Guyss...so i just want to tell u that my third book ãHer second sindoorã is going to start soon pls check it out.
And my second book ãRUTHLESSãis already ongoing...I'm sure you all wil love that too .
___________________________________________
Aarohi furrowed her brow as she heard the man's voice on the other end. "Who's this?" she asked again, feeling the tension rise.
"My name is Dr. Avneesh," the voice replied calmly. "Your mother gave me your number."
Aarohi blinked, her confusion growing. "Sorry, but my mom didn't mention anything about you." She quickly checked her phone, scrolling through her missed notifications. Sure enough, there were 4 or 5 missed calls from her mother late last night. She must've missed them while she was with Rudra.
"Yeah, maybe she forgot, or she just didn't manage to reach you," Avneesh added smoothly, as if reading her thoughts.
Aarohi sighed. "Yeah, maybe. So, is there something specific you needed from me?"
There was a brief pause, followed by a soft chuckle from Avneesh. "No, no. It's not like that. I think you're misunderstanding. Your mother gave me your number because... well, she wants us to consider... you know... marriage or something."
The hesitation in his voice made Aarohi's heart drop. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Ma, not again.
"Right," she muttered, holding back her frustration. "Can we talk about this later? I'm actually running late for class."
"Of course," Avneesh responded, sounding a little relieved. "We can talk later."
Aarohi ended the call, staring at her phone for a moment. She considered calling her mother to set the record straight but glanced at the time. There wasn't enough time. She had to get ready for class. With a sigh, she slipped back into her clothes from last night and headed to her room to change.
Later, as she walked to class, she spotted Jiya approaching from across the courtyard. They exchanged knowing smiles-both of them aware of each other's night.
"So, why didn't you come back to the room last night?" Jiya teased, a playful glint in her eyes.
Aarohi smirked, understanding exactly where this was going. "I was there. You didn't come back. Where were you?"
Jiya feigned shock. "What? You actually went back to the room?"
"No, not really," Aarohi laughed, shaking her head.
Jiya laughed too, linking arms with Aarohi as they headed toward their class. The two friends shared a comfortable silence, both of them lost in their own memories of the night before.
After her last class, Aarohi tried calling Rudra, but all she got was the dull tone of his phone being switched off. She frowned, staring at the screen. Before she could voice her frustration, jiya chimed in, "Don't worry, Aarohi. They're probably at the grounds with Vicky. Their phones are always off during training. Try later."
Aarohi nodded absentmindedly, but her thoughts were elsewhere. As they made their way to the canteen, Aarohi's phone buzzed in her pocket. She quickly pulled it out, hoping it was Rudra, but disappointment washed over her when she saw her mother's name flash on the screen.
With a resigned sigh, she answered. "Hello, Ma."
"Did he call you?" her mother asked without preamble.
Aarohi gripped the phone tighter, her irritation building. "Ma, why do you always give my number to random people like this?"
"He's not 'random,' Aarohi! He could be your husband one day," her mother countered.
Aarohi could feel her patience slipping. "Please, Ma. I'm not interested in marriage right now. I've told you a thousand times-I want to focus on my career first."
"You've been saying that for the last four years!" her mother retorted, exasperation clear in her voice. "You're about to graduate and become a doctor. What's wrong with getting married now? You've had enough time."
"Ma, I still need to do my post-graduation. I want to specialization," Aarohi argued, knowing full well this conversation was going in circles.
Her mother, undeterred, pressed on. "Dr. Avneesh is also doing his post-graduation. He's a neurologist, and he won't stop you from studying further. Don't you think it's a perfect match? You're a doctor, he's a doctor, and he's already specializing. What's the problem?"
Aarohi sighed heavily, realizing there was no winning with her mother today. "Fine, Ma. I'll talk to him, but I really have to go. I'm late for class."
Without waiting for more arguments, she ended the call and leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temples. This wasn't the first time her mother had tried to arrange a match for her. Aarohi had met four or five men already, none of whom had stuck-either because she found a reason to reject them, or she made a reason to get rejectedr. She had become an expert at it.
Her mother once set her up with a wealthy CA from a reputable bank. Aarohi managed to convince her mother that the man had a slightly crooked nose, only visible when up close. Her mother, who had only seen a photograph, believed her, and that was the end of that.
Another time, she told a potential suitor that she smoked, even though she didn't. The man had quickly backed out after that. Aarohi smirked at the memory. She always found a way.
And now, with Dr. Avneesh, she was already forming a plan. No matter how perfect her mother thought he was, Aarohi was determined to find a reason to make him lose interest-or she would fabricate one herself.
ð¦
After a long, exhausting day of classes, Aarohi finally made it back to her room in the evening. She was relieved, knowing that tomorrow was Sunday-a rare break from duties and responsibilities. No work, no shifts, just a full day to herself. After dinner, she collapsed on the bed, grateful for the quiet. Jiya was on night duty, so the room was empty, and Aarohi welcomed the solitude.
Just as she started to relax, her phone buzzed again. She stared at the unknown number on the screen, already knowing who it was. Dr. Avneesh, of course, calling yet again. Aarohi hesitated for a moment, debating whether or not to ignore it, but she figured it was better to get this over with. Sighing, she answered.
"Hello," came the voice on the other end. "Dr. Aarohi? It's Avneesh here."
"Yeah, I know," Aarohi responded flatly.
Avneesh chuckled, clearly trying to lighten the mood. "So, did you talk to your mother?"
Aarohi rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I did. She told me everything."
"And...what do you think?" he asked cautiously.
Aarohi's patience was wearing thin. She decided to take a more direct approach, hoping her tone would get the message across. "What do I think? I haven't even seen you yet. I don't know anything about you except your name and the fact that you call yourself a doctor. What exactly are you expecting? That I'll say yes to marrying you tomorrow?"
"Relax, Dr. Aarohi, relax," Avneesh replied calmly. "I wasn't saying that. I just wanted to know if you're even considering getting married-doesn't have to be to me, just in general."
Aarohi's voice sharpened. "And what if I'm not?"
Avneesh, unfazed, replied with a confident tone, "Don't worry. When you meet me, you might change your mind."
"Wow," Aarohi muttered, raising an eyebrow. "Don't you think you're a bit too overconfident?"
"Maybe," he admitted, a playful edge to his voice. "But so far, my confidence has worked. The 'over' part usually gets dropped."
Aarohi laughed sarcastically. "Oh, really?"
"Yeah," Avneesh said, not missing a beat. "If you don't believe me, then meet me".
"I am in Delhi," Aarohi replied, slightly annoyed.
"I know," Avneesh said. "But you'll be heading home for the winter break soon, right? We could meet then."
Aarohi sighed inwardly, already feeling this conversation dragging out more than she wanted. "We'll see," she said, keeping it vague, wanting to end the call.
"Great, looking forward to it," Avneesh said cheerfully.
Aarohi mumbled a quick goodbye and hung up, tossing her phone aside. This was getting more complicated than she'd planned. She knew she had to find a way to cut this situation short before it spiraled further. But for now, she was too tired to think about it.
Aarohi tossed her phone onto the side table after scrolling down a little bit, ready to finally drift off to sleep. But just as she closed her eyes, her phone beeped again. Groaning, she picked it up, and this time, it was a message from her mother. It was a voice note. With an exasperated sigh, she pressed play.
"Aarohi," her mother's voice sounded frustrated, "Avneesh called me, and he said you told him you haven't seen him yet, so you can't marry him, or something like that. Honestly, how can you be so rude? If you were desperate to see him, you could have just told me. That's fine, okay? I'm sending you his picture. Just see him and talk to him properly next time!"
Aarohi blinked, completely stunned. What the...? she thought. Did Avneesh actually run to my mom and tell her everything we talked about? Her irritation flared, and she muttered to herself, "This guy is already getting on my nerves, and we haven't even met yet."
Her phone pinged again, this time with the photo her mother had mentioned. Aarohi glanced at the download button but refused to click it. "I'll see you soon, face to face," she muttered, setting her phone down again, "I don't need a picture to convince me to marry you. My Rudra is already way more handsome than you, and I haven't even seen you yet."
With that, she placed her phone back on the table, shaking her head. She tried calling Rudra once more, but his phone was still off. Sighing, she typed a quick message: I miss you, and then she finally settled into bed, hoping for some peace.
ð¦
When Aarohi woke up the next morning, she realized she had overslept. Groaning, she grabbed her phone from the bedside table and noticed a message from Rudra. It was a voice note, timestamped around 2 a.m. Curiosity piqued, she pressed play.
Rudra's voice, sounding tired but still comforting, came through. "Hi aaruh, how are you doing? I'm too exhausted right now, so I couldn't type anything. I was actually about to call you, but then I checked the time and figured you'd be asleep. Everything's fine here, just a really long day. It's already 2 a.m., and I've got to wake up around 6, so I'll keep it short. But yeah, all is well... I miss you. Love you. Talk soon."
Aarohi smiled, his words bringing warmth to her tired soul. She whispered to herself, "I miss you too." Then, feeling a little lighter, she got out of bed, ready to face the day.
Aarohi, still trying to focus on her studies, glanced over at Jiya. She had just come back from her night duty, threw her stuff on the side, and flopped onto her bed, clearly exhausted. Without even looking up, Jiya mumbled, "I don't need any disturbance for the whole damn day."
Aarohi couldn't help but smile slightly. They had both been so caught up in their personal lives that studies had taken a back seat. As she tried to return her attention to her textbooks, her mind kept wandering to Rudra, and how her relationship with him had caused her to miss so much in class. She knew she had to catch up, but focusing was proving harder than ever.
ð¦
It had been nearly 12 to 13 days since Rudra had left, and Aarohi had been buried in her studies for the upcoming exams. Tomorrow marked her final exam, and while she tried to stay focused, her thoughts frequently drifted to Rudra.
Their conversations had been sparse over the past week. Both were consumed by their own responsibilities-Rudra with his work and Aarohi with her exams. The distance between them was palpable, but Aarohi understood that once her exam was over, she could finally breathe and reconnect with him. For now, though, she had one last hurdle to cross.
ð¦
Aarohi had finally finished her exams. As she walked out of the exam hall, she saw Jiya waiting for her.
"So, how was it, Ms. Topper?" Jiya teased.
Aarohi, wearing a tired expression, sighed, "I told you, I wasn't prepared for this one. It didn't go well."
Jiya smirked, "Yeah, right. You always say that, then end up with the highest marks in the batch. Meanwhile, I'm just struggling to pass each subject. You've got nothing to worry about!"
Aarohi groaned, "Let's not talk about it. I'm already stressed, but at least it's over."
Jiya, suddenly excited, threw her arms in the air. "Yay! Vacation time!"
Aarohi smiled, "So, are you going home?"
Jiya nodded, "Yeah, I didn't really want to, but Vicky's not here, and I told him I'd head home. When he left, he said he'd be back in a week, but it's been over 10 days, and there's no sign of him. I don't want to sit here bored, and since you're leaving too, I figured I might as well."
"Fair enough," Aarohi agreed. "Let's go pack. We're leaving tomorrow morning."
"Yup, let's do this!" Jiya replied with a grin. They returned to their room, packed their bags, and finally, after days of exam stress, allowed themselves the luxury of a long, uninterrupted sleep. Tomorrow, they'd be heading home for a well-deserved break.
ð¦
In the morning, Aarohi and Jiya got ready, had breakfast, and were about to leave for their homes. Before stepping out, Aarohi checked her phone-still no message or call from Rudra. Feeling a bit unsettled, she decided to call him. He picked up on the second ring.
"Hello?" Rudra's voice sounded a bit distant.
"Aren't you getting busier and busier over there?" Aarohi asked with a slight edge.
Rudra sighed, "Yeah, I've just been tired, you know. How was your exam?"
Aarohi replied, "It was okay, not great, but I survived, I guess."
"You'll be fine. I know you will," Rudra reassured her. "So, you're free today?"
"Actually, no. I'm leaving for home," Aarohi said.
"What? Why are you leaving already?" Rudra sounded surprised.
Aarohi explained, "Didn't I tell you? We have holidays after exams. I mentioned I'd be going home."
Rudra sounded disappointed. "But you said you'd leave in three days, and then you got busy with your exams. Now you're leaving, and I'm not even back yet. Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
Aarohi hesitated. "I wanted to, but I also wanted you to go and focus there. That's why I didn't mention it would take time for me to go home. I didn't know how else to convince you."
Rudra's tone became serious. "You lied to me, Aaruh."
"Okay, I'm sorry," Aarohi admitted. "But don't you think it worked out for the best? I was busy with my exams, and you would've been here alone anyway."
Rudra thought for a moment. "Fair enough. So, when are you leaving?"
"In about half an hour," Aarohi replied. "How's everything there?"
"Same old. Just practices and matches. It's exhausting," Rudra said.
"Alright, we'll talk later. I have to go. Bye," Aarohi said.
"Bye, I love you," Rudra said.
"Okay, bye," Aarohi started to hang up.
Rudra's tone shifted to a more demanding one. "Say it back."
Aarohi blinked. "What?"
"Are you going to say it or not?" Rudra insisted in a firm, commanding tone.
Aarohi rolled her eyes but smiled. "Fine, I love you, I miss you. Happy?"
"So happy ....Just text me when you reach. Bye," Rudra said with a satisfied tone, and they ended the call.
Aarohi turned away from the window and found Jiya standing in front of her, grinning mischievously. Jiya mimicked Aarohi's words in an exaggerated, funny voice, "I love you, I miss you!" and then burst into laughter.
Aarohi threw a playful punch in the air toward Jiya. "Shut it," she said, rolling her eyes.
Jiya, still laughing, repeated the line dramatically and grabbed her bag. "Okay, okay, I'm leaving, bye."
Aarohi smirked. "Bye."
Jiya, who lived near the Dilli Metro, was taking the metro home, while Aarohi had a reserved train ticket and would be leaving later. With some time left before she had to head out, Aarohi settled back into her room for a bit, thinking of the journey ahead.
Aarohi arrived at the station, pulling her suitcase behind her as she navigated the crowded platform. After a few minutes of searching, she found her train compartment and made her way to her reserved seat by the window. But as she approached, she saw a man already sitting in her spot.
She cleared her throat. "Excuse me, this is my seat."
The man looked up, slightly surprised. "I think you're mistaken. It's my seat."
Aarohi raised an eyebrow and pointed at the seat number. "Can you see the number? It's mine."
Realizing his mistake, the man chuckled sheepishly. "Oh, sorry about that. Must've gotten it wrong." He stood up and gestured for her to take the seat. Aarohi nodded, settling into her window seat, while the man sat directly in front of her.
After storing her bag under the seat, Aarohi took out her phone and plugged in her earphones. As the train started to fill up, she played some music and gazed out the window, watching the commotion on the platform-people rushing by, vendors selling snacks, and the general hum of the station.
A beep interrupted her music. A message. Aarohi glanced at her phone and groaned inwardly when she saw it was from Dr. Avneesh. She ignored it, but then another message arrived. Then another. And another.
Frustrated, she finally opened the messages:
Avneesh: Hello Dr. Aarohi.
Avneesh: I got to know from your mother that you're done with your exams.
Avneesh: I'm sure you did great in them.
Avneesh: So, are you leaving for home?
Avneesh: Hope to meet you soon.
Aarohi sighed, muttering under her breath, "Why, Mom? Are you his personal messenger now?" She didn't bother to reply and stuffed her phone back in her pocket, but almost immediately, another message came through:
Avneesh: Saw the message but not replying?
Aarohi groaned, a little louder this time. "This man is getting on my nerves."
Unaware that she had spoken aloud, she was startled when the man in front of her turned around. "Excuse me, did you say something to me?"
Aarohi pulled one earphone out. "Oh, no, sorry. I was talking about this." She awkwardly showed him her phone with the messages from Avneesh.
The man glanced at her screen, noticing the saved contact name , He smiled knowingly. "Headache?"
Aarohi let out a tired laugh. "Yeah, totally"
"Good luck with that," the man replied, his smile widening.
"Thanks," Aarohi said, exasperated. "I'll need it." She plugged her earphone back in.
Aarohi stared at her phone, her fingers hovering over the screen as she struggled with what to say. She typed a few words, then erased them. Typed again. Erased again. Finally, she settled on a message:
"Are you really a doctor? Or... I mean, I'm just confused that doctors in their post-graduation get enough time for this... talking nonsense."
She hit send, and immediately saw the "seen" notification. Avneesh was typing. Aarohi waited, feeling a mix of annoyance and curiosity.
After what felt like a long pause, the message finally appeared.
"Not really. If I were in college right now, I'd be busy. But I'm on holiday, so I'm free. I have a lot of time, especially for you."
Aarohi rolled her eyes, typing back quickly.
"So... you're on holiday. I see. Then why are you making my first day of holiday the worst?"
A few seconds later, laughing emojis popped up, followed by another message:
"Don't worry. You won't regret it. I'm sure I'll make your holidays the best."
Aarohi sighed, her frustration still simmering. She quickly typed "will see" , then turned off her mobile data and tucked her phone away in her pocket. She wasn't in the mood to deal with Avneesh's over-enthusiastic texts any longer.
As the train began to pull away from the station, Aarohi glanced out the window. The rhythmic sound of the train's movement slowly.
*******
Hello, my lovely readers!
I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Stay tuned, because the story is about to take an exciting and unexpected twist that you won't want to miss!
>If you liked it, please don't forget to comment and vote.
>Follow me on wattpad and instagram
Insta: kritika.writes_
Arre yrr kr lo na followð
Your support means the world to me!