Chapter 16

The door didn’t just open this time.

It flew open.

“ERAYA-“

Before anyone could react,

before Zivah could even turn-
Shivani had already crossed the room.

And then-
she hugged Eraya.

Not gently.

Not cautiously.

Tightly.

Possessively.

Like she had every right to.

Eraya froze.

Her body going stiff out of instinct,
out of years of not knowing what to do with sudden affection.

But Shivani didn’t let go.

“You didn’t call me,” she mumbled into her shoulder,

voice slightly muffled but full of something deeper than complaint.

Eraya blinked.

“…I-“

“You’re supposed to call me,” Shivani pulled back just enough to look at her,

hands still firmly on her shoulders.

“Do you understand? I said that day, didn’t I? That I’m here? That means you don’t disappear quietly like that.”

There was no anger.

No sarcasm.

Just… insistence.

Eraya stared at her.

A little overwhelmed.

A little confused.

“…I didn’t think-“

“Exactly,” Shivani cut in immediately, tapping her forehead lightly.

“You don’t think. That’s the problem.”

Zivah leaned against the wall, arms crossed, but there was a softness in her eyes she wasn’t hiding anymore.

Anamika, standing behind Shivani, smiled faintly.

“Let her breathe, Shivi.”

“I am letting her breathe,” Shivani shot back.

“I’m just correcting her life decisions.”

Eraya let out a small breath.

Something between nervousness and… something lighter.

“…I didn’t know I could call you,” she said honestly.

And that,
that made Shivani pause.

Her expression shifted.

“…why wouldn’t you be able to?” she asked, voice quieter now.

Eraya hesitated.

Her fingers lightly gripping the edge of her kurti.

“…because… I don’t usually… have people to call.”

Silence.

But not the uncomfortable kind.

The kind that presses gently against your chest.

Shivani stared at her for a moment.

Really stared.

Then-
without warning,

she pulled her into another hug.

Even tighter this time.

“Well now you do,” she said firmly.

No hesitation.

No softness in the statement.

Just truth.

“You have me. You have Mika. And unfortunately-” she glanced sideways,

“-you also have Zi.”

Zivah scoffed. “Unfortunately?”

“Very unfortunately,” Shivani nodded seriously.

Eraya didn’t laugh.

Not immediately.

But something inside her,
shifted.

Because no one had ever said that to her

so… simply.

So certainly.

You have me.

She didn’t know what to do with that sentence.

So she just… held onto it.

The group decided to have dinner.

This time,
Eraya didn’t stand at the corner.

She moved.

On her own.

Opened the cabinet.

Took out plates.

Started arranging things.

Like she had always been doing it.

Anamika noticed immediately.

But she didn’t point it out.

Didn’t make it a moment.

She just… adjusted beside her.

Helping her.

Matching her pace.

Zivah stood at the entrance again.

Watching.

“…you’re smiling,” Shivani whispered beside her.

“I am not.”

“You are.”

Zivah didn’t deny it this time.

“…she didn’t hesitate,” she said quietly.

Shivani followed her gaze.

Saw Eraya moving naturally in the kitchen.

“…yeah,” she murmured.

“…she didn’t.”

For once,

there was no teasing.

Just quiet acknowledgment.

They sat closer this time.

Not out of arrangement.

Not out of politeness.

Just because that’s where they ended up.

Eraya sat between them.

Not isolated.

Not unsure.

Just… there.

Shivani leaned back, stretching her legs.

Then casually rested her arm behind Eraya on the couch.

Not touching.

But close enough to say-
I’m here.

Anamika watched the two of them.

Then glanced at Zivah.

Zivah was already watching.

Of course she was.

“…you’re jealous,” Anamika whispered.

Zivah turned sharply.

“I am not jealous.”

Anamika raised a brow.

“You are.”

Zivah exhaled slowly.

“…she hugged her twice.”

Anamika smiled.

“And?”

“…I didn’t get to hug her even once.”

That was said quietly.

Almost like she didn’t mean to say it out loud.

Anamika blinked.

Then-
she laughed.

Softly.

Warmly.

“Oh, you’re gone,” she whispered.

Zivah groaned. “Stop saying that.”

“You are jealous of Shivani hugging your wife before you.”

Zivah turned away.

“…that is not what this is.”

Anamika stepped closer.

Lowered her voice slightly.

“…then what is it?”

A pause.

Zivah didn’t answer immediately.

“…I just wanted to do it first,” she admitted quietly.

Anamika’s expression softened instantly.

Not teasing now.

Not laughing.

Just… understanding.

“…you wanted to be her first comfort,” she said gently.

Zivah’s throat tightened slightly.

“…yes.”

A beat.
“
…that makes sense,” Anamika said softly.

Zivah blinked.

“…you’re not going to make fun of me?”

Anamika smiled.

“…oh, I will. Just not right now.”

Zivah groaned.

“I knew it.”

Anamika nudged her lightly.

“…listen to me.”

Zivah glanced at her.

“…she’s not used to being held like that,”

Anamika continued.

“…so when Shivani did it, it wasn’t about taking something from you.”

A pause.

“…it was about showing her that she’s allowed to be held at all.”

Zivah’s gaze softened.

“…I know,” she said quietly.

Anamika studied her for a moment.

“…you’ll get your moment,” she added.

Zivah raised a brow.

“…what does that mean?”

Anamika smirked slightly.

“…it means when it happens, it won’t be rushed. It’ll be hers.”

A pause.

“…and she’ll choose you.”

Zivah didn’t respond.

But something inside her,
settled.

And then,
because Anamika couldn’t help herself,

she leaned closer and whispered,

“…also, just so you know, after hugging comes holding hands, after that-“

Zivah slapped her arm.

“Anamika!”

Anamika burst into laughter.

“I’m just saying-“

“Don’t say anything!”

From the couch-
Shivani narrowed her eyes.

“…why are you two whispering like criminals?”

Zivah immediately straightened.

“Nothing.”

Shivani looked suspicious.

“Something is definitely happening.”

Anamika grinned.

“Oh, something is definitely happening.”

Zivah glared at her.

And across the room-
Eraya watched them.

Confused.

Curious.

But for the first time,
not distant.

Because this chaos,

this warmth,

this mess of affection,

was slowly becoming hers too.

Shivani suddenly leaned forward.

“Elbow here,” she told Eraya,

adjusting her posture slightly so she could relax and not sit like she is being investigated.

Eraya followed instinctively.

“No, no, sit like this, You don’t have to fear the way you sit.” Shivani corrected, gently fixing the way her dupatta rested.

It wasn’t critical.

It wasn’t judgmental.

It was… caring.

“You don’t have to shrink yourself,” Shivani said quietly.

Eraya looked at her.

“…I’m not shrinking.”

Shivani tilted her head.

“…you are. Just a little.”

A pause.

Then softer-

“…you don’t have to do that here.”

The words weren’t loud.

But they landed.

Deep.

Eraya didn’t respond immediately.

But slowly,
very slowly,
her shoulders relaxed.

Just a little.

Zivah saw it.

Felt it.

And something inside her stilled.

Shivani had somehow convinced Eraya to sit closer to her.

Now she was telling her something
animatedly,

hands moving,

voice expressive,

completely unfiltered.

“And then I told her-no, you cannot wear that, that is a crime against fashion-“

Eraya blinked.

“…a crime?”

“Yes,” Shivani nodded seriously.

“Punishable offense.”

Eraya looked confused.

Then,
slowly,
she smiled.

A real one.

Not careful.

Not measured.

And Shivani paused mid-sentence.

“…there it is,” she murmured.

Eraya frowned slightly.

“…what?”

Shivani leaned back, satisfied.

“…your real smile.”

Silence.

Eraya’s smile faltered slightly,
not disappearing,
just… softening.

“…that’s not new,” she said quietly.

Shivani shook her head.

“…no. It’s just… finally visible.”

After Shivani and Anamika left,
the house felt quieter.

But not empty.

Eraya stood near the window again.

But this time,

she didn’t feel like she was observing life from outside.

She felt… inside it.

Zivah walked up beside her.

Not saying anything immediately.

“…you didn’t look uncomfortable today,”

she said after a while.

Eraya shook her head slowly.

“…I wasn’t.”

Zivah glanced at her.

“…that’s new.”

“…yes,” Eraya admitted.

A pause.

“…she scares me a little,” Eraya added honestly.

Zivah let out a small laugh.

“…she scares everyone.”

“…but she feels…” Eraya hesitated.

Zivah waited.

“…safe.”

That word again.

Zivah nodded slowly.

“…she is.”

Another pause.

Zivah frowned slightly.

“…what about me?”

Eraya held her gaze.

“…you don’t adjust things.”

A pause.

“…you just… make space.”

Zivah stilled.

Because that,
that wasn’t something she had realized about herself.

“…is that a bad thing?” she asked quietly.

Eraya shook her head.

“…no.”

A softer pause.

“…it feels… safer.”

Zivah’s breath slowed.

“…I don’t want you to feel like you have to change around me,” she said.

“…I don’t,” Eraya replied.

Another silence.

“…I just don’t know what to do with this yet.”

Zivah nodded.

“…you don’t have to know.”

A pause.

“…we’ll figure it out.”

And this time-

when she said we,

Eraya didn’t question it.

Didn’t hesitate.

She just…

stood there.

Beside her.

Not leaving.

Not shrinking.

Just…

staying.
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