Together Forever

Chapter 18

Anika's POV

The next morning I woke up feeling groggy, my throat raw and aching, as if I’d been up all night talking, though I hadn't. I sluggishly reached for the thermometer, shoving it under my tongue and waiting for the beep. When it finally went off, the numbers blinked at me: fever.

"Great," I muttered, dropping the thermometer on the nightstand. "First day of the week, and I’m already down with a fever."

Before I could even process my next move, my phone rang, and I didn’t need to check to know it was Uday. With a sigh, I picked it up, doing my best to sound normal.

"Good morning, baby."

"Good morning, Uday."

"Wait, why does your voice sound different?"

My heart skipped. "Umm, nothing. Maybe it’s because I had ice cream yesterday." There was no way I could tell him the truth—he’d worry unnecessarily.

"Are you sure?" His tone was suspicious, clearly not convinced.

"Yeah, yeah. It’s no big deal," I replied, forcing a light laugh. "Probably just the weather."

He paused for a moment before his voice softened, but there was an edge to it. "Anika, you better be taking care of yourself."

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes, though he couldn't see me. "Yes, boss. I’ll be fine. Promise."

"Okay, I’ll talk to you later then. Take care, okay? Bye."

"Bye." I hung up the phone and sighed, the throbbing in my head getting worse. My muscles felt heavy as I dragged myself downstairs.

I found Piya in the kitchen, humming to herself while making breakfast. "Hey, good morning," I mumbled, flopping onto the sofa.

She turned around, concern immediately taking over her face. "Morning. What’s wrong?"

"I don’t feel well," I admitted, sinking further into the cushions. "Checked my temperature... I have a fever."

Her eyes widened, and in an instant, she was by my side, placing a hand on my forehead. "Your head is burning, Anika. We need to go to a doctor."

I shook my head, waving her off weakly. "No need for that. We’ve got fever medicine here. I’ll just take that."

"But going to a doctor would be better," she pressed, clearly not happy with my decision.

"Piya, it’s fine," I reassured her. "If I don’t feel better after taking the medicine, we’ll go to the doctor, okay?"

Piya hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Okay. Let me quickly make something for you to eat. You can’t take medicine on an empty stomach."

I nodded, grateful for her fussing over me, and closed my eyes, trying to rest on the couch. Not long after, she returned with a small plate of poha. I took a few bites—just enough to make her satisfied—then she handed me the medicine.

"Don’t go to the café today," she warned, her tone firm. "Take the day off. You need rest."

"Hmm," I agreed, too tired to argue.

"Now, go to your room and rest. Tell me if you need anything."

"Okay," I mumbled as I dragged myself to my room. I lay on my bed, and sleep enveloped me almost immediately, pulling me into a deep slumber.

When I woke up, I glanced at my phone. Three hours had passed—it was already noon. I rubbed my eyes, feeling a bit better, though still groggy. I unlocked my phone and saw five missed calls from Uday. I was about to call him back when the door creaked open, and Piya stepped in.