HER SAFE PLACE

Jealous

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Long chapter ahead

7000+ words
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Rocky's POV

"Rocky! Oh my god, it's been forever!"

I turned just in time to see a familiar figure-Priya. She practically bounded into the room, her smile bright enough to light up the entire space. Without waiting for a response, she rushed over and threw her arms around me in a tight hug.

Caught off guard, I automatically wrapped my arms around her, hugging her back. It had been years since we'd seen each other, and her excitement was contagious. She had always been the kind of person who filled a room with energy, her laughter bubbling over like a waterfall.

But just as quickly as I registered her presence, my gaze darted past her shoulder to where Shivangi was sitting. Her fork froze halfway to her mouth, her eyes widening slightly as she took in the scene. There was a flash of confusion on her face, like she was trying to piece together who this stranger was and why she was hugging me so casually.

For a second, I wanted to pull away from Priya and explain everything-tell Shivangi that Priya was an old friend who had recently moved back to New York from India. But before I could even say a word, Priya pulled back from the hug, beaming up at me with that same enthusiastic grin she'd always had.

"Surprise! Bet you didn't expect to see me here, huh?" she said, giving me a playful nudge. I managed a small smile, still painfully aware of Shivangi watching us from the other side of the table.

"Yeah, it's definitely a surprise, Priya," I replied, keeping my tone light even as my mind raced. This is going to get complicated.

Priya turned then, finally noticing Shivangi's presence. She turned fully to face Shivangi, curiosity lighting up her eyes. "And who's this?" she asked with a friendly smile, clearly unaware of the tension hanging in the air between Shivangi and me. She glanced between us, her brows raised slightly, waiting for an introduction.

Shivangi cleared her throat and walked over to stand right beside me, her head held high and her expression one of thinly veiled annoyance. I could see that flicker of jealousy in her eyes, the kind that she probably wasn't even aware she was showing so openly.

"I'm Mrs. Shivangi Singhania," she said, with a sweetness that sounded just a little too forced. Then, without missing a beat, she slipped her arm through mine and continued, "His wife."

Priya blinked in surprise, her eyes darting to me and then back to Shivangi. A mischievous smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she quickly picked up on the dynamic between us. "Ohhh, I see," she said, drawing out her words. "Well, Rocky, you didn't tell me you'd gone and gotten yourself a wife while I was away! And you never introduced her to me. I'm hurt."

Shivangi's smile turned even more pointed, and she tightened her grip on my arm. She quickly responded, "Yeah, well, we wanted to keep it a secret, you know... buri nazar se bachane ke liye," she said with a playful tone, raising her eyebrows knowingly. "Some people just can't keep their envy in check. You understand, right?"

Priya raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by Shivangi's possessiveness. "Oh, I see... keeping it under wraps to avoid those 'evil eyes,' huh? That's a clever move," she replied, leaning back as if considering it deeply. Then she gave me a teasing look. "Well, Rocky, I guess you've become a secret-keeper too!"

I couldn't help but chuckle softly, knowing exactly what Shivangi was trying to do. Her tone was light, but I could hear the slight edge underneath, like she was trying to make a point without saying it outright. Priya picked up on it too, and I could see she was enjoying the back-and-forth.