𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐒𝐚'𝐬 𝐕𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞

7) Not Just Practice

Author's POV

Nalini's heart raced as she approached the door, her hand still trembling. The knock was persistent but not forceful, a rhythmic pattern that seemed oddly routine. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she peered through the peephole, hoping to catch a glimpse of whoever was on the other side.

To her surprise, she saw the uniformed figure of a delivery person standing there, holding a package. The sight was almost a relief, though her anxiety hadn’t entirely subsided.

She opened the door cautiously, meeting the delivery guy’s friendly smile. “Hi, I have a package for Nalini Roy,” he said, his tone professional and warm.

Nalini nodded, trying to steady her voice. “That’s me. Thank you.” She took the package from him, her fingers brushing his as she did. The delivery guy nodded and turned to leave.

She had forgotten about the sleepover planned with her friends Yuvika and Vansh, who were expected soon. She quickly brought the food inside.

Nalini took the food parcel into her room and quickly decided she needed a break. She headed for the shower, hoping the warm water would wash away the lingering tension. The sound of the water cascading around her was calming, but her mind remained on edge. After a thorough rinse, she dried off and made her way back to the living room, feeling a bit more composed.

She prepared herself a cup of green tea, savoring the calming aroma as she set up her laptop for the conference call. The familiar faces of Yuvika and Vansh appeared on the screen, their smiles a comforting sight. They chatted about their day and caught up on recent events, and Nalini felt her anxiety start to melt away as they joked and planned their upcoming projects.

With the call concluded, Nalini settled into her favorite armchair with her book, hoping to lose herself in the story. The soft glow of the lamp and the quiet of her apartment created a peaceful environment. For a while, the mundane task of reading provided a welcome escape from her worries.

After the unsettling evening, Nalini tried her best to push the incident with the stalker out of her mind. The fact that he had suddenly disappeared without a trace was both a relief and a cause for concern. She kept reminding herself that her friends, Yuvika and Vansh, would be arriving soon for the sleepover they had planned. Having them around would surely help ease her nerves.

When Yuvika and Vansh arrived, they brought an air of excitement and warmth into the apartment. Nalini felt herself relax a little as Yuvika playfully teased her about the upcoming school function, where Nalini was set to play the role of Juliet opposite Vansh’s Romeo.

“Ready to woo the crowd as the tragic Juliet?” Yuvika joked, nudging Nalini with a grin.

“I hope so,” Nalini replied with a smile, though she couldn’t completely shake the unease that lingered from earlier. “It’s a big role. I just want to do it justice.”

“You’ll be amazing,” Vansh chimed in, his voice steady. “We’ve practiced enough to nail it.”

Nalini smiled at his encouragement, though something in the way Vansh looked at her made her stomach flutter with an emotion she couldn’t quite place. They all focused on their assignments first, determined to get some work done before indulging in the fun part of the evening.

For the next hour or so, the apartment was filled with the sound of keyboards clicking and the occasional exasperated sigh as they worked on their respective assignments. Nalini found it easier to concentrate with her friends around, and the lingering anxiety from the evening gradually faded into the background.

After they had made good progress on their assignments, Yuvika stretched and groaned, “Enough with the studying! Let’s start rehearsing. Nalini, you need to practice that balcony scene.”