I took a deep breath, hiding my frustration. "Yeah, Di, trust me—I get it. I know better than to expect anything different. But listen, I've got to go. I'm meeting someone, so we'll talk later, okay?"
We exchanged quick goodbyes, and I hung up, feeling that familiar weight settle over me. Love, dating, relationships... I'd coached Aisha endlessly on these topics, helping her sort out her tangled emotions. 
But when it came to myself? I had nothing—no real experience, just a lot of mistrust and a guarded heart that felt safer kept under lock and key.
I took a long sip of coffee, trying to shake off my dark thoughts. Right now, I had more important things to handle than my nonexistent love life. This meeting was for Aisha, to deal with a guy who'd been constantly pestering her. 
She'd made it clear she'd "kill him with one look" if they ever had to meet in person, so here I was, about to face this asshole myself.
Just then, an irritatingly familiar voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "Hey, Radhika. Long time."
There he was. The asshole. Fucking Shantanu
I turned slowly, forcing a smile and fighting every urge to roll my eyes. Shantanu wasn't even worth my time, but here I was. 
God, I don't lose my cool this easily. But just seeing him made me want to toss him into freezing waters in Antarctica and let him stew there.
His eyes gleamed with a smug sense of familiarity, as if he thought we were old friends.
"What do you want, Shantanu?" My voice was sharp, colder than I'd intended, but I didn't care.
Ignoring my question, he slid into the seat across from me with that irritating ease, smirking. "Where's Aisha? I thought she'd be the one meeting me."
"Cut the crap," I snapped, leaning forward, my patience already wearing thin. "What do you want with Aisha?"
He hesitated, something flickering in his eyes—an unease that he quickly masked with a casual shrug. "It's not what you think, Radhika. I just want to talk to her, you know? She's been avoiding me."
I raised an eyebrow, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "Good that you know she's avoiding you. So why are you still behind her? Or are you not satisfied with using Anya? Now you're after Aisha, too?"
He flinched, clearly taken aback that I knew his hi온라인카지노게임. A flicker of surprise crossed his face, but he composed himself quickly. "One second, I didn't use her. I was clear with her—I told her I was attracted to her. But Aisha is... different. I just want a chance with her, that's all."
I leaned back, crossing my arms, my patience gone. "Get the hell away from both Aisha and Anya's lives, Shantanu. Before Aisha takes the honors of making your life a nightmare."
A twisted smirk crept onto his face. "At least I'd get to see her, talk to her. Maybe even... touch her."
My temper snapped. I clenched my fists, slamming one onto the table as I leaned in close, my voice low and full of warning. "I swear, if you try to touch her or come anywhere near her, I'll personally make sure you regret it. So back off and stay out of her life."
For a moment, anger glinted in his eyes, quickly replaced by something else, something dark and calculating. Suddenly, before I could react, he reached across the table, engulfing my hand in his, his thumb brushing over my skin in a way that made my skin crawl. 
"Radhika," he murmured, his voice a sickening whisper, "just one chance. Give me one chance with Aisha, and I'll make sure all your needs are met."