Part 2
“Vanya. Vanya, wake up. It’s already noon.”
Meera’s voice was gentle, but with that unmistakable edge only a mother’s worry could carry. The sunlight trickled into the room, spilling golden lines across the marble floor, highlighting the creases on the sheet where Vanya Kapoor lay curled half-asleep, half-drenched in the haunting memory of last night.
“Do you want tea?” Meera asked, pulling the curtains open. A streak of sunlight kissed Vanya’s cheek, waking her up further, and along with it came the image Rivaan’s room, his breath near her neck, the warmth of his chest against her back, the safety she no longer had the right to feel.
She sat up, her voice low and dry. “No, I’m okay.”
Meera studied her daughter’s face for a beat longer than necessary. “What about your shoot to
