25. Beneath the Facade

Charu shifted uneasily on her bed, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts she had long tried to bury.

She’d always been a workaholic, with her personal life neatly sealed off from the world.

Emotions?

Those were tucked away too, hidden behind an impenetrable wall.

Yet tonight, here she was, questioning everything—especially her judgment about the one man who didn’t fit into the compartments she’d so carefully created.

But what really caught her off guard was the way her heart had reacted to him that day.

She’d brushed it off, told herself it was nothing, but the truth wouldn’t be ignored.

There was something about Abhir—something that tugged at the walls she’d built, making her question if she’d been wrong about him all along.

The thought left her uneasy. Could she actually be feeling something for him? No, she argued.

He was just another guy—an arrogant celebrity who didn’t belong in her world.

But if that were true, why couldn’t she stop thinking about him?

Why did her thoughts keep circling back to the softness in his eyes, the unexpected warmth she’d seen when he looked at her?

Frustrated, Charu groaned and buried her face in her pillow.

She was always in control—always. But tonight, control seemed to be slipping through her fingers.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Kiara’s shrill excitement.

“Charu di, we’re going to Jaipur!” Kiara squealed, practically bouncing into the room.

Charu forced her lips into a thin line, trying to mask the small smile that had crept in. “Why? I can’t go—I have too many pending cases,” she replied, her tone dismissive.

Kiara wasn’t about to back down. “Oh, come on, di! Don’t be such a spoil sport! Abhir ka concert hai. He personally sent us VIP passes. Can you believe it? He’s so sweet! People call him grumpy, but for his family, he’s a total softie!”

Charu’s heart gave a strange tug at those words.

She had never imagined herself attending one of Abhir’s concerts.

In her mind, he’d always been a distant celebrity, living in a world that had nothing to do with hers.

But now, thanks to Kiara’s relentless chatter, she found herself wondering about him again.

For the first time, a small part of her wanted to go—not to see the celebrity, but to see the man who had left her so conflicted.

“Fine, Kiara. I’ll come. Now let me sleep,” she finally relented, waving her off with mock irritation.

Kiara cheered, throwing her arms up in victory. “Yay! Start packing, di. We leave tomorrow!” With one last triumphant grin, she darted out of the room.

Charu stared at the door after it shut, her thoughts swirling.

For once, she allowed herself to sit with her feelings instead of shoving them aside.

She had always been the one to hold back, to stay in control. But tonight, it felt like something inside her was shifting. Something she could no longer ignore.

She was gonna see him Tommorow.

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The Poddars arrived in Jaipur to a grand reception at the luxury resort Abhir had arranged.

Every detail—from the intricate Rajasthani architecture to the marigold garlands and rose water welcome—screamed opulence.

“Wow, bhai really went all out!” Abhira gushed, twirling in excitement.

Abhir himself appeared soon after, casually dressed but effortlessly charismatic.

“Welcome, everyone, thanks for coming” he said, his voice warm.

He greeted everyone warmly, his eyes briefly flickering to Charu, who lingered quietly in the background.

Abhir hadn’t seen Charu in two weeks.

And yet, the moment she stepped into the resort lobby, he felt it—that pull.

It was ridiculous, really.

He was in the middle of greeting everyone, flashing the usual effortless smiles, when his gaze landed on her.

And suddenly, everything else faded into the background.

She looked… different.

Not in the way that people usually meant it.

She still had that composed, slightly irritated air about her, like she was constantly five seconds away from rolling her eyes at him.

But there was something else too—something unguarded in the way she met his gaze, something hesitant, something unsure.

For a long, breathless moment, neither of them moved.

Their last meeting played in their heads simultaneously.

The hospital.

The way he had held her. The way she had let him.

Abhir still wasn’t sure why he did it.

Or maybe he knew, but he wasn’t ready to admit it.

But that moment—her warmth, the way she had melted against him, even if just for a second—it had stayed with him.

And from the way her lips parted slightly, from the way she was holding his gaze like she was remembering too, he knew it had stayed with her as well.

But before he could say anything—before either of them could acknowledge what had passed between them—they both looked away.

Like cowards.

Like it hadn’t happened at all.

Abhir exhaled sharply, dragging a hand through his hair.

Get a grip, Abhir.

He turned to greet Abhira and the rest of the family, forcing his usual smile mask back on.

Charu, too, composed herself, acting like she hadn’t just felt her heart trip over itself at the sight of him.

They both pretended.

But the warmth of being around lingered in their senses.

----------------------

As the family headed to their rooms, Charu found herself fumbling with her key card, unable to get the door open.

“Need help?” Abhir’s voice was close, almost teasing. He stepped in, aligning the card with the lock effortlessly.

His hand brushed hers for a fleeting moment before the door clicked open.

Charu felt her cheeks heat, irritation bubbling under her embarrassment. She quickly composed herself.

“Mujhe achha laga ki tum aayi, Charu,” Abhir said, his tone unexpectedly sincere.

Caught off guard, she stammered, “I only came because everyone insisted.”

Abhir chuckled. “Acha, maine kab kaha ki tum mereliye yahan aayi ho, Bansal?”

Her irritation flared. “Don’t call me Bansal! That’s my father’s name.”

Abhir’s brows lifted in amusement. “And aren’t you your father’s grumpy princess? Always so broody and serious like him.”

Charu’s expression hardened, her playful irritation vanishing. “Shut up! I am not like him, and I don’t want to be.”

Before Abhir could say anything, she stormed into her room and slammed the door shut.

Abhir stood there, stunned.

As he tried to make sense of what had just happened, Ruhi appeared beside him, arms crossed.

“You messed up, didn’t you?” she teased.

Abhir frowned. “What did I even do?  I just passed a silly remark she overreacted.”

Ruhi gave him a knowing look. “Right, and that’s why you’re standing here like a statue, staring at her door.”

Abhir scoffed, turning away. “I was just—”

“—Being an idiot?” Ruhi finished for him, raising an eyebrow. “Charu  hates her father and you told her she is like him?.”

Abhir’s smirk faded. “Hate? It's a strong word bro.”

“OBVIOUSLY” Ruhi rolled her eyes. “He never supported her or her mom. Tried to control her life, even tried to force her into a business deal disguised as a marriage. That didn’t end well.”

Abhir clenched his jaw, guilt flickering in his eyes.

Ruhi nudged him playfully. “I know you feel bad, but don’t overthink it. Just apologize the next time you see her.”

Abhir scoffed again. “Apologize? To her? Me? No ways.”

Ruhi raised an eyebrow. “Really? Because it didn’t seem like you two don’t care when you were practically glued to each other in that hospital hallway.”

Abhir froze.

Ruhi saw?

She knew?

For the first time, the usually quick-witted rockstar had no comeback.

Ruhi’s smirk widened. “ you thought no one saw, didn’t you?”

Abhir tried to play it cool, brushing off invisible dust from his jeans. “It was nothing.”

Ruhi snorted. “Yeah, sure. Nothing. I think you both care a lot more than you’re willing to admit.”

Abhir turned away, shaking his head in exasperation. "Main jaa raha hoon. Tera bakwaas sunne ka time nahi hai mere paas."

Ruhi only laughed. "Ja, ja. Par jab agli baar Charu se milo, tab sorry kehna mat bhoolna. Aur haan—” she paused, winking, "agar firse hug ho jaaye, toh mujhe update zaroor dena!"

Abhir muttered something under his breath and walked away, but her words stayed with him.

------

In her room, Charu sat on the edge of her bed, gripping the mattress tightly. Her heart was racing, and her mind replayed every word Abhir had said.

Why does he have to be so infuriating? she thought. But no matter how hard she tried to cling to her anger, the concern she’d glimpsed in his eyes refused to leave her mind.

Charu sighed deeply, shaking her head as she whispered to herself, “Focus, Charu. Focus.”

But even as she tried to push him out of her thoughts, one moment lingered: the warmth in his voice when he said, Mujhe achha laga ki tum aayi, Charu.

And for the first time in a long while, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to let it go.