Kartik sat up on the bed, rubbing his eyes. He reached out and grabbed his phone from the night stand where it had been charging. He pressed the number for Siddharth, his twin brother, and waited for him to pick up.

Siddharth picked up after the second ring, his voice booming through the speaker. "About time you called back, you jerk big brother of mine ! Where the hell have you been?"

Kartik stifled a groan, rolling his eyes to the ceiling.
"Don't start with me, Sid," he grumbled. "I'm in a delicate situation right now."

"A delicate situation?" Siddharth repeated, his voice dripping with skepticism. "What kind of delicate situation could you possibly have gotten yourself into now bhai?".

"I'll tell you, but you have to promise not to go all crazy on me," Kartik said,. "And don't tell Rudra anything, he'll just lose his mind."he said remembering Rudra's tantrums .

"Alright, alright," Siddharth relented. "I won't tell Rudra anything, but you better give me a good explanation for this 'delicate situation' you've gotten yourself into."

Kartik sighed, his mind racing. "Well, long story short, I got shot last night in an alleyway. I was in pretty bad shape, but this girl helped me. She was a doctor, so she patched me up, and now I'm resting at her place."

Siddharth was stunned into silence for a few beats. "Wait, wait, wait," he said, his voice growing louder. "You were shot? And a girl picked you up and took you to her house? Are you sure she's not a serial killer or worst our enemy or rivals ?"

Kartik rolled his eyes, scoffing at Siddharth's paranoia. "Trust me, Sid, she's not a serial killer or enemy . She's a legit doctor. She treated my wound, fed me, and even let me sleep in her bed."

"Oh Mahadev, you are not my bhai , my brother will never speak this good about a girl he just met ,"Siddharth stuffed a laugh

Kartik groaned while trying not to smile , realizing that his brother was finding this whole situation amusing. "I'm being serious here, smartass," he muttered.

"Sorry, sorry," Siddharth said, his laughter now under control. "It's just... this whole situation is a bit unbelievable, you know? You getting shot, a girl rescuing you, and letting you sleep in her bed. It sounds like a plot from a chick flick."

Kartik let out a sigh and leaned back against the headboard."Can you do me a favor?", he asked.

Siddharth, still amused, replied in a teasing tone: "Oh, now you want a favor after disappearing for an entire day and getting yourself shot?. Kidding just tell".

Kartik ignored his brother's playful tone . "Just shut up and hear me out," he said, his voice hoarse. "I need you to send a car to pick me up from this girl's place."

"Alright, alright," Siddharth relented, his tone serious now. "Where exactly is this girl's place? I need an address to send a car to."

"Just track the phone , for what reason you are a mafia yaar, " . Kartik said

"Oh right," Siddharth said with a chuckle. "Forgot I had the GPS on your phone. Okay, I'll track your location and send a car to pick you up. Just hang tight."

Kartik sighed in relief. "Thanks, Sid," he said gruffly. "Just get the car here as soon as possible. I'm tired of being in this girl's house."

Kartik smiled to himself , thinking about the smile of his brother. Siddharth, yes after getting into business & mafia stuff , that guy has lost his smile & cheerfulness, he only smiled or laughs rarely.

Kartik silently stepped out of the room, his movements were steady & perfect as he ignored the pain .He found Alia sleeping on the couch, her face relaxed in slumber. Without realizing what he was doing, Kartik found himself moving towards the couch and crouching beside it, his gaze fixed on her face.

He watched as her chest rose and fell with each breath, her eyelashes casting soft shadows on her cheeks. He couldn't help but admire her peaceful expression, feeling a strange sense of protectiveness towards her, he felt a weird kind of calmness which he never felt before .

Without realizing his action, he leaned down and gently pressed his lips against her forehead, the act filled with a mix of concern and tenderness. He felt his heart skip a beat as his lips lingered against her skin for a moment, feeling the softness of her skin and the warmth of her presence.

As he pulled back, he felt a strange sense of guilt and confusion. "Oh Mahadev.Why am I being so gentle and caring towards a stranger? "He thought to himself

Kartik pulled away and stood up straight, his mind in turmoil. He muttered softly to himself, "What is this girl doing to me? Why is she making me feel like this?"

He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts, but the image of her sleeping face lingered in his mind. He felt a strange fluttering in his chest, a feeling he had never experienced before.

He ran a hand through his hair, trying to make sense of the emotions swirling within him. "This is crazy," he muttered to himself. "I shouldn't be feeling this way about a stranger. But there's something about her...her touch, her words, her eyes..."

Just as Kartik was lost in his thoughts, the sound of a ringing phone broke through the silence, jolting him back to reality. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and saw that it was Siddharth on the line.

He quickly answered the call, trying to focus on the conversation and push the confusing thoughts about Alia to the back of his mind.

"What's the update on that car?" Kartik asked curtly, trying to sound as authoritative yet little softer as possible as he glanced at Alia briefly.

"It reached the location ". Said Siddharth

"Great," Kartik replied shortly. "I'll be waiting outside." He ended the call and slipped the phone back into his pocket.
He spared a final glance at Alia's sleeping figure on the couch, the warring emotions he had felt before flooding his mind once again. But he quickly shook it off, reminding himself that he had to focus on getting out of here. With a deep breath, he made his way to the door.

As he reached the door, he took one last look at Alia's sleeping form on the couch. He felt a tinge of guilt, knowing that he had to leave without saying goodbye, but pushed it aside. He opened the door, stepped out, and shut the door quietly behind him, leaving Alia behind in the quiet house.

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