💟𝟎𝟐: 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈 𝐒𝐚𝐰 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧

𝐇𝐑𝐈𝐃𝐘𝐀𝐍𝐒𝐇

𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐡𝐢

Ten years ago...

The football match was about to start in less than an hour, and I had just returned from the gym. I headed straight toward the locker room to freshen up for the upcoming match. The entire college was buzzing outside on the ground for the Inter-college competition.

"No way, Vaanya from third year?" a guy exclaimed, disbelief evident in his tone.

"You're kidding, right?" the second guy, replied, visibly shocked.

As I was about to open the door, I paused when I heard a mention of Vinnie's name followed by laughter. I stood close to the door, trying to listen more closely. I recognized the voices. All three of them, my juniors.

"Yes, dude, I saw her with my own two eyes," the third guy claimed. "Vaanya went straight to that shabby motel with an old guy."

"Dude... I can't believe it," the second guy replied. "Just today I saw her all over Arjun on the ground, but I didn't think she was into older guys too."

"She's a total whore," spat the first guy. "Plays the good girl with Arjun at college, but I wouldn't be surprised if she's making out with Hridyansh after dark."

"What a slut."

My fists tightened, nails digging into my palms as my jaw clenched. I forced myself to stay composed, wanting to hear just how far their gossip would go before I stepped inside and broke their jaws.

"But isn't Hridyansh dating Arjun's sister Esha?" the second guy asked.

"Yeah, but I heard Vaanya actually lives at Hridyansh's place," the third guy said. "Don't you think they might be having some late-night fun in bed..." They high-fived and burst into laughter, their crude amusement echoing through the corridor.

"What do you think? If we approached her, would she charge us, or does she give away freebies like she does with Hridyansh and Arjun?" The laughter grew louder, more mocking.

My hands trembled as my fists tightened. Anger surged through me. I had heard enough. I slammed the door open and stormed inside. They jumped to their feet, their faces paled as soon as they saw me.

"Hrid- Hridyansh... We... we were just-" the first guy stammered. Before he could finish, I charged at them, fists landing hard. The room filled with the sounds of blows, grunts, and my heavy breathing. I didn't stop until they were bruised and sprawled on the floor. I grabbed the guy who called Vaanya a slut and beat him until he passed out. The other two watched in fear as I vented my rage.

"Oh my God! Ansh..." a voice came from behind me. It was Esha. Her voice trembled, but I was too consumed by rage to stop. "Ansh, stop it. Stop it. He will die. Stop. Why are you hitting him like that?" Esha shouted, running toward me and grabbing my arm she tried to pull me back. "Ansh, stop." I stopped and turned back, Esha flinched and her eyes widened with shock. I turned back at them.

"Never show me your face again, or I will kill you all for real," I growled, my teeth clenched. I let go of his collar with a jerk, and he crumpled to the ground. I stood up, my chest heaving, my fists still clenched.

"Sorry! Sorry! Hridyansh. It won't happen again. Sorry!" One of the guys stammered.

"Get the hell out of here!" I roared. They scrambled, dragging their fallen friend and limping away as fast as they could.

I turned and slammed my fists on the table. Esha flinched and her eyes widened with shock and her face paled.

"Hridyansh..." Her voice trembled. "You're scaring me. What happened?"

I squeezed my eyes shut, unclenched my fists, and drew in a deep breath to steady myself. When I opened them, I tried to keep my voice calm. "Do you know where Vinnie is?"

"No, maybe with Arjun," Esha replied hesitantly. "Why?"

At Arjun's name, my jaw tightened again.

"Ansh-" Esha began, her voice full of concern.

"Not now!" I moved past Esha and out of the room before she could get to me, my steps getting faster as I went. I went through every room, getting more and more irritated by every empty corner. Esha followed close behind, her footsteps resonating with me.

I searched every room downstairs before heading upstairs. Near the science lab, I heard a muffled noise and stopped just in time to see the door close. Instinct told me they were inside. My fingers hovered above the handle as I hesitated, dreading what I might find. Summoning my courage, I opened the door. My heart sank at the scene before me.

Vaanya was pressed against the wall, her lips locked on Arjun's. Arjun stumbled back in amazement when the door slammed open. Esha gasped behind me.

"Ansh, Esha, what are you doing here?" Arjun inquired.

I ignored him and walked straight to Vinnie, who stood frozen. Gripping her arm tightly, I asked, "Is it true you went to a hotel with an older man?" Her wide eyes confirmed the rumors.

"Who was he?" I demanded, my fingers digging into her skin. "Was it the same person who was texting you? How long have you been seeing him?" With each question, my grip tightened further.

"Ah! Rey, you're hurting me," she protested.

Arjun stepped in, grabbing my arm. "Let go of her arm, Ansh," he said. I shook off his hand.

"Arjun, you're my best friend. I don't want to fight you. Just let me be," I said calmly before turning my attention back to Vinnie.

"Let go! Rey! You're HURTING her," Arjun said meeting my eyes and resting his hand over my shoulder."You need to calm down."

"Hridyansh, stop this." Esha said, hurried over, and grabbed my other arm. "For God's sake, just stop!" Esha yelled.

Vinnie's eyes met mine with a mixture of defiance and sadness, and I felt a pang of betrayal and confusion. Was it disgust I felt? Or hurt? She was secretly meeting an older man, making out with my best friend, and people, calling her names. What else could there be?

"That's none of your business, Hridyansh," she shot back, wrenching her arm free. Her, using my full name felt like a sting. "Maybe it's time you focused on your own life instead of trying to control mine."

Turning to Vinnie, Esha pleaded, "He's not himself right now. Just go."

The words caught in my throat, but I needed answers. My hand tightened into a fist, and I shut my eyes to steady myself. "How much did he pay you to sleep with him?" I asked as she turned to leave.

"Ansh!" Esha shouted.

Arjun lunged at me, landing a solid punch. I stumbled into the table.

"Arjun! No!" Vinnie screamed. I wiped the blood from my lips and smirked.

Vinnie rushed to my side and touched my shoulder. "Rey, are you okay?" she asked, her voice full of concern.

"Don't touch me with your dirty hands," I said, shrugging off her hand and turning around. " I just want the truth. Did you or didn't you sleep with that man?" I demanded, glaring at her. Her worry shifted to anger.

"Why do you hate me this much, Rey? What have I done to you?" Vaanya's voice quivered as she searched my eyes for an answer. "You never get mad at Esha or Chitra when they-"

"Don't you dare drag Esha or Chitra into this, Vinnie," I cut her off, taking a step forward, my voice a sharp warning. "People aren't talking about them, but you. Just tell the truth and end it."

Her expression hardened, and a cold defiance glinted in her eyes. Fine. If admitting it ends this, then yes—I slept with him. Every rumor, every ugly word you've heard, it's all true. Here, I said it. Are you satisfied now? Her gaze locked with mine, daring me to respond.

"Vanya... What are you doing?" Esha asked disbelief in her voice. "Why are you making this worse? Just go, please!"

I glared at Vinnie, frustration boiling over. It angered me that she was lying instead of being honest. I ran a hand through my hair, trying to calm down.

Arjun grabbed Vinnie's arm and started pulling her away. I let him.

"Don't ever come back," I said coldly. "I don't want to see you again. You make me sick."

"Girls like you don't belong here," I added. Vinnie yanked her arm free and turned back to me.

"Girls like me? What kind of girl am I?" she challenged. "Say it."

"Prostitute," I shot back.

Arjun moved towards me, but Vinnie held him back. "Don't," she said firmly.

"I hope you don't regret what you just said." Tears streamed down her face as she turned and left with Arjun, her hand tightly clutching his.

I opened my eyes and sat up straight, my fingers gripping the edge of the table as if it were the only thing anchoring me to reality. The next day, I got the news: Vinnie's car had been found burned at the bottom of a hill. Reports said a landslide rock had hit her vehicle, sending it tumbling down. Her body was never recovered. The police suspected some wild animal had dragged her away, as they found her blood and drag marks near the burned car.

The memory of Vinnie at the ghat flashed before me like a vivid, unsettling dream. "Was it just my imagination, or was she really there?" I muttered, overwhelmed by a storm of confusion and disbelief.

Ten years had slipped away since that fateful day- ten years since she had walked out, never to return. The pain of her absence had faded into a dull ache, but the sight of her image had ripped open old wounds.

Suddenly, a knock jolted me from my thoughts. "Anshu Baba?" Hari Kaka's voice came from the other side of the door. "Aapki Car aa chuki hai." (Your car is here.)

I stood up, my chair scraping against the floor, and grabbed my coat and bag. As I stepped out of my study, the door clicked softly behind me.

"Anshu?" Dadi's voice called out from the kitchen. "Have your breakfast first."

I glanced at the clock on the wall, then at the half-packed bag on the chair. "No, Dadi, I'm running late. I'll grab something at the office." I waved and headed quickly toward the front door, "I'm leaving now. Bye!"

As I stepped outside, I saw Varun, my manager, standing next to the car. He opened the door as I approached. "Good morning, Boss," he greeted quietly.

Once we were both settled into the backseat, Varun turned to me, his expression serious. "Gautam Bakshi passed away," he said. "The papers were prepped and ready. I was about to reach out to him when I got the news from Mr. Ali," he added.

I absorbed the news in silence, reflecting on our recent business dealings. "The family is holding a prayer service tomorrow." He said.

"Cancel all my meetings for today and tomorrow," I said, nodding as the news sank in. "I want to offer my condolences to his family in person."

I recalled how I had tried to buy Mr. Bakshi's land in Dehradun, which had always caught my eye for its stunning view, ideal for the resort I planned. At that time, he was in London. When he returned to India, he initially declined my offer. However, a month ago, in urgent need of money, he reached out, and we agreed on a deal. I paid him 50% upfront, and we were set to sign the papers soon.

"Cancel the contract. ," I told Varun, breaking the silence inside the car. "We won't need it anymore."

Varun hesitated before speaking. "But Boss, the advance payment?"

"Contact our legal team. Terminate the contract." I repeated.

"But -"

"Do it," I said, my tone final.

***

The drive from New Delhi to Dehradun takes usually about 6 to 7 hours, depending on traffic and road conditions. By the time we arrived, it was already dawn, so we stayed overnight at a hotel. The next morning, we headed toward Mr. Bakshi's house.

"Let's stop for some white flowers on the way," I said to the driver.

"Did his daughter arrive from London?" I asked.

"Yes, Boss, but she actually lives in New York," Varun answered.

"But wasn't Mr. Bakshi based in London?" I continued.

"Yes, but Ms. Kiara is settled in New York. That's what I heard from Mr. Ali," Varun explained.

"Kiara... I nearly forgot her name," I admitted, nodding in acknowledgment.

The drive to Mr. Bakshi's house was short from the hotel. As we approached, I noticed people in white attire, their movements a quiet testament to the ongoing service. Stepping out of the car, my heart pounded heavily, a rhythmic thud that echoed the gravity of the moment.

"Why am I suddenly feeling so anxious?" I wondered, the weight of the occasion pressing down on me. The last time I had been to a gathering like this, was for Esha, three years back. I took a deep breath, pushed the unease aside, and made my way towards the house.

As I stepped inside, I scanned the space, looking for Ms. Kiara Bakshi. I had only seen her in photographs with Mr. Bakshi.

"Mr. Shergill? Mr. Varun? What brings you here?" Mr. Ali's voice broke through the somber atmosphere as he approached us.

"Varun told me about Mr. Baksh," I answered, still glancing around for Kiara. "We're here to pay our respects. Ms. Bakshi?!"

"Ah, I see. Thank you for coming." He said. "Kiara is inside, attending to the guests. Let me call her for you," Mr. Ali said, turning around and leaving.

As we were about to find a seat, my phone rang. I pulled it from my pocket and saw it was a call from Dadi. Stepping outside, I answered, "Hello, Dadi?"

"Anshu, Ahana wants to speak with you," Dadi said.

"Okay!" I said. Ahana, she's my six-year-old princess.

"Daddy, where are you?" Her voice was a mix of concern and confusion.

"I'm visiting a friend," I said, my heart tugging at the thought of her missing me. "I'll be back soon. Are you having fun with your Badi Maa?"

"Not really," she replied, her voice softening. "I miss you."

"I miss you too, sweetheart," I said, wishing I could be there with her. "I promise I'll be home soon. Can you be a good girl for Badi Maa?"

"Okay, Daddy," she said, sounding a bit reassured. "Come home soon."

"I will," I said, smiling at her concern. "I love you, sweetheart."

"Love you too, Daddy," Ahana said before the line went quiet.

As I walked back inside, Varun caught my eye and gave a small nod. My eyes scanned the room once more for Ms. Kiara but instead, I saw Mr. Ali reappearing.

"Mr. Shergill, Kiara will be with you shortly," he said.

I nodded in acknowledgment. As we stood there, my gaze swept around the room, taking in the quiet, somber mood. Conversations were hushed, and the air was filled with the scent of incense and tuberoses, adding to the feeling of loss. The moments ticked by slowly as I waited.

"She's here," Mr. Ali said. I turned and as soon as saw the girl standing by the photograph of Mr. Bakshi engaged in conversation with a man, the bouquet fell from my hand and my heartbeat dropped too. Varun quickly bent down grabbed the flower and hurried outside.

"Who- who's she?" I asked, my voice tinged with disbelief.

"That's Kiara. Gautam's daughter," Mr. Ali explained.

"Kiara?" he called out. At the sound of her name, Kiara turned toward us. Mr. Ali gestured for her to come forward. She glanced at him, then at me, and slowly walked over. Our eyes locked, and the recognition was immediate.

"That's Vinnie. It's her. She's alive?"

⇜ ♥ ⇝

Thank you for reading this chapter of my book! Your support means so much. If you enjoyed it, please take a moment to vote, comment, and share with friends who might love the story. Your feedback and shares help me keep the story going and reach more readers. Stay tuned for the next chapter—things are just getting started! Happy reading! ❤️🙏