Chapter 3: The Secret and the Samosa War
The silence at the table was so thick you could cut it with a butter knife. Ishaan leaned in, his expression dead serious, his dark eyes flickering between Meera's wide ones and Ananya's guarded gaze.
"The truth is," Ishaan started, his voice a low rumble. "I... I never actually lost your limited edition Harry Potter book, Meera. I've had it in my medical locker for five years because I used it as a lucky charm."
Meera stared at him. Then she blinked. Once. Twice.
"You... you what?" she shrieked, her voice jumping an octave. "I cried for three days! I thought the monsoon rain ruined it! You let me believe a stray dog chewed it up, Ishaan Malhotra!"
Ishaan let out a bark of laughter, the tension breaking instantly. "You were so cute when you were angry, Meeru. Your nose gets all red like a tomato. I couldn't help it."
"Don't 'Meeru' me! And don't call my nose a vegetable!" Meera swiped at him, but he dodged her with the practiced ease of an athlete.
Ananya let out a breath she'd been holding, a small, genuine smile tugging at her lips. "Some things really don't change. You two still fight like you're in third grade."
The Nok-Jhok (Bickering) Continues
"It's the principle, Ananya!" Meera huffed, crossing her arms. "He's a doctor now. He's supposed to be ethical. Stealing books is a HIPAA violation or something."
"That's not even remotely how HIPAA works," Ishaan chuckled, sliding a plate of hot samosas toward the center of the table. "Here. Eat. You're cranky when you're hungry. It's a medical fact."
Meera eyed the samosa. It smelled like heaven—crispy, spicy, and golden. She reached for the biggest one at the exact same time Ishaan did.
Their fingers brushed.
It was just a second—a fraction of a moment—but a jolt of electricity shot up Meera's arm, making her breath hitch. She looked up and found Ishaan staring at her, his smirk fading into something unreadable. Something... intense.
"I saw it first," she whispered, her heart doing a frantic bhangra against her ribs.
"I paid for it," he countered, though he didn't pull his hand away. His thumb grazed the back of her knuckles. "But since you're a struggling architect with a 'vintage' fashion sense... I guess I can donate it to charity."
"Charity?! Oh, you are so dead!" Meera finally snatched the samosa, nearly knocking over her chai.
A Shared Secret
As Ishaan got up to take a call from the hospital, the playful atmosphere shifted. Ananya leaned across the table, her eyes searching Meera's.
"You didn't tell him," Ananya whispered, referring to her unemployment. "Why?"
Meera looked at the door where Ishaan was standing, his back to them, looking professional and put-together in his scrubs. "Because if I tell him, he'll try to fix it. And right now, I think you just need a friend, not a doctor."
Ananya's eyes welled up, but she blinked the tears away quickly. "He's always liked you best, you know. Even when we were kids."
Meera choked on a piece of crust. "Please. He likes annoying me best. There's a difference."
"Is there?" Ananya asked softly.
The Unexpected Twist
Ishaan returned, his face pale. He checked his watch and then looked at both of them.
"Change of plans, girls. My mom just called. She's organized a 'Welcome Home' dinner tonight at our place. And by 'dinner,' she means she's invited half the neighborhood, including both of your parents."
Meera groaned. "A community interrogation? Great."
"It gets worse," Ishaan said, rubbing the back of his neck. He looked at Ananya with a winced expression. "Ananya, my mom told everyone you're here to scout locations for a new tech hub. She's already bragging about her 'CEO niece'."
Ananya's face went white. The lie was spiraling out of control.
"Meera," Ishaan said, turning to her, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Help her tonight? Don't let the aunties corner her. I'll owe you one."
"You already owe me a book and ten years of my life, Malhotra," Meera snapped, but she felt her stomach flip when he winked at her.
"One more secret won't hurt us, right?" Ishaan whispered, leaning closer than necessary. "After all, we've always been best at keeping things from our parents."
[ Author's Note: AHHH! The tension! 🌶️ Will Meera be able to protect Ananya's secret? And did you see that spark over the samosas? TeamIshaan or TeamNoOne? ]