Chapter 4: Cracks in the Armor
489 Words
Anaya’s Apartment – A Week Later
The coffee dates became regular. Not official. Not romantic. Just two people who couldn’t seem to stop running into each other—and then started choosing to.
Anaya still kept her guard up. She never talked about her family. Never mentioned her ex. And never let Karthik drop her home.
That evening, however, he caught a glimpse of her vulnerability.
She had a migraine. He noticed in a meeting—how her voice slowed, her fingers pinched the bridge of her nose. Without a word, he walked out, returned five minutes later with lemon tea and a cold strip.
“Who told you I needed help?” she asked quietly.
“No one,” he replied, placing the cold strip on her forehead. “But sometimes, people don’t have to ask.”
She looked at him, eyes softer than usual. “Don’t make this harder than it already is.”
He didn’t answer. He just stayed beside her until the pain faded.
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Meanwhile – Karthik’s Apartment
Rohit, his best friend and roommate, was flipping through Netflix.
“So, when are you going to tell her?” Rohit asked without looking up.
“Tell her what?” Karthik replied.
“That you’re not just a flirty software guy. That your dad owns half the buildings in Chennai and you’ve been dodging family drama since college.”
Karthik sighed. “She doesn’t need to know.”
“Dude. She’s already falling. Don’t screw it up by hiding.”
“I’m not hiding. I’m... protecting something real.”
Rohit looked at him. “From what?”
Karthik didn’t answer.
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Flashback :
Anaya, Three Years Ago
The wedding mandap had been set.
She’d almost been married once—to someone chosen by her parents. On paper, he was perfect. Engineer. Family boy. Safe.
But on the night before the engagement, she overheard him tell a friend:
“She’s too ambitious. After marriage, I’ll ask her to quit. Who needs a working wife, anyway?”
Anaya had walked out the next morning. Alone. No apologies.
Her parents hadn’t spoken to her since.
Since then, trust became expensive.
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Present Day – Dinner with Karthik
She finally let him walk her home. They talked about movies, awkward client meetings, and their worst fashion choices in college.
Standing outside her apartment, Karthik turned to her. “You know, I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who makes silence feel... peaceful.”
She smiled faintly. “That’s because you usually fill it with nonsense.”
He grinned. “Fair.”
There was a pause. A soft beat of tension.
Karthik leaned in slightly. “If I asked for a real date... would you say yes?”
Anaya looked up, guarded eyes meeting his open ones. “Ask me tomorrow.”
“Why tomorrow?”
“Because tonight... I’m scared.”
He nodded slowly. “Then I’ll wait.”
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- Writer
