At home, Aryan was working on his laptop.
Aanya watched him silently from the other side of the room.
After a while, Aryan finished his work and closed the laptop. He was about to walk toward his bed when Aanya called him.
"Mr. Aryan."
Aryan turned and looked at her.
Aanya hesitated for a moment.
"Actually... I misunderstood you."
Aryan looked at her curiously.
"I thought you wouldn't care about the watch, but..."
She paused.
"I just want to say I'm sorry if I've been rude to you."
Aryan looked surprised.
Aanya continued,
"I know you've never celebrated your birthday for the past five years after your father's death. Maybe it was difficult for you to overcome everything that happened."
Aryan looked away silently.
Aanya lowered her voice.
"I should have understood you earlier. I'm sorry."
Aryan remained silent.
I should be the one apologizing to you, Aanya... because I can't tell you the truth.
Aanya smiled faintly.
"Anyway, let's forget everything that happened."
Aryan looked at her.
"Really?"
Aanya nodded.
Then, after a moment, Aryan suddenly held out his hand.
"Let's be friends."
Aanya stared at his hand.
Aryan waited patiently.
Aanya remembered the incident when Aryan had rejected her offer of friendship. Remembering how he had made her feel, she deliberately refused his offer this time.
"Leave it, Mr. Aryan."
Aryan slowly lowered his hand, looking disappointed. He had genuinely thought Aanya would accept his offer and shake his hand, but she didn't.
Aanya looked at him.
"You have so many mood swings, Mr. Aryan. Now you'll say, 'Okay, let's be friends,' and the very next moment, you'll start shouting at me again."
Aryan didn't say anything.
He simply walked toward his side of the bed.
Aanya watched him.
---
The Next Morning
Aanya was getting ready when she noticed Aryan.
"Mr. Aryan."
Aryan looked at her.
"The screw on the hanger in the bathroom has become loose."
Aryan remembered the previous night's scene, when Aanya had rejected his offer of friendship. He felt a little irritated.
He replied casually,
"Oh. Then it needs to be tightened... just like your brain."
Aanya slowly turned toward him with a confused look.
"What did you say?"
Aryan looked at her casually.
"Looks like it needs to be tightened... just like your brain."
Aanya stared at him in shock.
Then she gave him a fake smile.
"Well, where do you tighten your brain?
Because, as far as I know, yours was already loose."
Aryan's expression immediately changed.
"What did you say?"
Aanya looked innocent.
"Why? Did I say something wrong?"
Aryan looked at her seriously.
Aanya crossed her arms.
"Oh? When I said your brain was loose, you got angry and had a problem with it. But when you say the same thing about me, I'm not supposed to react?"
"Because I told the truth."
Aanya's eyes widened.
"You..."
She took a breath.
"I know, Mr. Aryan Mehra. You are unbelievable."
Aryan looked at her.
"You're so selfish!"
Aryan raised an eyebrow.
"I'm selfish?"
"Yes, you are."
He gave her a questioning look.
"And also... you're a red flag."
She paused dramatically.
"No, no. You're not just a red flag. You're a red forest."
Aryan stared at her in confusion.
"A red forest?"
"Yes! You're completely a red forest!"
Aryan didn't know what to say.
Aanya picked up her things.
"And today, I'll go by myself. I don't need your lift."
She walked out angrily.
Aryan watched her leave.
"Red forest..." he muttered to himself, still confused.
---
At the Office
Aryan sat at his desk, trying to concentrate on his work, but his mind kept going back to Aanya's words.
Red forest? What does that even mean?
Just then, Simran knocked on the door.
"Come in."
Simran entered and handed him some files.
"Sir, you have a meeting this evening."
Aryan, still distracted by his thoughts, simply replied,
"Hmm."
Simran was about to leave when Aryan suddenly called her.
"Simran."
She turned around.
"Yes, sir?"
Aryan hesitated for a moment.
"What does 'red flag' and 'red forest' mean?"
Simran looked at him in surprise.
"Sir?"
"Do you know what a red forest means?"
Simran thought for a moment.
"Well, a red flag usually means certain warning signs in a person. For example, someone who is controlling or manipulative, someone who never takes responsibility for their actions, always blames others, or disrespects people..."
Aryan listened carefully, his expression slowly changing.
Simran continued,
"There are many other signs too—"
"Okay, stop."
Simran immediately stopped.
Aryan looked at her.
"And what is a red forest?"
Simran explained,
"Usually, when someone has so many red flags that they all come together, people call them a 'red forest.'"
Aryan's eyes widened slightly.
So... she thinks I have all those red flags?
Simran looked at him curiously.
"Sir... who are you talking about?"
Aryan immediately looked away.
"Nothing. You can leave."
"Okay, sir."
Simran walked out of the room.
The moment she left, Aryan leaned back in his chair.
"How can she think I'm like that?" he muttered. "In fact, I should be the one who's upset with her. She was the one who rejected my friendship."
He frowned.
"I mean, I know I'm not exactly a good person... but I'm not that bad either."
He paused and sighed.
Red forest... seriously?
At the University
Aanya was sitting with her friends during the break. She was still slightly irritated as she remembered her conversation with Aryan that morning.
"Your brain is loose..."
She frowned.
"Who does he think he is, saying that to me?"
Her friends looked at her.
Tara raised an eyebrow.
"What happened?"
Aanya looked at her seriously.
"nothing."
Meera immediately smiled.
"Whenever you say 'nothing,' something definitely happened."
Tara and Nisha laughed.
Aanya sighed.
"Well, you all know because of whom."
The three of them looked at each other.
"Aryan?"
Aanya nodded.
"Yes."
Tara leaned closer.
"Okay, what happened this time?"
Aanya told them the whole story.
The moment she finished, the three girls burst out laughing.
"Your brain is loose?" Nisha repeated, laughing.
Aanya glared at them.
"You guys are laughing? Sometimes I don't even understand whether you're truly my friends or Mr. Aryan's friends."
Tara laughed.
"Of course we're your friends, Aanya. But still... your 'Mr. Aryan' dialogue was so funny!"
Aanya rolled her eyes and said nothing.
Meera looked at her curiously.
"But Aanya, how could you call him a 'red forest'? You literally said he was a red forest after he repaired the watch you gifted him. And now, just because of one conversation this morning, everything changed?"
Tara added, "And also, what's wrong with accepting his friendship?"
Aanya crossed her arms.
"Why should I accept his friendship? When I offered to be his friend, he rejected me. So why should I accept it now?"
Tara, Nisha, and Meera looked at each other.
Aanya continued, "And also, Mr. Aryan is unbelievable! Sometimes he seems like a good person, but then he does something like this."
She paused.
"He's a red forest. That's it."
Tara sighed.
"Come on, Aanya. Cool down."
Aanya became quiet.
After a moment, Tara turned toward Nisha.
"Anyway, what's your story, Nisha?"
Nisha suddenly smiled shyly.
"Well... we're planning to meet."
All three looked at her in surprise.
"What?!"
Nisha nodded.
"Yeah."
Aanya leaned closer.
"When?"
"Tomorrow. At a café."
Meera's eyes widened.
"Wow!"
Nisha smiled nervously.
"And... I'm going to tell him how I feel."
Tara looked surprised.
"What? This soon?"
"Of course! I don't want to wait. What if someone else comes into his life before I confess? Later, I'll regret not telling him how I feel."
Tara nodded slowly.
"Hmm... okay."
At the Office
Aryan was getting ready for an important meeting when he suddenly remembered Aanya.
What should I do? I can't pick her up today. I'll send the driver.
He paused for a moment.
Wait, I'll call and inform her.
He picked up his phone and called her.
At the University
Aanya's phone suddenly rang. She looked at the screen and saw Aryan's name.
Why is he calling now? Will he not come to pick me up?
She answered the call.
"Yeah?"
"Aanya, I have an important meeting today, so I won't be able to come and pick you up," Aryan said.
Aanya thought to herself,
Oh, as expected. I know you don't have any important meeting, Mr. Aryan. You're doing this on purpose because I rejected your friendship.
"Aanya? Hello?" Aryan asked when she remained silent.
"Yes, I'm listening," she replied seriously.
"Don't worry. I'll send the driver to pick you up."
"No need."
Aryan fell silent.
"I can go by myself, okay?" Aanya added.
"Aanya—"
"And I know you're doing this on purpose because I denied your friendship."
"No, Aanya, it's not like that. I really do have an important meeting. And I'm telling you, I'll send the driver. Why don't you believe me?"
"Anyway, I don't need your sympathy, okay? I'll go by myself."
"But—"
"I'll go shopping with my friends and then go home, okay?"
Before Aryan could say anything else, she ended the call.
Aryan stared at his phone for a moment.
Just then, Simran approached him.
"Sir, the meeting is about to begin."
Aryan looked at her and nodded.
"Yeah. Let's go."
Aanya put her phone back into her bag and walked toward her friends.
"Guys, does anyone want to come shopping with me?"
Tara immediately replied, "Yeah, I'm free."
Aanya smiled.
"Perfect! Let's go."
Nisha suddenly asked, "Wait, what about Aryan?"
Aanya's expression changed.
"He said he has a meeting and can't come, so no problem."
"Oh, okay," Nisha said.
Meera nodded. "Then you two enjoy. We'll leave."
"Bye," they said before leaving.
Tara turned to Aanya.
"Aanya, let's go."
"Yeah. Well, wait. I'll inform Devika aunty first."
Aanya called Devika.
"Hello?"
"Aunty, I may come home late because I'm going shopping with Tara."
"Oh, okay, beta. Is Aryan going with you?"
"Well, aunty, he said he has a meeting and can't come, so I'm going by myself."
"Oh. But how will you come home?"
"Don't worry, aunty. I'll book a cab and come."
"Okay, Aanya. Bye."
"Bye, aunty."
Aanya ended the call and looked at Tara.
"Let's go."
Later
After they finished shopping, both of them booked their cabs.
Tara's cab arrived first.
"Aanya, your cab hasn't come yet. I'll wait for you."
"No need, Tara. Mine will be here in a few minutes. It's already getting late. You go."
"But—"
"I'll message you after I reach home."
Tara nodded.
"Okay."
She got into her cab and left.
Aanya stood alone, waiting for hers.
Suddenly, she noticed someone in the distance.
Her eyes widened.
Kunal?
She quickly turned her face away.
What is he doing here?
But Kunal had already noticed her.
He started walking toward her.
Aanya glanced at him nervously.
Oh no. He's coming toward me. What should I do?
Just then, she spotted an auto nearby.
Without wasting another second, she hurried toward it.
"Auto!"
The auto stopped.
"Let's go!"
"Where to, madam?"
Aanya glanced behind her and saw Kunal getting closer.
"Just start driving first, please!"
The driver started the auto.
Kunal reached the spot a moment later, but the auto had already driven away.
Aanya let out a relieved breath.
She tells her driver her address.
"Okay, madam."
As the auto moved, the driver glanced at Aanya through the rear-view mirror.
He kept looking at her.
Aanya noticed it and felt uncomfortable.
She looked away.
A few moments later, she glanced at the mirror again.
The driver was still watching her.
"What are you looking at?" she asked seriously.
The driver immediately looked away.
Aanya became suspicious.
Suddenly, she noticed that the auto had taken a different route.
"Wait. Why are you going this way?"
The driver replied casually,
"This is a shortcut, madam."
"What? What shortcut? I don't know this route. Go back and take the usual road."
The driver smiled through the mirror.
"Why are you getting tense? Don't worry. I'll drop you safely."
Aanya's uneasiness grew.
"Stop the auto."
"Sorry, That's not possible."
Aanya's heart began pounding.
She immediately took out her phone and sent her live location to Aryan along with a message.
She then tried calling him.
At the Office
Aryan was still in the meeting.
His phone was with Simran.
Suddenly, the phone rang.
Simran looked at the screen and saw Aanya's name.
"She knew that Aryan don't take any other calls during his meeting unless they were from his mother or sister"
So Simran didn't answer.
Meanwhile, Aanya's call went unanswered.
She called again.
Still no answer.
The auto driver glanced at her through the mirror.
"Why are you getting so worried? I'm here, aren't I?"
Aanya glared at him.
"Shut up and stop the auto!"
The driver ignored her.
Aanya immediately called Devika.
But suddenly, the signal disappeared.
Her face went pale.
She tried again.
Nothing.
The driver looked at her through the mirror and gave a strange smile.
"What happened? No signal?"
Aanya's hands started trembling.
"Please... just drop me."
The driver smiled.
"Why are you afraid? Don't worry. I won't do anything."
He paused.
"We're almost there."
Aanya looked around nervously.
"Where are you taking me?"
The driver didn't answer.
Instead, he continued driving.
Aanya looked around nervously, not knowing what to do. Suddenly, she made a decision.
Without thinking twice, she jumped out of the moving auto.
The driver was startled and immediately stopped the auto.
"Aah!" Aanya cried as she stumbled onto the side of the road.
Meanwhile, at the Office
The meeting finally ended.
Simran walked toward Aryan with his phone.
Aryan looked at her.
"Did I get any important calls?"
Simran shook her head.
"Of course not, sir. Well... you did get some calls from Aanya."
Aryan's expression immediately changed.
"What?"
"Yes, sir. She also sent you some WhatsApp messages."
Aryan quickly took his phone from her and checked it.
His eyes widened when he saw Aanya's live location and her message.
Aanya: Mr. Aryan, please come to my location. Something is wrong.
Aryan immediately became tense.
He called her.
But the call didn't connect.
No network.
He tried again.
Still nothing.
---
End Of Chapter 96.