11
Chapter 11
The First Fight
Anaya drove home in complete silence.
Kabir continued talking happily in the backseat, completely unaware of the storm brewing inside her.
"Uncle Aarav said my drawing was good."
"Mhm."
"And he gave me chocolate."
"Mhm."
"And he said-"
"Kabir."
The little boy immediately stopped.
"Yes?"
Anaya softened her tone.
"Next time, if someone comes to meet you at school, I want your teacher to call me first."
Kabir looked confused.
"But he's nice."
That wasn't the point.
The problem was that Aarav was getting too close.
Too quickly.
And every step he took toward Kabir felt like a step toward the truth.
---
The moment she reached home, Anaya grabbed her phone.
She stared at Aarav's contact for a few seconds before pressing call.
He answered on the second ring.
"Anaya."
"Did you go to Kabir's school?"
No greeting.
No small talk.
Straight to the point.
A brief silence followed.
Then-
"Yes."
The calmness in his voice only annoyed her more.
"You didn't think to tell me?"
"I was in the area."
"You were not in the area."
Aarav actually laughed.
The sound made her even more irritated.
"This is not funny."
His voice became serious.
"I know."
"Then why did you do it?"
The silence that followed was longer this time.
Almost thoughtful.
When he finally answered, his words caught her off guard.
"I wanted to see if he was feeling better."
Anaya froze.
Because the answer sounded genuine.
Not manipulative.
Not strategic.
Just honest.
And somehow that made things worse.
---
The next morning, Anaya arrived at Rathore Industries determined to avoid him.
Again.
A plan that failed immediately.
The moment she stepped onto the executive floor, an assistant approached her.
"Mr. Rathore wants to see you."
Of course he did.
Why wouldn't he?
Anaya marched toward his office.
The second she entered, she shut the door behind her.
"We need boundaries."
Aarav looked up from his desk.
"Good morning to you too."
"I'm serious."
"So am I."
Anaya crossed her arms.
"You can't just show up at my son's school whenever you feel like it."
His expression didn't change.
"I wasn't aware I needed permission to visit a school."
"You do when my child is involved."
The room fell silent.
For a moment, neither looked away.
Then something flashed across Aarav's face.
A reaction.
A thought.
Gone before she could identify it.
"My child."
The way he repeated the words made her stomach tighten.
Dangerous territory.
Very dangerous.
"Aarav-"
"I know."
His voice softened unexpectedly.
"I'm not trying to upset you."
The honesty surprised her.
For a few seconds, the tension eased.
Then a knock interrupted them.
Vikram entered.
One look at the atmosphere and he immediately regretted it.
"Bad timing?"
"Yes."
"No."
Both answers came at the same time.
Vikram wisely ignored them.
"Sir, we have a problem."
Aarav's attention shifted instantly.
"What happened?"
"The shipment."
The mood in the room changed immediately.
Anaya noticed it.
Whatever they were discussing, it wasn't business.
At least not legal business.
Aarav stood.
"We'll finish this later."
The statement wasn't a suggestion.
It was a promise.
---
Later that evening, Aarav sat in a private warehouse on the outskirts of the city.
The atmosphere was completely different from his corporate office.
No polished floors.
No expensive suits.
No board meetings.
Just armed men and dangerous conversations.
Vikram stood beside him.
"The attack wasn't random."
Aarav's expression darkened.
"I figured."
One of their rivals had intercepted an important shipment.
Not enough to damage the organization.
But enough to send a message.
A challenge.
And challenges never went unanswered.
Aarav looked at the security footage playing on the screen.
Then his phone buzzed.
The screen lit up with a photograph.
A new one.
Anonymous sender.
Again.
This time, it wasn't a picture of him and Anaya.
It was a picture of Anaya and Kabir.
Taken recently.
Aarav immediately sat up.
A cold feeling settled in his chest.
Because someone else was watching them too.
And he didn't like that.
Not one bit.
---
Back at the apartment, Anaya was helping Kabir with homework when the doorbell rang.
She frowned.
Not again.
Carefully, she walked to the door and looked through the peephole.
Her breath caught.
A woman stood outside.
Elegant.
Well-dressed.
Completely unfamiliar.
Anaya opened the door cautiously.
"Can I help you?"
The woman smiled.
A strange smile.
One that immediately made Anaya uncomfortable.
"You must be Anaya."
Her stomach tightened.
"Who are you?"
The woman's gaze drifted toward the apartment.
Toward the room where Kabir was sitting.
Then she looked back at Anaya.
"Someone who knows a lot about your past."
Every alarm bell in Anaya's head went off.
"What do you want?"
The woman tilted her head slightly.
Almost sympathetically.
"I think it's time Aarav learned the truth."
The blood drained from Anaya's face.
Because for the first time...
The threat wasn't anonymous anymore.
It was standing right in front of her door.
To be continued...