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POV AUTHOR
Tara sat at her desk, her eyes scanning the reports in front of her with razor-sharp focus. The cabin was eerily silent, save for the faint hum of the air conditioner and the rhythmic ticking of the clock mounted on the wall. The aroma of coffee lingered in the air, blending with the sterile scent of antiseptics-a smell she had grown accustomed to over the years.
It had been a long, exhausting day. Back-to-back surgeries, a mountain of paperwork, and a morning filled with unexpected chaos had drained every ounce of patience she had left. Now, all she wanted was a few uninterrupted moments to finish her work before heading home.
But, of course, peace was a luxury she was never granted.
Without warning, the door to her cabin swung open with a loud thud.
Tara didn’t even bother looking up. She already knew who it was. Instead, she sighed heavily, pressing her fingers to her temples in frustration.
“Adi, how many times do I have to tell you-mere cabin mein bina knock kiye mat aaya kar!” (Adi, how many times do I have to tell you-don’t enter my cabin without knocking!) she huffed, irritation lacing her voice. “Have some basic manners!”
She was already in a terrible mood, and this intrusion was only making it worse.
Instead of looking remotely guilty, Aditya Singhania-her self-proclaimed best friend and the biggest pain in her existence-grinned unapologetically as he waltzed inside like he owned the place.
“Aur maine tujhe kitni baar bataya hai ki yeh meri best friend ka office hai?” (And how many times have I told you that this is my best friend’s office?) he retorted shamelessly, imitating her frustrated tone. “Toh main jab chahe, jaise chahe aa sakta hoon!” (So I can come and go whenever I want!)
Then, with all the drama of a Bollywood hero, he plopped down onto the chair in front of her desk, spreading himself out like he was about to declare himself king.
Tara shot him a glare sharp enough to cut through steel.
Aditya was unbothered.
Now, before you assume things-who is he?
Aditya Singhania-Tara’s unwanted yet irreplaceable headache. He was the only person who had managed to break through the walls she had built around herself since moving to LA. No matter how much she pretended to be annoyed by him, deep down, she knew-he was her constant.
A renowned cardiologist, one of the best in LA, Aditya had a cocky attitude to match his brilliance. His easy charm, sharp wit, and annoyingly perfect hair made him a favorite among patients and a menace in Tara’s life. But despite his larger-than-life presence, he had a heart that could hold the weight of the world-and hers when it felt too heavy.
They had met on her very first day of college. Back then, Tara had been a closed-off, heartbroken girl with no desire to make friends or be part of anything remotely social. But fate-or more accurately, Aditya’s stubbornness-had other plans.
She had been sitting alone at the campus café, lost in her books and even more lost in her grief. And for some godforsaken reason, Aditya had decided to adopt her as his new best friend. Maybe it was because they were the only Indians in their batch, or maybe it was because he had seen something in her that no one else had. Either way, from that moment on, he stuck to her like glue.
And no matter how much Tara pretended to be annoyed by his antics, deep down, she was grateful.
Because Aditya had been her anchor in ways she could never admit out loud. He never judged her, never questioned her past, never forced her to move on before she was ready.
He was simply there-always.
During the nights when she woke up gasping for air, the weight of her past crushing her chest, he was the one who pulled her into his arms, whispering reassurances until her panic subsided. When the memories became too much, when the grief clawed its way back to the surface, his shoulder was always there-a silent, steady refuge where she could cry without fear of judgment.
She never had to ask.
He just knew.
And without a word, he would hold her together until she could stand on her own again.
And right now, he was here-to test her patience and drive her absolutely insane.
“Adi, I’m busy,”she said flatly, her eyes flicking back to her reports. “I don’t have time for your nonsense right now.”
Aditya let out a dramatic gasp, clutching his chest like she had just mortally wounded him.
“Tu busy kab nahi hoti?” (When are you not busy?) he groaned, flopping back in the chair. “Kabhi kabhi toh lagta hai tu insaan nahi, koi highly advanced AI robot hai!” (Sometimes, I feel like you’re not human but some highly advanced AI robot!)
Tara ignored him completely. She had mastered the art of tuning him out.
Getting up from her chair, she walked over to the wooden shelf where she kept her files. She needed an empty file holder, and knowing Aditya, he would continue his daily dose of nonsense while she searched.
But the moment she turned back around, her blood pressure shot through the roof.
Because there, sitting like a king in her chair, was Aditya.
And in his thieving hands?
The chocolates she had bought for someone else.
“BEWAKOOF ADI!” (Idiot, Adi!) she shrieked, eyes wide in horror. “Woh chocolates Vihaan ke liye thi!” (Those chocolates were for Vihaan!)
Before Aditya could even blink, she hurled the file holder straight at him.
Aditya, the certified dodging expert, barely managed to duck in time. The file holder whizzed past his ear, crashing against the wall with a loud THUD!
“TU PAGAL HAI?!” (Are you crazy?!) he yelped, clutching his chest like she had just attempted first-degree murder. His eyes widened in sheer horror as he pointed at her.
“Ek chocolate ke liye meri jaan lene ka plan hai tera?!” (You were planning to kill me over a chocolate?!) he exclaimed, dramatically touching his forehead.
“Agar yeh file mujhe lag jaati toh soch-mere handsome face par nishan aajata!” (If that file had hit me, imagine-a mark would’ve appeared on my handsome face!)
Aditya gasped dramatically, clutching his face like it was a national treasure under threat.
“Ek toh main already single hoon, upar se agar yeh file mujhe lag jaati toh mera bacha-kucha future bhi barbaad ho jaata!” (First, I’m already single, and if this file had hit me, my remaining future would have been ruined too!) he lamented, placing a tragic hand over his heart like a hero in a 90s Bollywood tragedy.
“Koi ladki toh pehle se hi nahi hai, yeh chot lag jaati toh jo aane wali hoti, woh bhi bhaag jaati!” (I don’t have a girlfriend as it is, and if I got injured, any future prospects would have run away too!)
“Teri wajah se mujhe zindagi bhar akela rehna padta, Tara!” (Because of you, I would have been alone for life, Tara!)
Tara stormed towards him, radiating pure fury.
“Stop it, melo-drama ki dukaan!” (Stop it, you drama factory!) she hissed, snatching the half-eaten chocolate from his hand like a strict mother catching her kid sneaking snacks before dinner.
“For God’s sake, Adi! Do you have ANY idea how hard it was to find that specific one? Pure stock mein bas ek bacha tha!” (The entire stock had only one left!)
Aditya, completely unfazed, leaned back in his chair like he had all the time in the world. He picked up another piece of chocolate, chewing leisurely, and shrugged.
“Toh?” (So?) he said, waving a dismissive hand. “Itni badi hospital ki head neurosurgeon hai tu. Ek aur le lena.” (You’re such a big hospital’s head neurosurgeon. Just buy another one.)
Tara’s eye twitched. Her hands curled into fists at her sides, resisting the urge to strangle him right then and there.
“IT’S NOT ABOUT THE MONEY, YOU DUMBASS!” she exploded. “It was the last box available! Vihaan will be devastated! Kya bolungi usse ab?!” (What will I tell him now?!)
Aditya finally put his tragic monologue on pause and sighed, reclining even further into the chair like this entire conversation was exhausting for him.
“Arre, tu tension mat le,” (Oh, don’t stress) he waved a lazy hand. “Main apne champ se sorry bol dunga. Woh samajh jayega.” (I’ll apologize to my champ. He’ll understand.)
“Waise bhi, woh mujh par gaya hai-ekdum smart, understanding, aur… chocolate ka bhi utna hi bada deewana!” (Anyway, he takes after me-super smart, understanding, and equally crazy about chocolate!)
Tara rolled her eyes so hard she almost saw another dimension.
“Haan, haan, bas yahi baaki tha-tu aur Vihaan ek hi jaise ho!” (Yeah, right! This was the only thing left-comparing yourself to Vihaan!) she muttered under her breath.
Aditya grinned shamelessly, resting his chin on his palm like he had all the time in the world.
“Matlab tu maan rahi hai ki hum dono best hain?” (So, you’re admitting that we’re both the best?)
Tara shot him a glare sharp enough to cut through steel.
“Best?! Stop comparing yourself with my baby! Vihaan is far, far better than you!”
Aditya clutched his chest dramatically, gasping like she had just stabbed him.
“Ouch, dukh ho raha hai yeh sunke!” (Ouch, that hurts to hear!) he exclaimed.
“Tera best friend hoon, tere saare tantrums jhelta hoon, tujhse bina wajah ke daant khaata hoon, aur phir bhi Vihaan better?!” (I’m your best friend, I tolerate all your tantrums, get scolded by you for no reason, and yet Vihaan is better?!)
Tara scoffed, arms crossed.
“Saare tantrums jhelta hai?! Tujhe sharam nahi aati yeh bolte hue?!” (You tolerate all my tantrums?! Do you have no shame in saying that?!)
“Saara din sirf pareshaan karne ka mission leke ghoomta hai!” (You roam around all day with a mission to annoy me!)
Aditya leaned back, completely unfazed.
“Aree, tu na mujhe galat samajhti hai. Main pareshaan nahi karta, bas teri zindagi ko thoda interesting banaata hoon.” (You misunderstand me. I don’t annoy you-I just make your life a little more interesting.)
“Soch, agar main na hota toh tu sirf patients aur files ke saath hi jeeti!” (Think about it-if I weren’t here, you’d only be living with patients and files!)
Tara raised an eyebrow.
“Wah, toh tu keh raha hai ki main tere bina bore ho jaati?” (Wow, so you’re saying I’d be bored without you?)
Aditya smirked, winking.
“Obviously. Meri wajah se hi toh tere life mein entertainment hai!” (Obviously. It’s because of me that there’s entertainment in your life!)
Tara picked up the nearest paperweight, aiming straight at his head.
“Tere bina meri life ekdam sukoon bhari hoti, samjha?!” (Without you, my life would be completely peaceful, got it?!)
Aditya, the self-proclaimed dodging expert, barely managed to move in time as the paperweight narrowly missed his head and landed with a loud thud on the floor.
“Tu pagal ho gayi hai kya?!” (Have you gone crazy?!) he yelped, scooting his chair back like she was about to launch another attack.
“Baar baar mere upar cheezein phek rahi hai! Bas kar!” (You keep throwing things at me! Stop it already!)
“Stop getting jealous of my handsome face-I’m telling you!”
He dramatically ran a hand over his perfectly styled hair.
“Tujhse bardasht nahi hota ki main itna naturally good-looking hoon, hai na?” (You can’t tolerate how naturally good-looking I am, right?)
Tara scoffed, crossing her arms.
“Haan bilkul, main toh raaton ko uth uth ke rote hoon issi baat pe!” (Yes, absolutely, I wake up at night and cry over this!)
Aditya smirked, winking.
“Aree, tu bas accept kar le ki tera bas nahi chal raha mujhpar!” (Just accept that you have no control over me!)
Tara bent down, picking up another object from her desk.
Aditya’s smirk instantly vanished.
“Okay, okay! Main mazaak kar raha tha!” (Okay, okay! I was joking!) he yelped, half ready to flee.
“Haath neeche kar, Warrior Sharma!” (Put your hand down, Warrior Sharma!)
But just as Tara smirked in victory, Aditya suddenly paused, his brows furrowing like he had just uncovered the greatest mystery of the century.
“Waise… main yahan aaya kyun tha?” (By the way… why did I even come here?) he muttered, rubbing his chin like a detective piecing together a crime scene.
Tara didn’t even bother looking up from her files. She rolled her eyes, flipping a page.
“Woh toh tujhe hi pata hona chahiye, mujhse kya pooch raha hai?” (You should know that yourself. Why are you asking me?)
Aditya shot her a half-hearted glare, but before he could retaliate with a sarcastic remark, realization finally struck. His face lit up like he had just cracked the Da Vinci Code.
“OHH HAAN! Main tujhe lene aaya tha!” (OH RIGHT! I came to pick you up!) he declared proudly.
Tara finally looked up, confused. “Kahaan le jaane ke liye?” (Take me where?)
Aditya scoffed, checking his watch dramatically.
“Obviously ghar! Time dekha hai? It’s almost 12!” (Obviously, home! Have you even seen the time? It’s almost 12!)
“Teri shift kab ki khatam ho chuki hai!” (Your shift ended ages ago!)
“Kitni baar bola hai ki overwork na kiya kar, par nahi, madam toh kaam ke beech time ka atta pata hi bhool jati hai!” (How many times have I told you not to overwork? But no, madam forgets time in the middle of work!)
Tara waved him off, already turning back to her files.
“Adi, bas thoda sa kaam bacha hai. Tu ja, main aajaungi khud hi.” (Adi, just a little work is left. You go, I’ll come by myself.)
Aditya folded his arms, raising an eyebrow.
“Excuse me? Tujhe lagta hai main tere ‘main aajaungi’ wale jhoothe promises pe vishwas karunga?” (Excuse me? Do you think I’ll believe your fake ‘I’ll come’ promises?)
Tara sighed dramatically.
“Mujhpe vishwas karna seekh, Adi.” (Learn to trust me, Adi.)
Aditya smirked.
“Mujhpe vishwas karna seekh, Tara. Main tujhe koi option nahi de raha hu-ha ya na ka. Tu mere sath ghar chal rahi hai, and it’s final!” (Learn to trust me, Tara. I’m not giving you an option-yes or no. You are coming home with me, and that’s final!)
Before Tara could protest, he stood up, grabbed her purse, picked up her phone, and marched towards her. Without warning, he grabbed her wrist and started dragging her out of the office.
“Adi! Haath toh chhod mera!” (Adi! Let go of my hand!) Tara yelped, stumbling after him.
“Nahi! Agar haath chhoda toh tu phir kisi X-ray machine ke piche chhup jayegi!” (No! If I let go, you’ll hide behind some X-ray machine again!) Aditya said, tightening his grip.
“Main X-ray machine ke piche kyun chhupungi, bewakoof?!” (Why would I hide behind an X-ray machine, you idiot?!) Tara snapped, trying to yank her hand free.
Aditya looked over his shoulder, grinning like an idiot.
“Aree, pichli baar jab tujhe zabardasti ghar le jaane aaya tha, tab tu MRI room ke andar ghus gayi thi!” (Oh, last time when I came to take you home by force, you hid inside the MRI room!)
“Mujhe pura hospital dhoondna pada tha!” (I had to search the entire hospital for you!)
Tara clenched her jaw.
“Ek baar ki baat kitni baar yaad dilaega?!” (How many times will you remind me of one incident?!)
“Jab tak tu sudhar nahi jaati!” (Until you learn your lesson!) he shot back.
As they marched down the hallway, hospital staff and interns couldn’t help but watch the scene unfold. A few exchanged amused glances, some even whispering to each other.
“They fight like an old married couple,” one nurse chuckled to her colleague.
Aditya, who had the ears of a hawk when it came to gossip about him, immediately perked up. A slow, mischievous smirk crept onto his face as he turned to Tara.
“Did you hear that? They think we fight like a married couple!” he teased, wiggling his eyebrows.
“Shut up, Adi! And stop grinning like an idiot!” Tara huffed, rolling her eyes as she quickened her pace.
Aditya only laughed, easily keeping up with her. Annoying her was his favorite pastime, and he was damn good at it.
Because, at the end of the day, he knew exactly what he was doing. Every ridiculous antic, every teasing remark, every stupid thing that made her roll her eyes and yell at him-it was all deliberate.
Because when she was yelling at him, she wasn’t lost in her thoughts.
When she was annoyed at him, she wasn’t locking herself away behind those cold, impenetrable walls.
And if playing the role of her personal headache kept her from slipping back into that closed-off version of herself, then he was happy to do this for a lifetime.
*******
After a long, eventful ride filled with Aditya’s endless bickering and Tara’s exhausted sighs, they finally reached their building. Predictably, Aditya had spent the entire time finding new ways to get on her nerves, and Tara had spent hers pretending she wasn’t seconds away from strangling him.
As the elevator doors glided open on the 24th floor, Aditya let out a loud, exaggerated sigh, stretching his arms above his head as if he had just survived a life-threatening mission.
“Finally! Home, sweet home!” he declared dramatically, as if he had just returned from a battlefield instead of a hospital shift.
Tara, too drained to entertain his antics, walked ahead toward her apartment. But, of course, Aditya wasn’t done yet.
Just as she reached her door, he smacked the back of her head lightly.
“Good night, Tara baby,” he smirked, deliberately emphasizing the last word because he knew exactly how much it irritated her.
Tara froze mid-step, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath, as if summoning patience from the universe. Then, without missing a beat, she turned and smacked his arm.
“Adi, I swear! Stop calling me that!”
Aditya grinned, clearly enjoying himself. “Why? It suits you!”
“It annoys me,” she shot back, punching in the passcode to her door. “Good night, Dumbo.”
Their apartment building was one of the most luxurious in LA, standing 25 floors tall with only two spacious flats per floor. And as luck would have it, both of them occupied the 24th floor, which meant there was no escaping each other-even at home.
Just as Tara was about to step inside, Aditya’s voice rang out again.
“Aur haan! Dinner karke sona. You get stomach aches if you sleep on an empty stomach.” (Oh, and make sure you eat dinner before sleeping. You always get stomach aches when you don’t)
Tara sighed, resting her forehead against the door for a second before turning back.
“Yes, Grandpa, I’ll eat. Happy?”
“Huh! Koi kadar hi nahi meri,” (Huh! No one values me.) he scoffed dramatically, unlocking his own flat while shaking his head in fake disappointment.
Tara just shook her head with a small, exasperated smile, watching Aditya disappear into his apartment.
Despite his relentless antics, she couldn’t deny that his care had become a constant in her life-one she had unknowingly grown used to.
With a tired sigh, she pushed open the door to her flat, already thinking about collapsing onto her bed. But the moment she stepped inside, a familiar, excited voice echoed through the space-
“Maaaaa!”
Before she could react, small arms wrapped around her tightly, holding on as if she’d been gone for ages.
A genuine, radiant smile lit up her face as she hugged her baby back, all traces of exhaustion melting away in an instant.
******
Maa?? Twist is twisting🤭
Hey, lovelies! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don’t forget to hit that vote button and leave your thoughts in the comments. Till then byy see you soon ❤️
Thank you for your love and support!
Love from,
Miss Sharma ❤️
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