The next morning arrived like a slap—too bright, too loud, too normal for what we had gone through.
Maya was banging vessels in the kitchen.
Priya was scolding her for wasting oil.
Anuhya was searching for her missing charger.
Simba barked for breakfast like the world hadn't almost tilted yesterday.
Only one person felt out of sync with the chaos.
Smithi.
She sat on the sofa, perfectly still, eyes glazed.
There was something about stillness that scared me more than panic. Panic is loud. Predictable. But stillness…
Stillness is the eye of a cyclone.
I sat next to her.
"You didn't sleep?"
She shook her head.
"You need to tell me everything," I whispered. "I know you're hiding something."
Her jaw clenched.
"I can't, Vaishu."
"Because of us? Because you want to protect us?"
Silence.
I placed my hand over hers.
"What did you see yesterday?"
Her eyes flicked to mine — a flash of conflict, guilt, something darker. But before she could speak, there was a knock on our door.
Three sharp, firm taps.
Simba barked hysterically.
Priya froze.
Maya paled.
Anuhya grabbed my arm.
My heart leapt into my throat.
I opened the door slowly.
Arjun.
Wearing a crisp white shirt, holding a paper bag, face brightening the second he saw me.
Relief washed over me so suddenly my knees almost buckled.
"Why are you standing like I came to arrest you?" he laughed gently.
Maya exhaled so loudly it was embarrassing. Priya smacked her head.
"Sorry," I muttered, stepping aside. "We thought—"
"Arun, right?" Arjun said, expression flickering. "I heard he acted like a fool yesterday. I'll talk to him."
"No!" Smithi said sharply.
Arjun paused. Everyone stared at her.
She swallowed. "He… he'll get angry. Better to ignore it."
Arjun frowned but didn't push.
He held out the paper bag to me.
"For you."
I blinked. "What is this?"
"Your favorite sweet poha. You skipped breakfast last week, and… I remembered."
Warmth bloomed in my chest.
Arjun had that effect — quiet gestures, thoughtful actions. He didn't make noise. He made an impact.
Maya whispered too loudly: "IAS husband material."
I kicked her under the table.
Arjun pretended not to hear but his ears reddened.
He walked to the balcony, sipping the coffee Priya handed him.
Simba lay at his feet, tail thumping.
For a fleeting moment, everything looked normal again.
Then my phone buzzed.
Dhruv.
Are the girls safe? Any new movement?
Don't ignore this, Vaishali.
The family he's connected to is not normal.
I looked at the message. Then at Arjun leaning on our balcony railing. Had he sent it purposefully? Coincidence? A warning?
I didn't know.
But something told me—
The safest person in my life wasn't the man holding sweet poha for me.
It was the man who kept sending warnings even when he pissed me off.