Shanaya silently stepped out of the guest room and slowly closed the door behind her so as to not alert anyone who might be closeby. When she turned, a gasp left her mouth as her eyes landed on the man who had been sobbing. Ahail sat leaning against the wall, his head buried in his folded knees as he cried. In the middle of the corridor. In the Kapoor’s villa. Immediately she was by her brother’s side on her knees. “Oh, Ahail,” she began, her hand gently touching his arm. “What happened?” Her voice was shaky, barely audible to her own ears. Seeing Ahail in that state struck a chord in her heart. She knew she was going to start crying any moment. Shanaya heard him inhale heavily, almost as if it hurt him to even breathe. When he slowly raised his head to meet her face, she found herself looking into bloodshot eyes. Snot ran down his nose. The sleeves of his kurta were soaked with his tears and he was visibly shaking. ‘How long has he been here?’ She wondered, quietly wrapping h

Throughout the day, Shanaya and Dhruv engaged in casual conversation, sharing mundane details of their lives. However, amidst their discussions, the topic of Dhruv's birthday remained untouched. Shanaya intentionally avoided any mention of it, wanting to keep the element of surprise intact. She couldn't help but wonder if Dhruv had noticed her silence and if it had caused him to feel a tinge of sadness, thinking she had forgotten his special day. As the hours ticked by, Shanaya's anticipation grew. She meticulously planned every aspect of the surprise, from the decorations to the menu, wanting to create an unforgettable experience for Dhruv. Although a pang of disappointment washed over her when Dhruv revealed an urgent matter that demanded his immediate attention, forcing him to be occupied for the evening, she quickly reminded herself to view it as an opportunity rather than a setback. This unexpected turn of events allowed her more time to perfect her surprise and execute her gra

For a moment all Shanaya could hear and feel was a strange buzzing in her ears and the palpable beating of her heart. She was almost sure she was about to faint. Dhruv's eyes fluttered to her from where he kneeled on the floor. She felt her throat tighten with every passing moment.What was he trying to do?“You have to say yes, Shan,” he repeated, looking at her with hopeful eyes. She shook her head adamantly. “Dhruv? No!”Was he about to pull out a ring and propose to her? All of a sudden? There was no way she knew how to react to something like that. She liked him. She might even love him back. But the proposal was too much and too soon.His hands reached out and held hers and he replied, his voice soft and true, “I want to travel the world with you. Let me take you somewhere.”Shanaya exhaled, her thoughts a mix of disappointment and surprise. She allowed him to continue. His voice reflected vulnerability, and she sensed a little pleading in it. “I just fixed a huge fucking bus

[DHRUV] “Why did you leave? Tell me, Dhruv!” Dhruv did not understand how the night had taken this sudden turn. He soon realized that Shanaya had been suppressing her emotions. They had never truly confronted each other about what had happened all those years ago. Maybe now was the perfect time. He saw the pain in her eyes. He wanted to wrap his arms around her so she would not cry but when he leaned forward, she smacked his chest. “No. Don’t do that, Dhruv,” Shanaya warned him through trembling lips. “I cried myself to sleep every night. There was so much going on. And I wanted you to be there. You weren’t.” Dhruv felt a pang in his chest as memories flashed through his mind. He remembered calling her a hundred times. But she had not received any of his calls. He recalled how he had stood outside her house, but she had declined to meet him. He had not turned his back, not until he believed she wanted nothing from him. She sobbed and when she finally continued, her voice was str

Raunak noticed her at the same moment and he mumbled something to Harish who gave him a curt nod before taking a seat beside Suhala. Then he walked straight towards Shanaya. Neil stepped forward before she could say anything and placed a hand on Raunak’s shoulder. “Thanks for coming so soon, man. We all got worried,” he said to him. Raunak assured him, “There’s nothing to worry about.” Neil sighed before glancing at Shanaya. She understood what that look meant. As Shanaya and Raunak began walking towards the door, she asked him, barely keeping the surprise from her voice, “How am I just finding out you’re a doctor?” Raunak just shrugged at her question, his lips set into a straight line. “Did Neil know? Anyone else?” “I didn’t tell you because your grandmother didn’t want anyone to find out,” he revealed causing her eyebrows to furrow in confusion. She shook her head. “I don’t understand why she’d do that.” “Maybe she didn’t want to worry you,” he offered and halted. Shanaya r