The last thing Aditya felt like doing was visiting a shopping mall at Abhi's insistence. But as his best friend—well, only friend—requested and begged and whined and scolded him, Aditya was left with no option but to drive up to the mall, park at the overcrowded garage, and grimace as a horde of over-excited ladies passed by him and hit him with their heavy handbags that slung from their shoulders. Furthermore, he scowled when Abhi informed him over a text that the man was running slightly late due to a traffic jam.

Ever since Abhi and Shruti had broken up—which was around the same time when the entire fiasco had happened—he spent most of his time taking care of silly activities like shopping and decorating his apartment. Living alone had been challenging for him, and he found some support and companionship in Aditya. The latter gave in to the demands unflinchingly because Abhi had stood by him like a rock during his lowest.

But then Aditya loved the brotherhood too. Their Sunday morning ritual had continued with Abhi bringing breakfast over to his apartment and the two of them having the food over an hour of soulful conversation. Abhi could still read Aditya like an open book. Aditya could still confess his innermost secrets in front of his best friend and spend hours listening to him talk about Shruti. Both were highly dependent on each other in the emotional sense of the term and hence, Aditya couldn't decline Abhi's requests.

Cursing himself for agreeing to the preposterous idea of shopping for shirts, Aditya went inside the outfit store, only to exit within minutes due to the loud yells of people trying to converse with each other amidst booming music. Rolling his eyes, he chose to walk around the mall, explore the place to see if he could find an electronics store. However, his gaze fell on the bookstore at the far end, tucked in one corner of the floor yet imposing its presence on everyone with its majestic placard standing out amongst all.

A small smile crept on his lips as he recollected Nandini's love for books, and he found himself entering the store, surfing through the mystery-thriller aisles, searching for something. Or someone. He was completely lost when perusing through the introductory chapter of a particularly vicious story, wherein an accident led to a murder that got an innocent, blind man framed for something he was physically incapable of doing.

"Huh!" Aditya's brows went up, and he swiftly flipped the book to check the price. "This seems interesting. Perhaps Nandini was not too wrong when she said books can be fun."

"Do you have this in your inventory? I have been searching for it for two months now."

Aditya's head snapped towards the source of the sound. So very familiar. So very honeyed. As warmth seeped through his body, his eyes widened when he discerned the back of a chubby girl, her curly tresses swaying near her waist each time she moved, her sweet voice reaching up to him as she continued gesturing towards the advertisement on display behind the reception counter.

"Sorry, ma'am," the receptionist said, an apologetic expression on his face. "We ran out of copies of the book. It's a bestseller."

"I know," she whined. "I have been trying to get my hands on it for so long."

"Here." He forwarded an e-pen to her and twisted the e-reader's screen towards her. "Please add your phone number to our list, and we will text you as soon as the book is in our inventory."

She nodded vehemently and picked up the e-pen, tapping on the screen with the tip of it as she scribbled her digits across.

Aditya took a deep breath when she swerved around. Her chubby cheeks still had the extra fat that made her an adorable teddy bear. The sheen on her face had dimmed, her eyes were not glimmering like any other time, but she was more or less looking the same as before. Beautiful. Cute. The gorgeous, curly locks she was always so proud of cascaded down her face, touching the sides of her cheeks, and he craved nothing more than to tuck them behind her ears. Those pink lips were slightly parched but so fucking inviting that he yearned to take them in a soft but passionate kiss.

She began walking towards the exit, taking no note of the dumbfounded man standing near the aisles, but she halted in her tracks after coming across a wooden stand where a leatherbound book was on display. She picked it up, flipped a few pages, and furrowed her brows in concentration as she perused through the printed sheets. A few moments later, a pout developed on her lips, and she placed the book back on the stand.

He grinned, discerning well that she didn't like the book much. But his smile fell when he saw her stride towards the exit in a hurry. Perhaps Shubham was waiting for her due to which she was rushing out.

Biting his lips, recollecting the promise he had made to Piyali, he raked his hand through his hair, deliberating. When she was nearly out of sight, rounding the corner of the corridor outside the store, he decided that he had had enough. Rushing after her, chasing the woman adorning the peach-colored dress down an escalator and two flights of stairs, he was finally within her earshot. Not the woman who haunted him in his dreams but his Vixen right in front of him. In flesh and blood.

"Nandini!"

***

She was rushing down the stairs, glimpsing at her watch frequently, cursing herself for stopping and reading the description of the book which she eventually didn't like much. She was already running late, and the slight delay had caused her to run around the mall like a mad woman. With her hair flying in all directions as she sprinted down a particularly long corridor, she stilled when she heard her name.

The voice belonged to someone she knew, she adored, she loved. She had never expected to hear him ever again—he, who calmed her heart and sent tingles down her spine, both at the same time.

Gulping, she carefully veered at her spot, and her eyes fell on him. Still looking as dapper as ever, perhaps fitter than before, the white shirt clinging onto his body, his muscles perceptibly flexing each time he made a movement, visible from over the fabric of his shirt too, the sheepish grin intact on his face, the cute way in which he raked his hand through his messy hair, the slight stubble with which he appeared more attractive. Standing a few feet away from her, a humongous crowd separating the two, all she yearned to do was run up to him, hug him, and tell him how much he meant to her, how much she loved him. "Aditya," she said, putting up a wide smile, controlling the fat drops of tears that threatened to escape her dampened orbs. He was not her imagination. He was in front of her. In flesh and blood.

He stepped closer, dodging the incoming group of kids who were running hither and thither. "Hey," he whispered.

She giggled weakly. "How are you?"

He fumbled for a moment before chuckling. "I am good. How about you?"

She licked her lips, nodding. "Good."

"You look great." He gestured towards her dress. "Peach! Suits you."

She tittered again. "Thanks." Fiddling with the straps of her handbag, she said, "I will see you around then." She had only just passed by him, forgetting that she was supposed to go in the other direction, when his words prompted her to halt.

"That's not where you were going earlier."

Though she was not looking at him, given he was right behind her, she could imagine the smirk on his face, assuming he had her tricked. Pursing her lips, she said, "I need something from... uh..." Her eyes went around the floor. "Uh... that store." She pointed towards a random shop, but much to her embarrassment, it turned out to be an outlet of Victoria's Secret. Shutting her eyes, recanting her fingers, mumbling under her breath because of the utter mortification she felt, she cautiously turned around, expecting to see mirth dancing in his eyes, the smirk growing wider on his lips. However, she had never expected to see the dejection on his face, the melancholy flit through his eyes.

"Uh..." He smiled feebly, looking away. "If you are not in a hurry, do you want to grab coffee?"

She glimpsed at her watch. Oh, she was running so very late, but then the opportunity that had presented itself was way too delicious to let go. "Sure."

He smiled wide—the first genuine one on his face in over a year.

Ambling towards the nearest coffee shop in utter silence, awkwardly shuffling their feet as they moved along, maintaining a more than enough distance from one another, they placed their orders and sat down in one corner of the store. The aroma of coffee hit their nostrils, refreshing their senses, and they found the courage to look into each other's eyes before initiating the conversation.

"So, how's life?" he said.

She fidgeted with the hem of her dress under the table. "It's good."

He nodded. "How's work?"

"Good."

He snorted. "Is that the only word in your vocabulary?"

"No," she snapped and glared at him.

He chortled. "How's Shubham?"

She rolled her lips inward, taking her own time to nod slowly. "He is great."

He took a deep breath, fiddling with the band of his smartwatch. "Are you happy with him?"

She smiled. "I am."

"Good for you," he muttered.

"How's Piyali?"

"Oh, she is good. She is... uh... doing well."

She nodded, suspiring. "After the entire fiasco, she resigned from the job. She found a new one soon, didn't she?"

"Yeah, she was anyway going to quit that job. She put up the notice after she got another offer. She got one closer to our," he gulped, blinking, "home."

She took a sharp breath, but before she could say anything, their orders arrived. Black coffee for her. Mocha for him. He was the fitness freak between the two of them, but he had never quite understood how she could gulp down gallons of the bitter black coffee when he surely needed sugar and milk in his.

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat as a thought struck her. "We had promised them that we would never meet each other—"

"We are not seeking each other out for a meeting." He frowned. "We came across each other by chance, and I am just drinking coffee. Why you are sitting here is beyond me."

She chuckled. "Crazy Devil!"

He grinned too. "Silly Nan!"

Biting her lips, she said, "How are the rest of our friends?"

He scoffed. "They don't consider you to be their friend, Nandini."

"Can't complain." She shrugged. "Piyali is close to everyone in the group, and I hurt her so bad."

He scratched his chin. "They ar-are doing great too."

She beamed. "Nice. Raunak had moved in with Akanksha, and even Abhi was contemplating asking Shruti about the same. Did they move in together? Did anyone else get married?"

His eyes widened for a moment at her ebullience before he weakly shook his head. "All the dynamics are the same. No change."

"Hmmm. I see..." She exhaled sharply before putting up a wide smile. "How's married life treating you?"

He raked his hand through his hair. "It has been a new experience. I love it so far. How about you?"

"It's great. Shubham has been great. Everything's great!"

He chuckled at the way she had squeaked, her eyes enlarging, a blush appearing on her cheeks. "That's good. I am happy for you." His hold around the mug of coffee tightened. "You still love books, huh?"

"Oh!" She giggled. "I love books so, so much. In the past year, my love for literature has only increased. I keep reading and reading and reading until I fall asleep."

He furrowed his brows. "Doesn't Shubham complain?"

Her lips parted for a moment before she said, "Uh... whenever he is busy with work, I-I read. He... he is always too busy. Ever since the wedding, he has been mostly busy," she whispered, her eyes fixated on the surface of the brownish beverage she had been drinking.

"I hope he at least took you on a vacation. You have always wanted to travel the Earth."

"He did!" She beamed. "We went to Italy. On our honeymoon."

His palms balled into fists, and he had to force himself to smile. "Wonderful!"

"We went to Venice, Rome, and—"

"Sense the mood, Baby Elephant," he snapped, his nose flaring. "I don't want to know."

She shut her mouth, nodding curtly. "Okay. Where did you go?"

"Uh, umm..." He gulped, his eyes going around the store. "Yeah, Al-Albania."

"Wow! That country is on my bucket list," she murmured.

"It is a beautiful country." He let out a ragged breath. "Did you get around to crossing things off your bucket list?"

She gulped down the hot coffee. "Not much, actually. I did try to go sky diving one time but chickened out at the last minute."

"Guitar lessons?"

She nodded. "Hmm. Done. All done. Perfectly done!"

"Your anniversary might be coming up, am I right?" he said, scratching his cheeks.

"Yours must be too."

"It is."

"Any plans?"

He shrugged. "How does Sin City sound?"

She giggled. "Would Piyali like it?"

"Piya loves Vegas." He finished his coffee with a last swig from the ceramic cup. "Your plans?"

She squinted her eyes and pouted her lips. "Haven't planned anything as such. Might just stay in and celebrate a quiet, simple anniversary. Cut the cake. Eat dinner."

He smiled. "Sounds lovely." His eyes went to the screen of his phone, Abhi's name flashing incessantly. "Oh, I gotta go. Abhi wanted to shop," he rolled his eyes, "and he invited me."

"I have to too." She giggled. "I am running late, and I just stopped to—"

"To buy something from Victoria's Secret." He chuckled. "Go ahead. Surprise your husband."

Her eyes widened, and a crimson hue touched her cheeks. "Yeah... yeah... I am... I should go to the store. Now. Then I will have to go home too. My Shubham is waiting for me. For a lunch date. He is free after eons today."

"Piya will also be waiting for me. She is... uh... she planned something. A surprise. I don't know." He chortled. "So, see you around?"

She nodded. "We shouldn't, but here's to hoping such coincidences happen once in a blue moon."

He grinned. "Once in a blue moon sounds good."

"Bye... Adi."

A shiver rushed down his spine upon hearing her say his name out loud. "Bye, Vixen."

***

Nandini's mind was still occupied with the reminiscences of her meeting with Aditya a week since the event transpired. She was standing at the intersection of two major roads, the lanes crossing each other at right angles, the four traffic signals blinking in tandem, the vehicles moving in accordance with the laws of the state, the pedestrians walking on the sidewalks, the leash of their pets firmly curled around their fingers. Lined by the side of the road was a Persian cafe where she was hoping to eat lunch, but since there was a considerable wait time, she had chosen to stand outside, inhaling fresh and probably virus-free air, wondering why her chest felt so constricted these days.

There was a stall on her right where fresh flowers were arranged to be sold, and the woman selling those blossoms was quite cheery, announcing at the top of her voice that she had lowered her rates, especially for the day since she wished to spread love.

Nandini wished to buy the red roses jutting out of the container at the front of the stall, and she was on the verge of ambling to the woman when she heard another familiar voice in the sea pool of unfamiliar ones. Again, she had no issue recognizing the woman from her intonation before coherent words landed in her ears.

"Yes, Rishi. I will take care of myself. Don't worry."

Nandini craned her neck to find the source of the sound and discovered that her ex-friend was busy examining the flowers at a similar floral stall. Taking a deep breath, Nandini stepped ahead. Cautiously moving towards her, a small smile developing on her features, she watched on as Piyali caressed the petals of a purple petunia before nodding at the owner of the stall, telling the woman to pack it.

Taking another deep breath, preparing herself to do the very thing she had been unable to ever since the truth came out, Nandini tapped on the girl's shoulders.

Piyali veered slowly, and her expression of surprise turned to shock before her nose flared, her eyes reddened.

"Hey, Piyali," Nandini said, smiling. "How are you?" Her eyes traversed from the stunned girl's face to the lower portion of her body. A very prominent, heavily pregnant belly looked back at her. A pang of jealousy shot through her heart when she realized whose baby Piyali was carrying. "Wow!" She donned another bright smile, glimpsing back at the girl. "Congrats. How far along are you?"

Piyali let out a ragged breath. "You bitch!"

Nandini let out a slow breath, glimpsing around herself, only to discern that a crowd had begun to gather around them because Piyali had screamed quite loudly. "I... I wanted to apologize."

Piyali's eyes reddened furthermore, and drops of tears sped past her cheeks. "Apologize?" she spat. "For trying to steal what's mine? For ruining my life and happiness? For fucking me over when all I did was trust you and invite you to my world. You fucking bitch!"

Nandini gulped, her eyes frequently going towards the passersby as they halted in their tracks, discerning the raging, scowling girl's hurtful, vengeful words. Shutting her eyes, she took another breath. "I know you are mad at me, but you gotta calm down."

"Calm down? You want me to bloody calm down?" Piyali yelled, hyperventilating, having certain difficulty in breathing. "I can't calm down. You stole everything from me, left my life in tatters, and here you are, standing as if you can do nothing wrong. Like you are the most innocent girl ever. The epitome of truthfulness. The only woman for Shubham Agarwal. And the only woman for Aditya Roy. Who is Piyali? No one knows."

"Piyali, listen to me. Plea—"

"I wasted five precious years of my life on Aditya Roy, and what did I get in return? Nothing! Bloody nothing. He fell in love with you." Piyali respired laboriously. "I have no clue what all those men see in you, but to me, you are a worthless woman whose sole job is to ruin others' relationships. And that makes you so damn ugly, Nandini Basu. So. Damn. Ugly."

Nandini knew the woman was emotional and hormonal due to the changes coming over in her body. She also knew that the woman might have held a lot of resentment for her, which was bound to spill out. However, she didn't know that her words would wound her so much. Once upon a time, Piyali was this sweet, compassionate, kind girl who let Nandini in the group of wonderful people she had found for herself, and never in her wildest dreams did she imagine that Piyali Mehra had the potential to be so bitter. "I am so, so sorry, but you have to trust me. Aditya and I had nothing going on. We never crossed our lines and intended to spend our lives exactly as we had planned earlier."

Piyali scoffed, looking away, crushing the petals of petunia in her hands.

"If you don't believe me... fine!" Nandini raised her arms in surrender. "Don't. But trust your husband. Trust the father of your child."

Piyali's head snapped towards her at an alarming rate. Taking two menacing steps towards Nandini, lowering her voice so that only the chubby girl could hear, she muttered, "Stay away from my husband. Do you get that? Stay away from him, and if I so much as even catch you around him, help me God, Nandini, I am going to ruin you in ways you cannot even imagine." She huffed, asked the florist to pack another bouquet of petunia, and without casting a single glance at the girl, she strode away with as much celerity as her pregnancy would allow.