Shadows of Same Face

Chapter Three: The Engagement Party

The grand hall of the Kapoor estate gleamed with elegance as golden chandeliers bathed the room in a soft, inviting glow. Guests mingled beneath the high ceilings, their laughter and chatter filling the space. The atmosphere was festive, yet there was an air of anticipation in the room—this was the night everyone had been waiting for: the engagement of Dhruv Kapoor and Nandini Bansal.

Dhruv stood near the center of the room, surrounded by family and friends, looking as dashing as ever in his navy-blue sherwani with silver embroidery. His eyes sparkled with excitement as he glanced around, searching for Nandini. His heart skipped a beat when he saw her across the room, talking to her parents. Dressed in a stunning deep pink lehenga, Nandini looked radiant, her elegance effortless. Her smile was soft, though there was a flicker of nervousness in her eyes. After all, this night was not just about celebration—it was about the merging of two families, two futures.

Dhruv moved through the crowd, nodding and exchanging pleasantries, but his gaze remained fixed on Nandini. As he made his way toward her, a familiar figure stepped into his path.

“Dhruv,” Tarini’s voice was low, almost sultry, as she greeted him with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

Dhruv’s expression tightened slightly at the sight of her. Tarini, in a sparkling silver gown that mirrored Nandini’s attire in its sophistication, was every bit the mirror image of her sister. But there was a coldness to her demeanor, a darkness lurking beneath the surface that unsettled him.

“Tarini,” Dhruv greeted her cautiously. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

Tarini’s smile widened, though her eyes remained unreadable. “Of course, I’m here. I wouldn’t miss my sister’s engagement for the world.”

There was something about her tone that made Dhruv’s skin prickle with unease, but he pushed the feeling aside. Tonight was not the time to dwell on his misgivings about Tarini. He had promised Nandini that he would do his best to keep the peace, to welcome her sister as part of the family despite the growing tension between them.

“Everything looks perfect, doesn’t it?” Tarini continued, her gaze sweeping across the room. “You and Nandini… such a beautiful couple. The ideal match.”

Dhruv nodded, unsure of how to respond. “Thank you,” he said, trying to keep the conversation light. “It’s been a lot of planning, but it’s all worth it.”

Tarini’s eyes flickered with something dark—jealousy, perhaps? Dhruv couldn’t be sure. But before he could probe further, she stepped closer, her voice lowering conspiratorially.

“You must be exhausted,” Tarini said smoothly, reaching for a glass of wine from a passing waiter’s tray and handing it to Dhruv. “Here, have this. It’ll help you relax.”

Dhruv hesitated for a moment, then took the glass. “Thanks,” he murmured, though he couldn’t shake the strange feeling creeping up his spine. There was something off about Tarini tonight—more than usual. But he didn’t want to cause a scene. Not here, not now.

As he raised the glass to his lips, Tarini’s eyes glinted with something almost triumphant, but before Dhruv could take a sip, he heard Nandini’s voice calling out to him.

“Dhruv!”

He turned to see Nandini approaching, her expression lighting up when their eyes met. Tarini stepped aside gracefully, her smile fading into the background as Nandini came to stand beside Dhruv.

“You look beautiful,” Dhruv whispered, leaning in to kiss her cheek. Nandini blushed, her hand resting on his arm.

“You don’t look too bad yourself,” she teased, her eyes sparkling. But then her gaze shifted to the glass in Dhruv’s hand. “Oh, are you drinking already? Don’t get too tipsy before we even start the ceremony.”

Dhruv chuckled, lowering the glass. “No, I was just about to—”

Before he could finish, Tarini appeared once again, this time with a more earnest expression. “You two really do look perfect together,” she said, though her voice held a strange undercurrent.

Nandini smiled, though Dhruv noticed the subtle stiffness in her posture as Tarini lingered nearby. “Thank you, Tarini,” Nandini replied, her voice polite but distant.

Dhruv could sense the tension between the sisters, the unspoken animosity that had simmered since their engagement was announced. Tarini’s resentment was no secret, but Nandini had always been gracious, trying to maintain the fragile peace between them. Tonight, however, something felt different. Tarini’s presence felt more… menacing.

As the conversation lulled, Dhruv glanced down at the glass in his hand, feeling the weight of it. Something about it didn’t sit right with him, and as he looked up, he caught Tarini’s gaze once again. There was a flicker of something in her eyes—something calculating.

Without another word, Dhruv set the glass down on a nearby table, untouched.

“Let’s go,” he said softly to Nandini, taking her hand and leading her toward the stage where the engagement ceremony would take place.

Behind them, Tarini watched, her lips curving into a smile that no one else saw.

---

As the evening progressed, Dhruv found himself surrounded by family and friends, his focus entirely on Nandini. The ceremony itself went off without a hitch, and the couple exchanged rings to the applause of their loved ones. Yet, as the night wore on, Dhruv couldn’t shake the growing sense of unease.

He noticed it first when his vision blurred slightly, just around the edges. He blinked, trying to clear his head, but the sensation persisted—a dull, creeping fog settling over his mind.

“Dhruv?” Nandini’s voice cut through the haze, concerned. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Dhruv muttered, though even to his own ears, his voice sounded distant, as if it were coming from somewhere far away.

Nandini frowned, placing a hand on his arm. “You don’t look fine. Maybe you should sit down.”

Dhruv nodded absently, allowing Nandini to guide him to a nearby chair. His head swam, the room spinning ever so slightly. What was happening to him? He hadn’t had anything to drink, hadn’t—

His mind snapped back to the glass of wine Tarini had handed him earlier.

Suddenly, everything fell into place. The strange way she had been acting, her insistence on him drinking, the look in her eyes when he took the glass.

She did something to it. She drugged me.

But before he could voice his suspicion, the dizziness overwhelmed him, and everything went black.

---

The next morning, the Kapoor household was in turmoil. Dhruv had been found unconscious, slumped in a chair near the engagement stage. The doctors were baffled—there was no apparent cause, no signs of injury or illness. But Dhruv’s family knew something was wrong. An engagement party shouldn’t end like this.

As Dhruv lay in bed, still unconscious, his sister Sneha sat by his side, her heart pounding with worry. And somewhere, in the shadows of the grand Kapoor mansion, Tarini smiled.

What had she done? And why?