chapter 14

The morning sun streamed through Jasmine's window, but she felt far from rested. Her mind buzzed with everything she had uncovered so far, especially the mysterious connection between Vidisha and the man she had seen at the hotel. The accidental kiss with Abhiraj lingered in her thoughts, a constant reminder of the tension between them.

Determined to dig deeper, Jasmine made her way to Vidisha's room later that day. She knocked softly, but when there was no answer, she decided to take a chance. The door was slightly ajar, and her curiosity got the better of her. She stepped inside, scanning the room for any clues.

Jasmine's gaze fell on Vidisha's bed, where a pillow was slightly askew. Feeling a tug of instinct, she approached it. As she lifted the pillow, her heart raced when she noticed a file hidden underneath. What could Vidisha be hiding?

Just then, Jasmine heard footsteps approaching and her heart raced. She quickly grabbed the file and slid it under her shirt, trying to appear casual. To her horror, it was Vidisha herself who entered the room, her eyes widening as she caught Jasmine standing awkwardly near her bed.

"Jasmine! What are you doing?" Vidisha asked, her tone a mix of surprise and concern.

Jasmine fumbled, pulling the file out and showing it to Vidisha. "I was just, um, looking for something!" she stammered, trying to sound nonchalant. "What's this?"

Vidisha's eyes flicked to the file, panic flashing across her face. "Give that back! It's not what you think!"

But Jasmine had already opened the file. Inside, she found beautifully designed pages filled with decorative ideas for a proposal. Jasmine's heart sank. A proposal? She glanced at Vidisha, realization dawning.

"Wait, you're planning to confess your feelings to Siddharth?" Jasmine exclaimed, the excitement and shock mixing in her voice. "But I thought you were with someone else! I mean, I saw you with—"

"Jasmine, that's not what it looks like!" Vidisha interrupted, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

Jasmine's eyes widened in horror as the pieces clicked into place. Vidisha wasn't the evil fiancée she had assumed; she was actually planning something sweet. "I'm so sorry! I thought you were with some planner to set up something nefarious!"

"Why would you think that?" Vidisha groaned, burying her face in her hands. "You've got it all wrong!"

Feeling sheepish, Jasmine laughed nervously. "I totally misunderstood. I didn't mean to embarrass you!"

Vidisha looked up, a mixture of annoyance and amusement on her face. "Well, now you know. I really do want to confess my feelings to Siddharth, but I'm terrified!"

"I can help you plan!" Jasmine suggested, her enthusiasm returning. "Let's make this special."

Vidisha's expression softened. "Really? You'd do that for me?"

"Of course! Let's make it unforgettable." They exchanged smiles, their earlier tension dissipating as they brainstormed ideas together.

---

Later that evening, as Jasmine walked through the mansion, she spotted Naira standing with her arms crossed, glaring at her. Jasmine could feel the tension in the air; Naira's jealousy was palpable.

"What's your deal with Ranbir?" Naira sneered, her tone sharp. "You two are getting pretty close, aren't you?"

Jasmine raised an eyebrow. "We're just friends, Naira. No need to be jealous."

"Jealous? Please," Naira scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Just remember your place."

As Naira walked away, Jasmine shook her head, feeling frustrated by the unwarranted hostility. Her friendship with Ranbir was innocent, and she had no interest in creating conflict. But it seemed that Naira was intent on making it difficult.

That night, Jasmine sat in the kitchen, stuffing her mouth with spicy biryani. As the flavors exploded in her mouth, she thought about how little she had discovered about the evil fiancée. Unbeknownst to her, someone watched her from the doorway, a smirk playing on their lips as they took in her blissful, oblivious state.

Once she finished eating, Jasmine made her way to her room. To her surprise, she found a cake waiting for her on the table. Excitedly, she sat down and took a few spoonfuls. As she savored the sweetness, a thought crossed her mind: who had left this here? Never mind; she was too busy enjoying it to care.

In between bites, Jasmine couldn't help but do a little dance, lost in her own world. The door was slightly ajar, and the same observer who had watched her earlier chuckled at her silly behavior before quietly slipping away, leaving Jasmine unaware of her audience.

---

With the mysteries still swirling around her, Jasmine finished the last bite of cake, ready to face whatever secrets lay ahead, determined to unravel the truth behind the tangled web of relationships in her life.