OWNED BY THE DEVIL 2

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TIA SHARMA [FL FRIEND]

📲You better wear that red dress today! Don’t show up in your dinosaur PJs again! *yells*

....

📲First of all, those dinosaurs have feelings too. *said softly*

TIA SHARMA [FL FRIEND]

📲So does your career. Stop dressing like a spreadsheet. *roll her eyes*

....

📲But-

TIA SHARMA [FL FRIEND]

📲Anvi *threatening voice*

ANVI SINGH [FL]

*smiles*📲okay okay.

TIA SHARMA [FL FRIEND]

📲And we fix a blind date for you

ANVI SINGH [FL]

📲WHAT!!! *yells*

TIA SHARMA [FL FRIEND]

*took the phone far from her ear* 📲pagal hai kya, chilla kyu rahi hai. Blind date hi toh hai [have you lost it? Why are you shouting. it's just a blind date]

ANVI SINGH [FL]

📲no but-

TIA SHARMA [FL FRIEND]

📲no buts, and Rey also coming in the bar with us tonight.

ANVI SINGH [FL]

📲what? When did she come back from her business trip?

TIA SHARMA [FL FRIEND]

📲baad mai puch lena abhi Mai phone rakh Rahi hu mujhe kam hai bye *hang up* [ask her later, I am hanging up now I have work]

ANVI SINGH [FL]

📲arey par-

ANVI SINGH [FL]

*sighs*

ANVI SINGH [FL]

She was annoying, but I loved her *smiles*

•° ANVI'S POV °•

Mumbai was always loud. Messy. Alive.

But my world felt like quiet chaos.

Every morning started the same way—

A beep from the broken microwave, slippers scraping against the marble floor, and the smell of instant coffee.

My name’s Anvi Singh

I’m 23. Orphan. Nobody’s daughter. Nobody’s princess. But I survived. And that counts for something, right?

ANVI SINGH [FL]

*stood up from her bed* crap anvi, you are going to be late *run inside bathroom*

I work as an assistant editor in a publishing firm—modest pay, toxic boss, but hey, it feeds me.

I live alone in a rented 1BHK that leaks during the monsoon. And I have two constant in my life—my best friends, riya and tia. they're wild. Loud. Obnoxious. And basically my entire found family.

ANVI SINGH [FL]

*got ready* *sighs* let's go anvi, a new day's waiting for you. *went out*

• AT office •

My boss dumped a pile of manuscripts on my desk with his usual growl.

BOSS

Read these and make notes. I need them tomorrow. *said and walked away*

ANVI SINGH [FL]

Do you need my soul too? *mattered*

He didn’t hear me. Probably for the best.

But I sighed, looking out the window. Same cars, same dust, same everything.

Yet… something felt off today.

ANVI SINGH [FL]

*shook her head*

I brushed the thought aside. Maybe I was just tired.

ANVI SINGH [FL]

*starts reading those piles*

• Time skipped •

ANVI SINGH [FL]

*check time* i should go now, or else those two will eat my ears up *stood up*

I walked home, headphones in. The city glowed gold.

At the signal, I felt it.

Eyes.

Someone watching.

ANVI SINGH [FL]

*looks around*

I turned — saw nothing. Just people. Horns. A beggar yelling at a street dog.

ANVI SINGH [FL]

*bite her lower lip*

But the feeling stayed.

Was someone… following me?

My heart raced for a second.

Then I shook it off.

ANVI SINGH [FL]

Relax, Anvi. You’re just paranoid. *starts walking again*

I reached my apartment, locked the door, and exhaled.

Everything was fine.

Right?

. . . . . . . . . .. . .

Catpaglu author

🌺💐