It's been a week since the camp started, and all these days, Rudra had been trying to talk to Aarohi, to be close to her. Sometimes he even flirted with her, but Aarohi's trust in him was shattered. Despite her resolve, she found herself occasionally swayed by his words, a small part of her heart still responding to the Rudra she once loved.
Every morning, Rudra would find subtle ways to be around Aarohi, whether it was during breakfast or while they were working. He would compliment her, share little jokes, and sometimes their eyes would meet, sparking the chemistry they once had.
Aarohi, on the other hand, was caught in a whirlwind of emotions. She remembered their past, the pain, and the betrayal she felt, but Rudra's persistent efforts were chipping away at her defenses. She was torn between holding on to her mistrust and giving in to the lingering feelings she had for him.
During one of their breaks, Rudra approached Aarohi with a cup of coffee. "Hey, I got this for you," he said, offering her the cup with a hopeful smile.
Aarohi hesitated but took the coffee. "Thanks," she muttered, avoiding eye contact.
Throughout the week, Rudra found himself constantly on edge, consumed by jealousy. His friend Vicky, who had a habit of flirting with Aarohi, irritated him to no end. It wasn't just Vicky; Rudra also noticed that Ravi, Aarohi's senior, was always trying to be close to her. Ravi's intentions were clear-he liked Aarohi, and this knowledge made Rudra's blood boil.
Every time Vicky made a playful comment towards Aarohi or tried to engage her in conversation, Rudra's fists would clench. He tried to hide his irritation, but it was evident in his tense posture and the sharp looks he gave Vicky. Vicky, oblivious to Rudra's feelings, continued his light-hearted banter with Aarohi, completely unaware of the storm brewing within Rudra.
Ravi, on the other hand, was a different challenge. He was always around Aarohi, offering his help, sharing meals, and making her laugh. Rudra could see the way Ravi looked at Aarohi-with genuine affection and hope. It gnawed at him, making him feel helpless and angry. Every time he saw them together, a surge of possessiveness overwhelmed him.
At night, Rudra was restless, thoughts of Aarohi swirling in his mind. Unable to sleep, he went out to the balcony and stared at the sky. His gaze shifted to the garden below, where he saw Aarohi and Ravi sitting closely, engaged in an animated conversation. The sight made his blood boil with anger and jealousy, but he knew confronting them would be futile-Aarohi wouldn't listen to him.
Returning to his room, Rudra saw Vicky getting ready. "Are you going out?" Rudra asked.
Vicky nodded, "Yes, on a date."
"With whom?" Rudra inquired.
"Jiya, you know, Aarohi's friend," Vicky replied.
Rudra sighed, "I thought you liked Aarohi."
Vicky put down his perfume, walked over to Rudra, and said, "Bhai, why didn't you tell me you and Aarohi have a past? That's why I'm following the bro rule and moving on from my little attraction."
Rudra laughed, "How do you know about me and Aarohi?"
"Jiya told me," Vicky said, then left for his date.
As Vicky and Jiya were leaving, Jiya stopped and noticed Aarohi sitting with Ravi. She remarked, "Just look at them."
Vicky looked and asked, "What about them? Are they together?"
Jiya shrugged, "I don't know. Aarohi never tells me anything about Ravi, whether she likes him or not."
Vicky asked, "Did she tell you about Rudra? Does she still have feelings for him?"
Jiya shook her head, "No, she always denies it when I ask her."
They both glanced at Aarohi and Ravi. Jiya observed, "Look at Ravi, the way he looks at Aarohi. I think he's really in love with her."
Vicky turned to Jiya and asked playfully, "What type of look?"
Jiya smiled, "Just the way you're looking at me right now."
They both laughed and went out, leaving Rudra to his frustration. He lay down on the bed but couldn't stay still. He kept going back to the balcony, watching Aarohi and Ravi. His jealousy and frustration kept him awake until exhaustion finally took over, and he fell asleep.
The next morning, Rudra woke up to find Vicky absent, assuming he had spent the night with Jiya , out. As he got ready and left his room, he noticed Ravi emerging from Aarohi's room, still wearing the clothes from the previous night. The sight shocked and hurt him deeply, raising painful questions in his mind.
Rudra wanted to ask Ravi what he was doing in Aarohi's room so early, but the words failed him. His heart ached too much to confront him. Instead, he retreated back to his room and sat on the bed, his mind racing.
"Did they spend the whole night together?" he wondered, tormented by the thought. With Vicky and Jiya out, Aarohi had been alone last night, making the possibility even more painful.
"No, no," he muttered to himself, desperately trying to dismiss the idea. But doubt lingered, gnawing at him. "What if it's true?"
The uncertainty and jealousy consumed him, leaving him feeling more confused and hurt than ever.
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Aarohi got ready and headed to the breakfast table, knowing jiya was out with Vicky because jiya had messaged her. Alone at first, she didn't find Rudra anywhere in the dining hall. After a while, Ravi joined her and called jiya, who told him she had reached the room and would come down after getting ready. Eventually, jiya and Vicky arrived, and they all sat together: Ravi, Vicky, jiyaia, and Aarohi. Still, there was no sign of Rudra.
After mustering the strength to calm his anger towards Ravi, Rudra finally joined them. As they all sat having breakfast, Aarohi noticed a change in Rudra. Usually, he would try to converse with her, crack jokes, and flirt. Today, however, he was uncharacteristically quiet, focused only on eating.
During breakfast, the manager announced there would be a party that evening-a celebration of the manager's birthday and the 10th anniversary of the cottage. The announcement created a buzz of excitement. Jiya suggested they go out and explore the beautiful area. Aarohi agreed, and Rudra looked at her, his heart breaking as he noticed a bandage on her neck. He assumed the worst, thinking she might have a hickey and she is trying to hide it , the thought shattered him further.
Despite the tension and Rudra's quiet demeanor, the group decided to make the most of their free day and enjoy the beauty of their surroundings. The air was filled with an unspoken tension, especially between Aarohi and Rudra, as they tried to navigate their complicated feelings amidst the picturesque setting.
Rudra got up and left but Vicky dismissed it, saying he was always moody. Jiya quickly took charge, telling everyone to go to their rooms, get ready, and prepare for their outing. Everyone agreed.
Vicky returned to his room and found Rudra sitting despondently. Sitting beside him, Vicky asked, "What happened to you, Bhai?"
Rudra shook his head and said, "Nothing.
Just get ready. We're going out. It's a free day."
Rudra replied, "No, I don't want to."
Vicky, sensing something was wrong.
"Where were you last night?" Rudra asked.
Vicky smiled shamelessly and said, "You know, Bhai, me and jiyaa were out, so we got late. We spent the night out, you know."
Rudra, with a hint of sarcasm, said, "Ha, of course, of course, I know."
Vicky insisted they go out, and despite Rudra's reluctance, he eventually agreed. All five of them gathered outside. There were many people standing around, and some had already left with their groups. They booked a cab and set off for their outing.
Vicky sat beside the driver, while the others sat in the back. Jiya had a window seat, with Aarohi next to her, then Ravi, and Rudra on the other window seat. As they were driving, the driver suddenly braked, causing everyone to lurch forward. Aarohi was about to hit her head on the driver's seat. Rudra instinctively reached out to protect her, but Ravi was quicker, placing his hand on Aarohi's forehead and yelling at the driver, "What are you doing, man? Take it slow."
The driver apologized and resumed driving. Ravi asked Aarohi, "Are you okay?"
Aarohi nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine."
She glanced at Rudra, knowing he had tried to protect her too, but Ravi had beaten him to it. Their eyes met, and they both remembered their first date when a similar incident had occurred, and Rudra had saved her from getting hurt. But today, Aarohi saw anger, hurt, and pain in Rudra's eyes. She didn't understand why he was so upset.
The ride continued in silence, filled with unspoken emotions and unresolved tensions. Aarohi couldn't shake the feeling that something significant had changed between them, and Rudra's pained expression haunted her thoughts as they made their way to the market.
Jiya and Aarohi stepped out of the cab and jiya quickly informed the group that she and Aarohi would be going shopping to buy dress for party. As they headed towards a shopping mall, Ravi, Vicky, and Rudra decided to explore the market on their own.
While browsing through the shops, Aarohi asked jiya, "So, where were you last night?"
Jiya responded, "I was out with Vicky, I told you already, right?"
Aarohi smiled, "Yeah, you mentioned you were going out, but you didn't say you'd spend the whole night with him."
Jiya blushing slightly, said, "No, no, we just got late and couldn't find a cab, so we took a room and stayed there."
Aarohi teased, "Single room?"
Jiya shyly nodded and smiled, "hmm."
Aarohi's eyes widened, "Oh really? I thought you were just flirting with him. Do you like him?"
Gia nodded, "Yeah, he's cute, and honest . I think I like him."
Aarohi continued, "Was it your first time?" You know with a boy spending night.
Jiya, still smiling, replied, "Yeah, it was, but it was amazing."
Aarohi laughed, "Okay, okay, don't tell me more."
But jiya, excited, couldn't stop herself, "You don't know Aarohi, it was really amazing. We were so perfect together. You should experience that. Just find a guy for you, "
Aarohi chuckled, "I will when the time comes."
They continued their shopping, buying a couple of dresses. After about three hours, they noticed Ravi, Vicky, and Rudra waiting outside the mall with their own shopping bags.
Vicky joked, "You girls only bought two dresses in three hours?"
Jiya laughed, "We didn't notice the time."
Ravi then suggested, "Let's go, I have something to show you."
Jiya and Vicky walked off together, leaving Aarohi with Rudra and Ravi. Aarohi tried to stop jiya from leaving, feeling uncomfortable being alone with both guys, but jiyA apologized and left anyway. Ravi then suggested, "Let's go have a coffee. There's a café nearby."
Aarohi agreed, "Okay."
The three of them went to the café, ordered coffee, and sat down. The atmosphere was tense, as Rudra was visibly irritated, glancing repeatedly at Aarohi's bandage and Ravi's face. The silence was heavy, filled with unresolved emotions.
After a few moments, Aarohi tried to break the silence, "So, what did you all buy?"
Ravi smiled, trying to lighten the mood, "Just some essentials" You??
Aarohi replied, "Just a couple of dresses."
Is jiya and vicky together? Ravi asked aarohi.
I'm not sure , aarohi replied.
They continued drinking their coffee.
Ravi took a sudden move toeards aarohi's face . Rudra was just about to stand up and stop him . But Ravi said stay still, you have a coffee on your face . So he wipe the coffee with his Thumb , which was on at lips corner. And then aarohi smiled and said thank you , ravi smiled back at her and they were just continuously looking at each other , rudra placed is fist on table so hardly , that they came to their original position and continue having coffee.
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They all five were now sitting in the restaurant having lunch together. Ravi, curious, asked, "Rudra, you and Vicky, how did you know each other?"
Rudra remained silent, clearly not wanting to engage in the conversation, but Vicky chimed in, "We met about four years ago. We met on the cricket ground and started playing together."
Vicky, continuing the conversation, said, "And you, Aarohi, and Jiya
They are a year junior to me, I was in my second year when they guys joined the college. Now my last year has already passed, and I'm about to leave the hospital for my post-graduation. They guys are in your fifth year now."
Aarohi felt a wave of discomfort. She didn't want Rudra to know that she was actually in her fourth year. Due to the turmoil caused by her breakup with Rudra, she hadn't been able to pass the exam on her first attempt. She focused on her plate, eating quietly and listening to the others.
After finishing lunch, they took a cab back to the cottage. Jiya, excitedly, said, "I'm so excited for the party we're having tonight! Let's go to our rooms, get ready, and meet at the party."
They all agreed and headed to their respective rooms to rest and prepare for the evening celebration.
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