The apartment was eerily silent. Shruti leaned against the counter, her eyes darting to the pile of untouched breakfast on the table. Lakshmi sat on the couch, absentmindedly flipping through a book she clearly wasn't reading. Shruti could feel the tension in the air—an unspoken weight pressing between them.
"Lux," Shruti began, trying to keep her voice steady, "what's going on with you? You've been acting strange ever since you moved in."
Lakshmi didn't look up. "I told you, Shru. It's just work stress."
"Work stress doesn't explain the cryptic phone messages or the way you disappear into your room for hours," Shruti snapped. "I've known you for years, Lux. Don't think for a second I can't tell when you're hiding something."
Lakshmi's grip on the book tightened. "Drop it, Shruti."
"No," Shruti said firmly. She stepped closer, her frustration bubbling over. "I'm tired of pretending like everything's fine. You keep brushing me off, but I'm your friend. Whatever it is, you can trust me."
Lakshmi hesitated, her face a mixture of conflict and exhaustion. Finally, she closed the book and set it aside.
"Alright," she said, her voice low. "You want to know what's going on? Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you."
"Do you remember Vedanth?" Lakshmi asked quietly, her gaze fixed on the floor.
Shruti frowned, the name unfamiliar. "Vedanth? Who's that?"
Lakshmi let out a bitter laugh. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised. It's been years since we last talked properly. He was... my husband."
Shruti's eyes widened in shock. "Wait, you were married?"
Lakshmi nodded, her expression unreadable. "Not just married. I had a whole life, Shru—a life I had to leave behind."
She leaned back, closing her eyes as if summoning the courage to continue. "Vedanth wasn't just my husband. He was my strength , my biggest supporter. We met through an arranged match, but he became my everything. He understood me in a way no one else ever could."
Shruti sat down across from her, stunned into silence. Lakshmi's voice grew softer, tinged with both warmth and sorrow.
"The first time we met, I didn't think much of him. He was quiet, reserved—so unlike the larger-than-life heroes I'd imagined growing up. But there was something about the way he spoke, the way he listened... it made me feel seen."
Lakshmi's lips twitched into a faint smile as she recalled a moment from their early days together.
Flashback
The soft glow of the evening sun bathed the small living room in warmth. Lakshmi was busy rearranging books on the shelf, while Vedanth leaned against the doorway, his eyes following her every movement.
"Are you going to help or just stand there staring?" Lakshmi asked without turning around, her voice laced with playful annoyance.
Vedanth chuckled. "I would help, but I'm a little preoccupied admiring the view."
Lakshmi turned to face him, raising an eyebrow. "The view?"
He stepped closer, his gaze softening as it lingered on her face. "Yes, the most beautiful view I've ever seen."
She rolled her eyes, though a blush crept onto her cheeks. "You're ridiculous."
"I'm serious, Lakshmi," Vedanth said, his tone gentle. "Do you know what I thought the first time I saw you?"
"What?" she asked, folding her arms, though her curiosity betrayed her.
"I thought, 'How can someone look so elegant and fierce at the same time?' You walked into the room like you owned it, with that confident stride and those sharp eyes. And yet, there was this warmth about you... like the sun had decided to rest in your smile."
