To be Continued..

Samaira placed her spoon on the table and looked at the two men sitting across from her.

"India?" she asked calmly.

Abhishek and Aryan exchanged uneasy glances.

"Yes," Aryan replied. "We were planning to tell you earlier."

Silence settled over the dining room.

Leaning back in her chair, Samaira raised an eyebrow.

"Then why are both of you looking at me as if you've committed a crime?"

Neither of them laughed.

That immediately caught her attention.

"What happened?"

"Nothing," Abhishek said with a sigh.

Samaira narrowed her eyes.

She knew her brother well enough to recognize when he was hiding something.

"What aren't you telling me?"

Aryan quickly changed the subject.

"Anyway, we're leaving next week."

Samaira studied them for a moment before shrugging.

"Fine."

"Fine?" Abhishek repeated in disbelief.

"Yes. Fine."

She pushed her chair back and stood up.

"If you're done being dramatic, I'm going to bed. I have work tomorrow."

Without waiting for a reply, she walked upstairs.

The moment she disappeared, Aryan let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

"That went better than expected."

Abhishek wasn't so sure.

Neither of them knew what would happen once Samaira set foot in India again.

The next morning

The sound of her phone ringing pulled Samaira out of sleep.

Without even opening her eyes, she reached for the phone and answered the call.

"Good morning, Princess."

A sleepy smile appeared on her face the moment she heard the familiar voice.

"Good morning, Bhai." It's Yug.

"Aren't you supposed to be getting ready for work?"

Samaira groaned and buried her face in the pillow.

"No. My alarm didn't ring."

Yug laughed softly.

"Then get up before you're late."

"Yes, Bhai."

She sat up on the bed and rubbed her eyes.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something." She got serious.

The smile on Yug's face faded.

"What is it?"

Samaira hesitated for a second before speaking.

"Bhai, I want to come to India with Abhishek and Aryan."

Silence.

A long silence.

"What?"

"Yes, Bhai. It's been years since I've seen you and Dad."

"We can come to Australia."

"No."

Her voice was firm.

"I want to come to India."

Yug closed his eyes.

For years, he had known this day would come.

He just wasn't ready for it.

"Princess..."

"I don't know why you always stop me whenever I talk about India."

Yug remained silent.

How could he explain fears she wouldn't understand?

"It's not that..."

"Then what is it?"

For a moment, he had no answer.

"I don't think it's a good idea."

"Why?"

Again, silence.

Samaira's patience finally snapped.

"No excuses this time, Bhai."

Her voice softened slightly.

"I miss you."

Yug's grip tightened around his phone.

"I miss you too, Princess."

"Then let me come."

Yug opened his mouth to speak, but she continued.

"And if you say no, I'm not talking to you. I won't answer your calls, and I won't answer Dad's calls either."

"Princess, listen to me—"

But before he could finish, the line went dead.

Samaira had already hung up.

For several seconds, Yug stared at the phone in his hand.

A strange uneasiness settled deep in his chest.

For years, he had protected her.

Yug wasn't sure he could stop her.

---

In India

"What happened, bro?"

Shaurya dropped onto the bench beside Yug after finishing his run.

"You look tense."

Yug ran a hand through his hair.

"Princess wants to come back to India."

Shaurya frowned.

"So let her come."

Yug looked away.

"If only it were that simple."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't want her to come back."

Shaurya stared at him.

"And why exactly are you stopping her?"

For a moment, Yug remained silent.

"If she comes back, it won't be good for her."

Shaurya rolled his eyes.

"I think you're overthinking and being overprotective."

A small smile appeared on Yug's face.

"Maybe."

"No 'maybe' about it."

Shaurya stood up and stretched.

"You're definitely overprotective."

Yug chuckled.

"I'll protect her as long as I can."

His smile slowly faded.

"I just don't want anyone to hurt her."

Shaurya shook his head.

"You're impossible."

Then he checked the time on his watch.

"Anyway, you sit here and continue overthinking."

He picked up his water bottle.

"I have a meeting with SR's assistant."

"Okay."

Yug nodded.

"Good luck."

Shaurya waved before walking away.

Yug watched him leave.

Once Shaurya disappeared from sight, he pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

The call was answered almost immediately.

"I want to meet you."

There was a brief pause.

"Okay. I'll be at my office in ten minutes."

"I'll be there."

The call ended.

Yug stood up and headed toward his car.

Doctor Arnav's Office

Ten minutes later, Yug arrived at Doctor Arnav's office.

After knocking on the door, he stepped inside.

"Hello, Doctor."

Arnav looked up from the file he was reading and smiled.

"Yug. It's been a while."

Yug took a seat across from him.

"I need to talk to you about something."

Arnav immediately noticed the seriousness in his expression.

"What happened?"

Yug hesitated before answering.

"Samaira wants to come back to India."

For a moment, Arnav remained silent.

Then he leaned back in his chair.

"And?"

Yug frowned.

"And?"

"That's your reaction?"

Arnav smiled slightly.

"What reaction were you expecting?"

Yug ran a hand through his hair.

"You know why I'm worried."

The smile slowly disappeared from Arnav's face.

For a few seconds, neither of them spoke.

Finally, Arnav broke the silence.

"Yug, it's been years."

"I know."

"She's not the same person she was back then."

Yug lowered his gaze.

That wasn't what worried him.

"What if something changes?"

Arnav studied him carefully.

"You're thinking too much."

"Maybe."

A tired smile appeared on Yug's face.

"Maybe not."

Arnav sighed.

"I can't predict the future."

"Then tell me honestly."

Yug looked directly at him.

"Should I stop her from coming?"

The doctor was silent for a moment.

Then he shook his head.

"No."

Yug looked surprised.

Arnav continued,

"She's doing well."

"She's healthy."

"She's happy."

"And that's what matters."

Yug remained quiet.

He wanted certainty.

But certainty wasn't something anyone could give him.

After talking for a few more minutes, he finally stood up.

"Thank you, Doctor."

Arnav nodded.

"Try not to worry so much."

Yug gave a small smile.

Easier said than done.

With that, he left the office.

As the door closed behind him, Arnav looked out the window.

A thoughtful expression crossed his face.

Sometimes life had its own plans.

And no one could stop them.

____

In Australia

Meanwhile, completely unaware of the worry she had caused on the other side of the world, Samaira was getting ready for work.

Dressed in a crisp business suit, she walked downstairs while checking a few emails on her phone.

"Good morning, Sam."

Ansh looked up from the breakfast table.

"Good morning."

She grabbed a slice of toast and sat down.

"You look busy already."

"I am."

Samaira sighed.

"The world refuses to stop creating problems."

Ansh laughed.

"That's because you're the one solving them."

Samaira pointed her fork at him.

"Don't start."

A few minutes later, both of them headed to Crown Group.

As soon as Samaira entered the building, employees greeted her respectfully.

"Good morning, Ma'am."

"Good morning, Ma'am."

She acknowledged them with a nod before entering her private elevator.

A few minutes later, she stepped into her office.

The floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the city skyline.

For a moment, she stood there quietly.

The conversation with Yug replayed in her mind.

Why was he always so reluctant whenever she mentioned visiting India?

The thought stayed with her for a moment before she pushed it aside.

Work came first.

Questions could wait.

A knock sounded on the door.

"Come in."

Ansh entered carrying a file.

"Sam, we have the meeting with Mr. Shaurya Rajvansh in fifteen minutes."

Samaira took the file from him.

"Everything prepared?"

"Already done."

She flipped through the proposal.

The preparation was impressive.

Whoever this Shaurya Rajvansh was, he clearly wasn't careless.

"Interesting."

Ansh smiled.

"That's the first positive thing you've said about a business proposal this week."

Samaira ignored him and continued reading.

A few moments later, she closed the file.

"Let's see if he's as impressive as his proposal."

Together, they headed toward the conference room.

The conference room was already prepared when Samaira entered.

As always, Ansh took the seat in front of the camera while Samaira sat slightly behind it, hidden from view.

The screen lit up a few moments later.

A man appeared on the display.

Tall, confident, and dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit.

His sharp eyes immediately reflected years of experience in the business world.

"Good afternoon."

He offered a polite smile.

"Shaurya Rajvansh."

"Good afternoon," Ansh replied.

"Ansh Sharma."

After a brief exchange of greetings, the meeting began.

Shaurya opened a presentation on the screen.

"Thank you for giving me this opportunity."

His voice was calm and professional.

"Everyone knows Crown Group dominates the international jewellery and fashion markets. However, India remains one of the few major markets where the company hasn't officially established itself."

Behind the camera, Samaira listened quietly.

"You have a strong global presence."

The next slide appeared.

"Rajvansh Industries has a strong understanding of the Indian market."

Another slide appeared.

"If both companies collaborate, Crown Group can enter India with significantly lower risk while Rajvansh Industries gains opportunities for international expansion."

Ansh nodded.

"A mutually beneficial partnership."

"Exactly."

Samaira glanced at the detailed reports attached to the proposal.

Everything was well researched.

Nothing had been left to chance.

This man clearly knew what he was doing.

"What would Rajvansh Industries gain from this partnership?" Ansh asked.

Shaurya answered immediately.

"Crown Group has built a powerful reputation overseas."

He folded his hands on the table.

"Working with you would help us strengthen our international presence and expand into new markets."

Behind the camera, Samaira nodded slightly.

The answer was direct.

Honest.

And realistic.

Before Ansh could respond, Shaurya suddenly smiled.

"SR is in this meeting, isn't he?"

For a brief moment, the room fell silent.

Ansh remained calm.

"What makes you think that?"

Shaurya leaned back in his chair.

"Because no assistant would discuss a project of this scale without consulting the person behind Crown Group."

A faint smile appeared on Samaira's lips.

Interesting.

The man was observant.

Very observant.

Then Shaurya chuckled.

"You know, there was a time when people thought I was SR."

Ansh raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?"

"Same initials. Same industry. Same dislike for publicity."

Even Samaira found that amusing.

"Some business magazines actually published articles about it."

"And what did you tell them?" Ansh asked.

Shaurya laughed.

"I told them if I were SR, I wouldn't be sitting here trying to schedule meetings with him."

Both men laughed. Even Samaira have small smile on her face.

"Fair point."

Shaurya shook his head.

"Still, whoever SR is..."

His expression became serious.

"...he's brilliant."

For some reason, those words caught Samaira's attention.

"I will discuss the proposal with SR and get back to you," Ansh replied.

"Fair enough."

The meeting ended shortly afterward.

The screen went black.

Samaira immediately looked at Ansh.

"How did he know I was here?"

Ansh shrugged.

"He guessed."

Samaira shook her head.

"He has good instincts."

"Oh, definitely."

Samaira narrowed her eyes.

That grin on Ansh's face never meant anything good.

"What?"

Ansh folded his arms.

"Nothing."

"Ansh."

His grin widened.

"I just find it funny."

"What do you find funny?"

"For the last ten minutes, Mr. Shaurya Rajvansh has been praising SR."

Samaira blinked.

"So?"

Ansh stared at her.

"So? Sam, SR is you."

"He doesn't know that."

"Exactly. He doesn't know that the great SR get impressed by his sweet talks."

Ansh pointed toward the now-dark screen.

"He spent half the meeting complimenting you without even knowing it."

Samaira rolled her eyes.

"He was complimenting a businessperson."

"He was complimenting you."

"Same thing."

Ansh groaned dramatically.

"One day, someone is going to flirt with you and you'll think they're discussing market trends."

A file immediately flew in his direction.

Ansh caught it with ease.

"See? Workplace violence."

"Get back to work."

Ansh laughed.

"Fine."

Then he became serious.

"So?"

Samaira glanced down at the proposal again.

"It's good."

Ansh's eyebrows shot up.

"That's it?"

"It's practical."

She closed the file.

"And practical ideas make money."

Ansh immediately understood.

A smile appeared on his face.

"We're approving it?"

"We are."

A few minutes later, Ansh contacted Rajvansh Industries.

"Mr. Rajvansh, SR has approved the proposal."

A smile appeared on Shaurya's face.

"That's good news."

"You'll need to come to Australia next week for the contract signing and legal formalities."

"I'll be there."

Before ending the call, Shaurya asked one final question.

"Will SR be present?"

Ansh smiled knowingly.

"If not SR, then who? SR is the CEO."

For the first time, genuine curiosity appeared in Shaurya's eyes.

"I'll see you next Thursday then."

The call ended.

Samaira stood up from her chair.

"Let's get the paperwork ready."

Ansh nodded.

As they walked out of the conference room, he couldn't resist one last comment.

"I still like him."

Samaira didn't even look at him.

"Then you marry him."

For a moment, Ansh froze.

For the first time that day samaira is not able to stop her smile

"Out"

"Leave"

Then she look back to the Shaurya's proposal this is first time that someone caught that SR is behind the camera.

And impressed her through the word.

Coz she never impressed by word she got impressed by work

To be Continued....