Arjun's POV :

We were standing in a line infront of Roma like prisoners of war.

"And the contestant to leave us today is..." she dragged dramatically.

I was standing next to Pooja and subconsciously grabbed her hand. Now I knew how the contestants on Bigg Boss felt.

"POOJA".

My heart dropped like a stone. I glanced over at Ananya. She looked ready to burst into tears. I was feeling terrible. But Pooja was stoic as always. She looked at me sideways and smiled. Though she couldn't throw a veil over her disappointment.

She went straight and hugged Ananya. Then she came over to me, "See you Arjun" she said clasping both my hands, without an inch of resentment.

"Poo, I'm sorry", I said hoarsely.

"Why are you sorry? Idiot, come on!" she said and hugged me.

"Only a few days more", she said soothingly "Play well. Good luck. And a dangerous person is still out there, so please be very careful. Take care of Ananya too".

I couldn't help thinking how different Pooja was from people like Rubina and Shilpa who didn't do anything unless they were at profit.

Pooja went around and shook hands with everybody else including Roma, before walking out of the hall. Roma proceeded to speak a few dramatic lines about winning the competition which gave me time to dry my eyes.

Now with Pooja gone there seemed to very little zest left in me. I couldn't understand why. I had definitely seen this coming yet why was I going to pieces like this seeing Pooja walk out?

I looked at the others. Other than Ananya nobody else seemed perturbed. It then came to me that there had been no budding friendship between all of us. It was just cordiality and a common seeking of solace with each other after all the frightening incidents that had taken place. I often chided Ananya for being too naive but sometimes it seemed like I was hardly any better than her.

That night, I could hardly sleep a wink. Raghav and Kishan were sitting around talking too much and for too long. Dulquer was at the other end of the room, snoring while I lay on my bed tossing and picking up my phone and checking the time every three minutes.

The voices of Raghav and Kishan bored into my ears like drills and kept me from sleeping. That and perhaps also the fact that I had probably fallen in love with Pooja.

                                      ~~~~~

The next day, to nobody's surprise, Ananya was in a foul mood. She moped around looking pale and pissed off. I thought maybe she needed some space and left her alone.

But in the evening, things only got worse and I ended up having the worst verbal fight, I'd had with my sister in seventeen years.

It started out of nowhere.

"I don't know what hotel they're running!" I complained hobbling around the corridor "No coffee since morning!"

Everyone was hanging around outside, since the rooms were being cleaned and we didn't feel like going down to the restaurant.

"If you're that pissed, then come on let's go home", Ananya said.

"Ananya, please", I said "I'm not in a mood for another lecture from you. Arjun!" I continued in a horrible high pitched imitation of Ananya's voice "This is wrong! You are so rebellious".

"You disgrace the family, Arjun!" Ananya snapped,

"Oh and you've been a perfect heir princess", I snapped.

"Guys enough", Kishan took the effort to say. The others mopped around listening, but least concerned, "You can have your family fights later".

But Ananya was not in a mood to let go. She was venting out all her despair of Pooja's exit on me.

"I'm way better than you", she said "Why else would you not tell mom and dad about the real reason why you're here? It would take ten minutes".

"Because there'll be a city hall debate. I don't have the time and energy for that".

"You can't sit through a long talk for the sake of your lifelong ambition?" she snorted "So much for your dream being realised".

"Oh my God! You really want to know why I didn't tell them?", I shouted.

"Yes I do".

"Because I didn't want their judgement! That's why!"

She didn't say anything.

"Why have you gone mute? Will you say something?" I tweedled "Say something!"

"Well, what do you want me to say?", Ananya burst out "You got into a competition with the help of our parents with an intention to ditch them, broke up with your sixth not-serious girlfriend, fell in love with Pooja but never told the poor thing, troubled me tirelessly since the day we stepped into this hotel and now you're telling me you won't even tell mom and dad why you came here because you don't want their judgement. Enough or should I go beyond the past two months?"

How did she find out about the Pooja thing?

Well, okay I guess my sister is omniscient sometimes. But I was really annoyed with her.

"Oh my God! I can't with the guilt, please!", I said "I can't with any of this anymore!"

"Then shame on you!" she cried.

"Shame on you too!" I shouted back "Pretending to be the ever virtuous good girl, when you're a total bitch!"

"Right now, I want to kill you more than anything!", she screamed with her hands on her face, "And I would, if I could! Get lost from my sight or I might actually cause your death".

"With pleasure", I said walking back to my room which was now done with the cleaning.

I could hear Ananya muttering something in frustration to one of the others, most probably Kishan.

                                     ~~~~~

It didn't take long for me to start feeling guilty for shouting at Ananya. It wasn't difficult to see what was going on with my sister. The stress of the competition was taking it's toll on her.

With Pooja gone, she was finding things very difficult.Though part of me felt that the brat deserved it for coming up here all the way to trouble me, I couldn't help feeling that after all, she had only done what she had believed was right. She might have gone the dramatic way but still she had my best interest at heart. Why did I have to keep blaming her?

So five minutes later, I found myself knocking the door of the girls room holding two hot paneer cheese rolls wrapped in foil.

"Come in", I heard Ananya say. Shilpa was out with Raghav. Rubina and Oviya were not in the room either. Ananya was sitting alone on her bed.

"Is that paneer?" she asked looking at the wrap in my hand, but not looking at my face.

"Yes, I got one each for both of us", I said.

"I didn't know you were capable of thoughtfulness", she said.

"Of course I am", I said, "What? You thought I was just a handsome face?"

"Who said you have a handsome face?" she shot at me with a sarcastic smile.

"Who said I'm going to give you this roll?" I shot back.

"Who said you don't have a handsome face?" she wheedled.

"Anyway I'm not going to do this everyday", I said matter-of-factly , "Now get your ass out of the bed and come and have this roll because it turns cold".

"Just bring it here to me Arjun. I can't get up", she drawled.

"You know , I think you keep forgetting that I'm eleven minutes older than you. Show some respect!" I said "Now get up and come".

She finally looked up at me and that's when I saw the tear stains across her cheeks. She looked like a girl who didn't know where she was or what to do. This helplessness was difficult to watch than her drama. I always preferred the latter. It was never painful.

"What have I done Arjun?" she stifled a sob, "I should've spoken to you before you came here. I totally messed up. I am so sorry. I am such a terrible sister".

"I messed up too. I should have listened to you", I said going and settling down next to her, "It doesn't matter An. Forget it".

We simultaneously leaned forward and hugged.

"Should we go home?" I asked as we broke apart.

Ananya looked up shocked, "Are you crazy?"

"No, I'm serious. I just thought about all that you said".

She smiled, "No Arjun. We've come this far. Only another week. Let's finish this".

"I never thought I'd see the day when you'd be convincing me to stay", I replied "But alright. We'll stay. You see, the game will change from tomorrow. I'm going to play sincerely from now".

"You know you're capable of thoughtfulness, but you are not capable of sincerity!" Ananya said decidedly.

"Am I?, I asked, grinning.

"Yes!" Ananya said.

I began dramatically, "We are twins by birth but best friends by choice. We would do anything for each other. Yes, sometimes I've envied you. But never doubt that I love you. Enough or should I some more?".

"Enough", she said pressing my arm, "I'm impressed. And thank you".

"Alright. Now give us a kiss", I joked.

"Shut up" she slapped my shoulder.

"Alright, goodnight. I love you more than life itself".

"I love you too. Come here", my sister said wrapping me in her arms. She stood on tip toe and gently kissed my forehead. I hugged her back tightly.

                                       ~~~~~

I didn't feel like going back to my room immediately to the chatter of the other three boys. I wanted to be alone. I usually wasn't the kind of person who felt like that. But still this once, I felt like it.

I went downstairs and walked out into the garden behind the reception area. There was nobody out there. There wasn't even a CCTV camera here.

The sea waves could be heard only from the other side of the hotel but from where I was standing all I could hear was the water from the fountains on the opposite side of the reception, splash into the marble.

Perhaps I had been too distracted too notice anything or the intruder had come so silently, I couldn't place.

But things happened too quickly.

The first second I knew someone was behind me, the next I made an effort to turn but before I could, they had pushed me to the ground and I had fallen face flat.

Before I knew it, there was an unbearable piercing pain in my back that could only have been caused by a knife.

I had been stabbed.

Everything went blank in less than a second and before I passed out I managed to call out with as much strength as I could muster, "Ananya!".

A/N : Uh-oh 🥺 What happens to Arjun now?

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