Word Count: 1800

Contd.

SAMARTH'S restless footsteps echoed in the corridor outside his grandma's hospital room. The doctors had insisted he stay overnight as a precautionary measure, but his concern for nani was minimal; he had faith that she would recover, considering her history of blood pressure problems.

What truly troubled him was the haunting image of Niti cuddling up to an unknown man, replaying in his mind like an uninvited guest at a party. The scene kept playing before his eyes again and again—some random guy lifting her and her snuggling up to him. Who was he?

When the car had departed, Samarth stood motionless by the hospital gates, gripped by a storm of emotions that paralyzed his thoughts. It felt like his chest was a prison, constricting around his heart, suffocating him.

Watching Niti wrapped in another's arms was like being swept away by a tempest of conflicting feelings. He struggled to make sense of the scene before him as doubt and insecurity gnawed at his soul, tarnishing his sense of self-worth and planting seeds of inadequacy that whispered poison in his mind.

He knew a lot of things had happened, and it would have made her angry at him. But what about the years we spent together? Would she not even give him time to explain?

It was only when Tara came searching for him that he broke out of his disdain.

"Why won't you pick up your call?" She elbowed him slightly, irritated.

His gaze met hers with vacant eyes. Tara glanced at his face once, and her expression changed from irritation to soft concern. She held his hand and asked, "Did you and Di break up?" Her voice was almost inaudible.

Sam's eyes widened at her question. "Why do you say that?"

"She looked really devastated, bhai," she whispered, "when I saw her running out of the door."

After a moment of silence, Samarth built up the courage to say, "No, we did not break up, but she might," he paused, "I saw her go away with another guy."

"No way!" Tara responded without a second thought, "She might break up— yes, but she is cheating? No way!"

Sam looked at her with a calm demeanour. The conviction in her eyes said it all—she believed in Niti, but she didn't see what he had witnessed.

"You must be out of your mind, Bhai!" His sister exclaimed. "You must have confused someone else with Niti di." She pulled him by his hands, trying her best to make him go inside the building. "Let's go inside, have some water, and then try to think clearly."

Inside the hospital, Sam continued to pace back and forth, trying to make sense of everything. Tara sat right in front of him, her eyes fixed on his restless movements. He could feel her presence, and he knew she saw the turmoil that engulfed him, the desperation to find elusive answers.

Did I really see Niti with someone else, or was it a trick played by my overactive imagination? He wondered.

He could feel Tara's gaze on himself, and Sam knew she could sense the intensity of his desperate search for a rational explanation. Deep down, he clung to the hope that he must have misinterpreted the entire situation. It was as if Sam was grasping at straws, trying to find any reason that would ease the overwhelming emotions and doubts swirling inside him.

"You could just ask her, you know?" Tara suggested.

"I could just ask her?" He grunted a low snare. The mere thought of accusing her with no concrete proof filled him with guilt.

As Tara shot him a disapproving look, Sam could sense her frustration. Despite her sincere attempt to assist, he remained closed off to any of her suggestions. But she didn't stop trying.

"You have her phone, you know," she urged, hoping to break through the wall he had built around himself.

Sam gave her a confused look.

"If she was cheating, you will find proof there," she stated matter-of-factly.

"You want me to do what?" His emotions swung like a pendulum.

Tara sighed and stood up to leave. "I am just saying—if you want proof that she did nothing."

Sam didn't reply.

"Do what you want. I know Niti di won't do such a thing anyway," she concluded before departing.

He was left alone with his thoughts and Niti's phone.

He yearned for reassurance, to find evidence that would put his doubts to rest. But what if I find exactly what I fear? Then what?

The internal battle raged within him. He was torn between the desire to trust Niti and the nagging suspicion that she might have betrayed him. Trust had always been the foundation of their relationship, and he didn't want to violate that sacred bond.

But, what if— he picked up her phone from the table and sat down where Tara was previously seated.

He knew the password. They didn't hide that from each other. They could use each other's phones anytime and anywhere. Would the truth outweigh the consequences of my action?

He grappled with the moral dilemma. He knew he was not just using her phone, but invading her privacy.

Samarth typed in the password, and the phone screen lit up with their selfie. His own eyes stared back at him while Niti was engrossed in eating an ice cream.

He remembered the day clearly. They had both gotten ice cream since it was a hot summer day. Niti had insisted on getting a mix of all flavours on her cone. It was so big that he was afraid she would get her stomach upset. That didn't happen, but she tried to play a trick and spilled all of it on her sandals, with the cone still in her hands. He remembered laughing so hard that she almost got upset. He had wiped her sandals and gave her his chocolate ice cream. The picture was taken then, when she had finally smiled again.

I can't do this! He flipped the phone on the couch, out of his sight. Torn between love and doubt, he yearned for clarity. Nonetheless, what he was about to do was wrong in many ways.

Sam did not want to think about it. Tara was right. I should ask Niti directly. No, in fact, I should wait until she decides to tell me.

But he remembered she was mad at him for concealing the truth—the extent of the truth. He just wanted to shield her from the unnecessary emotional distress.

Nani's opinion of her was unjust. He wanted to protect Niti from her biased judgment.

In the end, though, withholding that information strained her trust in him. He should have had an open conversation with her instead of letting it get to such a point.

The next time they meet, might be his last chance. He didn't have time to doubt their relationship. What he saw had a proper explanation and he would wait for it.

It was already two thirty AM. The turmoil in his head didn't register how much time had passed. He had to go to the office the next morning. He couldn't afford to take a leave. It hadn't been much long since he joined his new office.

He decided to take a nap in the waiting area, but the thought of checking her phone lingered like a forbidden fruit, tempting yet morally ambiguous.

Nope, Sam. You are better than that. He reassured himself.

✿

TARA returned, eager to know what her brother had discovered, only to find the room empty. Samarth was nowhere to be seen, but her attention was drawn to a faint light emanating from Niti's phone. Curiosity getting the best of her, she couldn't resist and scooped it up.

It's unlocked!

"I don't know what bhai saw or did not see in here, but I am gonna check it," Tara muttered under her breath.

I am gonna check it and make sure bhai knows that he is wrong.

But as she held the phone in her hands, an overwhelming mix of intrigue and guilt seeped into her core. Curiosity fuelled her actions, as she justified it by convincing herself that she had good intentions.

As she went for the messages first, her heart pounded with anticipation, hoping to uncover nothing suspicious. However, the lack of incriminating evidence brought relief, and a smile of reassurance curled her lips.

Yet, that wasn't enough to quench her doubts. With a growing sense of intrigue, she delved into the gallery, scrolling through dozens of photos: Sam, her family, and random funny GIFs. Still, nothing seemed amiss.

But then, a tiny sense of unease tickled inside her. No one would store potentially problematic photos like these. The mystery only deepened, and Tara's mind raced with even more questions—where can she keep something she would want to hide?

She will delete it!

With trembling fingers, she pressed on the dustbin icon. Seconds felt like an eternity as the screen loaded, and when it finally revealed its contents, Tara was struck with disbelief. Her eyebrows shot up dramatically, carving deep furrows into her forehead. A silent gasp escaped her lips, frozen in a moment of shocking revelation.

Her eyes darted all over the picture, taking in all the details. How is this possible? The eighteen-year-old straightened herself, pulling back her shoulders. Her usually bright eyes reflected a mix of surprise and confusion.

Suddenly, she darted off to find Samarth.

If he wasn't there, and not with nani then the only place left was the waiting area. She ran towards it, Niti's phone in hand.

The teenager spotted her brother as soon as she peeked in. She saw him trying trying to sleep but failing to do so.

"Samarth!" she called out and approached him, "did you know about it?"

"Know about what?" He looked confused.

Tara flung Niti's phone toward him, landing so close to his face that he had no choice but to catch it in his own hands. "Did you snoop around her phone?!" Sam exclaimed, scared and angry at the same time.

"Forget that, unlock it!" she demanded.

"Tara..."

"Just do it na, bhai!"

He let out a heavy sigh and gave into her demand.

"I didn't do it. You did it," he murmured.

As soon as he unlocked the phone, his eyes were greeted with the image of a 10-year-old child. The young girl was in a cast, holding a dog close to her heart with her other hand.

Tara observed him eagerly, her eyes fixed on his face as she witnessed his expression morph from curiosity to confusion.

"Isn't that Kavya di?" Tara inquired, her smile revealing her excitement. "Why did you never tell me you both knew her? I was so young when I met Kavya di, it would have been wonderful to hear stories about her from you guys!"

Tara eagerly awaited her brother's response, but instead, all she received was silence.

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A/N

Hello, kawaiis! How are you? I hope you enjoyed this quick update! 

I had a lot of things in mind for this chapter, but I decided to spread it in two chapters. So look forward to the next one too!

What do you think of Sam in this chapter? Was Tara right in doing what she did?

Lemme know in the comments!

Don't forget to Vote and Share if you are enjoying!

Cheers!
Aeon