[ ɪɴᴅɪᴀɴ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ ♬♩♪♩]
"It's okay, love. I won't hurt you," Raj tried to reassure me, his voice soft, but I couldn't believe him. I shakily stood up, trying to put more distance between us.
"Please, Lavanya, relax. You're not well," he said, steppin...
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✧ Lavanya's POV ✧
I hold the bowl of soup, my heart heavy for Tanu. Her sadness seems to echo in the silence around me, and I feel the weight of her loss. Losing her baby and family in one fell swoop, it's a grief I can't fully comprehend, but I hope that the soup I made will at least bring her some comfort.
But as I approach her door, that sinking feeling returns, gnawing at me. Something has been off about her recovery-too fast, too perfect. Two days ago, she was practically on death's doorstep, her body broken and fragile, yet today, she seems... fine. Not a tear shed, not a word about her baby. It feels almost unnatural, but I can't explain why.
The odd, unsettling sound coming from her room stops me in my tracks. It's faint but unmistakable, like the sickening crack of bones. I clench my jaw, telling myself it's nothing-just my imagination playing tricks on me. Still, my pulse races as I knock on the door.
It swings open faster than expected, and Tanu stands there, eyes wide and filled with terror. Her face is pale, like she's hiding something-like she's done something she shouldn't have.
"Good morning, Tanu," I say, forcing a smile despite the tightness in my chest. "I brought you some soup."
She stares at me, her lips twitching into an awkward smile. "Thank you so much, Lun...a... I mean, Lavanya."
Luna? I blink, feeling my stomach twist. Did she just call me 'Luna'? That name doesn't belong to me. But before I can even react, she snatches the bowl from my hands, too quickly. And then I notice-her wrist. Just two days ago, it was slashed and bandaged. Now, not even a scar. It's as if nothing ever happened.
A chill runs down my spine, but I swallow it down. "Alright, I'm heading to the office now."
Tanu nods, her smile still forced, her eyes hollow. I turn and leave, but the discomfort sits heavy in my gut. I can't shake the feeling that something isn't right with her, something beyond what I can see.
Dhruv arrives to pick me up, and as I get into the car, he eyes me suspiciously. "Why didn't you come to the office yesterday?"
I try to brush it off. "Stomach issues," I say with a shrug. It's partly true, but not the whole story.
Dhruv doesn't seem convinced. "You sure? You look... I don't know... distracted."
I force a smile. "I'm fine, really."
Raj had made me promise not to share details about Tanu's situation, and I don't want to betray that trust. Still, the uneasy feeling gnaws at me, even as we drive to the office.
Once we arrive, the buzz of the office life helps distract me, at least for a little while. My friends greet me, and we settle into our usual banter, though Raj is noticeably absent, buried in work for the new product launch. We have a conference meeting after lunch, and everyone's talking about Miss Verma's replacement. It's all normal office chatter, but my mind keeps wandering back to Tanu.
