The night air was still heavy when Ananya finally reached Meera's home. She hadn't realized how fast she'd been walking until she felt the ache in her legs. Meera opened the door with a worried face, her eyes scanning Ananya from head to toe.
"Anu, you look awful. Come in."
Without saying much, Ananya stepped inside and collapsed onto the couch. Her eyes were red and swollen, her face pale. For a moment, she didn't speak. Then, slowly, she began to tell Meera everything — from the early morning phone call to the moment she heard about Arav's arrest.
Tears slipped down her cheeks as she spoke, her voice trembling with every word. "I don't understand, Meera. Everything was fine just yesterday. He was laughing, joking, planning to meet me. How could everything change in one night?"
Meera sighed deeply and sat beside her. "Anu, you've always known that Arav's friend circle wasn't good. You even told him to stay away from them. And now, look what's happened. He didn't listen to you — and now you're the one suffering for it."
Ananya looked up at her, eyes glistening. "But Meera, he's not like them. He just… got caught in the wrong crowd. He didn't mean for this to happen."
Meera shook her head firmly. "You can't keep defending him, Anu. You've given him everything — your time, your trust, your love. And what did you get in return? Pain. Sleepless nights. Tears."
Ananya sat silently, staring at the floor. Every word Meera said felt like a harsh truth she didn't want to face.
"Please, Anu," Meera continued softly, taking her hand. "Don't go to the police station. Don't talk to him anymore. If he truly cared for you, he wouldn't have let this happen. You deserve peace, not this chaos."
Ananya's throat tightened. She wanted to argue, but words refused to come out. Deep inside, she knew Meera was only trying to protect her — but her heart wasn't ready to let go.
Before she could reply, her phone buzzed again. It was her mother.
"Hello, Maa?" she answered softly.
"Where are you, Ananya? It's getting late. You didn't even tell me you were going out," her mother said, worry lacing her voice.
"I'm at Meera's house," Ananya replied. "I'll be home soon."
"Come quickly," her mother said. "Dinner's waiting."
Ananya glanced at Meera, who gave her a small nod. "Go home," Meera said gently. "Rest for now. We'll think about what to do tomorrow."
The streets were quiet as Ananya walked home, her thoughts louder than the world around her. She felt heavy — not just from exhaustion, but from the ache that refused to fade. Every step brought back flashes of Arav's smile, his voice, his words.
She whispered to herself, "Why did you do this, Arav? Why didn't you just listen to me once?"
By the time she reached home, the clock had struck nine. Her mother was waiting near the door, arms folded. "What took you so long?"
"Just... stayed a bit longer with Meera," Ananya replied, forcing a faint smile.
Her mother studied her face. "You look disturbed, beta. Is something wrong?"
Ananya shook her head quickly. "No, Maa. I'm just tired. Had a long day."
She slipped into her room before her mother could ask more. As the door closed behind her, the fake smile disappeared. She leaned against the door, exhaling shakily, her mind still racing.
Sitting on her bed, she stared blankly at her phone screen. Her wallpaper was still a picture of her and Arav from their last festival together — both smiling, unaware of the storm ahead.
Her heart ached. But then, as she placed her phone aside, her eyes fell on a small slip of paper tucked inside her diary. It had a number written on it — Arav's close friend, Kunal.
For a moment, she hesitated. What if he didn't pick up? What if he didn't want to talk? But her curiosity and fear for Arav's safety overpowered every doubt.
With trembling fingers, she dialed the number.
"Hello?" a familiar male voice answered after a few rings.
"Kunal… it's me, Ananya," she said, her voice soft and unsure.
There was a pause. "Ananya? Oh… hey. I was going to call you, actually."
Her heart skipped. "Do you know anything about Arav? Is he okay? Please tell me."
Kunal sighed. "Yeah, I do. Don't worry, he's fine. It's… complicated. The fight got out of hand, and Arav was with the wrong people at the wrong time. But we're doing everything we can to get him out. The lawyer said it might take four or five days."
Ananya closed her eyes, relief washing over her like a soft wave. "Four or five days…" she repeated, whispering the words as if they were a prayer.
"Yes," Kunal continued, "he'll be fine, Ananya. Don't stress too much. He asked about you too, but the police aren't allowing visitors right now."
A small smile finally curved her lips. For the first time in days, her heart felt lighter. "Thank you, Kunal. Really."
"No problem. I'll keep you updated," he said gently before hanging up.
Ananya placed her phone down and lay back on her bed, staring at the ceiling. The room was quiet, but inside her chest, something fragile began to mend.
She still didn't know what would happen when Arav came back — if things would ever be the same again — but for now, the thought that he was safe was enough.