Sagarika

Turning lightly toward Mrs. Chawla, I said, setting my glass down, “So, what’s next?”

“Shopping,” she declared at once.

“Of course,” I nodded gravely. “Essential cultural immersion. We cannot ignore local traditions.”

“And you,” she added, pointing straight at Siddh, “are coming with us.”

“No.”

The refusal came so quickly that I had to look down at my plate to hide the smile tugging at my lips.

“You really should come,” I said, lifting my fork again as though the matter was still open. “It might help you discover that life exists outside hospital corridors.”

Mrs. Chawla burst into delighted laughter, while Siddh didn’t so much as blink.

“I have work.”

“You always have work,” I replied lightly, glancing at him. “It’s almost impressive how consistently you avoid enjoyment.”

“I am not here for enjoyment.”

“Then why are you here?” The question slipped out casually, but his answer did not.

“Because you are here,” he replied.

For a brief moment, I simply looked at him, not quite expecting that level of directness.

“That sounds like a terrible decision,” I said after a second, recovering smoothly. “You should reconsider.”

He ignored that entirely.

“You shouldn’t be here alone,” he said instead.

“I am not alone,” I replied calmly, gesturing faintly around us. “As you can see, I am surrounded by people.”

“That is not what I meant.”

“I know exactly what you meant,” I said, setting my fork down now and meeting his gaze properly. “And no, I am not a liability.”

“That is debatable.”

I turned fully toward him. “Excuse me?”

“You tend to walk into situations without thinking them through,” he said, his tone even, almost clinical. “And this is not a place where that works in your favour. It is not safe.”

“Oh, I see,” I said, leaning back slightly, folding my arms. “So next time I should submit a written request before I decide to step outside?”

“If that ensures your safety, yes.”

Mrs. Chawla laughed, clearly enjoying herself. “He is not wrong.”

“He is controlling,” I corrected.

“He is responsible.”

“I am practical,” Siddh said.

“And I am not interested in being managed,” I replied just as calmly.

The air shifted then—not uncomfortable, but charged enough to be noticed.

Across the table, Mr. Chawla suggested going back to their room and watching a movie, but Mrs. Chawla waved him off with a grin. “No, no, this is far better.”

Siddh exhaled slowly, as though arriving at a decision. “Finish your meal. We are going back to our rooms in ten minutes.”

That made me laugh.

“You really think you can order me around?”

“Yes.” There was no hesitation, no doubt.

“Well,” I said, picking up my fork again with deliberate calm, “this is going to disappoint you.”

His gaze remained on me, steady, unreadable.

Mrs. Chawla let out a small laugh, though there was a trace of caution in it now.

As if I care what you say...

****

By the time we stepped out of the restaurant, the cold had deepened, settling into the evening with a quiet sharpness that made the air feel thinner. Down the slope, the market lights glowed faintly through the mist, scattered and distant, but alive in a way the silence around us was not.

“I’m going,” I said, adjusting my scarf, already turning slightly toward the path.

“Don't you dare to do that! ” he said. I stopped, then turned back to face him.

“You don’t get to make decisions for me."

“It’s late. It’s colder than it was this morning, and the visibility will drop. You are not going down there at any cost, it is not safe for a girl in such a place, especially if she is a tourist.” he replied, his tone still controlled, but firmer now.

“And I am not asking for permission. I just chose to ignore you.”

Something in his expression tightened—not anger, not irritation, but a controlled shift that made me aware of him in a way I hadn’t been before.

I took a step toward the path.

He moved then, not abruptly, but with a quiet decisiveness that made me stop without thinking.

“If you take one more step,” he said, his voice got lower, steady and certain, “I will pick you up and carry you back to the hotel myself.”

For a moment, I simply looked at him. Not because the words were dramatic.

Because they weren’t. There was no exaggeration in them, no hint of a bluff.

He meant it. I had seen him doing to his sisters over the years.

“I am not your sister,” I said, lifting my chin slightly. “I don’t follow your instructions.”

“I know,” he replied calmly. “If you were, you wouldn’t be arguing. You’d already be back in your room. I would have already carried you back without wasting time arguing with you. he said bluntly.

I let out a quiet breath, somewhere between disbelief and irritation. “Thank God you are not my brother. I would have killed you by now.”

A faint shadow of amusement crossed his face. “And I feel sorry for Shlok and Shaurya. Dealing with you must require professional training.”

“Oh, they manage,” I said sweetly.

“Barely, I imagine... You are not in their control. But I handled and controlled all my sisters,” he said calmly. “You are not as difficult as you think.”

That did it.

I narrowed my eyes slightly. “That is where you are wrong.”

“Then try taking a step in that direction and let me prove it,” he said quietly.

“You wouldn’t,” I said, though my voice lacked the certainty I had intended.

“Trust me, I would,” he replied, just as quietly.

And just like that, something shifted.

Because until that moment, the entire evening had felt like a game I was controlling, a series of small provocations that I could escalate or dismiss whenever I pleased, but this was different.

This was not irritation or patience being tested. This was a line drawn without hesitation.

There was something in his tone now—something steadier, deeper—that made the moment shift again... Leaving only the narrow space between us, filled with something neither of us was willing to step away from.

Mrs. Chawla let out a soft laugh, though this time there was a hint of caution in it. “Beta, I think we should go back. It is too cold.”

“There you are,” he called out. “I thought you both had disappeared. I wanted you beside me, my love. It is too cold to be alone. I want you against me in our warm bed." he said. She gave a shy smile to him and slipped her arm through his, smiling. “We were just heading back as I was missing you. Let's go to our room.” They both went away.

And just like that, it was only the two of us. He didn’t look away.

“She’s gone,” he said quietly. “Now decide. Are you coming on your own… or do I carry you?”

I held my ground for a second longer, more out of stubbornness than conviction, but something in his expression made it very clear that this was no longer a game he was willing to indulge in.

He meant it. Completely.

“Fine, now that she is gone, I am going as well. It is not because of you.” I said at last, turning toward the hotel.

I had barely taken a few steps when I added, just under my breath but loud enough for him to hear—

“This isn’t over.”

“I know,” he said, falling into step beside me.

And the calm certainty in his voice made it very clear— He wasn’t expecting it to be.

It felt like the beginning of something far more dangerous.