UNWILLINGLY HIS

Reunión and Revelation

The next morning passed in a blur as Samaira, Naksh, her aunt and uncle, and her parents settled into the grand hall. They chatted and laughed, their voices light and full of warmth, as they waited for Naksh’s old friends to arrive. The anticipation of seeing Aahana and Anay again brought a sense of comfort to the gathering.

The doorbell rang, and everyone turned their attention to the entrance. Samaira felt a small rush of excitement; she hadn't seen Aahana or Anay in so long, and the thought of reuniting with them made her heart lighter.

Her parents, ever the gracious hosts, opened the door to reveal Aahana and Anay standing on the threshold, their expressions filled with surprise. The moment they spotted Samaira, standing near the entrance with Naksh, their faces froze in shock.

Aahana’s eyes widened, and she stepped forward. "Samaira? What—what are you doing here?"

Samaira smiled, her gaze steady and playful as she tilted her head. "Where else would I be?" she replied, the playful tone in her voice hiding the underlying weight of her complicated situation.

Anay, still standing in the doorway, blinked, his expression a mix of confusion and disbelief. "But... we heard about your marriage. On social media..." He trailed off, his voice faltering as the reality of the situation seemed to settle in.

Samaira’s lips curved into a small, knowing smile as she stepped toward them, her demeanor confident. "Escape?" she repeated, her tone teasing, but with a hint of defiance. "No, I didn’t escape. He was the one who dropped me here, remember?"

Her words hung in the air for a moment, and Aahana and Anay exchanged uncertain glances, the confusion still evident in their eyes. They’d heard the news, of course—the marriage that had been broadcasted across social media. It seemed impossible to believe that Samaira had managed to escape Advait's control, but here she was, standing before them, unscathed and confident.

Samaira didn’t wait for them to process her words before continuing, her playful nature evident. "But hey," she added, giving them a wink. "I'm sure you've got questions. How about we sit down, catch up for a bit? We’ll talk, and I’ll tell you everything. But no spoilers yet."

She gestured for them to join the others, her tone light and teasing. Aahana, still processing, nodded hesitantly, but Anay seemed more concerned, glancing between her and Naksh as they walked towards the seating area.

As they made their way to the table, Samaira glanced over her shoulder at Aahana, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "You still have a lot to catch up on, don't you?"

Aahana shot her a playful glare. "I think you have a lot to explain first, Samaira," she said, clearly unsure whether to laugh or remain serious.

They sat down together, the atmosphere still charged with an unspoken tension. Samaira’s mind, however, was elsewhere. Beneath her carefree exterior, her thoughts were racing.

Later that evening, as the gathering continued, Samaira excused herself from the group and retreated to her room with Aahana. She needed a moment to sort through the thoughts swirling in her mind, and Aahana’s presence was a welcome distraction.

The two of them sat down on the bed, Aahana showing Samaira some old photos on Anay’s phone. Laughter filled the air as they reminisced, but it was short-lived. Samaira’s fingers brushed against the phone when a notification popped up from the bank.

"These bank credit cards, no matter how many times you block them, they always manage to irritate you again," Aahana muttered irritably, scrolling past it.

Samaira grinned faintly but then took the phone from Aahana’s hand, her thoughts momentarily distracted. "Let me show you how to block them properly," she said.

Aahana handed over the phone without question. As Samaira navigated the screen, her eyes wandered to the call log. She froze when she saw a familiar number—Advait’s. Her heart skipped a beat.

It was from the same date she had boarded the train to Jaipur.

Her mind raced. Why would Advait’s number be in Anay’s log? Her pulse quickened as she stared at the screen, her thoughts growing frantic. Could Anay be involved in something more than just a friendship with her? Could he have been hiding something from her all along?

Her fingers trembled as she scrolled down. No, this couldn’t be happening. But the evidence was undeniable. She cleared her throat, trying to steady herself, before turning to Aahana with an almost nonchalant expression.

"You know what? We should go out, spend some time with Naksh and Anay. He’ll think we’ve forgotten about him if we don’t," Samaira said, her voice steady but the tension beneath it palpable.

Aahana, oblivious to the storm brewing inside her, agreed without hesitation. "That sounds good. We can catch up with them for a bit," she said.

"Yeah," Samaira replied, masking her unease with a playful smile. "I’ll join you guys in a minute. I just need to freshen up."

Aahana nodded, stepping out of the room to join the others, leaving Samaira alone with her thoughts. Her heart was pounding, her mind struggling to make sense of the betrayal she was beginning to uncover.

The first thing Samaira did was pull out her phone. Her hands were trembling as she dialed Advait’s number.

The phone rang once before he answered. "Hello?"

"Did you find anything about that mysterious caller?" Samaira asked, her voice tight, though she tried to keep the tension out of it.

Advait’s response was calm, but there was something distant in his voice. "I didn’t feel like it was worth the trouble," he said, almost dismissive.

Samaira’s lips pressed together, her patience running thin. "Send me the number from which you received that call," she said, her tone now sharp. "I’ll deal with it. Don’t worry about it."

There was a brief pause before Advait complied. "Fine. I’ll send it to you."

The line went silent for a moment, and then Samaira saw the notification pop up on her screen. The number was there, just as she had suspected. Without wasting another second, she quickly hung up.

Her breath hitched as she navigated to Anay’s number in the call log. Her heart pounded in her chest as she matched it with the one Advait had sent. The number was the same.

A chill ran down her spine as the truth set in. The mysterious caller had been Anay all along.

Her mind spun with confusion, but one thought stood out—why? Why would Anay be involved in all this? The questions piled up, but for now, Samaira had no answers.

She quickly slipped her phone into her pocket and took a steadying breath. There was no time to dwell on this now. She had to keep up the act, to keep her emotions in check.

Samaira left her room, her mind buzzing with a thousand thoughts. The weight of the truth pressed down on her, but she knew one thing for sure: nothing would be the same again.

This version adds depth to the characters and the tension building inside Samaira, while maintaining her playful nature in the earlier part of the chapter. It also sets up the dramatic revelation regarding Anay’s involvement.