The room was quiet except for the soft hum of the air conditioning and the occasional rustle of fabric as Advait settled himself on the sofa, his posture perfect and commanding, even in this casual setting. He looked at Samaira with an almost unsettling calmness, as though the storm that had passed through the night before had never existed.

“What would you like for breakfast?” he asked, his voice cool and measured.

Samaira blinked, her heart still heavy from everything that had transpired. She couldn’t quite fathom the audacity of this man, the man who had broken her heart just a day ago, standing there, asking her such an ordinary question. His expression was unreadable, but the dissonance of his calmness sent a rush of anger through her chest.

She turned her face to the side, trying to hide the emotions welling up inside her. “Look at the audacity of the man who broke my heart yesterday,” she replied, the sarcasm dripping from her words, “and now, here he is, asking me what I want for breakfast.”

Advait’s eyes hardened for a moment, a brief flicker of irritation passing over his face. He didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he leaned back on the sofa, looking at her with his usual unblinking gaze. “Enough of this, Samaira,” he said, his voice low, but firm. “No one is watching and I guess we rehearsed a few moments ago only. Right? So that if someone is watching; which I don't think is ,they would feel that I am here for some big reason, to hurt you even more"

She raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips as she sat beside him, deliberately close enough that she could feel the tension radiating off his body. “No one’s watching, huh?” she mused, leaning in slightly as though to study him more closely. “Well, I’m enjoying this, Advait. I’m sure you didn’t expect that, did you?”

Advait kept his eyes fixed on her, expression unreadable. “No,” he replied simply, his tone cool but with a hint of something deeper beneath the surface. He nodded, his demeanor composed. “And yes, no one followed me. I made sure of it.”

A little laugh escaped Samaira’s lips. “You really think you’ve got me cornered, don’t you?” she said, the playful mockery in her voice masking the undercurrent of hurt. She leaned back against the armrest of the sofa and continued, “But I’ve learned from the best.”

Advait shot her a quick glance, his brow furrowing for the briefest moment before he gave a short, almost imperceptible chuckle. “You’re quite the actress, Samaira,” he said, his tone almost approving. “For a moment there, you really made me hesitate.”

Samaira tilted her head, considering his words. “I guess I learned from the best,” she said again, this time with a touch more seriousness in her voice. “Your words were powerful. For a second, I almost believed them. But then…” she trailed off, her fingers tapping on the edge of the sofa thoughtfully. “Then, I remembered it was all an act.”

Advait leaned back, his gaze steady and calculating. “It should’ve worked. You played your part convincingly,” he replied, his tone almost like an assessment, as though analyzing her performance in the elaborate game they were both playing.

“Do you really think that’s what it takes?” Samaira asked, her voice dropping slightly, as though a deeper question had risen to the surface. “Just to convince them? To make them believe we’re on opposite sides? Do you think it’ll work?”

Advait’s expression softened just a touch as he looked at her, contemplating. “It has to,” he said, his voice almost a whisper. “Whoever wants to destroy us—whoever wants to destroy you and who killed my father—would seize this opportunity. They know your family is powerful. They’ll try to use you against me, against us. This is the only way to protect you from that.” He leaned forward slightly, his eyes intense. “It’s the only way to protect both of us.”

Samaira felt a chill run down her spine at his words. There was a sense of finality in his voice, as though he truly believed that everything had been calculated and set in motion. But she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. She could sense the manipulation behind his actions, even if it was buried beneath layers of carefully constructed words.

For a moment, neither of them spoke, as the weight of what they had just discussed settled in the air between them. Then, Advait broke the silence, his lips curving into a faint smile. “But you did play your part well,” he added, as though offering some form of praise. “I’ll give you that.”

Samaira glanced at him, her eyes narrowing slightly. “I didn’t do this for you, Advait,” she said softly, the edge of her voice still sharp. “I did this for me. Don’t ever think otherwise.”

He didn’t respond immediately, but a flicker of acknowledgment passed through his eyes, almost as if he understood something deeper behind her words. Then, just as quickly, the moment passed, and he leaned back, grabbing his coffee mug from the table in front of them. He took a long sip, his demeanor returning to its usual cool detachment.

As they sat there, sipping their coffee, Samaira’s phone suddenly buzzed, breaking the silence. The screen flashed with an unknown number.

Advait glanced at her, his eyes still unreadable. “Here you go,” he said, his voice carrying a mix of anticipation and amusement.

Samaira stared at the phone for a moment, her heart racing as she debated whether to answer it. She could feel the weight of the situation hanging in the balance. What if it was someone from her family? Or worse, someone from Advait’s camp? She hesitated, glancing over at him, but his expression was neutral, almost as though he were waiting for her to make the first move.

After a beat, she answered the call, holding the phone to her ear with a steady hand.

“Hello?” she said, her voice calm, though she could feel the tension in the air.

The voice on the other end was unfamiliar, but the tone was sharp. “Samaira, it’s time,” the voice said cryptically, and before she could ask more questions, the line went dead.

Samaira stood frozen, her mind racing. Who was that? What did they mean? And why had Advait been so calm about it?

She glanced at him, only to find him watching her intently, his lips curling into a small, knowing smile.

“You’re just getting started,” Advait said softly, as if reading her mind. “Let’s see where this goes next.”