𝙎𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙮𝙖𝙣 𝙎𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙡𝙮𝙖 and 𝘼𝙖𝙨𝙝𝙫𝙞 𝙏𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙙𝙞, business rivals and family friends, are forced into an arranged marriage. Bound by family duty, they must uncover hidden truths while navigating their explosive chemistry. Will their...
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"One of these days, I'm going to let one of your lab mice loose on you, you bitch!" I yell into the screen, rubbing my temples. "Seriously, Anika, this is your final warning. Either get yourself here, or I swear I'll drag you back myself."
Anika laughs, completely unfazed. "You say that like you haven't been trying to boss me around for years. News flash, it never worked."
I sigh, the irritation giving way to the familiar warmth of our banter. It's been three years since I last saw her in person, yet somehow, this friendship never falters, even after all the distance, the accidents, the chaos. "I mean it this time. It's been too long, and I need you here. Besides, who else is going to stop me from making bad decisions?"
She raises an eyebrow, mischief dancing in her eyes. "You say 'bad decisions' like you're not about to marry the King of Cold himself."
I pause for a second, taken aback by how effortlessly she can steer a conversation straight to the heart of things.
"Shriyan," I mutter. "Don't remind me."
Anika softens, sensing the shift in my mood. "Hey, today's a big day for you. I should be there, but you know I'm stuck with this project. But seriously, everything's going to be fine, right?"
"Yeah, fine," I lie. The words come out hollow, a reflex.
"I know I'm letting you down and being a disappointment." Anika's voice softened, barely a whisper now, as if even speaking too loud could break me. I swallowed hard, unable to respond. The accident shook her as much as it did me, if not more. We never spoke about it-not really-but losing Bhai had dimmed the last of her spark. The girl who used to light up any room she walked into was quieter now, a little more fragile beneath her usual sharp wit. And though I wished I could fix that, sometimes all I wanted was to have her back-my Anika, my sunshine, my anchor, the one who always pulled me through my darkest days.
The silence between us lingered longer than usual, weighted with all the things we left unsaid.
"It's not that, Ani. It's just... I miss you," I finally forced out, my voice tinged with the ache I'd been carrying for far too long.
"I miss you too, Ash," she replied, her voice almost breaking. "I really do. And I promise, I'm going to be there soon. I was planning on surprising you for your birthday, but I guess there's no point in hiding it now-I've transferred my project from Boston to IGIB's Genomics Unit in Delhi."
For a moment, her words didn't quite register. The heaviness that clung to me for so long seemed to evaporate, just like that. She was coming home.
"You mean... you're going to live with me?" My voice wavered, emotions threatening to spill over.
"Well, if you stop crying and actually make room for me in your overstuffed closet," she teased, the laughter in her tone breaking the tension. "Not that it matters. You'll probably be too busy with Mr. King of cold to even notice me."
