Destined to be with you (Under heavy editing)

6.Beneath the Ice

Mehek's POV

I returned home earlier than expected after two successful surgeries, feeling lighter than usual. There was a quiet satisfaction in knowing that everything had gone well, and for once, I wasn't exhausted beyond words. My mood was even brighter knowing my beloved car had been repaired. Mr. "Akdu Malhotra" may have his flaws, but at least he could follow through on a promise.

As I rounded the corner toward the entrance, I saw Abeer standing near the doorway, his tall figure casting a shadow over the steps. Next to him, Riya was draped on his arm, talking incessantly and making every effort to capture his attention. He seemed disinterested, his face its usual cold mask, completely unbothered by her attempts to charm him.

I approached them and asked, in a measured tone, "Is there something we're waiting for?"

Riya scoffed, rolling her eyes as if I'd asked the most ridiculous question. "For you, Maharani Sahiba. Can we leave now?"

A small smile tugged at the corner of my lips at her dramatic tone, but I managed to keep my composure. From the corner of my eye, I noticed Abeer's gaze shift slightly, as though he, too, found the situation mildly amusing. He said nothing, of course, his face unreadable as ever, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes.

We piled into the car, Riya immediately claiming the front seat beside Abeer, while I ended up in the back with his cousins. Sid, Abeer's cousin, was the first to break the ice, leaning over with a playful grin.

"So, you're Mehek, right?" he asked.

"Yes," I replied, a little cautiously.

"Sid Oberoi," he said with mock grandeur, flipping an imaginary cape over his shoulder. "The coolest cousin in the Malhotra clan. Don't worry, we're not all as charming as Abeer here," he added with a smirk, earning a round of laughter from the others.

I raised an eyebrow. "Charming? Is that what we're calling it now?"

The cousins burst into more laughter, and soon, I found myself relaxing into the banter. It was strange how easily they pulled me into their world, how effortlessly they joked and teased each other. For a moment, I forgot about the tension that usually clung to me like a shadow, and I forgot about Riya's constant attempts to assert her superiority.

Abeer's POV

The cousins were laughing, Mehek's voice occasionally rising above the rest as she bantered with Sid and the others. From the front seat, I listened, unmoved. Sid had always been the lighthearted one, the joker of the family, but today, even he seemed particularly taken with Mehek's sharp wit.

I didn't react. I didn't need to. The sound of their laughter washed over me like background noise, irrelevant to the thoughts running through my mind. Riya, beside me, was busy talking about wedding details, but her words faded into a dull hum. I had long since stopped caring about the specifics.

Still, something about the way Mehek fit in with my cousins caught my attention. She wasn't like Riya, with her constant need to be the center of attention. Mehek was quieter, but when she spoke, there was an ease to it, a naturalness that drew people in. Not that it mattered to me.

Or at least, it shouldn't have.

Mehek's POV

We arrived at the mall, and the group dispersed quickly, the cousins fanning out into the different stores. Sid stuck close to me, still teasing and joking, while Abeer trailed behind, his presence more a cold shadow than an active participant. Riya, of course, headed straight for the high-end boutiques, dragging a few cousins with her to show off the jewelry and clothes she intended to buy.

I wandered off on my own, letting the noise of the shopping center fall away as I browsed. It wasn't until I passed a small jewelry display that something caught my eye—a simple silver bracelet. It was elegant, understated, and for a moment, I found myself stopping to admire it.

I didn't realize Abeer had followed me until his voice broke the silence.

"Miss Sharma," he said, his tone neutral, cold as always. "Looking for something?"

I turned to see him standing just behind me, his expression unreadable. His eyes, however, briefly flicked to the bracelet before returning to my face. "I was thinking," he continued in that calm, detached way of his, "your jiju could buy you a gift. Something to remember this... shopping trip."

His words surprised me. There was no warmth in them, no teasing like Sid's, but the offer itself was unexpected.

Before I could respond, Riya's voice cut through the moment, loud and sharp. "Please. She can't afford anything here," she sneered, her words dripping with disdain. "This place is way out of her league."

I felt the sting of her words, but I kept my face calm, refusing to give her the satisfaction of a reaction. Instead, I pulled out my own credit card, holding it up with a steady hand.

"Unlike some people, I don't need to rely on anyone else's money."

I turned to the cashier, handing over the card. "Let me cover the cost of Riya's purchases as well. After all, being Papa ki Pari only gets you so far."

The cousins burst into laughter, and I could see the satisfaction in their eyes as Riya fumed silently. Abeer's face, however, remained as impassive as ever. He said nothing, though his eyes lingered on me for a fraction longer than usual before he turned and walked away.

Abeer's POV

Mehek's calm, composed response to Riya was unexpected. I had expected a flare of anger, perhaps even some drama. Instead, she had handled the situation with a quiet strength that surprised even me.

As I watched her pay for Riya's things, there was no satisfaction in her actions, just a simple, matter-of-fact resolve. She didn't seek attention or approval—she just did what needed to be done, as if Riya's insults hadn't even grazed her.

I followed her out of the store, keeping my distance as we rejoined the others. Riya was still sulking, her pride clearly wounded, but the cousins seemed to have rallied around Mehek, laughing and joking with her as if they had known her for years.

It didn't matter. I reminded myself, again, that it didn't matter. Mehek was not my concern.

And yet, as we returned to the house that evening, I found myself thinking of her calm defiance, the way she held herself despite everything. I watched her from across the room as her stepmother fawned over Riya, her expression as unreadable as my own.

For a moment, I wondered what it would take to see behind that mask she wore so well.

But it didn't matter. It couldn't matter.

Not for someone like me.

Mehek's POV

Back home, the familiar coldness of my stepmother's gaze greeted me as she welcomed Riya with open arms. The fake warmth in her voice, the obvious favoritism—it was nothing new, yet it still stung in ways I wished it wouldn't.

I excused myself from the living room, retreating to the quiet of my own space. My thoughts were jumbled, filled with the day's events. For all the laughter and banter with Abeer's cousins, there was still an ache in my chest, an emptiness that their kindness couldn't quite fill.

In the back of my mind, I wondered if anyone would ever truly understand me—if anyone could see past the facade, to the scars that I kept hidden so well.

But perhaps that was just another foolish dream.

Abeer's POV

I watched her leave, her figure disappearing down the hallway. She didn't look back.

And neither did I.