Until I Find My Star

Chapter 38

Anu's POV:

It had been three months.

Three whole months since that semester ended...

Three whole months since Vikram walked out of the college gates... or out of my life.

Three whole months since I last saw him.

And for the first time in years, my life felt quieter. Not completely peaceful but quieter in a way I wasn't used to since he entered my life. In the beginning, I didn't trust it. Even after he left, I kept expecting him to appear out of nowhere, like he always did. Outside my house, near the college gate, somewhere behind me when I least expected it. But couple of days passed, and he didn't come back. That silence slowly started to settle around me, unfamiliar but comforting in its own strange way.

And somehow, the world didn't collapse.

Life... moved on not immediately but slowly.

That week I went to India with my mom. The moment I stepped into my grandparents house, something inside me eased. The air felt different warm and lighter... it felt like home.

My home... familiar in a way that didn't hurt.

My cousins filled the house with noise and laughter, constantly dragging me into their plans.

"Anu, come fast!"
"Let's go out!"
"Why are you always so quiet?"

They didn't know anything, and for once, I was grateful for that. I let myself blend into their world going out in the evenings, eating together, staying up late talking about random things. I missed this so much, ever since we went to London I barely made any friends and even if I did he made sure to cut them off of my life. Now I felt good and sometimes, I even laughed without thinking. It felt strange, like I had forgotten how to be that person.

And just when I was getting comfortable he called after leaving me alone for two whole weeks without any contact. The calls started to almost frequently after that. I still remember staring at my phone screen in numb as his name flashed again and again. My chest would tighten every single time, my fingers hovering over the screen, frozen.

I didn't pick up.
Not once.

I never answered, never I couldn't. The calls kept coming morning, afternoon, late night... relentless, like he was trying to pull me back into something I had barely escaped.

Messages followed too. Short ones at first, demanding. Then longer ones, filled with impatience just like I remembered.

-Babe, why aren't you answering?
-Pick up the damn call and where the fuck are you?

-I left you for a week and you think you can ignore me like this? The fuck do you think you're doing? I'm so fucking angry and don't make me do things.

-You left for India? Seriously? At least you could have informed me before leaving?
-Don't test my patience, babe. Pick up the damn phone or reply.

I had turned my read receipts off on WhatsApp to read those messages, so I never replied back. But reading those messages at times I literally felt he was there. My fingers would freeze over the screen, my heart racing like it used to when he stood too close.

-You think ignoring me will work? You are mine, Amore.

-Answer the fucking phone, Anu?