There was silence as they both moved toward the makeshift set. A warm-toned sofa, two glasses and water bottles on the table in front, a few studio lights diffused to create an intimate feel. The camera crew was setting up quietly.

Karan walked a step ahead of her. Not looking back. Not waiting. Tejasswi followed, every nerve in her body tingling with questions she couldn't ask.

Did I do something wrong?, she kept questioning herself.

They sat on opposite ends of the couch, the distance between them noticeable even to the crew. One of the production assistants gestured, "Little closer, please. For framing."

Karan shifted slightly. Tejasswi matched the move, leaving just enough space that their arms wouldn't touch but close enough for the frame to suggest they were touching.

The interviewer Nayan, a cheerful man in his late twenties with glasses and a clipboard, sat across them.

"Ready?" he asked with a wide grin.

Karan nodded stiffly. Tejasswi gave a smile she didn't feel.

"Great! So this is our 'How Well Do You Know Your Co-star' segment," he announced to the camera, before turning to them. "You both play intense, layered characters on-screen, and fans are super curious to know what your off-screen equation is like."

Tejasswi didn't miss the slight sarcastic glance Karan gave her at the word equation, but he quickly looked away.

The interviewer continued, "I'll ask you some fun questions about each other. Whoever gets it right earns a point. Simple, light-hearted and we already have the answers with us from previous interviews. Are we ready?"

Immediately both Karan and Tejasswi looked at each other, almost as if they could read the other's mind.

We do NOT know each other...

"Absolutely," Tejasswi said smoothly, though her palms had gone cold.

Karan gave a polite smile. "Let's do it."

The interviewer looked down at his card. "Alright, first question. Tejasswi, what's Karan's go-to coffee order?"

She blinked.

A laugh escaped her, nervous and airy. "Um... Americano?"

Nayan shook his head. "Cappuccino. Extra sugar."

"Oh," she said, trying not to sound surprised. "Okay. Noted."

"You're still at zero points, then!" the interviewer said cheerfully. "Karan, same question for you. What is Tejasswi's favourite food?"

"Pizza," he said automatically.

"Nope," Tejasswi cut in, grinning. "Misal Pav or Pav Bhaji!"

He raised an eyebrow, looking at her for the first time properly in minutes. "Really?"

"I don't look like someone who eats such food?" she teased trying to ease the situation, but the smile didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Point to no one!" the interviewer quipped.

The questions rolled on. Her birthday. His favorite color. Her childhood nickname. His last watched movie.

With every wrong answer, the tension grew.

The laughter that followed was forced. The smiles were mechanical.

They kept looking at the floor, the table, the crew-anywhere but at each other.

A subtle awkwardness began to weave between them. Not loud. Not glaring. But undeniable. Like an invisible string tugging and pulling each time they flubbed another answer, another personal detail that should've been easy.

Tejasswi tried to salvage it with humor. "We're just mysterious people, clearly."

Karan gave a short laugh. "Or maybe we just don't want to tell y'all our secrets? Not so soon guys!"

Something sharp and heavy lodged itself in her chest at that.

It's over for us...

The interviewer laughed, unaware of the shift in energy. "Okay okay! Last round. One-word answer-describe each other."

Tejasswi opened her mouth.

Then stopped.

She glanced at Karan, who had gone completely still beside her.

They didn't know what to say.

Not because there weren't words.

But because there were too many... and none felt right.

Tejasswi reached for her glass of water to buy herself time, and that's when her throat decided to betray her.

A sudden cough escaped her.

She blinked, caught off guard, and coughed again. Harder this time. Her eyes watered.

Karan turned to her instinctively, "Hey, you okay?"

She waved a hand but kept coughing. Someone from the crew moved closer but stopped when Karan reached for the water.

"Here," he said, unscrewing the cap and offering the glass to her.

She drank quickly, still coughing.

His hand hovered behind her back for a moment, about to steady her-

Then he stopped.

And pulled his hand back like he'd touched fire.

His eyes dropped to the floor again. Lips pressed into a tight line.

She felt it-the absence of his touch. The coldness.

But her cough subsided, and she forced a small laugh. "Sorry. Choked on air."

The interviewer gave a nervous chuckle, sensing the odd shift. "Well... that was certainly a dramatic ending to our segment."

"Story of our lives," Tejasswi murmured.

Karan said nothing.

The cameras cut. The crew clapped once more. The segment was over.

But the silence between them had only deepened.

And now, it wasn't just awkwardness.

It was something else entirely.

The studio lights dimmed gradually as the crew began packing up. Laptops closed, cameras were sheathed, and murmurings of "Great shoot!" echoed across the space.

Tejasswi dusted off imaginary lint from her dress as she stood up, eager to escape the air that felt much too thick after the interview disaster. Karan, meanwhile, was pulling off his blazer and stretching his shoulders, jaw locked tight, eyes trained on the floor.

They hadn't spoken since the coughing incident. A silence hung awkwardly between them like unfinished dialogue, and the tension was tangible even as neither looked directly at the other.

Just then, a crisp voice cut through the hush. "Tejasswi, Karan-please wait a moment."

It was Tanya, walking toward them with her tablet in hand and an apologetic smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "There's a quick video call you need to join. PR heads. Just five minutes."

Karan looked up, weary. "Now?"

Tanya gave a half-smile. "Yes. It's urgent."

Without waiting for a response, she placed the tablet on the nearby makeup table and tapped a few buttons. Within seconds, the screen blinked to life and the faces of two sharply dressed professionals filled the frame-one was a woman in her mid-30s with sleek hair and glasses, the other a man with salt-and-pepper stubble and an annoyingly calm smile.

"Hi Karan, Tejasswi," the woman began, her voice brisk but cordial. "I'm Ira, head of digital PR at Balaji, and this is Krish, leading the social campaigns team."

"Hi," Tejasswi muttered, pulling her dupatta over her shoulder and exchanging a glance with Karan, who simply nodded.

Krish leaned forward slightly. "So, just wanted to check in after the poster shoot. First of all-great visuals, amazing chemistry. Social media is already buzzing with the BTS snippets Tanya posted. #KaranTejasswi is trending at number six nationwide."

Tejasswi raised her brows. "Really?"

"Yep," Ira replied, smiling. "That part is going fantastic. You both look like a dream onscreen."

Karan ran a hand through his hair, cautious. "Then what's the problem?"

Ira sighed and leaned forward. "The interview."

There was a beat of silence.

Krish chuckled softly, trying to smooth over the tension. "Let's just say, it was... not ideal."

Tejasswi's cheeks heated instantly. "We didn't know it was a personal segment-"

"Exactly," Ira said, tone clipped. "That's the issue. You two are playing a couple that the entire fandom is going to root for. But off-screen? You don't even know each other's birthdays. That disconnect is going to show, and it's going to cost us."

Karan's face tightened. "We're professionals. We'll deliver where it matters."

"That's not enough anymore," Krish said kindly. "You've seen how TV fandoms work today. They don't just want good acting-they want stories. Rumours, moments, connections. You're not just selling the show, you're selling the fantasy of you two together."

Tejasswi frowned. "So what are you suggesting?"

Tanya, who had been silent until now, stepped forward. "We need to fix the narrative. Today was good for visibility especially the end part. But if anyone watches the full interview? It'll break the illusion. Badly."

Ira nodded. "Which brings us to the point. We're arranging a visible outing for you tonight."

Karan blinked. "A what?"

Krish smiled. "A dinner. A casual 'caught on camera' moment. You don't have to hold hands or do anything romantic-just exist in the same frame with chemistry. Laugh a little. Look like you're vibing. The paps will do the rest."

Tejasswi crossed her arms. "So we're staging a date now?"

"Think of it as a meeting," Ira corrected. "With food and ambience."

Karan let out a short breath. "Fine. Where?"

"We'll send the location and timing to your managers. But there's one more thing..." Krish trailed off meaningfully.

Tanya stepped in again. "You'll be leaving the set together. Same car. Someone spots you two leaving together, maybe they'll just forget about the interview fiasco."

There was a visible flinch from both of them. Tejasswi stared at Karan, unsure what she saw there. Was it irritation? Discomfort? Or worse, complete indifference?

Karan didn't meet her gaze. He simply nodded once, the tightness in his posture never easing.

Ira's smile returned. "Perfect. We'll be watching online, so try to have fun. You'll be fine. You both have the star power. Just give us a bit of warmth to work with."

With that, the call ended. Tanya folded the tablet shut and gave them both a sympathetic smile before excusing herself.

The silence returned, louder than before.

Tejasswi fiddled with the ring on her finger, trying to break the tension with levity. "Well. Guess we're the country's newest fake couple."

Karan didn't respond. His eyes were distant, still somewhere in the echoes of that call he had overheard earlier.

She watched him carefully, her voice softening. "You don't have to look like you're being sent to jail, you know."

That made him finally look at her, his eyes unreadable. "You don't know what I'm thinking, Tejasswi."

"No," she said, folding her arms, "but I can guess it's something to do with tonight's date."

He looked away, jaw clenched. "Let's just... get this over with."

Her smile faded.

For a fleeting moment, she almost reached out to touch his arm, to say something that would thaw the ice, but stopped herself. Whatever his issue was, it was personal. And if he was choosing to build walls, she wasn't going to intrude since it was the only thing he had asked from her.

Not yet, at least.

So instead, they stood there, two actors suddenly thrust into a story they hadn't signed up for, staring at each other from across a line neither had meant to draw.

And outside, their car was already waiting.
______________

He glanced at her sideways. She was already pulling her hair into a messy bun, her features stoic but the tightness in her jaw betrayed her mood.

"Should we... talk about home?" he asked, as they began slowly walking toward the exit. "About getting home, I mean."

Tejasswi let out a short breath, the closest thing to a laugh she could manage in this moment. "Right. I can't wait to get home."

They both stopped just before the doorway that led out to the parking area. There were still a few production people scattered about, but no one was really paying attention. The moment between them now was quietly charged.

Karan reached into his pocket and pulled out his keys, twirling them around one finger.

"I'll call my driver," Tejasswi said casually, already unlocking her phone.

"No point," Karan replied, keeping his tone neutral. "They want us to leave together. Paparazzi's already been tipped off. Two cars going in the same directions would look suspicious."

She looked up at him, brows furrowing slightly. "Then I'll drive."

Karan frowned. "You just had a full-day shoot in heels. Sit. I'll drive."

Her fingers paused mid-type. "We were on the same shoot if you remember, Karan."

He sighed. "Doesn't matter, I'm quite possessive about my cars."

There was a beat of silence.

"Alright alright, just because I want to get home and rest. I'll meet you at the car," she said quietly, brushing past him.

But he didn't move right away. He stood there, watching her walk toward the parking lot, her shoulders stiff, her phone clenched tightly in her hand. Something about the set of her back made him speak before thinking.

"You know," he called out, "if you'd spent half the energy today actually knowing your so-called 'costar' instead of just ranting to your friend about how unbearable I am, maybe that interview wouldn't have been a disaster."

Tejasswi froze mid-step.

She turned, slowly. "What did you say?"

He regretted it instantly. But now it was out. His face stayed blank, but the words hung between them like smoke.

"You heard me," he replied.

Her eyes flickered with something...surprise, embarrassment, and something else much deeper that she masked expertly. "You... heard the call."

"I didn't mean to," he said, voice quieter now, almost weary. "But yeah. I did."

Tejasswi's throat bobbed as she swallowed hard. She looked away, lips parting slightly like she wanted to say something, to explain maybe. But instead, she just gave a sharp nod and turned again.

This time, she didn't stop.

Karan followed after a few seconds, slower now.

By the time he caught up, she was standing stiffly beside his black SUV, her arms crossed. Her sunglasses were on now, hiding her eyes completely.

"You're driving, right?" she asked, not looking at him.

Karan opened the passenger door for her without a word. A gentlemanly habit. She blinked, clearly caught off-guard. Still, she ducked into the car, silent. He closed the door gently behind her before circling to the driver's side.

The car felt too quiet as they pulled out of the studio lot. Only the low hum of the air conditioning filled the space between them.

For a long time, neither spoke.

She stared out the window, fingers fiddling with the hem of her kurti. He tapped his thumb against the steering wheel in a steady rhythm.

Karan's mind was replaying the call, the casual cruelty of her voice, the certainty in her tone when she said, "It's like he's performing even when the cameras are off."

She had no idea how much that sentence had echoed.

Finally, at a red light, he risked a glance at her.

She was biting her lip now, hard.

He looked away quickly.

And yet, even in that silence, even with her words still sitting heavily in his chest-he couldn't help but remember how she'd shivered slightly during the shoot, how he'd adjusted the fan away from her direction, or how she'd flinched during the fake coughing and he'd instantly reached for her, like instinct.

Now, she was sitting less than two feet away, but might as well have been on another planet.

Karan exhaled slowly. "You okay?"

Tejasswi who was still reeling in the embarrassment, didn't look at him. Just nodded.

And so the car moved forward again, with both of them sitting still, unsure if they were building something... or quietly watching it fall apart.

Precap : Karan, we're in this mess together, might as well make the best out of it. Ever played 21 questions?

What questions do you think Karan and Tejasswi are going to ask each other? 👀