“Why are you here?”

  Saaniya’s words came out cold, slicing through the air like a blade. Silence followed, stretching thin between them.

  She stood there, arms folded, eyes fixed on him, while Aniket stared back—mind racing for an excuse that didn’t sound like a lie.

  Five minutes later, breaking that silence with a deep breath, Saaniya said, “If you’re here just to waste my time, then do it while sitting comfortably inside!”

  Saying this, she walked in. Aniket, still confused, followed her in and shut the door.

  On the table in the living room lay a strip of medicine, which Saaniya quickly slipped into her pocket before Aniket could notice.

  Aniket sat down on the sofa, and as Saaniya brought him a glass of water, she said, “Anu has already been picked up by Aditya for the office, and Ira left with them. And as for Ruhi—she never came here yesterday. Which means… there’s no one in the house you’d be interested in meeting.”

  Aniket took a sip of water and said, “Oh… I see.”

  Immediately, Saaniya said, “Then leave now.”

  Aniket started coughing. Composing himself, he said, “Has no one ever taught you…‘????? ????? ???’ (Guest is God)?”

  In her usual dry tone, Saaniya replied, “When I don’t even believe in God, how do you expect me to see God in a guest?”

  “So… you’re an atheist!!” Aniket thought aloud.

  “Yes,” she said casually, “I’m an atheist—just like you’re currently unemployed.”

  Irritated, Aniket retorted, “I’m not unemployed! ”

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  "But you was."

  As she spoke, Saaniya pulled a chair and sat in front of Aniket.

  “So… are you joining your dad’s company now?” she asked.

  “Yes,” Aniket replied, “Dad wants to retire now. And I feel like… by working jobs, I’ve gained at least some experience of this world. To be a good businessman, you need to understand people… and you can’t learn that by just sitting in a boss’s cabin giving orders.”

  They talked for a while. Perhaps, this was the first time they were speaking so calmly.

  But then the conversation circled back to one thing.

  “But you’re not here just to tell me all this, right? That’s impossible. Tell me… why are you here?”

  Avoiding her eyes, Aniket said, “Why do you keep asking me the same question again and again?”

  “Because you’re not answering me,” she replied, her eyes as expressionless as always.

  But today, something in her was… off. She was leaning back too much, her shoulders sagging like she was exhausted. Her eyes were heavy-lidded, her cheeks faintly flushed.

  Aniket noticed. He wanted to ask if she was okay. But how? How could someone like her—who couldn’t accept that anyone might show up without an agenda—believe that the man who usually argued with her was suddenly worried about her?

  Before he could speak, she stood. “If you don’t have any business here, leave.”

  She started walking away. He got up instantly, keeping a quiet step behind her, close enough to catch her if she stumbled.

  When she turned and caught him there, her voice sharpened. “Why aren’t you leaving?”

  Without answering, he reached out, pressing the back of his hand to her forehead.

  “You’ve got a fever. Did you take your medicine?”

  She knocked his hand away and looked aside. “Go home. I can take care of myself.”

  Aniket put his hands in his pockets, exhaled deeply, and asked, “Why are you like this? Why do you try to push away the people who want to help you?”

  She looked at him with a smile—a smile full of disbelief.

  “Really? You… Do you want to help me? Why? Do you have a reason? Why would you want to help me?”

  Aniket stayed silent. He didn’t want her to know that he had already learned bits of her past. This wasn't a pity. But he also knew she would never believe him if he tried to explain.

  Seeing his silence, Saaniya turned her face away and said, “Go. I don’t want to repeat myself.”

  Lowering his gaze, Aniket turned to leave. At the door, he paused and said, “You’re an atheist… but why do I feel like you still pray to God for some kind of miracle?”

  He opened the door and left.

  Saaniya’s eyes flickered toward the door, then back to the floor. Her face was unreadable, her emotions locked away behind familiar walls.

  Outside, Aniket tilted his head toward the sky.

  “Why does she hide what’s in her heart? She wants someone to walk in, burn her past to ashes, and bring her into the light… but the moment someone tries, she starts building walls again.”

  Aniket had questions but he also had determination.

  But somewhere else, Anamika’s mind was on a completely different track.

  Today, she was sitting near the balcony, but her attention was more on the sky than her work.

  Just like the clouds were taking different shapes, her thoughts were drifting in different directions.

  Pouting like an innocent child, she looked as if she was tired of thinking.

  On the table beside her, her phone screen was open to her WhatsApp chat with Saaniya. She had typed: “Did you go anywhere else after the hospital yesterday?!”

  But she hadn’t sent it. Or maybe… she just didn’t have the courage to.