Chapter 26: Chapter Twenty Four.

"Arjun!" Suhana’s voice rang out with warmth as she beamed and hurried to his side, completely unaware of the tension brewing in the room.

She moved with the kind of ease that came from years of familiarity, her bright smile lighting up her face as she tried to take his arm.

His gaze had already locked onto Siddhartha, who stood just a few feet away, his expression unreadable.

Arjun’s jaw tightened as he scowled, clearly not pleased to Suhana here. The silence in the room thickened, but Suhana seemed blissfully unaware of it, her energy clashing with the charged atmosphere.

"Meera? Why are you here?" Siddhartha’s voice cut through the silence. There was an edge to his tone, as though the question held a deeper meaning than it appeared on the surface.

But before Meera could answer, his gaze shifted back to Arjun, the scowl still firmly set on Arjun’s face.

"And you." Arjun said, his attention now drawn to Suhana "what are you doing here?" He glanced down at her.

Suhana, unfazed by the growing tension, brushed off his question with a lighthearted laugh.

"Well, I’ve been calling you, Arjun. But your line wasn’t available." she explained, as if this were the most normal thing in the world.

"So, I called Uncle, and he said you might be busy with work. I checked in with Siddhartha first, and he confirmed that you really were busy, so I thought I’d surprise you!" She looked up at Arjun, her smile wide.

“Maybe we can have dinner together?” Her tone was hopeful, still completely oblivious to the storm brewing around her.

Meera, standing off to the side, watched the scene unfold in confusion. There was a strange, simmering tension in the air, one she couldn’t quite place but could definitely feel.

Arjun’s gaze, however, had drifted from Suhana to Meera, his eyes darkening with an intensity that made her stomach twist.

She could feel the weight of his stare, a quiet storm brewing behind his eyes, but she didn’t understand it. All she knew was that his attention was making her deeply uncomfortable.

“No.” Arjun said abruptly, his voice cutting through Suhana’s excitement like a blade.

Suhana blinked, taken aback by the sudden shift in his tone. Meera’s eyes widened too, caught off guard by his blunt rejection.

“What?” Suhana stammered, clearly not expecting his response.

Her confusion was palpable, her smile faltering as she looked up at him with wide eyes.

“I’m busy.” Arjun repeated, his voice colder now.

“I can’t cancel my schedule.” He glanced at Suhana briefly but quickly turned his attention back to Meera, his gaze lingering on her in a way that was impossible to ignore.

“It’s very important.” he added, emphasizing the word with a kind of finality that left no room for argument.

Meera’s heart raced in her chest as she felt the full force of his attention. There was something unnerving about the way he was looking at her, as though there was something more behind his words than he was letting on.

She swallowed hard, trying to focus on anything but the intensity of his gaze.

Suhana, still standing by his side, looked between Arjun and Meera, her confusion only deepening.

Meera, on the other hand, she had been standing in silence, hoping to stay invisible amidst the strange tension.

His dismissive attitude toward Suhana left her feeling uncomfortable.

'Goodness, is he always this rude?' she wondered, glancing at Suhana with something close to sympathy.

How could someone be so indifferent toward his fiancée?

She didn’t understand him. His sudden mood swings. It baffled her, and the longer she stood there, the more the situation started to feel suffocating.

Suhana, visibly hurt now, tried to regain her composure.

“Arjun.” she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. “I didn’t mean to interrupt. I just wanted to surprise you, that’s all.”

Meera could feel the awkwardness thickening in the air, and she wished desperately that she could disappear.

The room had grown unbearably tense, and it was clear that no one knew quite how to move forward.

Siddhartha cleared his throat, breaking the silence, and Meera seized the moment to speak.

“I think I should leave.” she said quickly, her voice steady though her heart was pounding in her chest.

She didn’t want to be part of whatever this was anymore.

“I have work to get back to.” She moved toward the door, hoping no one wouldn’t try to stop her.

But as she reached for the handle, Arjun’s voice cut through the room once more, cold and commanding.

“Meera.”

Her hand froze on the door, her breath catching in her throat.

Suhana’s eyes flickered between Arjun and Meera, a hurt look flashing across her face. She was beginning to realize that something was happening right in front of her, something she couldn’t quite grasp.

And yet, Arjun hadn’t once acknowledged her presence–not truly.

The silence stretched on, heavy and suffocating, and Meera wondered how she had become tangled in this strange web.

Suhana finally realized that Arjun’s gaze wasn’t on her. It was fixed on Meera.

The shift in his attention hit her like a cold wave, a sting of jealousy she couldn’t quite suppress. Her heart clenched, and for a moment, insecurity surged through her—something unfamiliar when it came to Arjun.

Her smile became just a bit too bright, her tone a little too forced as she moved toward Meera, closing the distance.

“Oh, hey!” Suhana chirped, the sweetness in her voice barely concealing the tension beneath it.

“You’re that girl from the birthday party, right?”

Meera, caught off guard, stood still for a moment, trying to process the sudden shift in attention. She blinked, then forced a polite smile, nodding.

“Yes, that was me.”

Suhana stepped closer, her presence all at once friendly but probing.

“My name is Suhana.” she introduced herself, extending a hand, “and you are?”

Meera hesitated but kept her expression neutral, despite the undercurrent of discomfort she was starting to feel.

“I’m Meera. Meera Ahuja.” she replied politely, taking Suhana’s hand for a brief shake before withdrawing it quickly.

The tension in the room was thick, and Meera could feel Arjun’s eyes still on her, though she dared not look in his direction.

“You’re really beautiful.” Suhana said, her tone now holding a slightly brittle edge.

“When I saw you at the party, I honestly thought you were Siddhartha’s girlfriend!” She let out a light laugh, though there was something a little too sharp in it, as if she were trying to cover her own discomfort with a casual joke.

“But no, turns out it’s Ishita.” she added, but Meera couldn’t miss the note of irritation in her voice as she said the name.

Meera’s heart skipped a beat, feeling trapped in this unexpected confrontation. She tried to smooth the interaction over, not wanting any conflict.

“It’s okay, really. Mistakes happen.” she said softly, offering a small, polite smile. “And you’re really beautiful too, Suhana.”

Suhana’s smile returned, but this time it carried a hint of something else, something territorial. “I know!” she said, her voice bright but just a little too proud.

“That’s why Arjun and I are getting married so–”

“Enough!” Arjun’s voice cut through the air like a whip, startling both women. His tone was sharp, laced with something darker.

Suhana flinched, visibly taken aback by the sudden outburst, her mouth snapping shut mid-sentence. The lightness in her demeanor vanished instantly, replaced by confusion and hurt.

Meera stiffened, her eyes darting from Suhana to Arjun.

His expression was unreadable, but his gaze burned with intensity, still fixed on her.

It was as if the entire room had tilted, and Meera found herself standing on uneven ground, unsure of what had just happened.

“Siddhartha, Take Suhana away, I’m busy.” Arjun said curtly, his voice sharp with impatience.

Siddhartha shook his head, a quiet but defiant gesture. “I can’t.”

Arjun’s eyes snapped up, the irritation in his gaze unmistakable. “What?”

“Father told Suhana to come here.” Siddhartha explained, his tone calm but cautious, knowing he was walking on thin ice.

“He also insisted that you both have dinner together.”

Arjun’s jaw tightened, and the tension in the room seemed to coil even tighter.

His hands balled into fists at his sides as he ground his teeth, Suhana shift nervously beside Siddhartha.

It was clear that Arjun was trying, and failing, to hold onto his temper.

Suhana, ever the optimist, stepped forward, her smile still firmly in place though her eyes betrayed a flicker of unease.

“Come on, Arjun. It’s just dinner.” she said, her voice soft, trying to ease the tension.

“Besides, I can wait until you finish your work.” She reached out, her hand almost brushing his arm in a gesture of comfort.

But Arjun’s response was anything but comforting.

“Get. Out.” he growled, his voice low and dangerous. The words were clipped, filled with barely-contained fury.

Suhana froze mid-step, her hand hovering in the air before she quickly dropped it, taking a step back in shock.

Siddhartha frowned, clearly disturbed by his brother’s outburst.

“Bhai, you–” he began, his voice filled with concern, but Arjun cut him off sharply.

“Get. Out. NOW!” The roar that escaped Arjun’s throat sent a chill down everyone’s spine. His voice was raw with anger, his control slipping by the second.

The sheer force of his command reverberated through the room, making even the walls seem to shrink under its weight.

Suhana stumbled back, bumping into Siddhartha, her eyes wide with fear, siddhartha quickly steadied her, but even he looked unnerved.

She had never seen Arjun this mad before, and the sudden violence in his tone made her heart race with panic.

“Arjun–” Suhana started, her voice trembling, but Arjun wasn’t done.

“DON’T YOU FUCKING GET IT? GET OUT!” he bellowed, his voice cracking like a whip.

His eyes burned with a mixture of rage and something darker, something that made the entire room feel suffocating. The raw intensity of his outburst left no room for argument.

Siddhartha gulped hard, his own tension mirroring the storm brewing in his brother.

He knew better than to push Arjun when he was like this.

Without another word, he gently took Suhana’s arm, guiding her out of the office. The door closed softly behind them, leaving the once-lively space eerily quiet.

Meera, who had remained silent through the entire ordeal, took a tentative step toward the door, hoping to follow them and escape the unsettling atmosphere.

Her nerves were shot, and her instinct was telling her to leave before things escalated even further.

But just as her hand reached for the door handle, Arjun’s voice cut through the air, stopping her in her tracks, again.

“I didn’t ask you to go.” he said, his tone now chillingly calm, almost too calm after the furious storm he had just unleashed.

His words made her freeze, her heart pounding in her chest. She turned slowly to face him, unsure of what to expect next.

Meera’s mind raced.

Didn’t he just tell them all to leave?

She had assumed that meant her too, yet now he was singling her out, commanding her to stay.

The contradiction made her skin prickle with unease. She met his gaze, and there was something in his eyes that sent a shiver down her spine.

It wasn’t the same rage he had directed at Siddhartha and Suhana. No, this was something else—something far more controlled, and far more dangerous.

Arjun’s footsteps were deliberate as he approached Meera, his presence looming like a dark cloud.

But instead of stopping in front of her, he walked past her, his movements slow and deliberate.

The sound of the door locking echoed in the room, and Meera’s heart skipped a beat. A cold wave of dread washed over her as her eyes followed his every move.

He didn’t look at her, not immediately, but the tension in the air grew unbearable. He walked over to his office chair, sat down, and finally turned his gaze to her.

For a moment, his hard expression faltered. Arjun’s eyes lingered on her—her delicate yellow floral-pattern kurtis, the soft dupatta hanging around her neck, the way her dark hair cascaded over her shoulders, framing her face perfectly. She looked stunning, more radiant, It's like the more he sees her the more beautiful she becomes.His eyes drifted to her lips, slightly parted, a soft shade of pink, and he felt his mind hazing over. But he quickly shook off the feeling, as if waking from a trance, forcing his usual cold demeanor to return.

“Sit.” he ordered, his voice clipped and authoritative.

Meera hesitated for a split second before obeying, cautiously walking to the chair opposite him.

The tension between them was thick, suffocating. She couldn’t tell what was going through his mind, but it unsettled her. When she sat, her posture was rigid, every muscle in her body tense under his piercing gaze.

Arjun stared at her for a beat longer than necessary, his eyes unreadable.

“We can start the interview, Meera.” he finally said, his voice quiet but firm. His words felt more like a command than a request, and they did little to soothe her discomfort.

Meera shifted in her seat, feeling the weight of his eyes on her. Her discomfort was growing by the second, and she took a deep breath to calm her racing heart.

After a brief pause, she spoke up, gathering the courage to voice what was bothering her.

“I think that was rude.” Meera said, her voice steady, though her heart pounded in her chest.

Arjun raised an eyebrow, genuinely curious now.

“What was rude?” he asked, leaning back in his chair. His elbows rested on the armrests, and his fingers lightly brushed his lips, as if daring her to challenge him.

There was something almost predatory in his relaxed posture, as if he was waiting to see how far she would go.

Meera swallowed the irritation building inside her.

How could he not know?

“I mean the way you spoke to Suhana.” she replied, holding his gaze, even though she wanted to look away from the intensity in his eyes.

Arjun’s expression didn’t change.

“And how exactly was I rude?” he asked, the edge of a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth, as though this conversation amused him.

He didn’t seem the least bit fazed by her words, and that only irritated her more.

Meera couldn’t believe it.

Was he really going to pretend like nothing had happened?

She bit back the urge to roll her eyes.

“Suhana seemed genuinely happy to see you. She probably left something important behind just to come visit you, and she wanted to have dinner with you. But you just... pushed her away. It wasn’t nice.” Meera said, her voice softer now, but her frustration was clear.

Arjun’s smirk faded, replaced by his usual hard expression.

“And why should I accept it when she didn’t bother asking if I had the time? I am busy, Meera.”

Meera frowned, not backing down.

“But she was just being thoughtful, Arjun. She probably thought you’ve been working all day and wanted to surprise you with a nice evening. She cares about you.”

His eyes narrowed slightly, and his voice grew colder.

“Any woman I am not engaged to yet has no right to meddle in my life or work. I don’t need her ‘thoughtfulness.’ ”

Meera was stunned, taken aback by his callousness. She had expected him to be stern, perhaps even a little distant, but this was something else.

His words were like a slap in the face—not for her, but for Suhana.

What kind of man speaks like this about his future wife?

“She was just trying to–” Meera started again, her voice filled with frustration, but Arjun cut her off.

“We have an interview, Meera. Let’s get started.” he said, his voice sharp, signaling that the conversation was over.

His gaze remained cold and impassive, and it was clear he had no interest in discussing Suhana further.

Meera sighed, shaking her head in disbelief. This man was impossible.

***

Outside, Siddhartha and Suhana had stopped by her car, the tension from the earlier encounter still hanging in the air.

Suhana’s face was a mixture of frustration and confusion, and Siddhartha could sense she was on the verge of saying something that had been bothering her.

“I’m sorry about what happened in there.” Siddhartha began, his voice gentle as he tried to soothe the situation. “I’ll talk to–”

“Are they having an affair?” Suhana suddenly interrupted, her voice cold and hard, completely different from the soft, bubbly tone she had used earlier. Siddhartha blinked, caught off guard by the accusation.

“What?” he asked, stunned by her sudden shift.

“I mean, the girl and Arjun. Are they having an affair?” Suhana repeated, her words dripping with suspicion.

Her eyes narrowed, and she crossed her arms, waiting for an answer.

Siddhartha was at a loss for words. He hadn’t expected this, not at all. He knew Meera had no interest in his brother, but Arjun? Arjun was another story.

The way his brother looked at Meera had changed recently, something darker and more intense brewing beneath the surface. But an affair?

“No, Suhana. No.” Siddhartha said firmly, shaking his head.

“They’re not having an affair. Why would you even think that? Arjun is getting engaged to you. He wouldn’t do something like that. He hates cheating–you know that.”

Suhana stared at him for a long moment, her eyes searching his face as if trying to detect any hint of dishonesty. Then, slowly, a satisfied smile crept onto her lips.

“I know. You’re right. We’re perfect together.” she said, her tone suddenly light and confident again.

“Besides, Arjun wouldn’t risk throwing away a multi-billion-dollar company for some affair.”

Siddhartha couldn’t help but feel a pang of discomfort at her words. Was that all she thought of her Bhai—the company?, the power? Maybe yes.

He forced a smile, deciding not to press the issue, at least not now.

Suhana flashed him a bright smile, seemingly pleased with herself. Siddhartha opened the car door for her, and she slid inside, her demeanor back to its usual cheerful self.

As the car pulled away, Siddhartha stood there, watching it disappear down the street, a strange unease settling in his gut.