Fear choked her throat. She opened her mouth to scream, but one of them swiftly clamped his hand over it.
Another one tried to grab her legs, and she kicked out at both of them. But she couldn't break free from those brutes. They stood firm like two pillars.
She was fully aware of the danger she was in now. She had no idea what to do. She couldn't even scream. She gathered all her strength and kicked the one who held her legs. He stumbled and slammed into the bathroom door with a loud thud. She prayed that someone might come hearing that sound.
Enraged by her kick, the man came charging back and slapped her hard across the face. She collapsed, holding her burning cheek.
As both men came toward her again, she realized there was nothing more she could do. When she tried to scream once more, one of them pressed her down to the floor and tightly sealed her mouth.
The other one gripped her legs firmly. Terrified, she began sobbing uncontrollably. She wrested her mouth free from the man's hand and pleaded, "Please leave me, Anna! My mom and dad will be desperately looking for me!"
But the one holding her mouth smirked, "Just ten minutes. Then we'll let you go. If you make a sound, you won't leave this place alive," he said and leaned in close.
Just when she thought it was all over, a man stormed in like a whirlwind.
The moment she saw that figure, a strange peace filled her heart. After all the struggle, Anvitha fainted.
She remembered nothing after that. When she regained consciousness, she saw that the dupatta those men had yanked off her had been respectfully placed over her body.
She looked around. No one was there. She quickly straightened her clothes and ran out of the bathroom.
She reached her parents safely.
"Did it take you this long just to go to the bathroom?" her mother scolded.
That moment — when she saw his face — she had always wanted to thank him at least once in all these years. Even after counseling and many other occasions, she had searched for that face countless times. That face never faded from her heart. Over time, her gratitude turned into love, though she didn't realize it.
Only today, when she saw Chaitanya in person, did she realize the depth of her feelings. But how could she possibly tell him now? He was in love with her sister, and she was the younger sister in that triangle. Wouldn't that be the biggest betrayal?
Believing there was no hope for her love, Anvitha cried her heart out.
Luckily, her child was still asleep, undisturbed. She wept for a long time without making a sound.
After a while, her son Advaith woke up and snuggled against her, bringing her back to the present. Wiping away her tears, she hugged him tightly.
"Mama, I'm hungry," said Advaith.
"Oh no, the poor child fell asleep without eating," she realized with guilt. She quickly got up, went to the kitchen, served him two idlis, made a dosa for herself, and they both had dinner. After eating, he played in the hall for a while, while she sat watching him and the TV.
Just then, her phone rang. She looked at the screen and froze. It was Vijayan calling. She didn't have the heart to talk to him now. He kept calling, but she didn't answer. She was too emotionally shaken — what if he asked something and she let something slip?
She simply didn't speak to him.
After a while, her friend Lalitha called. This time, Anvitha picked up and answered cheerfully, "Hello Lalitha!"
"Hey! Anvitha, what happened with your task? I expected you to call me… it's been hours, and you never called. That's why I'm calling. So? Was it 'raw' or 'ripe'?" Lalitha teased.
Anvitha hesitated, confused about whether to call it raw or ripe, then replied, "I got the job, Lalitha."
"Hey, really? Did you meet Chaitanya?" asked Lalitha eagerly.
"I did," was all Anvitha said, ending the topic there.
"What? Just 'I did'? Then what happened? Tell me everything!" insisted Lalitha.
"Nothing more, Lalitha. I saw him. He didn't even notice me. But I got the job, and that's enough," Anvitha concluded the call.
"Alright, fine. You seem to be in a weird mood. I'll call you later," said Lalitha and hung up.
Anvitha continued watching TV. Since her son had napped well in the afternoon, he stayed awake playing. Later, she took him to bed and lulled him to sleep.
Once Advaith was asleep, Anvitha came back to the hall. She couldn't sleep at all. No matter what she did, Chaitanya's face consumed her thoughts.
What was he doing now? Was he asleep? Would he ever look for her? No — he'd only be looking for her sister Aadhira. With that painful thought, she eventually fell asleep on the sofa as dawn approached.
A while later, her phone rang again. Startled, she woke up and looked at the screen — an unknown number. The clock showed 4:00 a.m.
Who could be calling at this hour?
She hesitated to answer. But the phone kept ringing again and again. Left with no choice, she finally picked up and said, "Hello?"
"Hello, Anvithamma… This is Grandpa speaking," came the anxious voice of an elderly man.
The moment she heard it, her heart sank.
"What happened, Grandpa? Why are you calling at this hour? Is it Chaitanya?" she asked, her voice trembling.
"Yes, dear. Since you left yesterday, he's been restless… asking why we let you go. He's become unmanageable. I had to give him sleeping pills again last night… but even that didn't work for long. He woke up and kept insisting he wanted to see you."
"We tried everything, even the doctors couldn't calm him down. Please, could you come early, dear?" he pleaded.
"At this time, Grandpa? How can I come now? I'm alone… and Advaith is still asleep. Maybe I can come around nine?" she asked gently.
"That might be too late. I gave him a heavy dose of medicine last night… I can't risk doing it again — it could be dangerous. Please, I'll send a car. Bring the child too," he urged and hung up.
The moment the call ended, Anvitha sprang into action.
She quickly changed from her nightie into a salwar, woke Advaith, changed his diaper, and packed everything he'd need, figuring the car would take at least half an hour to arrive.