I feel a lump form in my throat. “Kavya… I’m sorry. I… I—” But she cuts me off.
“No. Your sorry is not accepted,” she huffs. “How could you not call for two whole days? And when I tried reaching you, my calls went unanswered. Do you even know what that did to me? I was this close to losing my mind. Thank God for Sidharth, he kept me updated. If it weren’t for him, I swear I would’ve taken the next flight to Bangalore.”
I let out a breath of relief.She doesn’t know. About the email. About Prakash.
“I’m sorry, Kavya,” I whisper, voice barely holding steady. “Things have just been… a little busy.” It’s not a lie. The last two days have been a blur of emotions—the doctor’s appointments, college searches, and then that damn email. Every time I thought about calling her, I was already too drained. Emotionally and physically. And honestly, I didn’t want to call only for her to hear how worked up I really was.
She sighs on the other end, her tone gentler now. “Yeah, Sidharth told me. I heard you’re thinking about starting your studies again. God, I can’t tell you how happy that makes me.”
I smile faintly. “It’s just the start, but it feels good to have something to look forward to.”
“That’s my girl,” she says quietly.
“And you? How are you feeling?”
She groans dramatically. “Don’t even ask. Morning sickness is kicking my butt. Reyansh tries to act all calm and composed,but the second he thinks I’m not listening, he’s on the phone with the doctor, giving them a hard time, demanding to know when my morning sickness will go away, and even threatening that if they don’t make me feel better soon, he’ll have them all fired.”
I giggle, leaning my head back against the headboard. “He did not.”
“Oh, he did,” she insists, and I can hear the smile in her voice. “He’s a total wreck, but in the most adorable way. He’s been amazing through it all. But in all this.” Her voice falters. “I miss you. I miss having you and Sunita Aunty around.”
“I miss you too. Every single day,” I say, pulling my knees up and hugging them to my chest. Her absence tugs at me, though a small part of me is relieved she’s not here. Especially now, with all the mess resurfacing.
“I know we’re both building different lives now, but that doesn’t mean we have to drift apart. I want to be included in your life. I want you to keep me updated. Every single detail. No more disappearing acts.”
I blink fast to stop the tears. “Promise.”
“Good,” she says with a sniff. “Because if you ghost me again, I’m coming over there and dragging you back with me.”
A watery laugh escapes me. “Noted, ma’am.”
“Okay, now go eat your breakfast. And call me later. I want a full report on what colleges and subjects you’re looking at.”
“Deal,” I say, smiling.
“Love you.”
“Love you more.”
The moment I hang up the phone, the ache in my chest tightens, because I won’t be able to keep the promise I made to keep her in the loop and tell her everything. Not because I want to lie to her, but because I love her. And there are things I still need to protect her from. In her condition, she deservespeace, not the chaos I’m barely beginning to understand myself. And maybe, somewhere deep down, I’m holding on to the hope that we’ll find whoever’s behind all this before it reaches a point where I can’t protect the people I care about.
There’s a knock at the door, and assuming it’s Sunita Aunty, I call out, “Come in.”
But when the door opens, my heart skips a beat as Sidharth steps in. I gulp, shifting slightly, and let my legs fall to the floor, but I don’t stand. My eyes sweep over him, taking in the dark jeans and crisp white shirt, and just like that, I forget how to breathe.
God, please help me act normal. Please.
“Hey,” he says, his gaze so soft it makes my stomach twist in the most nerve-wracking way.
“Hi,” I manage to say, trying to steady my nerves.
“You just woke up?” he asks, as he pulls a chair close to my bed and sits down.
“Yup,” I nod, aiming for casual, though my pulse is anything but.
“Nisha,” he begins, eyes flicking to mine before lowering slightly, “there’s something I need to talk to you about.”
Something in the way he says it, his almost hesitant tone, tells me this isn’t just a friendly check-in. This is about last night. About the kiss. About him realizing it was a mistake. The mere thought of it unsettles me. Yes, the kiss took me by surprise, but it wasn’t a mistake. It wasn’t a lapse in judgment. Instead, it was the only moment I truly felt something beautiful. But I can’t say that. So instead, I sit up a little straighter, force a small smile that doesn’t quite reach my eyes, and cut in quickly, trying to beat him to it before he can say the words out loud. The ones I know will only sting deeper.
