I'd been awake for an hour, but my body hadn't moved an inch.
I just wanted to curl into a ball and disappear, to forget everything that had happened.
Could my life take a hiatus for a while? Just pause it?
But there was no time to wallow.
The coffee was calling me.
I dragged myself out of bed and stumbled into the kitchen, hoping caffeine could jump-start my brain.
The smell of cooking eggs hit me instantly.
"Ugh, Kanika, I told you I don't eat eggs," I groaned, rubbing my temples.
"For your delicate vegan self," Kanika said without turning around, "I have prepared a very dignified veggie club."
"I'm not vegan," I muttered, slumping into a chair. "I'm vegetarian."
Kanika shrugged, clearly uninterested in another round of that discussion. "What kind of person is fine with dairy but doesn't eat eggs?" she asked, but it was more of a rhetorical question than anything else.
"Don't start again," I sighed, pressing my forehead to the cool surface of the table. "I don't have the energy for this discussion."
Kanika plopped a plate in front of me - a sandwich stacked high with cucumbers, tomatoes, cheese, and way too much mayonnaise, trying its best to look cheerful.
I stared at it like it was a complicated math problem.
The kitchen felt too bright.
Too normal.
Like the world hadn't shifted on its axis last night.
"I need strength to deal with today," I groaned, reaching for the coffee pot.
Kanika slid into the chair across from me, looking far too awake for someone who kept vampire hours.
"You should've come to the kitchen last night," she said, smirking.
"Best entertainment of the week."
I blinked. "What?"
She leaned in conspiratorially. "Shlok's phone wouldn't stop buzzing. Like, nonstop. And once, when it rang again, Aliyah picked it up instead of him."
That made me pause, the mug halfway to my lips.
I raised an eyebrow. "Wait. She answered his phone?"
Kanika shrugged, like it was no big deal. "Yeah. It was weird. She mumbled something and then hung up."
I tried to act casual, but inside, a little knot formed in my stomach.
Maybe they were just close. Maybe it was nothing.
Kanika yawned.
"Anyway, eat your sandwich, broken-heart girl. Big day ahead."
I rolled my eyes but took a bite anyway.
Even if my appetite had packed its bags and left town.
*******
In office, I sat at my desk, waiting for the day to end.
I poured myself a coffee, trying to shake off the heaviness in my chest. It had been a long night, and I didn't have the energy to face any more drama. To look at all the unread messages from Abhi, or those missed calls, or Shlok - who was the catalyst for it all.
So I avoided him today.
Because after what he told me last night, I didn't really know how to talk to him.
I don't even know if I should thank him or scold him for not telling me sooner.
Whatever.
I'm just going to sleep on it. Maybe... just maybe deal with it tomorrow.
I grabbed my coffee, absentmindedly sipping it as I scrolled through my phone.
Then the office door opened with a soft creak, followed by a knock.
"Delivery for Mr. Anand," a voice called out.
I blinked, confused.
There wasn't a Mr. Anand in the office, was there?
I looked up to see the delivery guy standing there, holding a parcel.
"Mr. Anand?" I asked, frowning. "There's no Mr. Anand here." Then it clicked.
"Ohh, are you sure it's not for Ms. Aliyah Anand? She's the only Anand in this office."
He double-checked the package. "It's for Mr. Shlok Anand."
"You mean Shlok Roy?"
There must have been a giant question mark on my face because he continued with some hesitation, glancing back at the label.
"No. It says Mr. Shlok Anand right here."
"I'll take the package. I'm Shlok," Shlok said quickly, walking over to the delivery guy. He took the package, signed for it, and turned away.
I stared at him, hoping he would offer some sort of explanation.
For a second, I even forgot all the awkwardness I'd felt around him all day.
But the moment passed. He just gave me a smile and left.
Now, this was weird, right?
I couldn't be the only one finding it weird...
But if I asked Kanika, she would become all nosy - and I definitely didn't want that.
Still, against my better judgment, I texted her to meet me at the cafeteria.
******
We sat at a corner table.
After so much caffeine today, I decided to get an Oreo shake instead.
Kanika didn't even bat an eye at it - thanks to my supposedly broken heart.
"Okay," I started after taking the first sip of my divine drink. "Something weird happened. It might be nothing, but it's..." I trailed off, not knowing how to continue.
Kanika picked up immediately.
"Now, who's being a gossip?" she smirked. "But continue - it's a better distraction than you looking all mopey."
"A, I was never mopey. And B, it's not really gossip."
I huffed.
"Anyway, a package came today. For Shlok Anand."
"What do you mean? Who's that? Wait..."
And then she burst out laughing.
"I've heard many weird name combos before, but never like this one."
"You think it was just a name mismatch from the courier company?" I asked. "Shlok didn't give any explanation."
"You know, for someone who claims not to be interested in the guy," she teased, "you're awfully interested in his life."
"You are interested too"
"That's different, I am interested in everyone's drama, you are just interested in his"
"Okay. I'm just going to finish my drink and not give you any more tea, which I'm pretty sure you were hoping for," I pouted.
"Well, so you admit it was tea," she grinned. "You know what? I might know just the right person to solve this mystery."
"Who? Are you going to do something illegal?"
"What? No!" She rolled her eyes.
"I'll talk to Shruti."
"Who?"
"The HR girl. You know her, right?"
I do not.
"So, I'll try to get their personal details."
"You crazy, that's not even allowed, please don't. I shouldn't have told you anything," I said hurriedly.
Kanika waved me off like she always did when she was about to do something reckless. "Relax. It's just casual conversation. I'm not hacking into the RAW."
I shook my head, but part of me... well, part of me really wanted to know.
By the time we finished our drinks, Kanika had already sent Shruti a cheerful 'Hey, let's grab a coffee sometime!' message, and I realized resistance was futile.
*****
I reached home late at night, exhausted, Kanika slumped onto the couch beside me, looking far too pleased with herself.
"Meet detective Kanika" she declared dramatically.
I rolled my eyes. "You're ridiculous."
"Maybe. But I have news," she said, her grin faltering a little. "Weird news."
I straightened myself and turned to face her, suddenly more awake. "Weird how?"
"So, Shruti said she can't actually see much about either Shlok or Aliyah in the system. Like, their basic info is there - names, emails, departments - but anything else? Emergency contacts, home address, even educational details? It's all locked down. She doesn't have access."
I frowned. "That's... odd. Isn't that only for really senior executives?"
"Exactly." Kanika leaned in. "And neither of them is that senior. I mean, Shlok is lead-level, Aliyah entry level in editorial. definitely not top brass important."
A weird chill slid down my spine. "Maybe it's a mistake."
"Maybe," Kanika echoed, but even she didn't sound convinced.
I sat back, the unease gnawing at me. There were too many pieces that didn't fit. And no matter how much I told myself it was nothing, I knew I'd be thinking about it for a while.