Search
1175 Words
Riya pouted, “But my teacher says every child has a mom and a dad. I mean, I didn’t come from another dimension like in my games, right? Or did a magician go ‘Abracadabra’ and pull me out of his hat?”
They both burst into laughter.
Then Riya asked innocently, “Are we going to find my brother too?”
That question hit Anika like a wave.
She remembered that day in the hospital when she had given birth to twins. But while she fought off a man sent by her father to steal her babies, she could only save Riya. Her son… was taken.
That trauma, coupled with severe injuries, had taken her to the edge of life. Her aunt had taken her to Bengaluru, where she healed — slowly.
Now, she had returned.
Her body had changed. Her scars had faded. Her long, flowing hair reached her waist. She was beautiful again — not just outside, but within.
But her purpose in Manali was clear.
To sign the divorce papers.
And to find her lost son.
As Anika bent down to pick up her luggage at the airport luggage counter, three strangers suddenly rushed toward her and eagerly began handing over her bags—almost as if it were just an excuse to start a conversation. Anika silently placed her bags onto the trolley, grabbed Riya’s hand, and headed toward the exit.
Just then, her phone rang. It was her father, Gautam.
Without any greeting, Gautam spoke coldly,
> “Kunal is coming to pick you up. Go home with him directly. There are two papers that need your signature—one for divorce, and the other…”
He paused as if reconsidering, then said,
“Come home. I’ll explain everything.”
And just like that, he hung up—no emotion, no further words.
As Gautam had said, Kunal was already waiting outside the airport impatiently. In the six years that had passed, Kunal had changed a lot. No longer a student, he was now a businessman. He stood there in a sharp dark-brown tailored suit, freshly cut hair, neatly trimmed beard, looking every bit the powerful man he had become. But his arrogance remained untouched.
He tapped one foot against the railing while scanning the exit anxiously.
To his driver Raju, he said with a smirk,
> “No man in history has ever been this excited to get a divorce. I don’t care what it takes—she’s signing the papers today.”
Raju, lighting his bidi, replied,
> “You’re blessed, sir. I visited the temple this morning and prayed that your six-year-old wish would come true today.”
Kunal chuckled darkly,
> “Not just the divorce, Raju. I want the company too—the one her dead mother willed to her.”
Raju, holding a placard with “Anika Guleria” written on it, assured him,
> “Don’t worry. That factory will be yours soon.”
Suddenly, Kunal had a wicked idea.
> “Actually, I don’t want to ruin my mood seeing her face today. It’s such a good day, and I want to keep it that way. I’ll turn around and stand facing the other way. She’ll come to you anyway since you’ve got the nameboard.”
Just as he was about to turn, his eyes caught sight of a girl walking out of the airport. And he froze.
She was breathtaking.
Kunal, captivated, muttered,
> “God… I’ve never seen a woman this beautiful in all of Manali.”
Raju, as always, nodded in agreement.
Without wasting a second, Kunal sprinted toward the girl and blocked her path.
> “Whoa! Miss Gorgeous, are you visiting Manali for the first time? Because if you had been here before, there's no way I wouldn't have noticed you.”
Anika stood stunned. It was Kunal—and he didn’t even recognize her.
A thousand memories flashed through her mind. She wanted to slap him right then and there, but didn’t want to cause a scene in front of Riya. Meanwhile, Riya, lost in her tablet game, remained unaware of everything happening around her, headphones on.
Anika sidestepped him and called out,
> “Taxi! Taxi!”
Kunal, relentless, followed her.
> “No need for a taxi. I’ll drop you off wherever you want. And hey—who’s this little angel?” he said, touching Riya’s cheek.
Riya, annoyed at the interruption, jerked her face away without even looking at him. Her headphones slipped slightly down her ear, but her focus remained on the screen.
Kunal, still trying to make conversation, said,
> “She must be your little sister, right?”
Riya suddenly burst into laughter. Kunal looked puzzled.
Just then, Gautam called again. Kunal picked up with irritation.
> “Did you see Anika yet?” Gautam asked.
“Your daughter isn’t a damn needle. When she walks out that gate, she’ll be all you can see. Hell, people behind her will disappear,” Kunal replied sarcastically, then hung up.
Anika now realized—he had no idea who she was.
She was furious, but all she wanted now was a taxi.
> “Taxi!!” she shouted, her voice sharp and angry.
Kunal, somehow impressed, said sweetly,
> “Let me drop you. The person I came for probably didn’t even show up. If you were on the Bengaluru flight, you must have seen a very fat woman, right?”
Anika stopped in her tracks, slowly turned to face him.
Kunal continued casually,
> “Six years ago she was 120 kilos. I bet she’s crossed a double century by now.”
He laughed, hoping she would laugh too.
> “Maybe the airline didn’t even let her board! Told her—if you sit, how will the plane take off?”
He laughed again, stupidly.
Anika didn’t even flinch.
Kunal finally noticed she wasn’t smiling. He tried to recover,
> “Anyway, forget it. Why am I even talking about her? Compared to you…”
Just then, a taxi pulled up. Anika quickly put Riya inside and got in herself.
Meanwhile, Raju came running with the "Anika Guleria" placard. Kunal saw it—finally connecting the dots.
As the taxi began to move, Kunal leaned close to the window.
> “Hey! At least tell me your name before you go, Miss…”
Anika took off her black sunglasses, looked straight at him with fierce, piercing eyes, and replied with icy calm:
> “Anika Guleria."
🖤 Reader’s Corner 🖤
What would you do if the person who once vowed to protect you—now couldn’t even recognize you?
Was Anika right in staying silent… or should she have revealed herself sooner?
👇 Tell us your thoughts in the comments!
💬 Did this scene give you chills?
💖 If Anika's boldness impressed you, don’t forget to hit that LIKE button.
🔁 SHARE this story with your friends—because some betrayals deserve to be known, and some comebacks… celebrated.
- Writer
