Mornings at Ocean Residencies had a rhythm—soft waves brushing the stones behind our building, fishermen laughing somewhere near the shore, and the smell of Priya's ginger coffee drifting through the hall like a warm hug.
I pushed open the balcony door.
The sea stretched before me, silver and endless—calm enough to make you forget that anything in life could ever go wrong.
"Vaishu? You're up early?" Maya's voice floated from inside, rough with sleep.
"Early?" I laughed. "It's almost eight. For you, that's practically midnight."
She groaned and dramatically buried her face in the couch.
Typical Maya—our resident drama queen.
Inside our tiny two-bedroom flat, chaos lived comfortably. Four girls, four different temperaments:
Maya — dramatic grenade.
Priya — mother hen in a twenty-four-year-old's body.
Anuhya — the calm before the storm.
Smithi — curious. Too curious.
And then there was me—Vaishali—trying to keep the four of them from burning down the kitchen or emotionally destroying one another.
A soft bark echoed from below.
"Simbaaa," I whispered.
The little brown stray wagged his tail so hard it looked like his spine might snap. I sat on the final stair and stroked his head. Simba pressed his wet nose to my palm, already demanding breakfast.
"Don't spoil him," Priya said from the kitchen. "He ate two rotis already."
Simba barked as if offended.
I rolled my eyes. "Typical man… never satisfied."
We were still laughing when my phone vibrated.
Dhruv.
ACP Dhruv: Reached the station. You were supposed to send that case file yesterday.
Me: I won't forget, sir. I'm a responsible adult.
Dhruv: Since when?
I muttered something unladylike.
Dhruv had been in my life since school—sharp-tongued, overly protective, and always trying to prove he was the only rational human on earth.
Before I could reply, another message came in.
Arjun.
Arjun: Good morning, Vaishali. Hope your day goes well. I'll call you in the evening.
A smile tugged at my lips.
Arjun was… different. A man who spoke gently, listened sincerely, and carried himself with a quiet dignity. An IAS aspirant who read law for fun and never once made me feel small.
"Who is it?" Maya sing-songed. "Dhruv or IAS boy?"
"None of your business."
"It's Arjun. I knew it!"
Before I could argue, Smithi walked in, notebook in hand, hair in a messy bun.
"What time did you sleep?" she asked casually.
"Um… one-ish? Why?"
She shrugged. "Just tracking everyone's terrible sleep schedules."
She smiled. Innocent enough.
But her eyes… lingered a little too long.
Watching. Calculating.
She turned to Priya.
"And you? Why were you awake at two?"
Priya frowned. "Why are you interrogating us like a journalist?"
Smithi giggled.
"Maybe I was one in a past life."
We all laughed.
But a small, cold voice in the back of my mind whispered:
She's connecting dots you don't even know exist.
Minutes later, all four girls sprawled across the balcony arguing about weekend plans while Simba curled at my feet.
Life felt peaceful. Predictable.
If only I knew how temporary that peace was.
A week from now, Ocean Residencies would no longer be just our home.
It would become a battlefield—
of secrets, shifting loyalties, and the kind of truth that doesn't just break you…
It rewrites who you are.
For now, the sun warmed my skin, Simba licked my hand, and I believed the ocean would always stay calm.
I didn't realize how violently it was about to turn.