𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐧 𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐫𝐡𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐦, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐬—𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐟 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞’𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠… 𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐟 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐬.

Days turned into weeks, and Aarvi gradually settled into her new life. Her work at the news company was picking up pace. Though she was assigned smaller, local stories, she put her heart into every piece. Her bond with her colleagues grew stronger, especially with Saanvi, who turned out to be her next-door neighbor. The discovery was a pleasant surprise, and their professional partnership soon blossomed into a genuine friendship. They often walked home together, their conversations drifting from work to life and everything in between.

𝐀𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐢’𝐬 𝐏𝐎𝐕

Aarvi’s morning was… a mess. The alarm had rung three times before she finally rolled out of bed, and in her half-sleep state, she almost poured orange juice into her coffee instead of milk.

“Ugh, I need a break,” she mumbled, stuffing a notebook into her bag before dashing out the door.

As she stepped outside, she bumped into Saanvi.

“Running late again?” Saanvi teased, handing her a coffee.

Aarvi grinned. “You know me too well.”

At the office, Aarvi’s relationship with her boss, Vikram Khanna, also improved. He led the team with a perfect balance of authority and warmth. He treated everyone like family, and his wife, Meera, often dropped by, bringing homemade sweets that made the entire office feel like home.

One afternoon, during their break, the team was gathered in the lounge, sharing stories over coffee. A senior colleague, Raghav Sethi, who had been with Vikram for years, was joking around when Vikram decided to share an old incident.

“Do you guys know the story of Raghav almost getting thrown out of his house?” Vikram began with a mischievous grin

“Oh no, Sir… not that story!” Raghav protested, but everyone’s curiosity was piqued.

Vikram continued, “Years ago, we had this incredibly beautiful woman working here. Nothing was going on, but Raghav was helping her with some work. That day, his wife called, and he didn’t notice. I picked up the phone and said, ‘Oh, your husband is very busy with this gorgeous colleague of ours.’”

Everyone burst into laughter.

Raghav shook his head, laughing, “Sir, I almost got divorced that day! I snatched the phone and had to spend an hour convincing her nothing happened.”

Vikram laughed, “See? That’s how scared he is of his wife.”

Raghav grinned, “Sir, every husband is scared of his wife. Even you!”

Vikram straightened up, feigning confidence. “No, not me!”

Just then, Meera walked in. “Seriously, Mr. Khanna? You’re not scared of me?”

The room fell silent for a moment before Vikram turned around, startled. “No, no… I was just joking, Biwi ji!”

Laughter exploded in the room, making everyone feel more like friends than coworkers.

Aarvi had finally begun to settle into her routine. The once unfamiliar city now felt somewhat welcoming, though the shadows of her past still lurked in the corners of her mind. Her job at Insight 24/7 kept her busy, and she threw herself into work, determined to carve a name for herself in the industry. Though she was assigned smaller stories, she handled them with determination, learning the nuances of investigative journalism with each passing day.

One evening, as they walked back from a coverage, Saanvi smiled, “I think I’m finally getting used to your coffee debts.”

Aarvi laughed, “Don’t get too comfortable. I might be late again tomorrow.”

Their laughter echoed through the corridor as they reached their apartments.

Her bond with Saanvi had deepened, the two often working late nights together. Saanvi, with her easygoing nature, had become Aarvi’s closest companion in the bustling newsroom. The two would walk home together, their laughter echoing through the quiet streets, but something always unsettled Aarvi—the eerie feeling of being watched.

At first, she dismissed it as her overactive imagination, but the sensation never left her. Sometimes, she would spot a car parked at the far end of the street, its headlights off yet its presence unmistakable. Other times, she felt the weight of unseen eyes tracking her every move. She convinced herself it was nothing. After all, who would be interested in her?

---

𝐑𝐕 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬

Meanwhile, Reyansh and Vidyut were thriving at RV Industries. Their hard work was paying off, and their fathers often visited to offer advice, their experience proving invaluable.

One evening, after a successful meeting, Vidyut’s father patted his back. “You boys are doing well. But don’t let success get to your head.”

Reyansh’s father added, “Trust each other. That’s what kept us going for all these years.”

Their words lingered in the air, a reminder that business was as much about relationships as it was about profit.

𝐕𝐢𝐝𝐲𝐮𝐭'𝐬 𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐒𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐞

Vidyut walked into his spacious living room, dropping his keys on the coffee table. His mother, Neelam, was sitting on the couch, sipping tea and watching TV.

"Hey, beta! How was your day?" she asked, smiling warmly.

Vidyut flopped down beside her, kicking off his shoes. "It was good, Mom. Just busy with work."

Neelam nodded, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "And how's Reyansh? I feel like I haven't seen him in ages."

Vidyut chuckled, rolling his eyes. "He's still the same, Mom. Always teasing me and getting under my skin."

Neelam laughed, patting Vidyut's hand. "That's what friends are for, beta."

Vidyut's father, Manoj, walked into the room, smiling. "Hey, son! How was your day?"

Vidyut filled him in on his day, and they chatted for a bit.

𝐑𝐞𝐲𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐡'𝐬 𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐒𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐞

Reyansh stepped into his sleek, modern apartment, greeted by the soft hum of jazz music. His father, Rajeev, was sitting at the kitchen counter, sipping whiskey and staring out the window.

"Hey, son! How was your day?" Rajeev asked, his voice low and smooth.

Reyansh dropped his bag on the floor, walking over to his father. "It was good, Dad. Just wrapped up a meeting with Vidyut."

Rajeev raised an eyebrow, his eyes glinting with amusement. "And how's my favorite business partner doing?"

Reyansh grinned, leaning against the counter. "Vidyut's still Vidyut, Dad. Always trying to one-up me."

Rajeev chuckled, clinking his glass against Reyansh's. "That's what makes life interesting, son."

Reyansh's mother, Asha, walked into the room, smiling warmly. "Hey, beta! How was your day?"

Reyansh filled her in on his day, and they chatted for a bit.

On weekends, Aarvi often visited Kritika’s boutique, which was slowly gaining popularity. The two friends would spend hours chatting, sipping coffee amidst colorful fabrics and fashion sketches.

“I swear, Aaru, managing a boutique is harder than I thought,” Kritika sighed one afternoon.

Aarvi chuckled, “Well, at least you don’t have a boss demanding coffee every time you’re late.”

Their laughter filled the shop, a comforting sound amidst the stress of their new lives.

However, amidst this growing sense of belonging, something still bothered Aarvi. She often felt watched—as if unseen eyes followed her every move. Sometimes, she would glance out of her window and see a shadow near the parking lot. Other times, she felt someone behind her while walking home, but when she turned around, there was no one.

“Maybe it’s just my imagination,” she told herself each time.

But was it really?

Little did she know, the answers to her unease were closer than she thought.

𝐖𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐀𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐢’𝐬 𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐲𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫?

*So this was our second chapter, if you liked it, show some love and stay tuned for the next part to see, stay happy and heathy byeee loveies .❤

@Author aanu_writes7

Instagram Id:@aanu_writes7

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