The night was heavy with unspoken words. The soft glow of the streetlights filtered through the window, casting long shadows across the room where Anup sat, his thoughts spinning in circles.
He had made the decision. It was time to return, to confront his past, to face everything he had been running from. But even as he sat there, waiting for the courage to take that first step, something gnawed at him—a feeling deep in his chest that he couldn't quite place.
It was as if the universe was holding its breath, waiting for him to make the move that would change everything.
The knock at the door startled him.
Anup looked up, his heart skipping. He had expected no one. Who would come knocking at this hour?
His thoughts raced. Could it be someone from the past? Someone who knew him as Aarav? Or was it someone who had followed him here, someone who could unravel the fragile new life he had built?
With hesitant steps, he crossed the room, his hand trembling as he reached for the doorknob.
He opened it slowly.
Standing there, in the doorway, was someone he never thought he would see again.
It was the woman. The influencer. The one who had torn his world apart.
She stood there, her eyes cold but filled with something darker—a mix of regret and something else that Anup couldn't quite decipher.
"I need to talk to you," she said, her voice low, almost shaky.
Anup's breath caught in his throat. This wasn't supposed to happen. He had moved on. He had built something new.
But before he could say a word, she stepped inside, her presence heavy, her eyes searching the room, as if she was looking for something—anything that could unravel the life he had painstakingly put together.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "But you don't know the whole story. The truth—what really happened—hasn't come out yet. And if you don't listen to me now… everything you've worked for will crumble."
Anup froze. The room seemed to close in on him. His pulse raced as his mind whirled.
What was she talking about? What truth? And why had she come now?
He wanted to demand answers, to push her out of his life for good. But something in her eyes told him this wasn't just about her. This was about something far bigger, something that had been buried, something that was waiting to rise again.
He stepped back, his heart pounding. "What do you mean?"
Her eyes flickered to the door. A quick glance, almost imperceptible. And then, before he could react, she spoke the words that made his blood run cold:
"They're watching you, Anup. They know where you are. And if you don't act fast, it won't just be your life at stake. It'll be Nisha's, too."
The words hung in the air like a storm, dark and foreboding. Anup's world tilted, the weight of the past crashing into him with a force that left him breathless.
He reached for the doorframe to steady himself. "Who's watching me? What do you mean? What are you talking about?"
But she didn't answer. Instead, she reached into her bag and pulled out a small, crumpled piece of paper. She handed it to him, her hands trembling slightly.
Anup unfolded the paper, his fingers numb. On it was a single sentence, scrawled in jagged handwriting:
"The truth is far worse than you think."
His heart sank. He stared at the words, the weight of their meaning sinking in.
What truth? And who was behind this?
Before he could ask another question, the woman turned and walked out the door, leaving Anup standing there, holding the paper, his mind racing, the silence around him deafening.
The room felt colder, emptier than ever before.
And just as he turned to close the door, he saw it.
Across the street, hidden in the shadows, a figure stood watching him.
A chill ran down his spine.
Who was it? Was it someone from his past? Someone who had been waiting for this moment?
And as the figure stepped further into the shadows, disappearing from view, one question burned in Anup's mind:
How long had they been watching?