Array
(
[text] =>
पहली बार है जी, पहली बार है जी
इस क़दर किसी की धुन सवार है जी
जिसकी आस में हुई सुबह से दोपहर
शाम को उसी का इंतज़ार है जी
होश है ज़रा
ज़रा ज़रा खुमार है जी
छेड़ के गया
वो ऐसे दिल के तार है जी
पहली बार है जी, पहली बार है जी
इस क़दर किसी की धुन सवार है जी
जिसकी आस में हुई सुबह से दोपहर
शाम को उसी का इंतज़ार है जी 💗🌸
————————————————————————————————-
Next day…
The classroom buzzed with chatter as students waited for the teacher, the usual mix of laughter, complaints, and last-minute homework discussions filling the air.
And then there was Shagun. Head resting on her folded arms, completely knocked out.
She had entered deep sleep mode, her peaceful expression a sharp contrast to the chaos around her. Aditi had nudged her once, but upon receiving nothing more than a sleepy mumble in response, she had let her be.
Not that Aditi, Priya, or Vivaan were much better. The three of them were only half-awake themselves-Priya lazily poking at Vivaan’s arm with a pen, Aditi absentmindedly doodling in the margins of her notebook, and Vivaan slouching with his head propped on one hand, barely responding to Priya’s jabs.
Just another sluggish morning.
Until- The door swung open dramatically, slamming against the wall with a loud thud. Every head in the room snapped toward the entrance. Well, almost every head.
Shagun stirred slightly but remained blissfully asleep. Priya, Aditi, and Vivaan barely reacted, their tired brains still buffering.
But the rest of the class was fully alert. Because there she was-Charu.
The self-proclaimed queen of the class. The girl who somehow believed the world revolved around her.
She strutted inside as if she were making a grand entrance at some fashion show, her perfectly styled hair bouncing with each step, a smug smile playing on her lips.
After two whole days of unexplained absence, she had returned-clearly expecting a standing ovation.
“Sab apni jagah par baitho! Bahut shor ho raha hai!” Charu commanded as if she owned the place.
A few students rolled their eyes, while some actually obeyed, knowing how annoyingly persistent she could be.
“Vivaan, bag seedha rakho!” she scolded.
Vivaan raised an eyebrow, glancing at his casually placed bag. “Bag se kya problem hai? har cheez main tote jaisi naak ghusana hai isse?”
Charu huffed in annoyance and moved forward like a self-proclaimed queen.
Her eyes landed on Priya. “Priya, apne baal theek karo! School hai yei!”
Priya, who had been lazily twirling a strand of her hair, scowled. “Tere approval ki zaroorat nahi hai mujhe!”
Charu ignored her attitude and turned to Shagun, who was half-asleep at her desk, arms folded and head resting lazily.
“Shagun! Seedha baitho! Ye school hai, tumhara ghar nahi jahan aise pade raho!”
Shagun groaned, cracking open one eye. “tera bhi ghar nahi hai jo itna udd rhi hai tu!”
Vivaan snickered, while Priya smirked at Charu’s frustrated expression.
Charu exhaled sharply, crossing her arms. “Mujhe nahi pata tha tum sabko tameez sikhani padegi! Koi discipline naam ki cheez hai bhi ya nahi iss class me?!”
“Haan hai! Bas tujhe nahi pata chal raha!” Priya shot back, making Shagun and Vivaan chuckle.
Charu gritted her teeth, clearly irritated by their constant backtalk, but before she could say anything else, Aditi, who had been observing from her seat, finally muttered under her breath-
“Ye chirkut si kya kar rahi hai yahan? Isse bhi yahi aana tha?”
Priya and Vivaan immediately caught onto her tone and turned towards her.
“Tu isse jaanti hai?” Priya asked, raising an eyebrow.
Aditi sighed, her irritation doubling. “Haan… ye mere papa ke dost ki beti hai.”
Vivaan blinked. “Matlab tum dono ek doosre ko pehle se jaante ho?”
Aditi made a face. “Jaanti hoon…har mahine ghar m tapak jaati h ye muft ka khana thoosne!”
Priya scoffed. “Ek aur reason jisme tu aur main same hain- mujhe bhi ye bilkul pasand nahi. Pata hai, ye hamesha mere Prateek se chipakti rehti hai… aur Ansh bhaiya pe bhi!”
Aditi’s eyebrows shot up at that information.
Vivaan grinned mischievously. “Kya baat hai, Dono ladhko pe dore daal rahi h ye?”
Vivaan shook his head dramatically. “Bohot bada talent hai is Chirkut ka.”
Meanwhile, Charu, after finishing her unnecessary scolding session, turned to Aditi with a scrutinizing look. “Aditi, tum nayi ho na. Tumhe class ke rules properly nahi pata honge. Main bata deti hoon.”
Aditi raised an eyebrow, already irritated. “Main manage kar loongi, thanks.”
Charu gave a fake smile. “Main toh bas madad kar rahi hoon. Dekho, is class me discipline sabse zaroori hai. Tum jaise naye students ko adjust karne me problem ho sakti hai-“
Aditi cut her off, her patience wearing thin. “Mujhe adjust karne me koi problem nahi hai, mujhe bas unnecessary lecture nahi chahiye.”
Vivaan, sensing an argument brewing, leaned towards Priya and whispered, “Ye toh solid wala panga hone wala hai.”
Priya smirked. “Bata rahi hoon main, ye chirkut kahi na kahi se maar khayegi aaj.”
Charu narrowed her eyes. “Aditi itni rude hone ki zaroorat nahi. Tumhe naye school me acche se rehna chahiye.”
Aditi crossed her arms, her voice challenging. “Acha? Aur agar nahi rahi toh?”
Charu smirked, tilting her head. “Toh problem tumhe hi hogi.”
Aditi took a step forward. “Kaisi problem? Tum create karogi mere liye? Class se nikal dogi? Principal ko complain karogi? ya phir papa se complain karogi? Kar dena! Dekhte hain kya hota hai!”
Priya and Vivaan exchanged knowing looks, realizing things were escalating fast. But Charu wasn’t done yet. She gave Aditi a sickly sweet smile before delivering her final blow.
“Waise Aditi, tumhe na zyada attitude dikhane ki zaroorat nahi hai. Canteen waala scene bhool gayi kya?”
Aditi frowned, her patience snapping. “Kya kehna chahti ho?”
Charu sighed dramatically. “Bas itna ki ladkon se dhakka-mukki karke school ke saare boys ka attention lene ka tareeka kaafi unique hai. Matlab, itna desperate hone ki kya zaroorat thi?”
Aditi felt her blood begin to boil. “Main tumhare opinions lene nahi aayi hoon. Tum apna time wapas jaake apne lectures de kar guzaaro. Mujhe nahi chahiye tumhare baseless opinions.”
Charu smiled, an edge of arrogance in her voice as she crossed her arms. “Toh tumne uss din Abir ko canteen mein push kyun kiya tha? Kya tum ladkon ka dhyaan khinchne ke liye yeh sab karti ho?”
Aditi’s heart dropped. The words sliced through her, and the past-those cruel voices, the judgments, the whispers-came rushing back.
“What nonsense? Tum mere baare mein jaanti tak nahi ho, aur apne aap se hi faltu ke opinions bana rahi ho. Tumhe kya lagta hai,maine jaan booch k usse giraya tha uss din?” Aditi’s voice was cold, but beneath the anger, there was a vulnerability she couldn’t hide.
Charu didn’t back down, her smirk deepening. “Haan main sab jaanti hoon. Tum jaise ladkiyon ko hamesha attention chahiye hoti hai, chahe woh acchi baat ho ya buri baat ho. Tum jo kuch bhi kar rahi ho, woh sab drama ke liye hai. Tum chahti ho sab tumhe dekhein.”
Aditi felt a rush of emotions flood through her-anger, shame, frustration.
Her past echoed in her ears like a loud siren, those words she had tried to bury resurfacing once again. The sound of cruel laughter. The stares. The whispers behind her back.
Her breath hitched, her fingers twitching as her mind spiraled. The classroom fell silent, realizing Charu had crossed the line.
But before Aditi could react, Shagun, who had watched enough of this nonsense, stepped in, her tone sharp and protective.
“Charu listen. Tumhe Aditi ke personal matters me ghusne ki koi zaroorat nahi hai. Just go and mind your own business.”
Charu glanced over at Shagun, rolling her eyes. “Ohh, toh ab apne dosto ko bhi tumne apne jaisa bana rakha hai? Full-on attitude?”
Aditi clenched her fists. “Tu-“
But before she could finish, Shagun cut in again, her voice dead serious.
“Bas, Charu!” Shagun’s eyes darkened as she took a step forward, standing protectively in front of Aditi. “Tujhe pata bhi hai kis baare mein baat kar rahi hai? ham kuch bol nhi rahe iska matlab ye nhi ki ham kuch bol nhi skte”
Charu blinked, caught off guard for the first time.
“Mujhe toh lagta hai tujhe bhi bas attention chahiye, Isiliye na har jagah jaake unnecessary comments deti rehti hai?” Priya snapped, her patience gone.
“Aur jo bhi ho, tujhe Aditi ke baare mein baat karne ka koi haq nahi hai!” Vivaan added, his tone unusually serious.
Charu flushed, her confidence wavering.
Aditi’s fingers trembled, her breath still uneven. But when she saw Shagun, Priya, and Vivaan standing in front of her, shielding her, a different kind of emotion filled her chest-something warm and familiar.
Charu stiffened, looking between them. It was clear-no one in this class was on her side anymore.
And Aditi? She wasn’t the same girl who would stay silent and take it anymore. She stepped forward, her voice low but firm.
“Yahan jo kuch bhi ho raha hai, Charu, woh mere aur mere doston ke beech hai. Tumhe jo bhi kehna hai, apne paas rakho. Kyunki mujhe tumhare opinion ki zaroorat nahi hai.”
Charu swallowed, her face turning slightly red. She knew she had lost Before Charu could say another word, the door banged open.
The air in the room shifted as Prateek, Ansh, and Ruhaan strode in, their presence immediately demanding attention.
Aditi barely had time to react before she felt a familiar protective gaze land on her Prateek’s. His eyes darted over her tense posture, and in that instant, his expression hardened.
His gaze flickered to Charu, cold and assessing.
“Yahan kya ho raha hai?” Prateek’s voice was low, but the undeniable authority in his tone sent a ripple of tension through the room.
Charu straightened immediately, her usual smugness replaced by a mask of innocence. She saw an opportunity.
Plastering a sweet, almost apologetic look on her face, she turned to Prateek with fake concern.
“Oh, Prateek! Tum yahan?” she started, her voice dripping with false sincerity. “Main bas Aditi ko samjha rahi thi ki naye school mein usse thoda tameez se rehna chahiye. Yeh toh bina baat gussa ho rahi hai.”
She even sighed dramatically, making it look like she had just been trying to help Aditi. But Prateek didn’t even spare her a glance.
His eyes were fixed on Aditi, reading every emotion on her face. The slight tremble of her fingers, the way her shoulders were squared but stiff, the guarded expression she wore.
His jaw tightened.
“Aditi tu theek hai?” His voice was softer, but the sharp edge underneath it made it clear he wasn’t going to let this slide.
Aditi met his gaze, her chest still heavy from Charu’s words. But before she could say anything, Ansh moved.
He had been quietly observing, his face calm, unreadable. But his eyes? Cold. Freezing cold.
“Charu, enough.”
The gentle authority in his tone sent a shiver through the room. Charu’s smile faltered as she turned to Ansh, immediately switching tactics.
“Ansh! Tum bhi mujhe galat samajh rahe ho?” She gave a small, fake laugh, shaking her head. “Main toh bas…”
“Maine kaha bas karo.” Ansh’s voice hardened, and just like that, whatever little confidence Charu had left shattered. “Tumne jo kehna tha keh diya. Now leave.”
Her mouth opened and closed, searching for a way to salvage the situation. But then Ruhaan sighed loudly, shaking his head as if he was done with the drama.
“jitna bol chuki ho, utna kaafi hai. Agar aur bola, toh problem tumhare liye hogi.” His tone turned almost bored, but the warning was very real. “Ab niklo yahan se.”
Charu stiffened, her fingers clenching at her sides. But she wasn’t ready to back down just yet. With a forced, overly sweet smile, she flipped her hair, trying to act nonchalant.
“Thik hai, main ja rahi hoon.” She let out a fake chuckle, glancing at Prateek again, hoping for some sympathy.
“Bas yeh kehna tha ki main toh sirf Aditi ki madad kar rahi thi, taaki future me phir se koi problem na ho.”
She turned slightly, making it look like she had done nothing wrong. Like she had been completely innocent in this entire situation.
And for a second, it might have worked.
But then
“Teri madad se better hai koi mujhe ek thappad laga de.” Vivaan said. The entire room froze as everyone turned to look at him.
He was leaning against a desk, arms crossed, eyebrows raised in mock amusement.
“Tujhe kya laga? Hum itne bewakoof hain ki tujhe saccha maanne wale hain?” He let out a short laugh, shaking his head.
Charu flushed. “Vivaan, tum “
But before she could finish, Shagun stepped in. Her expression was calm, but her voice was lethal.
“Tujhe kya laga Charu? Ki hum andhe hain? Sun nahi rahe the jo tu keh rahi thi?”
Charu opened her mouth, but Shagun tilted her head, her eyes flashing. “Tu literally Aditi pe useless se accussion laga rahi thi.”
Priya, who had been quietly fuming, stepped forward, arms crossed. “Aur ab yahan innocent banni phir rahi hai.”
Vivaan clicked his tongue. “Waise tujhe acting ka course join karna chahiye? itni ghatiya acting hai teri.”
Ruhaan snorted. “Sacchi. Even kisi ke expressions tak nahi badle tere natak pe.”
Charu’s face burned with embarrassment. She whipped around, her voice coming out shaky but defensive. “Main bas…”
“Nikal yahan se.” Vivaan’s voice cut through the air.
Charu’s lips pressed into a thin line, her eyes flashing with frustration. She turned, but not before throwing one last, desperate glance at Prateek and Ansh.
He still wasn’t looking at her. That was the final blow. With a huff, she stormed out, her face burning with humiliation.
The classroom was silent. Too silent. The tension hung thick, suffocating, like a storm waiting to break.
Prateek, still reeling from everything that had just unfolded, took a careful step toward Aditi. His sister. His little sister, who had always been strong, always put up walls so high that even he had trouble reaching her.
And right now?
She looked like she was crumbling. His hand lifted on its own, an instinctive need to comfort her, to remind her that she wasn’t alone.
With full concern, he gently patted her head. The reaction was instant.
Aditi flinched. Not just flinched, she stumbled back a little, like the touch had burned her. Like the air itself had turned against her.
Prateek’s hand froze mid-air. His heart dropped.
Aditi’s eyes were shimmering, not with anger, not with defiance but with something far more fragile. As if she was fighting a battle within herself, one she was terrified of losing.
She wouldn’t cry. She refused to cry. But the walls her carefully built, meticulously guarded walls were cracking.
And then, the classroom started closing in. Aditi felt it.
The suffocation. The pressure. The weight of too many eyes, too many emotions, too many ghosts of the past. Her breath quickened. Somewhere, deep in her mind, the past and present blurred into one.
Her nails dug into her palms. Her chest tightened. The voices wouldn’t stop.
“I—” Her voice was barely a whisper, the weight of the moment choking her. And then she broke. She turned on her heels and rushed out of the classroom.
A breathless escape. A silence followed. For a moment, no one moved.
Then, like a spark igniting a wildfire, Priya moved. “Aditi!”
Instinct had already taken over she was ready to run after her, to find her, to be there. But before she could even take a step, A hand gripped her wrist. Prateek.
“Mat jao Priya. Abhi nahi.” His voice wasn’t harsh. It wasn’t cold.
It was firm but soft in a way that made Priya’s chest ache. A brother’s concern. A brother’s helplessness.
Priya turned, her eyes flashing with frustration, worry helplessness of her own. “Par…”
Prateek shook his head. His jaw was tight, his hold on her wrist loosening, but his resolve? Unshaken.
“Aditi ko space chahiye.” His voice was quieter now, lower, as if saying the words out loud made them even harder to accept. “Agar tum abhi gayi, toh uski condition aur kharab ho sakti hai.”
Priya hated this. Hated just standing here while Aditi was out there, breaking apart alone.
“But she ” Her voice cracked before she could stop it.
“I know, Priya.” This time, it was Shagun. Her voice wasn’t as steady as usual, but it carried understanding.
“Mujhe bhi jaana hai uske paas,” she admitted, her own fists clenched at her sides. “Lekin abhi nahi. Agar hum uspe pressurize karenge, toh woh aur zyada panic karegi.”
Priya’s nails dug into her palm. She knew they were right. She knew. But it didn’t make it any easier. It didn’t stop the fear that clawed at her chest.
Ruhaan, who had been silent until now, let out a slow breath. His face was serious, his usual playful energy dimmed.
“We don’t let her go too far though.” His voice was low but sure. “If she doesn’t come back soon, we find her. No matter what.”
Prateek nodded, but his eyes stayed locked on the door on the space where his sister had just disappeared.
Ansh stood frozen, his body tense, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned bone-white. His breathing was controlled too controlled like he was deliberately keeping himself in check. But inside? Inside, a storm raged.
The way Aditi had rushed out, the way her voice had trembled not enough for most to notice, but enough for him, it gnawed at him. The image of her flinching when Prateek had merely patted her head kept replaying in his mind. That wasn’t just discomfort. It was something else, something deeper.
His instincts screamed at him to go after her. To make sure she was okay. To tell her she wasn’t alone. But he didn’t move. He forced himself to stay put, even though every fiber of his being rebelled against it.
His nails dug into his palms, the sting grounding him in the moment. Why? Why had she reacted like that? Why had her body language shifted from firm defiance to a barely-contained retreat the moment Charu’s words had hit her? This wasn’t just frustration or anger. This was something buried something she had been fighting to keep hidden.
Ansh was good at reading people. It was an unspoken part of his role as Head Boy to notice when someone was struggling, to step in before things escalated. But Aditi? She was a puzzle he wasn’t sure he wanted to solve, because something about it scared him.
His jaw tightened as he pushed away the uneasy feeling settling in his chest. He wasn’t the type to pry. He wasn’t the type to meddle. But he was the type to protect. And right now, Aditi felt like someone who needed protection even if she’d never ask for it.
His fingers twitched with the urge to follow her, to find her, to just be there. But he forced himself to stay put, even when it felt wrong.
For now. But not for long.
Ruhaan, standing beside him, noticed. His sharp eyes flickered between Ansh’s clenched fists and the tension coiling in his shoulders. Ansh wasn’t saying anything, but Ruhaan had known him long enough to recognize the storm brewing beneath his calm exterior.
—————————————————————–
Later that day, the weight of the earlier confrontation still lingered in Aditi’s chest like a dull, persistent ache. Even as the golden hue of the setting sun bathed the school grounds in warmth, something inside her remained untouched by it. The laughter of students around her felt like background noise distant, hollow.
Vivaan had spent the last hour being his most chaotic self mimicking teachers with wild expressions, doing an overly dramatic runway walk with his bag swinging like a cape, even staging a mock breakup with a school bench. Shagun had given up her favorite candies, while Priya stayed glued to Aditi’s side, cracking jokes and poking her every few minutes with hopeful smiles.
And Aditi? She had smiled. She had laughed once or twice, politely.
But there was something off in the way her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes, how she kept fidgeting with the hem of her sleeve, her gaze drifting to nowhere in particular. Every “I’m fine” she offered was dipped in softness, but wrapped in steel unconvincing, yet firm enough to not be questioned.
“Main sach mein theek hoon,” she had murmured, brushing off their efforts with a half-laugh, her tone light but distant.
But her friends saw through it.They heard the silence beneath her words.Felt the hesitation in her movements.And still, they didn’t push.
They stayed close, not demanding her to feel better, just reminding her wordlessly that she didn’t have to walk through the pain alone.
Even in the quiet, even with the ache still heavy in her chest, Aditi knew… she was loved.
The group had moved down to the school playground.
Aditi walked slowly, still subdued, flanked by Priya and Shagun on either side like a silent protective barrier. Vivaan walked backward in front of them, gesturing wildly with a leaf in one hand like it was a microphone.
“Ladies and gentleladkiyo! Welcome to the grand finale of today’s emotionally-charged episode of ‘Sadness ka Silsila’!”
He paused dramatically, spinning like a weather reporter caught in a storm. “But worry not! Emotional Support Chuha is back with his deluxe recovery package”
Shagun rolled her eyes but smiled. Priya chuckled softly. Aditi… gave a small, breathy laugh. Barely a second. But it was there. And it was real.
Vivaan noticed. He froze. Then put a hand to his chest like she’d just shot him.
“Tune has diya.dekha maine bola tha” He staggered back a few steps, flopping onto the grass like a Shakespearean hero.
Aditi sniffled, wiping her eyes with her sleeve, trying to mask the laughter she couldn’t hold back anymore.
Vivaan peeked from the grass and grinned. “Waapas aa gayi na tu thodi si?” He didn’t wait for an answer just patted the spot beside him.
Priya dragged Aditi down with her onto the grass, and Shagun joined them, stretching her legs out. They all sat in a little circle, surrounded by fading golden sunlight, worn-out emotions, and a quiet kind of peace.
Shagun followed next, holding a container of Aditi’s favorite chocolate muffins, still warm because she had literally run to the school canteen and begged the bhaiya to heat them up.
“Dekh, maine emotional damage ke liye bribe arrange kiya hai,” she said, setting the box between them with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Ek muffin toh banata hi hai.”
Aditi’s eyes flickered down.
Vivaan spoke again gentler now.”Tujhe pata hai na, tu kisi ki wajah se ‘kam’ nahi hai? Na uss chirkut ki, na kisi aur ki. Tere jaisa koi nahi hai. Aur jo tu feel kar rahi hai na,usme tu akeli nahi nahi hai!”
Aditi finally turned, her gaze meeting theirs Priya’s wet eyes, Shagun’s trembling lip, and Vivaan’s goofy grin that didn’t quite mask the ache in his chest.
“Main theek hoon,” she whispered, but her voice cracked on the last word.
“Tu theek ho jayegi,” Priya whispered back, pulling her into a side hug, resting her head on Aditi’s shoulder.
Shagun held out the muffin like it was some sacred ritual. “Tera share hamesha bacha ke rakha hai. Even jab tu irritate karti hai.”
And Vivaan, ever the chaos king, added, “Aur waise bhi, agar koi tujhe kuch kahega na, toh pehle usse mujhse nipatna padega. Main hoon na Tera full-time bodyguard. Part-time stand-up comic. Aur emergency-time… emotional support chuha.”
A weak laugh escaped Aditi’s lips a fragile sound, but it carried the weight of something beginning to heal.
No one brought up what had happened in the classroom. No one asked questions. No one probed the silence she had wrapped around herself like armor.
They didn’t need to.
They were just there sitting beside her, holding space for her pain without demanding it be explained. No grand speeches. No pressure to smile wider or speak sooner. Just quiet presence.
And in that stillness, Aditi found something rare comfort without condition, love without requirement.
Ansh stood quietly near the edge of the playground, one foot propped on the bench, pretending to tie his shoelace a meaningless act just to justify his stillness. But his eyes… they never left Aditi.
From a distance, she looked so small delicate even. Curled ever so slightly, her frame leaning against priya’s shoulder now, as Vivaan animatedly narrated something with his usual over-the-top gestures.
And then.That laugh. Soft. Faint. But real. It escaped her lips like a fragile piece of sunshine breaking through clouds.
And for the briefest moment, he saw them those tiny dimples that appeared on her cheeks whenever a genuine smile managed to slip past her defenses. It hit him harder than he expected. Those dimples… God, he hadn’t realized how badly he’d missed seeing them.
The sound of her laughter floated on the breeze and wrapped around Ansh like a thread tugging at his ribs, unravelling something deep in his chest. His heart clenched not in pain, but in something deeper. Something unnamed, yet painfully familiar.
He looked away for a moment, shutting his eyes, jaw tight. He didn’t know when she started meaning this much. Didn’t know why her pain had started to echo inside him.
He just knew… he couldn’t stand the thought of her ever feeling alone again.
He wanted to go to her. Wanted to crouch down beside her, whisper something anything that might help her feel lighter. He wanted to be the one who made her laugh like that. The one who brought out those dimples again and again.
But he didn’t move. Because she wasn’t ready. And maybe… neither was he.
So he stood there. A silent shadow. A watchful presence she didn’t know was hers.
Just as Ansh was lost in the sight of her the soft curve of her smile, the glow of her dimples under the setting sun he felt a presence slide in beside him.
“Pyaar mein insaan apne shoe laces bhi dus minute tak baandhta hai, haaye re mohabbat,” came Ruhaan’s voice, low and teasing, the corners of his lips twitching with a smirk.
Ansh didn’t flinch. “Main pyaar vyaar mein nahi padta,” he said flatly, eyes still on Aditi.
Ruhaan placed a hand over his heart, mock-offended. “Kya baat kar raha hai! Tere jaisa highly disciplined, rulebook-wala, emotion-control-mein-PhD banda… aur pyaar mein nahi padhta aur sath me hi itne pyaar se Aditi ko bhi dekh bhi raha hai? Wahh aaj Kal suraj west se nikal raha kya?”
“I’m serious,” Ansh said, jaw tightening. “Main bas… dekh raha tha. That’s it.”
Ruhaan let out an exaggerated sigh. “Dekh raha tha? tu poora episode chala raha tha idhar. Har angle se, full slow-motion mein. Background mein Arijit Singh ki kami thi bas.”
In perfect, slightly off-key melodrama, Ruhaan burst out into song, hand on chest, eyes turned to the sky
“Pehli nazar mein kaisa jaadoo kar diya…”
“Aditi ka ban baitha hai dil Ansh ka…”
He swayed dramatically, earning a tired groan from Ansh. “Tu gaana bandh karega ya main joota nikalun?”
Ruhaan laughed, bumping his shoulder against Ansh’s. “Tu bhale hi kuch na bole par teri ankhein sab kuch bol deti hai.”
“I’m not in love with her,” Ansh said sharply.
Ruhaan tilted his head, amused but not buying it. “Achha? Toh phir tu uski har smile count kyu karta hai? Har baat pe alert mode mein kyu chala jaata hai?”
Ansh opened his mouth to retort but didn’t. Because how could he explain that it wasn’t love… but something deeper?
Ruhaan followed his gaze in silence for a moment.
He saw Aditi laughing again more freely now those cute dimples flashing just for a second before she leaned into Priya’s shoulder.
Then, softly, Ruhaan said, “she’s different nahi…Has rahi hai, par aankhon mein kuch aur hi likha hai.”
Ansh exhaled slowly, the admission tasting like iron on his tongue. He had noticed it too.
The way her smile never quite reached her eyes… the way she flinched when someone touched her shoulder too suddenly… the weight in her gaze when she thought no one was looking.
Ruhaan’s voice dropped lower, serious now. “Usne kya dekha hoga Ansh? kyu aise sehem jaati hai ye?”
Ansh didn’t answer. He couldn’t. Because whatever it was… it wasn’t just pain. It was a scar. One so deep, even her laughter couldn’t fully hide it.
And still, there she was. Smiling. Surrounded by her people, with the breeze catching in her hair and her dimples showing again, like little sunbursts.
Ansh looked at her, every inch of his being aching to reach out. But he stayed back.
Ruhaan glanced sideways again, the teasing returning with a softer edge. “anyways koi na uska hero to ban hi jayega tu”
Ansh’s lips curved, barely. “Main uska hero nahi banna chahta.”
Ruhaan raised an eyebrow. “Toh kya banna chahta hai?”
Ansh’s voice came out low, like a truth slipping past his walls.”I just want her to never feel alone.”
The silence that followed?It wasn’t teasing anymore. It was weighty. Raw.
Ruhaan looked away for a second, then back at him, grinning again. “Toh tu gaya bhai.”
Ansh frowned. “Kya?”
Ruhaan dramatically placed a hand over his heart and sang again:
🎶 “Kya mujhe pyaar hai… yaa ho… kya mujhe pyaar hai…” 🎶
“Ansh bhai, tu toh kabka gaya hai,” he declared, wiping a fake tear.
Ansh gave him a shove. “Bas kar.” But he was smiling now.
And Ruhaan? He could see the storm beneath that calm. The one Ansh was too proud to admit… and too soft to ignore.
Ruhaan stayed quiet for a beat after Ansh’s words.
It wasn’t often that his best friend let emotions slip like that. But today… there was something different in the air. Something raw, something vulnerable. And it made Ruhaan’s usually mischievous smirk fade into a thoughtful stillness.
But true to his chaotic nature, that stillness didn’t last long.
Within seconds, he turned to Ansh with a dramatic sigh, running a hand through his hair as if he were in a Bollywood movie.
“Waise,” he began, voice dropping into that fake-innocent tone he always used when about to say something not innocent, “jab tu uske dimples mein doob ke poetry likh raha tha na… main ek aur mushkil mein tha.”
Ansh shot him a side-glare, unamused. “Ruhaan…”
Ruhaan ignored him, continuing with exaggerated grief, “Mujhe sirf ek cheez chahiye Ansh. Ek solution. Ek miracle. Ek strategy.”
Ansh blinked. “What?”
Ruhaan leaned closer, dead serious now. “Shagun.”
Ansh blinked again. “What?”
Ruhaan groaned. “Shagun yaar! Kya karu main? Har flirt ka jawab sarcasm se deti hai. Main smile karta hoon, woh aankhein ghumati hai. Main poem sunata hoon, toh kehti hai ‘tumko medical help chahiye.’ Bro, she rejects me faster than my internet rejects login OTPs!”
Ansh snorted, trying and failing not to laugh.
Ruhaan looked personally attacked. “Tu hans kyun raha hai? This is real pain okay?”
Ansh chuckled, arms crossed now. “Shagun is smart. Tu usse ‘Tumhare baalon mein chaand dikh raha hai’ type dialogues maarna band kar.”
Ruhaan groaned dramatically. “Toh kya karu? Direct bol du ki mujhe uska gussa cute lagta hai?”
Ansh gave him a look. “Please mat bolna. Usne chappal se muh tod diya toh mat kehna warning nahi di thi.”
Ruhaan sighed heavily, dramatically flopping onto the bench beside Ansh. “Tu toh help bhi nahi karta. Best friend hai ya heartbreak manager?”
Ansh shook his head, still smiling faintly. “Try being real with her Ruhaan. She’s not impressed by show-off. She notices the things you think she doesn’t.”
Ruhaan paused. And for a second just a second he looked genuinely thoughtful.
“Hmm… real Ruhaan,” he murmured.
Ruhaan gasped like he’d been betrayed, then turned toward the stairs exit, placing a dramatic hand over his heart. “Main jaa raha hoon.”
Ansh was still smiling faintly as he watched Ruhaan exit with his usual over-the-top drama, hand on heart like some tragic hero from a 90s film.
But just before Ruhaan could disappear completely, Ansh called out—soft, but enough to make Ruhaan halt mid-step.
“Ruhaan…”
Ruhaan turned, raising an eyebrow. “Hmm? Aur koi gyaan baaki hai?”
Ansh didn’t smirk this time. Instead, his eyes were focused, a little distant. “Shagun…”
Ruhaan blinked. “What about her?”
Ansh hesitated, folding his arms across his chest. Then, finally, he said it. “Do you ever feel like… we’ve seen her before? Somewhere else? Like… she’s someone we already know but don’t fully remember?”
Ruhaan frowned, walking back toward him. “Matlab?”
Ansh shook his head, a little frustrated. “I don’t know. It’s a gut feeling. Every time I see her, there’s this weird pull in my brain like a puzzle piece almost clicking into place, but not quite. Jaise… jaise maine usse pehle bhi dekha hai. I don’t know.”
Ruhaan stared at him for a beat, the usual mischief in his expression fading into curiosity. “You serious right now?”
Ansh nodded slowly. “Yeah. I didn’t say anything before because I thought I was overthinking. But today, when she smiled at Priya just now… it hit again. Déjà vu, but more… familiar. I can’t explain it.”
Ruhaan sat down beside him again, all dramatic flair forgotten. “Yeh thoda creepy hai… but now that you say it I’ve had moments too. Like I know that tone of hers. That glare. That ‘shut-up-Ruhaan’ energy. It’s weirdly specific.”
Ansh looked at him. “So, it’s not just me?”
Ruhaan shook his head slowly. “Nope. But dude, if she really is someone we knew before… kyun nahi yaad aa raha? School se toh nahi… na?”
Ansh leaned back slightly, trying to replay memories that didn’t quite exist in full. “Maybe not from school. Maybe through someone.Something random.”
Ansh didn’t smile this time. He was still thinking. “Something’s off, Ruhaan. I don’t know what it is… but I feel like it matters.”
Ruhaan gave him a look half serious, half spooked. “Okay. Ab tu bol raha hai, toh main ignore nahi kar sakta. Kal se Shagun pe nazar rakhte hain. Jasoosi mode on.”
Ansh finally looked at him. “Bas tu over-acting mat karna. Warna Shagun pehle hi samajh jayegi ke kuch toh gadbad hai.”
Ruhaan grinned, finger pointed toward him. “Challenge accepted. And if we’re lucky… maybe we’ll unlock some secret past life drama too. Who knows? Rebirth wala twist bhi ho sakta hai.”
Ansh shook his head, laughing under his breath.
************************************
That’s all for this chapter! ✨
pleaaaase VOTE. COMMENT. SCREAM.
Love you all, my cute little bulbulo🫧
Chaotic hugs incoming… brace yourselves! 🫂
[text_hash] => 768f8711
)