"I made a mistake," Anvi said over the call to Niharika.
"What happened?"Niharika asked, being concerned and worried for her friend. Anvi couldn't utter any more words and was only crying. Niharika was unable to hear her clearly and tried to calm her friend first.
"First of all, stop crying, ok."
Anvi anyhow composed herself and asked her friend."Can I see you?"
"Right now?" It was seven in the evening and Niharika couldn't understand what exactly had made Anvi see her suddenly.
"Ye...yes."
"Okay, stop crying. I will ask Nikhil to send you over." Niharika suggested.
"No, no...not him." Anvi resisted, making Niharika skeptical over Nikhil being involved in whatever had happened.
"Ok, I will book a cab and send you the details." Anvi agreed. She wanted to be with someone close for a while. There were only three people Anvi could be with, either Sara, Vritti, or Niharika. She didn't want to bother Vritti about her problems. Sara hadn't contacted her back. Moreover, Anvi thought Sara wasn't well aware of her life's happenings and that's when Niharika's name came to her mind, the one who had been like a support system with her for the past few years. A lot was going on in her head as well as in her heart. She needed to let it all out as she wasn't in favour of committing any more mistakes.
Niharika booked a cab but before that called Nikhil to inform him she was sending a cab for Anvi. Neither Niharika asked Nikhil about what had happened nor Nikhil said a word, instead, only asked her to take care of his wife.
In the next ten minutes, a cab stopped at Nikhil's doorstep. Anvi settled inside the cab, looked out, and found Nikhil standing on the balcony. Anvi averted his gaze from him feeling guilty about what she did to him.
On the other hand, Nikhil's heart was pierced with every act of hers. He couldn't understand what his mistake was. He had gripped the railing of the balcony tighter. The cab when moved out of the sight he clenched his teeth feeling enraged on himself.
He thought it was because of him Anvi left but the reason was different.
Niharika was pacing back and forth in her flat thinking what would have happened between her friends.
The cab left after Anvi reached the apartment Niharika lived in. She didn't have to pay as the cab fare was already paid by Niharika. Anvi ran upstairs to her friend's flat and to her contentment the door was already open.
Finding her friend in her sight she launched herself on her and sobbed louder like a kid. Niharika was taken aback by Anvi's behaviour. The way she was letting her tears out instilled doubt in Nihraika's head that somehow her friend had gotten hurt because of Nikhil.
It took several minutes for Nihraka to finally pacify her friend. Nihraika had settled herself on the couch while Anvi had laid her head on Niharika's lap. Niharika was caressing Anvi's hair who was still sniffing as her sobs had subsided at last.
"Now tell me what had happened?" Niharika questioned when she felt that Anvi was in the state to answer.
"I kissed Nikhil," Anvi replied meekly. Hoping for it to be Anvi who would have initiated the kiss Niharika asked, "You initiated the kiss?"
"Yes." Niharika took a breath of relief when heard Nikhil didn't overstep but still the one question that lingered in her mind was, What was the problem if her friend kissed her husband?
"I am guilty," Anvi said after she had taken a sufficient amount of pause.
"Why? Isn't he a good kisser?" Niharika asked, pulling her friend's right cheek. She was only trying to make the environment funny.
Anvi pinched her friend's hand before saying, "I am serious."
"Ok, ok, sorry, continue." Niharika had to stop being playful for a while as Anvi was not in the mood.
"I liked it when I kissed him. It felt so right but..." Anvi stared into the ceiling before explaining how good the kiss was but stopped in the mid.
"But?" Niharika when gestured her to continue she replied, "I didn't know if he wanted it or not. Moreover, I have kept him in the dark about my past."
"So you cried because the kiss felt good?" Niharika was dumbstruck when Anvi nodded in response and along with that she added, "And I felt guilty as well."
"Anvi, seriously! You are crazy." Niharika was about to lose her cool. She had enough of her friend's immaturity and she wasn't ready to let her make the mistakes.
"What should I do?" Anvi wanted her friend's help who was fuming in anger.
"Get up." Hearing Nihraika's stern voice Anvi realized she had dug her own grave.
She bit her lip before she faced her friend while laying on her lap and asked, "Will you throw me out of the house?"
"Get up, Anvi." Anvi reluctantly sat straight and NIharika picked up a bottle from the side table.
Anvi covered herself from the cushion thinking she was about to get hit for her stupidity.
Niharika shook her head and opened the bottle cap only to drink the water that would help her from not lashing out at her friend. Anvi removed the cushion when didn't receive any hits and felt relieved.
Anvi smiled sweetly at her friend who only glared at her. After Niharika was done with water she offered some to Anvi to which she politely denied. Niharika kept back the bottle and started giving a piece of mind to her friend.
"This will be the last piece of advice I will be giving you." Anvi nodded and gestured to Niharika to continue.
"You are old...." Anvi interrupted in mid, "Only 24." but kept the index finger of her lips when received a deadly glare.
"You are young, mature, independent but dumb." Niharika seethed.
"I am not dumb. I am smart." Hearing her friend protesting for something stupid and distracting her from the main topic Niharika said earnestly, "Anvi, don't test my patience."
Niharika lost track of what exactly she was explaining to Anvi while reprimanding her so questioned, "Where was I?"
"I am dumb." came Anvi's feeble voice.
"Yes, you know what you have to do but you are a scaredy-cat. You are scared of taking the big step. You are a coward. All you have to do is open up to Nikhil. After listening to you I can confidently say that you like being with Nikhil, in fact, you like him. You have just created a shell around you of which you don't want to come out.
You want to stay there till eternity but sweetie that's not gonna happen. Life will keep throwing balls in your direction. The decision will surely be yours whether you hit the ball or dodge it.
But remember one thing Anvi, you are playing with Nikhil's life as well along with yours by being a coward."
Anvi's head hung low as she listened to every word of her friend meticulously. A tear skipped her eye in pain which she had felt when she realized that she had started to like Nikhil.
She couldn't dare to even think of it but her friend said it, right in front of her face.
"Now, you decide, what you have to do," Niharika stated. Anvi wiped the one tear. Her face had fallen again. She got up and announced, "I want to go back."
Niharika didn't know whether Anvi was about to run away again or was planning to give her relationship a chance. She informed her what she thought Anvi needed to know."By the way, Nikhil is in the parking lot."
Anvi was startled, "What is he doing here?"
"He came here after you and sent me this text."
Niharika showed the text sent by Nikhil that stated, 'Take care of her and if possible keep her with you tonight. I don't want her to be upset over anything. I will be in the parking lot till she gets better.'
"If you want you can stay here as well," Niharika proposed.
Anvi looked at her previous room which was an escape route and choosing it meant she would be dodging the ball. But she started walking towards the exit gate to hit the ball. She decided to take a chance.
"What are you planning to do?" NIharika asked when Anvi was near the door. Anvi turned around and replied, "Planning to hit the ball."
"I hope it's not Nikhil's." Niharika teased her friend and winked who just gave a small smile in return and walked to where her husband was.
Nikhil came out of his car to wait for Anvi when NIharika texted him that Anvi had decided to go back with him.
Nikhil was standing, supporting his back on his car. His eyes were fixed on the ground. Anvi tried to take slow and hush steps towards him. Even though she didn't want him to look at her, her heels changed the situation.
The sound of the pointed heels in the peaceful parking lot reached Nikhil's ears and he looked up at Anvi with a plain face.
Anvi stopped in front of Nikhil who had his arms crossed in front of his chest.
"Hey," he said blankly not giving any expression.
"Hi."
"Shall we go home?" Anvi nodded in response.
Nikhil's hand when reached to the knob of his car, Anvi slid her hands around Nikhil's torso and hugged him.
Taken aback at her gesture, Nikhil couldn't move for a second. After Anvi's last stunt he was not able to comprehend what was going to happen next.
"I am sorry." she apologized.
"I am really sorry, Nikhil. Please forgive me."
Nikhil wrapped his arms around her carefully unlike last time and stroked her hair but didn't say anything.
When Anvi didn't receive any word from her husband she moved back, raised her head still holding his torso, and questioned, "Won't you forgive me?"
Nikhil wanted to pull her cheeks then as he found her adorable. The way she was asking for an apology was indeed cute for him. But he controlled her emotions as he needed an answer desperately.
"What are you sorry for Anvi? For our kiss?" If Anvi's answer would have been affirmative Nikhil wouldn't have forgiven her at any cost because for him the kiss wasn't any mistake.
Anvi shook her head in response and replied meekly, "For running away from you every time."
Nikhil smiled when heard Anvi's answer. He cupped her cheeks before saying, "You are forgiven, angry bird."
After replying, he kissed her on the forehead and hugged her.
Nikhil was driving towards their home when Anvi said, "Can we stop by somewhere quiet before heading towards home? I want to talk to you about something." She was ready to finally open up even if it would be in bits.
Nikhil liked it when Anvi said home instead of his house. He realized she had finally started to accept the truth.
"Do you have any place in your mind?" Nikhil asked. He wanted Anvi to make a choice.
"Arena Racing Complex."
"Cool." Nikhil turned his car towards the complex which was only at a distance of seven kilometers from where he was.
A car race had finished minutes before Anvi and Nikhil reached the complex. The crowd had almost gone except for a few people who were also leaving. There was still time for the complex to get closed so the couple settled themselves on the empty chairs of the complex.
After they were seated Nikhil asked Anvi if she would like to have something. She wanted nothing but a cup of hot chocolate which Nikhil brought in another six minutes along with a cup of espresso for himself.
"Here is your hot chocolate."
"Thanks."
"You come here often?" Nikhil asked after he took the first sip taking a seat on Anvi's right.
"No, whenever I am truly disturbed," Anvi replied honestly.
"So you are disturbed." Anvi nodded hearing Nikhil. Nikhil didn't question further. He was aware Anvi would start soon with whatever she wanted to tell him so he didn't pester her from his side.
After finishing half the cup of hot chocolate Anvi started with her story.
"His name is Ankit, the guy I had fallen in love with. He came into my life when I was trying to be strong alone and left when I needed someone the most."
Nikhil couldn't hold himself back from questioning, "What had happened?"
"You remember Ahana?"
"Of course, your wild cat cousin." Anvi looked at Nikhil smiling and shook her head at the nickname she had given to Ahana which Nikhil remembered.
"What? You were the one who gave that name to her." Nikhil defended himself smiling.
"I know. She was the reason things went out of track. I can't possibly put all the blame on her. If she wouldn't have tried to break my relationship I would have never known what kind of a person Ankit was."
"Do you still love him?" How much Nikhil tried to didn't ask but those stubborn words just came out of his throat.
"No, He lost his respect and love from me the moment he pointed his finger at my character. I don't love him."
"Then why did you run away after you had kissed me?"
"The kiss felt right to me. But the fact that you were oblivious of my past life made me feel miserable and guilty." Anvi replied while keeping her head low.
Nikhil didn't say anything. What could he have said. He at that moment understood what Anvi would have been feeling.
"Ankit was the one because of whom we got married."
"What?" Nikhil almost yelled feeling shocked like never before.
"Yeah, he along with a friend of Ahana were trying to sabotage my character on the day of Ahana's marriage. They had some pictures with me in the...." Anvi gripped the handle of the hot chocolate mug tighter before completing the sentence, "In the compromised state."
That was it. She had crossed one hurdle of revealing the one part of the truth to Nikhil but one main part was still left that involved only her and Ankit.
Nikhil kept his espresso mug on the chair on his right and also the hot chocolate mug he had taken from Anvi's hand.
He took hold of both of her hands and said, "Let's stop, okay? Tell me whenever you are comfortable. I will wait till then."
His heart had started beating rapidly and he was scared of whatever was about to come next. Moreover, he didn't want Anvi to feel forced to reveal the truth. Anvi shook her head as she said, "I want to tell you now, otherwise the guilt building inside of me will suffocate me."
Nikhil let her continue but didn't leave her hands.
"Ahana's friend tried to misbehave with me on the night of the bachelor's party. I escaped anyhow but I had no idea he had clicked pictures of us when he was trying to kiss me. He showed the pictures to my family and looking at that anybody would say that it was me who was trying to kiss him not the other way round.
Not only that even Ankit had some pictures."
Anvi stared into Nikhil's eyes before saying, "Could you believe the guy whom I loved more than myself tried to hurt me in the worst way possible."
Nikhil was left speechless as he couldn't understand how someone who claimed to love the other person treated her the way no one deserved to.
She paused before continuing further, "He had pictures of us making out that he showed to my family. Fortunately, he didn't show the pictures where....."
Anvi stopped before closing her eyes as she was feeling the pain again. Her tears were relentlessly leaving her eyes and falling on Nikhil's hand tearing him apart.
"I had always been a fool, always trusting others more than me. Ankit and I had crossed almost all our limits except one. I was so in love with him that nothing seemed wrong to me with him. I would have even given my virginity to him if Ahana wouldn't have meddled in my love life. I should thank her, I guess."
Nikhil was the first person Anvi had opened up to on how close and intimate her relationship was with Ankit.
"I am ashamed, really ashamed of myself." she cried. Her body was shaking because of the way she was crying.
Nikhil pulled Anvi closer to his chest and held her securely. He let her cry how much she wanted to.
Anvi cried harder in her husband's embrace reminiscing about her past and her foolishness. Nikhil hadn't uttered a word and only had held his wife trying to give her some warmth. His own eyes were filled with tears hearing everything she told him.
He got to know how broken Anvi was and how much she had filled things inside of her. She was so hurt that couldn't let go of her bad phase and even was ashamed of something which seemed right to her in the past.
Nikhil didn't care about how intimate his wife was with someone in the past. It was her past and he still respected her. He was proud that at least his wife was opening up to him.
Nikhil cursed those in mind who was responsible for Anvi's tears and felt pity for Ankit for losing such a true gem. He vowed to himself that no matter what he would never let Anvi go away from him. He would treasure her all her life and would respect her the way she deserved.
When Anvi had stopped crying, Nikhil made her look at him before palming her cheeks.
He stared intently into her eyes before saying, "Never Ever be ashamed of something you did with consent. Whatever we do doesn't need to be right in other's eyes and doesn't need everyone's approval. You shouldn't be ashamed of yourself instead should be proud that you left the jerk who didn't deserve you."
The words gave warmth to Anvi. Those words were of comfort, were of care. She was stunned, musing how someone could understand her so well.
"Understood?" When Anvi nodded Nikhil smiled at her before replying, "Good."
Nikhil wiped the tears from Anvi's cheeks and asked, "Wanna stay here for a while, or should we go home?"
"Stay," she replied.
"Okay."
Nikhil had again pulled Anvi in his arms. Even Anvi didn't protest as she liked feeling protected. Her eyes were closed and her left hand was intertwined with Nikhil's right one.
Nikhil kissed her hair lovingly before saying to himself in his mind, 'I won't mend you Anvi. I will love the broken you. I will cherish the way you are, but first, I will teach you the importance of self-love because Self Love is Miraculous.'
A man in his early twenties was running to save his life on the empty streets. The cold chilling weather had started affecting him as he felt as if his body would freeze but still, he kept running.
After consistently running for around twenty minutes his legs started giving up. The excruciating pain made things difficult for him and he fell.
He tried to get up but couldn't. Even in severe pain, he made sure he wouldn't let a word out of his mouth so that the one who was behind his life didn't get to hear him.
With the support of an iron container placed there, he managed to get up. His legs were drained of energy so there was no way he would run.
His eyes brimmed with tears and he cursed the time he agreed to ruin an innocent's life. If not for some amount of money he wouldn't have been stuck in a life and death situation.
Somehow he managed to move slowly towards the exit to an open road out of the street. Little did he know that wasn't the exit he was seeking.
He reached the exit and was out of the narrow street. He felt triumphant but it was too early. As soon as he walked out his eyes fell upon the lethal dogs waiting to feast upon him. The one in the red hoodie stood there holding the chain of the demons who were ready to pounce upon their prey.
The last hope the poor guy had was lost. He moved backward and stumbled but didn't fall.
The one in the red hoodie left the chain of the dogs and roared, "HUNT HIM DOWN!"
The dogs obeyed their master and ran towards their prey. The victim too ran for his life but he hadn't had reached any far as was pushed by one of the dogs. He fell and the hungry predators started to feast upon his alive skin.
"Help Me!" he shouted.
"Please, save me." he pleaded, trying to fight the already lost battle.
"PlEASE!" He screamed but the one in the red hoodie seemed sadist.
"Please Sav...save me. I...I will no..not tell any..anyone." he cried.
"STOP!" The one in the red hoodie roared again when the boy had given up fighting with the deadly animals. The beasts obliged and moved back from the half-lying dead victim.
His body covered with blood gave pleasure to the one in the red hoodie. The perpetrator pulled out a six-inch dagger from his pocket that terrified the victim.
"Ple...pleaseee!" he cried with every ounce of energy left in him. But the next thing he felt was the searing pain in his abdomen as the dagger was inserted deep inside of him.
Blood oozed out of his mouth and that was the moment he felt culpable for his crimes. In the next few seconds, his soul left his body.
The one in red pulled the dagger out, cleaned the bloodstain through the dead's clothes, and walked to the dogs.
"Let's go, my daredevils." Hearing their nickname the dogs barked at their master and followed The One In Red.
IMPORTANT NOTE:-If you all haven't read "The Red Journal"which is a short story written by me, please do read it. From here onwards the things are going to be messy and complicated and those who haven't read that short story will find it difficult to understand what exactly is going on, as this story is the continuation of that short story only.
Do share your views about the chapter.
What do you all think about the person in red? Who exactly that person was?
What do you all think was the one who got murdered brutally?
So, finally Anvi opened to Nikhil. Do you all think their relationship will progress from here onwards.
The next update will be next weekend most probably. 🤗