Chapter 46 - Back to Reality and secret couple. #2
"Why were you constantly interrupting us?"
The entire group nodded.
That was a fair question.
Kabir shrugged.
"Because it was entertaining."
The room burst out laughing.
"I had front-row seats."
He leaned back comfortably.
"Why would I waste that opportunity?"
Rohan pointed at him.
"Fair."
"Not fair," Arjun replied.
"Very fair," Siddharth corrected.
"You are all terrible friends."
"We know," Rohan replied proudly.
"And yet you keep us around," Siddharth added.
Arjun sighed.
There was no winning against these people.
Absolutely none.
Meanwhile, Aadhira sat quietly beside him.
For the first time in years-
She felt included.
Normal.
Safe.
She looked around the group.
The laughter.
The teasing.
The warmth.
For years she had convinced herself she didn't need any of this.
But sitting here now...
Surrounded by people who cared about her.
Beside the man she loved.
For the first time in a long time-
Aadhira felt like she belonged.
Unfortunately...
The peace lasted less than thirty seconds.
Because Naina accidentally dropped another bomb.
And this one was much bigger.
The peace lasted exactly twenty-seven seconds.
Naina smiled proudly.
"Anyway..."
Nobody liked that smile.
It usually meant trouble.
"The four of us already knew."
Silence.
The room froze.
Arjun blinked.
"...Four?"
Naina nodded.
"Yep."
The group looked at each other.
Then started counting.
Siddharth raised a hand.
"Wait."
He began counting on his fingers.
"Kabir."
"Naina."
"Shanaya."
He paused.
Everyone waited.
Siddharth frowned.
"...Who's the fourth?"
Rohan immediately pointed at Shanaya.
"Maybe she has a twin."
Shanaya looked offended.
"I don't."
"Then explain the math."
"I don't need to explain anything."
"That sounds suspicious."
"It isn't."
"It absolutely is."
Arjun rubbed his forehead.
"This conversation is getting dumber by the second."
Nobody listened.
Everyone was too busy trying to identify the mysterious fourth person.
Then...
Slowly...
Very slowly...
Every head turned in the same direction.
Dev was sitting comfortably on the couch.
Completely relaxed.
Completely calm.
Completely uninterested in the chaos around him.
He casually lifted his coffee cup and took another sip.
The room stared.
Dev stared back.
"...What?"
Arjun narrowed his eyes.
"...Dev?"
"Yeah?"
Rohan pointed dramatically.
"You knew?"
Dev shrugged.
"Obviously."
The room exploded.
"What do you mean obviously?"
"Since when?"
"How?"
"Why?"
Dev looked genuinely confused.
"Because Kabir told me."
The room went silent.
Everyone turned toward Kabir.
Kabir froze.
The realization hit him one second later.
Unfortunately...
It was already too late.
"Since I tell everything to my boyfriend."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
The kind of silence usually heard before disasters.
Kabir's eyes widened.
His soul practically left his body.
"..."
"..."
"...I may have spoken too soon."
Nobody moved.
Nobody blinked.
Nobody breathed.
Three heads slowly turned toward Dev.
Then toward Kabir.
Then back toward Dev.
Arjun stared.
Siddharth stared.
Rohan stared.
Together, they spoke.
"...Boyfriend?"
Kabir smiled weakly.
The smile of a man who knew he had just destroyed months of planning.
Dev closed his eyes.
A long sigh escaped him.
"I was hoping we'd tell you after dinner."
The room remained silent for another three seconds.
Then-
Rohan screamed.
"WHAT?!"
The entire lobby turned to look at their group.
Nobody cared.
"YOU TWO ARE DATING?!"
Kabir covered his face.
"Please lower your voice."
"No!"
Rohan pointed between them repeatedly.
"Since when?!"
"How?!"
"Why didn't anyone tell us?!"
Kabir looked at Dev.
Dev looked at Kabir.
Neither wanted to answer.
Unfortunately...
They were surrounded by vultures.
"We're not leaving until you explain everything," Siddharth announced.
Arjun sat back comfortably.
For the first time all evening-
The attention wasn't on him.
It was wonderful.
Aadhira noticed his expression.
"You look happy."
"I am."
"Because they're being interrogated now?"
"Exactly."
Aadhira laughed.
Kabir immediately pointed at him.
"Don't enjoy this."
"I'm enjoying this."
"Traitor."
"You exposed me first."
"Fair."
Dev looked at the group.
Realizing there was no escape.
He finally surrendered.
"We've been together for eight months."
Silence.
Then chaos.
"EIGHT MONTHS?!"
Siddharth nearly fell off the couch.
Rihan looked offended.
"Naina couldn't keep a secret for eight minutes."
"Hey!"
"And you two hid a relationship for eight months?"
Kabir looked proud.
"We're talented."
"You are criminals."
"Also true."
The group immediately started throwing questions.
Who confessed first?
Where was the first date?
How long had they liked each other?
Who knew first?
Why didn't they tell anyone?
The interrogation became so intense that even Arjun felt bad for them.
Almost.
Very almost.
Beside him, Aadhira laughed so hard tears formed in her eyes.
The sight immediately distracted him.
For a moment, the noise around them faded.
The teasing.
The laughter.
The chaos.
Everything.
All he noticed was her.
Happy.
Relaxed.
Smiling.
When she finally looked at him, she found him already watching her.
Her smile softened.
His did too.
And for a brief second-
The rest of the world disappeared.
Unfortunately...
Rohan existed.
"STOP STARING AT EACH OTHER!"
The entire group burst out laughing.
Aadhira immediately looked away.
Arjun groaned.
Kabir pointed dramatically.
"See?"
"They're doing it again."
"We've created monsters," Siddharth declared.
"No," Dev corrected calmly.
"They were always like this."
The laughter echoed through the hotel lobby.
And for the first time in a very long time-
Aadhira found herself surrounded by happiness.
Not fear.
Not accusations.
Not loneliness.
Just warmth.
Family.
Friends.
And the people who had somehow become her home.
The night was far from over.
And judging by the look in everyone's eyes...
The teasing had only just begun.
To be continued...