The Price of Protection

Chapter 7: The Smile of Recognition

Siddhi wasted no time. She looked at Karan, who simply nodded his head to the head servant,granting Siddhi access to the preparation area.

"Where is the kitchen?" Siddhi asked the head servant.

Siddhi proceeded to the vast, professional kitchen. She quickly prepared a simple, highly nutritious vegetable soup—herbal and easily digestible—perfect for someone who had been starving themselves.

Taking the tray, Siddhi walked with purposeful steps towards Karan's master bedroom, where Anjali was confined.

👀 The Subtle Hint

Siddhi entered the lavish room. Her heart ached when she saw Anjali. Her friend was huddled in a corner of the enormous bed, weak, pale, and looking utterly defeated.

Siddhi approached cautiously. "I am not hungry. Go away!" Anjali snapped, her voice rough and brittle with anger.

"My grandmother always said to never be angry at food," Siddhi replied gently, using a phrase only Anjali would recognize from their shared childhood in Baruipur.

Anjali froze. She looked up sharply at the unknown girl with the glasses and mask. She stared intently at the girl's exposed eyes. The girl smiled—a familiar, soft curve that reached her eyes.

Anjali's heart leaped. Those eyes. It was Siddhi.

Joy flooded her face, and she started to move toward her friend, but Siddhi subtly shook her head—a tiny, imperceptible movement—to signal caution. There are likely cameras. Anjali stopped, confusion replacing joy.

"Madam, you need to eat something," Siddhi urged, keeping her voice strictly formal.

Anjali realized the danger and understood the hint. Siddhi was undercover. She must maintain the charade. Siddhi came close to the bed and, with careful, professional movements, began to feed Anjali the vegetable soup.

Karan, who had entered the room a few minutes earlier to observe the new caretaker, watched in confusion. He had expected resistance, not this strange, silent compliance. But Anjali was eating, and that was all that mattered.

🏡 Rules of the Villa

Siddhi left Karan's room with the empty bowl and tray. The head servant immediately approached her and began reciting the voluminous rules and regulations of the Kapoor household, detailing everything from meal timings to expected conduct.

Siddhi listened attentively. She learned that as the caretaker for Anjali and Aryan, her room was assigned to the second floor, while Anjali and Aryan's rooms were on the third floor.

After absorbing the instructions, Siddhi took charge of the dinner preparations, coordinating with the other staff to ensure the dining table was flawlessly set for the Kapoor family.

🤗 Reunion

Siddhi then went to Anjali's room to call her down for dinner. Anjali, still sitting on the sofa, shook her head stubbornly, unwilling to face the dinner table below.

Siddhi approached her, leaning in close to whisper. "You need to eat, and you need to show strength. I told you I would always be with you. Come on."

Anjali was sad, but the presence of Siddhi filled her with a fragile happiness.

Next, Siddhi suggested they go to Aryan's bedroom to bring him down. "We need to talk to him," Siddhi urged.

Anjali hesitated. "I—I can't," she whispered, still angry and hurt by Aryan's betrayal in court.

Siddhi nodded in understanding that Anjali needed time to forgive her son.

Siddhi went to Aryan's room and brought the boy out. Aryan was thrilled to see his mother, rushing towards her.

"Mom!" he shouted, throwing his arms around her leg.

Anjali froze beside Siddhi, emotions warring inside her. Siddhi placed a warm, encouraging hand on Anjali's shoulder and nodded gently. Go ahead. Talk to him.

Anjali finally bent down and hugged her child tightly, the intense love overcoming her anger. He was her life.

Siddhi then stepped forward. "Aryan, I am your new caretaker," she said in her new persona. Anjali quickly added, "Aryan, you call her Siddhi Aunty from now on."

The small family unit—Anjali, Aryan, and their disguised protector, Siddhi—walked down to the dining hall.

👁️ The Observer

Karan and his brother, Veer, were already seated at the grand dining table. Karan looked genuinely pleased to see Anjali entering the hall, a visible victory for him.

Siddhi served the food. Anjali felt a fresh pang of humiliation, watching her best friend serve her as a maid, but she forced herself to endure.

Veer, however, was intrigued. His eyes tracked the masked caretaker.

"Who is this one, Karan?" Veer asked, intrigued by the newcomer.

"She's the new caretaker for Anjali and Aryan," Karan explained dismissively.

Veer kept watching Siddhi. He noticed how she looked at Anjali, a subtle, caring smile visible only through her eyes. Veer, known for his obsessive nature, found himself strangely drawn to the woman's beautiful, expressive eyes, which were the only part of her face he could see. He felt a different, powerful kind of attraction beginning to take hold.