may not understand. "I mean... stop. I don't understand what you're talking about. What did I say?" I ask, feeling a knot of confusion forming in my stomach.
"You said we were drunk. Let's forget it. It will not happen again," he quotes my earlier words, and I furrow my brows in confusion. "Huh," I mutter, struggling to understand what could have upset him about my words.
"Aira," Aryan mutters exasperatedly, leaving me even more bewildered. "I don't understand what made-" I begin to explain, but Aryan chuckles in disbelief, cutting me off.
I look at Aryan, bewildered by his reaction. His chuckle only adds to my confusion, and I can't help but feel frustrated by his cryptic behaviour. "What's so funny?" I ask, my tone tinged with irritation.
Aryan shakes his head, his smile fading as he meets my gaze. "You really don't get it, do you?" he says, his voice softening with a hint of sadness. I shake my head in response, feeling increasingly lost in the conversation.
He takes a deep breath as if gathering his thoughts. "Aira, when you said that... it made me realize something," he begins, his words measured and careful. "I thought we shared something meaningful, something real. But now... I'm not so sure."
His words hit me like a punch to the gut, and I felt a wave of panic rising within me. "What do you mean you are not sure?" I whisper, my voice barely audible as I struggle to comprehend his words.
