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तोहसे मोरा नहीं मोहरा मनवा(आ आ)
होगी रे साथ मोहरा शगुनवा(आ आ)
सौंधा सौंधा सा ये साथ तोहरा(आ आ)
चुपके चुपके से महका दिया(आ आ)
तोहरे आगे मैं सर को झुका दू
तोहरे सपने फलक पे बिठा दू
काला टिका मैं तोहे लगा दू
रखियो मुझपे भरोसा ज़रा आ आ
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VOTE: 470+
COMMENTS: 400+
i know nahi karoge but still…main daal deti hu
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It was well past midnight. The city outside had finally slowed down after a long noisy day. But inside two different rooms, sleep was nowhere close.
Vivaan lay sprawled across his bed like a starfish, one arm tucked lazily behind his head and the other holding his phone right above his face. His room lights were off, only the faint bluish glow of the screen reflecting in his eyes.
Like every other night lately, he was doom scrolling. His expression stayed mostly blank occasionally a smirk, sometimes a scoff, sometimes a bored sigh.
Until suddenly his thumb paused mid-air. An Instagram story notification had popped up. From an account he knew very well. A slow, knowing smirk curved on his lips.
@fictional_lovee_xx it was Riva’s secret spam account.
The account she believed no one in the world knew about. Except one person. Vivaan.
He had discovered it months ago purely by accident while stalking random tagged posts and suggested accounts. Since then, he had quietly followed it using his own fake spam account never liking, never reacting, never replying.
Just observing. Tonight’s story, however, made his eyebrow lift in pure amusement. It was a mirror picture. Only her waist visible.
She was wearing a loose oversized shirt slightly lifted at one side, revealing her toned waistline. The caption written across the story in soft aesthetic font read:
“Perfect size for my fictional men to hold.”
Vivaan stared at the screen for a long second. Then a quiet laugh escaped his lips.”hmmm….hmmmm…..phoolan devi…”
His eyes gleamed with mischief. Usually he would switch to his spam account before reacting.
He tapped reply. From his main Instagram account. His fingers moved calmly across the keyboard.
“Give me a chance to hold that… I’ll hold it better than your fictional men.” He hit send.
Then tossed his phone carelessly on the bed beside him like he had just dropped a bomb somewhere and now was waiting for the explosion. He clasped his hands behind his head again, staring at the ceiling with a lazy grin.
In another house across the city, Riva lay curled up sideways on her bed. She too was doom scrolling. Mindlessly. Without really seeing anything.
Her phone suddenly buzzed. She lazily opened the notification panel. And then Her entire body froze.
Her eyes widened so much it almost hurt. Vivaan sent you a message. Her heart skipped violently.
She opened the chat slowly. Her breathing became shallow. Then she read the message. Her jaw literally dropped. “WHAT-THE-?!”
She shot up on her bed so fast . “How does he-” Her mind began racing wildly. Did he just reply to her spam account story… from his main ID?!
Her fingers trembled as she rechecked the username again. It was him. Her brain short-circuited completely. “How the hell does he even know about this account?!”
Her heart was still racing uncontrollably when suddenly…Her phone started ringing, it was non other than Vivaan himself.She stared at the screen like it was a ticking bomb.
“Why is he calling?!….marr gyiii” she panicked
The phone kept vibrating in her hand. For a few seconds she just sat there frozen.
Then nervously she picked up. “H-Hello?”
On the other side, Vivaan’s calm voice came like he was discussing the weather. “Hello chudail.”
Riva instantly snapped, panic mixing with anger. “kya hai….itni…itni raat ko kyu pareshaan kar rhe ho?”
But he interrupted casually. “main kaha pareshaan kar rha hu?….main to bss confirm kar rha tha” He paused deliberately, enjoying the silence. “…ki vo tumhari ek spare Insta ID hai ki nahii?…”
Riva’s stomach dropped. Her eyes widened further in horror.
“…k..konsi….konsi insta ID?” She immediately tried to regain control, forcing innocence into her tone. “Kis ID ki baat kar rahe ho tum?”
Vivaan chuckled softly, clearly entertained. “Achha?”
Then he slowly read out the username like he was reading a crime report. “fictional_lovee_xx.” Her soul practically left her body. “Ye tumhari ID nahi hai kya?” He continued teasingly. “I guess tumhari hi hogi…”
Then he added with dangerous casualness,”Agar tumhari nahi hai to koi baat nahi…” “…main kal sabko bata deta hoon.”
“VIVAAN!” She almost yelled into the phone. Her panic was no longer hidden.”kisi ko Mat batana!”
Vivaan leaned deeper into his pillow, smiling like a villain enjoying his masterpiece. “Oh?…Matlab tumhari hi hai?”
Riva buried her face into her pillow out of pure frustration. “Vivaan please!….Please kisi ko mat batana.”
Vivaan gasped dramatically. “main to bataungaa.”
Riva clenched her teeth hard. “tum kisi ko nhi bataoge…Agar kisi ko bataya na tumne….to dekh lena tum.”
Vivaan burst into a quiet laugh.”HAWWWWWWW…..main to dar gaya apse phoolan devi.”
Her shoulders slumped helplessly. “Please yaar… mat batana naa… pleaseee.”
Vivaan pretended to think deeply.”Hmmm…theek hai…..but Commission lagega.”
Riva blinked in confusion. “Kaisa commission?”
Vivaan’s smirk returned. “I’ll tell you later.”
Before she could protest more, he added casually, “And haan…” His tone turned teasing again. “Wo waist wali story hide kar do.”
Riva froze for the second time that night. “Kyuuun?”
Vivaan chuckled softly.”kyu kya kyuu?”He paused deliberately.”…tum chahti ho kya ki main waha ake use hide karu….agar haa to ata hu main 5 minute main.”
Her heartbeat stumbled again.”nhi bilkul mat ana”she said in panic
Before he could even reply anything she ended the call.
Riva remained sitting on her bed, staring at her phone in complete shock. Her mind was spinning. Her heart was still racing like she had just run a marathon.
And somewhere in his dark room, Vivaan lay back comfortably with a deeply satisfied grin. Because he knew one thing for sure. Riva was completely panicking right now. And somehow… he was enjoying it far more than he should
________________
Sunday mornings in the house usually carried a different kind of quiet. It was the kind of morning where time itself seemed to stretch lazily.
Aditi’s room was soaked in that exact stillness. Her blanket was tangled around her legs like she had fought a war in her sleep. One pillow had fallen to the floor sometime during the night, while the other was half hugged under her arm. Her hair was spread messily across the bedsheet, strands sticking to her cheek and forehead.
She was deeply buried in the comfort of her bed. Sunday was sacred for her.
The only day she allowed herself to sleep without guilt. Without alarms. Without worrying about school, assignments, or expectations.
Her breathing was slow and peaceful. Her phone began vibrating on the bedside table. The loud ringtone shattered the delicate silence of the room.
Aditi groaned softly in protest.
Her brows scrunched, and she blindly stretched her hand toward the table without even opening her eyes properly. Her fingers fumbled around for a few seconds, knocking lightly against the table edge before finally gripping the phone.
She squinted at the bright screen with one half-open eye.It was Ruhaan’s call.She didn’t sit up. Didn’t fix her hair. Didn’t even fully wake up. She simply slid her thumb across the screen and brought the phone lazily to her ear.
“Hello,” Aditi answered in a sleepy voice.
Her tone was thick with sleep the kind that clearly announced she had absolutely no intention of being awake at this hour. On the other side, Ruhaan chuckled instantly, already amused.
“So rhi thi kya adu?” Ruhaan asked.
Aditi turned on her side, pulling the blanket further over her shoulder and burying half her face into the pillow like she wanted to disappear back into sleep.
“10 bhi nhi bje bhaiya abhi….soungi hi…. Sunday hai…12 bje uthti hu main Sunday’s ko,” Aditi said in a dragged sleepy voice.
Her words blended into each other lazily. She genuinely sounded like she might fall asleep again in the middle of the sentence. Ruhaan could practically picture her curled up like a sleepy kitten refusing to face the world. He smirked mischievously.
“Ohh achha….nhi main soch rha tha ki tujhe ik letter de du….nda wale ne bheja hai….par tu so rhi hai….chod Jane de,” Ruhaan teased intentionally.
For half a second, there was complete Silence.Then in an instant Aditi’s eyes snapped open. Sleep vanished from her system like someone had poured freezing water over her. She sat straight up on the bed instantly, blanket slipping down to her lap.
“Letter!” She exclaimed. Her heart skipped hard against her ribs. The drowsiness was gone. Only one name flashed in her mind.
Ansh.
Her voice turned bright with sudden hope. “Ansh ne bheja hai??” She asked, almost lighting up.
There was a deliberate pause from Ruhaan’s side. He was enjoying this far too much.
“Ha….likha hai for isha….lekin tu to Aditi hai na,” Ruhaan teased again.
Aditi’s brows scrunched immediately. Her lips formed a small annoyed pout.
“Bhaiya!” she groaned. Her excitement was now battling mild frustration. “Mere liye hi aya hai… please bhaiya abhi dedo mujhe,” Aditi pleaded quickly.
Her voice carried a soft urgency she wasn’t even trying to hide. She pushed her messy hair away from her face, already feeling restless. Ruhaan leaned back casually wherever he was sitting, enjoying the power he currently held.
“Tu to so rhi thi…soja….shaam ko le aunga,” Ruhaan teased again.
Aditi’s jaw literally dropped.
“Bhaiyaaa!”She threw the blanket aside completely and jumped off the bed. “Nhi bhaiya main uth gayi….abhi dedo na please,” Aditi begged, almost whining now.
Her eyes were already scanning the room unconsciously as if the letter might magically appear near her study table or window.
Ruhaan burst into loud laughter. “Aja neeche phir leja tera letter.”
Aditi didn’t even bother giving a proper reply “Ayyiiiiiiii!” She cut the call before he could say anything else. Within seconds chaos erupted inside her room.
She moved so fast that the blanket almost tangled around her feet. She kicked it away impatiently. Her hair was still wildly messy, one sleeve of her oversized t-shirt hanging awkwardly off her shoulder, but she didn’t care even a little.
Her heart was beating faster now. A soft, involuntary smile curved on her lips. She quickly pushed open her bedroom door and rushed into the corridor.
Her footsteps echoed lightly through the unusually quiet house as she practically ran toward the stairs excitement replacing every trace of sleep she had felt just moments ago.
Downstairs, the house carried the warm comfort of a typical Sunday morning.
It was the kind of morning that felt slow and safe. The doorbell had rung just a few minutes earlier. When Shweta opened the door, she was pleasantly surprised to see Ruhaan standing outside.
He stood there casually in a black t-shirt and faded blue jeans, one hand tucked inside his pocket while the other held a small medicine packet. His hair was slightly messy as if he had run his fingers through it on the way, and a polite half-smile rested on his face.
The moment she saw him, her face lit up warmly.
“Are ruhaan beta….aaj achanak se kaise ana hua?” Shweta asked him with a gentle smile, stepping aside to let him enter.
Ruhaan stepped inside respectfully. He bent his head slightly in greeting, Then he extended the packet toward her.
“Bss aunty ye medicine laya tha mammy ne dii hai uncle ke back pain ke liye….whi dene aya tha,” ruhaan said, passing her the medicines as Shweta took it carefully.
Shweta looked at the packet with visible gratitude. She knew how badly her husband’s back had been troubling him lately. Even small thoughtful gestures like this meant more than words could express.
“Thank you beta…iski to unhe Boht zaroorat thi…aja baith tu main kuch laati hu khane ke liye,” Shweta said warmly as she placed the medicine on the center table.
She was just about to turn toward the kitchen When suddenly the calm living room was shattered by a loud voice from the staircase.
Before either of them could react. A blur of messy hair, oversized t-shirt, and complete unbrushed morning chaos came running down the stairs.
Aditi came charging toward Ruhaan like a missile and practically crashed into him, grabbing his arm tightly like a cat pouncing on its prey. Her eyes were wide with uncontrollable excitement, cheeks slightly flushed from running, and her hair looked like she had fought a pillow war and lost.
Her expression clearly said she had forgotten about everything else in the world.
“Jaldi do bhaiya,” she sramed and clashed onto him like a cat pouncing on rat.
Ruhaan nearly stumbled backward from the sudden attack. He barely managed to steady himself, placing one foot firmly behind while trying not to laugh. Meanwhile Shweta stared at her daughter in complete disbelief, her mouth slightly open.
“Are are are….ye kya manners hai Aditi….use baithne to de,” Shweta scolded sharply, making Aditi suddenly realize her mother was also there.
Aditi froze. Her grip on Ruhaan’s arm loosened instantly. Only now realizing that her mother had witnessed the entire dramatic entry.
She stepped back like a guilty child caught stealing chocolates from the kitchen jar. Quickly she straightened her t-shirt, pushed her messy hair behind her ears, and forced an awkward smile.
“Vo…vo …aise hi mammy…buss,” she tried to explain with a sleepish smile.
The smile looked painfully fake. Shweta folded her arms, eyes narrowing suspiciously.
“Vo to theek hai par aise jhapatta kyu maar rhi hai….aur kya chahiye tujhe isse jo chilla ke ayi jaldi do jaldi do kar ke,” shweta enquired.
Aditi’s brain started racing. Her heart was still thumping wildly partly from running, mostly from the thought of the letter.
She quickly glanced at Ruhaan for help. Ruhaan only raised one eyebrow, clearly enjoying every second of this unexpected drama. Desperate, she blurted out the first excuse that came to her mind.
“Vo…vo…aunty se maine kuch paper mangaye the whi late honga bhaiya who mang rhi thi main,” Aditi made an excuse making ruhaan raise an eyebrow.
Ruhaan almost laughed but controlled himself by pressing his lips together. Shweta still looked unconvinced.
“To itna kyu mari ja rhi hai jo aaj 10 bje hi uth gyi aur turant neeche bhi aa gyi…vo bhi bin bulaye” shweta enquired again.
Aditi mentally cursed her luck. Why was her mother suddenly behaving like a detective today? Before she could fumble again, Ruhaan smoothly stepped in.
“Vo aunty paper Boht important hai iske liye….aap to janti ho hain na neet ka exam,” ruhaan lies smoothly.
Shweta immediately nodded in understanding. That explained everything.
“Haa haa bss whii aise hii,” Aditi said trying to change the topic quickly.
But Shweta was still not completely satisfied.
“Haa to aise kyu chillayi tu….araam se nhi bola jata,” Shweta scolded her.
Aditi’s patience was slowly running out now. The excitement inside her was bubbling dangerously close to explosion.
She dramatically rolled her eyes and folded her arms.
“Are sorry na ab bss bhi karo yrr mammy chill na Sunday hai bhaiya ko kuch khilao to,” Aditi said, now clearly irritated by her mother’s continuous questioning.
Shweta stared at her daughter in disbelief. “Aree?”
The sheer audacity.But before she could continue, Aditi immediately placed both hands on her shoulders and started pushing her toward the kitchen.
“Jao na mammy aap jao aur kuch achha sa lao khane ko bhaiyya ke liye,” Aditi said, successfully maneuvering Shweta into the kitchen while Ruhaan struggled hard to control his laughter.
The moment Shweta disappeared inside Ruhaan burst into silent laughter. His shoulders shook as he pressed his lips tightly together, trying not to make a sound.
Aditi glared at him instantly.”Aap na jyada haso mat!”
He lifted his hands in surrender, but the amusement dancing in his eyes refused to fade.
Aditi quickly peeked toward the kitchen door to make sure her mother was busy with utensils. Then she rushed back toward Ruhaan.
Her entire expression changed within seconds. The impatience returned. The excitement returned. The urgency returned.
She extended both her hands toward him like a child demanding candy. “Dijiye mera letter,” she demanded.
Ruhaan leaned back slightly and crossed his arms, deliberately stretching the moment. “lana bhool gaya….”
“Bhaiya!”Aditi stomped her foot on the floor.
Finally, still smiling teasingly, Ruhaan took the envelope out of his pocket and handed it to her carefully.
“bechain to itni hori hai tu….le tera letter…” Ruhaan teased Aditi but carefully gave her the letter taking out from his pocket.
The moment Aditi saw the envelope Her heart skipped a beat. Her fingers quickly grabbed it like something sacred.
The simple white envelope had a neat NDA stamp on the corner. Just seeing it made her chest fill with a strange mix of nervousness and happiness.
Ansh had written to her. Without wasting another second Aditi turned and ran toward the stairs. Her footsteps echoed loudly through the hallway as she rushed upward.
From the kitchen Shweta’s confused voice followed her. “Aree ab baith to jaati sabke sath!”
But Aditi had already reached halfway. Without stopping she shouted back loudly “bss aa rhi hoon brush kar ke!”
Her voice echoed through the house. But she didn’t slow down even for a moment.
Aditi slammed the door of her room shut with her back. She didn’t even bother locking it. her mind was too occupied. Clutching the envelope tightly in her hand like someone might suddenly appear and snatch it away, she rushed straight toward her study chair.
Her heart was beating ridiculously fast.
She dropped into the chair in one quick motion, the wheels scraping slightly against the floor as she pulled herself closer to the table. Carefully almost reverently she placed the envelope in front of her like it was some rare treasure she had waited months to receive.
For a moment, she didn’t open it. Instead, she just stared at it.
Her excitement bubbled restlessly inside her chest. Her fingers began tapping impatiently against the wooden table, creating a soft nervous rhythm. She bit her lower lip unconsciously, eyes scanning every corner of the envelope as if trying to feel his presence through it.
Then she pushed back the messy strands of hair falling over her face and finally picked up the envelope in both hands.
It had Ruhaan’s address written neatly on the front in careful handwriting. At the back, there was the official stamp and logo of NDA, bold and proud. Just seeing it made her smile unknowingly, a strange warmth filling her chest.
Her eyes quickly moved to the sender’s details.
It read:
Ansh Singhaniya
National Defence Academy, Khadakswar, Pune.
Her lips curved into a soft, proud smile.
“Mr. NDA…” she murmured to herself, almost teasingly but with unmistakable affection.
Then finally she opened the envelope.
She carefully unfolded the letter inside like it was something delicate, like too much force might tear not just the paper but the emotions written within it. The faint smell of ink and something strangely familiar reached her something that reminded her of him… of discipline… of distance.
She straightened her back on the chair, cleared her throat dramatically, and held the paper up like she was about to deliver a formal speech.
She started reading aloud.
“Kaksh Sankhya 217,” she read slowly and then paused, thinking hard. “kaksh means… room i guess.”
She tilted her head slightly. “Haan… matlab room number 217… acha theek hai.” She continued.
“Rashtriya Raksha Academy Chhatrawaas, Pune.” She blinked twice.
“oh… national defence academy Pune likha hain,” she said, making an exaggerated “O” face like she had just decoded an ancient Sanskrit manuscript.
Then she continued reading.
Dinank:
10 september 2026
She nodded proudly. “Ye to samajh aaya… date hai.”
Her eyes moved to the next line.
“Priya sakhi Aditi,”
She stopped. Her eyebrows pulled together instantly. She looked at the paper like it had personally insulted her existence.
“priya.?! Priya ko kyu mention Kiya unhone?!” She wondered cluelessly.
Then realization slowly dawned on her. Her expression changed from confusion to enlightenment.
“…OHHH… mujhe bol rahe hain…”
She leaned back in her chair, folding one leg under herself. She moved on.
“Saprem…..Saadar….. Namaskar…..”
She read each word with long dramatic pauses and squinted eyes like she was deciphering alien code transmitted from another planet. Then she slowly lowered the paper and stared straight ahead blankly.
“seedha seedha Hello bhi to likh skte the.” She shook her head in disbelief. She went back to reading.
“Aasha karta hoon ki tum…ta..tha…tathaaa haa tathaa…. tumhara samast parivaar pooooo….rnaaaaa….tahhhhh…..poornatahhh-“
She stopped mid-sentence. Her face went completely blank. She slowly lowered the letter.
“…poori tarah likh dete…itna kya shudh hindi likhne baith gaye ye” She sighed dramatically and rubbed her forehead like she was getting a migraine from vocabulary alone. But she continued bravely.
“kushal-mangal, swasth tatha harrrrrrr…..shollaaaaaa….spooooooorn………harrr….harrshollaspoorn”
She froze. Her eyes narrowed at the word like it had betrayed her personally. She leaned dangerously close to the paper.
“ab ye kya ajeeb sa word hai.”
She immediately grabbed her phone. Google opened. Typing slowly with intense focus.
“h-a-r-s-h-o-l-l-a-s-p-o-o-r-n”
Meaning appeared.
Happiness.
Aditi dropped her head on the table with a soft thud. “Happiness likh lete yrr aaap kya kya likhte hoo.” She dramatically wiped imaginary tears from her eyes.
But she wasn’t done suffering yet. She straightened up again, determination in her eyes like a warrior returning to battlefield.
“Yahan main bhi Ishwar ki aseem kripa se poornaaa…taaahhhh….. swasth, praaaa….sannnnn….chitttttt…. tatha ut….utsaahhhhh…..varrrrr…..dhitttttt….. hoon.”
She stared at the paper. Then slowly turned her head toward the wall. Then back to the paper. Then back to the wall again.
“ab ye kya likha hai inhone?”
She grabbed her phone again. More Googling. More confusion. More emotional suffering.
“simple bhasha bhi to likh sakte the ye…itne hard words kyu likhe hain inhone.”
She looked genuinely betrayed now. But she kept going.
“Main tumhe yah patr isliye preshit….preshit….write achha write.” She nodded proudly like she had cracked a code. “ha ye samajh aaya.” She continued.
“kar raha hoon kyunki yahan Rashtriya Raksha Academy mein praaaa…shikkk….shannn….prashikshan….. training bol rhe hain kya?!” She squinted harder.
“atyant kathor, anuuu….shaasannnnn….pradhan….desciplined……ok” She was now translating like a tired school teacher nearing retirement.
“Praatahkaal…..ok morning” She nodded.
“humein atyant sheeghra….Jaldii…..” She pointed proudly at the paper.
“Dekha…i know some words.”
Then she continued.
“jaagran…..”
She paused. Her face slowly twisted into horror.
“jagran karvate hain kya nda main?!” She suddenly imagined Ansh sitting with a dhol at 4 AM singing bhajans.
She shook her head vigorously. “Nahi nahi… uthna bol rahe honge.” She continued.
“karna padta hai tatha uske uparaant shaareerik vyaayaam, shaiiiii…..kshannnnn….ikkkk…..shekshanik…..”
She stopped again dramatically. “ab ye kya haii.”
More Googling. More suffering.
“adhyayan tatha vivid prakar ki….gat..gati…gatividhiyan….ni…nira…nirantar sanchalit hoti rehti hain.” She finally finished that long line and leaned back in her chair like she had just survived a war.
“hindi ki classes attend kar leni chahiye thi.” She wiped imaginary tears again. But torture still continued.
“Yad…yapi….yadyapi….yahan ka dainik karyakram….atyant vya…sta…taaaa-poorn evam shrammmm….saadhyaaaahai…”
She stared at the paper. Then slowly looked at the ceiling. Then whispered with complete defeat “itni hindi tab padh li hoti to aaj ye din na dekhna padta.”Still she forced herself to finish.
“…tathapi mujhe yahan upasthit hokar apne lakshya ki praapti hetu nirantar prayaaaaa….sratttt….prayasrat….rehne ka avsar praapt ho raha hai…”
She stopped reading. Placed the paper down carefully. Closed her eyes. Took a deep breath. Then summarized in one exhausted sentence.
“simple simply ye bhi to like sakte the na ki he’s feeling pride to be present there in the academy.” She glared at the paper accusingly but still continued.
“Tum bhi apni padhai poorn manoyog,…manoyog?” She squinted again.
“parishram tatha ekaagrchitt hokar karna. Apne swasthya ka vishesh roop se dhyaan rakhna tatha ghar ke samast sadasyon ko meri aur se saadar pranaam kehna.” She nodded slowly this time. “Haan ye samajh aaya… mummy papa ko namaste.”
Finally the last lines. “Ant mein, isi haardik apeksha ke saath ki tumhara patr sheeghra praapt hoga.”
She read the signature.
“Tumhara snehiiii…..snehiii kya hai?”
She searched again. Google answered. She dropped her phone dramatically on the table. “pyaara likh dete…my god.”
She finally placed the letter flat on the table and leaned back in the chair like she had just completed a three-hour Hindi board exam.
Her brain was exhausted. Her eyes looked emotionally betrayed. “Itni hindi to maine hindi wali ma’am ke muh se bhi suni jitni inhone likh daali.”
She pressed her forehead onto the cool wooden table. “Simple hindi wali english main bhi to likh skte the…lekin inki masti to dekho.”
She fake cried dramatically, shoulders shaking slightly.
Then she lifted her head again and glared at the innocent piece of paper lying quietly on the table. “First letter tha…socha ki kuch achhi achhi baate likhi hongi unhone….”
She pointed accusingly at the letter. “par inhone to hindi exam ka letter hi likh diya.”
She finally slumped her head back onto the table in total defeat.
_________________
Afternoon sunlight streamed lazily through the half-open curtains of Priya’s room, filling the space with a soft golden glow. The room smelled faintly of her vanilla room freshener, a sweet calming scent that blended with the quiet warmth of the afternoon.
Priya was sprawled comfortably across her bed, lying on her stomach with her elbows propped under her chin. Her legs swung idly in the air behind her as if she had absolutely no worries in the world.
Her phone was pressed against her ear, and a wide dreamy smile stretched across her face the kind of smile that appeared only when she spoke to one particular person.
On the other side of the call was Prateek.
Their conversation had already been going on for almost twenty minutes. At first it had been normal talking about their day, random teasing, small updates. But somewhere along the way the conversation had slowly drifted into a dangerously sweet territory.
The classic lovey-dovey phase. The kind where logic disappeared and emotions took over. Priya traced invisible circles on her pillow with the tip of her finger while staring at the ceiling dreamily.
“Okay fine… I’ll say it again,” Priya said softly, her voice carrying playful affection.
From the other side of the phone, Prateek chuckled warmly. “Haan bolo.”
Priya’s smile widened even more, her cheeks slightly flushing even though he couldn’t see her. “I love you.”
There was a small pause on the call the comfortable kind filled with silent smiles. Then Prateek replied gently, his voice warm and sincere. “I love you too.”
Priya immediately giggled like a child who had just won a game. “I love you three.”
Prateek burst into laughter. “I love you four.”
Priya dramatically flipped onto her back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling fan like this was the most important competition of her life. “I love you five!”
Prateek refused to surrender. “I love you six.”
Priya narrowed her eyes playfully even though he couldn’t see her.
“I love you seven.”
“I love you eight.”
“I love you nine.”
Priya raised her voice triumphantly. “I love you ten!”
Both of them were laughing now, the kind of carefree laughter that filled the quiet room. But neither of them was willing to lose this ridiculous competition.
“I love you eleven,” Priya declared proudly, sitting up slightly on the bed.
“I love you twelve.”
“Thirteen.”
“Fourteen.”
“Fifteen.”
Priya suddenly sat up straight on the bed like she had just won a championship match. Her hair bounced around her shoulders as she lifted her chin dramatically.
“I love you twenty!”
Prateek gasped loudly from the other side. “Cheating!”
Priya giggled loudly, hugging a pillow against her chest. “Strategy.”
Just then, The door of her room suddenly opened. Vivaan walked in casually. He had come looking for something but the moment he stepped inside, he froze mid-step when he heard Priya’s loud declaration.
“I LOVE YOU TWENTY ONE!”
Vivaan blinked slowly. He stood there silently for two seconds, processing what he had just walked into.
From the phone, Prateek’s voice came again. “I love you twenty two.”
Priya giggled happily. “I love you twenty three.”
Vivaan closed his eyes slowly. He inhaled deeply like a man trying very hard to maintain his sanity. Then he walked toward her with the most irritated expression imaginable.
Priya was so busy with her competition that she didn’t even notice him entering the room. “I love you twenty four!”
That was the final straw. Vivaan snapped. “PRIYA!”
“AHH!”Priya jumped so hard that her phone almost slipped from her hand.
She looked up in shock and saw Vivaan standing beside her bed with the most exhausted, done-with-life expression possible.
“Tu chilla kyu rahi hai itna?” he said while rubbing his forehead like he was developing a headache.
“Kya hai?”Priya frowned immediately.
Vivaan pointed accusingly at the phone in her hand. “Volume kam kar phone ka.”
“Tu ja yaha se.”Priya rolled her eyes dramatically.
But before she could continue Vivaan suddenly snatched the phone straight out of her hand. “VIVAAN!”
But it was too late. He had already brought the phone to his ear. “Hello bhaiya.”
On the other side of the call, Prateek sounded confused. Vivaan sighed deeply like he was about to deliver an emotional speech.
“Bhaiya ek baat bolna chahunga?” Vivaan spoke in the most serious, tragic tone possible. “Aapki girlfriend hai iska matlab ye nahi ki sabki girlfriend hai.”
There was complete silence on the call. Priya stared at him in absolute shock.
Vivaan continued complaining like a frustrated old man. “Sab ‘I love you I love you’ hi bolte rehte ho.” He rubbed his forehead again dramatically.”Mere baare main socho thoda.”
Priya immediately covered her mouth with both hands, trying desperately not to burst out laughing.
Vivaan added with exaggerated sorrow “Main single hoon abhi.” Then he sighed heavily. “Bura lagta hai yrr bhaiya.”
On the other side of the phone, Prateek had gone completely silent. Priya was now shaking with silent laughter, her shoulders trembling. Vivaan calmly handed the phone back to her like he had just finished delivering an important lecture.
“volume kam rakhio ab.”
Then he turned around and walked out of the room dramatically without looking back. The door closed behind him.
For two seconds There was complete silence. Priya looked at the phone. Then at the door. Then back at the phone again.
Finally Prateek spoke from the other side. “…Did Vivaan just complain about being single?”
That was it. Priya completely lost control. She burst into loud laughter, falling backward on the bed while clutching her stomach.
Prateek started laughing too. Within seconds both of them were laughing uncontrollably like children who had just witnessed something ridiculous.
Priya wiped the tears forming in the corners of her eyes. “isko bhi chahiye ab apni chuhiya.”
Prateek laughed again. “Poor chuha.”
Priya shook her head while smiling fondly. “Sach mein bura lag raha tha usko.”
Prateek chuckled. “Next time ‘I love you’ uske samne nhi bolenge.”
Priya giggled again. Then she paused dramatically for a moment. “Actually nahi… uske saamne hi bolenge.”
Prateek burst into loud laughter. Priya leaned back against her pillow again, still smiling happily as she stared at the ceiling. “Okay where were we?”
Prateek immediately replied without missing a beat “I love you twenty five.”
Priya grinned mischievously. “I love you twenty six.
________________
The evening had slowly settled outside.The sky visible from Aditi’s window was painted in soft shades of orange. The air had cooled down after the long day.
Aditi was sitting cross-legged on her bed, her back resting lightly against the headboard. Her phone was loosely held in her hands while the infamous Hindi-exam letter still lay dramatically on her study table like solid evidence of a crime she hadn’t committed.
She had read it again once in the afternoon. And suffered again.
Her mind was finally distracted as she mindlessly scrolled through random reels, occasionally smiling, occasionally zoning out when suddenly her phone vibrated.
it was Ansh . Her eyes instantly lit up. She quickly sat straight, almost dropping the phone in her hurry, and answered the call. “Hello?”
On the other side Ansh’s calm composed voice came, steady as always. “hello Aditi… tumhe letter mila?”
The moment he said that, her expression changed completely. Her eyes widened. Her brows shot up.
“Ohh to aapko pata hai na ki aapne kya kiya hai!” she said dramatically.
“Kya?”Ansh frowned slightly on the other side, clearly confused.
Aditi immediately sat up straighter, fully ready for her long-pending complaint session. She even adjusted her posture like she was about to present an argument in court.
“Aapko kya main Kurukshetra ki koi acharya lagti hoon jo poora letter hindi main likh diya!” There was silence for two seconds.
“…kya?”Then Ansh blinked slowly.
But Aditi had already started pacing around the room barefoot, her energy building with every word.
“Kitni mushkil hui mujhe padhne main usse!” She ran a frustrated hand through her hair and continued. “Aap kisi exam main letter likh rhe they kya aur galti se whi letter mujhe bhi bhj diya?”
“Nahi… par hindi main informal letter ka format to yhi hota hai.”Ansh sounded genuinely confused now, his tone careful.
Aditi stopped walking mid-step. She stared blankly at the wall like she couldn’t believe what she just heard. “Ha to aap to mujhe letter likh rhe the school main thodi!”
Ansh replied very innocently, completely serious. “Ha tabhi to informal likha verna formal wagera main to subject bhi ata na.”
For a moment Aditi just stared at her phone in disbelief. Then she dragged one hand down her face slowly.
“Ansh…” Her voice now carried pure frustration. “Aap pleses thoda kam books main ghus kijiye… aise letters nhi likhte hai.”
Ansh still sounded convinced of his logic. “Nhi… aise hi likhte hain… tum Heema maam se poochna… school main vo aise hi likhwati thi.”
Aditi closed her eyes. Took a deep breath. She was trying very hard not to explode. “Ansh… dekhiye…”
She spoke slowly now, like a patient teacher explaining basic maths to a stubborn child. “Heema maam jo letter likhwati thi vo exam purpose se likhwati thi but aap letter mujhe likh rhe hai to aap apni wordings likhiye jaise ham normal conversation karte hai.”
She flopped back onto the bed dramatically, staring at the ceiling. “Ab ham jab baat karte hai to ham itne tough tough words thodi na use karte hai.”
There was a small pause. Then Ansh asked very seriously “But format ka kya?”
That was it. Aditi shot up again. “ARE BHAAD MAIN GAYA FORMAT!!” She grabbed a pillow and threw it across the bed in pure frustration.
“Kitni pareshaani hui thi mujhe translate karne main!” She jumped off the bed, marched to the study table, and picked up the letter dramatically. “Aisa lag rha tha ki kisi 10 saal ke bacche ka exam paper check kar rhi hoon main!”
On the other side Ansh went completely silent for a second. Then he immediately spoke. “Acha sorry sorry gussa mat karo.” His tone had become slightly careful now.
Aditi sighed deeply and rubbed her forehead. “Gussa nahi kar rhi hoon…” Her voice softened a little. “Just… just samajh nhi aaya mujhe aapka letter isliye bura lag rha hai.”
Ansh sounded genuinely surprised. “But maine itne bhi hard words nhi likhe the jo tumhe samajh na aye.”
Aditi stared at the ceiling dramatically again. “Dekhiye aap hai all rounder padhaku sanskaari aur achhe bache…”
Then she pointed at herself like presenting evidence. “Main hu genz…Mujhe nahi samajh aate ye tatha, harrsholaas pta nahi kya kya.”
For a moment there was silence.Then Ansh suddenly chuckled softly. That only annoyed her more. But his laugh was warm.
“Achha theek hai,” he said finally. “I’ll try to write letter in your language next time.”
“Haan.”Aditi immediately nodded seriously like a strict teacher approving a student’s promise.
Then she added proudly, sitting straighter again. “Waise maine bhi letter post kar diya hai kal parso tak mil jayega apko.”
Ansh sounded surprised.”Tumne letter bheja?”
“Haan.”Then she added with a proud little smile,”And then aap usse observe karna.”She spoke like she was assigning homework. “Aur hindi wali english main hi mujhe letter likhna.”
“Vrna main sachhi main wahi aake apko classes dene lagungi ki letter kaise likhte hain.”Then she narrowed her eyes at her phone threateningly.
“Achha okk okk.”Ansh laughed softly again.
“Waise tumne poora letter padha?”Then his tone became softer.
“Haan… Google baba ki madad se.”Aditi groaned and fell sideways on the bed.
Ansh chuckled. “Kya kya samjha?”
Aditi rolled her eyes but a small smile appeared unknowingly. “Ye samjha ki aap subah subah uthte ho… exercise karte ho… padhte ho… aur phir mujhe bhi padhne bolte ho.”
Ansh laughed again. “Bas?”
“Haan bas.”
Then after a pause she said softly, her voice losing all drama, “Waise… achha laga.”
There was a quiet pause on the call.
“Kya?”Ansh asked gently,
“Letter.” She spoke quietly now. “Pehla tha na.”
“Aur tumhara letter?”On the other side Ansh smiled unknowingly, staring somewhere into the fading evening sky outside his own window.
“Usme koi harrshollaas nahi hai.”Aditi grinned mischievously, rolling onto her stomach again. “Seedha seedha samajh aayega.”
Ansh laughed softly. Ansh shook his head while smiling. Then after a small pause he asked softly, “Aditi…”
“Hmm?” she hummed
“Miss kiya mujhe?” he asked
She immediately froze. Her playful expression faded slightly. For a moment she didn’t answer. Her fingers tightened around the bedsheet unconsciously.
“…boht kiya.”Then she tried to sound casual.
“Maine bhi.”Ansh smiled on the other side, a quiet warmth spreading through his chest.
And suddenly the evening didn’t feel quiet anymore.
__________________
Night had settled quietly over the house. Inside her room, Samaira sat near the window on the soft rug beside her bed. The curtains were slightly parted, allowing a gentle breeze. Her hair was loosely tied in a messy bun, with a few stubborn strands falling over her cheeks as she absent-mindedly twisted them around her fingers while talking.
Her phone was pressed against her ear. A small, content smile rested on her lips the kind that appeared only when she spoke to one particular person. On the other side of the call was Aman.
“Guess what?” Samaira said, barely able to contain the excitement bubbling inside her.
Aman immediately caught the change in her tone. He knew her well enough to recognise when she was about to announce something big. “Hmmm… the tone of your voice sounds dangerous. Either you burnt something in the kitchen or you’ve got good news.”
“Excuse me! i’m a chef now.”Samaira gasped dramatically, placing a hand on her chest in mock offence.
“Achha baba… chef ho. Ab batao kya hua?”Aman chuckled softly, the sound warm and amused.
She sat up straighter, her eyes shining brightly in the dim light of the room. “The famous and reputed bakery of Delhi… they offered me a job.”
There was a pause on the call a brief moment of processing. Then Aman’s voice came quickly, almost disbelieving. “Wait… what?”
Samaira grinned wider, her excitement impossible to hide now. “Yeah… they offered me a position.”
“And?” he pressed
“I accepted it.” she exclaimed.
For a second there was complete silence.
“Samaira that’s amazing!”Aman’s voice filled with pure excitement and pride.
She laughed softly hearing the genuine happiness in his voice, her heart warming instantly. “They’re offering seventy thousand per month… and that’s just the base salary. Appreciation tips alag.”
Aman let out a soft whistle. “Seventy thousand?!” He sounded genuinely impressed, almost as if he was visualising her standing proudly in her chef’s apron. “Miss Chef Samaira Kapoor… I’m proud of you.”
“Really?”Her smile softened at his words.
“Of course really.”His tone grew warmer, deeper. “I always knew you’d do something amazing.”
There was a small pause. Then he added quietly, almost like a confession “Wish I was there to congratulate you more personally.”
“Oh really?”Samaira raised an eyebrow, her lips curving into a teasing smile.
“London se congratulations ka effect kam hota hai kya?”She tilted her head slightly.
Aman chuckled.”aur nhi to kya. Yahan se bas ‘congratulations’ bol sakta hoon.” He paused mischievously before adding”Agar Delhi mein hota toh celebration bhi karta.”
Samaira laughed, shaking her head. “Haan haan… celebration ke naam pe mera cake free mein kha jaate.”
“Arre main toh support karta… quality check ke naam pe.”
They both laughed softly, their laughter filling the quiet night like a shared secret.
After the laughter faded, Samaira’s expression slowly turned thoughtful. Her fingers began tracing small circles on the rug, her excitement settling into something deeper.
“You know…” Her voice softened. “I still remember the day when I told papa that I was enrolling in a cooking school instead of doing a master’s degree.” Aman stayed quiet, listening carefully.
“Papa kitne disappointed ho gaye the.” Her eyes drifted toward the window, watching the darkness outside. “He didn’t say anything harsh… but I could see it.” She swallowed lightly. “And today… when I told him about the job offer…” Her voice warmed, glowing with emotion. “He was actually happy.”
“Of course he was.”Aman smiled quietly on the other side, leaning back wherever he was standing or sitting.
“I think that was the first time I saw that proud look on his face regarding my cooking.”Samaira exhaled softly, as if releasing years of doubt.
“He’s your father, Samaira.” Aman spoke gently, his words calm and reassuring. “He was just worried about your future.” Samaira listened quietly, absorbing every word.
“But think about it… even when he was disappointed… he never stopped you.” He continued softly. “He let you pursue it.” “He supported you.”
“You’re right.”Samaira nodded slowly even though he couldn’t see her.
“He never asked me to leave it.”She thought for a moment.
“He arranged the PG when I shifted for cooking school.”A small smile appeared on her face.
“Whenever I needed something… he handled it.” Her eyes softened with gratitude. “And today… I’m really happy that I did it.”
“You followed what you loved.”Aman’s voice carried quiet pride. “And now look at you….Seventy thousand salary and working in one of the most reputed bakeries in Delhi.” He chuckled lightly. “I feel like bragging about you to people.”
“Oh really?”Samaira laughed softly.
“Haan.” He teased playfully. “‘Hi, I’m Aman… my girlfriend is a professional baker.'”
“Shut up.”Samaira’s cheeks turned slightly warm.
“Why? I’m serious.” he said then He paused mischievously. “Waise free desserts milenge na?”
“Of course… isi liye relationship mein ho tum.”Samaira rolled her eyes.
They both laughed again, the distance between Delhi and London feeling smaller with every shared joke.
After the laughter faded, Aman asked softly, “So when do you start?”
“Next week.” Samaira replied, her fingers tightening slightly around the edge of the rug. “I’m nervous though.”
“You shouldn’t be.”Aman’s voice immediately softened. “Tumhari pastries kha ke log job chhod ke bakery join kar le.”
“Overacting mat karo.”She smiled widely, shaking her head.
“I’m serious.” He paused. “You worked really hard for this, Samaira.”
“Hmm.”She leaned her head back against the wall near the window, closing her eyes for a moment.
Then she asked quietly “London mein sab theek hai?”
“Yeah.” He sighed lightly.
“Work is crazy as usual.” Then he added teasingly “But now I have motivation to come back to Delhi.”
“Oh really?”
“Haan.”he said instantely then mentioned”Free desserts khane ko milenge.”
“Tum bas khane ke liye aa rahe ho.”Samaira laughed again.
“Bilkul.” He replied shamelessly. “Waise bhi… girlfriend baker ho toh fayda uthana chahiye.”
“Pagal.”Samaira shook her head smiling.
They continued talking for a long time after that about her new job, about the bakery, about London, about random silly things that made no sense but still felt important.
___________________
Late afternoon sunlight filtered through the windshield of the car.The roads weren’t too crowded, and the calm weekend traffic made the drive smooth and relaxed. Inside the car, soft old Hindi songs were playing quietly on the radio.
Suresh sat behind the wheel, one hand resting comfortably on the steering while the other tapped lightly with the rhythm of the music. Beside him, Shagun sat with her seat slightly turned toward him, completely relaxed.
They had gone out just to spend some time together. Just father and daughter driving around the city.
Shagun was in one of her enthusiastic moods, the kind where once she started talking it was impossible to stop her.
“And then,” she said excitedly, moving her hands dramatically, “the main character realizes that the villain wasn’t actually evil from the beginning.”
“Haan?”Suresh glanced at her briefly with a small smile before looking back at the road.
“Haan! Like imagine… everyone in the story thinks he’s the bad guy. But actually he was trying to protect someone the whole time.” She leaned forward slightly, completely invested in the explanation. “And when the truth finally comes out it just changes the entire story!”
Suresh chuckled softly. “Achha twist hai.”
Shagun nodded vigorously. “Exactly! Aur writer ne usko itna subtly build kiya hai na… ki jab reveal hota hai toh reader ko bhi shock lagta hai.”
Suresh listened carefully, genuinely interested. “And the character… uska behavior shuru se suspicious hota hai?” he asked
“Haan!” Shagun pointed excitedly. “Exactly! Par phir later samajh aata hai ki vo suspicious nahi… protective tha.”
“That’s good writing.”Suresh nodded thoughtfully.
Shagun smiled proudly as if she herself had written the book. For a few seconds they drove in comfortable silence while the city passed by outside the window.
“Waise Shagun…”Then Suresh spoke casually.
“Hmmm?”She hummed in response.
“Tum kya karna chahti ho future mein?”He glanced at her briefly.
“Matlab?” Shagun blinked. The question caught her slightly off guard.
“Career.” he pressed.
“Pata nahi.”She leaned back in her seat thinking. Then after a moment she said slowly, “Kabhi kabhi mann karta hai ki author bann jau…” She shrugged lightly.
“Aur apni books publish karu.” Her tone sounded casual, like she was just throwing out a random thought. But Suresh didn’t dismiss it.
“Bann sakte hai.” He said simply. “Kya burai hai.”
“Aap serious ho?”Shagun immediately turned toward him with surprise.
“Of course.”He nodded lightly while keeping his eyes on the road.
Shagun laughed awkwardly. “Main to aise hi bol rhi thi…” She waved her hand dismissively. “Aap to sach main maan gaye.”
“Nhi.”Suresh smiled softly.
“Tumhare ander potential hai writer banne ka.”He said calmly.”Think about it.”
Shagun stared at him. For a moment she didn’t know what to say.
Then she asked slowly, “Apko sach main lgta hai main likh paungi?”
“Of course you can.”Suresh finally looked at her fully for a second before returning his gaze to the road.
“Your imagination is immense.”His voice carried complete confidence. Shagun listened quietly.
“You remember when you were three or four?” He chuckled softly. “You used to question everything.” She smiled slightly.
“you still do that “He continued. “Har cheez ka ‘why’ poochti thi….Why sky blue hai…Why people lie….Why stories end.”
Shagun laughed softly.
“And that curiosity is exactly what writers need.” He continued gently. “So why not pursue your interest?” He shrugged slightly.
Shagun sat quietly for a moment. The idea that she had casually mentioned suddenly felt real. Then she smiled slowly.
“Okay…” She nodded thoughtfully. “Then I’ll pursue it only.”
“That’s my girl.”Suresh smiled proudly.
The radio continued playing softly as the car moved forward through the glowing evening streets.
____________________
Evening had slowly settled over the vast campus of the National Defence Academy.
The sky outside the barracks had turned into a deep shade of orange that gradually melted A cool evening breeze flowed through the long concrete corridors of the hostel building, carrying with it distant sounds of cadets laughing loudly, metal trunks shutting with heavy thuds, and someone shouting instructions from far away. The atmosphere was alive yet disciplined.
Inside Room No. 217, Ansh sat on his narrow bed with his notebook open in front of him, a pen loosely held between his fingers. His uniform shirt sleeves were rolled up slightly, revealing faint marks from the intense evening drills. His hair still looked damp from the quick wash he had taken just minutes ago, and a thin towel lay carelessly thrown beside him.
He appeared to be revising something seriously. But in reality He hadn’t read a single line for the past ten minutes.
His eyes moved over the same paragraph again and again without understanding a word. His mind refused to cooperate. It kept drifting back to one single thought.
Her letter. Aditi had told him on sunday that she had already posted it. Which meant It could reach any day now. That thought alone had been enough to make him restless the entire evening.
Footsteps echoed loudly in the corridor, growing closer with every second. Someone pushed the door open without knocking.it was Arjun.
He walked in casually, carrying a small stack of envelopes in his hand, clearly fresh from the academy’s mail distribution. His expression carried the usual calm energy as he shut the door behind him with his foot.
“Bhai!” he called him.
Ansh looked up immediately, his attention snapping back to the present.
Arjun dropped dramatically onto the chair near the table, leaning back as if he had just returned from a battlefield. He waved the letters in the air like trophies. “Mail time.”
Ansh straightened slightly, trying to appear calm even though a small spark of anticipation had already lit up inside him. “Kitne aaye?”
“Ek… do… teen… chaar…”Arjun started flipping through them lazily, reading the names without much interest. Then he paused and raised an eyebrow. “Paanch.”
He looked up at Ansh with exaggerated disbelief. “Tujhe itne saare letters mile bhai!”
He shook his head dramatically as if deeply hurt by this unfair distribution of affection. “You’re lucky man.”
Ansh didn’t even respond to the teasing. Instead, he immediately took the letters from Arjun’s hand. There was clear excitement in his eyes now, something he couldn’t hide even if he tried.
His fingers quickly started flipping through the envelopes.
One from home. The familiar handwriting made his heart soften for a second.
One from Prateek.
One from Ruhaan.
One from his mama ji.
and another one from someone else
But His fingers suddenly slowed. His brows pulled together slightly. He checked again. More carefully this time. Turning every envelope. Reading each name again. But the one name he was searching for Wasn’t there.
The excitement that had built inside him dropped just a little. A faint disappointment crossed his face.
“Bas itne hi the?”He looked up at Arjun.
“Haan.”Arjun shrugged casually.
“Check kar ek baar aur.”Ansh frowned slightly, unwilling to accept it so easily.
“Kyu?”Arjun raised an eyebrow.
“Bas dekh.” ansh said.
“Achha baba.”Arjun sighed dramatically like he had been assigned the most difficult task in the world, but he stood up anyway.
He walked toward the door where he had left another small bunch of letters meant for other cadets. The corridor light spilled faintly into the room as he bent down to pick them up.
He started flipping through them. “Ye Rohit ka… ye Aditya ka… ye Shivam ka…”
Then suddenly….He paused. His expression changed slightly.
“Haan…” He pulled out one envelope from the stack. “Ye bhi hai.” He walked back toward Ansh and handed it to him.”Ye aditi kon hai?… behen hai teri?”
The moment Ansh saw the name His heart skipped. A small, involuntary smile instantly appeared on his lips.
The envelope had Aditi’s handwriting on it. Slightly tilted letters. A little messy. But unmistakably hers.
For a moment He didn’t even open it.
His fingers simply traced over the name written on the envelope as if memorising every curve of her handwriting. His expression softened unknowingly, the strict cadet exterior melting into something quieter, more personal.
Arjun watched him closely now. Then his eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Bhai…”
Ansh didn’t answer. He was still looking at the envelope like it was something precious. A faint blush had appeared on his face without him realising it.
“Adiiiiiti.”Arjun leaned forward slightly, unable to control his curiosity. He stretched the name teasingly. “Kon hai ye?”
Still no answer. Ansh just kept admiring the handwriting, lost in his own thoughts.
“Bata na.”Arjun’s curiosity grew stronger.
“Behen hai teri?”He nudged him with his elbow.
Ansh finally looked up. For a second he thought of saying something casual, something that would end this interrogation.
“Someone special.”He simply smiled softly.
Arjun froze. Then his eyes widened dramatically.
“OHHHHHH.” His expression immediately turned mischievous. “Accha!”
Ansh ignored him and carefully placed the envelope on the table, almost protectively, as if shielding it from Arjun’s teasing hands.
Ansh stood up from the bed calmly, trying to regain his usual composed demeanour.
“Tu ja shivam ko de aa letter.” He pointed toward the remaining envelopes. “Phir chalte hai mess”
“ha kyu nhii.”Arjun smirked knowingly.
He grabbed the remaining letters. But before leaving, he turned once more, unable to resist one final tease.
“Waise bhai…” He grinned widely. “tu itna laal kyu raha hai…..garmi lag rhi hai to fan chala le.”
“Chal nikal.”Ansh immediately looked away, pretending to adjust something on the table.
“Ja raha hoon.”Arjun laughed.
He walked out of the room still chuckling to himself, his footsteps echoing in the corridor before fading away into the evening noise.
Now the room was quiet again. Ansh sat back down on the bed slowly. For a moment he just looked at the envelope again.
Her handwriting. Her name. The letter she had written. A small smile slowly appeared on his face calm, warm, almost disbelieving.
He could almost imagine her sitting at her desk while writing it probably biting her pen cap in concentration, making random doodles in the margins, talking to herself, stopping mid-sentence to think, then writing again with renewed excitement.
A small smile tugged at his lips.
Finally, he carefully opened the envelope. Inside was a neatly folded letter. But the moment he unfolded it…His eyes widened slightly.
The page wasn’t plain. Tiny mini hearts were drawn in the corners in different shapes and sizes. A small smiley sticker was stuck near the top like it was personally greeting him. There were two little stars drawn beside the date, and at the bottom of the page she had drawn a tiny doodle of a saluting stick figure soldier.
Ansh couldn’t help it. A soft chuckle escaped his lips. “she got too excieted” he murmured under his breath, shaking his head slightly.
Then his eyes moved to the first line. And he started reading silently in his mind.
Dear Fauji ji,
The moment he read that…He paused. His eyebrows lifted slightly and a small amused smile appeared on his face. He shook his head lightly but his smile only grew wider.
This is the first letter i’m writiing to you and pta nahi kyu itni excietment ho rhi hai.
His fingers tightened slightly around the paper.
Samajh nahi aa rha ki apko itna sab kuch kaise batau aur batau bhi to aap padh bhi payenge ya nhi…
Ansh let out a soft breath through his nose, his gaze turning gentler.
i’m scared ki kya pta mera letter kisi ne beech main hi uda diya to? i don’t trust the postman uncle.
A quiet laugh escaped him as he imagined her standing suspiciously at the gate, staring at the poor postman like he was a potential criminal.
but still agar apke paas ye pohch gaya hai aur aap agar ye padh rhe ho to….
His gaze slowed instinctively.
i miss you sooooooooooooooooooo muchhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, mujhe aapki boht yaad aati hai….
The smile on his face faded into something softer….Warmer…..He leaned slightly back against the cool wall behind the bed while continuing to read, his shoulders relaxing unconsciously.
school main jabhi bhi main apki previous wali class se guzarti hoon to lagta hai ki aap still usi 3rd bench pe baith ke mujhe dekh rhe ahi aur laal tamatar hue ja rhe hai….
Ansh’s ears turned slightly red instantly.
“your tamatar” he muttered quietly, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.
i miss you chilla hua laal face….
He shook his head lightly, a shy smile lingering.
but it’s ok aap meri tension mat lena focus on your training and stay healthy.
His eyes softened again. For a moment he just stared at that line as if absorbing the concern hidden inside the simple words.
achha vaise maine suna hai ki academy main cadets ke baal bhi kaat dete hain and unn sabko fauji cut milta hai…
Ansh subconsciously lifted his hand and touched his own short hair, his fingers brushing over the freshly trimmed sides.
papa bol rhe the bilkul chote kar dete hain…..i’m scared apke bhi kaat diye honge baal….
He let out a quiet laugh.
apka poora facecard hi badal gaya hoga…..ab main apko best of luck kaise bol paungi?
He shook his head again. But the smile on his face was impossible to hide. Then his eyes moved further down the page.
aap mujhe miss to karte ho na? ya phir training main itne busy hain ki meri yaad nhi ati apko?
His expression softened deeply, his gaze turning distant. He whispered quietly “Bahut yaad aati hai tumhari.”
Then his eyes reached another paragraph. And he frowned slightly with curiosity.
Achha ek aur complaint hai meri.
Ansh raised an eyebrow.
Jo stars ka jar aapne mujhe diya tha na…
His eyes instantly softened with recognition, memories flashing briefly.
vo khatam hone wala hai few days mein.
He blinked in surprise.”itni jaldi?”
Maine sirf 1.5 months mein hi almost half stars khol liye hain.
He stared at the line in disbelief, then chuckled softly. “Seriously?”
Ab sochiye mere paas sirf 10-20 stars hi bache hain ab… main kaise survive karungi?
His smile turned helplessly fond.
Mujhe aur stars chahiye ab. Bohot saare.
He shook his head slowly. “so lalchi” But the affection in his eyes was obvious. Then he continued reading.
Ab page bhi bharne wala hai….par baatein itni karni hai ki kya kya batau samajh hi nhi aa rha.
He glanced at the almost full page. She had even drawn a tiny arrow pointing toward the margin that said “space khatam ho raha hai.” He chuckled again, imagining her frustration.
Chaliye phir kabhi bataungi abhi ke liye bss itna hi….
intezaar rahega apke call and letters ka…..
His heart felt strangely full.
boht saare pyaar and puchhies ke sath……
aapki Isha.
The moment he read the last line, His eyes stayed there. For several seconds. A small blush spread slowly across his face.
“My Isha…” he murmured softly.
Just then The door suddenly opened with a sudden thud.
“Bhai aa na!”Arjun walked halfway inside the room.
Ansh jumped slightly in shock, almost dropping the letter. But Ansh had already folded the letter quickly and hidden it behind his notebook like a guilty schoolboy caught doing something illegal.
“aa rha hu.”Ansh nodded quickly.
Arjun left the room again, his footsteps fading into the corridor noise. The door closed. Silence returned.
Ansh immediately took the letter out again. His fingers gently unfolded it once more with extreme care, smoothing the slight creases as if they mattered deeply. His eyes returned to the last line.
Aapki Isha.
For a moment…He simply looked at it.Then slowly, softly…He leaned forward and kissed the spot where her name was written. A shy, helpless smile spread across his face.
He carefully folded the letter again, aligning every edge perfectly.Then he placed it inside his drawer.Almost like someone placing a precious treasure safely away from the world.
He closed the drawer gently. Took one last glance at it. And finally stood up and left the room.
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Evening had turned lively at Aditi’s house.
The living room lights were bright and warm, filling the space with an inviting glow. The curtains were half drawn
The television volume was slightly louder than usual because an intense cricket match was going on, and the excited commentary blended with the background noise of honking vehicles from the street outside.
The couch and floor were occupied by the usual chaotic gang.
Ruhaan sat lazily on the arm of the sofa, one leg slightly swinging in the air while a cushion was tucked comfortably under his elbow as if he had permanently claimed that spot.
Vivaan was sprawled across the carpet right in front of the TV like he owned the entire house, his head resting on one hand and eyes glued dramatically to the screen.(zameen pe hi pada rehta hai ye)
Priya and Shagun were sitting close together on the sofa, whispering something into each other’s ears and bursting into sudden giggles like they were discussing national secrets.
Riva leaned against the side chair, one shoulder resting against its wooden frame. She was half watching the match and half scrolling through her phone absent-mindedly, her expression switching between boredom and mild amusement. Every few seconds someone shouted something at the TV.
“AREY RUN LE NA!” Vivaan yelled suddenly, almost jumping up in frustration.
“Chup kar na tu,” Ruhaan muttered without even looking at him. “Tu khud ground pe hota toh ball dekh ke hi bhaag jata.”
“Exactly.”Priya laughed immediately, covering her mouth.
Shagun nodded dramatically, adding fuel to the fire. “Vivaan field pe hota toh ball uske paas aake khud wapas chali jaati.”
“Very funny,” Vivaan muttered, rolling his eyes and adjusting his position on the carpet.
Just then Aditi walked into the living room carrying a tray of snacks. Her steps were careful as she balanced the tray, her hair slightly messy from rushing around in the kitchen.
“Guys side do.” She carefully placed the tray on the center table.
There were freshly fried samosas releasing a mouth-watering aroma, packets of chips casually opened, and some biscuits arranged in a slightly uneven line that showed she had been in a hurry.
“Bina chatney ke layi hai….koi nhii de idhar.”Vivaan immediately grabbed a samosa like a starving man.
“Plate le ke kha.”Aditi slapped his hand lightly without hesitation.
Then she turned toward Riva. “Riva, kitchen mein fridge se cold drink le aa na.”
“Haan.”Riva nodded casually, slipping her phone into her pocket.
She stood up and walked toward the kitchen, her footsteps soft against the tiled floor.
The kitchen lights were already on, making the clean counters shine slightly. She opened the fridge and started taking out the chilled bottles, the cool air brushing against her face.
Just then Footsteps followed behind her. Before she could turn Vivaan walked in eating his beloved samosa.
Without saying anything, he casually placed his arm around her shoulder, leaning slightly toward her as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
Riva stiffened for a second at the sudden closeness. Then she looked sideways at him. “Kya chahiye tumhe?”
Vivaan leaned lazily against the counter, his arm still resting over her shoulder like it belonged there.
“Tum mil jati to baat hi kuch aur hoti….par philhaal coldrink hi dedo”He smirked slightly.
Riva blinked once. Then twice. Then slowly turned her head and looked at him with the most unimpressed expression possible.
“Don’t throw cheesy lines.” She removed his arm from her shoulder firmly. “Dost ho… dost bann ke rho.”
Vivaan didn’t move away. Instead…He leaned a little closer. This time his face was near the side of her neck, his presence suddenly more noticeable. His breath brushed lightly against her nape.
“Dost kisse banna hai tumhara?” His voice was low and teasing.
Riva slowly turned her head toward him again. Her eyebrow lifted in silent challenge.
“Achha.” She crossed her arms. “To kya banna hai tumko mera?”
“Dildaal banna hai tumhara.”Vivaan’s grin widened instantly, clearly enjoying the moment.
For two seconds There was complete silence in the kitchen. Then Riva’s face twisted in pure disgust.
“Eww.” She physically shivered like she had just heard something deeply disturbing. “Chi.” She grabbed the cold drink bottles from the fridge with quick irritated movements. “Kitne cringe ho tum.”
Vivaan chuckled softly, watching her reaction with clear amusement. Riva walked past him toward the door.
But before leaving she turned once and said dramatically “Please aisi harkatein mat karna mere sath aage se…main boht zor se maar dungi tumhe phir rote rehna.”
“main to dar gaya.”Vivaan laughed, shaking his head.
Riva shook her head again and walked back toward the living room.
“Cold drink le aa yrr riva!” Ruhaan’s voice echoed loudly-
“AA RAHI HAI!” Riva shouted back.
Meanwhile Vivaan leaned casually against the kitchen counter for a moment, replaying the scene in his mind. He shook his head with a smirk.
“Eww…” he mimicked her expression under his breath. But the grin on his face didn’t disappear.
A few seconds later…He also walked back toward the living room. Just in time to see Ruhaan already opening one of the cold drink bottles impatiently.
“Arre glass toh le ata chuhe!” Priya scolded, snatching a cushion and throwing it toward him lightly.
Vivaan dropped back onto the carpet in his earlier position. “Direct bottle se pee…kahi ki nawaab nhi hai tu”
Riva rolled her eyes dramatically. “Tumhare sath rahenge to sab ho hi jayenge jangli tumhare jaise.”
The room filled with laughter again loud, carefree, messy. The cricket commentary continued in the background.
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Thats all for this chapter….hope you like it.😊
do tell me about how you felt about aditi’s and ansh’s letters…🌝
don’t forget to vote and comment.🫶
lots of love❤️
~Prachi💌
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