|His Muse| A Twisted Fairytale |

|ii|

Saanjh

"Yes Mamma, I've taken my meals" I cradled the phone between my left ear and shoulder as I continued to stir the bowl of oatmeal. Just a little lie.

"Will you spend the rest of your life on run?" She asked, her perplex audible.

I threw my head back. "I don't know. Just tell Papa. I am taking time to process..things. I am applying for ad agencies and as soon I have saved enough, I am applying for Visa for all of us"

She hummed. "Your father keeps worrying about you. But he is managing other people's queries very well. We both are"

I beamed in gratitude. My parents are indeed too good for this world.

"But make sure you navigate your way through love again. Not all men are the same"

Here we go again.

"As long as I have both of you by my side, I don't need anyone else" I put the sliced bananas in the bowl and take a spoonful. "Ok bye. Raj is calling me"

"Are you sure he is just a friend?"

"Maa!" I warned but my tone was a mix of fury and giggle. She laughed a little before hanging up.

Mumbai had a way of swallowing you whole—its bustling streets, the cacophony of honking horns, the smell of sea salt mixed with the aroma of street food. It was overwhelming and intoxicating all at once. For someone like me, still grappling with the scars of a past I couldn't forget, it offered a strange kind of solace. Here, among the millions, I could disappear.

Raj had been my anchor in this chaotic city. We had met in college, both of us far from home and looking for something to cling to. He was from a small town in Gujarat, a world away from the glittering lights of Mumbai. His easygoing nature and the way he could make me laugh, even on my worst days, had drawn me to him. We became fast friends, sharing meals, study sessions, and the occasional late-night confessions over cutting chai at our favorite roadside stall.

But Raj was more than just a friend. He was the one who had stood by me when everything had fallen apart, the one who had helped me pick up the pieces when my world had crumbled. When the video leaked, when the shame and guilt threatened to consume me, it was Raj who had advised me to relocate here.

"Hello Raj" I greeted

"Saanjh, are you free tonight?" His voice crackled over the line, barely audible above the noise of the street outside my window.

"Why, what's up?" I asked, already reaching for my jacket.

"There's this event... It's at the Malhotra mansion. Anant Malhotra is hosting some big gathering, and I got an invite. I don't want to go alone."

The name Malhotra was enough to send a shiver down my spine. Even in a city as big as Mumbai, the Malhotras were known. They were old money, the kind that came with power and influence. The idea of stepping into their world felt like stepping onto a stage where I didn't belong.

"Raj, I don't know... I'm not sure if I'm the right person to—"

"Saanjh, please," he interrupted, his voice softer now, almost pleading. "I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important. You've been cooped up for too long. Maybe a night out is exactly what you need."

I hesitated, biting my lip. Raj was right—I had been hiding, retreating into myself, trying to forget. Maybe it was time to face the world again, even if just for one night.

"Okay," I agreed finally. "But you owe me one."

He laughed, the sound warm and familiar. "Deal. I'll pick you up at eight."