Shifting Perspectives

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Aashna dragged herself up the stairs to her home, the exhaustion weighing heavily on her shoulders. The day had been a blur of too many things, but it was the encounter with Dhruvin that stuck in her mind, and she couldn't shake the strange feeling gnawing at her chest.

What was it about today that had made her feel so unsettled?

She opened the door to her room and stepped in, immediately hit by the warmth of the quiet that surrounded her. But it didn't last long.

Her mother, who had been waiting in the living room, looked up from her phone, her gaze immediately sharp. "Aashna!" she called, her voice a mixture of concern and reprimand. "Kaha thi tu? Aaj kuch breakfast nhi nai kiya? Tumhe pata hai na, college jaane se pehle apna dabba lena zaroori hai?" (Where have you been? Why didn’t you eat your breakfast? You know it's important to take your dabba before leaving for college.)

Aashna could only manage a weak smile and nod. "I was too busy, Maa," she mumbled, avoiding her mother's eyes. The tone of her voice wasn’t enough to convince her mom, though.

Her mother raised an eyebrow, a little irritated now. "Busy? Ya phir apne dimaag ki baatein mein kho gayi thi? Tumhe apne health ka bhi khayal rakhna hai. Aga, jar jevli  nahis tr kasa chalel?" (Busy? Or were you lost in your own thoughts? You need to take care of your health. If you don’t eat, how will you manage?)

Aashna bit her lip, holding back the wave of emotions threatening to spill out. Her mother’s scolding, though laced with concern, only made her feel more frustrated. "I'm fine, Maa, I didn’t feel hungry, okay?" she said, her voice softer than she intended.

Her father, who had been sitting on the couch reading the newspaper, glanced up at her with a concerned expression. "Aashna, are you sure you’re alright?" he asked gently, putting the paper down. "You don’t look well." It was then that Aashna felt a lump form in her throat. The soft concern in her father’s voice made her heart ache. She nodded quickly but her eyes welled up, and she quickly turned away.

"Everything's fine, I just need some rest," she murmured, trying to push past the emotions welling up inside her. She quickly retreated to her room, closing the door behind her, and sat on her bed with a deep sigh.

But before she could even process the emotions that had just bubbled up, the door to her room opened with a soft knock. Aryan, her younger brother, peeked in, his face filled with concern. "Di, what happened? You look... off." Aashna rubbed her eyes, trying to brush off the tears threatening to fall. "It's nothing, Aryan," she said, but her voice lacked conviction.

Aryan, ever the perceptive one, raised an eyebrow. "Di, tell me," he urged, walking into the room and sitting next to her. "Did something happen today?" Aashna hesitated for a moment but then let out a breath.

"It’s just... I don't know, Aryan. Everything's confusing." She paused. "There’s this guy... Dhruvin. You know him, right?" Aryan didn’t say anything for a while, just sitting next to her, his presence a comforting silence. He understood her pain, and he hated the thought of anyone making her feel that way, especially Dhruvin.

She told him everything that happened that day. Finally, Aryan spoke softly. “You don’t have to forgive him if you don’t want to, Aashna di.. But just remember, he’s not the same person you knew in school. People change. If he really does care about you now, maybe you should give him the chance to prove it.”

Aashna shook her head, but there was uncertainty in her eyes. “I don’t know if I’m ready for that. I don’t know if I can ever look past what happened.”

Aryan gave her a reassuring smile. “Take your time. Just don’t shut him out completely. Not yet. Whatever happens, I’ve got your back.”

Aashna didn’t respond immediately, her mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. But the way Aryan had understood her, the way he didn’t judge her for feeling the way she did, made her heart feel a little lighter.

As he closed the door behind him, Aashna sat there, her mind racing. She stared at the computer screen in front of her and, almost without thinking, opened her email inbox.

She knew what she had to do, and though it felt strange, she couldn’t shake the need to thank Dhruvin for what he had done today. She clicked ‘Compose’ and, without overthinking it, typed her message.

Email Draft:

Subject: Thanks for today

"Dhruvin,

Thanks for today. I don’t usually let people help me, but you did, and I guess I’ll acknowledge that.

That’s all.

Aashna."

Aashna sat back after hitting Send, the small weight of the message lifting off her chest. She felt a strange mix of relief and confusion. The words she had typed weren’t a sign of forgiveness—far from it. But they were acknowledgment. Something she didn’t think she’d ever offer Dhruvin.

The evening was quiet, the faint hum of the air conditioning the only sound in the room. But her thoughts refused to quiet down. What was she supposed to feel? Why had she even thanked him?

Maybe she was overthinking. Or maybe—just maybe—she wasn’t ready to let go of the past, but she was starting to wonder if Dhruvin might be the one to help her through it.

❤️❤️❤️

Author’s Note

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