CHAPTER 30
ANIKA
"Thank God! I thought something happened to you. I've been knocking for five minutes! Looks like you slept real good now that Aarav wasn’t here," she teases, winking dramatically.
My eyes widen, heat crawling up my neck. I swat her arm. "You’re mad," I mutter, shaking my head as she laughs.
"Anyway, your husband called me last night," she says, making my eyebrows knit together. "He said you sounded a little off, so he ordered me to take you out today."
My heart flutters. Of course he didn't believe me when I said I was fine. Why does he have to be so thoughtful? It's honestly unfair how easy he makes it for me to fall even harder for him. I let out a small sigh, trying not to smile like an idiot.
Aditi loops her arm through mine. "So, I was thinking we could watch a movie. Or honestly, anything you want. I’m up for anything."
I force a small smile. "You don’t have to worry, Aditi. I’m fine, really. I don’t—"
She cuts me off immediately. "Nope. Even if you’re fine, I still want to have a girls' day. Plus, Aarav promised to buy me fifty books. Fifty! You think I’m going to cheat my own brother?" she adds with an evil chuckle.
I can't help but laugh at her antics. God, even with everything going on, she somehow makes me feel lighter.
Like maybe things aren't so bad after all.
Overwhelmed, I pull her into a hug. She stiffens at first—probably shocked—but then hugs me back just as tightly.
"You get ready. I’ll wait for you in the car," she says as we pull away. Her smile is infectious.
"Did you ask Bhabhi?" She would love going out.
Aditi rolls her eyes. "Oh please, I will never go into her room again," she smirks.
"I walked into Bhai kissing Bhabhi, and you won't believe it," she laughs out loud.
"Bhabhi pushed Bhai so hard, he fell on his ass.
" My eyes widen, and I try to imagine the scene.
Bhabhi probably won't be comfortable facing Aditi today considering this woman is too mischievous and won't stop teasing her. I giggle.
"Okay, I’ll be real quick," I promise. She nods and disappears down the hallway.
I rush to the bathroom and take the quickest shower of my life. Standing in front of my wardrobe, I pick out a pink shirt and pair it with off-white pants. After accessorizing a little and leaving my hair open, I check my phone instinctively—half-expecting a message from that stalker.
Nothing.
Relief washes over me, but I know better than to believe it’s over.
No way they’re backing off this easily. I have to stay alert.
And more importantly, I have to find a permanent solution.
I can’t live my life looking over my shoulder like some scaredy-cat.
And there's no chance in hell I'm leaving Aarav because of this. Six months. I’m staying with him for six months... and then we’ll figure things out.
I give myself a small nod in the mirror, grab my purse, and walk to Maa's room. The door’s open, so I knock lightly and step inside.
"Maa, I'm going out with Aditi," I tell her.
She gives me a warm smile and nods. "I know, beta. Aditi told me. You two have fun, okay?"
"Will do," I say, smiling back at her before hurrying outside.
Aditi’s already in the car, waving at me like an excited kid. I jog toward the passenger side, hop in, and fasten my seatbelt. She grins at me as she starts the engine.
"Where to, Mrs. Malhotra?" she asks with a playful mock salute.
I laugh softly. "Let’s stick to your plan. Movie it is."
She hums, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel. "Well, the next show’s in two hours. What do we do till then?"
She drums her fingers a little more before a mischievous grin spreads across her face.
"Let’s go café hopping till then! Come on, it’ll be fun," she says, practically bouncing in her seat.
I chuckle and nod. Her excitement is contagious.
She cranks up the music—Taylor Swift blaring through the speakers—and we both lip-sync dramatically, laughing like maniacs, like suddenly we are teenagers.
Honestly, Aarav really does know what’ll lift my mood. I make a mental note to thank him later.
Our first stop is this tiny, hidden café tucked away in a quieter part of Jaipur. The smell of freshly brewed coffee and baked goods hits us the second we step inside. It's cozy, with fairy lights strung across the ceiling and soft music playing in the background.
Aditi marches straight to the counter like a woman on a mission.
"I'll have a caramel macchiato and a slice of that chocolate cake," she places her order, grinning widely. Then she turns to me. "What about you, Anika?"
I scan the menu quickly. "Latte and a blueberry muffin, please," I reply, and we are told to wait for fifteen minutes before our order arrives.
We found a corner table by the window. Aditi immediately launches into a full-blown monologue about her college life and all the crazy plans she’s making for the weekend.
I just sit back, listening, letting her words and the cozy café atmosphere soothe my nerves a little.
But it's brief, because the thoughts of my stalker still linger in the back of my mind.
"So," Aditi says after a while, leaning forward, her voice dropping slightly. "What's really going on with you? You know you can tell me anything, right?"
I hesitate. The urge to just spill everything bubbles inside me, but the thought of dragging her into this mess holds me back. I plaster a smile on my face. "It’s nothing. Really. Just feeling a little overwhelmed lately."
Aditi narrows her eyes at me suspiciously. "Anika, I might not know you as well as Aarav does, but even I can tell when you’re lying."
Before I can come up with a weak excuse, our drinks and pastries arrive, saving me for the moment.
I take a long sip of my latte, the warmth spreading through my chest, trying to push down the anxiety that's been my constant companion lately. Maybe... maybe for today, I can just pretend everything’s fine. Just for a few hours.
“Anika, hurry up,” Aditi calls, pulling me out of my thoughts, and continues taking huge bites of her chocolate cake.
We quickly finish up, pay the bill, and step out into the bright afternoon. Aditi and I are laughing about something stupid she said as we stroll down the sidewalk toward where her car’s parked.
A bloodcurdling scream tears out of my throat, raw and unrecognizable.
Aditi gasps, horror twisting her face as she grabs me, yanking me back. My vision reels, my knees buckling beneath me. Everything warps—light, sound, and time.
"Anika! Anika!" I hear her voice, desperate and cracking, but it sounds distant, like I’m hearing it through thick glass. "Oh my god! Somebody help! Please!"
The world spins around me—the pavement lurching, voices rising, my own breath coming in shallow, ragged bursts. The pain is everywhere, hot and alive, crawling across my skin like fire.
And all I can think, as darkness edges my vision, is—Not now. Not when everything was finally starting to feel okay.