Sirf Project Ke Liye Aaya Hoon, Kasam Se!

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Aashna woke up feeling significantly better—no fever, no headache, just a lingering laziness that made her want to stay in bed a little longer. But her mother had different plans.

"Aashna, utho! Tumhare liye nashta rakha hai table pe," (Wake up! I’ve kept breakfast for you on the table.) her mother called out.

"Maa, mujhe abhi bhook nahi hai," Aashna groaned, pulling the blanket over her head.

"Toh tu ab khaayegi ya jab main khud tumhara muh kholke khilaun tab?" (So, will you eat now, or should I personally feed you?) her mother countered, hands on her hips.

Aashna sighed in surrender. She walked into the dining area, where her younger brother Aryan sat, eating parathas and watching her with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Waise kaunsa dost tha jo tujhe laddoo de gaya?" (By the way, which friend gave you laddoos?) Aryan asked, smirking.

Aashna paused mid-bite. "Tu chup karega ya report card nikalun?" (Will you shut up, or should I bring out your report card?) she shot back.

Her mother watched the exchange with narrowed eyes. "Laddoo kisne diye?" (Who gave you the laddoos?)

"Ek dost," Aashna said nonchalantly, hoping the topic would die.

"Kaunsa dost?" Aryan pressed, grinning.

"Aryan, tu padhaayi pe dhyaan de warna tujhe college mein koi laddoo nahi dene waala," (Aryan, focus on your studies, or no one will give you laddoos in college either.) she said, ruffling his hair before walking away.

She picked out a yellow top and black jeans, looking at herself in the mirror. The color suited her, made her feel fresh. It was time to go back to college.

At the Deshmukh house, Dhruvin was practically bouncing as he told Aaji and Aajoba about his "operation laddoo delivery."

"Aaji, tujhya haathache laddoo khup avadlele tila," (Aaji, she really liked your laddoos!) he said, grinning.

Aaji smiled knowingly. "Look at this boy! He’s smiling so much!"

Aajoba chuckled. "Tula kay vattay? isn’t this love?" (What do you think?)

"Aajoba, please! Premat nahi, project madhey ahe!" (Aajoba, please! I’m falling into a project, not in love!) Dhruvin tried to argue, but Aaji and Aajoba just exchanged amused glances.

Before they could tease him further, his phone buzzed. He pulled it out, expecting Manan or one of the boys. Instead, it was an email.

From: Aashna Pathak

Subject: Terrace. 5 PM. Project Discussion. Don’t be late.

He smirked, reading the email twice.

"Aankhon mein aankhein daalke baat karne ka mauka mil gaya!" (Got a chance to stare into her eyes while talking!) he muttered to himself.

Dhruvin strolled into the canteen, hands stuffed in his pockets, looking every bit like the "cool bad boy" he pretended to be. But inside, he was buzzing. He had an email from Aashna. A meeting. A private one. On the terrace.

Manan, Raj, and Saumya were already there, munching on vada pavs.

Manan smirked the second he saw Dhruvin’s face. "Bhai, yeh kya chamak hai tere chehre pe? Pyaar ho gaya kya?" (Bro, why is your face glowing? Have you fallen in love?)

Raj wiggled his eyebrows. "Koi toh hai jo iske dimag ke screws dhila kar raha hai." (Someone is loosening the screws in his brain.)

"Shut up," Dhruvin muttered, snatching a piece of Raj’s vada pav.

Saumya leaned in. "Wait. This isn’t about that Aashna girl, right?"

Manan gasped dramatically. "AREY! DHAN TANANNN! Confirmed! Bhai lattoo ho gaya!" (Bro is totally smitten!)

"I’m just meeting her for the project,"  Dhruvin said, but even he knew how unconvincing he sounded.

Manan snorted. "Haan, haan. Aur hum Ambani ke private jet se college aate hain." (Yeah, yeah. And we come to college in Ambani’s private jet.)

Dhruvin rolled his eyes but couldn’t hide his smirk.

Meanwhile Aashna, still adjusting to being back in college after two days of fever, walked into the classroom, greeted by a loud "Finally, madam aayi!" (Finally, madam has arrived!) from Sia.

Advait gave her a once-over. "Feeling better?"

She nodded. "Much. At least no one’s force-feeding me laddoos now."

Sia gasped. "WAIT. Who gave you laddoos?"

Aashna pursed her lips. "Aaji ke haath ke bane the…"

Sia smirked. "Dhruvin ki Aaji?"

Advait stiffened beside her. "Woh yahan tak aa gaya?"

Aashna sighed. "Zyada mat socho. Bas deliver karne aaya tha." (Don’t overthink. He just came to deliver them.)

Sia grinned. "And you ate them?"

Aashna crossed her arms. "Main bimar thi, Sia. Poison thodi na tha laddoo!" (I was sick, Sia. It wasn’t poison!)

Advait still looked annoyed, but Sia was giggling. "Pathak, tu phas rahi hai!" (Pathak, you’re falling into this!)

Aashna rolled her eyes. "Not happening. Focus on your project, Patel."

Sia chuckled. "You focus on yours… aur terrace pe jaake romance mat karna." (And don’t go romancing on the terrace.)

Aashna scoffed. "Romance and Dhruvin? Please. The guy flirts with anything that breathes."

Sia smirked. "Haan, but kuchh log uspe react bhi karne lage hain." (Yeah, but some people have started reacting to it.)

Aashna threw a book at her.

Dhruvin arrived first. He sat on the terrace ledge, looking down at his watch dramatically when Aashna arrived.

"Five minutes late," he teased, "also you are looking like a sunflower." he added.

"Shut up," she muttered, sitting cross-legged on the floor. "Chalo,let’s discuss ideas."

Dhruvin smirked. "Ladies first."

Aashna opened her notebook. "Okay, first idea—‘The Psychological Impact of Social Media’. How students deal with pressure, comparison, and validation online."

Dhruvin tilted his head. "Hmmm. Toh basically tum mere Instagram reels pe study karna chahti ho?" (So basically, you want to study my Instagram reels?)

Aashna deadpanned. "Tere reels sirf cringe compilation ke layak hain, Deshmukh." (Your reels belong in a cringe compilation, Deshmukh.)

"Rude," Dhruvin muttered. "Okay, rejected. Next?"

Aashna sighed. "‘Women’s Safety in Mumbai’—a documentary on the struggles of traveling alone at night."

Dhruvin tapped his chin. "(It’s a good idea, but won’t it be too intense? I mean, it’s a college project, not a crime documentary."

Aashna nodded. "Fine. Your turn."

Dhruvin grinned. "Okay. Idea one—‘Mumbai Monologues.’ A short film with poetic narration on everyday people’s lives."

Aashna frowned. "So basically, ‘Humans of Bombay’ but with slow-motion shots?"

"Abbe nahi! Artistic hai yaar!" (No, dude! It’s artistic!)

Aashna smirked. "So basically, you just want to make something aesthetic to get views?"

Dhruvin sighed dramatically. "Tum kabhi creative vision samjhogi bhi?" (Will you ever understand creative vision?)

"Bas cringy voice-over mat dalna." (Just don’t add a cringy voice-over.)

"Fine. NEXT IDEA."

He leaned forward, a bit more serious now. "A documentary on underprivileged children. Their struggles, their dreams, and the people helping them."

Aashna blinked, a little surprised. "Tum… itni serious cheez soch bhi sakte ho?" (You can think of something this serious?)

Dhruvin smirked. "Main sirf flirting expert nahi hoon, Pathak. Talent bhi hai." (I’m not just a flirting expert, Pathak. I have talent too.)

Aashna studied him for a moment, then nodded. "I like this one."

"Toh decide ho gaya?" (So, it’s decided?)

She hummed. "Haan. Par ek shart pe." (Yes. But on one condition.)

Dhruvin raised an eyebrow. "Abhi bhi shartein? Kya hai?" (Still conditions? What is it?)

"Tu kaam pe dhyaan dega. Sirf dikhane ke liye nahi karega." (You’ll focus on the work. You won’t just do it for show.)

Dhruvin grinned. "Main toh hamesha dedicated rehta hoon." (I’m always dedicated.)

Aashna scoffed. "Haan, bas dedication alag-alag cheezon mein hota hai." (Yeah, just that your dedication is in different things.)

He leaned in. "Jaise?" (Like?)

She rolled her eyes. "Jaise flirt karna." (Like flirting.)

He smirked. "Toh tum maanti ho ki main flirt karne mein expert hoon?" (So you admit that I’m an expert in flirting?)

Aashna huffed, standing up. "Meeting over."

"Oh come on, I at least deserve one coffee!"

Aashna picked up her notebook. "Dream on, Deshmukh."

Dhruvin grinned. "Chai bhi chalegi?" (Tea would also work?)

Aashna shook her head as she walked away, but there was a tiny smile playing on her lips.

And Dhruvin noticed.

❤️❤️❤️

Author’s Note

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