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"Does Mr. Serious over there ever switch up his expression?" Rahul joked, nodding toward Abhimanyu. Siya laughed, "You'd think so, but trust me, he's got a grin buried somewhere in there."
"Oh, that's not typical, though." "And what makes you say that, sir?" "I don't believe he just likes you."
"And isn't that why he turned me down?" Siya replied, her eyes brimming with tears. "Oh, Di, I didn't mean it like that. Don't cry," Rahul said, gently wiping her tears as he hugged her. "What I meant is, he doesn't just like you—he loves you."
"Huh? And what makes you think that?" Siya shot back, her sarcasm thick. "Look, a guy who hardly shows any emotion suddenly lights up when he's around you. The same guy who's usually distant actually enjoys being close to you. Just think about it."
"In technical terms, I guess you're right. But then, why did he turn me down?" Siya could see where Rahul was coming from; she recognized Abhimanyu's hidden feelings through his actions. But the question still lingered: why wasn't he ready for something more?
"Is there more to Abhimanyu than meets the eye, Di?"
"I think you're onto something, Rahul. Abhi's been through a lot. When he first joined Arora's, he was such a loner. I practically had to drag him to talk to Dhruv just so he wouldn't be by himself. Luckily, Dhruv stuck by him, and their friendship took off. But there's definitely more to it. He has this guy on his phone wallpaper—someone he never talks about. Auntie Aarti hinted it's linked to his rough past. I guess he'll open up when he's ready."
"Wow, Di and nobody thought to clue me in on this? How could you all keep this from me?" "Come on, Rahul, it's not that big of a deal."
"No, it is! If we had known about this earlier, I could've connected the dots way sooner." "And what do you mean by that, Rahul?"
"What I mean is, his past is holding him back from fully loving you. His heart's in it, but his mind's all over the place. From what I've picked up, I think he's blaming himself for what went down at the amusement park."
That's when everything clicked for Siya. She finally got it—Abhimanyu had been sending mixed signals because he didn't want her to get tangled up in his troubled past.
"Oh, Abhi, how can you be so blind? The past is behind us. I want to be your present and your future," Siya thought, feeling a mix of frustration and determination.
"So, what's the plan now?" Rahul asked, noticing her distracted look. "Just spill it, Rahul. I know you've got something cooking in that clever mind of yours," Siya replied, sure he had a plan up his sleeve.
"I think we should turn up the jealousy meter a bit. Abhi doesn't even know I'm your brother. I can practically smell the competition," Rahul suggested with a mischievous grin.
