When Disaster Meets Perfection

Ch 51. The Punctured Truth

Shivay's phone call with Om began abruptly.

"What is it, Om?" Shivay asked gruffly.

Om's voice burst through the line, laced with urgency. "Shivay, did you have a talk with Annika?"

Shivay's gaze instinctively shifted to Annika, standing beside him. His expression transformed from calm to curious.

"Talk with Annika?" Shivay repeated, his tone laced with confusion. "Why? What's going on? Is everything alright?"

Annika's ears perked up at the mention of her name. She stealthily moved beside Shivay, her ear inches from the phone, listening intently to Om's concerned voice.

"...Annika hasn't reached home. Ishana's been trying to call her, but she's not answering. It's been half an hour, and there's no sign of her."

Annika listening to it, discreetly kicked Shivay leg, her toes connecting with a gentle yet insistent tap.

Shivay's eyes widened, his expression shifting from calm to surprise. He rubbed his leg, his gaze questioning.

Annika's signal was clear: "Say no, you didn't meet me."

Shivay's understanding flashed in his eyes. "No, Om, I didn't have talk with her," he reassured.

Shivay's tone turned soothing. "But don't worry, I'll also look for her. You know her; she's a bit careless. Maybe she left her phone in her scooter and can't hear it. She'll reach soon."

Om's sigh was audible. "Hope so."

Shivay's response remained confident. "Okay, you look after Ishana and try to cool her anger. I'll see if I can trace Annika."

The line went dead. Shivay turned to Annika.

Annika's eyes widened in panic as she exclaimed, "Oh my god, I'm dead! Ishana will kill me!"

Annika hastened towards the car, her urgency evident in every step.

Anticipating her need, Shivay remotely unlocked the car with a press of his key fob, the soft beep-beep echoing through the air.

As Annika reached the car, she yanked open the door, its hinges swinging wide. She dove into the interior, her hands trembling slightly as she grasped her purse.

Fumbling through its contents, she finally found her phone. The screen revealed a daunting reality: 20 missed calls from Ishana, 10 from Aarav, 10 from Om, and several from Sneha, Ruhi, Virat, and Siddharth.

Annika's gulp was audible. "Think, Annika, think!" she murmured, tapping her phone against her forehead in frustration.

Shivay approached the car, observing Annika's frantic behavior with amusement. A chuckle escaped his lips.

Just as Shivay was about to reach her, Annika's face lit up. "Idea!" she shouted, her voice piercing the air.

Shivay's smile faltered, his heart skipping a beat. He halted, his hand instinctively clutching his chest.

"Shivay, be ready for such attacks from her from now on," he whispered to himself, regaining composure.

Annika, unaware of Shivay's momentary surprise, began pacing around the car, her fingers flying across her phone's keyboard as she crafted a message.

"Ishana, so sorry..." she typed, speaking her thoughts aloud. "My scooty's tire got punctured, and I was at the repair shop. I was about to call you when I realized my phone was dead. I left it charging in the shop and went to check on my scooty. I got caught up talking to the mechanic and completely forgot to call you."