"I didn't think you would come," Priya said sprightly, her voice jarring for such a gloomy day. One couldn't blame her, she was trying her best to keep herself together. Those flashy sunglasses and the ostentatious dress were a testament to her keeping with outward appearances. Inside, she was hollow.

"He was our child," Ahanay said, sitting on the bench overlooking the lake that was shimmering like a belly dancer's dress under the early rays of the sun. Totally, not a mood for the sort of conversation that they were having. "How are you?"

"I'm doing well," she said, taking a seat beside him. She remembered his shaking shoulders on the bleakest of all days as he spread the ashes in the lake, his eyes bloodshot. She had witnessed him cry twice in her life. One was on his mother's death and the second was this day, two years ago. Both days were equally devastating.

But her? She didn't cry. She had smiled whenever anyone pitied her loss and reverted with a hopeful future just like her mother had advised.

"I know you went through a lot those days," Ahanay mused, forcing her to recall all the drama and trauma that followed her pregnancy. While she was coping with her body changing into the size of a pumpkin, her family both stressed and rejoiced over it. Her pregnancy meant a sure-shot way to get married to Ahanay, but also they were going to marry only after the baby came out. With her health deteriorating, marriage couldn't be put on top of the list. But the baby came out dead and the marriage never happened. While Ahanay grieved over the baby, marriage was the last topic that could be broached. "I wish I was there for you more."

She remained quiet, committing a sin of dishonesty. Because he was there for her, despite them not being married. He had devoted every second he could find to filling her hollowness.

"Do you think if he was here, things would have been different between the two of us?" Priya said her thoughts out loud, wondering what it would be like to be in the shoes of Naina.

"Things have changed now."

"Do you not love me anymore? Not even a little? The mother of your child?"

"I can't talk about this today. I'm sorry," he said, his voice almost a plea for her to stop. So she stopped. She always did what was expected of her.

But before the two of them parted ways, she said with conviction, "I'm still going to kill her as we planned."

The biggest mistake that Ahanay could commit was not taking her seriously then. Priya strode back home with determined steps, her mind calculating her next move to kill Naina. It wouldn't be that difficult considering how careless that girl was, Priya noted. She realized meeting her that day at the party that the girl had a striking ability to package her flaws as charms. Albeit poor, she could start to see why Ahanay was falling for her and she hated every insight of this new vision.

The walk from the lake to Priya's house was of 20 minutes and by car, 5 minutes, but they could barely afford one driver who was off with her bankrupt father to their sham of an office. The residual time like now after she was busy chasing Ahanay was the worst where little sparks of revelation ignited in her mind. What was the point of all this? These designer bags and shiny jewellery? Her family and Ahanay? What was the point of impressing the other when both of us knew that we were nothing? That the purpose of our lives was turning to ashes and floating in that lake one day? Just like her child. Her child. Earlier, she would feel the ugliest of knots forming inside her body at that thought. Now, nothing. She was nothing.

It felt like she was dragging an empty vessel behind her as the hollowness made loud noises in her head. How was today going to look like? She had no job, her family didn't allow beautiful, rich women to work under someone. So Priya would scroll through social media all day, trying to hang onto her friends who were all avoiding her. Her father's bankruptcy was not a secret anymore. Everyone would eventually catch on too, including Ahanay and she had to get to him before that. Her mother was looking at her like she was the last hope.

Battling with all these thoughts in her head as Priya was crossing the street, a bike violently skidded in front of her, the driver and the vehicle spinning on the ground. She halted, her heart leaping out of the hollowness and lodging in her throat. Before she could move her stiff legs towards the spinning spectacle in front of her, the driver stood up calmly, dusting his black t-shirt and worn-out jeans and removing his helmet. The man looked straight into her eyes and smiled wryly, cat eyes flashing before her.

"Hey, are you okay?" The newspaper boy ran towards the man, but with one side look, the boy left quietly. The street was as deserted as an abandoned village after the war, only a few street dogs barked at a distance. The lurid street lights still flickered as if struggling to keep their eyes open after a long night of work. Her whole body became alive and alert of her surroundings, instantly regretting taking a shortcut. For this man stood tall and proud in front of her, forcing her to look at him. She always ignored people like him, she was taught to by her parents. So swallowing her fear, she walked straight towards him without meeting his eyes, to pass him and go home. Only, he didn't let that happen.

Blocking her way with his huge body, he looked down at her with eyes full of contempt as if she was the poor, abandoned orphan. Her delicate hands began shaking with anger at that look, who was he to look at her like that? He was a nobody, nobody would care if he died this very second.

"Why do you want to kill Naina?" Ohas asked, clenching his jaw at those painful words.

Oh, so she had to deal with another man in love with that girl.

"Why is that any of your business? Who are you anyway?" She challenged and could see that he was taken aback by her words. Most people would never expect her angelic face to even utter any words. Let alone, stand there briskly with words that could challenge a thug. But the thug recovered quickly, that wry smile back on his stupidly, attractive face.

"You don't need to know." He took a step forward till she was engulfed by his shadow. "Don't go after her and I won't come after you."

"I'm not scared of little, street thugs like you," she spat out, still trying to process how he got to know about her plan to kill Naina. He seemed smart to catch on so quickly. But people like him couldn't be smart. How could they?

"I haven't done anything yet to scare you, princess," he said, stooping to meet her ears. "But I know of many ways to hurt you so back off now."

"I know of many ways to hurt your darling---" Before she could even say Naina's name, she was slammed against the closed-down shutter of a tea shop, her back cutting against the metal and she winced, tears welling up in her eyes. She could feel his angry breath on her cheeks, his twitching muscles against her body. Her head was ringing with pain, more from humiliation than the impact.

"Take her name one more time and you're dead," he threatened, squeezing her wrists one last time before letting go. She could barely blink away her tears and he was gone, leaving his threat as a trace. She stood there on her shaking legs as she wiped away her eyes with silk sleeves, every nerve of her body alive and pumping hot with blood. He had unknowingly ignited a new fire in her to kill Naina, a fire that had lost its courage to light up. Now, she wasn't just going to kill her, but make sure that this man was there to witness it. She was going to make his life a living, breathing hell.

(Tap on the little star if you're liking this story :))