*Aarav's POV*

~.... Hmhm hmhm...~

I was walking through the corridor when I heard someone humming...

A soft voice, gently singing from Disha's room.

And I know my sister very well- she's a terrible singer.

So obviously, it wasn't her.

I walked inside. The sound was coming from the balcony. Slowly, quietly, I stepped closer.

And then... I saw her.

For a moment, I couldn't even process who she was.

Then casually, I said, "Hey"

The moment she turned..I recognised her instantly.

Light pink casual kurti... white bottoms (I think they're called sharara?), a dupatta loosely wrapped around her...wavy open hair...tiny jhumkis...

She looked different from the little girl I remembered. Older. Prettier. But somehow still Avi.

And that bindi...

WAIT, Aarav. Stop it.

She probably got scared... and I was just standing there, admiring her.

You weren't admiring. You were straight-up STARING at her.

Alarm rang.

I picked up my phone from the table beside my bed.

It had already rung ten times. I sat up on my bed in shock. It's rare for me to wake up late.

Waking up on time feels like an achievement.

A little workout in the morning, and the whole day just feels perfect. I've been obsessed with timing since childhood. I like everything scheduled...no stress, just routine. Maintaining a timetable is literally my hobby.

Growing up, I used to visit the office with Dad all the time.

Somewhere along the way, I got so invested in the family business that... Dad eventually handed everything over to his 25 year old kid. Hehe.

As usual...wake up, go to the office, finish all the work, attend meetings...and sometimes even have lunch in those meetings.

Fun? Well... annoying my little sister is enough to relieve stress.

I quickly took a shower and started getting ready.

Suddenly-

"Aarav!"

"AARAV!"

Shiv and Yash's voices echoed from downstairs.

By the time I reached the living room, both of them were already sitting comfortably, enjoying poha straight from my mom's hands.

"What's wrong with you today, Aarav?" Yash teased, raising an eyebrow. "You're late. The same person who keeps giving us lectures about being on time is finally breaking his own rules."

Yash Sooryavanshi.

My first friend from my college days. As rich as his surname sounded, his heart is even richer. A master of jugaad.

"Well, it's Sunday," I replied, sitting down on the dining table chair. "So today, everything is allowed."

"Talking about Sunday..." Shiv said, cutting in. "You're coming with us today, right?"

Shiv Sanghvi.

Calm by nature, old-school by vibe. The kind of friend who would call me at 2 AM just to say, "Uski yaad aa rhi hai bro" [ I miss her bro]. A complete green flag.

"Hmm... let's plan something," I said, leaning back.

"Plan later," Dad interrupted our Sunday discussion. "First, you're going to drop Lata aunty at her house."

Disha pinched me and whispered, "Please, don't wear your boring clothes today."

Annoying me is her favorite hobby.

"Kya Lata, stay for a few more days," Dadi insisted.

"No, Shobha, I would've stayed... but I'm really missing my home now," Lata dadi replied.

Best friends.

I quickly changed my outfit and left with lata dadi.

-----------------------------------------

After ringing the doorbell, my heartbeat had never been this fast.

Just waiting... for someone to open the door.

Why am I feeling like this?

I don't know. And then..

The door opened. And I saw her.

Avani Patel.

Standing right in front of me. She looked at me... and her brown eyes sparkled in the sunlight.

Her wet hair..like she had just stepped out of the shower. Her oversized home clothes... still the same as childhood. Still her comfort.

And suddenly... even the morning sunlight felt prettier.

And then I noticed..

A thepla in her hand. Shaking.

That piece of thepla having earthquake. It was so funny...I almost burst out laughing. Barely controlled it.

She was still holding food while talking.

Some things never changed.

When we were kids, she'd carry half-eaten biscuits everywhere too.

A memory flashed through my mind.

Seven-year-old Avani sitting on the society swing, a broken biscuit in one hand and a storybook in the other.

"Finish your biscuit first," I had told her.

"I am finishing it."

"You've been eating the same biscuit for ten minutes."

"It's called enjoying, Aarav."

Back then, I had rolled my eyes.

Today, years later, she was still exactly the same.

Only the biscuit had turned into a thepla.

Avani... and her careless habits.

It had been 15 minutes since she went to the kitchen, and she still hadn't come out.

What could that possibly mean?

- Is she upset because of last night?

- Did she feel embarrassed about her outfit?

- Did she see me smiling at the thepla and misunderstand it?

Now, if she were really angry about last night, she probably wouldn't have smiled at me at all. I was too rude...

Her outfit?

I didn't find anything wrong with it... she looked adorable.

About the thepla? Hmm... that could be possible.

I had zoned out while sitting on the sofa.

"Aarav beta, your tea is getting cold," Patel Uncle said.

"No, no.." I replied absentmindedly, but everyone heard me.

"I mean, yes, yes," I quickly corrected myself, picking up the cup nervously.

"So, how's the office and business going? Shah was saying you're handling everything yourself," Mahesh Uncle asked.

"Yes, Uncle, I'm managing most of it. I just need Dad's help with a few things," I answered.

"Keep working hard like this, beta," he said warmly.

It had been a long time since I had spoken to Mahesh Uncle like this. Our conversations were usually limited to business calls.

But today, I realized... he truly is a pure-hearted person.

And maybe that's the reason behind his years-long friendship with Dad.

Lata Dadi looked at me and suddenly said, "Arre, where did Avi go?"

"I don't know, Maa. You handle her.. she doesn't listen to me at all," sarita Aunty complained.

I smiled faintly... and then suddenly made eye contact with Aadi.

He was staring at me like I was the villain of his favorite anime.

At that very moment, mahesh Uncle got a call and had to leave urgently for a meeting.

Then... I heard the soft sound of anklets from behind.

Something stirred inside me... and before I could even understand that feeling, she appeared.

My eyes lit up.

She had tied her damp, messy hair into a loose bun.

Seeing her in a different kurti, I finally understood why she disappeared.

Madam must've thought she looked terrible... so she changed. Seriously.

"Good that you're here, Avi. Where did you go?" lata Dadi asked the exact question I wanted to ask.

She's good at making excuses. Of course, she wouldn't tell the truth.

"Dadi, I had some work in the kitchen, so I was doing that..." she replied innocently.

Sarita aunty gave her the look. Like- Kitchen-work and you!.

She sat on a chair a little far from me.

"Alright, Sarita, bring my bag. I'll have to empty it completely.  Aarav's mischievous grandmother has filled it with so many things..." lata Dadi said while getting up.

"Dadi, I'll come with you," Avani said, getting up.

"You sit here quietly. You keep your things somewhere and forget about them. Learn something from Aarav..such an ideal son," Sarita Aunty roasted her brutally.

Avani shot me a look like she was about to push me out of the house.

"And Aarav beta, you're staying for lunch today, okay!" Sarita Aunty added.

Silence.

"Hey..." I said, smiling at her.

"Hi... again," she replied.

"So-"

I had barely opened my mouth when she cut me off.

"Before you say anything," she said, pointing a finger straight at me, "let me make one thing very clear."

A few loose strands of hair framed her face as her warm brown eyes locked onto mine.

"I am not scared of you. Understood?"

I blinked.

"Whoa... okay." I raised both my hands in surrender. "I never said you were scared of me."

"And about what I said last night-"

"Exactly." She folded her arms across her chest. "Whatever you said last night wasn't true. And if it was supposed to be a joke..."

She narrowed her eyes.

"I don't like jokes like that."

Someone had clearly woken up and chosen revenge.

"Calm down, Avani." I couldn't help smiling. "Of course it was a joke. We met after so many years, so I just wanted to see if the old hot-headed Avani was still the same..."

She raised an eyebrow.

I chuckled.

"And now I have my answer."

She was still staring at me.

"You're exactly the same Avani."

She scoffed.

"What did you expect? That I'd magically transform into someone else?"

I grinned.

"I'm not any ichchadhari naagin" She folded her arms even tighter.

I burst out laughing.

"What? A naagin? Seriously?"

She continued glaring at me without saying a word.

"Okay, okay..." I finally surrendered, trying to hold back my laughter. "Truce? Let's be friends again."

I smiled.

"I mean... we used to be best friends."

I paused for a second.

"But circumstances were such that we never got the chance to meet again."

"How could we?" she replied, her voice calmer now. "You left for Ahmedabad to study."

She tilted her head slightly before adding,

"Although... I never knew someone could change this much after moving to Ahmedabad."

"Haha... that's true."

I smiled before looking at her again.

"But tell me something."

"Why do you hate that rumor so much? It was all in the past. Everyone used to pair us together and tease us just for fun."

I shrugged.

"That's over now... at least, I think it is. As long as it doesn't bother either of us..."

I gave her a small smile.

"...there's nothing to stress about."

"It does bother me, Aarav..." she murmured so softly that I could barely hear it.

"What?" I frowned.

She quickly shook her head. "Nothing."

I looked at her for a moment.

Something in her eyes felt... different.

Different from the little girl I used to know.

I didn't know what had happened during all those years I was away.

But one thing was certain.

While I was gone...

Something had changed in her.

I'll definitely find out, no matter what.

_________________<••>