Mishti’s heart stops working, and not in a good way as he sees him standing at the door step, body stilled.

There is no doubt that he has heard everything.

“V-Vivek?” she stutters, her phone shaking in her scared hands. “When did you come back?” she asks with a nervous chuckle, her eyes not returning to their normal size.

Vivek keeps staring at her, a small box in his hands, his eyes containing a hint of animosity and a lot of rage in them.

“You liar!”

“Vivek…”

“I knew it was you.” He says, his forehead welcoming a frown, his gaze falling to the box that was in his hand. “To think that I brought this for you.” He lets out a bitter scoff before turning his hardened gaze at her.

“I had been doubting you since the very first day you entered in this house, in that very first week in which the watch got stolen, but then the second time it happened, sir asked me to drop it and I did. But I always had my eyes on you!” he exclaims, his voice growing louder with each word and Mishti feels a slight buzz in her head, not believing that this is happening, not believing that she has finally gone and got herself caught, putting her and her family’s life in jeopardy. 

“N-No, I –” Mishti tries to defend herself with words she doesn't know but is interrupted midway.

“Don’t tell me that it wasn’t you. I heard every single word you said to your accomplice. You did all that and yet you’re planning to harm sir some more? To steal his favourite vase …. the one that his dead father bought him?” Vivek asks appalled and Mishti yet again finds herself stilling, just being introduced to the brand-new information.

“Wh-What? F-Father? He bought the v-vase?” she asks instead of trying to defend herself because for some reason that seems to her much more important than anything.

“Yes, he did. And I’m not going to let you do that. I’m not going to let you hurt him –”

“I don’t want to hurt him.” Mishti intervenes this time, a frown crawling up her face. “I don’t want to hurt him at all.” She cries, stepping forward towards the man, desperation evident in her action. “Didn’t you see that everything got undone? He got back his watch as well his five crores. I swear I don’t want to hurt him, but I don’t have any choice. It’s – It’s not by choice that I have become a thief, Vivek.” She says in a disoriented manner. “And – And I didn’t even know anything about the vase but – but now that I do, I’ll – I’ll do something about it. I promise I’ll not take that vase. But please, please don’t tell hi –”

Vivek lets out a bitter laugh at that, pointing a finger at her with his unoccupied hand. “You think I’ll trust you, believe on a single word you say after hearing all that? I’ll tell him everything, and I’ll do that right now even if I’ll have to go to his office.” He exclaims with a disgusted curl of his lips, leaving Mishti to shake her head incessantly. 

“No – please, don’t do that. I swear I’ll not hurt him. Please try to understand that I d-don’t have any choice, the orphanage – the agency is making us – please!” she says but the man doesn’t stop, stepping out of her room and going towards the front door. 

Mishti racks her brain for any way that would stop him from contacting Samrat, anything that will make him pause in his steps. It’s only when the man has taken a step out of the door, does she find it. The way. To make him stop.

“I’ve found her, the girl that you had been finding for all these years. I know who she is and where she is at currently.” Mishti says breathlessly and sees as the man stops in his tracks, immediately turning to face her with his wide eyes. 

“Wh-What?” 

“I know where she is. I’ll tell you everything. But please don’t tell sir about all this. I’ll not hurt him, I can’t.” Mishti pleads, desperation clear in her curled brows. 

Vivek narrows his eyes at her at that, shaking her head. “No! You are a liar I’m not going to belie –”

“Dimple…. that’s her name, isn’t it?” Mishti says and sees as the doubtful look falls off his face instantly getting replaced by a part horrified and part awed look.

“H-How did you –”

Mishti heaves a sigh at the confirmation, trying to school her face into that of calmness. 

“I know. But if you want to know it then please keep quiet. Y-You didn’t see or hear anything here, alright?” she can’t help the flash of nervousness that passes through her eyes as she takes in Vivek’s conflicted expression. 

“I didn’t let anything happen to him earlier, I’ll not let it happen now,” Mishti promises one last time and sees as Vivek stares at her for a moment before nodding. 

“I don’t trust you fully, but you’ve left me with no choice. I want to know about her. Where is she? And how did you get to know about her?”

Mishti exhales gratefully, a wave of relief washing through her.

“I’ll tell you; I’ll tell you everything.”

*

“Hello, Aisha?”

Mishti reminisces about the call with her friend.

“Wow! Twice in a month, not bad!” Aisha like the drama queen she is exclaims before laughing.

“Ha-ha.” Mishti deadpans. 

“So, everything alright with Mr. three crores? Anything that I can help with?”

“Bold of you to assume that I only call you for help. We have been friends for years, and it was only the last time that I asked for help.” Mishti huffs, a small pout forming on her lips, wondering if she is a bad friend to call her for help, even if it was one time.

“Ok, ok, you stop pouting now. I’m kidding, alright? But you can still call me anytime you want. I’d be happy to be of your help, sweetheart. After all, it was for you that I live and breathe, eat and dr – no, I eat because …. but rest of the things –”

A chuckle escapes Mishti’s mouth listening to her friend’s exaggerating self, a happy sigh leaving her mouth. “Yeah, yeah...” she trails off. 

“Ok, but seriously, how’s things with Samrat? Did you make a move yet?” she asks in all genuineness and Mishti’s eyes widen. 

“What? Why would I do such a thing? That’s – that’s an absurd question.”

“That’s an absurd question.” Aisha mimics her in a high-pitched voice before continuing. “Duh! Because you lo –”

“Shut up, Aisha. You know it’s n-nothing like that.”

Silence follows the statement for a few seconds before Aisha says seriously. “I understand, Cleopatra.”

Mishti frowns. “Cleopatra?”

“Yeah, the queen of denial, you know, the Nile…?” Aisha bursts out laughing while Mishti is yet again left to huff. 

“You’re getting really ridiculous with these jokes.”

“Oh, no, this was just a reality check, but wait, I have more. Next time you serve Samrat Waffles, tell him that he is waff-ly cute!”

Aisha laughs again and this time Mishti’s lips twitch too. “You should be pun-alized for that one, Aisha.” She laughs with her friend until they both have had their fill. 

“Oh shush, Mishti Doi.”

“Hey, stop with that name otherwise I’ll bring yours out, Dimple!” 

“Oi!”

It’s Mishti who sobers down first. “Ok, ok. For a change, can we talk about your love life and life in general now? You never told me if you have or had someone. We never got the time to talk about all this.”

“We didn’t, huh?” Aisha chuckles though Mishti can hear a certain sadness in her voice. 

“What is it? Tell me.” She presses and this time the girl on the other side of the phone lets out an evidently sad sigh. 

“I was sixteen when I ran from the orphanage, and the day I did, I realised that I loved him, someone, that I had been meeting almost every day since I turned thirteen. Apart from you, he had been my only friend, Mishti. His mother used to cook my favourite dishes for me.” Aisha says, swallowing audibly, and Mishti does too, her mind trying to recollect where she had heard these words before. 

“I regret leaving like this, without telling him anything. But I had to, they took you guys for the robbery, but they were planning to do worse with me. I had to run. I feel guilty for it till this day; did I do something wrong?” Aisha asks with a shaky voice and Mishti shakes her head incessantly. “No, Aisha, not at all. I’m glad you ran away, and had he known your situation, he too would want you to run away from that hell. If he loved you, he would have understood.”

“I wonder if he did. I never got to ask him, neither did I get to tell him, that’s one of the reasons why I keep telling you to just go for it, even if Samrat is your boss, a divorcee, your target or whatever. If you love him, tell him.” 

Mishti exhales shakily at those words, nodding slowly. 

“You know what’s funny, he never knew my real name. He called me Dimple; in fact, he was the one who gave me that name just because I have dimples on my cheeks.” The girl admits with a wet chuckle.

“Did you try to find him again?” Mishti asks her friend in a low voice and gets the answer in a voice even lower. “No, I don’t think he will be waiting for me. I don’t want him to.”

It’s then it strikes her. 

“I had been meeting almost every day since I turned thirteen.”

“I had met the girl when I was fourteen and she was thirteen.”

‘His mother used to cook my favourite dishes for me.”

‘My mother used to cook her favourite food.’

“He is!” Mishti states, her voice unnaturally high, eyes wide yet hopeful. 

“He is waiting for you, Aisha. He has been searching for you. Vivek – he loves you.”

There is silence once again, though this time Mishti can hear the girl’s laboured breaths.

“H-How did you …. Name? Vivek –”

Mishti smiles listening to the surprise in her voice that sounds moist now. 

“He loves you, Aisha, and you are going to meet him soon.”

“She loves you, Vivek, and you are going to meet her soon.”