Anindita :HIS Ardhangini

Chapter 14

The next morning, Anindita woke up with the remnants of her restless thoughts lingering, a mixture of unease and curiosity gnawing at her. She had barely slept, haunted by Avinash's intense gaze, his promise, the subtle threat in his words. She shook her head, trying to rid herself of the memory, but it was like he'd embedded himself in her thoughts, refusing to let go.

By the time she reached the hospital, she felt drained, not from work but from the emotional toll of trying to keep Avinash out of her mind. She was determined to ignore him, to treat his proposal as the idle whim of a powerful man used to getting what he wanted. She couldn't let herself believe it was more than that. And yet... there was a part of her that wished it could be.

Halfway through her shift, she was pulled from her work by a message on her phone. She glanced down, her heart skipping a beat when she saw his name.

"Meet me this evening. Same place."

She took a breath, refusing to let herself get flustered. Her fingers hovered over the reply for a moment before she typed out a simple answer.

"No."

She hit send, feeling a strange sense of satisfaction. She was tired of him making demands, as if she had no choice in the matter. But her satisfaction was short-lived when his response came almost immediately.

"If you don't come, I'll come to your home and speak to your father. Is that what you want?"

Her pulse quickened as she read his message. The thought of him showing up at her house, meeting her family, was enough to make her stomach twist. She could only imagine how her stepmother would react. Anindita clenched her jaw, feeling cornered. He knew exactly how to get to her, how to leave her with no options.

"Fine. I'll come." She typed back, her frustration evident in every letter. She could almost picture his victorious smirk, and the thought only fueled her irritation.

---

Later that evening, Anindita arrived at the upscale restaurant, her nerves on edge. She had spent the entire day telling herself she could remain unaffected, that she wouldn't let him get under her skin. But as she walked in, she couldn't deny the flutter of anticipation mixed with apprehension.

Avinash was already there, waiting for her, looking as composed and confident as ever. He stood when he saw her, a hint of satisfaction in his expression. She steeled herself, keeping her own expression guarded as she approached.

"Punctual as always," he remarked, a slight smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. His gaze lingered on her, taking in every detail, and she felt her resolve falter slightly under his scrutiny.

"Not by choice," she replied coolly, refusing to let him think he had won her over so easily. "You left me with no option, Avinash. You can't keep manipulating me like this."

He leaned back, watching her with that infuriating calmness that seemed to be his trademark. "I'm simply ensuring you understand that I'm serious, Anindita. I've never pursued anyone like this. When I say I want you to be mine, I mean it."

She looked away, her fingers tightening around the edge of the table. She wanted to be unaffected, to believe that his words were just empty promises. But the intensity in his voice, the sincerity that seemed to underlie every word, was unsettling.

"Why?" she asked, finally meeting his gaze. "Why me? You could have anyone. You don't even know me."

He paused, considering her question, and for a moment, she saw something vulnerable in his eyes, something she hadn't expected.

"I know enough," he replied quietly. "I know that you're strong, that you've endured more than most people. I know that you don't trust easily, and that you've been hurt. And I know that, despite everything, you've never given up."

Anindita's defenses wavered. No one had ever spoken to her like this, no one had looked at her and seen past the walls she had so carefully built. But she forced herself to hold steady, unwilling to let her guard down so easily.

"That doesn't mean you get to decide my life for me," she said, her voice firmer than she felt. "I'm not just something you can claim, Avinash."

He tilted his head, a hint of a challenge in his gaze. "I'm not claiming you, Anindita. I'm asking you to let me in. To give me a chance. And yes, I'll be persistent, because I'm not going to let you walk away without understanding that I'm serious about this."

She opened her mouth to protest, but he raised a hand, stopping her. "You can take all the time you need, push me away as much as you want. But I won't give up. You'll see that I'm not going anywhere."

She felt a surge of frustration, of confusion, but behind it all, something else-something that she didn't want to admit. Part of her wanted to believe him, wanted to let herself be vulnerable. But the fear of being hurt, of letting someone into her life only to be left alone again, was too strong.

After a long silence, she finally looked up at him, a hint of challenge in her eyes. "I'm not some damsel waiting to be saved, Avinash. Don't mistake me for someone who needs your protection."

He gave her a small, respectful nod. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you. But maybe one day, you'll see that I'm not here to save you, Anindita. I'm here because I want to be with you."

With that, he stood, leaving her with his final words echoing in her mind. She sat there, watching him go, her heart racing, her mind reeling. She wanted to be angry, to brush it all off as his arrogance. But beneath the frustration, beneath the doubt, a small part of her wondered if maybe, just maybe, he was different.

And that thought scared her more than anything else.

As Anindita sat at the table, lost in a whirlwind of thoughts, she didn't notice the familiar figure watching her from across the restaurant. Maya, her younger stepsister, had come in with a group of friends, and she had frozen in place the moment her eyes fell on Anindita-and the man who had just left her table.

Maya's eyes narrowed as she took in the scene, piecing it together quickly. She watched her sister, clearly lost in thought, her expression softer than usual. Curious, Maya leaned over to her friend, whispering to draw her attention, and pointed subtly in Anindita's direction. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Anindita, the quiet, almost invisible one at home, was out at an upscale restaurant with a man who had left looking like he was someone important.

When Anindita finally stood and began to leave, Maya quickly turned her head away, not wanting her sister to notice her. But her mind was already spinning. This was unexpected-and, more importantly, it was information she knew her mother would be very interested in.

---

Later that evening, Maya rushed home, unable to contain her excitement. She found her mother, Divya, reading in the sitting room and wasted no time, lowering her voice conspiratorially as she spoke.

"Maa, you won't believe what I saw tonight," Maya began, her eyes gleaming with a mix of curiosity and satisfaction. "I saw Anindita out at that fancy restaurant, and she was with some man. He looked rich, powerful. I mean, she was actually smiling and talking to him."

Divya's eyes narrowed, a calculating glint appearing in them as she set her book aside. "Anindita? With a man?" she repeated, her tone both skeptical and intrigued. "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely," Maya replied confidently. "She was sitting there, looking like she was with someone... important. He left before I could see who he was, but he seemed like the type who would never look twice at her."

Divya's lips curled into a smirk, her mind already working through the possibilities. This could be useful-very useful. Anindita had always been the quiet, obedient one, someone they barely had to worry about. But now, it seemed that she had secrets of her own. And Divya was determined to find out what those secrets were.

"Well, let's keep an eye on her," Divya said, a cunning tone in her voice. "If she's meeting with someone behind our backs, we'll find out who he is and what he wants. After all, we wouldn't want her making foolish choices that could embarrass the family, would we?"

Maya nodded, a satisfied smile spreading across her face. They both understood each other well. Anindita's life was about to get more complicated, whether she liked it or not.