A soft hum of morning light seeped through the hospital blinds, casting a faint glow on the sterile white walls.
The rhythmic beeping of machines filled the silence, steady and reassuring.
Abhir's lashes fluttered before his eyes cracked open, the world around him blurry at first.
A dull ache throbbed through his body, the weight of exhaustion making it difficult to move, to think.
But even through the lingering haze of pain, a warmth spread through his chest-a warmth that had nothing to do with the hospital's temperature but everything to do with the people in the room.
"He is getting conscious"
He heard some noises.
The first thing he saw was a cluster of familiar faces.
His sisters-Ruhi and Abhira-were right there, their faces a mix of relief and frustration.
Armaan stood with his arms crossed, looking stern yet unmistakably relieved.
And Charu... She stood a little away, arms loosely folded, her expression unreadable-but her eyes, dark and intense, stayed fixed on him.
He took it all in, his heart swelling.
These were the people for whom he still wanted to live in this world.
His near-death experience had made it clearer than ever-life was fragile, unpredictable, and yet, it was worth fighting for life when you had people who would fight along for you.
The scolding started before he could even process his emotions.
"Do you have any idea how scared we were bhai?!" Abhira snapped, stepping closer.
"Stupid billa boy, what were you thinking before recklessly driving like that!" Ruhi huffed, her voice thick with unspoken emotions.
Armaan, though calmer, gave him a pointed look. "You nearly gave everyone a heart attack, Abhir."
Abhir wanted to say something, to reassure them, but his throat felt raw, his voice barely there.
So, he just listened-soaking in their words, their anger, their love.
For once, he didn't mind the scoldings.
They felt like golden words, wrapping around him like a cocoon of warmth, grounding him.
Finally, after what felt like ages, he forced out a hoarse whisper, his lips twitching into a ghost of a smile.
"Wow. You guys sure know how to give a warm welcome."
A collective groan filled the room.
Ruhi shot him a glare. "Oh, shut up."
Abhira huffed, but relief flickered in her eyes. "You're lucky you can barely talk, or I would've smacked you."
Abhir's voice was still rough, but his grin widened. "Nice to know... nothing has changed guys."
"You're impossible!" Ruhi smacked his arm lightly, while Abhira wiped at her eyes before smacking his other arm.
Abhir tried to grin but winced. "Ouch. You guys do realize I'm still in pain, right?"
"Good. You deserve it," Ruhi muttered, though her fingers instinctively brushed his forehead in an absentminded check, as if to reassure herself he was really awake.
Armaan chuckled, shaking his head. "He's still got his comebacks. He'll be fine in a few days guys"
Ruhi rolled her eyes but softened. "We need to call home and let everyone know you're awake. Now get some rest before everyone gets here, okay?"
Abhir nodded, his exhaustion creeping back in, but just as they turned to leave, he noticed Charu following them, her usual unreadable expression in place.
One by one, they started filing out, giving him space to rest.
Charu turned last.
He watched as she pivoted on her heel, ready to walk out-ready to slip away like a dream vanishing with the morning sun.
Something snapped in him urging him to hold her back.
With the last ounce of strength he could muster, his fingers curled around her wrist, trapping her in place.
Charu inhaled sharply.
His grip was weak, but his intent was clear.
"Stay," he murmured.
For a moment, she just stared at him, her heart pounding.
He wasn't looking at her with the teasing glint she was used to, nor was he putting up a front.
This was different-his walls were down, and he was asking, without pretense.
Still, she didn't want to make it obvious how much that one word affected her.
So, she raised an eyebrow, masking her emotions behind an exasperated scoff.
"You sure you're okay? Because you sound like you're hallucinating."
A weak chuckle left his lips, and despite his exhaustion, that familiar teasing smile crept onto his face.
"If you're scolding me like this... I must be fine. Definitely not in heaven, that's for sure."
She rolled her eyes "God, you're insufferable."
But even as she scoffed, her gaze softened-just a fraction.
Abhir saw it.
And it made him want to keep teasing her forever.
"Sit," he simply said.
A challenge.
A quiet request.
A silent demand.
For a second, she hesitated.
Then, with a resigned sigh, Charu pulled a chair close and sat beside him, arms crossed, as if reluctant.
But neither of them spoke after that.
Looking at each other.
Existing in the quiet.
And somehow, it felt like the most natural thing in the world.
The silence between them stretched, comfortable yet charged with something unspoken.
Abhir let his heavy eyelids fall shut for a moment, exhaustion clinging to him like a second skin.
But even as he drifted between wakefulness and slumber, a whisper-soft and haunting-played on a loop in his mind.
"I'm falling for you."
His brows furrowed, lips pressing into a thin line.
The words felt real, like something he had actually heard in her voice, but... that was impossible.
Charu could never have said that.
She wouldn't.
Would she.
His mind was playing tricks on him. Must be the damn painkillers.
.
Or maybe the accident had rattled his brain more than he realized.
Charu-sharp-tongued, infuriating, unreadable Charu-confessing feelings for him?
That was absurd.
She barely tolerated him most days, always throwing sarcasm his way, rolling her eyes at his antics.
If she truly felt something, wouldn't he have seen it?
Wouldn't he have known?
But the whisper still echoed, unsettling in its clarity.
He peeked through his lashes, stealing a glance at her.
She was sitting at his bedside, arms loosely wrapped around herself, staring at nothing in particular.
A soft, almost serene smile tugged at her lips, as if lost in her own world.
The thought made him scoff under his breath.
Charu, in love with him?
Yeah, right.
His sudden exhale of amusement caught Charu's attention, and she blinked at him, tilting her head.
"What?"
Abhir schooled his expression into nonchalance, shaking his head slightly. "Nothing. Just... a funny thought."
Charu raised an eyebrow. "You find something amusing while lying in a hospital bed, recovering from a dreadful accident?"
Abhir chuckled, but the motion sent a dull ache through his ribs, making him wince.
Charu immediately straightened, concern flickering in her eyes before she masked it with a scowl.
"Idiot" she muttered under her breath.
"If it hurts, don't laugh."
He exhaled, shaking his head.
Charu let out a dramatic sigh, but her heart ached at how weak his voice still sounded.
Even in this state, he had the audacity to joke, to act as if everything was fine.
But she knew better.
She had nearly lost him.
That single fact had shaken her more than anything in her life.
And now, sitting here beside him, she knew one thing with certainty-she loved him.
There was no use pretending otherwise.
It wasn't fleeting or shallow.
It wasn't the kind of love that could be ignored or wished away.
It was deep and unwavering.
But certainty didn't mean clarity.
She didn't know if he could ever see her that way.
If she was anything more to him than a rival in banter, a presence he tolerated.
If her place in his life was merely incidental, an accident of fate rather than a choice.
And yet, unbeknownst to her, she was already deeply rooted in his mind.
And his heart.
A place she had unknowingly occupied long before either of them had realized it.
-----------------------------------
Ruhi halted just outside the Abhir' s hospital room, her hand poised near the door handle, but something inside made her stop.
Through the small glass window, she saw Charu seated beside Abhir, her fingers loosely curled around his hand.
It wasn't deliberate-more instinctive, like she had reached out and held on without realizing it.
Abhir lay motionless, his breathing deep and steady, a rare calmness washing over his face.
Ruhi didn't move, didn't make a sound.
She had always known Charu was different around Abhir, but seeing her like this-unguarded, vulnerable, holding onto him like he was something precious-made Ruhi smile.
But before she could process it further, a blur of movement rushed past her.
Abhira.
As always, loud, spontaneous, and completely unaware of the delicate moment she had just shattered.
"The doctor said he needs a liquid diet for the next few hours, and no spicy food for a few days! I swear, if Bhai even tries to sneak a bite of junk or something oily, we're force-feeding him khichdi for a month-"
Charu jolted, pulling her hand away as if burned, her posture immediately stiffening.
Ruhi sighed.
Abhira had the worst timing.
And Charu was predictable in this way.
She stepped in after her sister, giving Charu a knowing look but choosing not to say anything.
Charu, on the other hand, had already schooled her expression into nonchalance, busying herself by straightening the blanket over Abhir.
Abhira, oblivious as ever, turned to Charu. "Charu, tu ghar jaa. Armaan ke saath jaake aur thoda rest le," Abhira said, her voice firm yet kind.
"You've been here since last night. You must be exhausted."
Charu opened her mouth to protest but hesitated.
How was she supposed to say that she didn't want to leave?
Her throat tightened, and for a moment, she considered making an excuse-anything to stay a little longer.
But under Abhira's sharp gaze, she knew she wouldn't get away with it.
So, instead, she nodded.
"Haan... maybe you're right." Her voice was carefully neutral.
"I should probably get some sleep."
Ruhi noticed the flicker of reluctance in her eyes.
But before she could comment, Abhira turned to her next.
Abhira then turned to her. "Tum bhi ab jao, Ruhi. Daksh ko feed karna hoga, aur Rohit Bhai akele sambhal rahe honge sab. I'll stay for a few hours, check with the doctor about Bhai's progress and discharge. Waise bhi, Par Nanu aur Nani aa rahe hain thodi der mey."
Ruhi pressed her lips together.
She didn't want to go leaving Abhir in this state.
But Abhira wasn't wrong-Daksh needed her.
With a reluctant sigh, she agreed.
"Theek hai, but call me if anything and I will come back in the evening again."
Abhira smiled. "Of course."
Armaan, who had been standing quietly, placed a hand on Abhira's shoulder. "I'll be back in an hour or two. I'll grab a change of clothes and some food for you. Just take care till then."
Abhira nodded, her expression softening. "I will."
As the group slowly dispersed, Charu cast one last glance at Abhir, her fingers twitching at her sides.
She didn't want to leave.
But for now, she had no choice.
---------------------------------
Poddar House
Charu stepped out of the shower, her damp hair clinging to her skin as she absentmindedly towel-dried it.
The warm water had done little to calm her nerves, her thoughts stubbornly looping back to the hospital.
To him.
To the way his fingers had curled around her wrist, murmuring for her to stay.
To the glint in his eyes that had lingered despite his exhaustion.
Her lips twitched involuntarily.
"Why are you smiling like that di?" Charu turned sharply to find Kiara standing at her door, arms crossed, an amused smirk on her face.
Before she could respond, Kiara plopped onto the bed.
"You know, you should smile like this more often. You look... beautiful."
Charu rolled her eyes but didn't refute her.
"Never mind -how's my Rockstar Abhir? I've been stalking every social media page for updates, and people are sending him so much love. It's insane!"
Charu glanced at her phone, seeing the flood of supportive messages and hashtags trending in his name.
She had always been irked by the noise of public admiration for celebrities.
But today... today, it felt different.
It felt deserved.
"He's doing better," Charu admitted softly, the irritation she once held toward his overwhelming stardom replaced with something warmer, something almost proud.
Kiara let out a dramatic sigh. "I wish I could've gone to see him. But nooo, my parents still think I'm a child and didn't let me step out!"
Charu chuckled. "You are a child."
Kiara scowled. "Excuse me, anyways you're just lucky you got to stay with him all night!"
Before Charu could deflect.
The moment was cut short when her phone buzzed aggressively.
Mishra.
Her stomach clenched.
She hesitated before answering, pressing the phone to her ear while gesturing for Kiara to keep quiet.
The voice on the other end was anything but pleasant.
"That reckless Rockstar did it again, Ms. Bansal," Mishra sneered.
"Because of Abhir Sharma, my losses have doubled down now."
Charu closed her eyes, inhaling deeply. "Mr. Mishra, Abhir was nearly dead. This isn't-"
"I don't care!" he cut her off coldly. "I warned you last time also, but you wanted to fight all fair, didn't you?"
"Mishra ji in return you did get back compensation of your losses and it was a free show he was gonna do for you.."Charu snapped back.
"Nothing is free in this world Ms.Bansal , the venue arrangements, ticket cancellations still bit back at me. Listen If you can't settle this,for damages ten times over this time then its fine or I'll sue him. And if that doesn't work, I'll make sure he's banned from the music industry for good. I have the right contacts."
The call disconnected before she could respond.
Her fingers clenched around the phone, her jaw tightening.
Kiara, having heard enough, gasped. "What the hell?! Charu di you have to convince him somehow. We can't let anything happen to Abhir. He's the idol for many!"
Charu's expression hardened.
"No."
Kiara blinked. "No?"
"I'm not going to convince him."
Charu's voice was firm, resolute. "I'm going to stop him."
Her Abhir wouldn't suffer anymore.
Not again.
And this time, she would make sure of it.
Her Abhir.
The words left her lips in a mere whisper, but in her heart, they rang loud and clear.