The day after the club, Jai found himself in turmoil. The kiss with Meera had left him in a state of confusion and regret. He couldn't shake the way her lips felt against his, the warmth of her body pressed against his own. The kiss had been intensely passionate, far more than he had anticipated. What was meant to be a fleeting moment of lust had become something much more complicated.

Jai paced his apartment, frustration boiling inside him. He had crossed a line he had never intended to cross. The kiss, driven by raw desire, had risked their arrangement and threatened the delicate balance they had tried to maintain. He felt anger toward himself for jeopardizing their friendship and their plans. Worst of all, he found himself wanting more—something he hadn't expected and wasn't prepared to handle.

He knew he needed to distance himself from Meera, at least until he could sort through his emotions. The last thing he wanted was to make things more complicated, especially with the wedding only days away. Yet, every time he thought of her, he felt a pang of desire and frustration.

As Jai kept his distance, Meera noticed his sudden change in behavior. The easy camaraderie they had been building seemed to vanish overnight. Jai was colder, more distant, and Meera couldn't understand why. She tried to reach out to him, but he remained aloof, offering only brief and polite responses.

Meera's mind raced with questions and self-doubt. The night at the club had been confusing enough, but Jai's new behavior threw her into a spiral of overthinking. She replayed the kiss over and over in her mind, trying to decipher its meaning. Was it a mistake? Did Jai regret it? Had she done something wrong?

Unable to contain her anxiety, Meera sought solace in her friends, but their advice did little to ease her mind. Aryan and Zara reassured her that relationships could be complicated, but their words felt hollow against the backdrop of Jai's coldness. Imam and Sia tried to be supportive, but Meera could see their concern for her growing. Sid, though supportive, could only offer so much comfort.

As the days ticked down to the wedding, Meera found herself sinking deeper into her thoughts. She would catch herself staring into space, her mind consumed by the mystery of Jai's feelings. The once exciting prospect of the wedding now felt overshadowed by the unresolved tension between them.

One evening, after another failed attempt to connect with Jai, Meera sat alone in her apartment. The weight of her thoughts felt almost unbearable. The mirror reflected a tired, anxious woman who struggled to reconcile her feelings with the reality of her situation.

She picked up her phone, considering calling Jai, but the thought of facing his indifference deterred her. Instead, she sent a brief message: *"Can we talk? I need to understand what's going on."*

She stared at the screen, waiting for a response that felt like it would never come. Her mind wandered back to the kiss—how it had felt, how it had left her craving more. What had she done to deserve this distance? Why did Jai's actions feel like a personal betrayal?

The silence was deafening. Meera knew she had to find a way to deal with the confusion and pain, but the uncertainty of Jai's feelings only made it harder. As the wedding approached, she felt the strain of her emotions pulling her under, threatening to overshadow the new life she was about to begin.

︴Author's note︴
it's a short chapter- but what do we think?!