Subhra's brow furrowed in confusion. "What are you even talking about?" she asked, her voice laced with incredulity. Vidharth's words had caught her off guard.

"You're saying we were in the same school... and knew each other...?" she trailed off, her eyes wide with curiosity.

Vidharth's face broke into a gentle smile. "And were friends too!" he finished, his eyes sparkling with nostalgia.

"But wouldn't you have been my senior?" she questioned, her head tilted slightly.

Vidharth's gaze intensified, his eyes searching for something deep within hers. Hesitation clouded his expression, and his face betrayed the turmoil brewing inside. His eyes, once bright, now seemed to hold a thousand unspoken secrets.

She looked into his eyes, which had wandered momentarily, and spoke in a grave voice.

"Don't tell me any fake stories. I'm worn out by them. The reason I believed you initially was that you're not related to me and have no business with me. Even when you said you knew my parents, I thought it was just a coincidence... but"

"Stop! Stop your nonsense," Vidharth interrupted, his voice firm but gentle.

He looked at her with understanding eyes, his tone soft and considerate.

He recognized where her skepticism came from; she wouldn't believe him if he simply told her. The carefree child who once followed him everywhere was gone, replaced by a guarded, wounded woman bathed in the scars of betrayal.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, ducking his head low. "But don't worry, I'll make you believe my words."

Vidharth lifted his eyes again, staring into hers with newfound intensity.

Shubhra was confused by his antics. Whatever was going through his mind wasn't what she had expected.

"Can you stop being so hard to read? Your words aren't making any sense. Also, I'd like to hear your side of the story," she said.

As she finished speaking, Vidharth's face transformed from a frown to a warm smile.

"I thought you wouldn't even hear me out!" He sighed.

"Now, tell me, why do you think You've reached this conclusion - that we know each other?"She narrowed her eyes at him, her furrowed brows signaling him to continue.

"It's that we were in the same school, and I was friends with your brother," He paused, checking for her reaction. All he found was a frown.

He sighed and was about to continue when she spoke up."But isn't Rudra much younger than you?"

"I wasn't talking about Rudra!" He looked into her eyes and continued. "Rudra isn't your biological brother, but your father's adopted child."

Shubhra just stared at him, her eyes focused intently. A calmness spread across her brown orbs, and her lips formed a thin line.

He searched her face for a reaction, but she remained expressionless.

"Then who is my brother, and why didn't I know about him? Why did he adopt Rudra?" she asked serenely.

Each word was spoken calmly, without a hint of panic or shock in her voice. It was as if the revelation wasn't affecting her.

Vidharth hesitated, taken aback by her eerily calm reaction to the news.

"You didn't believe me, did you?" he questioned.

Shubhra's expression remained serene. "I don't know. As I said earlier, I want to hear your story. I'm listening. I don't know how much truth you're telling or how you're related to me, but I'm willing to listen."

Her words were composed, reflecting her maturity. A small smile crept onto Vidharth's face.

"I don't know why he adopted Rudra," Vidharth began, his eyes gazing upward. "As for your biological brother, he was my classmate. We studied in the same school. When your mom left, he was studying abroad. I was with him, and I even visited your house with him."

Shubhra's eyes narrowed. "Didn't you say you were in the same school as me? Then how were you guys abroad?"

She pointed out the inconsistency, and Vidharth's face fell, his eyes wide with surprise.

"I was an orphan," Vidharth explained. "And was adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Bansal when I was 12. Before that, your father was financially supporting me."

Shubhra's expression remained skeptical, his answer failing to alleviate her doubts.

"When we were 12, Mr. Bansal-I mean, Dad-convinced your father to send us to America for further studies," Vidharth continued.

Shubhra raised an eyebrow. "But weren't you guys quite young for that?"

Vidharth nodded. "Yes, but Dad believed we should learn business from an early age."

Shubhra's voice remained flat, devoid of emotion. "And then my mother left, and that accident happened?"

Vidharth's response was barely above a whisper. "Yes."

Shubhra's next question was direct, without any hint of curiosity or emotion. "Then where is my brother?"

Vidharth lowered his gaze, his hand on his neck, and his teeth nibbled his lower lip.

"He died in an accident," he finally uttered after a long pause.

"How?" Shubhra inquired.

"When he heard about your mom, he wanted to fly back to India. We were both in the car. We got into an accident, and he died," Vidharth clarified, a lone tear rolling down his cheek.

"I see," Shubhra muttered.

"I'm sorry," Vidharth mumbled for the nth time.

Shubhra gazed at him, noticing he was apologizing excessively.

"What's this apology for?" she pointed.

"I just feel guilty since I couldn't protect your brother," Vidharth replied.

"It wasn't your fault; it was an accident," Shubhra stated. Then, her expression turned inquisitive. "By the way, why didn't you tell me all this when we met in my penthouse, where you saw my parents' photos?"

Vidharth clicked his tongue and continued, "The photos were a lot different from your parents' photos."

"What?" Shubhra asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Uh, yeah! The pictures you had of your parents aren't real, you know?" Vidharth said. "At first, I thought you were a substitute, chosen by your uncle to replace you and inherit your mother's property."

He paused, taking a deep sigh before continuing.

"We all knew Shubhra died in the accident with her father, and you appeared a year later as Ava, not Shubhra. We assumed you were Serenity's daughter."

Shubhra's confusion deepened. "Vidharth, what does this have to do with me being Serenity's daughter?"

Vidharth's expression turned solemn. "You didn't know, did you?"

Shubhra's voice rose, laced with irritation. "What is it that I didn't know?"

Her irritation grew as Vidharth's every word chipped away at her certainty, leaving her questioning everything she once believed.

Vidharth gazed at Shubhra, her surface calmness belied by the inner turmoil visible in her eyes. He knew he needed to stop; she couldn't process so much information at once. Though the truth would shatter her beliefs and faith, it was essential for her to know.

"I think you should talk to old Mrs. York about this," Vidharth suggested.

Shubhra's eyes snapped back to Vidharth. "I doubt she'll tell me the truth."

Vidharth sighed. "Something big is about to happen. Just make sure to make the right decision."

The hospital door swung open, and Adwait entered, dressed in a black shirt and beige pants. His hair was still damp from a recent shower, and faint dark circles lingered under his eyes.

Adwait's gaze shifted between Shubhra, lost in thought, and Vidharth, whose eyes snapped towards him at the sound of his footsteps.

Adwait raised an inquiring eyebrow at Vidharth, but Vidharth remained silent, standing up and leaving without a word.

Adwait then turned to Shubhra and gently waved his hand in front of her to break her reverie and gain her attention.

"Ayla!" His voice shattered her trance.

"Adwait!" Her voice cracked as realization dawned on her.

"Hey, what happened?" He cupped her face, but tears began to fall from her eyes.

"What happened?" he whispered slowly, concern etched in his voice.

Shubhra clutched his shirt and hugged him tightly, hiding her face in his chest. Her tears soaked his shirt.

As his mind raced with worries and ominous thoughts, he pushed them aside and hugged her even tighter.

Author's Scribbling Point

What do you think
Is Vidharth telling the truth?
Can she believe him?
Is he trust worthy?