Chapter 67

Their bodies remained close, their foreheads pressed against each other, as Shanaya brought the phone to her ear. Her voice trembled as she spoke, "Hello?"

Kabir's voice, filled with concern, emanated from the other end of the line. "Shanaya, where are you? I've been looking for you everywhere. Is everything alright?"

Shanaya struggled to find her voice, suddenly realizing what she’d done. Kabir and Noor had come to the party with her and she had abandoned them. She glanced at Dhruv, who stood beside her, his eyes filled with a mixture of worry and understanding. The weight of her choices and the consequences they carried pressed upon her, causing her to falter.

"Kabir, I... I needed some time alone," she finally managed to say, her words laced with unease. "I'm sorry for leaving without telling you. I just needed to clear my head."

There was a brief silence on the other end of the line, and Shanaya could almost hear the wheels turning in Kabir's mind. When he spoke again, his voic