Chapter 15: The Truth Beneath the Surface
You know those moments in life where everything feels like it's finally aligning — like the puzzle pieces are clicking into place, like the universe is giving you a gentle nod and saying, "Go ahead, you've earned this"?
Yeah, this was not one of those moments.
Because after all the drama of rescuing Isha, stealing data, and nearly getting shot, here we were — hiding in a crummy safehouse in Delhi, where the AC wheezed like it had asthma, the mattress was thinner than a paper towel, and the Wi-Fi only worked if I stood on one leg near the fridge.
But that wasn't even the worst part.
The worst part?
Rohan had started wearing his T-shirt with the sleeves rolled up.
You know the one I mean.
That dangerously casual "I look hot but didn't try" kind of T-shirt.
The one that exposed exactly the right amount of forearm.
And veins.
Ugh. The veins.
"So, the data from Mirror confirms that Apex is targeting whistleblowers," Isha said, tapping her laptop screen. "But they've also been mapping out behavioral profiles — emotional triggers, preferences, even subconscious fears. It's like they're preparing to control how people think."
I blinked. "That's horrifying. Also... how do they know my preference for cheese burst pizza?"
Isha raised an eyebrow. "You're logged into seventeen food apps."
Fair point.
Rohan leaned in. "So what's their goal? Psychological manipulation?"
"Worse," Isha said. "They're preparing a roll-out of something called 'Sieve.' It's a cognitive filter. Designed to suppress specific thoughts. Political, emotional, personal — anything deemed 'dangerous.'"
I blinked. "Like... mind control?"
"Exactly."
"Okay," I said, standing up. "That's it. I'm out. I'll move to the mountains. Raise goats. Knit sweaters for squirrels. The world is ending, and I refuse to wear jeans while it happens."
Rohan chuckled. "You wouldn't last a day without your oat milk latte."
"Excuse you, I'm complex and rugged."
"You cried because your shoelace broke."
"IT WAS SENTIMENTAL!"
That night, I couldn't sleep.
I kept replaying everything in my head — Isha's captivity, the look in Rohan's eyes when he fought the guard, the terrifying implications of "Sieve."
I tiptoed out to the balcony, wrapping myself in a shawl.
And of course, I found Rohan there too.
He always beat me to the brooding spots.
"You ever wonder what we'll do after this?" he asked quietly, eyes fixed on the city lights.
"You mean after we take down a shady conglomerate and destroy a mind control system?"
"Yeah. That."
I sat beside him. "I don't know. Maybe... write a book? 'Love, Lies, and Lattes.' Bestseller material."
He laughed. "Starring a delivery girl with a God complex and a broody hacker with trust issues?"
"Exactly. Oh, and a hot best friend who used to be presumed dead."
"Isha's gonna sue us for defamation."
Silence fell. But not the awkward kind.
The kind that feels like... understanding.
"Can I tell you something?" I said, voice softer than I meant it to be.
"Always."
"I keep thinking... if I hadn't pushed Isha that night, if I hadn't taken that stupid call... maybe none of this would've happened."
Rohan turned to me. "Hey. Don't do that."
"But I—"
"You're not responsible for what they did. You're the reason we found her. You saved her."
He reached for my hand.
And suddenly, I couldn't breathe.
Not because of anxiety or fear.
But because everything inside me was screaming, Kiss him. Kiss him now.
But of course—
"Guys," Isha called, poking her head out the door, "I just decrypted something. You're gonna want to see this."
Cockblocked by my best friend. Again.
Back inside, Isha displayed the decrypted file.
It was an internal communication log.
From Karan.
"Wait," I said. "I thought he was on our side?"
"He is," Isha said. "But this... this is dated two years ago."
The message read:
"Subject A selected. Proximity to Target R confirmed. Emotional leverage engaged. Memory suppression complete."
My heart dropped.
"Subject A?" I whispered. "Target R? What is this?"
Rohan's expression went completely still.
Isha enlarged the message thread.
The next line hit me like a truck.
"Keep Ananya in his orbit. She believes this was her idea. Continue observation."
My vision blurred.
"What the hell does that mean?" I snapped.
Rohan stood abruptly. "I didn't know. Aanya, I swear, I didn't know."
"You're the target, Rohan! They used me to get to you?!"
"I didn't—"
"Are my memories even real?" I shouted. "Was our first meeting a setup? Did I even like you on my own?!"
The silence that followed was brutal.
He looked like I'd slapped him.
"I didn't know," he whispered again. "But... I never faked anything. Not with you."
I shook my head.
And left the room.
The next morning, I avoided both of them.
I walked the markets, headphones on, eyes glazed.
Somewhere between a banana vendor and a broken chai stall, it hit me:
They had messed with my life. My memories. My feelings.
But not all of them.
Some things... I knew were real.
Like how Rohan always protected me in his own awkward way.
How he looked at me when he thought I wasn't watching.
How his hand always found mine in the dark.
I could feel the truth, even if I couldn't always prove it.
By the time I got back, I'd made up my mind.
"I'm in," I said, marching into the living room. "Let's bring them down."
Rohan stood slowly. "Even after...?"
"I'm still mad," I said. "But if I've been used, then it's time to return the favor."
A slow smile curved his lips. "That's my girl."
I glared. "You're on probation."
"Fair."
Isha grinned. "Group hug?"
We both scowled.
"Fine," she said. "No group hug. But can I at least order pizza?"
As we gathered around the table with blueprints, surveillance tapes, and more espresso than was probably legal, I realized something.
This wasn't the end of our story.
Not even close.
This was just the chapter where we stopped running...
...and started fighting.
And maybe — just maybe — where I stopped falling in love,
and started choosing it.
End of Chapter 15