Shivay's car stopped just before the grand mansion. He checked his watch once again, waiting for Annika to walk out the door any moment.
It was 4.00 am, yet there was no sign of her. He decided to wait for a minute more and then check for himself. The seconds ahead passed slower than he anticipated.
He looked at his watch again. The airport was forty-five minutes, without the day traffic, it would be reduced to half an hour at best.
But Annika was nowhere near out of the house. The flight was at eight. But being an international flight, they had to be there at least three hours prior.
His phone glinted with a notification as he stepped out of his car. A message from Annika. Weird, he realized. She had never messaged him until now.
It read, "Shivay, an important deal at the office today. I can't accompany you. I'll join you in a day or later, go forward without me. I'd let you know what to do next."
He took a careful step towards the mansion, placing the phone in his back pocket. Shivay noticed the gates were locked from within. To his utter shock, none of the guards were stationed either. He looked at the closed door one last time before calculating his next move.
***
"Thank you Rudy yaar," Shivay said, climbing up the window frame, "I don't know what I would do without you."
"Same. I don't know what you would do without me either," he chuckled as Shivay smacked his shoulder.
"Where is she?"
"Sleeping," Rudy said with incredible calmness.
"What? She's sleeping?" he glanced back to his phone as if understanding. It wasn't her that sent that message. At that moment, he knew exactly who had sent that message. Alarmed, Shivay and Rudra rushed to her room.
"Annika-" Staring at her sleeping form, he let out a breath.
"Why is she not ready?" Shivay asked Rudra.
"Ready for what?"
"Rudy! Idiot, we have a flight to Romania at eight! Didn't she tell you-"
"I came in late last night. Party," he scratched his hair.
"Rudy yaar, why do you think I'm here at four in the morning?" Shivay snapped, "Now go, wake her up."
Rudy was swiftly on her side, calling out her name aloud, then tapping her shoulder. But she didn't so much as move. Shivay grew impatient by the second.
"Annika, wake up!" Shivay almost screamed as Rudy closed the door to the room.
But Annika didn't stir. He went utterly pale as he checked her breath.
Breathing. She was breathing. His fisted hand loosened.
He grabbed a tiny water bottle from the nightstand and without a thought, emptied it on her.
Her eyes flickered open as the water trickled and poured down at once, from her face to her grey shirt to her furry blanket.
