**Important announcement at the end of the chapter.**

Her

"Bhaiya," I said softly, trying to keep my voice steady. "Can we talk?"

He nodded, gesturing for me to sit down on the couch. I perched on the edge, feeling like a child about to be scolded. Bhaiya took a deep breath, his eyes softening just a fraction as he looked at me.

"Tara, I need to know what's going on with you and Dante," he began, his tone a mix of frustration and concern. "Why didn't you tell me about your relationship?"

I tried to explain, but the words felt jumbled in my mouth. "We've been seeing each other for a few months. I didn't tell you because... well, I didn't want to make things complicated. I thought it was best to keep it private until we were sure."

Bhaiya's gaze was intense, his frustration clear. "It's not just about keeping it private. I'm worried about you. Dante's involved in something you won't fully understand, and I need to make sure you're safe."

I felt a pang of hurt and confusion. "What do you mean? What's Dante involved in? I don't know what's going on, bhaiya. He's just been there for me."

His eyes were filled with a mix of anger and sadness. "I can't explain everything right now, Tara. Just know that Dante's involvement in certain things could put you at risk. I'm trying to protect you, and that's why I need you to stay away from him for now."

The words hit me like a ton of bricks. "But-"

"No, Tara," he interrupted, his voice firm but softer now. "I don't want to argue. I need you to listen to me. Stay away from Dante. I'll explain things when the time is right. For now, I need you to focus on yourself."

I wanted to argue, to tell him that I loved Dante and that he had been nothing but good to me. But I could see the resolve in his eyes and knew that pushing back now would only make things worse. I swallowed hard, trying to hold back tears.

"Alright, bhaiya," I said quietly, standing up from the couch. "I'll stay away. But please, promise me that you'll tell me what's going on soon."

Bhaiya nodded, his expression softening just a little. "I promise. Just give me some time."

With a heavy heart, I turned and walked away from him, feeling more alone than I ever had before. I didn't know what the future held, but for now, I had to respect Bhaiya's wishes.

I stepped out into the night, the chill in the air doing nothing to numb the ache in my chest. I needed answers, but all I had was uncertainty and a longing for things to go back to how they were.

Writer's perspective

The shift between Dante and Tara was impossible to ignore.

Tara had always been a bright presence, her laughter echoing through hallways and her conversations full of warmth and creativity. She breathed life into everything she touched, and her designs reflected that-vibrant, expressive, full of energy. But now, she was a shadow of herself. Her movements were careful, almost cautious, as though the air around her had grown heavy.

Supervising the design implementation had once been her favorite part of the job. She loved seeing her visions take shape in real life, each decision adding another layer of color and meaning to a space. Now, she stood at the construction site, eyes glued to the blueprint in her hand, her smile a distant memory. The playful exchanges with her team had become robotic instructions. She wasn't herself, and everyone around her knew it.

Dante was no different. He had once been the gruff man who couldn't resist softening around Tara. His tough exterior had cracked under her sunny demeanor, and their relationship had brought out a version of him that was vulnerable and real. But now, that man was gone, replaced by the cold, distant Dante everyone had known before Tara.

He went through the motions of work, each meeting punctuated by curt responses and clipped tones. No longer did he linger in the office, catching glimpses of her or teasing her with his dry humor. His eyes no longer followed her as they had before, though his mind screamed at him to look, to reach out. He had retreated so far into himself that even his closest friends didn't know how to pull him out.

When Tara did look at him-brief, stolen glances across the office-she felt a stab of pain in her chest. The memory of what they'd shared, the warmth they'd once had, seemed like a distant dream. She missed him. Missed his smile, his gentle teasing, the way he'd pull her into his arms when no one was watching. But now, they were both too afraid, too cautious, and too weighed down by guilt and duty to break the silence.

For Dante, it was worse. He could feel her slipping away, and he hated it. Every time he passed her in the hall and didn't stop to talk, a piece of him broke. He saw the light that had once radiated from her eyes had dulled, replaced by a quiet sadness that mirrored his own. He wanted to hold her, to tell her everything would be okay, but how could he when he couldn't even convince himself of that?

Days passed like this-empty, strained, filled with nothing but longing and missed opportunities. Both were caught in a web of unspoken words and unresolved emotions, tangled in a situation that neither knew how to escape.

Arjun had noticed it all, and the more he watched them, the more the guilt gnawed at him. He hadn't meant for this. He'd wanted to protect his sister, but instead, he'd pushed both her and Dante into a cold war of silence. Arjun felt responsible, knowing his reaction had fractured something delicate between the two of them.

And yet, he couldn't shake the feeling that something else was going on, something deeper. There was a shadow behind Dante's eyes that unsettled him. Dante had always been guarded, but now, he seemed almost haunted. Arjun couldn't put his finger on it, but it was clear that this was about more than just his disapproval of their relationship.

Finally, after days of observing the silent breakdown between Dante and Tara, Arjun couldn't take it anymore. He saw the way his sister's shoulders slumped as she walked past Dante without so much as a glance, how Dante's jaw clenched every time Tara was in the room.

Enough was enough.

That afternoon, after work, Arjun approached both of them separately, his expression serious, leaving no room for argument.

"Tara," he said softly, finding her in the design wing of the office. "I need to talk to you later."

She looked up, startled by his sudden appearance. Her brow furrowed, but she nodded, knowing this conversation was long overdue.

A few minutes later, he found Dante, who had just finished a meeting and was walking down the hall, his hands shoved into his pockets.

"Dante," Arjun called out, his voice firmer this time. "We need to talk."

Dante paused, meeting Arjun's gaze with a mix of apprehension and resignation. He nodded slowly.

Arjun's eyes darted between the two of them, who were now in the same space but still miles apart emotionally.

"We're going to have a conversation-tonight. Both of you."

**************

Okay so hear me out.

Bridging Hearts and Breaking News will go on as per schedule, no worries on that.

For those of you following my account for like a good few months now (thank you if you are doing that, I appreciate that a lot), then you might know that I have asked about what my next story about and after some comments, I have decided that the next story will be thrilling and crime related and steamy like majority of the comments wanted.

So here's the thing. I have the plot ready and I want to start writing it, but we have a problem.
So I don't know how many of you know this but I am in 12th grade or last grade of school and another story will mean I will suffer from 'a-lot-on-my-plate'-ism. Don't get me wrong, I really really love writing, I found solace in it. I may not be good at it, but it's one of the very few things that make me happy.

So what I wanted to say is that I may be a little irregular with my posts like maybe Bridging Hearts will be posted once a week, because after this year ends, things get nuts for those who know. You know the final board exams and college entrance tests getting close, it will be all chaos in life.

I hope all of you following my story get that.

So with that being said, let's give you a little teaser for what's next after Bridging Hearts.

Again, if you guys have been following me for a while and have read all the random questions (Again, love you guys❤️) I ask, you might get an idea of what kind of plot we are talking about here.

So first of all, I am happy to announce that we'll be getting a.....(Drumroll) A series.

Yes, a series, a duology of stories.

If you think Dante is mysterious....you know what, I won't even say anything after that, you guys have to read that and find out on your own.

And just remember that - in the heat of buried secrets and untamed hearts, flames ignite-and when the fire settles, only ashes remain to tell the story.

Well, let's keep it at that. That's all I have to say.

Thank you for hearing me out. And I hope you have a supercalifragilisticexpialidocous day.

-Peace ✌🏻