The glow of the laptop screen illuminated Piya's face as she adjusted herself on the bed, her heart fluttering with anticipation. Tara's message pinged in their chat, and Piya grinned, fingers dancing across the keyboard.

"Hey, Tara! Ready for our big project?"

Tara's response was instantaneous, her warmth spilling through the screen. "Absolutely! It's going to be huge for us, both financially and in terms of exposure!" Tara leaned closer, her excitement bubbling over. "I can't wait to dive in. We need this!"

Piya smiled as she saw Tara cradling her newborn against her shoulder. The baby's soft coos filled the room, wrapping around Piya like a comforting embrace.

"Look who's excited!" Tara laughed, glancing down at her baby. "This little munchkin might need your help soon with app development too!"

Piya chuckled, warmth filling her heart as she watched Tara fuss over her child. "I'm sure my code would make the little one cry," Piya's stomach turned a little at the thought of what lay ahead. The project represented hope, yet it came with the weight of uncomfortable memories. She tapped a few more keys. "I know we can do this, but..."

"But?" Tara prodded gently, her brow furrowing with concern even from a distance.

Piya took a deep breath, knowing this conversation would be delicate. "I'm not sure about working with Rahul again. It's just... complicated."

Tara's expression shifted, her lighthearted smile faltering. "I get that. It must be tough for you, working alongside him every day, especially after..." Tara left the rest unsaid.

Silence stretched between them for a moment. The familiar ache of loss surged in Piya's chest. She imagined Tara's hand on her shoulder, offering solace. Instead, she typed, "I've accepted the project, anyway. Just need to manage."

"That's the spirit!" Tara replied, her cheer returning like sunshine breaking through clouds. "We're in this together, Piya. We'll navigate through the tough bits—no matter what."

Piya's fingers hesitated over the keyboard. Beneath her bravado, anxiety clawed at her. She wanted to share her fears—the dread that lodged heavily in her gut—but she felt a weight pressing down on her. Tara continued, brightening their conversation, unaware of the internal storm brewing in Piya's heart.

"I just hope this means we get even more opportunities," Tara enthused. "Besides, maybe it will open some doors..."

"Yeah," Piya typed, forcing herself to sound optimistic. But the thoughts of Rahul loomed, dark and suffocating, like a shadow hovering above the light.

Tara broke her silence. "You know, with my husband still looking for a job, I worry we might lose this place. I can't help, but—"

"Stop," Piya wrote, her heart jolting. *"You're doing everything you can. We both are."*

*"I know, but it's scary. I don't want to lose all of this, especially now with the baby here,"* Tara admitted, her voice wavering in the typed words.

Moments passed as Piya processed this. Tara had always shielded her from the harshness of life, and now, they both were floundering in uncertainty. Piya felt a surge of protectiveness for her friend. "We will manage."

Piya sank into the plush seat of the train, her gaze fixed on the passing scenery as the locomotive clattered along the tracks. The familiar rhythmic pulse of the wheels should have been comforting, but instead, it served as an ominous backdrop, awakening memories she had long buried.

As the train hurtled through the Austrian countryside, Piya's eyes drifted to the man seated beside her. Rahul's attention was glued to the laptop screen, his fingers tapping away at the keyboard. It was hard to believe that she once considered him her friend. " I wanna mary Rahul when I grow up," she once told JR. He laughed, "Yes my dear, if Kavita has her way you will."

Piya's mind drifted back to the video call with Tara, the joy of introducing her newborn daughter, the laughter and easy conversation that had flowed between them. How she longed for that same sense of comfort and belonging. But here, in the confines of this train compartment, the air was thick with unspoken tension.

Tears threatened to spill from Piya's eyes as she recalled the family trips of her youth, the laughter and stories that had filled the car. Meena, her beloved mother, had radiated such warmth and joy, her infectious smile lighting up the entire journey. Those memories now felt like a cruel mirage, a stark contrast to the cold distance that permeated the air between Piya and Rahul.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Piya glanced at Rahul, desperate for some acknowledgement, some glimmer of the connection they had once shared. But his gaze remained fixed on the screen, a silent barrier between them.

Exhaustion weighed heavily on Piya's shoulders, the sleepless nights and emotional strain of recent events taking their toll. Closing her eyes, she rested her head against the window, allowing the gentle sway of the train to lull her into a restless slumber.

As the train rumbled on, Piya and Rahul arrived in Vienna, the bustling city a stark contrast to the tranquil countryside. The day unfolded with a series of high-stakes meetings, Piya and Rahul navigating the professional terrain with practised ease.

Yet, even in the midst of these discussions, Piya couldn't help but notice Rahul's gaze faltering whenever they were alone. His polite demeanour in public gave way to a distant, almost indifferent air, a silent reminder of the chasm  between them.

As the final meeting drew to a close, Rahul turned to Piya, his voice soft but laced with a hint of hesitation. "Let me walk you back to your room, Piya."

Piya's lips tightened into a thin line, her frustration simmering beneath the surface. She despised feeling like a child needing supervision, a sentiment that had lingered since their childhood. With a silent nod, she followed Rahul.

Once in the privacy of her hotel room, Piya ordered a simple meal from room service, eager to escape the confines of the day. As the hot water cascaded over her body, she felt the tension begin to ebb, her muscles relaxing under the soothing caress of the steam.

Wrapped in her sleeping shorts, Piya settled onto the bed, flipping on the television in a futile attempt to distract herself. Piya's gaze drifted to the window, the city lights twinkling in the distance, a stark contrast to the darkness that had descended upon her mind.

"Ma, don't do this!" Piya pleaded, her voice trembling. "Who gives away a kidney? Are you crazy?"

Meena flinched at the word but knew better than to discipline her teenage daughter. "You know Kavita needs it. This is what friends are for."

"This is what friends are for," the words echoed in darkness as the scene shifted to the sterile hospital corridor. "Hey! I will be back before you know it!" Meena called out as the hospital orderlies wheeled her away. "And then, my dear, it's off to Shimla and beyond!"

The scene shifted again, and Piya found herself sitting in a pool of blood. A nurse clad in stark white stepped forward, her voice cold and clinical as she announced, "Your mother is dead!" She turned and strode away, leaving no room for questions or comfort. In the corner of the room, Piya glimpsed Kavita standing with Rahul and JR, the atmosphere suffocating. Rahul held up a bag of bloody organs, presenting it to Kavita with an unsettling grin. Piya screamed, desperation fueling her as she tried to rise and snatch her mother's kidney from Kavita, but her limbs felt heavy and unresponsive. The more she struggled, the deeper she sank into the thick, red darkness, until it consumed her entirely.