Chapter 9

"I think you should double-check it," Pihu suggested.

"But I'm confident that there aren't any mistakes," Aahan replied.

"The data is incorrect, though. If we send it as is, it could lead to serious consequences," Pihu explained, her frustration mounting.

"I understand, Pihu, but I've already checked it multiple times," Aahan countered.

"I trust you, Aahan, but we can't afford any errors. Remember, surgery is at stake here," Pihu reminded him firmly.

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"Janvi shot a sharp glare at her companions and let out an exasperated sigh. "Gosh!! Can you please stop staring at them?" she exclaimed, her frustration evident in her tone.

"We're not staring," He mumbled, with his mouth full of donuts.

She took a sip of her coffee and said, "Yeah, he's right,"

Janvi made a disgusted face and added, "You two are literally devouring them with your fucking eyes."

In reality, Mrunali and Naksh had been sitting on the couch for nearly two hours, drowning themselves in drinks and stuffing food down their throats. And one more thing, they were gawking at Aahan and Pihu like a pair of hawks.

So it started when Aahan and Pihu decided to discuss work in living. And these two idiots came up with a brilliant idea to keep an eye on them.

"For God's Sake, stop doing this guy... You both are looking a pair of dumb and dumbest..." Shivay said while throwing a disgusting glance at them.

But suddenly Naksh's hand abruptly curled into a tight fist, and his jaw clenched with an explosion of anger. Mrunali's eyes widened in shock, and her mouth hung open in surprise.

The scene unfolded in front of them; Aahan was shyly smiling at something Pihu said while she was laughing at his reaction. The tension in the room was palpable, and it was clear that Naksh was not pleased with what he saw.

Janvi and Shivay found themselves in an uncomfortable silence. Their eyes met, conveying a message to each other - someone had to say something to break the

awkwardness.

"Ahem! So guys-..."

"Gosh! Why are you guys even so shocked?" Sidharth mocking voice cut off Shivay's sentence in the middle.

"What do you mean?" Now Naksh and Mrunali both attention shift to Sidharth.

" Damn! I thought you guys only pretended to be dumb but you guys really are..." He finished his sentence with a laugh.

"Stop with your fucking nonsense and tell us what do you mean?" Naksh throws a glare in his direction.

" I mean, don't you guys know about their past."

This question left everyone speechless in the room.

"What past?" Mrunali asked.

"Oh! You Minnie, stop being around this idiot. You're losing your brain cells." Sidharth said winking in Mrunali's direction.

"Do you wanna me to ruin your not-so-good face?" Naksh threatened while Mrunali mumbled, " I just ask a question."

"So what do you guys know about their past?"

Naksh again throw a glare in his direction which means - 'Are you kidding me, DUMBASS?'

"I'm not kidding. I seriously wanna know this question." Sidharath raised his hands in surrender.

"They both went to the same college in America for medical studies but they're not so close only family friends," Janvi replied and everyone nodded in agreement.

But Sidharth scoffed at her words...

"Despite sharing a roof, it's surprising how little you know about the past situation of your family members."

"They not only attended the same university in the United States but also studied in the same university in India before that."

Sidharth chuckled at looking at others' shocked reaction.

The first question that pops into everyone's mind is, 'Why nobody knows about this?'

"It's not a big deal, as both Pihu and Aahan come from a wealthy family and attending a good university is typical for them. Additionally, given their personalities, it's possible that they never met or spoke to each other." Janvi reasoned out.

"Tsk! Tsk!, But I didn't complete my words." He said while proudly drinking his coffee like he found a way of treasure.

"Then talk in one go..." Shivay said.

"Isn't it strange that nobody in the family talks about Pihu and Aahan's time at the same university in India? Everyone talks about their success in America, but why never mention their earlier education? And, most importantly, does anyone know the name of the university they both attended? And lastly, if it's a good university then why Janvi and Vedika didn't go there for education? "

Every word from his mouth is true and it's really suspicious.

"But-..."

"I know, I know, Miss Janvi, you're going to defend them again, but before you do, you should hear the thrilling conclusion to this story," he said cunningly.

"So," his eyes travelled to everyone's faces, satisfied with the curious looks he saw. "I understand that for some reason, no one talks about this, but the weirdest part of the story is their transfer."

"What's wrong with their transfers?" Shivay asked.

"Well, basically, they both didn't transfer normally," he explained.

"What do you mean?" Naksh asked.

"They both left the university in the middle of the semester, together."

Silence.

"What nonsense are you talking?" Janvi shouted.

"I'm not talking nonsense; it's a fact. Both Pihu and Aahan transferred to America on the same date, which was the middle of the semester."

Nobody said anything.

"So the question is, what made Pihu and Aahan transfer together in the middle? Both of them are well-mannered and talented, so it couldn't be for academic or mischievous reasons. That means-"

"They both willingly left the college," Shivay concluded.

"Correct!" Sidharth exclaimed, then continued, "I also checked their past activities, and there was no incident that occurred that year."

"This means the thing that happened that year was not in the university but happened between them," Shivay explained again.

"You really got some brain cells." He chuckled.

"You're just making a story." Janvi scoffed not believing him.

"I'm not."

"You're."

"Fine!!, let's find out."

"What?"

"Let's find out the truth, together."

"ARE YOU FUCKING OUT OF YOUR MIND? Just drop the subject guys." Janvi let out...

"Your point of view doesn't matter. I think Mrunali and Naksh have the right to decide what we should do because it's their partner's story."  Sidharth smoothly shut the Janvi.

As Naksh and Mrunali converse, it is evident from their facial expressions that they have different reactions to the conversation. Naksh's face shows signs of anger and betrayal, implying that he is not pleased with what he has heard and is determined to uncover the truth.

On the other hand, Mrunali appears to be hurt and confused, indicating that she may not fully trust the information she has received and is not investigating further.

These distinct emotional responses on their faces suggest that the conversation has stirred up conflicting feelings within them.

"Let's find out the truth." Naksh declared.

"BROTHER!!..." Janvi exclaimed in disbelief.

Sidharth smirked a little then turned to Mrunali,

"What about you, Minnie?"

"Ub...mmm... I don't know. " She nervously said. This story really hurt her but she doesn't wanna go against her twin and fiance...

"Hey Minnie, listen, you're not betraying anyone here. We're just trying to uncover the truth. It's always better to have clarity, you know? And what if our assumptions are wrong? It's only going to leave you with doubts and potentially hurt your relationship. So, let's find out what's really going on." Sidharth reasons out.

Janvi was not satisfied with the current situation, she didn't get a good vibe from this plan.

"Guys, if they didn't want to tell us then leave it. Why are you guys backstabbing them?"

"Sometimes beautiful girls should shut their mouths. Too much talking creates unreasonable fights." Sidharth expression turned dark like he didn't like what Janvi said.

Janvi was going to say something but was stopped by a hand. She turned and met with Shivay's face who shook his head in denial, "Let them do what they want. It's their life."

Janvi let out a frustrated sigh.

"Thanks, bro," Sidharth said.

"So what do you think?" He asked to Mrunali.

She bit her lower lips and spoke in a small voice,

"L...let's find the truth."

Janvi rubbed her face in disbelief.

"So what about you, Miss Janvi?" He mockingly asked.

Janvi thought for a little bit. She can't let those dummies go alone with Sidharth.

"I will come with you guys."

"That's final. We four are going to discover the truth." Sidharth clapped his hands

"But nobody asked me. If I want or not?" Shivay said.

"If she is going, then there is no reason why you should not go."

"But what if I said no...?"

"Nice joke! Don't do it again."

"There is no respect for lover boy in this house." Shivay sulked.

"so it's decided. We will discuss it tonight in my room after they both sleep... I will show you guys some proof so you will know what I told you guys is the truth... tomorrow we will go for finding." Sidharth said before leaving the room, he turned his head to confused figures in the room and mumbled to himself,

'The game begins...' he chuckled and turned to Mrunali and smirked then left the room.

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As Sidharth walks through the corridor, his steps are light and his face is adorned with a wide smile. He finally reaches the rooftop, but today he doesn't light a cigarette. Instead, he takes out a small photocard from his pocket and stares at it fondly. as if the girl in the picture is the only one in the world that matters. In the picture, the girl was smiling carefree and beautifully.

He gazes at the picture for a moment longer and speaks softly to himself, "Your beauty still seems unreal, love...I hope I will not hurt you in my plan."

His eyes darken as he caresses the photo and speaks with a hint of malice, "You should not choose him over me."

He takes a deep breath and scoffs,

"Secrets are meant to be hidden, Nahh! They are meant to be destroyed by others."

The words seem to linger in the air as he continues to gaze upon the photo, lost in thought.

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To be continued...

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