SOMETIMES, FEAR leads to blackmail. And that fear mostly comes when someone does not want anybody to know the truth.

I was laying on my back. Staring at the milky white ceiling above, humming to Taylor Swift songs and replaying the day inside my mind were all the things that I was doing after coming back home. Aimée's parents were upset. They plastered a smile on their faces for the sake of us. So that won't feel bad, we won't pity them. But they were not really okay, were they?

A loud 'bing' startled me. The mobile screen was brightly lit, a notification popping up. It was a text. Correction, an anonymous text.

STOP THE SEARCH.

My gaze lingered on the capital font for a while. It was a threat. Most definitely, a threat.

No shit Sherlock, my inner mind responded. I brushed it off and looked at the message once again.

Aimée.

Now now now.

Who in the freaking world got to know about it? It was not like I sleepwalked at school or got high and emotional, hence spilling all the tea. And Mar (or in other words, that sneaky cinnamon roll) would never. Because she hates people (in the best of her dreams as well). My parents did not know a word about the secret investigation, let alone threats.

No one was supposed to know this. No one was supposed to know that I cared. No one was supposed to know that I didn't buy those lies they fed.

Unless, no one was following me.

A chill ran down my spine and I shivered. It was horribly creepy if anyone was stalking us. It meant that someone followed us till Aimée's. It meant that our actions were being watched.

I gulped and consciously looked around. The breeze which was supposed to be pleasant felt like a bone-chilling one. I was feeling naked. As if someone could see through me and read my thoughts. It was fortunate that I didn't start crapping my pants by then.

Amongst the fear, my common sense pinched me. Wasting no further time, I texted Maryam. I sent her the screenshot of the creepy unknown chat and the number. She was online, like always and started typing right away.

Mar <3 : WTF is this

Me : u just saw

Mar <3 : okay...wait a damn minute

However, her reply came ten minutes later.

Mar <3 : Aunt Vaidehi says the number doesn't exist.

Me : wth is that?

Mar <3 : we have to pay her a visit tomorrow.

Me : I'm fucking tired

Mar <3 : u aren't getting any answers then.

Me : Ugh ikrr. Guess I need to get a good night's sleep then...

Mar <3 : if that's a way out then u sure do (;

Me : But I'm scared bby. I hope there isn't a hidden camera in the room T~T

Mar <3 : There is

Me : u know u r an asshole, ryt?

Mar <3 : I'm very self aware :)

Me : hey seriously, I'm scared :(

Mar <3 : Stay with your parents

Me : Okay...stay with me.

Mar <3 : I am

I felt a sudden reassurance. It is a magic that I feel safe whenever Maryam assures me. Her words always have a sense of security in them. At least, that's what I've felt since the last thirteen years.

I climbed downstairs. Ma was at her desk, her head down, the pencil moving along the sketch book sheets. She was busy sketching out a plot for her next comic. Yeah, she writes (and draws) comics. It has been her dream since childhood. I see the way her eyes glisten whenever she shares her plot with me (I'm unofficially her first reader). She feels genuinely happy. And I'm glad she has been able to achieve what she wanted.

She didn't seem to realise when I came in. Or maybe she did. Her concentration did not allow her to betray it. I typed a quick reply to Maryam.

Me : I'm okay now. luvvv

Mar <3 : kk. sleep tight. xx

Smiling, I climbed up the bed beside Ma's table. I sneaked a look at her notebook. I couldn't quite figure out the storyline. But the characters looked attractive as usual. I yawned, turned around and pulled up my covers. It was good that that terrifying feeling seemed to extinguish automatically when I lay down beside Ma.

I didn't remember when I lulled to sleep. But I faintly remembered that Ma was caressing my forehead.

★

Ma, Maryam's mother and Vaidehi Pokharel are childhood besties. Unlike our mothers, Aunt Vaidehi was always inclined towards science and technology. She is a cyber crime investigator now and one of the most applaudable women I've ever seen. Brains, modesty, friendliness, beauty - she is a perfect combination of all of these. With a brain so sharp technologically, it isn't a hassle for her to find a location. But she said that the number, from which I received a threat just ten minutes ago, was unavailable.

Neither I nor Maryam felt safe after the anonymous text. We decided to not keep it between ourselves any more. Because now that someone unknown and probably, dangerous, had come to know about our mission, our primary worry could not be our secrecy, but to be safe and sound. And Aunt Vaidehi would keep us safe.

So we decided to knock on her door exactly on the very next morning.

Ringing the bell twice, we waited while my eyes hovered on the name plate.

Vaidehi Pokharel
Vrishank Pokharel

Seventeen year old Vrishank Pokharel wearing a bunny print apron welcomed us with a bright smile. He looked in it. Stepping inside, a chocolatey aroma filled my nostrils. Something scrumptious was waiting in the kitchen.

"What's baking?" asked Maryam as we took off our shoes.

"Croissants!" exclaimed Vrishank, the smile faltering not a bit.

I couldn't help but ask, "Chocolate filling?"

He winked and whispered, "Just how you like it."

My eyes widened and a light blush crept up my cheeks. However, I smiled and mouthed a "thank you" and walked up to the living room.

Aunt Vaidehi sat on a Lawson couch, intently staring at the laptop screen. A plate of half-eaten croissant could be seen on the coffee table beside. As soon as we came in, her eyes drifted towards us and she straightened up.

I went over to the ball chair while Maryam sat on the tub couch. I folded my legs and gazed at Vaidehi expectantly.

"So..." I drawled.

"So?" Vaidehi spoke up.

"So, you know about Aimée, right?"

"Nope."

A blunt answer. Something I have mixed emotions for. I turned towards Maryam who simply shrugged. She didn't tell her anything. Sighing, I explained the disappearance of Aimée - how she was last seen in her university campus, how the police stopped searching and how I started my own investigation. I also told her about us visiting Aimée's parents and the message of course.

After my explanation, Aunt Vaidehi finally asked, "Who knows that you're searching for her?"

"No one."

"Did her parents figure out something?"

"Her par- well, that would be ridiculous! What kind of parents want their child to be in danger?"

"Have her parents found out anything?" She repeated.

My shoulders fell. "Not that I know, but no."

She subtly nodded and her eyes went back towards her laptop. She quickly typed something. Meanwhile, Vrishank, still wearing that bunny apron, came in with two plates of croissants. They looked mouth-watering. And I was pretty sure they were. Because, Vrishank's cooking skills are no joke.

Placing the dishes on the table, he said, "I'm coming in a minute. Wait for me. I need the tea."

"Tea?" I asked, frowning a little.

"Yeah, about Aimée, you know."

"Oh."

"I'm coming in a minute."

And like the cheeky bastard he is, he shot me an unbelievable charming smile and another wink. It was the second time he winked at me today. And that was all to make my heart to skip a beat, my stomach to feel small butterflies and my cheeks to redden.

Oh, how much I hated my body right then!

It was good that no one noticed how flustered I was, and we waited for Vrishank Pokharel to come back.

★

a/n

looks like mah girl's got a crush (っ ͡> ͜ʖ ͡<)っ