Chapter 17 #2
The vibration in her pocket startled her out of it. She slipped her hand into the pocket of her jeans as she asked, ‘But this Fufa ji you speak of, is he that bad?’
Lavanya pressed her lips together and gave a small, resigned nod. ‘Ever since we announced our engagement, he has been calling Viru to give him lectures on how to train me to be a better wife.’
Kashvi felt a flicker of disgust at the casual entitlement. ‘No offence, but he sounds like a jerk.’
‘Damn right,’ Swayam said. He turned to Lavanya. ‘Is Tanisha Bua coming too?’
The hum of their conversation faded into a high-pitched ringing in her ears as a message from an unknown number popped up on her screen. She angled herself away, just enough so Swayam wouldn’t notice, before she tapped it open.
I love it when you play hard to get, but just how many times are you going to block me, babygirl?’
Kashvi gripped the phone tightly as a wave of anger rose, hot and defensive. Without replying, she locked her screen and turned back to Swayam, who was laughing at something Lavanya had said.
The phone vibrated again, and her stomach dropped. Dread clawed at her as she looked down to read it.
Do you realise you’re being extremely rude? Is it because of the guy you left your house with today?
Kashvi felt a chill run down her spine. A storm of questions crashed into her chest. She swallowed hard as her throat ran dry.
He knew where she lived? Had he been watching her? For how long? From where?
Her heart lurched, and a spike of anger sliced through the fear choking her as she quickly typed out a response.
Who the fuck are you, and what do you want from me?
The reply came almost instantly.
You can’t expect me to just tell you that, Kashvi. I have a much more romantic surprise planned, just for you.
Nausea churned through her, and this time she didn’t hesitate.
I don’t give a fuck what you have in mind. Leave me alone!
‘Kash?’
She whirled around to see Swayam watching her, his eyes tight with concern. ‘You okay?’
Kashvi forced a smile as she nodded. ‘Yeah, just someone at work being annoying.’
‘Need me to slay your monster, princess?’ Though he joked, the determination in his eyes showed he meant it.
In that moment, all she wanted to do was shove her phone at him and tell him everything. But she couldn’t, not until she knew who this was. ‘I’ll tell you when I need you.’
‘Good. Do you want to leave?’ he asked.
Kashvi shook her head, giving him a reassuring smile. ‘No, no. I’m excited to meet your maasi.’
‘I’m sure she’ll love you,’ he said, tapping her nose once.
She swallowed past the lump in her throat as she nodded. His eyes lingered on her for a moment, but then Lavanya called out his name, pulling his focus away.
The phone vibrated in her hand, and another message slid into view.
Tell me, babygirl, are you planning to fuck him tonight?
The crude, invasive words burned through her screen, scalding her. Her jaw clenched, and she gritted her teeth until it hurt. For a second, she saw red.
A part of her wanted to lash out, but it was clear that he was baiting her into a reaction. She refused to let him provoke her into a breakdown.
She took a deep breath and slowly typed out a reply.
I’ll answer that if you tell me who you are.
She was so tightly wound that she flinched when Lavanya’s phone rang with a shrill tone.
Lavanya nervously answered the call. ‘Haan, Mummyji? Yes, Swayam is here. Okay, we’ll be right down.’
She ended the call with a sharp tap of her thumb and opened the side drawer to retrieve a key. ‘C’mon, she’s waiting for us downstairs.’
Swayam raised a hand to stop her. ‘I’ve got it. The bride isn’t supposed to do all this.’
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and Kashvi noticed the faint tremble in her hand.
Lavanya chuckled, and there was a bitter note to it. ‘Don’t worry. I plan to carry the empty suitcase.’
‘Who brings an empty suitcase?’ Kashvi asked, confused.
‘Dhanush Fufaji. He expects to get loaded with gifts from my family because he’s the groom’s uncle. My mother sold one of her earrings to buy enough things to fill it.’
Swayam shook his head, disappointment evident on his face. ‘I’ll never understand how Maasi supports any of this.’
‘You know how it is for her. We all make exceptions for the people we love, even when we shouldn’t,’ Lavanya said, regret shining in her eyes. ‘Anyway, let’s go,’ she dragged out the word, urging him to move.
‘You go on. I’ll be right behind you,’ Swayam told her. Then he turned to Kashvi and asked, ‘You’ll be okay here for a few minutes?’
Kashvi nodded. ‘I’ll be fine.’
Swayam trailed the back of his fingers along her jaw as he warned, ‘Get ready for a lot of chaos.’
She let out a hesitant laugh. ‘Can’t wait.’
He leaned in just enough to press a soft kiss on her forehead. ‘I know I should behave, but I can’t help it.’
A loud, exaggerated cough rang out behind him, and he pulled back slightly to see Lavanya glaring at him. ‘Please, by all means, take your time. I’d love to tell Fufaji we got late because Swayam was busy flirting with his girl.’
Swayam smiled apologetically. ‘I have to spend the next couple of hours around him. Every dying man gets a last wish, and this is mine.’
Kashvi felt a flutter low in her belly, and she smacked his arm to make him stop.
Lavanya gave him a look that was equal parts impatient and amused. ‘Come with me, or I’ll drag you out myself.’
With a heart-stopping smile, Swayam promised to be back soon and walked out after Lavanya.
Her phone buzzed. The fragile calm she held onto shattered the moment Kashvi read the text.
I’ll tell you who I am if you promise to fuck me.
She gripped the phone tightly, wishing she could crush it. Kashvi quickly tapped the option to block the number as she considered switching off her phone again.
Swayam would be back any minute, and he’d notice she was spiralling. He always did.
A cold spike of dread hit her gut as her phone buzzed again. She swallowed hard when she saw the aggressive threat.
YOU BITCH! STOP BLOCKING ME OR I’LL MAKE YOU VERY, VERY SORRY.
Defiance surged up to meet the fear blooming in her chest, and she immediately hit the block option again.
This was getting out of hand. Her first instinct was to push it away so she could deal with it later, but as the silence in the kitchen stretched on, she began to wonder if she couldn’t handle this alone. Maybe she should tell Swayam.
Kashvi looked towards the door, hoping he would appear just then, take her in his arms, and chase away this nightmare.
Her phone pinged with a notification from a new number.
I had better ways to reveal this surprise to you, something so romantic, but you’re such an attention whore that you chose to force my hand. This is on you.
Immediately after the text, an image popped up. Her stomach dropped, leaving a hollow ache in its wake as she tapped it open.
When the image appeared stark against the screen, a strangled shriek tore out of her, and Kashvi slapped a hand over her mouth to muffle it.
She sank her teeth into her lip as she fought the violent sob clawing its way up her throat. She tasted the metallic tang of blood, trembling with the sheer effort of holding herself together.
Her gaze stayed fixed on the image, her eyes wide and burning. A younger version of herself looked back from the picture, standing in front of a bathroom mirror clad in nothing but a bra.
She had spent years suffocating beneath the weight of this memory. It had haunted her, and now it had come to life.
No, this couldn’t be real.
The old memory of that party crashed into her with brutal clarity. Kashvi could still hear the echo of the song that had been playing in the room. She remembered smashing the camera with her stiletto until it was beyond repair. Yet somehow, it was back.
Her illusion shattered, slamming into her with enough force to make her knees weak, and she stumbled backwards.
Kashvi leaned against the marble counter, breathing unevenly, as she kept repeating the mantra she had clung to for seven years.
I had destroyed it.
Suddenly, the image vanished from her screen with a whoosh, leaving behind no trace except the shattered pieces of her soul.
Another message appeared, and Kashvi blinked rapidly to clear her blurry vision.
You really thought that was the only camera, babygirl? I have more pictures. Would you like to see?
Her stomach twisted violently, and nausea rose so fast that Kashvi had to lean over the sink as she dry-heaved.
Please, dear God, this couldn’t be happening for real.
Her phone buzzed with a new message.
See? Worth the wait, wasn’t it?
She felt dangerously close to panicking and had to clamp down on it with all her might.
The image was a cruel reminder that whoever this was, there was no telling how far he’d go to get her attention. Enough was enough.
Before she could weigh the consequences, Kashvi hit the dial option next to the unknown number. She hurried through the horde of people in the living room, keeping her head down so no one would notice her distress.
She didn’t breathe properly until she reached the balcony and stepped out into the night air. She slammed the glass door behind her, but it slid shut with a muted whoosh.
Kashvi pressed the phone harder against her ear, straining to hear the tone of the call connecting. The cold metal of the railing bit into her skin as she gripped the edge tightly.
The call dropped.
Clouded by frantic thoughts, Kashvi quickly typed out a message.
You wanted my attention, and you got it. Now stop being a coward and answer the damn call!
She called him back as she leaned against the railing, each ring stretching longer.
‘Hello, Kashvi,’ came the soft voice that sounded so deliberately intimate it made her skin crawl. ‘So eager to talk to me, babygirl?’
She had never heard that voice before, and there went her hope that it was someone she knew. ‘Tell me who you are right now and what the hell you want from me, and maybe I won’t get you arrested!’