In the Waiting Room

  Saaniya tightly gripped Aniket's hand and pulled him into the waiting room, shutting the door behind them.

  Her eyes reflected the same anger as Aniket's, but unlike him, her face was calm-emotionless even, betraying nothing of what she felt.

  Aniket snapped, "How dare you bring me here?! I needed to talk to her! How could she... how could she forget Aditya like that?!"

  Saaniya turned away, took a deep breath, and suddenly slammed her fist against the wall. The wall cracked. Aniket's eyes widened in shock.

  Her hand was red and swollen, but there wasn't even a flicker of pain on her face.

  She turned to face him and began walking toward him slowly. Aniket braced himself for a fight.

  But what she did next caught him completely off guard.

  She knelt before him, lowered her head, and said, her voice trembling, "I admit it. Seeing Anamika after all these years broke Aditya's heart again. But please believe me... Anu never meant to hurt him. I was the one who brought her into his life-because I believe only Aditya can give her the life she deserves. I'm sorry for hurting your friend... but listen to me carefully. Take out your anger on me all you want, but if you ever treat Anu like that again-I swear, I'll hit your face so hard, you'll wish it was just the wall."

  Aniket stood there stunned, words failing him.

  Finally, he asked, "What do you want? Money? If that's it, take it. Take as much as you want. Just take Anamika away from my Adi's life."

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  Saaniya stood up slowly and replied, "I will... after I get what I came for. And for your question-what I want isn't money. It's something only Aditya can give me. Something far more valuable. That's what I came for."

  As she turned to leave, she paused at the door. "Tell me, don't you want your friend to finally move on from the pain of the past? If you do... then give me one chance. Just one. Think about it."

  Aniket was lost in her words. His rage had turned into confusion. He sank into a chair, unsure of what to do.

  Meanwhile, Aditya walked into his cabin.

  Anamika was huddled in a corner, alone, her body trembling. Seeing her like that, Aditya rushed to her.

  She flinched as soon as he touched her. "No... stay away from me... please..."

  Aditya's eyes were full of concern. She looked at him and pleaded, "Don't look at me like that! Don't care about me! I don't deserve it... please... stay away..."

  He stepped closer, but the closer he got, the more she shrank away. Her hands were shaking, and tears streamed down her face.

  Her breathing grew rapid and uneven. Aditya gently said, "Anamika... calm down. Please... just tell me what happened. I'll fix everything. I promise. Just trust me once."

  But she screamed, "Nothing can be fixed! No one can help! If they find out someone came near me... they'll destroy everything! That's why I'm telling you-stay away from me! Please!"

  She covered her ears with her hands and closed her eyes tightly, shouting, "Go away! Please go! I'm not meant to be loved! She... she'll come back! You have to go!"

  Just then, Saaniya rushed in and wrapped Anamika in her arms, trying to calm her down. But Anamika kept repeating the same thing: "Mom didn't like this... Mom wouldn't like this, right? She won't like it, Saaniya... we have to leave... now..."

  Saaniya gently stroked her hair, whispering, "She's not here, Anu. No one's here now. I promised you, remember? No one will hurt you again. You know I never break my promises."

  Aditya stood there helplessly, watching. He wanted to go to Anamika... to hold her... to tell her she was safe, that he would protect her, love her... but he couldn't. He couldn't even touch her.

  Saaniya gestured toward her bag. Aditya handed it to her. She took out a small injection and discreetly administered it to Anamika.

  Almost immediately, Anamika began to calm down, slowly drifting off to sleep in Saaniya's lap.

  Aditya asked, "What was in that injection?"

  "Don't worry," Saaniya replied. "It's just a sedative to help her sleep... to ease her fear."

  Aditya noticed two more vials in the bag. "You carry these around with you?"

  "There's a lot you don't know about Anamika," she said softly. "She's been through things no child should go through. Things she still carries. She can't handle loud voices... or angry eyes. That's why I never let her go out alone."

  Aditya stared at Anamika's sleeping face, while just outside the door, Aniket had heard everything.

  He thought back to how he had treated her... how cruel he'd been. His eyes dropped in shame. He wanted to apologize-but he couldn't bring himself to.

  What really happened in Anamika's childhood?

  Why is Saaniya the only one who knows the truth?

  Who is Anamika so afraid of?

  Where will this story go next?

  What do you think?

  Let me know in the comments-I love reading them. ??