Chapter 9: The Unseen Meeting

Kiara's POV

I had barely slept a wink last night. The weight of what had happened—my parents’ decision, the looming engagement with Reyaansh—kept me awake. Every time I closed my eyes, his face appeared, and I couldn’t stop the mix of emotions swirling inside me. Anger. Fear. Confusion. And, despite myself, a part of me felt something I couldn’t even name.

When the morning sun finally peeked through the curtains, I groggily opened my eyes, only to see the clock showing it was nearly noon. Great. I had wasted half the day, caught in a whirlwind of thoughts. I sighed, trying to shake off the tension as I stretched, preparing for the day.

I pulled on my favorite night dress— a soft, pastel pink crop top with cute bunnies on it, paired with matching shorts. My bunny-shaped slippers were the only thing that felt familiar in this moment of confusion, and I shuffled out of bed and downstairs.

Her look~

---

As I made my way down, I didn’t realize that the living room was occupied. I was still rubbing the sleep out of my eyes when I heard my mom’s voice and a deep, unfamiliar one echoing from the living room.

“Oye, papa ki jaan, khana do na!” I called out, still half-asleep, my words slurring as I wandered into the kitchen.

The living room fell silent for a second before my mom cleared her throat. “Kia, aap—”

I froze. The moment I walked into the kitchen, I heard the unmistakable voice. His voice. Reyaansh Rathore’s deep, commanding tone.

I blinked in shock and slowly turned around. There, sitting casually on the couch, was Reyaansh—looking impossibly more handsome than I remembered. His perfectly tailored suit hugged his broad shoulders, and his dark eyes were locked on me, filled with an unreadable expression. Next to him sat his family, who seemed to be sizing me up with the same intensity.

I froze in place. My heart skipped a beat. What were they doing here?

---

Reyaansh’s lips curved into a small smile, the same smile that had both haunted and intrigued me for days. “I wasn’t expecting such a... charming entrance,” he said, his voice laced with amusement.

I blinked again, trying to regain my composure. “W-What are you doing here?” I stammered, suddenly acutely aware of my disheveled appearance. My bunny slippers felt like they were the only thing I had control over in this moment.

Mom walked into the kitchen, looking equally flustered. “Kia, we didn’t want to disturb you, but Reyaansh and his family arrived to finalize the arrangements. You were still asleep, and we didn’t want to wake you up.”

The room seemed to shrink around me. This was the man my parents had arranged for me to marry, sitting here in my own living room, and I was still in my pajamas. Great.

Reyaansh leaned back casually, his gaze never leaving me. “I must say, you are even more... beautiful than I remembered, Kiara.” His voice dropped low, like a velvet whisper that sent a jolt through my body.

My stomach churned, and I could feel the heat creeping up my neck. I desperately wanted to retreat to my room, but I knew I couldn’t escape. This was happening. The man I had been trying to ignore was now sitting in front of me, and nothing felt right.

---

I quickly glanced at my parents, who were both sitting across from Reyaansh’s family, looking as if they were waiting for something. Waiting for me. But I wasn’t ready for this—none of this.

I swallowed hard, trying to mask the unease that had settled in my chest. “I… I’ll just change,” I muttered, unable to look him in the eye for more than a second. My heart pounded as I turned, practically running back up the stairs to my room.

I slammed the door behind me, leaning against it as I tried to steady my breath. What was happening? How had it come to this? Reyaansh Rathore had appeared in my life like a whirlwind, and now, he was sitting downstairs with my family, making himself at home.

I couldn’t help but wonder: What did he really want from me?

---

Reyaansh's POV

I had arrived at Kiara’s house with my family, expecting the usual formalities. I’d met her parents before, and they had been warm, welcoming even. But today, I wasn’t here just for pleasantries. Today, I was here to finalize things—to take what was mine.

As I sat in the living room, I could feel the tension in the air. The atmosphere was thick with unspoken words, anticipation. My family, seated beside me, exchanged polite smiles, but I knew they were just as eager for the deal to be sealed as I was.

Then, suddenly, I heard her voice.

"Oye, papa ki jaan, khana do na!" The words were slurred with sleep, and I couldn’t help but smile. I hadn’t expected to hear her in such an innocent, unguarded way. The way she called out to her mother—her voice light, carefree, and utterly unbothered by the world around her—was a stark contrast to the carefully constructed image I had built of her.

I looked up just as she entered the room, still half-asleep and wearing a night dress that didn’t hide the beauty that made her so irresistible. Her bunny slippers made her seem even more... human. I had seen her perform at the program, her grace and elegance stunning everyone, but this was different. This was Kiara, stripped of all pretenses.

She froze when she saw me, her eyes widening in disbelief. And I knew, just from that reaction, that I had successfully caught her off guard. A small part of me relished in the fact that she hadn’t expected me to be here, but I quickly pushed that aside. This was about more than surprises. This was about making her realize the inevitability of what was to come.

---

She stammered out a question, confusion clouding her face. "W-What are you doing here?"

I leaned back into the couch, the easy confidence I always wore coming to the surface. "I wasn’t expecting such a charming entrance," I said smoothly, my tone teasing but not without sincerity. I watched as she nervously looked away, clearly uncomfortable in the presence of me and my family.

Her eyes darted between me and her parents, and I knew exactly what she was thinking. This was not the way she had imagined meeting her future husband, was it? But it didn’t matter. She would get used to this. Used to me.

She quickly turned to leave, but not before I caught her gaze. “Kiara,” I said softly, my voice lower now, “you look even more beautiful than I remembered.”

The words left my mouth before I could stop them. I meant them, of course. In that moment, she looked more real than any image I had formed in my mind. More alive. More... mine.

---

I could feel the uncertainty swirling around her as she excused herself, retreating upstairs to change. And for a brief moment, I allowed myself to appreciate the sight of her leaving the room. She was a challenge, and I loved challenges.

But as I sat back, the silence of the room settling in around me, I couldn’t help but think: This was the beginning. And I would make sure it was the beginning of something undeniable.