Together Forever

Chapter 2

Anika's POV

After the function ended, I found myself back in my room, finally able to unwind. As I changed out of my event attire into something more comfortable, my mind wandered back to Uday’s compliment. His words replayed in my head, catching me off guard all over again.

What the hell? Why did I blush in front of him? And what did he even mean by "more compliments"? I shook my head, trying to brush it off. *It doesn’t matter,* I told myself. *It’s not like I’ll see him again anyway.*

With that, I forced myself to focus on the task at hand. Once I was dressed, I headed downstairs for dinner, trying to push all thoughts of Uday out of my mind. The smell of something delicious greeted me as I entered the dining area, and I saw Piya in the kitchen, finishing up with the last few touches.

I grabbed a couple of plates and set them on the table. Soon, we were both seated, eating quietly at first, the day’s events still fresh in our minds. But as I glanced at Piya, I noticed the mischievous glint in her eyes, the kind that always meant she was about to say something to tease me.

I narrowed my eyes at her. "What?" I asked, bracing myself for whatever she had up her sleeve.

"Nothing," she replied, but the smile tugging at her lips told me otherwise.

"I know something is going on in your mind, so just say it already," I pressed, giving her a pointed look.

She grinned, leaning forward slightly as if she was about to share a secret. "That Uday is handsome, right?"

I blinked, caught off guard by the sudden question. "Why are you asking me?"

"Arre, just generally I’m asking," she said, trying to sound casual but failing miserably.

I shrugged, trying to keep my voice neutral. "Hmm, he looks fine."

Piya wasn’t buying my nonchalance for a second. "What were you talking about with him?" she asked, her tone light but her curiosity clear.

"Nothing," I replied quickly. "I was just struggling to open my water bottle, and he helped me with it."

"That’s it?" Piya raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. "But I saw you talking."

I met her gaze, and she was smiling mischievously again, the same knowing look that always made me feel like she could see right through me.

"If you’re that interested, why don’t you just call him yourself?" I shot back, trying to deflect her attention.

Piya’s eyes widened in mock surprise. "Really? You got his number? Wow!"

"Shut up, Piya, and focus on your food," I said, trying to put an end to the teasing.

With that, she finally relented and started eating. The rest of the meal passed in comfortable silence, and once we were done, I took on the task of washing the dishes. After everything was cleaned and put away, I wished Piya good night and headed up to my room, ready to finally get some rest.

I changed into my pajamas, feeling the exhaustion of the day catching up with me. As I settled into bed, my mind was already drifting towards sleep when my phone suddenly rang. The sound jolted me awake, and I glanced at the screen, seeing an unknown number flashing. Curious, I picked it up.