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"What do you mean it's about Nitya? What happened to her?" Adwait's breath quickens as the fear claws its way up his throat.
"Nothing happened to her, but..." Samar gives a long pause. "I told her the truth. Why you made her wait that year."
Adwait freezes. Eyes narrow, anger ripple through him, slow and deadly. "What the hell, Samar? Why did you spill everything to Nitya? I would've told her myself. Are you out of your damn mind?"
Samar's face twists in guilt. "I—I'm sorry, Adwait. I felt like shit. I treated her like garbage, and in this twisted, desperate need to make things right... I told her why you made her wait that year. I just... I let it slip." He swallows hard. "I'm sorry, man. You have to go to Nitya. Talk to her before it all goes to hell. Fix this. Please."
"She's missing, dammit!" Adwait's chest tightens in panic. He bolts down the street. "I swear, Samar, if something's happened to her, I'll make sure you regret ever breathing." His finger hover over the end button, ready to cut the call, but Samar's next words stop him cold.
"She didn't keep her engagement a secret from you, Adwait."
The words knock the breath from him. He presses the phone harder against his ear, almost crushing it. "What did you just say?"
"She never hid her engagement. She told you about Abhinav from the start, and she only went along with the fake drama after you gave her permission."
Adwait let out a dry chuckle, but it's hollow. "So you're telling me I gave her permission, and I don't even know about it?"
Arriving at home, he heads straight for the bathroom. Gently setting her down on the cold tiles, he adjusts the shower to a soothing, warm temperature. "Take a shower. I'll whip up something warm for you."
He turns to leave, but Nitya grabs his arm. The slippery surface beneath his shoes throws off his balance, and as he tries to steady himself, his hand accidentally hits the shower faucet.
Water gushes out with wild abandon, drenching Nitya, who gasps for air because the relentless spray hits her directly. Adwait swiftly presses her against the wall and now, he is beneath the torrent of water that drenches him fully.
"What's wrong, sweetheart?" he murmurs, brushing the wet strands of hair from her face.
"Please stay," she whispers, hugging him tightly.
He holds her with one arm and reaches out with the other to turn off the faucet. Water sputters and gurgles to a stop. "Nitya, you need to shower. I'm not going anywhere. I'm just heading to the kitchen to whip up something."
She groans at the suggestion, so he sighs and adds, "Alright, how about this: I'll hang out outside the bathroom door and keep talking to you. Will that work for you?"
