27

She is a whiskey in teacup

"Reyansh it's past lunch time,eat your lunch"Dhruv said bursting inside his cabin.

"I will,you go"He replied still focused in his work.

"I am your friend,not a babysitter so fucking stand up and come with me"dhruv stated slamming his fist on table to get his attention.

Reyansh sighed and looked up at him.

"Will do later dhruv"

"Are you getting up or else I will have to do it my own way"dhruv threatened him.

"You are threatning the king of Rajasthan,do you know?"Reyansh smirked leaning more into his chair.

"So what?you are forgetting I am also mafia king"dhruv crossed his arms and glared at him.

"Dhruv understand it,i will eat later"reyansh sighed trying to make him understand.

"You have never showed this much tantrums,sounds suspicious.shoot"dhruv looked at him suspiciously.reyansh kept mum for few minutes but had to open his mouth since he knew dhruv wouldn't leave before he knows.

"Actually I have kept fast"he rubbed his neck nervously"you know I did not want aradhya to be hungry all day alone"

"Oh ho i see, could have told me earlier.i will get going then"dhruv said and left the room while reyansh just kept staring at the door from where he left.

What a great friend he got!great?

_____________________________________

"Aruuuu"Karan streched her name long.

"What?"aradhya asked calmly.if  she hadn't had high tolerance she would have surely shouted at him.

"I am getting bored"Karan said and she looked at him with bored expression.

"So?"

"Let's watch a movie"he suggested,his eyes sparkling with happiness.

"No,i don't want to watch those Hollywood movies"aradhya stated scrolling through her mobile.

"Ok,so we will watch bollywood movies"he replied.

"Which one?"she questioned.

"Your choice,I am okay with any genre"he stated.

"Housefull 4"she suggested.

"Have watched many times Aru"he complained.

"Stree 2?"

"No,watched it recently"he complained again.

"So you tell Mr Karan, because I know whichever movie I say you will reject them all and then say 'your choice'"she said sarcastically.

"Ok ok, let's watch any 90s movie.ummm how about "hum tumhare Hain Sanam""

"Alright, let's watch it"she agreed.

They both sat beside each other on couch and covered themselves with the duvet.

***********************************

"The movie was just amazing"Karan said streching his arms and stood up.

"It's already 7 pm,I will cook dinner for you"aradhya said standing up.

"Wait!you?"he questioned.

"I am not eating,I will break my fast in morning. I will just cook for you"she replied to him.

"No need for that"came the voice from behind.

"Dhruv bhaiya!"she exclaimed with a smile which made a small smile appear on his face too.

"I brought food for him and myself for dinner,you don't need to cook"he said placing the food on table.

"Me and you?what about reyansh bhaiya?"Karan asked with a frown.

"Well he also coincidentally has fast today"dhruv stressed on word coincidentally with a smirk.

Karan looked at Aradhya with a teasing smile who looked  a little shocked.

He kept fast?just because she kept fast!

Is he for real?!!!

"You guys eat,i will go in park to get some fresh air"she said moving out of the place hurriedly.

Karan leaned towards dhruv and asked"is bhai really keeping fast?"

"Yes"

"So sweet"he replied and as he opened his mouth,dhruv put a candy in his mouth but that was sour.

"So sour"his words immediately changed as he spit out the candy.

"What kind of candy is it? it's so sour"Karan asked with a frown.

"Sour candy"dhruv shrugged off.

______________________________________

Reaching the park, aradhya found herself at peace,her hairs flowing gracefully due to air but as she moved forwards she noticed someone sitting on the bench.

He was none other than Reyansh.

'what is he doing here?'

She took slow steps towards him making sure that he doesn't notice her presence.

She stood behind his bench,his back facing her.

A smirk played on her lips as she thought of a prank.

She pat his shoulder and then kneel down so he doesn't see her.

But Little did she know,that he had already known about her presence.

He looked behind with a smile but frowned when he didn't find her.

'oh,so she is playing hide and seek with me!'

He looked down to see her,who was already looking up.he immediately rose up from the bench and going behind,he made her stand.he then made her sit down on the bench.

His actions confused her.

"What are you doing?"

"Why did you bend down?what if you got hurt?"

His words made her laugh out loud.

"Are you serious reyansh? how would I get hurt just by bending down?"

He didn't say anything and just simply smiled.her laughter was the best music to him in the world.the way her lips curved upwards,her eyes crinkled as she smiled and laughed.

"Where lost?"she snapped her fingers in front of him.

"In your beauty"he whispered and her widens slightly at his words,her cheeks turning red slightly.

She looked away and a chuckle escaped his mouth as he sat down beside her.

"You kept fast?"she asked after few minutes of silence.

"Yes"he replied softly.

"Why?"she questioned as her eyebrows furrowed.

"Because you kept"

His reply created a havoc in her heart.

"Why are you doing this all?"her voice was merely a whisper as she questioned him looking straight into his eyes.

"I heard a line which said if you break something consider it's yours so maybe your heart is mine and I want you to accept it that it is mine"he smiled with his eyes and she tried her best to not smile back.

"My heart isn't 'something' that you can consider as yours"she replied staring deep into his eyes.

"Maybe but I wonder if there is room for me in your heart.your heart is a flower that deserves to keep blooming but i realised it late for which i loath myself."

"How much do you love me?"she asked looking down at her feet.

He smiled as he made her look up"you see the stars,my love for you is like stars.... countless"

"But I do not"her voice trembled as she looked at him.

He stared at her with soft expressions and then whispered"if you ever forgive me, understand your feelings and make a home....make it with me"

There was silence for few minutes after his words and then she spoke up"I am going back"

Before she could stand,he hold her wrist making her look at him.

"Stay a Little longer"he pleaded and she silently sat back.

_____________________________________

Aradhya entered her cabin, expecting to see the usual flower bouquet that had greeted her every morning without fail. Today, however, the desk was bare. She paused, a flicker of disappointment crossing her face. Had he forgotten? Or worse, had he given up? She shrugged it off, trying to convince herself it was nothing.

But as the hours ticked by, her mind kept drifting back to the missing bouquet. She found it increasingly difficult to concentrate on her work, her thoughts spiraling into a whirlpool of worry and speculation. What if something had happened to him?

Unable to bear the uncertainty any longer, she picked up her phone and called Dhruv. Her heart pounded as she waited for him to answer. When he finally did, his voice was strained.

"He got into an accident"

Dhruv's voice kept ringing in her ears.

She felt her heart sinking in darkness.Her heart raced, and her hands trembled as she tried to process the information.

Without a second thought, she grabbed her keys and rushed out of her office, her mind solely focused on getting to the hospital.

The drive felt like an eternity. Every red light and slow-moving car only heightened her anxiety. She couldn’t help but imagine the worst, her thoughts spiraling into a vortex of fear. What if he was seriously hurt? What if she was too late?

Reyansh was still in surgery, and Aradhya found herself in a state of deep anguish. The thought of losing him was unbearable, and the pain gnawed at her insides. Every minute felt like an eternity as she sat in the waiting room, her mind racing with worst-case scenarios.

The surgery dragged on for six long hours. During this time, Karan arrived at the hospital, having rushed over as soon as he heard about the accident. He joined Aradhya and Dhruv in the waiting room, his presence a silent support.

Despite the turmoil inside her, Aradhya didn’t shed a single tear. She sat there, composed on the outside, but Dhruv and Karan could see the pain in her eyes. They knew her well enough to understand that her silence was a mask for the storm of emotions raging within her. They stayed close, offering their quiet support, knowing that words were unnecessary in such a moment.

Relief washed over them like a tidal wave when the doctor finally emerged from the operating room. His words were a balm to their frayed nerves: Reyansh was safe. The surgery had been successful, and they could meet him once he woke up.

Aradhya felt the tension drain from her body, her shoulders sagging as the weight of her fears lifted. Dhruv and Karan exchanged relieved glances, their silent prayers answered. Though Aradhya still hadn’t shed a tear, the tightness in her chest eased, and she allowed herself a small, grateful smile.

They thanked the doctor profusely, their gratitude evident in their voices. As they waited for Reyansh to wake up, the atmosphere in the room shifted from one of dread to one of hopeful anticipation.

_____________________________________

"Is it paining somewhere?should I call doctor?how did you get into accident Bhai?"Karan bombarded him with questions.

"Will you let him answer?"dhruv gave Karan a glare and gave water to reyansh who took it gladly.

"I am fine"he said first looking at both of them and then her eyes wandered to aradhya and stopped there.

She was looking anywhere but him.

"Now answer were you drunk or what when you were driving?huh?"dhruv questioned,his voice laced with anger and concern.

"After i bought flower–oh shit,I am sorry Jaan i forgot to send the flowers to your office"

She looked at him with a sharp gaze"the fuck you are lying on hospital bed and you still care about those flowers"

She yelled at him and a traitor tear escaped her eyes.

His heart ached at the sight of her shedding tears and the reason is him,again.

Karan and dhruv silently nodding at each other left the room.

"I am sorry ja-

"Keep your sorry with yourself Reyansh rajput.what do you think of yourself huh? couldn't you drive more carefully and safety comes first not the flowers.you asshole"

She kept on blabbering and he listened patiently,at least she was showing her emotions and not bottling them up.

"Now what are you staring at me?you deserve this shit."she scoffed as he didn't reply.

"You look cute when you are angry"he said with a sheepish smile.

"Don't try to butter me up"she stated,her eyes spitting fire.

"I am just stating facts"he said shrugging off.

"You are still flirting!look at yourself.what if something had h-happened to you"her lips trembled and her breathing turned heavier.

"Come here,jaan...please"

She obliged and sat down on the bed beside him.

"I won't leave this world until I get your forgiveness,so don't worry and stop crying,it makes me hate myself more"he wiped her tears and gently holding her hands placing a tender kiss on both of her palms.

"So you will leave me after i forgive you?"she asked,her eyes watering up.

"Never,I will not leave you even if you want me to.even if I want to,i will still not leave you.i can live you hating me forever but I can't live without seeing your face everyday, hearing your sweet voice, watching you read book in balcony under the glow of moonlight"

"It's just words,noone dies without someone.you lived 5 years without me, didn't you?"

"I didn't live jaan,i survived.i survived those 5 years without you but I do not think i would survive a lifetime without you......I am sorry for what I was and I am sorry if I am not what you want in someone.i am sorry for being a bad husband.i am sorry for not treating you right,but i swear if you even give me 10 times more pain than that I gave you,i would take it gladly but just let me help the flower bloom,let me be the light.i beg you please"

A sob escaped her mouth as she whispered"the flower is blooming again, reyansh.thank you"

His heart skipped a beat as he took in the words.

"You forgive me?"he questioned as if he is correct about what she Meant.

She nodded as tears flow down both of their eyes.

"Thank you so much for forgiving me,jaan.i will spend my entire lifetime making up for mistakes I did if you'll let me"

His voice was sincere and full of love.

She smiled through tears and hugged him.she wrapped her arms around him.In that moment, she felt herself melting into the hug,

Reyansh, too, felt a profound sense of comfort and longing. He wished he could hold onto her warmth for a lifetime.

Their heartbeats quickened, the rhythm of their hearts audible to each other in the quiet room. It was as if their hearts were speaking a language only they could understand, a symphony of emotions that bound them closer than ever before.

That's it for this chapter.

Hope you all enjoyed reading.

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