Chapter 10

DRISHTI'S POV

I can't let anyone know about what happened yesterday. I only told Nirav Bhai that someone broke into our house.
But I didn't tell him about the unsettling words written on the mirror. Just thinking about it sends chills down my spine.

I can't let him find out. I had to hide everything because I know how he is. If I mention that I got a single scratch, he'll drop everything, cancel his meeting, and rush back home for me.

While his concern is touching, it'll only make things worse for me.
Mrs. Mehta will seize the opportunity to taunt me even more.

She'll say things like, "Oh, she's so delicate, always causing unnecessary drama," or, "Look at how much trouble she's brought into Nirav's life!".

It's exhausting, but what choice do I have?

If I let my guard down, I know the judgment, the questions, and the pity will come flooding in.
And that's something I just can't handle right now.

"Drishti, where are you lost?" Nisha exclaimed, waving her hand in front of my face. Her voice snapped me out of my thoughts, and I blinked, trying to refocus.

It hit me all over again , I was in the hospital, not caught in my swirling thoughts.

We were just sitting here, waiting for the next lecture to start. I let out a shaky breath, forcing a small smile at Nisha, but my mind still felt miles away, tethered to the chaos I was trying to escape.

"It's nothing," I said, brushing off her question with a casual wave of my hand. I avoided her eyes, trying my hardest to mask the anxiety lurking behind my forced smile.

Nisha wasn't having any of it. "What do you mean by 'nothing'? Come on, Drishti, don't play coy!" She leaned closer, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. "Obviously, you're lost in thoughts of your new friend," she added, placing exaggerated emphasis on the word friend to tease me.

I felt my cheeks heat up despite myself. "Nisha!" I protested weakly, my voice betraying the slightest hint of embarrassment.

"Ah-ha! See, I knew it!" she exclaimed triumphantly, crossing her arms as if she'd just cracked a mystery. Her teasing smile grew wider.

"Seriously, it's nothing like that," I muttered, trying to deflect, but the way she looked at me made it clear she wasn't going to drop this anytime soon.

"Dude, I am not thinking about him," I replied firmly, though my fingers betrayed me, absentmindedly caressing the bracelet he had given me.
Realizing what I was doing, I quickly shrugged it off and crossed my arms.

Nisha wasn't convinced. "Bro, itna jhoot mat bolo" she said, stepping in front of me and blocking my view, her expression a mix of amusement and mock seriousness.

( Bro ..don't lie so much)

I sighed dramatically. "I'm serious! It's not what you think." But my voice faltered, and her raised eyebrow told me she had caught it.

"You're terrible at hiding things, Drishti," she said, smirking. "Your face gives everything away , and don't even get me started on the bracelet , it's like you're carrying his presence around with you!"

I rolled my eyes, trying to act nonchalant. "It's just a bracelet. It doesn't mean anything."

"Yeah, sure. Keep telling yourself that," she said, crossing her arms and grinning like she'd already won.

"See? We were just talking about him, and now he's here!" Nisha exclaimed, her voice brimming with excitement.

My heart skipped a beat as my eyes instinctively started darting around the room, searching for him. A strange mix of anticipation and nervousness bubbled up inside me.

But then, I heard a burst of laughter from her side. I turned to see Nisha practically doubled over, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "You got fooled, baby!" she said, grinning like she'd just pulled off the prank of the century.

I narrowed my eyes at her, feeling both embarrassed and annoyed. "Nisha! That was so not funny!" I snapped, though the heat rising to my cheeks betrayed how flustered I was.

"Oh, come on! You should've seen your face—it was priceless!" she said, wiping a tear of laughter from the corner of her eye.
"Admit it, you were so excited to see him!"

I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms defensively, turning opposite to her showing my back . "You're impossible."

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry!" Nisha said, her voice tinged with mock guilt as she leaned closer, trying to pester me into forgiving her.

She batted her eyelashes dramatically and clasped her hands together as if pleading. "Come on, Drishti , don't be mad. You know I was just messing with you!"

I gave her a side-eye, trying to hold onto my smile , but her antics were hard to ignore. "You're always messing with me, Nisha,"

"That's because....wait, dude, he's here!" Nisha interrupted, her tone suddenly serious.

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. "Stop it. I'm not falling for this again," I replied firmly, folding my arms.

"No, seriously, he is here!" she insisted, her voice dropping to a whisper, her eyes widening as if to prove her sincerity.

I raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Achha? Matlab agar hum unka naam lenge toh vo yaha aa jayenge?" I quipped, smirking at her dramatics.

(" Oh? So, if I mention his name, will he come here?" )

Nisha groaned, throwing her hands up in frustration. "I'm not joking this time! Turn around if you don't believe me!"

Despite my skepticism, I felt a flicker of curiosity and hesitation. My heart betrayed me by picking up its pace, but I forced myself to stay composed. "Nice try," I muttered.

"Dekhiye, agar aap yaad karenge toh hum zaroor aa jayenge," I heard his voice, smooth and teasing. The familiar tone made my heart skip a beat, and before I could stop myself, I turned around.

(" Look, if you will remember, I will definitely come.")

He was, standing just a few steps away, his signature smile playing on his lips. The sudden embarrassment washed over me like a wave, and I felt my cheeks flush as our eyes met.

Behind him, I caught sight of Nisha, who was silently laughing, thoroughly enjoying the chaos she had orchestrated. She raised her eyebrows at me in triumph and then quickly gestured that she was leaving.

Typical Nisha, I thought, resisting the urge to glare at her as she slipped away, leaving me to fend for myself.

I forced a small, awkward smile, trying to find the right words while my mind raced.
Why does he always show up at the most inconvenient moments?

"Uhm, sir, I have a class... I need to leave," I stammered, grabbing my bag and trying to make a quick escape.
My voice sounded shaky even to me, and I silently cursed myself for it.

But just as I turned to leave, his calm yet pointed reply stopped me in my tracks.

"Well, your class starts at 11 a.m., and it's currently 10:20 a.m" he said, glancing at his watch with a faint smile. "You still have time."

I froze mid-step, my grip tightening on the strap of my bag. Of course, he had to know my schedule better than I did. Great, just great.

Slowly, I turned back to face him, my mind scrambling for an excuse. "Oh, uh... I just thought I'd go early. You know, to... to prepare," I mumbled, avoiding his gaze and wishing the ground would swallow me whole.

He raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Prepare for a lecture .. ya Aap humse dur Jana chahti hai ?" he asked, his tone teasing yet kind, making it impossible to find a quick retort.

Hum aapse door jaane ka sochte bhi nahi hai, dur jaayenge kaise !

(

"I don't even think of going far from you, how could we be distant! )

I mumbled under my breath, my words barely audible even to myself.

"Achha thik, now that you have time, let's have a coffee," he said casually, his tone light but his gaze steady, as if he was challenging me to say no.

For a moment, I hesitated, my mind racing with excuses I could use to decline. But instead, before I could stop myself, I heard the words escape my lips.

"Yeah, why not," I replied, trying to sound nonchalant, though my heart was beating faster than I'd like to admit.

He smiled, a small, almost triumphant curve of his lips, and gestured for me to follow him. As I picked up my bag and walked beside him, I couldn't help but wonder what I had just gotten myself into.

He returned with two cups of coffee, handing one to me with his usual calm demeanor. I noticed the sudden shift in the room, nearly all the ladies present were staring at us, their eyes wide with curiosity and barely concealed admiration.

It was like they'd just witnessed something extraordinary, as if the simple act of him getting coffee was a spectacle worth gawking at.

I sighed inwardly, trying to ignore the weight of their stares. I get it. Dr. Shekhawat is practically everyone's crush. Tall, confident, and brilliant .. he has that whole 'mysterious yet approachable' vibe going for him.

But seriously, why did they have to stare at him like that? It wasn't like he'd just walked off the cover of some magazine.

"Do you have any plans after the hospital?" he asked, his tone casual, but his eyes held a genuine curiosity that made me pause for a moment.

"Not really," I replied, shrugging slightly. "But I'll probably head to the library to study."

He nodded thoughtfully, as if processing my answer. "The library, huh?" he said, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"Why do you ask?"

He shrugged, but the faintest smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "Just curious," he said, as if that explained everything.

For a moment, I wondered if I should press further, but something about the way he looked at me , calm, patient, and slightly amused . made me hesitate.

My heart fluttered, and I quickly looked away, pretending to be engrossed in my coffee.

We were quietly sipping our coffee. The silence between us wasn't awkward, though. It felt... comfortable, like the kind of silence you don't need to fill with words.

Every now and then, our eyes would meet, and I'd quickly glance away, feeling a blush creeping up my cheeks.
It was impossible to ignore the warmth rising to my face, and from the faint pink tint on his, I could tell he wasn't immune to it either.

But then, I noticed something—his gaze lingered, just for a moment, on my wrist. The bracelet. The one he had gifted me.

His lips curved into a soft smile, and I swore I saw his blush deepen. He didn't say anything, but the way his eyes softened told me he'd noticed.
Maybe he hadn't expected me to wear it, or maybe it meant more to him than I realized.

I quickly tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, trying to focus on my coffee, but my heart wouldn't stop racing. Why does he have to be so effortlessly charming?

Suddenly, his phone alarm buzzed, breaking the comfortable silence between us.

"It's 10:55 a.m... uh, we have to leave. You have your lecture now," he said, his voice tinged with a slight urgency as he glanced at the screen.

We stood up from the table, and I grabbed my bag, trying to play it cool . But inside, my mind was racing, and I couldn't shake the feeling that something had just shifted between us.

"Thank you for the coffee," I said, giving him a small smile before turning toward my lecture. A wave of happiness unexpectedly washed over me, and I couldn't help but feel lighter as I walked away.

My heart still raced a little, but it wasn't just from the rush to get to class. Maybe it was the coffee, or maybe it was the moment we just shared.

A thought came in my mind
Did he really set an alarm just to make sure I didn't miss my lecture?

A wave of shyness rushing towards me , As I walked down the corridor,
I tried to focus on my lecture, but the thought of him lingered in the back of my mind.

----❁❁❁❁❁----

"Finally, I'm free!" I muttered to myself, stretching as the day's weight lifted off my shoulders.

"Bye, Drishti! I'll meet you tomorrow!" Nisha called out, waving her hands energetically before heading out of the building.

Her usual cheerfulness made me smile, but I couldn't help feeling a bit of relief at the thought of being alone.

It was 5 p.m. now. With the library as my next destination, I grabbed my bag and started walking in its direction. The evening air felt cool against my skin, and as I made my way across campus, I felt a mix of calm and determination.

The library would be the perfect place to dive into my studies and clear my mind.

As I climbed into the auto, but as I glanced over my shoulder, I noticed a car behind us , tailing us, to be exact. The headlights were faint but steady, and I couldn't help but feel an uneasy chill creeping up my spine.

Yesterday's events came rushing back in a flood—the break-in, the strange message on the mirror, and the lingering feeling that I hadn't been alone. My grip tightened on the side of the seat.

Without thinking, I turned to the auto driver. "Uncle, please speed up," I urged, my voice more urgent than I intended.

He glanced at me through the rearview mirror but nodded, pressing the accelerator.
The auto surged forward, but the car still seemed to follow, a constant presence in my peripheral vision.

What if it's someone from yesterday? I thought, my heart racing faster.

The streets around me blurred as I tried to calm myself, focusing on the library. Patel Uncle will be there.

When I reached the library, I didn't hesitate. I quickly entered, my breath coming in short gasps as I pushed through the doors.
The moment I stepped inside, I looked over my shoulder one last time. The car was gone.

A wave of relief washed over me, as if the weight of the world had suddenly lifted off my shoulders.

" Thank you, Krishna Ji " I whispered to myself, feeling a silent prayer escape my lips.

I took a deep breath, my body finally relaxing.

I quickly made my way into the book section, scanning the shelves for the book I needed. My eyes darted from one title to another, trying to find the right one.

Finally, I spotted it—there it was, sitting on the top shelf, just out of my reach.

"Ohh, it's there," I muttered to myself, feeling a bit of frustration rise within me.
But of course, it was high up, nearly impossible to grab without a step stool.

"Why do they have to put the book all the way up there?" I slightly complained, my voice barely audible in the quiet of the library.

I stood on my toes, stretching my arm as far as it could go, but the book stayed just out of reach. I sighed, eyeing the shelf in frustration.

I quickly spotted a nearby step stool and grabbed it, carefully stepping onto it.

"Finally, I go—" I started to say, my voice filled with a mix of triumph and relief.
But before I could finish, my balance suddenly gave way.

My body tipped to one side as the stool wobbled beneath me , my body surrendering to gravity, I closed my eyes tightly, accepting my fate.