Ruhi.

Pizza night wound down with the usual chaos—Jerry and Emily arguing over the last slice, Jacqueline pretending not to care but sneaking bites when no one was looking, and Monica shaking her head at all of us like she was the only adult in the room.

As everyone started cleaning up, Mark grabbed his keys and nodded toward the door. "Come on, Ruhi. I'll drop you off."

Anushka hesitated, glancing at the mess. "I can help clean up first—"

"Nope," Mark interrupted, his tone firm but playful. "You've done enough today. Let's go."

Anushka rolled her eyes but grabbed her bag, following him out the door. I watched them go, my 12-year-old brain already spinning theories about what they weren't telling us. But for now, I kept my mouth shut. Mostly.

---

The drive to Anushka's flat was quiet at first, the hum of the car engine filling the space between them. Mark kept his eyes on the road, but Anushka could tell his mind was elsewhere. She fiddled with the strap of her bag, trying to think of something to say.

"So," she began, breaking the silence, "thanks for the Anu burgers. You didn't have to do that."

Mark glanced at her, a small smile playing on his lips. "Yeah, I did. You've been working nonstop lately. Figured you deserved a treat."

Anushka chuckled, shaking her head. "You make it sound like I'm some kind of workaholic."

"Aren't you?" Mark teased, raising an eyebrow. "I mean, you hacked into a doctor's phone today. That's not exactly a relaxing afternoon."

Anushka laughed, the sound light and genuine. "Okay, fair point. But in my defense, you asked me to."

"True," Mark admitted, his tone softening. "And I'm glad you did. I don't know what I'd do without you, Ruhi."

Anushka's cheeks flushed, and she looked out the window to hide her smile. "You'd manage. You always do."

Mark didn't respond right away, his grip tightening slightly on the steering wheel. "Maybe," he said after a moment. "But it wouldn't be the same."

The car fell silent again, but this time, the air felt heavier, like there was something unspoken hanging between them. Anushka glanced at Mark, her curiosity getting the better of her. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," Mark said, his tone casual but his eyes flicking to her briefly.

"Why do you call me Ruhi?" she asked, her voice soft. "I mean, no one else does. Not even my parents."

Mark hesitated, his expression thoughtful. "I don't know," he admitted. "It just… fits you. You're not just Anushka, the IT genius. You're Ruhi—the girl who invents burgers, hacks phones, and somehow puts up with my family's chaos. It's… you."

Anushka blinked, caught off guard by his answer. "Oh," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I… I didn't know you thought about it like that."

Mark chuckled, his tone light again. "Don't let it go to your head. I just call it like I see it."

Anushka smiled, shaking her head. "You're impossible, you know that?"

"So I've been told," Mark said, grinning as he pulled up to her flat. He parked the car and turned to face her, his expression serious again. "Thanks for today, Ruhi. Seriously. I couldn't have done it without you."

Anushka nodded, her heart swelling with something she couldn't quite name. "Anytime, Mark. You know that."

For a moment, they just sat there, the silence between them comfortable but charged. Then Anushka unbuckled her seatbelt and reached for the door. "Well, I should—"

"Wait," Mark said, his voice stopping her in her tracks. She turned to look at him, her brow furrowing.

"What is it?" she asked.

Mark hesitated, his eyes searching hers. "I've been wondering… why don't you correct me when I call you Ruhi? You always do with everyone else."

Anushka froze, her mind racing for an answer. She hadn't expected the question, and now that it was out there, she wasn't sure how to respond. "I… I don't know," she admitted finally, her voice soft. "It just… feels different when you say it. Like it's… ours."

Mark's expression softened, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Ours, huh?"

Anushka's cheeks burned, and she quickly looked away. "Don't make it weird, Mark."

Mark chuckled, his tone warm. "I'm not. I like it. Ruhi."

Anushka groaned, covering her face with her hands. "You're impossible."

"So I've been told," Mark said, grinning. "Now, get some rest, okay? You've earned it."

Anushka nodded, her heart still racing as she stepped out of the car. She waved as Mark drove off, her mind spinning with everything that had just happened. There was something about the way he looked at her, the way he said her name, that made her feel… different. Special.

But for now, she pushed those thoughts aside. They had work to do, and whatever was growing between them would have to wait.

She took a deep breath, the cool night air filling her lungs, and turned toward her building. The walk upstairs felt longer than usual, her thoughts racing as she climbed the steps to her apartment. By the time she unlocked the door and stepped inside, she was exhausted—not just physically, but emotionally.

Dropping her bag by the door, Anushka kicked off her shoes and made her way to the bathroom. She turned on the shower, the sound of running water filling the small space as she stripped off her clothes and stepped under the warm spray.

The water was soothing, washing away the stress of the day. She closed her eyes, letting the heat seep into her muscles as she replayed the events of the evening in her mind. The pizza night, the way Jerry and Emily had been so obvious, the way Mark had looked at her when he called her Ruhi. It was all so… overwhelming.

She sighed, running her fingers through her hair as she tried to make sense of everything. Mark's question about why she never corrected him when he called her Ruhi had caught her off guard. She hadn't even realized she'd been doing it until he pointed it out. And now that he had, she couldn't stop thinking about it.

"It just… feels different when you say it," she muttered to herself, mimicking her own words from earlier. "Like it's… ours."

The thought made her cheeks burn, even though there was no one around to see her. She groaned, leaning her forehead against the cool tiles. "Get it together, Anushka," she whispered. "You've got bigger things to worry about."