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सुन मेरे हमसफ़र
क्या तुझे इतनी सी भी खबर
सुन मेरे हमसफ़र
क्या तुझे इतनी सी भी खबर
की तेरी साँसे चलती जिधर
रहूँगा बस वही उम्र भर
रहूँगा बस वही उम्र भर हाय
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उनसे भी प्यारी तेरी बातें हैं
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The clink of cutlery against ceramic echoed too crisply in the pristine dining room, where everything was polished, proper… and cold.
Shagun sat at the far end of the long glass table, like a guest in a home that used to belong to her. Her plate sat mostly untouched a few bites of daal, the roti folded over, limp like her mood. Her father,Suresh, had returned from Dubai just the day before, his presence still unfamiliar in the house that now revolved around Shreya, his second wife.
Shreya sat poised, immaculate as ever, with her signature fake-sweet smile and a glass of sparkling water she barely sipped. Beside her, 15 years old Suhani chattered between bites, her excitement bubbling over like cola shaken too hard.
(yess shagun’s stepsister suhani is 15 years old because shreya was a single mother pehle hi bata deti hu vrna aap log confusiya jaoge….hehe)
“And then, Papa, we can go to that Harry Potter studio tour also, right? You said London, toh please naaa…”
“Of course, princess,” suresh said indulgently, smiling at Suhani. “We’ll book it first thing tomorrow.”
“Actually,” Shreya added smoothly, “I was thinking we extend the trip to Paris too. Maybe a week more? Just the three of us. Suhani’s been such a good girl this term she deserves it.”
Her tone was sweet, but the words were daggers dipped in honey, aimed precisely. Shagun blinked once. Twice. Then looked down at her roti again.
Suresh nodded thoughtfully. “That sounds good. We’ll plan it.”
Then too casually, almost like an afterthought he turned to Shagun. “Shagun… you’d want to come?” There it was. A question that sounded like an offer, but wasn’t really one.
Shagun looked up slowly. She met his eyes those eyes that used to know her birthday without reminders, that once sat with her for every school project, that had grown more distant each year like she was a fading photograph in his wallet.
She opened her mouth. Paused. Then swallowed and looked at him without any emotions.
“Actually, Papa… I was planning to go on a trip with some friends and their parents. Local hi hai, but… it’ll be fun.”
For a flicker of a second, something unreadable passed over her father’s face. Not surprise. Not disappointment. Just… a neutral nod.
“Hmm. Theek hai. If that’s what you want.”
And that was it. No questions. No kis ke saath jaa rahi ho, no safe hai na, no main dekh leta hoon itinerary. Just… permission like it was a leave form he’d signed without looking.
Shreya didn’t even look up. Suhani had already moved on to her next fantasy the Eiffel Tower at night. The room buzzed with travel talk hotel bookings, weather, photo-ops as if Shagun’s sentence had evaporated in the air.
She sat still, her food untouched. Something ached in her chest quiet, dull, but deep. It wasn’t jealousy. It wasn’t anger. It was worse. It was the feeling of not being missed before even leaving. Like if she vanished tomorrow, the house would not echo. No one would check her room. No one would notice the silence.
She looked down, blinking fast. “Mujhe permission to mil gayi,” she thought bitterly. “Par kisi ko farq hi nahi padta.”
She wanted to scream. Instead, she reached for the jug and poured herself water with hands that didn’t shake not anymore. Not after years of this. But her heart whispered what her mouth didn’t.
“You didn’t ask because you cared. You asked so it wouldn’t look bad.”
And as the dinner continued like she wasn’t there, Shagun quietly folded the roti on her plate one last time and took a bit just to feel something.
————————————
The swings creaked lazily in the late evening breeze, and the streetlights cast golden puddles of light on the cemented paths. The jungle gym stood empty. The roundabout spun slowly, pushed by nothing but the wind like ghosts of old laughter still circling it.
Shagun sat on the edge of the slide, arms wrapped around her knees, trying too hard to keep it together. Her eyes were dry. Too dry. Like she’d made some silent pact with herself not here, not now, not again. She had walked out after dinner, saying she needed air. No one had asked where she was going. They never did.
The night air wrapped around her like a damp blanket, not cold, but heavy pressing on her chest in all the places no one could see. She blinked hard. Once. Twice. But the tears still hovered, held back by sheer willpower and a trembling jaw. Then the familiar crunch of gravel. Footsteps. She didn’t even need to look up.
“Tum yahan bhi mil gayi,” Ruhaan’s voice cut through the quiet, light and teasing. He approached with two plastic cups of soda in hand. “Lagta hai tum mujhe stalk kar rahi ho, miss Shagun .”
Shagun gave a weak chuckle. “Tum hi mere peeche aa jaate ho har jagah. Main toh bas hawa khane nikli thi.”
Ruhaan dramatically collapsed onto the nearby bench. “Pehle bataya hota… main chips bhi le aata. Tumhare mood ke liye lays ka Magic Masala best hota.”
She didn’t reply. Just stared at the rusting see-saw and her own untied shoelaces. After a long pause, Ruhaan leaned toward her slightly, voice softer now. “You okay?”
She nodded stiffly. “Haan. I’m fine.”
“Lies.” He wasn’t smiling this time.
She opened her mouth, ready with the usual I said I’m fine, but the lump in her throat betrayed her before words could. And just then his phone buzzed.
“Maa❤️”
He answered with a casual sigh.
“Hello… haan Maa, bas aa raha hoon. Raste mein hoon. Ek dost mil gaya tha, baat kar raha tha thoda.”
From the other end, Riya, his mother’s worried voice was faint but audible.
“Time dekha hai? Jaldi ghar aa beta, der ho rahi hai.”
“Theek hai, aa raha hoon. Bye.”
He cut the call and grinned sheepishly. “Mummy bhi na… ghar se nikalte hi call kar deti hain.”
Then, a little softer, almost with pride “Ladla beta hoon na unka… toh tension bhi zyada hoti hai unhe.”
Shagun’s smile faded. She looked ahead, voice dropping.”Aunty jab bhi call karein… utha liya karo.”
Ruhaan turned to her, puzzled. “Kya matlab?”
“Kya pata… jab tum kisi ke call ka intezaar karo… aur woh kabhi aaye hi na.”
Her voice cracked slightly at the end, and Ruhaan’s teasing expression dimmed.
“Shagun…” She shook her head. “Kuch nahi… bas mamma ka pyaar har kisi ke naseeb mein nahi hota. Tumhare paas hai, so… hold on to it.”
Ruhaan tried to lighten the moment again, a weak attempt.”Tum to aise bol rahi ho jaise aunty ne tumhe bohot maara ho.”
Shagun looked at him, and for the first time something old and heavy in her eyes.
“Maarti bhi… toh bhi main khushi se jeeti.”
That stilled him. Confused. Curious. Concerned.
He asked softly, almost afraid to
“Matlab?”
She looked away.
“Mamma aur main…had an accident. Jab main paanch saal ki thi. I made it. She didn’t.”
Ruhaan’s breath caught in his throat. “Shagun… I’m…I didn’t mean-“
But she cut him off gently.
“It’s okay. Jab chhoti thi, meri maasi kehti thi Maa bhagwan se milne gayi hai. Jaldi wapas aayegi. Lekin kisi ne yeh nahi bataya tha ki woh sirf sapno mein aayegi.”
Her voice faltered. But her smile stayed sad, fragile, and brave.
Ruhaan sat in stunned silence.
Then, wordlessly, he opened his phone again, went to his contacts, and tapped “Maa ❤️.”
Shagun frowned. “Ab kya kar rahe ho?”
He turned to her, serious for once.
“Woh sirf meri mammy nahi hai. Jab chaaho, baat kar sakti ho. Main sach keh raha hoon. She’s yours too now.”
Shagun stiffened. “Ruhaan…”
“Shhh… sasu maa hain tumhari,” he added playfully, winking. “Kya pata future mein kaam aa jaaye.”
She stared, blinking.
“K-kya?”
He smiled, placing the phone in her hand.
“Talk to her. Jo kehna ho, keh do. She knows about you.vaise bhi baate karna unhe boht pasand hai”
The call connected.
“Hello?” came the warm voice from the other end. Shagun froze.
Then slowly, as if her bones were made of glass, she lifted the phone to her ear.
“A-aunty… main Shagun hoon…”
Ruhaan watched her closely the way her throat moved as she swallowed. How her fingers trembled.
His mother’s voice turned gentle, full of concern and casual affection. Asking if she’d eaten, if school was okay, if Ruhaan was behaving.
Shagun spoke softly. Just small answers. Half sentences.
But it was enough.
Because that voice that mother’s voice didn’t ask anything of her. Didn’t judge. Didn’t ignore.
It cared. And when the call ended, and the phone went dark again Shagun just sat there.
Still. Like something had quietly broken inside her. Her lips parted, and she turned to Ruhaan, eyes filled to the brim.
“Thank you.”
He shrugged, offering his signature goofy grin.
“Mention not. ab future main tumhe apni Mrs. banunga to achha thodi lagta h apni wife se thankyou sunna.”
The smile cracked something in her and the first tear fell.
Before it could reach the ground, Ruhaan caught it on his fingertip like a reflex.
He looked at it like it was sacred.
“Oyee… main yahan jaan de raha hoon isse chhoone ke liye… aur tu isse chod ke bhaag raha hai? gaddar kahi ka!.”
Shagun burst out laughing an honest, teary, hiccupy laugh.
And somehow, in that playground filled with ghosts of old memories and fresh pain…
They made a new one.
The night had wrapped itself in an inky shawl, embroidered with stars. A cool wind danced through the narrow lanes, rustling leaves and sending shivers that had nothing to do with cold. Streetlights flickered gently, casting gold puddles on the empty road. Somewhere in the distance, street dogs barked half-heartedly, as if even they were too tired for drama.
But amid this sleepy quiet, two silhouettes walked slowly side by side.
Ruhaan kept glancing sideways, stealing quick looks at Shagun, who had her hands folded across her chest, her eyes distant but not cold. Just tired. Like someone carrying too many invisible bags no one offered to help with.
He had insisted on walking her home.
Now here they were, standing outside a massive, mansion-like house. Grand pillars. Cold stone. Impressive but uninviting. Like it belonged to someone who cared more about appearances than people.
Shagun slowed to a stop.
“Yeh tumhara ghar hai kya?” Ruhaan asked softly, his voice dipped in hesitation.
She nodded slightly. “Hmm.”
There was a pause heavy, awkward, unsure. Then she turned to him with a small, almost apologetic smile.
“Okay then… bye.”She was just about to turn when…
“Wait,” Ruhaan said quickly, pulling something from his pocket.
He handed her a small, neatly folded chit.Shagun took it with a curious look and opened it slowly.
It was a number.His mother’s number.Her throat tightened.
She stared at the digits simple, ordinary ink on paper but it felt like someone had handed her a lifeline. Her vision blurred slightly as tears pricked the corners of her eyes. She looked up at him, a thousand unsaid things swimming in her gaze.
Ruhaan, clearly flustered, scratched the back of his neck. “Chalo… thank you baad mein bol dena. Mujhe sharam aa rahi hai.”
He said it with the bashfulness of a newly-wed bride, trying to break the tension with a weak joke.
And then…Without thinking.Without preparing.Without warning.
She stepped forward… and hugged him.Hard. Not the kind of hug people give to say hello or goodbye.
This one was different.Raw. Unfiltered. Unplanned.
Her arms went around his neck like she’d finally found a place to collapse. Her fingers clenched the back of his t-shirt holding on like he was the last thing keeping her afloat.
Her head pressed against his shoulder, her face buried in the curve of his neck. And then she exhaled. A breath she’d been holding in for years.
Her body trembled.Not from the wind. But from the quiet sobs that escaped her the kind that don’t come from the eyes but from the heart. Sobs that came after too many nights of silence, too many days of pretending.
Ruhaan froze. Completely.
His eyes widened, like his brain had just blue-screened. His breath caught in his chest. He didn’t even blink. Her head was buried in the crook of his neck, her hands wrapped tightly around his shoulders.
Her body shook. Not in fear. Not from the cold.
But with the kind of quiet sobs that only come after days… weeks… maybe years of pretending. The ones that don’t make sound just take everything out of you in silence.
And then softly, like a cracked whisper through the storm:
“Thank you.”
Ruhaan’s world was still in absolute freeze mode.
His arms hovered awkwardly in the air not quite hugging her back, not quite pulling away. His hands weren’t sure if they were allowed to move. His heart was thundering so hard it felt like his chest might actually give out.
And then…
Shagun pulled away. Suddenly. Sharply. Like she’d just woken up from a trance and realized where she was.
Her eyes darted away. Her hands fumbled. She took a step back like she’d touched something forbidden.
“Umm… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to-” she began, mortified, words tumbling out as fast as she could grab them.
But Ruhaan still frozen, still stunned and interrupted, his voice small but stunned”Did… did you just hug me?”
Shagun’s eyes widened. “No! I mean… yes. But it was a friendly one! Don’t get any weird ideas, okay?”
Ruhaan blinked. Then a wide grin started spreading across his face like a child who just found out Santa was real.
“Wait wait wait…did you seriously just hug me?” he asked again, this time louder, full of disbelief and giddy joy.
“Shhh! Puri colony ko bataoge kya?” Shagun hissed, grabbing his arm in panic, glancing around.
“Okay okay,” he whispered, holding in a laugh.
“But you hugged me!” he whispered again like he’d won the freaking lottery.
“Don’t. You. Dare. Say. That. Again.” Shagun glared, finger pointed, her voice low and threatening.
“Okay fine. zip lock.” he said with a fake zipped mouth and jazz hands.
Shagun rolled her eyes and walked toward the gate.
“Okay then, bye… see you tomorrow… tata… good night… dream of me!” Ruhaan called out, still bouncing on his heels like an excited puppy.
Shagun opened the gate, waved once, and quickly locked it from inside.
Then she turned around and a small, uncontrollable smile escaped her lips. The kind that catches you by surprise.
But the warmth was short-lived.
Because as she stepped into the quiet of the marble hallway, Shreya was standing there arms folded, lips pursed, eyes sharp and cold.
Dressed in her satin nightwear like a villain who never needed sleep.
Shagun stiffened slightly, but didn’t break stride.Didn’t flinch.Didn’t acknowledge.
She began to walk past her, head held high.
“Who was that guy?” Shreya asked, voice stern and clipped like a school principal catching someone bunking class.
Shagun didn’t reply. Just kept walking.
“I asked you something.” Shreya’s hand darted out, grabbing Shagun’s wrist hard. Her nails bit into her skin.
“Ahh…leave me!” Shagun winced, trying to pull free.
“I said, who was that boy?” Shreya demanded, jerking her arm again.
“It’s none of your business,” Shagun spat, finally yanking her hand away.
At that moment, Suresh entered the hall, barefoot, adjusting his glasses, half-awake.
“Kya ho raha hai yahaan?” he asked, voice groggy with confusion.
Shreya the actress that she was switched her tone immediately, sugar oozing into every word.
“Nothing, darling… I was just worried. It’s late and she was out… I only asked her where she’d gone.” She smiled innocently, touching his arm like they were in a warm family movie.
“Where were you?” Suresh asked, now looking at Shagun. She laughed. Bitter. Hollow.
“You’re asking me that now? After all these years?” Her voice trembled, but not from weakness. “Every night, after dinner I walk out of this house. And not once have you ever noticed. Or cared.”
That hit something. Even Suresh’s posture shifted guilt creeping in through the cracks.
“Mind your tongue, Shagun!” Shreya snapped, her fake sweetness gone.
“And you mind your own business,” Shagun shot back, her voice sharp.
“Shagun! Is this how you talk to your mother?” Suresh barked, his voice suddenly booming.
He raised his hand instinctively.For a second, just one Shagun flinched. Not because he hit her. But because for a moment, she thought he might.
He froze. His hand stayed suspended in the air.And she looked at him. Eyes glassy. Voice cracking.
“She. Is. Not. My. Mom.”
The silence after that was loud.Too loud. She turned on her heel, walked to her room, and slammed the door shut behind her.
Inside she let herself collapse against it. Her back slid down the wood. Her arms wrapped around her knees.
The chit Ruhaan gave her was still clutched in her palm slightly crumpled now, but safe.
And as tears silently slid down her cheeks…A small smile broke through.Because for the first time in a long, long while…
She wasn’t entirely alone.
————————————————————————-
The morning sun inched higher, cruel and smug, turning the school ground into a giant toaster. Sweat clung to uniform collars, socks sagged in defeat, and ties hung limp like tired flags after a lost battle. The students stood in their straight rows, more or less, wilting like neglected houseplants.
On stage, Prateek stood tall, his blazer buttoned like a soldier’s armor. Clipboard in hand, badge gleaming, he was every bit the Discipline In-Charge or so it seemed. Beside him was Ansh, the Head Boy, in his usual calmness in the sadati hui garmi with an unaffected face and eyes focused only on one person-aditi
Somewhere in the tenth row stood Priya, her hairs neat, expression calm…on the outside. Flanked by Aditi on one side and Shagun on the other, she tried very hard to not look at the stage.
Aditi, however, had no such restraint. “Yeh mere bhai ko kya ho gaya hai?” she muttered, squinting at Prateek.
“Shayad garmi lag rahi hogi,” Priya replied softly, eyes betraying her as they flickered toward the stage.
Aditi sniffed. “Garmi toh sabko lag rahi hai. Par inko har saal ki tarah May ki assembly yaatra nikaalni hi hoti hai. Jab mausam achha ho, toh assembly bhool jaate hain. Jab lagta hai ki sab bachchon ke shoes ground mein pighal jaayengi, tab march-past yaad aata hai!”
“Udhar dekh, Vivaan khade-khade so raha hai,” Shagun added, pointing discreetly at a boy in the row ahead, who was swaying like a drunken flamingo, clearly struggling to stay conscious.
Priya grinned, but quickly schooled her face. “Waise… Ruhaan bhaiya ko kya hua hai?” she asked, eyeing Ruhaan, who stood in a different row beaming so brightly, you’d think he’d won the lottery. His grin hasn’t faded since morning.
“Haan! Unke daant dikhna bandh hi nahi ho rahi. Subah se full on happy mode mein hai,” Aditi whispered, raising an eyebrow.
“Kya pata… woh toh waise bhi aadha pagal hai,” Shagun said, trying to sound casual.
Both Aditi and Priya turned to her in perfect sync, suspicious.
“Jaldi bata. Kya hua hai tum dono ke beech mein?” Aditi narrowed her eyes.
“Kyaa? Kuch bhi toh nahi…” Shagun said, too quickly.
“Tu bata rahi hai ya main unhi se poochhun?” Priya asked, dead serious.
“Abe pagal hai kya? Bol toh rahi hoon kuch nahi hua…” Shagun tried again, flustered. Then she abruptly pointed. “Ahh vo dekh, Prateek bhaiya tujhe hi dekh rahe hain!”
That did it.Priya turned instinctively.And there he was.
Across the shimmering heatwaves, beyond rows of half-awake students and drooping flags, Prateek stood still looking right at her.
Their eyes locked.
The morning noise dimmed. Birds stopped mid-chirp. The national pledge faded into a distant hum, like someone had pressed mute on reality. And in that ridiculous, magical second, everything else melted away.
Prateek blinked once. Then again. His lips parted slightly. A gentle, involuntary smile tugged at his mouth not the showy, confident grin he gave teachers, but the shy, slow, “oh God, she’s actually looking at me” kind of smile.
Priya’s breath hitched. She immediately looked down, cheeks blooming into a pink so vibrant even the sun might have paused to admire it. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, though the braid had no such strand. Classic move.
Aditi leaned in with a grin so smug it practically had its own postcode. “Ayeeee… future wife sharma gayi kya… hmm hmmmmm,” she teased under her breath.
But before Priya could defend herself or even recover from the eye-contact tsunami…
“Prateek.” The teacher’s voice echoed through the mic.
“Prateek beta, come forward to read the announcements.”
Silence.
Ansh elbowed him lightly. “Abe… chal na, mic pe ja. mar gaya kya?”
Nothing.
“Prateek?” the teacher called again, louder.
Still no movement. No blink. No reaction.
Because Prateek? Our boy was gone. Floating somewhere between Earth and Jupiter, holding hands with a fantasy version of Priya in his brain, probably scoring background violin music in his head.
Nothing. Not even a blink.
Then…”PRATEEEEEEEK!”
The mic shrieked with feedback. The sound blasted through every eardrum on the ground. A few crows took off. A small child screamed. Aditi gasped audibly.
And Prateek jumped so violently, he dropped the clipboard.
The papers fluttered dramatically like someone had thrown a stack of love letters off a cliff. A few landed near Ansh’s shoes, one almost slid off the stage.
Students burst into giggles.
Principal ma’am, arms crossed, raised a slow, disapproving eyebrow.
Aditi, grinning, muttered under her breath, “OH HO! Caught in full 4K HD Ultra Max!”
Prateek bent down to grab the papers, but his hands fumbled, knocking half of them further off. He tried again, this time collecting them all but not before the mic picked up every rustle, breath, and tragic paper-flap in surround sound.
Priya, mortified, had her hands over her mouth… yet couldn’t stop smiling.
Finally, the teacher sighed and snatched the mic. “When you’re done daydreaming, maybe you’d like to join us, Discipline In-Charge?”
Oof. That one landed hard.
The crowd howled. Even the teachers smirked. Ruhaan bent over laughing in his row.
Prateek walked up, clipboard crumpled, dignity bruised, neck red. His voice cracked slightly as he began, “Good morning everyone… today’s announcements are…”
He avoided every pair of eyes except one. When he risked a glance, Priya was already looking away, but her flushed cheeks and bitten lip told him she’d seen everything.
“Iska toh kaam ho gaya aaj ka,” she whispered, a wicked grin tugging at her lips.
Priya tried to keep a straight face but failed miserably. She ducked her head, hiding her smile behind her palms like someone listening to her favorite romantic song on loop.
Just then, Shagun, behind them, leaned forward dramatically, whispering, “Sath mein Head Boy ka bhi.”
Aditi turned her head slowly to give her the classic ‘don’t start’ glare, but Shagun just raised her brows and subtly tilted her head toward the stage.
“Vo dekh… tera hero bhi tujhe hi dekh raha hai.”Aditi blinked, then sneakily followed her gaze.
And there he was Ansh, standing in his perfectly ironed uniform on the assembly stage beside the mic, holding the announcement file like a true Head Boy. But… his eyes?
Right on her. For precisely 1.5 seconds.
And then…whoosh! His eyes darted away with a sharpness that could cut glass, like a student caught cheating during an exam. He immediately pretended to look at the flag, the mic, the sky, his shoes, the mic…anything but her.
Aditi bit her lip, suppressing a laugh. But then… She didn’t look away.
Oh no. She leaned slightly, tilted her head, and let a slow, knowing smirk stretch across her face, followed by a single eyebrow raise that screamed, “Caught again, Mr. head boy”
Ansh made the fatal mistake of looking at her again.This time, she was waiting. Smirk on. Eyebrows raised. Victory secured.
Ansh blinked like a deer in headlights. A single drop of imaginary sweat slid down his forehead as the imaginary background score shifted to funeral music.
He instantly turned back to the mic, cleared his throat, and read out the assembly announcements like a malfunctioning robot.
“Gudh..good… morning… e-everyone… please… stand… attention… hoisting flag… I mean…”
Meanwhile, Priya, Shagun, and Aditi were watching it all unfold like it was their personal Netflix show.
Shagun muttered, “Bhagwan unka announcement bhi gaya.”
Priya giggled, whispering, “Lagta hai tujhe dekh ke unka Wi-Fi disconnect ho gaya.”
Aditi, arms crossed, lips still curved, looked at the stage and softly murmured, “lag to raha hai kuch aisa hi…”
And from the stage, even though Ansh had turned away he could feel it. He was being roasted alive… with style.
***********************************
That’s all for this chapter, Bubbles! ✨
I truly hope you enjoyed it and more than anything, I really hope it made you feel something.
If any scene touched your heart, made you smile, or even gave you tiny butterflies…Don’t forget to vote and drop your thoughts in the comments.
See you in the next chapter!
Till then, be healthy, stay safe, keep smiling, and always keep reading.
With love,
Prachi 💌
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Do follow me up on Instagram for spoilers.
I’D – pixiee_wrts
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