PEHLI MOHABBAT

# 1

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The winter breeze blew in gently from the half open window, making the yellow curtain sway along on the tunes of the wind chimes. The morning was unusually cold and misty. Everything was filled in the dense fog in such a way that the fog didn't allow the sun rays to reach the ground, making everything fuzzy and unclear.

Slowly opening her eyes, she stretched her arm to reach the side table. Tapping the screen of her phone, she squinted her eyes to read the time.

6:28 am

Two minute before the alarm rings!

Snuggling inside the blanket, she closed her eyes for 120 seconds more. Letting her mind wander around creating a dream story for her. Her lips twitched upwards as she imagined having a tray full of nankhatais. Her favourite sweet and the love of her life. She picked one, and was about to take her first bite, when the alarm tone ringed in her ears.

Sone waalon ko sone do!! Nofomo...

The music kept ringing.

Opening her eyes for the second time in the morning, she unlocked her phone and dismissed the alarm.
A smile played on her lips as she walked over to the window. Her soft artistic fingers brushed lightly over the fabric of the curtain. With a gentle push, the girl with black hair and a pink streak, moved the curtain aside and opened the window.

She inhaled deeply. This was the essence of Heer Vibhuti's early morning ritual. Each day, she woke a minute or two before her alarm sounded, a trait inherited from her father, along with her prominent forehead. Yet, the habits of her mother had also left their mark, urging her to linger in bed until the alarm's insistent blare demanded her attention.

Her phone pinged with incoming messages, pulling her back to the present. She walked back to her bed and picked up the phone. The screen lit up with messages from her parents, filling her heart with warmth.

Mumma, 6:31 am
Good morning, beta! Hope you slept well. Don't forget to have breakfast before your classes. Dhyaan Rakhna.

Heer smiled at the message, every morning her mother would type the same message. Yet it always left her feeling a mix of love and homesickness. She quickly typed out her reply.

Heer, 6:31 am
Goood morninggg!
Slept well. Will grab breakfast soon.

Keeping her phone aside, Heer started making her bed with meticulous care. The neatly folded sheets and perfectly aligned pillows reflected her desire for order and precision. After ensuring her bed was in its ideal state, she freshened up in the bathroom, feeling the cool water wash away the last remnants of sleep.

As she returned to the room, she walked up to the other two beds and spoke loudly, "My pretty sleeping beauties, wake up! It's 7 am already."

Her roommates, Aarushi and Inaya, groaned in response, pulling their blankets tighter around themselves. Heer shook her head, a fond smile on her face. She always wanted everything perfect in her life. She had achieved perfect marks in her board exams to secure a place in the prestigious University of St. Maria in Dehradun.

She slightly nudged the one sleeping to her right, "Aaru, uth na yaar. Tum dono ki wajah se meri bhi pehli class miss ho jayegi. "

Aarushi groaned and turned over, squinting at Heer through sleepy eyes. "Heer, it's too early. Five more minutes, please," she mumbled, pulling the blanket over her head.