Tangled Shadows

Chapter 1 The unwanted meeting

Narrator's POV-

The rain fell in heavy sheets against the windows, drowning out the quiet hum of the city below. Aanya sat alone in her dimly lit apartment, watching the water streak down the glass like tears she refused to shed. Her fingers trembled slightly as she traced invisible patterns on the cold surface, her mind drifting back to the night she had spent years trying to forget.

It was always the same-a flash of headlights, the screech of tires, and then silence. The memory haunted her, following her like a shadow she could never escape. Arjun's face would appear next, not as it had been when they first met, full of warmth and love, but as it had been that night-hard, cold, and filled with an accusation she couldn't deny.

Her phone buzzed on the table beside her, pulling her from the past. She glanced at the screen, half-expecting to see a message from him. But it wasn't Arjun. It never was.

It was Karan.

Aanya hesitated before picking up the phone, her thumb hovering over the screen. Karan had been the only constant in her life since everything fell apart. His quiet presence had been a lifeline, even when she didn't want it. But lately, even his messages felt heavy, like a reminder of everything she couldn't escape.

"We need to talk."

That's all it said. No details, no preamble. Just the weight of those four words pressing down on her.

Aanya sighed, setting the phone back down. She couldn't deal with Karan right now, not when her thoughts were already consumed with Arjun and the past she had tried to bury. But she knew Karan wouldn't stop. He never did.

Just as she stood to head to the kitchen, there was a knock at the door-three short, sharp raps. Her heart skipped a beat. No one ever came to her apartment unannounced. She froze, her mind racing through possibilities, but none of them felt right.

Slowly, she made her way to the door, her footsteps barely making a sound on the wooden floor. She hesitated for a moment, her hand resting on the knob, before finally pulling it open.

There, standing in the hallway, was Arjun.

The air in the room seemed to thin as his presence filled the doorway, his tall frame soaked from the rain, his eyes as dark and unreadable as ever. For a moment, neither of them spoke, the years between them stretching out like a chasm that neither knew how to cross.

"Aanya, we need to talk."

His voice was low, edged with something that made her heart clench. She hadn't heard his voice in years, and yet it still held the same power over her, the same ability to unravel everything she had worked so hard to rebuild.

Aanya's throat tightened, and she swallowed hard, stepping aside to let him in. She didn't ask why he was here-she wasn't sure she wanted to know.

As Arjun stepped inside, his eyes swept over the small apartment. It was nothing like the life they had once shared, but he said nothing. He didn't have to. His silence was enough.

Aanya shut the door behind him, the click echoing in the tense stillness between them. She could feel the weight of his gaze on her, but she didn't dare meet it. Instead, she busied herself with making tea, her hands shaking slightly as she filled the kettle with water.

"It's been a long time," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

Arjun didn't respond right away. When he finally spoke, his words were clipped, controlled. "Not long enough."

Aanya flinched at the coldness in his voice, but she kept her back to him, focusing on the tea. She knew this wouldn't be a warm reunion. She had known that the moment she saw him standing in her doorway, dripping with rain and bitterness. But still, a part of her had hoped...

"Why are you here?" she asked, turning to face him at last.

His dark eyes locked onto hers, and for a brief second, she thought she saw a flicker of something-regret, pain, maybe even longing-but it vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

"You know why," Arjun said, his voice steady but his eyes burning with unspoken words.

Aanya opened her mouth to respond, but the words died on her lips. Of course, she knew why he was here. She had known for years that this moment would come, that they couldn't outrun their past forever. The question wasn't why he was here-it was what came next.

Before she could speak again, another knock sounded at the door. This time, she knew exactly who it was.

Karan.

Arjun's jaw clenched as his eyes darted to the door, tension rippling through his body. Aanya felt her own heart race as she walked back to the door, her mind spinning.

As she opened it, Karan stood there, his expression serious, though his eyes softened when they met hers. He glanced behind her, immediately noticing Arjun's presence. The air in the room thickened.

"I didn't realize you had company," Karan said, his voice measured, though the undercurrent of tension was palpable.

"He just arrived," Aanya replied, her voice barely steady.

The two men exchanged a look-one filled with years of history, friendship, and something much more complicated.

"We need to talk," Arjun repeated, his voice low and unyielding.

Aanya's gaze flicked between the two men, feeling the weight of their words settle over her. This was only the beginning. The past was clawing its way back into her life, and no matter how hard she tried, there would be no escaping it.

Not this time.

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Hello to everyone who is reading this story. This is my first story and it's a twisted love story with dark romance. This is completely work of fiction and I hope you guys like it!
Thank you for choosing it