When stars align: Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Crossed Paths

"Hello Anamika."
"Yes, Mom?" she responded, her voice still light, caught in the glow of memories.

“Your uncle's been admitted to the hospital. We need to leave tonight and visit him out of town.”

She didn’t question it. Packed swiftly, and by evening, she and her mother were at the airport, boarding the flight. Yet all through the security checks, boarding lines, and the quiet drone of the aircraft, her mind was elsewhere.

Dhaval.

Two days had passed. No response to her messages. No calls. Not even a “seen” tick on her texts. Her heart was not just concerned—it was aching.

The hospital had a strange energy. The smell of antiseptic, the pale walls, the echo of hurried footsteps. Something inside her stirred—an odd, anxious feeling. Was it about her uncle? Or something else?

They met her uncle and spent a few quiet minutes with him. But Anamika’s thoughts kept drifting, pulled by the silence of a name she hadn’t heard in two days.

After a while, she stepped out to get coffee for her mother. Her phone buzzed just as she reached the vending machine.

One new message. From Dhaval.

“Sorry. I’m in my hometown for something urgent. Will call you back soon.”



She stared at the message.

No “Hi.” No “How are you?” No warmth. Just cold urgency.
She felt a tiny sting, disappointment prickling under her ribs. Hmm... Maybe he really is dealing with something serious.

Pocketing her phone, she resumed her walk toward the vending machine.

And then, suddenly—her legs froze.

Her heart began pounding wildly.

Dhaval??

No. It couldn't be.

She blinked, trying to make sense of the figure standing near the coffee machine. Her breath caught in her throat as she stepped closer, cautiously, hesitantly.

Yes. It was Dhaval.

Her mouth opened to call his name, but no words came out. Was it shock? Or something deeper?

As if pulled by the same unseen thread of fate, Dhaval turned around—and froze.

"Anamikaa?"
The word slipped from his lips like a whisper from a dream.

Their eyes met. In that moment, the silence between them spoke louder than anything else. So many questions flickered in those gazes, so many fears, so much pain… but amidst all that, the eyes had their own plan.

They started to fill with tears.

Two souls. One hospital. A moment suspended in time.


Wait for Chapter 10
What truth will this encounter reveal? Will it bring them closer or push them further apart?