KAVYA
I couldn’t suppress my joy. All through the flight back to India, a smile lived on my face. Strangely, Abhiraj seemed happy too. It wasn’t the trophy that did it; it was me. Every time I smiled, he mirrored it.
He shared stories of his childhood, but not once did he mention Saurav, my husband. I found myself wishing he would. I wanted to know how they had grown up together and how close they truly were. Saurav and Abhiraj were cut from the same cloth as they were ambitious, charming, and notoriously fond of women yet they felt worlds apart.
Unable to contain my curiosity any longer, I asked, “Did you ever have a best friend?”
“Yes,” Abhiraj replied smoothly. “You. You’re my best friend now. In short, I'm your BF.”
“Abhiraj… ” I playfully punched his bicep.
“Ouch!” he laughed, his eyes glinting.
“I’m serious.”
“What? I'm serious about this 'BF' relationship?” he teased, earning a sharp glare from me again.
He finally softened, his gaze drifting as he reached into the past. “Well, I did have a best friend once. Those years were my golden era. He was a little smarter than me, though definitely not as handsome,” he added with a characteristic wink. Then, his expression dimmed. “I wished it would never end. I never wanted to lose him, but...” He offered a sad smile. “...he changed. And I didn't like the person he became.”
“What made you think he changed?”
Abhiraj frowned, focusing back on me. “Why are you so keen on my old friendships?”
“Because I can’t find any other topic interesting enough to talk to you about,” I retorted.
“Fair enough. Then why don’t we talk aboutyourfriends instead?”
“I have three…” I started, counting on my fingers. “No, four. They are my gorgeous girls. Avni, Noor, Rhea, and then there’s Ira.”
Abhiraj tilted his head, his interest piqued. “Four? That’s a loyal squad. Did you all grow up causing trouble together in school?”
“Only Avni and Noor,” I corrected, a nostalgic smile tugging at my lips.
I told him more about the girls, explaining how Avni and Noor were also Kathak dancers. Among the three of us, Avni was easily the best, her precision was unmatched. But Abhiraj shook his head, refusing to agree. In his eyes, I was the one who stood out, a comment that made a warmth spread through my cheeks.He never missed a chance to flirt, and in return, I didn't miss the chance to give him my scariest glare, though it did little to hide my blush.
Then, the conversation turned softer as he spoke about his own connection to dance. He surprised me by revealing that his mother had taught him his first steps. The lightness in his voice dimmed as he shared that he had lost both his parents in an accident when he was only sixteen. The thought of him as a teenager, facing the world alone, wrenched my heart.
His grandmother was the only family he had left now. He mentioned quietly that he was looking for the right person to marry, but added that the only "right person" in his eyes was already married to someone else. I didn't ask who she was. I didn't need to; the answer hung heavily in the air between us. I marveled at how easily we could talk, and how effortlessly he made me forget the worries I had carried for so long.
By the time the sun began to set, painting the horizon in deep oranges and purples, we finally landed in India. A surge of excitement bubbled inside me. I couldn't wait to see my father-in-law and pour out all the stories from our trip. Most of all, I wanted to see the look of pride on his face when he saw the trophy in my hand. Out of everyone, I knew he would be the one who would be the happiest to see me win.
__________
A heavy, unsettling sensation settled in my chest the moment I crossed the threshold of the villa. The house was silent, not the peaceful quiet, but a terrifying, hollow silence that made the hair on my arms stand up.
“Dad?” I called out. My voice sounded small against the high ceilings.
I headed toward his study, my pulse starting to quicken. He wasn't there. His desk was a chaotic mess of piled papers, and his laptop sat right in the center of the mahogany surface. My stomach did a slow roll. He never went anywhere without that laptop; it was like a second limb to him.
Restless, I checked the backyard. Usually, he’d be there in his favorite wicker chair, and radio. But the chair was empty, the radio was silent.
I hurried back inside and climbed the stairs to his bedroom. I stood before the heavy wooden door, swallowing hard against a rising lump in my throat. I knocked softly. “Dad?”
Silence.
I didn't wait. I threw the door open and froze. The room was a disaster. A ceramic vase lay shattered on the hardwood, shards of porcelain glinting like teeth. His medicine bottles were scattered everywhere, white pills rolling across the floor. The bed was in total disarray, the sheets ripped off, the mattress shoved askew.
Panic surged through me like an electric shock. “Dad!” I screamed.