Ashriti… I'm outside his house."
The words didn't register at first.
Outside.
Shivrit's.
House.
For a second, I forgot how to breathe.
Adray and Shivrit in the same place?
That never ended well.
Just hearing that made my stomach twist.
And suddenly—
I knew this call was about Shivrit.
I just didn't want to admit it.
I brushed the thought away immediately.
No.
It can't be something serious.
Adray and Shivrit related only in one way—
they hated each other.
Maybe they fought.
Yes.
That's it.
That's the only logical explanation.
My mind started racing.
What if Adray beat him?
Or worse—
What if Shivrit beat Adray?
That's possible.
Shivrit had a temper.
And Adray never knew when to stay quiet.
That must be it.
A fight.
An ego clash.
A stupid argument blown out of proportion.
That's the worst that could have happened… right?
Right?
Because I can't imagine anything worse than that.
I refuse to.
"What are you doing there?" I demanded. "Did something happen between you two?"
There was a pause.
Not angry.
Not defensive.
Heavy.
"Ashriti…" Adray's voice sounded strained. "It's not that."
Not that?
Then what?
My heart was pounding now.
"Is he hurt?" I whispered before I could stop myself.
Another silence.
And suddenly the idea of a fight didn't feel enough anymore.
The air in my room felt suffocating.
"Adray, just say it."
He inhaled sharply.
"There's police here."
"Police?" I repeated.
The word didn't fit in my head.
Police and Shivrit in the same sentence wasn't shocking.
It was… expected.
And that scared me more.
"What did he do now?" I asked quietly.
Adray didn't answer immediately.
My mind started filling the silence on its own.
Did he fight again?
Shivrit had a temper. A dangerous one.
Did he gamble and lose money again?
Satta was like oxygen to him.
Or worse—
Did someone finally complain about that girl?
The one he blackmailed.
The one he said "deserved it."
He told me she agreed.
He told me it wasn't a big deal.
He told me I was being dramatic.
And like always—
I believed him.
Because loving him meant defending him.
"Adray," I pressed, "just tell me. Did he get into a fight?"
"No."
"Then what?"
"There's an ambulance here too."
My heartbeat stopped.
Ambulance?
Why would there be an ambulance?
I sat up in bed, my hands suddenly cold.
"That doesn't mean anything," I said quickly. "Maybe someone in his family is sick."
"Yes," Adray said softly.
"Maybe his mom," I continued, trying to convince myself. "Yesterday a woman answered his phone. It must've been her."
There was silence on the other end.
The kind that stretches.
The kind that makes your chest feel tight.
"Ashu…"
He hadn't called me that in months.
"Don't come here alone."
That irritated me.
"Why are you talking like that? You're acting like someone died."
The words slipped out casually.
Carelessly.
And I immediately wished I could take them back.
Because Adray didn't laugh.
He didn't deny it.
He just breathed.
Slow.
Heavy.
"Where exactly are you?" he asked again.
"In my room."
"Stay there."
"No."
I threw the blanket off and stood up.
"I'm coming."
"Ashriti, listen to me—"
"I said I'm coming."
My hands were shaking as I grabbed my dupatta.
Something was wrong.
I could feel it in my chest.
Not dramatic.
Not loud.
Just heavy.
Like the air before a storm.
"Adray," I whispered, softer this time, "is he okay?"
The silence that followed felt longer than the night I hadn't slept.
And suddenly—
For the first time since this call began—
I wasn't thinking about fights.
Or gambling.
Or police complaints.
I was thinking about how quiet the morning felt.
Too quiet.