Tug of Fate | When Stars Align Book one

Overcoming

Ananya

Same day

Becs and I are deep in thought. Both of us have had a bath and were waiting for Ali to get back. I know that if she finds both of us asleep when she gets here, she will think that she isn't welcome or that she is imposing and will probably leave. And God, I don't want her to ever feel like she's alone. Becs and I, both know what being alone feels like. And we wouldn't wish that on anyone.

Ali is our friend. She has become our third leg so fast. It is uncanny thinking how close we have gotten to each other.

There is a knock on the door and Becs and I jump up. I smooth my dress down and Becs goes to open the door. James, Logan, Liam and Ali, all of them are standing in the hallway. As they come in, Ali gives me a tentative smile and I pull her into a hug.

"Do you want to freshen up?" I ask her.

She nods and steps away to use the bathroom. I turn around and find the boys taking out food containers, setting them down on the table in the outer room. Becs and I also have a suite with two rooms. The outer room has a sofa-bed, a huge television set, a dining table, and a beautiful view from the French windows. The bedroom has, well, a double bed, a TV, and a very very fancy looking dressing table. The furnishings are black, white and grey. Just as I like it. With a pop of colour in the way of a solitary bright orange cushion on the bed, a rustic ochre rug on the bedroom floor, a bright red lamp shade in the outer room, and a vibrant teal throw on the sofa bed. It is minimalistic, homely and elegant.

"Ali told us you are vegetarian, so we got veg Chinese and veg pizza for you Ananya. Becca, Chicken wings and hot sauce for you" Liam said.

My stomach rumbles then and I realize I haven't really eaten much today. We all start setting the table, while James fumbles with the TV and settles on FRIENDS. By the time Ali comes back, we're all ready to eat. We sit around the table, and dig in.

Being around them feels comfortable and soon the conversation flows to things we like to eat, or jokes on each other. Needless to say that James is the butt of most jokes, as he is the new guy. But he is taking it in stride. Ali's phone rings and we all still, assuming it is Gareth or someone from his side. Trembling, Ali takes her phone out of her handbag. But her eyes shoot out to me. I frown and catch Bec's eyes. She is frowning too.

"What is it?" I whisper-ask.

"It's Rishi."

The air whooshes out of me, and Becca stands and comes to my side immediately. We knew that Rishi has been trying to get in touch with me via Ali. Both Becca and I changed our sims as soon as we landed in Australia. That was after I had texted Rishi that I'd arrived and informed him that I wouldn't be in touch until i got a new number. He'd insisted that I share the new number with him. But I had been adamant that I needed this time alone to figure things out. He had started getting furious then, and I had just taken the sim out and swapped it for the new Australian number I had bought. It would be g0od for 30 days.

He started calling Ali consistently the next day, I don't even know how he got her number. The first few times, Ali told him that we were in another part of the event so we weren't together. She'd sensed that something wasn't right between him and me. But he grew agitated and furious after that. She told us about it on the day of the event. I'd told her to ignore his calls or block his number, and not pick up any India calls. But he continued texting her, alternating between anger and pleading. She told me his calls and texts had gotten a bit more frantic, in the last few days.

The phone starts ringing again, and I almost jump out of my skin. James says "whatever it is, you have to get through it. It is your body telling you that the sooner you get this over with, the better. Stop dreading it because we all are here for you." He looks me in my eyes and I felt strengthened by his declaration.

I take the phone from Ali, and hit answer.

"You bitch! I want to speak to my wife right now. Hand the phone to her or I will make sure that you regret your sorry piece of life!" Rishi roars over the line.

Everyone gasps and I was sure that everyone could hear it. I look to Becs and Ali, and the resilience in their eyes is enough to pull me out of the abyss, and just like that, my resolve is back as I remember everything he has done to me. Becca squeezes my shoulder. She knows. It is like she knows what is going on in my mind before I even had a chance to speak.

"Hi Rishi. Is this really the way you speak to people you have never met?" I ask him, while moving towards the balcony. Becca comes with me and closes the door behind her, but through the door I see the others looking out. I smile at them to let them know I'm okay. James takes a step forward, and nods in my direction. It is a nod that says I am right here. We got you, if you need help we will come guns blazing.

On the call, there is silence. Deep breaths. He stumbles over his words, and his next words are so different to what he'd just said a second ago.

"Nya!. Oh God Nya. My baby. My angel. I am so sorry love. Thank God. Thank God I can hear your voice now. How have you been? Have you been eating properly? Are you fine? Why didn't you speak to me all this time? God Nya, I've been imagining the worst." Oh. My. God. What has gotten into him. He's acting like a goddamn pendulum right now.

I look up at Becca and see she is frowning as well. She looks at me and nods at me in encouragement. "Rishi, I told you that I wouldn't be in touch. Didn't I ? Was it really necessary to hassle Ali like that?"

"Ali, eh? A stranger has become Ali to you. What about me? We have been together for 6 years, and so easily you can live without calling me for ten fucking days!" he spits back.

"Rishi, we discussed- "

He interrupts me and the next words chill me, freeze my feet on the spot. I can literally feel him sneering at me, "Tell me. Is your Logan there? How many men are there right now with you? If you think you are going to have your fun then you are wrong. I am coming to Australia. I will be there day after tomorrow. And I will bring you back home, kicking and screaming if I have to!" he is shouting by the end of it.

He is coming here?

Before I would have been petrified. But not anymore. Never again.

"Oh I know what you were planning with your mother Rishi. I heard you talking to her and I heard you tell her how you plan to make me fall in love with you again and how you will cage me so that I would never find my wings ever again. You are a fool if you think I am going to come back to you. Do not call Ali again and do not come to Australia. Come if you want to spend your money on a vague mission. Because I sure as hell am not going back with you!"

That felt bloody fantastic.

I smile. Knowing that whatever comes back at me from this moment onwards, it will be because I choose it.

"You .. what... how.. you heard that?" he asks, baffled.

"jaako raakhe saaiyaan, maar sake na koi Rishi. Ganesha made sure that I knew everything before I started believing in you again. Before you could show me your sweet-Rishi persona and you could abuse me again. Know this Rishi Marwah, the girl you had been abusing for so long, has found her fucking backbone. You cannot abuse me or brainwash me anymore. God is with me, the world is with me. Know that whatever happens from here on out, is going to be my. Fucking. Choice. You will not abuse me again, Never again!"

As soon as the words are out of my mouth, the wind picks up and my hair whips around my face. The Moon shines brighter, and the stars twinkle with more intensity. Maybe it is insanity, or maybe it is in fact a reality, but at that moment I feel the words weaving around me and forming a protective bubble. Rishi is stunned into silence on the other end. I think he can feel the finality of my words too.

But then Rishi takes a deep breath and in a chilly voice, says "I will see you soon, meri jaan." Then he disconnects the call.

Meri jaan. His life. I scoff. Whether he meant it as a threat or as a pledge, it won't work on me. I refuse to cower anymore. Whatever happens from now on will be my fucking choice! No one else's.