It was early morning, and I was sleeping soundly when a loud, angry voice jolted me awake.
"Where are you, cheater girl? You didn't even come to meet me!"
It was Anvi. Goosebumps ran down my spine—last time I had gone somewhere without telling her, she had beaten me so badly my wounds had taken weeks to heal. She was as scary as Sarthak when he was angry. I hurried downstairs in my nightgown.
"Sorry, I didn't come to meet you," I said quickly, guiding her to sit. "As soon as I stepped in last night, Sarthak came to my room… we kissed, spent the night together. Do you think, after that, I could've come to meet you? My waist hurt so badly I couldn't sleep peacefully."
"Oh, by the way, did you make some friends over there?" she asked.
"Of course! I made a lot of friends—they were all sweet and older than me," I replied.
She laughed. "What? Older than you? How much?"
"Around six to seven years," I said.
"That's okay, as long as they weren't more than fifteen years old," she teased.
I rolled my eyes but smiled. "Stop laughing. Tell me about you and uncle. Is everything alright between you two?"
"Everything is alright. We're going to meet his parents soon when they come back to India," she said.
"Grandpa is coming to India? Then Lavanya will come too!" I said excitedly. But I didn't realize that uncle wasn't paying attention to her, and she was feeling insecure.
"Hey… I think Anirudh is cheating on me," she blurted suddenly.
Manya jumped in, shocked. "What? Uncle is cheating on you?" She flung herself onto the couch. "How could he? What makes you think that?"
"His behavior… he doesn't pay attention to me. He didn't kiss me… not for three months. He came home late. And he has a new female secretary who is always with him," Anvi cried.
"Don't cry, baby," I whispered, hugging her tightly. "We're with you. Let's go to his office and catch him."
We reached his office and asked the receptionist about him. She said he was in a meeting and we would have to wait.
Finally, the meeting ended and we stepped inside. There he was, sitting too close to his secretary, laughing quietly with her. Anvi's face twisted with rage. She rushed forward, shoved the secretary aside, and delivered a sharp slap to Anirudh's face.
"You fucking cheater! Bastard! I waited for you every night, every day, and you cheated on me! I shouldn't have loved you! I shouldn't have accepted you!" she cried, tears streaming down her face.
The secretary flinched and stepped back while we both watched in shock. Anvi stormed out, furious.
"It's okay, Anvi. Don't cry. We're with you," I said, hugging her tightly. "Let's go to a bar—have some fun, make you happy, and make him regret everything."
The bar was dimly lit, neon lights flickering over glass bottles and polished tables. Anvi sat at a corner table, her head in her hands, sipping a drink. Manya and I flanked her, giving her space but staying close.
"I can't believe he did this… again," she said, voice shaking. "I trusted him… I loved him…"
"You did everything right, Anvi," I said gently. "He's the one who failed. You have nothing to be ashamed of."
Manya nodded. "Exactly. We're not letting him ruin your night. Tonight is about you. We'll make you happy, even if he's an idiot."
Anvi managed a small laugh, wiping her tears. "You guys… I don't know what I'd do without you."
We toasted lightly, shared stories, laughed at little memories, and slowly, her tense shoulders began to relax. She started teasing me and Manya, and for a while, the pain of Anirudh's betrayal seemed to melt just enough for her to breathe.
After a while, Anvi got a little too drunk. She leaned on me and Manya, giggling and sobbing at the same time.
"Okay, baby, let's go home now," I whispered, helping her stand. "We're leaving before it gets worse."
She leaned on me as we walked out, exhausted but a little stronger—her anger had been vented, and she felt a small spark of empowerment.
By the time we returned, Anvi was barely standing. We carried her to her room and laid her on the bed. I turned to see Anirudh and Sarthak waiting downstairs, both angry. Without thinking, I walked up and gave Anirudh a sharp slap. Everyone froze.
"How can you cheat on her? I was wrong to think you were the best for her. You hurt my best friend, turned her from a happy, charming girl into someone broken. You never deserved her. I don't take you as my uncle anymore—you're just a cheater who broke my best friend's heart!" I yelled, then left, Manya following silently.
In Anvi's room, she sat up, tears flowing freely.
"Did you… do something to him? Am I not good enough? Did I love him less?" she asked.
I hugged her tightly. "No, you're the best girl I know. He didn't deserve you. I've cut off my relationship with him."
"Why did you do that?" she asked softly.
"What else could I do? He broke your heart. Now sleep. We'll talk later," I said. She nodded and soon drifted off in tears.
Later, I went to Sarthak's study. He was working at his desk. I sat on his lap and kissed him.
"Did she sleep? Uncle shouldn't have cheated on her," he murmured.
"Sorry I slapped him," I said.
"It's okay. He deserved it," he replied and leaned in to kiss me again. I pulled back gently.
"Not now… I have to sleep beside Anvi," I whispered. He hugged me tightly.
"Okay, baby. Good night," he said and left.
I entered Anvi's room to see her sleeping peacefully. After a quick shower, I lay down beside her. My mind kept replaying one question: Why did he cheat on my best friend? Eventually, sleep came, but I stayed determined that nothing would ever hurt her again.