Chapter 4: The Mystery of Him

Kiara's POV

The morning light filtered through the curtains, casting soft beams on the floor of my hotel room. I sat up slowly, rubbing my eyes, my mind still reeling from the previous day. I could still picture his face so clearly—Reyaansh Rathore. The way he spoke, the mysterious aura around him—it was impossible to forget. His dark eyes had seemed to see right through me, and there was something about him, something unsettling yet magnetic, that I couldn't shake off.

I sighed and reached for my phone, hoping to distract myself. A quick glance at the screen revealed several missed messages from Sneha and Arjun, reminding me of the day’s plans. We were scheduled to visit another palace today—another sightseeing stop, another day of pretending that everything was normal.

But my thoughts kept drifting back to him. Why couldn’t I forget our brief encounter? Was it because he was unlike anyone I had ever met? Or was it the way he seemed so effortlessly confident, like he belonged in a world I couldn’t even begin to comprehend? He had seemed... untouchable, but also strangely comforting. I shook my head, trying to dismiss the thoughts. I didn’t need to be thinking about him.

I stood up and got dressed quickly, slipping into a simple yellow kurta and jeans.

Her look~

I didn’t want to think about Reyaansh, but it felt like the universe was forcing me to. The way he had looked at me, the way he had smiled—everything about him felt so deliberate. So... calculated.

---

Later that morning, as we toured the Mehrangarh Fort, I found myself distracted again. I tried my best to focus on the ornate architecture, the rich history, and the grand rooms, but I couldn’t help but wonder if Reyaansh would show up again. He had said I would find what I was looking for. Was he somehow involved in my anklet being returned?

“Kiara!” Sneha’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. I glanced over, seeing her standing at the entrance of one of the rooms, gesturing for me to join her. “Come here! You’re daydreaming again.”

I smiled apologetically and walked over. “Sorry, just... thinking.”

“About what? Another cute guy?” she teased.

I laughed awkwardly. “No, definitely not.”

But in truth, I wasn’t so sure. There was something about him that kept me guessing. I couldn’t understand why I was so intrigued. I didn’t even know him.

---

The rest of the day passed in a blur, my mind wandering back to the brief moments I had spent with Reyaansh. It didn’t make sense. I had met plenty of charming people in my life—most of them forgettable—but he was different. He had some sort of hold on me that I couldn’t explain.

As the day drew to a close, I found myself back in the hotel room, sitting on the edge of the bed, trying to quiet my racing thoughts. There was no reason to keep obsessing over a stranger I barely knew. I didn’t even know if I would see him again. And yet... I couldn’t help but feel like I hadn’t seen the last of him.

I glanced at the small silver anklet on my bedside table, my heart sinking slightly. The thought that it was still lost, somewhere out of reach, made me feel strangely empty. I knew it was just an object, but it held sentimental value. It was a gift from my late grandmother, and it had been with me through so many memories. It felt wrong to be without it.

---

Just then, there was a soft knock on the door. I quickly wiped my face and stood up, hoping it was just room service with something to distract me.

When I opened the door, my breath caught in my throat.

Standing before me, dressed in a perfectly tailored suit and a confident smile, was none other than Reyaansh Rathore.

His look~

My heart skipped a beat. “You—what are you doing here?” I asked, trying to sound calm, but my voice betrayed the surprise I felt.

He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he held something out to me—my anklet, the silver one with the small bells.

“I told you you’d find it,” Reyaansh said, his voice low and smooth. “And here it is.”

My fingers trembled as I took it from him, my breath catching in my throat. "How did you...?"

He stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. “Let’s just say, I have my ways,” he replied with a smirk. His gaze softened for a moment. “I promised you it wouldn’t be lost forever.”

My heart raced. Why did he feel so... familiar? And why couldn’t I stop the growing flutter in my chest as I stared at him?

---

I stood there, holding the anklet in my hand, unable to process the sudden turn of events. How was he standing here, in front of me, with something so personal? And why did it feel like the universe was pulling me toward him, making me more curious with each passing moment?

“Thank you,” I finally whispered, my voice soft. “But how did you get it?”

Reyaansh’s lips curled into a knowing smile, his dark eyes gleaming with mystery. “I told you, I have my ways.” He didn’t elaborate further, leaving me to wonder if there was more to his involvement than he was letting on. The air between us was thick with unspoken words, his proximity making me feel both nervous and strangely at ease at the same time.

“You didn’t have to do this,” I said, taking a small step back, my mind racing. “I could’ve found it myself eventually.”

His gaze softened, and for a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of something genuine in his eyes. “Sometimes, it’s about more than just finding something,” he replied quietly, his voice low and steady. “Sometimes it’s about knowing when to step in.”

The words hung in the air between us, charged with a strange intensity. I wasn’t sure what he meant, but I could feel my heart picking up pace. There was something magnetic about him, something that made it impossible to look away. I wanted to ask him more, to understand why he was here, why he had come for me, but the words caught in my throat. I couldn’t find the right questions.

---

Before I could speak again, there was a knock on the door behind me. I flinched, immediately pulling my attention away from Reyaansh, and glanced back toward the sound. “Just a moment!” I called out, feeling flustered.

Reyaansh didn’t seem to mind. In fact, he stepped back a little, his eyes never leaving mine. “We’ll talk later,” he said, his voice smooth but laced with something I couldn’t place.

I nodded, a strange mix of relief and disappointment flooding through me. I wasn’t sure if I was relieved because he was leaving or if it was because I wanted more time with him. Before I could gather my thoughts, he turned and walked toward the door. As he reached for the handle, he paused and glanced back at me.

“Kiara,” he said, and for the first time, I realized that he had called me by my name.

My heart skipped again at the way it sounded when he said it—like he had all the time in the world to say it, as if he had a claim on me. I swallowed hard, unsure how to respond.

“I’ll see you soon,” Reyaansh added with a slight smirk, then left, leaving me standing there with the anklet in my hand and a thousand questions swirling in my mind.

---

I closed the door behind me and leaned against it, feeling the weight of the anklet in my palm. It felt like more than just a piece of jewelry now. It felt like a symbol of something I wasn’t ready to understand. Was I really just going to let this happen? Let him into my life so easily? I shook my head, trying to push the thoughts away, but they refused to be silenced.

Why did I feel so drawn to him? And more importantly, why did I feel like this wasn’t the last time our paths would cross?

I couldn’t ignore the sensation in my chest—the way my pulse quickened every time I thought of him. I wasn’t sure where this was heading, but one thing was for sure: Reyaansh Rathore was far from just a fleeting encounter. And something told me that my life was about to change in ways I couldn’t yet imagine.