One hour later…
Ruhi knocked on Aditya’s cabin door. When no sound came from inside, she slowly entered.
Finding the cabin empty, she thought to herself, “Where could sir have gone?!”
She noticed a file lying on the table and muttered, “It’s still here the same way…?! That means sir never even came in! Could he be in the Lady Boss’s room? Should I…? No, if he’s with her then I shouldn’t disturb them. Anyway, our second meeting is after lunch… By then sir will definitely go through these papers!”
Thinking this, she left the cabin.
Meanwhile…
In Anamika’s cabin, soft light filtered through the blinds as her lashes fluttered open.
And the very first sight that filled her vision—was Aditya.
He was gently tidying her scattered belongings, placing books back on the table. Every now and then he flipped one open, curiosity glinting in his eyes.
Startled, Anamika shot upright.
“You!? When did you come in?!”
Aditya turned to her, his lips curving into that familiar smile.
“Just two or three minutes ago. Sorry… I must’ve woken you.”
She shook her head awkwardly.
“No, it’s fine. Forget it. You tell me… did you need something?”
Aditya’s smile deepened.
“Actually, yes. My company is organizing an Art Fair. Artists from everywhere will be setting up their stalls—”
But before he could finish, Anamika blurted out innocently,
“I don’t want to set up any stall!”
He chuckled, closing the distance between them. Leaning down ever so slightly, his voice softened.
“No… that’s not what I meant. There’s a competition at the fair. I want you to take part in it. I want to see you win. Please…”
His eyes sparkled with such sincerity, such childlike hope, that Anamika’s heart faltered. She had never entered any competition before—but how could she refuse him now?
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As Aditya turned to leave, Anamika hesitated, then tugged gently at his coat sleeve—like a timid child seeking comfort.
Her voice trembled.
“Will there… be a lot of people there?”
Aditya turned back, holding her hand in his. His gaze softened.
“What matters more—those strangers… or your friends?”
Her eyes fell, silence betraying the faint fear inside her. Aditya sensed it instantly.
He placed his hand gently on her forehead, leaned close until his breath brushed against her, and whispered, “Your whole world will be there to cheer you. I’ll bring Saaniya. With her by your side… will you still feel afraid?”
Anamika’s gaze lifted, locking into his.
“My… whole world?” she echoed softly.
He nodded, smiling.
“Yes. I’ll call Saaniya.”
But she shook her head slightly, eyes turning away.
“She’s a part of my world… but my world has grown bigger. Will… will all of them be there?”
Aditya blinked, taken aback. Sliding a hand into his pocket, he said carefully, “You can invite anyone you want. Everyone who matters to you… anyone you wish by your side.”
Her eyes rose again, hesitant yet steady. Her voice quivered, “I want them all… Ruhi, Ira, Aniket, Rudra… and… and… I want you too. Will you all come… together… for me?”
In that instant, Aditya’s heart blazed with light.
No, he wasn’t her whole world the way she was his—but knowing he had become an inseparable part of her world… that was enough to make his soul sing.
He beamed like a boy given his greatest treasure.
“We’ll all come. For you. Definitely.”
Her lips curved into a smile. Quietly, in her heart, she whispered, “Thank you… thank you so much.”
Elsewhere…
“Apologize to her,” someone demanded.
But Saaniya’s eyes were cold, empty of feeling.
“I’ve done nothing wrong. Everything I did was for her good… Mr. Malhotra.”
Rudra stood across from her, his usual calm nowhere to be found. Today his face was carved with frustration, worry, and anger all at once.
Slamming his hand on the desk, he snapped, “I’ve never questioned your choices, but this—this is wrong! You cannot hide her father’s condition from her! He’s critical! Do you even realize the risk of that surgery? If something happens to him, she won’t even get one last chance to speak with him!”
A hollow laugh escaped Saaniya’s lips.
“Father? Oh, I almost forgot he’s her father. Truly, I forgot… the day I heard him strangling his own daughter, telling her to die… since then, I forgot that man was her father!”
Rudra exhaled sharply, raking a hand through his hair.
“He’s not mentally stable. And you know it.”
Saaniya stayed silent for a moment, her faint smile stretched tight over the storm in her heart.
Rudra softened, his tone urging.
“I know you care for her. And I know you think I’m siding with him… but believe me, I’m thinking of both of you. You’ve hidden so many truths already… this is just another lie. If she discovers even one of them, your bond will shatter.”
Without answering, Saaniya walked to the window. Beyond the glass lay the hospital garden, where children’s laughter rang through the air.
Her mind slipped back…
Six-year-old Saaniya, sitting alone beneath a tree, surrounded by families’ laughter but lost in her own home’s quarrels.
Then—a voice.
“Loneliness is terrifying, isn’t it? It makes you want to die… but we don’t. Because we’re greedy. Greedy for tomorrow—for the hope that maybe something good will come. If we give up today, we’ll never see that tomorrow. You feel it too, don’t you?”
She had turned to see another girl, about her age, sitting with a cat. A Kitsune mask hid her face, but not the emotion in her eyes—eyes far older than her years.
Remembering that face, Saaniya whispered, “She was my angel. And I’ll protect her from every pain. For that… lies are such a small price.”
Turning back to Rudra, her voice was firm.
“Don’t tell her. I’ll never let her learn the truths I’ve buried. They’ll only drag her back into the past—where she never wants to go.”
Rudra lowered his gaze, sighing deeply.
“Whatever you feel is right. I’ll stand by you in everything.”
Then, with a faint smile at her, he added, “All I want… is for both of you to be happy.”
With that, he left.
Saaniya’s eyes fell to the floor, heavy with the weight of secrets no one else could bear.
Her gaze drifted to the sacred thread tied around her wrist. A silent vow burned within her.“I’ll never let her get hurt. Never.”
