Dare Trilogy | Book 3 Editing | ✓

3.12 | Touch of Reality

Edited on August 7th, 2020

| . . . C H A P T E R . . . 3.12 -  T O U C H - O F - R E A L I T Y . . . |

On the way back home, I texted Armaan and Riddhima in our group chat even though I was fairly certain they were with each other.

Khushi: Meet us at Arnav's place

Armaan: Doll, love you and all, but I'm not going to come help unpack

Khushi: Lavanya is missing

Armaan: On our way

I suggested to Aarav, "Hey, why don't you take your bag to your room? You like arranging your own clothes, right?"

He nodded and left up the stairs towards his room. Arnav slumped on the sofa, head in palms, looking defeated. I walked to sit next to him and place one arm around his back while the other on his knee.

The second it was just the two of us, his walls came crumbling down. He shattered in my arms as he turned and hugged me in a tight embrace. His forehead on my shoulder. His warm breath frantic and unrhythmic. "We'll get her back, Arnav." I promised. Shyam had won for far too long. He had evaded the law without consequences, but no more. "At any price."

He argued, leaning back just enough to rest his forehead against mine, "We don't even know what he wants!"

I placed my hand on his cheek feeling the light stubble graze my palm, "Doesn't matter. He is not getting away with it this time."

He closed his eyes, nodding and letting the last of teardrop fall. It falls on my knee, over the pair of jeans I am wearing. Offering a small smile, my thumb wipes at the wet trail on his face before caressing the back of his head, "You have to be strong. For Aarav."

"How are you?" He searched my eyes for the truth. The whole time, I had either held his hand or been next to him, but he still needed to know.

"I don't even know." I whispered, a heavy weight on my own heart. My hand pulled away from him, dropping to my lap. With a deep breath, I began to sort through my thoughts and feelings. "Vivek... just... he threw everything off balance."

I didn't want to process any of it. There was no time for that right now.

His palm came up to my face, thumb caressing the right cheek bone. "Even I don't know whether or not to believe him... trust him."

"What choice do we have?" I gingerly expressed. For Lavanya's sake, we had to go with it for now and trust that the hope she always kept for Vivek was worth this. It was the only chance we had for the time being.

The doorbell rang the same time as Arnav's phone. Taking it out of his pocket, his brows narrowed. "Why is Aman calling me?"

I moved to answer the door while he answered the call. My lips thinned in a forced smile as I let Armaan and Riddhima in. They already look impatient for answers. Before I could tell them anything, we heard Arnav's raised voice.

"What do you mean she's not with you?!"

We rushed inside and hearing us come and silently asking him what the matter was, he placed the phone call on speaker, handing it to me as he left towards Anjali's room. Aman's voice echoed amidst static, "...went to the washroom and when she didn't return in a few minutes, I got one of the waitress to check and she told me there was no one inside. I think she ditched me? I mean, I thought the dinner was going well and all... But... are you sure she didn't return home? Maybe she's in her room."