As the Malhotras prepared to leave, Siya bid farewell to Arav and Darsh, who had just climbed into their car. She then turned her gaze toward Akash, who was standing a little away, engaged in a conversation with Reyansh. For a brief moment, Akash's eyes flickered toward her, but he immediately looked away, a mix of awkwardness and shame evident in his demeanor. Siya, noticing his unease, offered him a small, forgiving smile. Her gesture caught him off guard, but he managed to smile back, albeit hesitantly. Without lingering, Siya turned and started walking toward her car, her eyes instinctively searching for someone else—Shashwat.

Her focus on finding him made her less aware of her surroundings, and before she realized it, she collided with someone. The impact was gentle yet enough to catch her off guard. She stumbled slightly, and the person she had bumped into turned around, his phone in hand. It was Shashwat.