The rain had not stopped since the night at the old library.
Meher walked back to her hotel in silence, Reyaan's words echoing in her mind.
"I'm trying to protect you."
She didn't know whether to believe him.
Everything felt like a puzzle where every piece contradicted the other.
Rishan said Reyaan was dangerous.
Reyaan said the fellowship committee was dangerous.
And she was stuck in the middle.
The next morning, Meher went to the fellowship building for the first time since the confrontation.
The glass doors reflected the cloudy sky above Delhi. Writers and coordinators moved around the lobby, chatting casually.
But to Meher, everything felt different now.
Are they watching me? she wondered.
She tried to act normal and walked toward the conference room.
Suddenly someone called her name.
"Meher!"
She turned around.
And froze.
Standing near the entrance… was Aarav.
"What… what are you doing here?" she asked, completely shocked.
Aarav walked toward her with a concerned expression.
"You stopped answering properly. You sounded worried. So I came."
Her heart tightened.
"You flew all the way from Mumbai just because of that?"
He smiled slightly.
"You say that like it's something strange."
For a moment, Meher forgot all the tension and fear.
Seeing him there made everything feel lighter.
But then she remembered Reyaan's warning.
Don't let Aarav get involved.
"Aarav… you shouldn't have come," she said softly.
His smile faded.
"Why?"
Before she could answer, another voice interrupted them.
"Well… this is unexpected."
Both of them turned.
Reyaan was standing a few steps away, watching them carefully.
His eyes moved from Meher to Aarav.
"So this is the famous Aarav I've heard about," he said calmly.
Aarav frowned slightly.
"And you are?"
"Reyaan Malhotra," he replied.
"The fellowship mentor."
The air between them suddenly felt tense.
Meher could sense it immediately.
Two people from two different parts of her life… meeting at the worst possible moment.
Reyaan looked at Meher seriously.
"You didn't mention he was coming."
"I didn't know he was," she replied quickly.
Aarav looked between them, confused.
"Okay… clearly I walked into something I don't understand."
Reyaan gave a faint smile.
"Yes," he said quietly.
"You did."
Outside, thunder rumbled across the sky.
The storm over Delhi was growing stronger.
And now, with Aarav suddenly involved, Meher knew things were about to become even more complicated.
Because sometimes…
The real storm doesn't come from the sky.
It comes from the people standing around you.