Chapter 4: The Last Supper

Five days until I go abroad.

By now, I can easily tell the Malhotra brothers apart.

Arjun is cold and brooding, rarely smiles, and is a workaholic.

Kabir likes to act spoiled, and has a mole on his collarbone—you can see it every time he takes off his shirt.

I don't know if Arjun has that mole too. He never touched me.

In the morning, when I went downstairs, Arjun was sitting there, wearing gold-rimmed glasses and reading The Times of India.

The clock struck seven. The maid’s footsteps echoed from the kitchen, and the smell of burnt toast hung in the air. Arjun looked up just long enough to nod at me, then went back to his paper, as if nothing in the world could disturb his routine.

"Ananya, dress nicely today. We have guests coming."

Reading the paper so early, wearing those glasses, and speaking in that cold tone—

It was definitely Arjun.

The WhatsApp group was buzzing with excitement.

[Hee hee, today she's finally going to meet Kabir face-to-face.]

[The side character has been toyed with by Kabir, he knows all her sensitive spots, but she still has to pretend she doesn't know him—must be suffocating.]

[People from the chawls will endure anything for money. Our little sister is better—the true female lead, never relying on anyone.]

[This meeting is just a setup for humiliating the side character publicly on her birthday. Can't wait.]

[The female lead is so cunning. I love her.]

Those words flickered on my phone screen as I picked out a blue chikankari kurti, smoothing it over my hips and fixing my kajal. No matter how much they tried to script my life, I'd always find a way to improvise.

I went upstairs to change.

At noon, Kabir arrived with Priya.

Looking at Kabir, who looked exactly like Arjun, I pretended to be stunned, showing just the right amount of surprise.

Arjun introduced, "This is my twin brother, just back from a business trip abroad."

Kabir reached out his hand. "Hello."

I shook his hand as well. "Hello."

His palm was warm, firm, and I could feel the weight of secrets pressing between us. I smiled, pretending all was well.

I smiled. "I didn't expect you two to look exactly alike."

Kabir's expression didn't change, his smile warm and harmless. "There are plenty of things you don't know."

Sometimes, I really admire Kabir. We've slept together countless times, but he can still pretend not to know me.

Priya laughed, "No need to introduce me—I was Ananya's college roommate."

Her laughter was a little too loud, her eyes glinting with triumph. She squeezed my arm, as if we were still best friends, as if she hadn't torn me apart piece by piece for her own amusement.

She took my arm. "I heard you're getting married soon. Arjun and I have already decided—I'll be your bridesmaid."

Before she finished speaking, the cook came to announce the meal was ready.

"Lunch is served, madam. Will you all come to the dining hall?" The smell of tadka dal and garlic prawns drifted through the air, blending with the hush that always fell before a performance.

At the dining table, Priya sat between Arjun and Kabir.

She rested her chin on her hand, smiling as she asked me, "Ananya, have you noticed any changes in Arjun lately?"

I knew she was doing it on purpose—just to see me embarrass myself.

So I played along.

I put down my spoon and nodded. "Hmm, he's really changed a lot this year."

At that moment, time seemed to freeze.

Everyone paused for a second.

Especially the Malhotra brothers—their expressions stiffened.

I suddenly smiled, cheeks flushing slightly. "He's gotten even better to me. I find myself liking him more and more."

Arjun glanced at Kabir, his face darkening.

During the meal, Kabir naturally placed a peeled prawn in my bowl and said affectionately, "Good girl, garlic prawns—no shell, your favourite."

The ceiling fan above the table clicked steadily, and Priya’s glass bangles jingled every time she reached for more rice. The next second, everyone at the table froze.

The tension was so thick, even the ceiling fan seemed to slow down. In that silence, I realized just how far I had come from the girl who once believed in fairy tales and happy endings. Now, all that was left was survival—and a quiet kind of defiance.

As Kabir’s fingers brushed mine, I looked up and met Priya’s eyes—she was already planning her next move, and I knew I had to be faster.