Aashna's Guilt, Dhruvin's Longing

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The Diwali party had begun in full swing. The house was bathed in the golden glow of diyas, fairy lights twinkling across the courtyard, and laughter echoing through the air. The aroma of freshly prepared sweets and incense lingered, adding to the festive warmth.

Dhruvin, dressed in an off-white kurta, moved through the crowd, exchanging smiles, ensuring everything was in place. His friends were busy chatting, his relatives engrossed in catching up, and the younger kids ran around in excitement. He was about to check on the arrangements one last time when his steps faltered.

Descending the stairs was Aashna.

Draped in a delicate pink dress with intricate embroidery, she looked ethereal. The soft shimmer of the fabric caught the light as she moved, her dark brown hair cascading in soft waves over her shoulder. The delicate jhumkas swayed with her every step, adding to her effortless grace.

Dhruvin felt the air still around him, his breath catching as his eyes locked onto her. His heart pounded, and for the first time in a long while, words failed him.

She was beautiful. Too beautiful.

Regaining his composure, he moved towards her. Taking her hand gently, he gazed into her eyes and murmured, "You’re not just beautiful, Aashna... you’re the kind of light that cannot be hidden even in darkness."

Aashna gasped softly, her fingers tightening around his instinctively. She looked up at him, momentarily lost in his intense gaze. Her heartbeat echoed in her ears, the noise of the party fading into the background.

A small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips as he leaned in slightly and whispered, "I want to kiss you so bad right now, but I can't I haven't secured the right yet."

Aashna blinked, heat rushing to her cheeks. "Dhruvin... stop," she mumbled, but the softness in her voice betrayed her.

He chuckled, stepping back but not before giving her hand a light squeeze. "Come on, Aaji and Aajoba are looking for you."

Shaking her head, still flustered, Aashna walked past him and found her way to where Aaji and Aajoba were sitting. She immediately noticed Aajoba trying to get up and move around despite Aaji's protests.

"Aap baithe rahiye, Aajoba!" (You sit down, Aajoba!) Aashna scolded, hands on her hips. "Agar itna ghoomenge toh raat tak aapke ghutne dukhne lagenge!" (If you keep walking around so much, your knees will start hurting by night.)

Aaji chuckled, patting Aashna’s arm. "Beta, you make him understand, he never listens to me!"

Aashna crossed her arms, glaring at Aajoba. "If you don’t sit down, I’ll get upset!"

Aajoba sighed dramatically, holding his hands up in surrender. "Theek hai, theek hai! Teri daant se achha hai, main yahan baith jaata hoon." (Alright, alright! It’s better to sit than face your scolding.)

Dhruvin, standing a few steps away, observed the entire exchange. A warmth spread through him, something unfamiliar yet comforting. Watching Aashna care for his grandparents like this—scolding them, fussing over them, making sure they weren’t overexerting themselves—tugged at something deep inside him.

It was overwhelming, yet in the best way possible.

A gentle elbow nudged his ribs, pulling him from his thoughts.

"Bhai, you’ve got it bad," Manan smirked, watching him with amusement. "You’re staring at her like she’s the only person in the room."

"Shut up," Dhruvin muttered, rolling his eyes, but he knew Manan had caught him.

Sia, who had just walked up to them, caught the tail end of the conversation and smirked. "Aashna’s got you wrapped around her little finger, huh?"

"Kuch bhi!" (Nonsense!) Dhruvin scoffed, shaking his head.

Manan and Sia exchanged a knowing glance before bursting into laughter. Dhruvin shot them a glare but couldn’t stop himself from glancing at Aashna again. His thoughts kept drifting back to the way she had hugged him earlier, her words still lingering in his mind.

Meanwhile, across the courtyard, Aashna pulled Advait aside.

"I need to talk to you," she said, her voice lower than usual.

Advait, sensing her worry, frowned. "What’s wrong?"

She hesitated for a moment before speaking, "It’s Dhruvin. I... I found out about his past today. About what he went through."

Advait sighed, rubbing his temple. "I had a feeling you didn’t know. It was bad, wasn’t it? Even i got to know about his parents few days ago from Saumya."

"Worse than I imagined," she admitted. "All these years... I thought he ignored what I went through, that he was just indifferent. But the truth is, he wasn’t even present enough in his own life to notice what was happening around him. He was drowning in his own pain."

Advait looked at her, seeing the guilt swimming in her eyes. "And now you feel guilty for resenting him all these years."

Aashna exhaled sharply, nodding. "Yes. I wasted so much time hating him."

Advait placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Aashna, you didn’t know. And honestly, Dhruvin—he’s not the easiest person to understand. He doesn’t let people in. If he let you see this part of him, that means you’re important to him. But… be careful. He’s spent years pretending to be okay. The moment things get too real, he might try to push you away."

Aashna swallowed, realizing how right Advait was. "I don’t want to let that happen."

"Then don’t," he said simply. "Just… don’t let him slip away."

From a distance, Dhruvin watched the two of them, frowning slightly. Aashna looked worried, and Advait had that usual protective stance around her. His gut twisted slightly at the sight. He was about to walk over and ask if everything was okay, but then he stopped himself.

No. If something was wrong, Aashna would tell him. Right?

Pushing the thought aside, he turned back towards the festivities, yet he couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was being kept from him.

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Author’s Note

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