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Aayansh returned home, earlier than usual which kind of left everyone amused. He was never home before 8 in the evening, that was the earliest he used to come back but today, he was here at 5:45 PM.
"Aayansh, you're early. Is everything okay?" Divya couldn't help but to ask when Aayansh walked into the living room.
"Everything's fine, Chachi." Divya nodded at him and saw him walking towards his room.
He heard someone giggling along with the sound of TV as he walked closer to his room. He could recognize the voice. It was probably, Riya and Aadhya.
He knocked at the door, catching their attention since the door was open
"Bhai, you're back. What time it is?" Riya asked, while Aadhya went silent and focused on the screen, in front of her.
"Around 6." Aayansh shrugged it off, taking off his watch.
"How's your cold?" He looked at Aadhya, who didn't seem to focus on him.
"Hmm??" She looked at Aayansh, a little shocked about his question.
"It's better." She replied, a while later followed by a sneeze. It was better than the morning but he could see, she was still struggling with It and her voice was heavier than usual.
He never cared and talked with me but what changed a night. He didn't sleep in that study room yesterday. In the morning too, he asked, no he ordered me to rest instead of going to office and now too, walking in the room he asked about my health. Is this man okay or banged his head somewhere.
Nodding at her, he took of his blazer and threw on a chair followed by, taking off his tie.
"I think I should study now. The movie is already coming to an end." Riya got up from the bed and waved at Aadhya, smiling teasingly.
Aadhya followed Riya outside after switching off the TV when Aayansh went into the bathroom to Freshen up.
2 hours rolled down and Aayansh was working. It was 8 in the evening and time for having dinner and moreover, his stomach started growling..
Keeping his laptop aside, he walked downstairs and saw Aadhya, sitting with Rithik and Shivam.
"So this is all happened in the meeting today. They asked for some time and asked to schedule a meeting again in the next week." Aadhya nodded, listening to shivam.
"Thank you, you really did well." Shivam smiled at her.
"By the way- Rithik stopped when he noticed Aayansh's walking down the stairs.
"Wait, you're early today." He exclaimed while Aayansh rolled his eyes.
"Can't I?" He asked, settling on the couch in front and digged in his pocket to take out his phone.
"Of course, you can. It's just surprising." Rithik shrugged it off and looked back at Aadhya, who was sitting in between him and Shivam.
"You were asking something?" Aadhya asked.
"Oh yeah," Rithik glanced at Aayansh and back at Aadhya.
"There's that one girl I like in my college but I don't know how to talk to her." Rithik whispered, scratching his neck.
"Are you at least friends with her?" Rithik shook his head at her question.
"You can start with something related to college stuff. Maybe asking to explain some topic or a project, something like that." Shivam interrupted, followed by a nod from Aadhya.
"He's right."
"That's too basic. Tell me something unique that she could get a sign." Rithik sulked.
"Aayansh bhai, you always have unique ideas." Shivam turned to Aayansh, gaining his attention. Rithik and Aadhya looked at him.
"You need to be sure if she likes you back or not, If she doesn't than there's no point of trying. You'll end up with a heartbreak." Aayansh mumbled.
"But I can try at least. What if she starts liking me back after we become friends." Rithik argued.
"You don't force people to like you back, Rithik. You can proceed if you think even if she's attracted to you but if she doesn't give a damn about you than you shouldn't try. So if you're getting any sign from her than only you should think of trying." Aayansh tossed his phone back into the pocket.
"You should give it a try." Aadhya interrupted.
Rithik and Shivam exchanged glances at each other. Well, no one ever dared to oppose what Aayansh says and his advices are always good but here we're.
Aayansh looked at Aadhya, who glanced at him before looking back at Rithik.
"Until and unless you don't try, you'll never know If she's interested in you or not. Many people are good at hiding. Many things you can't see on surface level, but they exist and feelings are one of them. Moreover, if you don't try now, you may regret in the end. The worst thing that can happen is, she won't like you back, and you'll have a heartbreak but heartbreak too teaches something, just like failure does. But at least you won't have regret that you never tried. And the best thing which can happen is, she likes you back or can start liking you. Everything is uncertain but giving up without trying just by assuming things is for cowards." Aadhya eyed Aayansh who cleared his throat and looked away.
He heard her, his whole focus was on her when she was speaking. The way her words were firm and her voice calm. Surely she has changed a lot from what he knew.
Rithik wrapped his arms around her shoulder and squeezed her into a hug.
"You're the best. I finally got some courage. Although, I won't confess this soon but I'll start trying from tomorrow." Aadhya smiled.
Shivam slapped Rithik's arm when he saw Aayansh glaring at Rithik.
"Kya hai?" Rithik whined, but looking at Aayansh who was scowling at him, pulled his hands back. Aadhya furrowed her eyebrows at both the brothers not understanding anything.
(What?)
"I'll set the dining table. Come and have dinner." Aadhya stood up to go to kitchen.
"Itna kya possessive hote ho. Hug hi to Kiya tha." Rithik muttered under his breath and narrowed his eyes at his elder brother.
(Why are being so possessive. I just hugged her)
"Teri Wali aayegi tab samaj jayega." Aayansh stood up and followed Aadhya while two brothers gasped hearing him.
(You'll know once you'll be at my place.)
"Did he just accepted that he was being possessive?" Shivam mumbled, and looked at Rithik.
After dinner, everyone went into their rooms while Aayansh and Naveen was sitting in the living room, discussing something related to work.
Avantika came with a cup of coffee for Naveen as well as Aayansh.
"Ummm....actually..." Aayansh scratched his neck as he was hesitant to say something.
"Can you...prepare Kadha (decoction) for her?"
Avantika and Naveen switched glances with a little smile before she nodded her head positively and went back into the kitchen.
After what seemed like more than 15 minutes, Aayansh and Naveen both were done with their work.
Aayansh went into the kitchen and poured the kadha into a cup, as Avantika told him to do so after some minutes before she went into her bedroom.
With the cup in his hands, Aayansh stepped into the bedroom and saw Aadhya in half sitting position on the bed and emerged into the book she was holding.
He went towards her and cleared his throat, gaining her attention.
"Maa asked you to drink this." He outstretched his hand.
"What is this?" She furrowed her eyebrows, taking the cup from him after she kept the book in her lap.
"Kadha, I don't like it. I didn't even ask her to prepare for me." She looked at the cup and then at Aayansh with a sulking face.
"Have it or take a day off tomorrow as well." His tone was authoritative which made Aadhya look at him disbelief. Aayansh went towards the other side, looking into his phone.
"Stop ordering me around." Aadhya looked at him, annoyingly.
"Drink it before I make you." His sharp glare was enough to make Aadhya look away from him.
"Rude." She muttered under her breath before sipping the warm liquid.
"I heard you." Aadhya heard him but shrugged it off. She felt the other side of the bed sinking as Aayansh sat with his phone.
Being a little conscious, she scooted a little away from him, to make space between them. She wanted to ask him, what changed that he started interacting with her, started being around her but it would be too much. Maybe he'll reply her rudely, she didn't want to embarrass herself.
She eyed his side when Aayansh kept two pillows between them.
"So..won't you go to your study room?" Aadhya asked clearing her throat, hesitantly. Although she was to ask something else but this seemed easy. And moreover, they're staying in the same room, atheist can come to the talking terms.
"No." He replied, and switched his eyes back to the screen. Aadhya nodded.
A blunt no, pointing towards ending a conversation.
Maybe he doesn't want to talk!
She nodded at herself and sipped the warm liquid. She noticed the change in herself over the span of 5 months.
Older her would have tried to stretch the communication.
Aayansh, that was fucking rude. Just No! She initiated the conversation. You could have stretched it longer at least.
Aayansh sighed and closed his eyes. He waited for her to say something. Maybe if she initiate something this time, he'll carry it longer than last time but she didn't, even after 10 minutes passed.
Aadhya kept the cup on the table and focused back on the book.
"You...you like reading books?" He finally asked putting his phone aside, after 20 Minutes of silence. He have seen her many times reading before too. Although the question he asked wasn't required at all but he wanted to break the ice between them.
She nodded, glancing for a brief moment at him. "Yeah." Aadhya mumbled, unsure if he noticed her nodding at him or not.
"Which genre do you like?" Well, if they have same interest then why not continue the conversation.
"Romance fiction." She replied and focused back in her book.
He's trying to talk!
She looked at him after a few minutes and caught him staring at her.
She looked away at the very instant .
"Do you also like reading?" She asked, looking back at him. He nodded.
"I like science fictions." Her mouth formed a 'O' at the new information.
"So you read in your study room?" She have seen him reading his study room, at midnights wherever she was unable to sleep.
"Hmm." Now it wasn't awkward as before. Although they have a long way to go but now, when they have a common interest, maybe they can talk.
"I haven't tried science fiction. I feel like, it's too unusual for this world you see, something very out of the box which can't happen on this earth." She commented. Folding his legs, he sat facing her.
"Then what about your romance fiction. Mafias, obsession, isn't it out of the box?" He raised an eyebrow.
Keeping the book aside, she shook her head.
"I don't read dark Romance that much. So the romance I read isn't out of the box." She replied.
"So...which type of romance do you read?" He was curious. He wanted to know her, to listen to her and maybe that way, their relationship can progress.
Yeah, it won't progress until we give it a try!!
"The one which makes you believe in love. The one that calms your heart. The one that makes you feel emotions like love, grief, pain, regret, guilt, sadness. Basically which brings a human out of you and most importantly a human who is sensible. The type of fiction which tells you the boundaries of love and at the same time tells that love have no boundaries at all. The fiction that makes you understand the dynamics of love although love is dimensionless. Which tells you that love doesn't break your heart, loving a wrong person does."
She concluded, her eyes glistening at the thought of how someone broke her heart despite of her loving that person.
Taking a deep breath and blinking away her tears, she looked at him from the wall she was staring at all along and found him staring at her. His eyes were sparkling, he had that clam and peaceful expression on his face. The calmness you feel after a tired day of work after getting your favourite food, exactly that one.
"I'm sorry, you must have gotten bored." She smiled awkwardly and picked her book back.
"I didn't get bore." He replied. His words were firm, not the one when you're pretending but she shrugged it off. She's used to it now.
People don't say they are bored to a stranger and all along, her friends, cousins have labeled her a boring person. Even Ahaan did whenever she talked about what she liked. According to them, she was too old school.
"So you believe that, love is the greatest of all?" He haven't looked away since she have started speaking and neither he wanted to.
"Hmm."
"It's not just Romantic love I'm talking about. It's love you share with your parents, your friends. The care and trust you have for them. The kindness you show to a street animal or a stranger when they need. This is all love. You see, everything around you is love. You see that moon shining bright in the sky, it's his way of loving this earth because if he won't shine, it will be completely dark here. Those stars you see, they are there because the moon won't feel lonely. That's their way of showing love." She pointed at the sky which was seen from the window.
She knew that she might be speaking too much but it's been a while since she talked about something of her interest, to someone who was listening to her without interrupting. Even if he's going to get bored or not, at least he was listening, without interrupting.
"I know that this explanation sounds ridiculous knowing the science behind the moon and the stars but it does fit into my definition of love as well." She smiled this time and he knew, he won't be able to look away, even if he tries to.
He felt that tingling sensation in his heart, The itch in his hands, to embrace her his arms so he'd protect her from this cruel world, from the people who might break her. But he knew, he wasn't there yet.
What amused him was, even after she faced a heartbreak in the worst situation someone can imagine, she believed in love. If this would have been him, he would have never heard the word love again.
They say broken crayons still color but her's, her broken pieces painted on the canvas of heartbreak Ever so beautifully that I couldn't even look at the moon when she was in front of me.
To be continued:-
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