Author’s POV:

After they left—leaving behind a bewildered Mr. Malhotra and the now-empty restaurant echoing with silent questions—she rode off. Trishika didn’t look back. Her scooty sped through the narrow lanes, cutting through the city’s afternoon haze. She didn’t stop at signals, didn’t pause at her favorite tea stall; she went straight to her office. Eyes on the road, mind in a whirl, heart... somewhere between denial and truth.