invisible string ✓

twenty four

She shot a look as deep as the ocean, making me rethink about the intensity of the issue.

“Okay, Miss Bansal. At least, for my sake, I will look into this,” I assured, warning myself not to let go of this.

***

TWO WEEKS LATER…

“Hey! You okay?” Dhruv asked the first thing he entered the house— upon my call— along with Shaina, who reached the house at the same time coincidentally.

Which man wouldn't ask this if he sees his fiancée in puffy, moist, and red eyes, frizzy hair, and a dress she had been wearing for around 28 hours (a sign that she did all but nothing)?

“Aadya, I asked you. Are you alright?” Dhruv stepped an inch closer and asked in an out-of-characteristic concerned tone.

While I wanted to nod a yes, my mind forced me to nod a no as I broke down again at the sight of seeing my fiance feeling concerned for me. Unable to face him for longer, I leaned on his shoulder and continued crying further with my hand carrying my mobile— which was displaying the chat box of Avinash Chauhan, Consul of Indian Consulate in Milan and Aisha's cousin's best friend's husband— gripping Dhruv's lower arm. Sensing the cold touch of my mobile on his hand, he took it from me and read Mr Chauhan's message. Aloud.

Avinash Chauhan:
Hi, Miss Chatterjee. Mahima told me about you. And, yeah, I searched for the details. But, unfortunately, there is no person with the details you asked for with Italian citizenship. We have even searched from the past 30 years. We regret the inability of finding the required information you asked for.

Me:
Is there any other ways to get the information? I mean, I came to you all as a last resort. There must be other ways, right?

Avinash Chauhan:
As far as I know, I'm sure that there isn't any other way for finding this information. I regret not providing the required information, but I would also like to know whether you have sent us the precise details about the person. I mean, are you sure that he is an Italian citizen? What if he was an illegal immigrant? In that case, you may not procure the information you needed. Are you sure that you're precise about the details?

At that point, I asked, “What do you mean, he was an immigrant? I created him. I know him inside out. I know his background, childhood, teenage, love life, and whatnot. I know things more than his mother does. How can he ask whether I have sent the right information?”

“Uh…” Dhruv paused, possibly searching for words to compose me. Then, he spoke up again, “We’ll talk inside. Come inside, Aadya. Please.”

The way he said “Please” gained some sympathy towards him from me as I broke the hug and led Dhruv and Shaina inside. Sitting on the couch, I placed my hands on the forehead, trying to tackle the extremely painful headache. Shaina, placing her hand on my thigh, asked, “So, is there no way to prove that Ishaan is a real person?”

I shook my head, to which Dhruv asked, “Then, who is he for real?”

“I don't know, Dhruv,” I sighed in exasperation with my tone wobbling a little as I looked up at him. “I don't know.”

“What if that girl was right?” Dhruv countered, his eyebrows developing into a deep frown. “I mean, what if he was from the fictional world, as she claimed it to be?”

All of a sudden, Shaina sat upright and tapped my shoulder incessantly: a sign that something sparked in her mind. “Aadya. She asked us to prove your allegation, and we did. Now, you ask her to prove her statement. What do you say?” She ended with her eyebrows raising and her eyes twinkling.