Chapter 6
All three girls got ready and packed their bags to head home. As they made their way toward the main door, Raelle caught sight of Porter and Scylla sitting at the breakfast table, chatting and laughing softly over breakfast.
Raelle froze for a moment, her eyes locked on Scylla.
Just one last look.
Then, as if sensing her gaze, Scylla looked up. Their eyes met. Briefly. Electric.
Raelle quickly looked away and turned toward Mr. and Mrs. Khanna with a practiced smile. “Uncle Khanna, thank you so much for having us. Your Holi celebrations were amazing—I’ll never forget them.”
She could still feel Scylla’s gaze, heavy on her back like a hand she both missed and feared. A familiar tingling crept along her neck. Raelle bit the inside of her cheek—just enough pain to keep herself grounded. Just enough to stop herself from doing something reckless, like walking over to Scylla, pulling her close, and kissing her in front of everyone.
Scylla sat motionless. Every fibre of her wanted to chase after Raelle, to hold her and say don’t go. But she didn’t move. Couldn’t.
"Are you girls leaving already? You haven’t had any breakfast!" Mrs. Khanna called out, slightly flustered. “At least have something before you go!”
“Thank you, Mrs. Khanna, but it’s a long drive back. We’ll grab something on the way,” Raelle said politely.
Tally and Abigail gave warm goodbyes to Mr. and Mrs. Khanna, and even took the time to say farewell to Porter and Scylla.
Raelle didn’t.
“I’ll meet you guys at the car!” she called over her shoulder and disappeared with their bags.
“Take care, beta. Stay in touch,” Mr. Khanna called as she pulled the car out of the driveway.
Raelle checked the rearview mirror.
Nothing.
Scylla wasn’t there.
Not standing at the door. Not watching.
Raelle tightened her grip on the steering wheel. Oh well... it wasn’t meant to be, she thought bitterly, Scylla’s words from that night playing on loop in her mind.
The ride home was quiet. The girls spoke only when they had to—when they stopped for gas, or food, or directions. The radio played softly in the background, filling the silence with static and half-remembered love songs.
When they finally reached home, Raelle said, “Guys, I’m feeling really tired. I think I’ll just lay down for a bit.”
“But Rae—” Tally began.
“It’s okay, Rae,” Abigail cut in gently. “Go rest. If you need anything, just call us.”
Raelle gave them a weak smile and disappeared into her room.
The pain hit her later—quietly, ruthlessly, like a punch to the chest.
Raelle wasn’t the type to cry over things she couldn’t fix, but that night, she curled into bed and let the heartbreak crash over her. She hadn’t taken advantage of Scylla. It had been mutual. Real. From the moment she saw her, felt her, kissed her.
But Scylla had chosen to call it a mistake.
So Raelle decided to bury her.
Bury the girl with the soul-stirring blue eyes in the darkest corners of her heart.
In the months that followed, Scylla lingered in Raelle’s thoughts like an unfinished song. She withdrew from parties, from campus life. She poured herself into her studies. Exams became the only thing she allowed herself to feel.
Abigail noticed the change. She wanted to ask—needed to—but didn’t. She hoped time would do what words could not.
Eventually, the girls aced their final exams and flew back home to celebrate with their families.
_______________________________________________________________________________
12 MONTHS LATER
Graduation came and went. The girls spent time traveling, laughing, dancing under unfamiliar skies. But Raelle... Raelle carried Scylla in her like a secret.
Every night, when the world went quiet, her mind returned to that Holi night and that kiss. That moment.
Scylla never left her. Not really.
The Bellweathers and Collars gathered for a family dinner. Tally, of course, was there too—she was family now, unofficially and irrevocably.
“So,” Petra began as they passed around dishes, “I hope you all enjoyed your post-graduation break?”
“Yes, Mom,” Abigail said. “It was so good to unwind after being buried in books for four years.”
“Good,” Petra smiled. “So... what are your plans for the future?”
Abigail glanced at Raelle. “We still have time to figure that out, don’t we, Rae?”
Willa and Petra exchanged a look.
Willa didn’t wait, “Actually, girls, we think it’s time you both started getting involved in the family business.”
Raelle blinked, “What?”
“Oh really?” Petra added with a knowing smirk. “Why else did you graduate in pharmacology, and Abigail in business management?”
Willa continued, “Mr. Khanna and I are launching a veterinary pharmaceutical firm in India. Raelle, you’ll head the operations. Abigail, you’ll manage the financials. You’ve both lived there. You know the culture. It just makes sense.”
Raelle’s fork froze mid-air. The room tilted; the ground shifted.
India.
Mr. Khanna.
Scylla.
It hit her like a freight train.
“I—excuse me,” Raelle muttered, quickly rising from the table. “I need to use the washroom.”
Before anyone could speak, she rushed off.
Inside the washroom, Raelle locked the door behind her and slid down to the floor, her back hitting the cool wood.
She couldn’t breathe.
Tears spilled, silent and merciless. Her fingers gripped the edge of the sink as if it might anchor her to the present.
What am I going to do? she thought, staring at herself in the mirror.
Scylla. Just the thought of her name sent a shock through her system.
It had been almost a year. Raelle thought she was okay. She thought she had buried her deep enough.
But now? Now she was going back to the very place where it had all begun. And she didn’t know if where Scylla was, or if she was married to Porter. Or if she even remembered their night, well she was one who called it a mistake.
Raelle had avoided checking. On purpose. She didn’t ask Abigail. She didn’t want to know.
She splashed her face with cold water, wiping at her swollen eyes. Her reflection was a mess—but her mind had cleared, if only slightly.
Maybe this is for the best , Raelle thought.
She dried her hands, took a deep breath, and returned to the table, wearing the mask of calm like it was stitched to her skin.
“Is everything alright, Rae?” Willa asked.
Raelle smiled, her voice steady. “Yes, Mom. All good.”
“So,” she said, lifting her glass, “when do we leave for India?”
Willa’s eyes lit up. “That’s the spirit. We’ve already made your arrangements. You fly out next week. And Rae—your apartment’s ready. It overlooks the Queen’s Necklace. Sundeck and all.”
“Yippee!” Tally squealed. “Rae, this is going to be so cool!”
Raelle nodded, smiling as the others cheered.
___________________________________________________________________________
A Week Later
The plane touched down in Mumbai with a soft jolt, and as the cabin doors opened, the city rushed in—heat, honking horns, the distant chime of temple bells, the tangy scent of street food hanging in the air.
As they stepped off the aircraft and into the chaos of the arrivals terminal, the buzz of the city immediately wrapped around them like a familiar hug. Abigail and Tally practically bounced in excitement.
“Oh my god, we’re back!” Tally laughed, twirling once with her suitcase like a kid on Christmas morning. “The heat! The noise! The drama! It feels like college all over again.”
Raelle gave a small smile. She appreciated their enthusiasm—truly—but her chest tightened at every detail. The airport, the taxi drivers shouting in Hindi, the vibrant chaos that she had once loved... it all tugged at her memories, dragging Scylla to the front of her mind again.
Even the breeze seemed to whisper her name.
They made their way to Raelle’s new apartment, and it didn’t disappoint. A gorgeous high-rise unit in South Mumbai with tall windows that opened out to a sweeping view of the Queen’s Necklace—a glittering arc of lights along the Marine Drive coast. The sundeck was wide and airy, catching the golden afternoon light just right.
“Willa wasn’t joking,” Abigail said, tossing her bag down and flopping onto the cushioned sofa. “This place is insane!”
Tally ran around checking out every room like she was on a travel vlog. “Rae, this is seriously dreamy. You’re going to love living here.”
Raelle smiled, walking toward the sundeck, letting the warm air hit her skin. The view was stunning, yes. But all she could think about was how her heart was broken by a blue – eyed brunette , who still lived rent free in heart and in here every breathe, who is probably married to her fiancé and living her life.
Every corner of Mumbai felt haunted now. Familiar, beautiful... and empty.
“Welcome back to the City of Dreams,” Raelle murmured to herself, gripping the rail tightly.
Her heart wasn’t racing.
It was bracing—for whatever was coming next.