Priya's POV:

(Present: after Arjun broke the news to Priya that the Karan Ahuja case had been closed.)

It was early Sunday morning. My head was throbbing because of the lack of sleep. The news Arjun gave me last night was dreadful. It was still surreal. I couldn't do anything for my parents and sister. Not physically, but emotionally- I was hurt and in pain. Physical pain may be alleviated, but what about emotional pain? Who would comprehend what I was saying? Kashi was the only name that came to mind. I wished I could call and tell her everything. But I didn't have time right now. I should get going to Lonavala. She would probably kill me if I arrived late again.

Khandala and Lonavala, two small hill stations in Maharashtra's Western Ghats, were ranked first on a list of weekend vacation retreats in India. Worked-up, tired people from Mumbai and other parts frequently seek rest and recreation at the twin hill stations. These two hill stations were always on the list of weekend getaways for Mumbaikars.

After a quick shower, I changed into a simple light blue kurti and white leggings. Lonavala was 83 kilometres from Mumbai, and given the Sunday traffic, I should leave early to reach there by noon. Before leaving, I double-checked that I had brought the gifts and essentials she had told me to bring last Sunday.

I sped past the usual morning traffic of huffing and puffing trucks making their way up the winding Bhor Ghat section of the old Mumbai-Pune Highway. My thoughts were still on last night's conversation with Arjun.

I became cold and heartless after losing my family and facing the accusations levelled at me by Arjun. Others feared my new version and preferred to keep their distance. I stopped interacting with others and keeping up with friends. It was a lot easier to live like that. Everything was fine, until yesterday.

My trance was broken by the sound of a horn. Slowly, I continued my journey to St. Anthony's Boarding School in Lonavala. My nine-year-old daughter was studying there. I had adopted Nila a few months after the accident. After Kashi, she was the only person I considered family. After I realised how dangerous Karan was, I made the decision to keep Nila away from me for her own safety. Even though I knew Karan was in jail, I had decided to enrol Nila in a boarding school in Lonavala. I was able to gain admission easily because I knew the school's chairman. Karan's escape from prison only reinforced my resolve to stick to my decision.

Nila was upset, but she understood the situation. She was more mature for her age. To make her agree I promised that every Sunday, I would meet her and stay with her until the evening. That was why I was going to Lonavale, today. Moreover, her summer vacations were starting in a few weeks, so she'd be home soon.

I arrived at the school half an hour late. After parking my car, I made my way to the girls' hostel, only to find my girl waiting for me outside. She had changed dramatically since the adoption. She was no longer the terrified little girl I met at the auction. She was now courageous and strong. She was about to turn ten years old soon.

"Mom, you're half an hour late," she said with a pout when she saw me.

"I was hoping for a hug or a kiss but instead, I'm getting complaints. Never mind," I pretended to be disappointed in my response. My heart swelled every time she called me 'mom'. I was never going to get used to it.

She then engulfed me in a bear hug. She was short and barely reached my chest.

'You're tall,' my conscience pointed out.

"Mom, where are my gifts?"

"What gifts?" I asked, scratching the back of my head teasingly.

"Did you forget I told you to bring some stuff the last time we met?" she whined. She looked cute while pouting. I almost groaned, knowing that I wasn't going to be able to keep pulling my act together for long.

"Really?" I said, failing to keep the laughter from my voice.

"Mom!" she whined again.

"Okay, I was joking. They're in the car now," I laughed as I responded, amused by my child's reaction.

"I love you," she responded as she dragged me to the car.

"Only because I bought your gifts," I countered.

"No," she clarified, "I love you because you're my mother." Finally, I smiled.

She kept the gifts in her room and we wandered around, enjoying some quality time in nature. We were sitting on a bench, admiring the beautiful lake near her school.

"Are you listening to me, Mom?" Nila asked, concerned.

"Sorry. What were you saying?" I mumbled, her voice jerking me out of my reverie.

"Mom, what happened? Is there anything bothering you?" She asked worriedly.

"Actually, Arjun told me yesterday that they had closed the Karan Ahuja case," I explained absentmindedly.

"What?!" Nila was shocked.

"Yes, after he escaped, we were unable to find any evidence. As a result, they decided to close the case," I explained sadly.

"But, mom, you and your people were giving it your all," she murmured, clearly just as bummed as me.

"Yes, but we still couldn't come up with anything. Your mother is a loser, Nila. I couldn't do anything for my parents or sister. I'm a terrible daughter and sister." I broke down. I knew it was wrong to let Nila see her mother so vulnerable and broken but I couldn't reign it in anymore. She was the only family I had left.

"No way, Mom. You are wrong. You are the strongest woman I have ever seen. You are my inspiration. You are the one who rescued me from the depths of despair and gave me a better life. You are not a loser. You are my hero. You are the best daughter and sister a person could ask for," she said in a tiny voice. Each word she uttered made me cry, but out of pride. She embraced me.

"Nila..."

"Shhh," she said as she wiped my tears. "You can still conduct an unofficial investigation. Don't give up hope."

"Yeah, you're right. But I won't have the necessary resources," I said. I felt like I was the child here and Nila was my parent.

"Have you never heard of that quote, Mom? When you truly desire something, the entire universe conspires to help you in achieving it?" she said. I laughed.

"How did you get so wise, huh?" I smirked, admiring my young daughter's wisdom.

"I'm a big girl, mom," she said.

"Of course you are," I said, pecking her forehead.

We happily spent the rest of our time in nature's bliss. We laughed and played around. But when I was going back, Nila was in tears. This was a regular occurrence but it was for her safety. I consoled her saying that her summer vacation was coming.

As I drove back home, I had a small smile on my face. Her words cheered me up a little. Now it was time for me to meet my best friend. I dialled her number and invited her to my home. First of all, there was no need for an invitation; she already had a spare key to my house. I turned around to see Kashi sitting on the couch, watching Netflix.

"Hello, I was looking for you. So, how was your night? I can't smell a man's scent in this house. So nothing happened, right?" she asked jokingly. I gave a tight nod. She must have realised something was wrong because she suddenly hugged me and told me everything would be fine. I couldn't hold back my tears. I told her everything and she calmed me down.

"Nila was right. You can still conduct an unofficial investigation. Stop calling yourself a loser," she scolded. I snorted and wiped away my tears.

"Now tell me about your date," she exclaimed enthusiastically.

"There isn't much to say. We had dinner at an Italian restaurant. We talked about ourselves and he was nice. I informed him that I was not ready for a relationship. He stated that he will wait. That's all," I replied with a shrug.

"You're such a mood killer. If I were in your shoes, I'd have kissed him by now," she exclaimed dreamily. I gave her a disgusted expression.

"Oh, please! I am not like you," I said, gagging teasingly.

"You're saving yourself for marriage, right?" she asked with a bored expression.

"I don't believe I'll ever marry," I sighed onto her shoulder.

"Why?" she asked as she stroked my hair.

"After this, I don't want any more relationships. I can't lose anyone anymore," I mumbled. She smacked my head with the back of her hand and I winced.

"Don't say that, Priya," she cautioned.

I shook my head and went to the kitchen to make us some coffee. We decided to watch a Korean film called 'The Chase'. Kashi was fast asleep by the end of the movie. My thoughts went back to the previous night. My phone rang loudly. When I saw Kashi stirring irritably, I answered the phone. It was Neil.

"Hey, Priya, did I disturb you?" he asked.

"No, you didn't. I wasn't too busy," I said.

"Oh, I thought you'd be beating up some pervert in jail," he replied.

I pretended to laugh and replied, "At this hour and on a Sunday?"

"Priya, what happened? Are you all right?" he asked, clearly concerned.

"Why? I'm alright," I lied.

"You are very bad at lying. You sound sad and your laugh does not sound like the usual chirpy one. It came across as forced," he countered.

"Actually, my mood is off," I admitted candidly.

"Are you free right now?" he asked and I detected hope in his voice.

"Of course, but-," I started to protest.

"No buts. I know how to make you happy. I'll be there in 30 minutes to pick you up," he exclaimed cheerfully.

"But it's 9 p.m. right now," I pointed out.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you," he chuckled.

"I know that," I sighed and a laugh erupted from my lips. A real one.

"Okay, then, get ready. Something amazing is waiting for you," he said and I could almost hear him smirking.

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Third Person's POV:

I followed her to Lonavala today. I saw her talking to a girl at a boarding school. She appeared to be content. I despised seeing that expression on her face. She didn't deserve to be happy. She deserved to be in pain. I realised that they were close by looking at them both. My mouth twitched with a smirk. Maybe I could use this relationship against her? Just like I did with her parents.

The game will begin again.

'The game that I had stopped playing four years ago.'

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