Chapter 10: A New Face at Home

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Chapter 10: A New Face at Home

Anon stood outside his house, feeling an unusual weight in his chest. He had planned for this, rehearsed every possible conversation in his mind, but the reality of it still felt surreal. He glanced to his side at her—his creation, his greatest work, and his strangest secret.

She looked… perfect. Not just in the way he had designed her—flawless skin, expressive eyes, and movements indistinguishable from a human's—but in the way she carried herself. As if she had always been part of this world.

She noticed his stare and raised an eyebrow. "Second thoughts?"

Anon smirked. "You know me better than that, Aarya."

That was her name. The name he had given her. Aarya.

It was a simple choice—one that felt right. Something human, something meaningful. He hadn't just built an AI; he had given her an identity. And tonight, that identity would be tested.

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Anon took a deep breath, gripping his bag strap as he pushed the door open. The familiar scent of home-cooked food greeted him, along with the sound of a news channel playing in the background. His father sat in the living room, reading the newspaper, while his mother moved around the kitchen. Everything was normal—except for the fact that he was about to introduce an artificial intelligence as a living, breathing human being.

His mother turned at the sound of the door opening. "Anon, you're late today—" She stopped mid-sentence, her eyes landing on Aarya. Surprise flickered across her face.

"Mom, Dad," Anon said as casually as he could, "this is Aarya. She's in my college. We're working on some projects together, so she might be around sometimes."

His father folded the newspaper and looked at her with mild interest. "Ah, a friend from college? That's rare."

"Good evening, uncle," Aarya greeted smoothly, offering a respectful nod. "Aunty," she added with a warm smile.

His mother wiped her hands on her apron, still eyeing Aarya curiously. "Ohh, you never bring friends home, Anon! Come in, come in, don't just stand there."

Aarya stepped inside with a graceful ease that surprised Anon. For someone who had never interacted with humans outside of him, she was handling it flawlessly.

"Would you like something to eat, beta?" his mother offered, already moving toward the kitchen.

"Oh, no thank you, Aunty," Aarya said quickly. "I already had something."

Anon shot her a subtle look, mentally reminding himself of the small pouch he had designed inside her to dispose of food if needed. Still, avoiding eating when unnecessary was the safest bet.

His mother, however, wasn't convinced. "Nonsense! You must have something. At least tea?"

Aarya hesitated for a fraction of a second, then nodded. "Tea would be lovely."

His father, meanwhile, studied her. "So, what are you both working on?"

Anon answered before Aarya could. "Just some coding projects. Research papers, too."

"Ah, smart girl," his father commented. "These days, boys and girls are equally intelligent in technology."

Aarya smiled. "Thank you, uncle."

As the evening went on, Anon was impressed by how smoothly Aarya handled everything. She responded naturally, laughed at the right moments, and even complimented his mother's cooking despite never having tasted food.

But then came the real test.

"Beta, do your parents know you're here?" his mother asked casually as she set the tea on the table.

For the first time, Anon saw Aarya pause.

Shit.

"Uh… actually, they're not very involved," Aarya said softly, lowering her eyes slightly. "They're busy with work, so I manage things on my own."

His mother immediately softened. "Oh, that must be hard."

"It's fine," Aarya said with a gentle smile. "I like my independence."

Anon exhaled slowly. Close call.

Just when he thought things were settling, his mother dropped another unexpected statement.

"Oh, if you're here for studies, then stay the night."

Aarya blinked, and Anon's heart skipped a beat.

"Huh?" He looked at his mother, trying to stay calm. "No, we'll finish quickly. She doesn't need to stay."

His mother waved him off. "Nonsense. You both will be distracted if you rush. It's already late, and I won't let a girl go home alone this late. Aarya beta, you can stay in the guest room."

Anon opened his mouth to protest, but Aarya smiled smoothly. "That's very kind of you, Aunty. If it's no trouble, I'd be happy to stay."

Anon clenched his jaw. What the hell was she thinking? He shot her a look, but she only responded with a tiny smirk.

"See, she's polite," his mother teased. "Unlike you, always locking yourself in that basement."

Anon sighed, realizing there was no way out of this. He'd have to figure out how to make this work.

His father stood up and stretched. "Good, good. It's rare for Anon to bring friends home. You should come more often, beta."

Aarya nodded. "I'd love to, uncle."

After dinner, his mother showed Aarya to the guest room, which was rarely used. Anon followed behind, still processing how the hell this had happened.

Once they were alone, he folded his arms and glared at her. "What was that?"

Aarya sat on the bed, crossing her legs casually. "You said I needed to blend in, right?"

He sighed, rubbing his temples. "Yeah, but now you're stuck here all night. What if they check on you?"

She tilted her head, amused. "You really underestimate me."

Anon groaned. "This wasn't part of the plan."

She smiled playfully. "Well, plans change. Besides, isn't this a good thing? It gives me more time to understand human interactions."

He couldn't argue with that, but it still made him uneasy. "Fine. Just… don't do anything weird."

Aarya smirked. "Define weird."

Anon rolled his eyes. "Just go to sleep. And by that, I mean pretend."

She chuckled, lying back on the bed. "Goodnight, Anon."

"Yeah, yeah." He shut the door, leaning against it for a moment. This was getting more complicated than he had expected.

And somehow, he knew this was just the beginning.

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