Dark Love

CHAPTER-54. CHOR

As she came out wearing the red saree, drying her hair with a towel, she heard a door close and saw Suryansh walk in, looking down at the phone in his hand. Seeing him, Meera looked away immediately. She walked over to the dressing mirror and began putting on her bindi, earrings, lip balm, and kajal. Finally, she looked at the sindoor without any expression.

In the glass, she caught the reflection of Suryansh, who was staring intently at her beautiful image. She held his gaze through the mirror for a few seconds. Then, taking a pinch of the sindoor on her fingers, she applied it to her forehead, purposefully avoiding his eyes. Seeing this, a faint smile played on his lips. He walked into the changing room, emerging a few minutes later to stand right behind her.

Even though she sensed his overwhelming presence, she ignored it and continued combing her wet hair slowly. Seeing her indifference, the calm expression on his face shifted into a frown.

"I have something... a gift... for your muh dikhayi," he said softly.

Hearing his voice, her hand froze mid-air. She looked at his reflection in the mirror. Seeing her reaction, his expression shifted back into a tiny, almost invisible smile.

"Haath dijiye," (Give me your hand,) he whispered.

Hearing him, she turned around to face him. She kept her eyes lowered, avoiding his face since he was still shirtless, and did not extend her hand. Seeing her hesitation, he took her hand into his own and wrapped something around her wrist. Sensing the cold metal against her skin, she looked down. Her eyes widened when she recognised her old bracelet. She looked up at him and whispered,

  "This... you..."

"Yeh," (Yes,) he replied. 

"This is yours, but I took one star from it—the one with your initial—and added another one with my initial. I customised this with my chain."

Following his words, her eyes fell on the chain around his neck, which now held the star with her initial. After staring at the chain for a moment, she looked up at his face with a deep frown and said right to his face, 

"Chor kahike..." (You absolute thief...)

Saying that, she hurriedly left the room.

Suryansh smirked, watching her disappearing figure. Placing his hand over his heart, he murmured, 

"Toh aap kya hain? Aapne bhi toh hamara yeh dil churaya hai."

(Then what are you? You, too, have stolen this heart of mine.)

On the other side of the palace, Meera went to the kitchen and prepared a sweet dish just as Vasundhara had instructed. After offering it to the deity and performing the morning aarti and pooja, she headed to the dining area.

After a short while, everyone gathered at the dining table to have breakfast. At the head chair sat Dada Sa. On one side sat Vedansh and Veer, and across from them sat another gentleman who looked remarkably handsome in his late forties. Seated in the chair directly opposite Dada Sa was Suryansh, dressed in a sharp business suit, ready to leave for his office.

Vasundhara emerged from the kitchen with her evergreen, bright smile, with Meera walking just behind her, holding bowls of hot kaju halwa. Seeing the crowded dining table, Meera halted her steps for a second out of nervousness and hesitation. Steeling her courage, she walked over to the table and set the bowls down as the servants served the rest of the breakfast.