The Revenge Game

4- The return of the past

As I sit at this café, sipping my coffee and watching the world go by, I can't help but think about Aarav. He's been on my mind constantly these days. His goofy smile that lights up his face whenever he flirts with me, and his hearty, infectious laughter when I tell him a joke, are memories I treasure.

Our afternoons spent at cafés slowly transitioned into evening dinners, and those dinners turned into late-night drives with music blaring through the car speakers. Each drive was an adventure, filled with laughter and shared stories. We had paint dates where we splattered colors on canvases and on each other, and pottery dates where we molded clay into shapes, our hands often touching and lingering longer than necessary.

These moments we shared over the past five months were more than just casual meet-ups. To our parents, we called them "getting to know each other," but for us, they were secret little dates that brought us closer. Each meeting was filled with excitement and anticipation, as we discovered new things about  each other and built a connection that felt both thrilling and comforting.

My phone rang, interrupting the quiet air of the café , catching my attention to the caller ID, which displayed my sister's name. I initially dismissed it, thinking it was simply another one of her calls about some little "date dress-up" issue. But when it rang for the second time, I felt a sense of dread like if something terrible was waiting for me on the other end. With uncertainty and anxiety, I hesitantly answered the phone.

"Maanvi di!" My sister's voice sounded anxious sending chills down my spine.

"What's wrong?" "You're scaring me," I said breathlessly, my mind racing with a number of of terrifying possibilities.

"Raha is in town," she blurted out, her words sending a wave of confusion crashing over me. Raha? Who was Raha?

"Who?" I asked, my irritation evident in my tone, only to receive an exasperated response from my sister.

"Aarav's model ex-girlfriend. The one everyone says is stunningly beautiful."

"What the hell, Amara? First, you call me at this odd hour and start talking in such a serious tone, making me worry, and then you tell me about my fiancé's ex? Seriously? What is this behavior? I thought someone was hurt or something. His ex is the last thing on my mind," I scolded her.

"Well, you should be concerned," Amara said, making me roll my eyes.

"What now?" I asked, completely annoyed with her.

"Raha just gave an interview where she made it clear she returned from the UK to get back her ex, whom she claims to be madly in love with. And you know she’s known for her obsessive nature. The guy who dated her before Aarav—she made sure no one else would come near him. She got him into a car accident that put him in a coma. Even though no one could confirm it was her, everyone knows what this girl is capable of."

Amara continued, giving me more details about Raha and her past, making it all sound like a daily soap drama. I couldn't believe Aarav was involved with such a person.

"Are you even listening to me? This girl is dangerous, Maanvi di. You have to be careful," she insisted.

"Yes, yes, I am listening. I’ll take care of the situation, don’t worry," I assured her, trying to calm her down.

With that, I ended the call, feeling the weight of the new information settling heavily on my shoulders.

This girl Raha, who is an obsessive ex of Aarav, is trouble. My gut tells me not to snoop into the matter, but my curiosity gets the better of me. I can’t help myself and quickly type her name into Google.