Technically ,I'm single.
But my heart is taken by someone I cant call my own!
(Refer to the character introductions part to better understand the personalities and behaviors)
After 2 years
AUTHOR POV:
Diya woke up first, as usual, stretching lazily before making her way to the living room. The house was quiet, which meant only one thing everyone was still asleep, especially Alia, who was the official rani of oversleeping. Diya sighed, already knowing it would take nothing short of a war declaration to wake her up on time.
She walked to the kitchen, where Aayush was already up, making coffee. "You and your obsession with coffee," she teased, leaning against the counter.
Aayush smirked, handing her a mug. "Good Morning Babe,Slept well?"
"Like a baby"Diya said
Diya took the flowers with a mile, bringing them close to her nose to inhale their fresh scent. "Lilies today?" she asked, twirling the stems between her fingers.
Aayush leaned against the counter, sipping his coffee. "Mmhmm. Yesterday was daisies, day before that, roses. Gotta keep my streak alive, right?"
Diya grinned. "You really do. I'm getting spoiled."
Aayush raised an eyebrow. "Who else will spoil you if not me,My sherni"
She rolled her eyes but couldn't hide her smile. "True." She set the flowers in a vase, arranging them with practiced ease before turning back to him. "So... how was boxing practice?"
Aayush exhaled, stretching his arms. "Brutal.It was with two guys back-to-back."
Diya frowned, stepping closer. "Are you okay? Did you get hit?"
Aayush smirked. "I gave more than I got. But yeah, took a nice hook to the ribs. I'll live, though."
Diya placed a gentle hand on his side, her touch featherlight. "You're always getting hurt," she murmured, concern lacing her voice.
"Comes with the sport." He tapped her nose playfully. "Don't worry, I'm still pretty."
Diya laughed, shaking her head. "One day, I'm wrapping you in bubble wrap."
Diya while keeping an eye on Alia's room. "She's already late, isn't she?"
Aayush took a sip of his coffee and nodded ans at down on the sofa. "Obviously."
With a mischievous grin, Diya grabbed Alia's phone and walked over to her sleeping figure. She leaned in close and whispered, "Alia, get up! Aunty ka call aa raha hai!"
(Alia, get up! Aunty is calling!)
Alia stirred but didn't open her eyes. "Mmm... tell her I'm dead."
"What kind of nirlaj prani says that?!" Diya gasped dramatically.
(What kind of shameless creature says that?!)
Hriday walked in dressed for university. He raised an eyebrow at Alia's half-awake state and smirked. "Arre wah, shahi jeene ka tareeka toh sirf Alia ko aata hai. Hum sab gareebon ki tarah struggle karein aur madam ka 'five more minutes' abhi tak chal raha hai."
(Wow, only Alia knows the royal way of living. While all of us poor souls are struggling, madam's 'five more minutes' is still going on.)
Alia groaned, pulling the blanket over her head. "If I don't wake up, the day won't start. That's how important I am."
Samaira smirked. "Haan, haan. Utho, warna duniya tumhare bina barbaad ho jaayegi."
(Yeah, yeah. Get up, or else the world will be ruined without you.)
Hriday sighed, walking over to Alia's bed and casually pulling her blanket off. "Time to wake up,Alia"
Alia gasped, sitting up immediately."Your hands are so cold" she shrieked dramatically. "Itni thand hai OMG, insaniyat naam ki cheez hoti hai, Hriday!""
(It's so cold OMG, does humanity even exist, Hriday?!)
Diya burst out laughing. "Insaniyat bhi unhi ke liye hoti hai jo subah subah uthein. Tu toh is duniya ki hi nahi hai."
(Humanity is for those who wake up in the morning. You, my friend, are not even part of this world)
Finally awake, Alia dragged herself out of bed,came out dressed for university, grabbed the sandwich Samaira made, and started eating while leaning against the counter. As part of her daily routine, she walked to the balcony and threw some rice grains for the pigeons. It was something she had been doing since she was a child, a habit she picked up from her father.
everyone finally managed to board the bus. Alia, Aayush, and Diya were heading to their classes at the University of Boston, while Samaira and Hriday were on their way to Harvard University. The bus ride was a mix of lazy yawns, inside jokes, and the usual chatter.
Hriday entered his classroom leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, watching everything unfold like an outsider. He wasn't one to seek attention, but he naturally commanded it.
The door swung open, and a new guy walked in. Tall. Sharp gaze behind glasses. His posture screamed confidence, but he wasn't loud about it. He moved with purpose, scanning the room before taking a seat next to a familiar faceâRohan, one of Hriday's casual friends.
After class, Rohan turned to Siddharth. "Acha, bro, meet Hriday my friend. And Hriday, this is Siddharth. A very nice guy,I just met him yesterday. He just joined."
Hriday and Siddharth exchanged nods. No forced handshakes, no unnecessary pleasantries. Just two men sizing each other up, understanding more in silence than most did in words.
"You finding everything okay?" Hriday asked Siddharth. "Uni, city, stay?"
Siddharth shrugged slightly. "Uni is fine. Still looking for a place, though. Haven't found anything decent yet."
"Where did you study before"Hriday asked
"University of Michigan"Sidharth Said
"Where have you checked?" Hriday questioned
"A few places. Nothing worth taking," Siddharth said, pushing his glasses up slightly.
Hriday smirked. "Picky?"
Siddharth didn't flinch. " I just need a neat room. Somewhere quiet, that's all."
Rohan chuckled. " you and Hriday will get along just fine. He's the same." Then, as if struck by an idea, he added, "Hriday has a spare room, actually."
Siddharth turned to Hriday, interest flickering in his sharp eyes. "That so?"
Hriday shrugged, casual but firm. "Yeah. Decent place. No nonsense."
"I live in an apartment that is 10 minutes away from the university with an another friend of mine who is studying at Boston University has a vacant room. You could join us if you wish,I can give you a room tour" offered Hriday after observing Siddharth for a moment, concluding that he seemed decent enough to live with.
Siddharth gave a slow nod. "I'll check it out."
"Sure" said Hriday. Just then, their professor entered the classroom, and they got engrossed in the lecture.
In the evening, Hriday had already informed Aayush about Siddharth , so he was also there in the room.
However,The girls were at the mall, shopping for art supplies for Diya's DIY project. Of course, a little bit of clothes shopping was mandatory. Diya picked out a shirt for Aayush while Samaira browsed through dresses.
Samaira held up a black dress. "How does this look?" she asked.
"Looks good," Alia replied absentmindedly, scrolling through her phone.
Diya, on the other hand, was in a hurry. She had plans with Aayush and didn't want to be late. "Guys, hurry up! We need to leave," she said.
"Oh, come on, we just got here!" Alia groaned. She raised her hand, showing a pile of clothes. "I haven't even tried these yet!"
Diya shook her head. "I just don't want to be late. You know Aayush and I always make sure to eat at least one meal together every day."
Alia placed a hand over her heart. "So pure. So committed. So disgustingly cute."
Samaira smirked. "Haan haan, Aayush ka phone aaya kya? Abhi se restless ho rahi hai."
Diya rolled her eyes. "You'll understand when you find someone."
Samaira flipped her hair. "Please, I am the someone. Self-love, baby."
Diya snorted. "Okay, but what about Alia? She's been single since birth."
Alia groaned. "Ugh, can we not start this again?"
"Yeah, you always dodge this topic," Diya said gently. "What's the matter, darling?"
"There's nothing," Alia replied as she kept scrolling through the clothes. "Let's just focus on shopping."
"Are you not interested in men?"Samaira asked coolly as she walked toward the fitting rooms
"Drop it, both of you," Alia said, trying to look serious but failing as a small smile crept in.
"Come on, Alia. We are your friends. Tell us what's really going on," Diya insisted from inside the fitting room, her tone light and teasing but without any real emotion.
"There's nothing to tell. I just never wanted to be in a relationship. It's that simple," Alia said while putting on her jeans.
"We know that, but we want to understand why," Diya added as she tried on a black bodycon dress.
"Did you ever have a bad breakup?" Diya pressed further, her voice crisp and matter-of-fact.
"If you did, why haven't you told us?" Samaira asked.
"Guys, I was never really in love," Alia said, pushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Now, come out and tell me what you think of my jeans."
"They look good," Diya observed. "But don't you already have the same pair?"
"No, this one is different. It doesn't have the star pattern. Isn't it cute?" Alia replied, twirling slightly to show them.
"Stop dodging the topic," Diya said firmly.
"We are discussing something important here," Diya declared, folding her arms. "I won't stop until I know the truth."
"What do you want to know?" Alia asked, exasperated. "There's nothing."
They both waited silently. Finally, Alia sighed and said, "Fine! I had, or maybe I still have, a huge crush on a guy from school. I just can't get over him."
"So unrequited feelings, huh?" Samaira said
"Did you ever tell him how you feel?" Diya asked as she joined the fitting room.
"I didn't," Alia replied honestly.
"Why not?" Samaira asked, her tone brisk.
"I was scared of being rejected. We weren't close friends. We were more like enemies" Alia said, sitting on a small stool.
"Are you still in touch with him?" Diya asked as she came out with another shirt.
"No, not anymore," Alia said softly.
"When did you last speak to him?" Samaira pressed.
Alia was silent for a moment. Then she stood up and said, "It doesn't matter now," and moved on to try on another dress.
"So, you still think about him?" Samaira asked, her voice as cool as ever.
"Sometimes, yes," Alia admitted quietly.
Alia came out of the fitting room to find Diya and Samaira already waiting for her. "Your outfits look good," she said, forcing a smile. "Let's buy them."
"Did you ever think you should have told him? Maybe things would be different now," Diya said
"I don't think it would have changed anything. I might have ended up more hurt," Alia said sadly.
"It's just a crush, Alia. Look around there are many other men out there," Samaira said gently.
"listen to the hints and start dating. Maybe he wasn't the one," Samaira added coolly.
"Maybe he wasn't the one," Alia agreed softly.
They stepped out of the fitting room together, and after a brief wait, they headed to the billing counter to pay for their clothes and leave the mall. Their banter was light, their friendship strongâeach knowing that no matter what happened, they would always have each other's back.
Diya has put up a story on Instagram of this picture they clicked while shopping.
After finally paying for their not-so-planned shopping spree, they sat down for coffee.
"Okay, real talk," Samaira said, sipping her iced latte. "If we did find this guy and he turned out to be a loser, what would you do?"
Alia groaned. "I'd pretend I never mentioned him."
Diya smirked. "Good thing we remember for you."
Alia facepalmed. "I hate you guys."
"We love you too," Samaira said.
Diya sighed dramatically. "I can't believe you kept something from us. After all these years. The betrayal."
Samaira wiped away fake tears. "I thought we were sisters."
Alia laughed. "Fine. Next time, I'll tell you both first."
Samaira grinned. "That's all we ask."
Diya took a sip of her coffee. "And we'll make sure he's worthy of you. Otherwiseâ"
"we will play DJ wale babu sad songs on his wedding" Samaira finished.
They burst into laughter, knowing that no matter what happened, they always had each other.
Diya frowned at Alia's phone screen as the incorrect passcode notification popped up. "Ugh, what's your passcode again? I always keep getting confused with those numbers of yours"
Alia without hesitation replied "73 69 64."
"Is it related to someone?"Â Samaira asked
"No, Samaira, it's just a random number."Alia stilled for half a second before rolling her eyes.
"Oh, sure. Because you're totally the kind of person to pick random numbers as a password."Samaira smirked.
Diya, now scrolling through Alia's gallery, hummed in agreement. "Yeah, it doesn't seem like something you'd just make up." She paused, then gasped dramatically. "Wait, it's not his, right?"
Diya ignored her. "Okay, let's think. It's definitely not a generic password. Maybe it's his name? His birthday? The date heâ"
Samaira snapped her fingers. "First time you saw him?"
Diya turned to her, impressed. "Oof. That would be romantic."
Alia groaned louder. "It's just a password!"
"But a very mysterious one." Samaira smirked. "And knowing you, it means something."
Alia's grip on her coffee cup tightened. "Diya, drop it."
Samaira leaned forward, her smirk widening. "Oh, this is definitely about him."
Diya blinked before gasping again, even louder this time. "Oh my God, is it his name in number form?"
Alia groaned, burying her face in her hands. "I knew I should have picked something random."
Samaira shook her head, grinning. "You're hopeless."
Diya giggled, nudging Alia playfully. "It's okay, babe. Your secret is safe with us... well, not really a secret anymore."
Alia let out a dramatic sigh. "I seriously need new friends."
Samaira smirked. "Too bad. You're stuck with us for life."
ð¯ðð§â¡
Hriday and Siddharth were at the apartment, and Siddharth quite liked the place for being so clean and sophisticated.
"The flat is so immaculate" said Siddharth
"Yes, it's just the two of us living in this room, but we have three other friends living in the apartment across from ours" Aayush replied.
"Well, we all met in London during our undergrad and moved here for our postgrad" Hriday answered and Siddharth nodded to it
"And our apartment being this impeccably maintained is all thanks to our friend Alia. She's meticulous due to her OCD, so yeah" Hriday said with a smirk.
The mention of the name 'Alia' got Siddharth thinking about his school friend named Alia, a real pain, and coincidentally, she also had OCD. However, he nullified the possibility of them being the same person because the last time he checked, she was in London.
"I like the apartment. I'd like to move in soon. Will it be fine if I move in tomorrow itself"asked Sidharth
"Sure, we will help you with the boxes" said Hriday, trying to be helpful. They left the apartment, and Hriday locked it.
â®âË
Later that evening, the study room at our apartment transformed into a quirky hangout zone where textbooks and memes coexisted. The gangâDiya, Hriday, Aayush, Samaira, and Alia had gathered for their much-needed study session everyday
After little bit of studies, Diya, Hriday, and Aayush prepared dinner for everyone, while Alia set the table for the meal and Samaira was studying.
"By the way, a new guy is moving in soon. His name's Siddharth."
Alia froze.
The name hit her like a punch to the gut, dragging her straight back to school days she'd rather forget. There was only one Siddharth she had ever known
It couldn't be him.
But just to be sure, she had done what any normal, curious person would do she had tried to stalk him.
Just like she had been trying to for the past six years.
And, as always, she found nothing.
No social media posts. No pictures. No updates. The man practically didn't exist online. Either he was a ghost, or he was one of those overly private, no-digital-footprint people.
But there was no way this Siddharth was her Siddharth
Or maybe there is?
"Yeah. He just moved here for his postgrad. We met him through some mutual friends," Hriday explained. "Seems decent enough."
Alia quickly looked down at her notes, forcing herself to focus. It had to be a coincidence. The world wasn't that small.
Before anyone could notice her shift in mood, Diya changed the topic by asking "Okay, more importantlyâwho wants ice cream?"
The response was immediate.
"Me!" everyone chorused.
And just like that, the night went back to normalâsitting around the living room, eating ice cream straight from the tub, and rewatching Friends like they hadn't seen it a million times before.
Gradually, Aayush dozed off on the couch, still holding Diya's hand. Hriday and Alia tackled the dishes, while Samaira despite all her complaints was the only one actually studying.
Later, when Alia finally sat on her bed, she pulled out her diary, hesitating for a moment before flipping it open. Her mind kept circling back to that name.
Hey everyone,
How did you like the characters!!who is amongst them is your favorite?!ð¤
I'd love to hear your thoughts about the book.
Please follow me on wattpad!!
Also consider voting and commenting your views on this book!!I really want to what you feel about this book!!ð¤ð¥¹
instagram:TeeWritess_
Character Aesthetics: