Sagarika

The warmth of the hotel lobby felt almost overwhelming after the cold outside, wrapping around us in a way that softened everything except the tension that had followed us in.

Near the entrance, a large notice board stood against the wall, covered with neatly arranged sheets detailing local activities and guided excursions. Mr. Chawla stopped in front of it immediately, his attention caught.

“This looks interesting,” Mr. Chawla said, pointing toward one of the sheets pinned neatly on the notice board.

I stepped closer and as soon as my eyes moved across the details, my attention sharpened without effort. It was a guided trail through forest terrain, scheduled for the next morning.

This was not controlled, not confined, not predictable. This was exactly why I had stayed back.

“I am going,” I said, the decision forming as naturally as if it had been waiting for this exact moment.

Mrs. Chawla leaned in beside me, reading the details with visible hesitation as her brows drew together slightly. “It says it is safe, but there won’t be anything… dangerous, right?”

“Apparently not,” Mr. Chawla replied.

“That is good enough for me,” I said, already reaching for the pen before anyone could suggest otherwise, because hesitation had never really been my style.

I wrote my name down without waiting for anyone's approval. Mrs. Chawla added hers as well, while her husband followed with far more enthusiasm than caution.

“What about your friend?” she asked, glancing past me toward Siddh.

I did not turn, did not even consider it.

“It does not matter,” I said evenly, dismissing the thought as easily as it had been presented, because for once, this decision had nothing to do with him.

And that, more than anything else, felt right.

Satisfied, I stepped away from the board and turned toward the staircase, already moving on, but before I could get very far, his voice stopped me with that same calm authority that seemed to follow him everywhere.

“You should reconsider.”

I turned back slowly, meeting his gaze without hesitation. “I won’t. It is the only reason I stayed.”

He held my gaze, I could see his jaw tighten slightly, not in anger, but in restraint.

“This is not a place for impulsive decisions.”

“And I am not interested in cautious ones.”

"For god's sake don't do anything stupid that could land you in hot soup. It is not safe."

The silence that followed was not loud, but it carried weight.

I turned again, climbing the first step, then paused deliberately, glancing back at him with a faint, deliberate smile.

“If you are so worried, you could stay in my room tonight.”

He did not react immediately, and that alone told me he was listening more carefully than he intended to show.

“In case,” I continued lightly, tilting my head just enough to make it clear that I was enjoying this far more than I should, “I feel tempted to sneak out and go to that market after you finally decide to mind your own business.”

Behind us, Mrs. Chawla let out a soft, scandalized laugh, clearly delighted by the direction this was taking.

I expected irritation, maybe a sharp retort or another lecture about responsibility, but what I did not expect was the way his expression shifted, subtle but unmistakable, as if something in my words had crossed a line I had not fully intended to draw.

He stepped closer, not enough to invade my space, but enough to change it, his gaze steady in a way that made my breath pause for a fraction of a second before I could stop it.

“Yes, good idea. I think I must tie your hands to the posts of the bed. That way, I can keep you in bed and I will be free to do whatever I want. And then...” he said, his voice was low and controlled, carrying that quiet authority he always had.

What? Did he just say that?

He would be free to do what he wants to do? Exactly what does he want to do?

“ And then??” I asked, the question slipping out before I had the chance to reconsider it.

His gaze did not shift.

" You don't know what will happen after that?" He asked looking into my eyes with a devilish smile.

What the hell was he thinking? Why the hell did he smile like that??

He is Siddh... Right?? Or does he have a notorious twin too?

"What?? You really want me to spell it out for you?" He asked but I could not speak as I was shocked by that devilish smile on his face.

I had never seen him like that. What got into him??

“Okay, fine I will tell you. Then you will not be able to sneak out and I can enjoy sleeping comfortably in my room.” he grinned.

Thank God!!

But for a moment, I had forgotten how to respond, which was both new and deeply irritating.

The words settled between us, deliberate and unhurried, leaving just enough room for their meaning to unfold.

I straightened almost immediately, recovering just enough to tilt my head with a faint, unimpressed smile that did not quite match the sudden awareness beneath it. “That sounds like a terrible idea.”

“It is the best, let's go to your room,” he said calmly.

And somehow, that answer unsettled me more than anything else he had said so far.

So I turned away before the moment could stretch any further, before it could shift into something I did not yet have a name for.

“Good night, Dr. Jindal,” I said lightly, continuing up the stairs without looking back, and stopped only when I locked the door of my room from inside.

Idiot!! Stupid!! He... He... How can he that he would tie me??