Raj's voice was unexpectedly soft over the phone. "Meera, you're awake? It's pouring outside. Don't go out today, okay? What? You have a fever? Is it serious?" His tone shifted from cheerful to worried, and then to panic.
Ananya leaned back in the front passenger seat, playing with her hair, not pressing further. After ending the call, Raj honked twice. When he noticed the car wasn't moving, he angrily punched the steering wheel. Ananya found his reaction amusing. If he had just come upstairs at the apartment, he would have discovered her with another man. However, Raj wasn't interested enough in her to check. Ananya smirked, imagining his surprise when he eventually found out.
Frustrated, Raj grabbed his car keys and dashed into the storm without even taking an umbrella.
"We're not going to the event?" Ananya called after Raj's retreating figure.
"Meera is sick. I need to see her. She's your good friend, after all," Raj replied.
"Indeed, you should take care of my dear friend." Ananya's eyes glinted with sarcasm.
Raj paused momentarily before disappearing into the rain. Ananya sighed, observing the downpour. She turned to see that Raj had taken the car keys with him. Frowning, she realized that the traffic jam had cleared, leaving her car as the sole obstruction. It soon attracted a flurry of angry comments.
Searching for an umbrella, Ananya noticed several used condoms between the seat and the center console, making her stomach churn with disgust. Opening the storage box, she found a limited edition lipstick—the gift she had given Meera. With only twenty in existence, the coincidence was minimal.
Ananya sneered, indifferent to Meera's overt provocation. Unable to find an umbrella, she stepped out into the rain and got thoroughly drenched. She stood in the dark, soaked to the skin, as the traffic police towed the car away.
Wiping rain from her face, Ananya decided to try her luck at hailing a cab. As she walked over to the sidewalk, a black Bentley with a distinctive license plate and a small flag indicating high-level access pulled up in front of her.
Raising her eyebrows and smiling, Ananya opened the car door and got in. "What a coincidence, Young Uncle."
Arjun glanced at Ananya before turning his gaze away, casually fiddling with the Buddhist bracelet on his wrist. "Raj doesn't want you anymore?" he asked pointedly.
Ananya blew a raspberry.
What "Sage of the City"? He was more of a demon—every comment felt like a stab!
"Young Uncle, I thought I pleased you well last night. Why the frosty attitude now?" Ananya smiled flirtatiously, using her seductive gaze. She showed no hint of embarrassment or shame about being left behind.
Rahul, in the front seat, rolled up the partition divider, not daring to listen to the exchange.
"Pleased me well?" Arjun repeated, casting a disinterested glance at Ananya. "You were like a dead fish. All you did was scream and not move. What's so special about you?"
Ananya gritted her teeth and forced a smile. "That must have been tough, Young Uncle. You had to deal with a dead fish for so long. Your enthusiasm in bed makes one think you've never seen a woman before." She responded sarcastically, her lips tightly pursed and her expression pitiful.
As Ananya tried to exit the car, she was pulled back. Arjun's grip on her wrist was firm. He instructed the driver, "Return to Manor No. 1."
Manor No. 1 was Arjun's residence, and it seemed he had no intention of attending the banquet. Ananya was perplexed. She had no desire to face the Kapoor family in her current disheveled state; she would likely be mistreated. She leaned into Arjun's embrace.
Arjun looked down at her with smoldering eyes. "Not leaving anymore?"
Ananya said, "Young Uncle, how can a dead fish move?"
Arjun: "…"
Ananya felt a small victory. She snuggled into Arjun's arms, unconcerned about her wet sweater potentially staining his suit.