Author's Note: Hey there, lovely readers! In this chapter, we dive into the friendship and sisterly bond between Anaya and Ria. With Anaya fresh from her first date with Rudra, she tries hard to hide her excitement and confusion, but Ria is determined to dig deep into her sister-in-law's mind. Let's see how this girls' night unfolds with a mix of playful teasing, genuine moments, and a budding friendship. Enjoy!
With Love,
~ PENOLA.S
Anaya's heart was still pounding from the whirlwind of emotions she had just experienced. Rudra had surprised her at every turn, showing a side of him she had never seen before—a soft, caring, almost affectionate side that left her speechless. She couldn't shake the image of him, his intense gaze as he looked at her bracelet, his gentle touch when he fed her. It was all so overwhelming.
As she stood in front of her bedroom mirror, absentmindedly brushing her hair, her phone buzzed on the nightstand. She reached over and saw a message from Ria.
Ria: Anaya! Come to my room na… just for tonight!
Anaya frowned slightly. After her date with Rudra, she wasn't sure she wanted to spend the night talking with anyone. Her emotions were too raw, too fresh. But before she could even type out a response, another message came through.
Ria: Puppy eyes, please? I need your help with some work, and we can watch a movie!
Anaya chuckled at the image of Ria using her infamous puppy-dog eyes. She had fallen for them many times before, and it seemed tonight would be no different. Still, part of her hesitated. What if Ria wanted to pry into what happened during her date with Rudra? Anaya wasn't ready to talk about it yet, especially not with Ria, who had a knack for reading people like an open book.
Before Anaya could decide, another message buzzed in.
Ria: Oh, hello, Miss Anaya! You're my best friend first, and only after that are you my sister-in-law. Now get your butt over here, okay? We're having a girls' night, and that's final!
Anaya smiled at the message, feeling a warmth in her chest. It was true—Ria had been a friend before anything else, someone who had welcomed her into the Singhaniya family without hesitation. Despite her sometimes cool and aloof demeanor, Ria had become like a sister to Anaya, and the last thing she wanted to do was disappoint her.
With a sigh, Anaya slipped on her slippers and grabbed a hoodie from her closet. She quickly messaged Ria back.
Anaya: Fine, I'm coming. But no prying!
Ria: No promises. 😉
Anaya laughed softly, knowing exactly what was coming. Ria was like a detective when it came to matters of the heart, and Anaya wasn't sure how long she could keep her own feelings hidden.
As she walked down the hallway towards Ria's room, her mind drifted back to her date with Rudra. His touch, his words, the way he looked at her—it all felt so surreal. She had never seen him like that before, and she wasn't sure how to process it. Did he really care for her, or was this just another one of his calculated moves? She wasn't sure, and it scared her.
When she reached Ria's door, it was already slightly ajar. Anaya pushed it open gently and found Ria sitting cross-legged on her bed, surrounded by pillows and snacks. The TV was on, but it was clear Ria wasn't paying attention to whatever was playing. Instead, she was grinning mischievously, her eyes lighting up when she saw Anaya.
"Finally!" Ria exclaimed, patting the spot next to her. "I thought you'd never come."
Anaya smiled and sat down, trying her best to appear calm. "I was… debating it," she said with a teasing tone. "You're a bit too eager tonight."
Ria rolled her eyes dramatically. "Oh please, I'm always eager when it comes to spending time with my best friend."
Anaya chuckled but quickly fell silent as she tried to settle in. She could feel Ria's eyes on her, and she knew that her friend was just waiting to ask the inevitable question.
"So," Ria began, her voice laced with curiosity, "how was your day? Or should I say… your night?"
Anaya felt her cheeks flush, and she quickly looked away, pretending to be interested in the snacks on the bed. "It was fine," she said quickly, hoping to avoid the subject altogether.
Ria raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. "Fine? You went on your first date with Rudra, and fine is the best you can come up with?"
Anaya bit her lip, trying to suppress a smile. "Okay, it was… nice," she admitted, her heart racing again as memories of the night flooded her mind.
"Nice? Come on, Anaya!" Ria nudged her playfully. "You're killing me here. Give me details!"
Anaya laughed, shaking her head. "There's nothing much to tell. We went to dinner, talked a little, and that's it."
Ria narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "And…?"
Anaya hesitated, knowing that Ria wouldn't let her off the hook that easily. "And he… he was different tonight. Softer, maybe. I don't know how to explain it."
Ria's eyes widened in surprise. "Softer? Rudra? Are we talking about the same person?"
Anaya smiled, feeling a little more relaxed now that she was sharing with Ria. "Yeah, I know it sounds crazy, but he was actually… caring. Like, really caring. He even fed me dinner."
Ria gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. "No way! The cold, distant Rudra fed you? That's huge!"
Anaya nodded, her own heart fluttering as she remembered the moment. "It was. I've never seen him like that before."
Ria grinned, clearly thrilled by the revelation. "Anaya, this is big! Do you think he's starting to fall for you?"
Anaya's smile faded slightly as she considered the question. "I don't know," she said quietly. "It's hard to tell with him. One minute he's so distant, and the next he's… well, like he was tonight."
Ria nodded thoughtfully, her playful demeanor softening. "I get it. He's not easy to read. But if he's showing you even a little bit of his softer side, that's a good sign."
Anaya shrugged, still unsure. "Maybe. But it's just so confusing. I don't want to get my hopes up."
Ria placed a hand on Anaya's shoulder, her expression serious. "Hey, it's okay to be confused. Just take it one step at a time. Don't overthink it."
Anaya smiled gratefully at her friend. "Thanks, Ria. I needed to hear that."
Ria grinned, her playful side returning. "Now, enough about Rudra. We have a girls' night to enjoy! I've got snacks, a movie, and I need your help with some work."
Anaya laughed, feeling lighter now that she had shared her feelings. "Alright, alright. What movie are we watching?"
Ria smirked. "I was thinking something romantic, but after your date with Rudra, maybe we should go for something funny."
Anaya rolled her eyes. "Romantic is fine. I can handle it."
As the two girls settled in to watch their movie, Anaya felt a sense of relief wash over her. For the first time in a while, she felt like she had a real friend in Ria, someone she could trust with her secrets and her heart. And though the future with Rudra was still uncertain, tonight, she was content to just enjoy the moment.
Chapter Title: Hidden Emotions and Unspoken Truths
The movie was halfway through, but Anaya wasn't really paying attention. Her mind kept drifting back to her evening with Rudra. The way he had looked at her, how he had touched her wrist when he admired the bracelet—everything felt so different now. It was as if Rudra had unlocked a side of him she hadn't seen before. The tenderness in his actions, the soft glances that made her heart flutter, were still too much for her to process.
Ria, lying beside her with a bowl of popcorn in her lap, kept throwing subtle glances in her direction, trying to gauge what was going on inside Anaya's head. It was clear she wasn't watching the movie either. Finally, Ria put the bowl down and paused the film, turning her full attention to her best friend.
"Okay, spill it. You've been zoning out for the last hour. What's going on in that head of yours?" Ria asked, crossing her arms and leaning in as if she were about to interrogate Anaya.
Anaya blinked, startled by the abruptness. "What? Nothing, I'm just... I guess I'm a little tired," she lied, but she knew Ria wasn't going to buy it.
"Tired? Seriously?" Ria raised an eyebrow, smirking. "That's the best excuse you've got? Come on, Anaya. I've known you long enough to tell when something's eating at you. Is it Rudra?"
Anaya's cheeks flushed at the mention of his name. She shifted uncomfortably on the bed, hugging her knees to her chest as she tried to find the right words. "It's just... tonight was different."
Ria's eyes lit up with curiosity. "Different how? I need details."
Anaya took a deep breath, hesitating. She hadn't fully processed her feelings yet, and sharing them with Ria felt like peeling away layers she wasn't sure she was ready to expose. But Ria's eager face made it hard to hold back.
"Rudra was... softer tonight. It's hard to explain, but it's like he wasn't the same cold, distant guy he usually is. He was... sweet. Caring, even. He fed me dinner, Ria. He fed me!"
Ria's mouth dropped open in exaggerated surprise. "Shut up! He fed you? Like, with his own hands?"
Anaya nodded, feeling the warmth of the memory spread through her. "Yeah, and I don't know, it just felt so... intimate. He even complimented me, sort of."
"Sort of?" Ria repeated, leaning closer, her eyes wide. "What did he say?"
Anaya bit her lip, replaying the moment in her mind. "He said something about my bracelet, about how it changes with feelings. And then he smiled at me, Ria. He smiled."
Ria clutched her heart dramatically. "Oh my God! Anaya, this is huge! Do you think he's falling for you?"
The question hung in the air, and Anaya's heart skipped a beat. Falling for her? The thought had crossed her mind, but it seemed too good to be true. Could someone like Rudra, with all his walls and cold exterior, really have feelings for her?
"I don't know," Anaya whispered, staring at her hands. "It's so hard to tell with him. One minute he's distant and unreadable, and the next, he's doing things like this. I don't want to read too much into it."
Ria sighed, shaking her head. "Well, from where I'm sitting, it sounds like he's got it bad for you. Guys like Rudra don't just go around feeding girls dinner and giving them heart-flipping smiles for no reason."
Anaya smiled faintly but remained unconvinced. "Maybe. But it's complicated. Rudra's always been so guarded. I don't know if he's capable of really letting someone in."
Ria tilted her head, her expression softening. "Or maybe you're the person he's finally letting in. You've seen more sides of him than anyone else has, right? Maybe you're breaking through those walls."
Anaya considered that for a moment, her heart aching at the possibility. Could it really be true? Could she be the one to reach Rudra, to see the parts of him that no one else had?
Before she could respond, Ria threw her arms around Anaya in a tight hug. "Whatever happens, just know I'm here for you. And remember, you deserve someone who treats you like a queen."
Anaya smiled, hugging Ria back. "Thanks, Ria. I don't know what I'd do without you."
"Well, you'd probably be bored out of your mind, for starters," Ria teased, pulling away and giving Anaya a playful wink. "Now, come on. Enough about Rudra. Let's get back to our girls' night. We've got work to do, remember?"
Anaya laughed, feeling lighter as the conversation shifted away from her confusing feelings. "Alright, alright. What do you need my help with?"
Ria reached over to her bedside table and grabbed her tablet, flipping it open to show Anaya a design she had been working on. "Okay, so I've been trying to sketch out some ideas for this jewelry project I'm working on, but I'm stuck. You've got an eye for design—what do you think?"
Anaya leaned closer, studying the intricate designs on the screen. "Wow, these are beautiful, Ria. But maybe if you added some more detail around the edges, it would really make the stones pop."
Ria's eyes lit up with excitement. "Yes! That's exactly what I was missing! You're a genius, Anaya."
Anaya grinned, feeling proud of herself for helping. "Glad I could be of service."
The rest of the night passed in a blur of laughter, movie scenes, and whispered conversations. Ria didn't press Anaya any further about Rudra, much to her relief, and instead, they fell into their usual rhythm of sisterly bonding.
As the clock struck midnight, Anaya finally made her way back to her room, her heart still fluttering with thoughts of Rudra. Despite her efforts to push the feelings aside, they lingered, leaving her both excited and nervous for what was to come.
Ria's words echoed in her mind as she slipped into bed.
Maybe you're the person he's finally letting in.
Anaya wasn't sure if she was ready to believe that just yet, but as she closed her eyes, she allowed herself to imagine the possibility.
## To be continue...**