chapter 9-10
Chapter 9 — A Place He Didn’t Recognize
It happened again.
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And again.
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Small things.
Insignificant things.
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But they began to add up.
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Kavya stopped sitting at the dining table.
She ate earlier.
Alone.
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She stopped leaving the lights on.
Stopped keeping space open.
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Stopped… adjusting.
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Aarav didn’t question it.
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But he noticed.
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More than he should have.
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One night—
he entered the living room and paused.
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Kavya was laughing.
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Softly.
Genuinely.
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Not for him.
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She sat curled slightly into the couch, phone in hand.
Talking to someone.
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“I’ll call you tomorrow,” she said, her voice lighter than he’d ever heard it.
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Then she ended the call.
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Only then did she notice him.
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Her expression didn’t change.
Didn’t falter.
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“You’re back.”
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Aarav looked at her.
Something unreadable in his eyes.
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“Who was that?”
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Kavya blinked once.
Then answered simply—
“A friend.”
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A pause.
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That should have been enough.
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But for some reason—
it wasn’t.
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Aarav didn’t ask more.
Didn’t press.
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But as he walked past her—
his steps felt slower.
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And something in his chest…
felt unfamiliar.
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Chapter 10 — The First Crack
The Malhotra gathering came again.
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This time—
Aarav attended.
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Unannounced.
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Kavya noticed the moment he walked in.
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Not because she was looking for him.
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But because the room shifted slightly.
The way it always did when he entered.
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Their eyes met.
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For a second.
Two.
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Then Kavya looked away.
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No smile.
No acknowledgment beyond that.
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Just distance.
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Aarav’s gaze lingered.
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That… wasn’t normal.
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People approached him.
Conversations started.
Laughter filled the space.
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But his attention—
kept drifting.
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Back to her.
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Kavya stood across the room.
Speaking politely.
Responding when needed.
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But she didn’t look at him again.
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Not once.
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Dinner was worse.
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Because this time—
he was sitting beside her.
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And the distance felt louder than ever.
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“You’ve been coming alone lately.”
Someone commented casually.
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Aarav’s hand stilled.
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Before he could respond—
Kavya spoke.
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“He’s busy.”
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The same words.
The same tone.
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But something about them—
felt different now.
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Detached.
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Like she didn’t mean them anymore.
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Aarav turned his head slightly.
Looking at her.
Really looking.
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And for the first time—
he noticed it clearly.
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She wasn’t waiting for him.
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Not even a little.
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Something tightened in his chest.
Sharp.
Unfamiliar.
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Unwelcome.
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That night—
when they returned home—
Aarav didn’t go to his room immediately.
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Instead—
he stopped.
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“Kavya.”
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She paused.
Turned.
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“Yes?”
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Aarav looked at her.
For a moment—
like he was about to say something important.
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But then—
nothing came.
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“…Nothing.”
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Kavya held his gaze for a second longer.
Then nodded.
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“Good night.”
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And walked away.
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Leaving him standing there—
with something he couldn’t name.
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And couldn’t ignore anymore.
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End of Chapter 10