(Ashriti's POV)
It was six in the morning.
Just like any other night.
Except it wasn't.
I hadn't slept.
My room was still dark, the curtains barely letting in the pale light of dawn. My phone lay on my chest, screen black, silent.
I kept staring at it like it would apologize.
Something felt wrong.
Not dramatic.
Not loud.
Just... wrong.
I hadn't spoken to Shivrit last night.
And I can't sleep without talking to him.
It sounds stupid. I know. But hearing his voice before bed was my routine. My comfort. My addiction.
I called him.
He didn't pick up.
That part was normal.
What wasn't normal was what happened next.
When I called again, someone answered.
A woman.
"Hello?"
Her voice was weak. Shaky.
For a second, I couldn't breathe.
I cut the call immediately.
Maybe it was his mother, I told myself.
Maybe I was overthinking.
But something about her voice didn't sit right.
And because of that, I didn't sleep the entire night.
I kept replaying it in my head.
Who was she?
Why did she answer his phone?
Why didn't he call me back?
At exactly 6:07 a.m., my phone rang.
My heart jumped.
Shivrit.
It had to be him.
But it wasn't.
Adray.
My best friend.
Or maybe... my ex-best friend.
We grew distant after Shivrit made it very clear he didn't like me talking to other men.
Which was funny.
Because he had plenty of "friends."
Plenty of "muh-boli behens."
But I wasn't allowed to question that.
The phone kept ringing.
I picked up.
"What?" I snapped. "Why are you calling this early? I just woke up because of you."
His voice wasn't normal.
It was tight. Controlled. Worried.
"Ashriti... where are you?"
"In my room."
"Are you alone?"
I frowned. "Yes. Why are you asking like that?"
There was a pause.
A long one.
When he spoke again, his voice was softer.
"Whatever I'm about to say... you need to stay calm."
My fingers tightened around the phone.
Something inside my chest twisted.
"What happened?"
Silence.
And for the first time that morning-
I was afraid to hear the answer.