I Love Him.

The night stretched on, but sleep was nowhere near Anushka. She lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, her mind racing with thoughts of Mark. Where was he? Had he done something reckless? Had he confronted Dr. Otim without her? They had agreed to do it together, to be careful. So why would he disappear without saying anything?

Her stomach churned as she imagined the worst Mark hurt, Mark in danger, Mark… gone. The thought made her chest tighten, a wave of fear crashing over her. She couldn't lose him. She just couldn't.

But why did she feel this way? Mark was her boss, her friend. Sure, they'd grown close over the past many weeks, but this… this was different. This was a gnawing, all-consuming worry that she couldn't shake. It was more than just concern for a colleague. It was something deeper, something she hadn't allowed herself to acknowledge until now.

She tossed and turned, her sheets tangling around her as she reached for her phone again. She dialed Mark's number, her heart pounding as she held the phone to her ear. But all she got was the same automated message: "The number you have dialed is currently unavailable."

Her heart sank, and she felt the sting of tears in her eyes. She tried again. And again. But the result was the same. Mark was unreachable.

Finally, Anushka gave up on sleep. She sat up in bed, her phone clutched tightly in her hands and scrolled through her contacts until she found Linda's name. Linda had been her childhood friend, her confidante, the one person who always knew how to calm her down. Without thinking, she pressed the call button.

The phone rang a few times before Linda's sleepy voice came through. "Anu? It's like… 2 a.m. What's wrong?"

Anushka opened her mouth to speak, but the words caught in her throat. Instead, a sob escaped, and she quickly covered her mouth, trying to stifle the sound.

"Anu?" Linda's voice was instantly alert. "Hey, talk to me. What's going on?"

Anushka took a shaky breath, her voice trembling as she spoke. "It's Mark. He's… he's gone. He didn't show up to work today, and no one's heard from him. I've been calling him all night, but his phone's off. I don't know where he is, Linda. I don't know if he's okay."

There was a pause on the other end, and then Linda's voice softened. "Oh, Anu. I'm so sorry. Have you tried reaching out to his family? Or his friends?"

"I did," Anushka said, her voice breaking. "No one knows where he is. I just… I can't stop thinking about him. What if he's hurt? What if he's in trouble? We were supposed to do this together, Linda. We were supposed to be careful. But he just… disappeared."

Linda sighed, her tone gentle. "Anu, I know you're scared. But Mark's a smart guy. He can take care of himself. Maybe he just… needed some time alone."

"But what if he didn't?" Anushka's voice rose, her fear spilling over. "What if something happened to him? What if I never see him again?"

The words hung in the air, heavy and raw. Anushka felt the tears streaming down her face now, her delicate nose turning red and her eyes watery. She didn't even try to stop them.

Linda was quiet for a moment, then said softly, "Anu… why does this feel like more than just worry about a friend?"

Anushka froze, her breath catching in her throat. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," Linda said carefully, "it sounds like you're in love with him."

Anushka's heart skipped a beat, her mind racing. "What? No, I'm not… I mean, he's just my boss. My friend. That's all."

But even as she said it, she knew it wasn't true. The way her chest ached at the thought of losing him, the way her mind couldn't stop thinking about him—it wasn't just friendship. It was something deeper, something she hadn't allowed herself to admit.

Linda's voice was gentle but firm. "Anu, it's okay to feel this way. You don't have to hide it from yourself. It's clear how much he means to you."

Anushka didn't respond right away. She sat there, her phone pressed to her ear, the weight of Linda's words sinking in. She thought about the way Mark looked at her, the way he called her "Ruhi," the way he trusted her with everything. She thought about the way her heart raced whenever he was near, the way she felt safe and understood when they were together.

And then it hit her. Linda was right. She was in love with Mark.

"I… I think you're right," Anushka whispered, her voice barely audible. "I think I'm in love with him."

Linda's tone was warm and reassuring. "And that's okay, Anu. It's okay to care about someone that much. But you need to take care of yourself too. You can't let this fear consume you."

Anushka nodded, even though Linda couldn't see her. "I just… I need to know he's okay. I can't lose him, Linda. I can't."

"I know," Linda said softly. "And you won't. We'll figure this out, okay? Just… try to get some rest. You'll need your strength tomorrow."

Anushka sighed, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. "Okay. Thanks, Linda. I… I needed this."

"Anytime," Linda said. "Now go to sleep. Or at least try."

Anushka chuckled weakly, her heart feeling a little lighter. "I'll try. Goodnight, Linda."

"Goodnight, Anu."

After hanging up, Anushka lay back in bed, her mind still racing but her heart a little calmer. She stared at her phone, her fingers hovering over Mark's number one last time. But she didn't call. Instead, she closed her eyes and whispered a silent prayer.

Please, Mark. Be safe. Come back to me.

And yet still she failed to sleep. All her energy consumed by worry.