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“I trusted you, sister. And you betrayed me. You betrayed our family!” he spat, taking a menacing step towards her. “I never thought you’d do this. How could you run into his arms once again, despite knowing everything they did to us? They ruined us, Shan.” “Ahail, I need you to calm down,” said Dhruv, still standing in front of her. Shanaya tried to say something but her voice abandoned her as she stood frozen, watching her brother fume. “Don’t you dare speak to me, Dhruv. I’m talking to my sister,” Ahail warned him, gritting his teeth. Shanaya had no clue how Dhruv managed to keep himself calm in such a situation, especially after what she had just told him. “If you really want to talk to her then I suggest you do it nicely.” That only seemed to aggravate him further. “Who are you to tell me how I’m supposed to talk to her?” Dhruv shook his head, his jaw clenching. “Don’t expect me to hear you disrespect her and still remain quiet. She has done everything for her family. She’s
*One year and six months later* [SHANAYA] Shanaya swept her gaze over the several options granted to her before picking up one. Turning on her heels to face Noor, she asked, “Do you really think she’ll like this?” Noor stopped in her tracks, her eyes darting from the teddy bear she was holding in her hands and coming to rest on Shanaya’s face. “By she do you mean Kirti or Ahana?” she enquired. Shanaya shrugged, placing the doll box back on the shelf. “Isn’t Ahana too young to decide whether she likes her birthday gift or not?” she asked, faking seriousness. Noor smiled, continuing to walk along the shelves in the Kids’ section of the store. “No, I don’t believe that. If Shaurya doesn’t like something, he’ll smash it against the wall with his tiny little hands.” Now it was Shanaya’s turn to pause. “Is that what happened to the car I gifted him last week?” “Oops,” Noor said, confirming her suspicion. Shanaya chuckled despite feeling a pang in her chest. “But you said your dog
Inside the dimly lit nightclub, Shanaya's eyes scanned the crowd as the pulsating music filled the air. She had come alone even though the thought of inviting Kabir and Noor along had crossed her mind. But they were parents now, with a child that needed most of their attention. They didn’t like the idea of having a nanny, at least not until Shaurya was a little older and she agreed with their decision. Shanaya was hoping to temporarily escape the weight of her own thoughts, the blasting music almost loud enough to hurt her eardrums. As she made her way through the crowd, she spotted a familiar face amidst the sea of strangers. Her artist friend, with his colorful attire and expressive demeanor, was waiting for her at a corner booth just like she had expected. They had crossed paths a few times at this very nightclub and twice at local art exhibitions, but they never shared names. To her he was the ‘Artist’, and he always referred to her as the ‘Businesswoman’. Yet, something about h
A look of discord flickered in his eyes. “If you still love him, why do you need to find love again?” 'Does he still love me?' she thought to himself, anguish washing over her. Involuntarily, Shanaya lifted up her phone in her hand and opened the browser window she had abandoned—not willingly—hours ago. She had been reading an article featuring Dhruv and Anjali. They had not only appeared together at high-class events but now had even shot an interview together. Upon first discovering the article, Shanaya felt a sense of betrayal. She knew then that the feeling was baseless. He had said he would wait for her. She trusted him. But now… she wasn't confident anymore. “You always know the truth,” she claimed, shifting in her seat as the air pricked with tension. “He might have moved on. He might move on someday. But me? I don’t want to find love again. Not with anyone else. But being with him is not possible.” “You won’t tell me why. Tell me the real truth. I don’t believe it’s just
Kirti had always expressed her wishes of keeping a private celebration for her daughter’s birthday, however, Shanaya was in for a shock when she parked her car in the driveway and took a look around. The Arora mansion, her family house was brimming with guests. A lot of them like her, arriving much later than the given time. It was only after she stepped inside did she realize that the cake had not been cut. Kirti had carried her family’s tradition of being late into her husband’s family. No one seemed to be in a rush, the air crackling with laughter and screams of little children running around the grand living room—which had been modified into a huge playhouse with the name ‘Ahana’ hanging from the ceiling in bright glitter-covered balloons. All around the hall, little clusters were arranged, consisting of men and women clad in shimmery outfits and elegant jewelry. Shanaya glanced at their happy faces and rolled her eyes. She felt underdressed for the occasion. Why could they not
Shanaya averted her gaze, focusing them instead on a pair of balloons that hung in front of her. She heard Suhala’s tongue click in her mouth. She’d caught her. “At least there are no cameras here tonight,” she assured her. “Sneak all the glances you can.” Rolling her eyes, Shanaya smirked. This was something strange that she’d had to deal with over the last few months. Suhala often teased her about Dhruv and she had no idea how to respond to that. She didn’t know how Suhala’s perspective had taken a sudden turn especially since she had suffered a heart attack. One thought never failed to cross her mind: had Suhala lost her mind? Maybe speaking the truth out loud had opened her eyes and she no longer blamed Dhruv. Maybe she had seen the fault in her ways, realizing that he had always wanted the best for her granddaughter. Did she finally approve of Dhruv Kapoor? Now when everything had almost been destroyed? Shanaya chuckled, feeling pain shoot through her skull at the idea.
Several moments passed in the darkness, but Dhruv did not lower her to the ground or make any haste in search of the light switch. She heard him sigh several times as though he was thinking about something, coming to a conclusion and rethinking it again. She stayed there hanging, arms secured around his neck, wondering what the situation was downstairs. Had people realized she was missing? “I can hear you thinking, Shanaya,” he complained, somehow still sounding frustrated. Shanaya blinked in the darkness, overcome by confusion. What had she done that had turned him to act like this? “Dhruv, do you want me to say sorry for that?” He sighed and then finally moved, walking with slow and careful steps until he found the bed. Gently, he lowered her to it. His breath was all over her face, making her freeze momentarily with her arms around his neck. “You can let me go now,” he repeated the words she’d said earlier to him. Hesitantly, she withdrew her hands, flattening them against t
On the way to her house, Shanaya sat in the front seat, her eyes helplessly darting again and again to Dhruv who was driving with his gaze on the road all the time— as if he was the only one in the car. He avoided her well, and she couldn’t help but wonder why he had asked her to occupy the front seat if that was what he was planning to do anyway. When they pulled into the parking lot of her apartment building, she noticed him hesitate. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel impatiently, his mind racing with some thought she was curious to know. “This would be a lot easier if you hadn’t sprained your ankle,” he said finally, his voice hoarse. Then without a warning, he got out of the car and scooped her out, and walked toward the elevator. Shanaya bit her lip. “If I hadn’t sprained my ankle you’d be home by now.”“Yeah. Try not to stumble into me next time,” he mumbled, his eyes fixated on the elevator buttons. Shanaya snickered at the thought of the buttons being interestin