Dark clouds loomed over the ruins, dust and debris painting a tragic scene of destruction. Anaya knelt amidst the wreckage, her trembling hands clutching the broken remains of a collapsed building. The arch above, though barely standing, bore faint, shattered letters:
".u.n u.i.e..ity"
Her body shook as a wave of grief consumed her. Tears streamed down her face, her voice cracked with despair.
"Eswar uncle, please tell me… why didn't I stop this tragedy?"
A calm, familiar voice echoed behind her. "It's not your fault."
But Anaya's heart refused to accept those words. "Still… why? Why? WHY?! Why was it up to—" Her voice broke, drowning in sorrow.
Suddenly, warmth brushed against her hair—a gentle, reassuring touch, like a father calming his daughter. It should have been comforting, but it only made the pain sharper, the guilt heavier.
And then—
A sudden jolt.
Anaya gasped as the world of dreams shattered, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Blinking against the morning light, she found herself back in her room, her breath still unsteady.
"Anaya! You're having that dream again, aren't you?"
A familiar voice pulled her back to reality. It was her roommate and close friend, standing beside her bed with a concerned look.
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Riya walked over to Anaya's bed, arms crossed as she stared at her sleeping friend. "Oi, get up already! You have your semi-finals today!"
Anaya groaned in irritation, pulling the blanket over her head. "Five more minutes…"
"Five more minutes, my foot!" Riya huffed. "Do you want to sleep through your singing competition?"
Anaya grumbled something incoherent, refusing to budge.
Riya smirked, deciding to take a different approach. "Fine, if you don't wanna wake up, I'll just tell you something interesting." She leaned closer. "While you were busy dreaming, I saw a message pop up on your phone… from A Y A A N."
Anaya's eyes shot open. In the blink of an eye, she sat up, grabbed her phone, and checked her notifications in a panic.
The entire room erupted into laughter.
"She fell for it!" Pooja cheered, clapping her hands.
"Too easy," Sneha giggled, shaking her head.
As the teasing continued, Sneha's gaze sharpened. She noticed something unusual—the faint traces of tears at the corners of Anaya's eyes.
"Wait… Anaya, were you crying?"
The room suddenly fell silent.
Pooja gasped dramatically. "It's all Riya's fault!"
"Oi! B*tch, I was just teasing!" Riya defended herself, raising her hands. "We've all watched too many rom-coms, alright? And besides, it's always that 'unwelcome guest' who steals the heart."
Anaya smirked, flipping the situation around. "Oh, you mean that 'unwelcome guest' Dev, who stole your heart?" She waved her phone playfully. "Eee~ Should I send Ayaan a message about how much you 'likes' Dev?"
Riya's expression twisted in horror. "Shut up, b*tch! I'd rather die than 'likes' that idiot!"
The teasing continued, but Sneha remained focused. "Seriously though, Anaya… why were you crying?"
At that, Anaya's playful demeanor faltered for a split second. She hesitated before responding softly, "It's the same unavoidable dream… the one that curses my heart from deep inside out."
Her words cast a brief silence over the room.
Pooja shifted uncomfortably. "Can you tell us about it…?"
But Anaya quickly forced a grin, stretching her arms. "Oops! Time's running out! Let's get ready for the semi-finals!"
Sneha sighed knowingly. "There she goes again, dodging the conversation."
Riya, however, grinned mischievously. "I'll let it slide for now. But after your performance, you owe us the full story!"
Anaya only smiled, but deep down, the weight of the dream still lingered.
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The atmosphere in the room was lively as Anaya, for once, carefully selected a nice dress and applied light makeup. Her roommates exchanged knowing glances, their excitement bubbling over.
"Ohhh, is this excitement for the semi-finals… or because of Ayaan?" Sneha teased.
Anaya froze for a second—her usual reaction whenever someone mentioned his name. But unlike before, she was learning to adjust. Still, a soft smile always crept onto her lips whenever she heard his name.
Sneha smirked. "It's been a month since we last saw him, and I still have one question. What do you see in him? I mean, sure, you both exchanged phone numbers, rarely meet, and don't even take advantage of our nosy curiosity—but why him?"
Anaya calmly continued doing her makeup, her confidence unwavering. "You just said it yourself—the reason why I lo… likes him."
Riya caught the slip immediately. "Oi, oi! It's only been one month, and you're already in love with him?"
Anaya quickly deflected, feigning innocence. "Hmm? What was that? I didn't hear you~ Oh, wait! Does this mean you started liking Dev?"
Riya's face twisted in horror. "STOPPPP! You won't stop teasing me, will you?!"
Laughter erupted in the room.
As they continued laughing, Pooja suddenly clapped her hands together. "Wait! That reminds me of something! Do you guys remember when we first met Ayaan on the train? He looked so anxious and asked us—" She deepened her voice mockingly, "'Did you see the shadow figur—'"
But before she could finish, Anaya abruptly closed her makeup kit.
The laughter came to an abrupt halt.
Silence.
Then Anaya smoothly smiled and teased, "Why did you all stop laughing?"
The tension instantly dissolved, and she continued with her makeup, adding lightly, "Shadow figure, huh? What a joke…" Her reflection in the mirror showed a brief flash of determination—her eyes darkening for just a moment. "This time, I will definitely…."
Riya, ever perceptive, caught the unusual expression on Anaya's face—the first time she had ever seen it. Without hesitation, she hugged Anaya from behind, pressing her cheek against her friend's shoulder.
"Let me finish your makeup for you~" Riya grinned. "C'mon, let's laugh again!"
Anaya snapped out of her thoughts and chuckled. "You're my angel, Riya!" Then, smirking, she added, "And as thanks, I'll definitely help you with your relationship with Dev!"
"SHUT UP!!" Riya shrieked.
The room exploded into laughter once again, their worries momentarily forgotten.