Hruta's POV
My eyes widened, nearly popping out of their sockets as I took in the sight before me.
"YOUUUU?!"
I shouted, my voices overlapping in shock.
For a moment, silence stretched—thick, suffocating, and brimming with disbelief.
I blinked. Once. Twice.
Maybe my eyes were playing tricks on me. Maybe this was some hallucination.
But no—he was really standing there.
Haa ithe kay kartoya?
[What is he doing here?]
My mind scrambled to make sense of the situation.
We had come here to meet someone important. Then why was he here?
I felt a frown tug at my brows as I studied him, my confusion deepening. His sharp, calculating eyes flickered with something unreadable before he quickly masked it with that infuriatingly neutral expression of his.
The silence was finally broken when Aayu Dada, ever the observant one, glanced between us with curiosity.
“Do you guys know each other?”
His tone was casual, but I sense the underlying interest in his words.
I stiffened.
I tore my gaze away from him, forcing myself to breathe properly. My mind raced, trying to find an answer—one that wouldn’t invite more questions.
"Uh…" I hesitated, unsure of what to say.
Did we know each other? Technically, yes. But did I want to acknowledge that? HELL NOO.
I glanced back at him, hoping—praying—that he wouldn’t say anything. That he would simply let this moment slide.
But his expression remained unreadable, his lips pressed into a firm line.
Don't you dare say anything! I screamed internally, trying to communicate telepathically.
Panic surged through me. I couldn’t let my brothers get the wrong idea.
Before he could open his mouth, I blurted out, “No, dada! How would we know each other?”
I forced out a laugh, waving my hand dismissively as if the very idea was absurd. My smile was shaky, but I prayed they wouldn’t notice.
Aayu Dada, however, did notice.
His eyes narrowed ever so slightly as he tilted his head, giving me a look.
The kind of look that made my stomach drop.
Oh no.
The bombastic side-eye he shot me was so intense, I felt like shrinking on the spot.
He didn’t say anything, but I could practically hear his thoughts loud and clear.
Really? You expect me to believe that?
I gulped and quickly looked away.
And he—the man standing across from me—remained silent, his expression as calm as ever. If he was enjoying my panic, he gave no indication of it.
Instead, after a brief pause, his lips twitched slightly. Not quite a smirk, but close enough to make me uneasy.
I clenched my fists, mentally screaming at him. Just nod and move on!
But he didn't. Of course, he didn’t bastard.
And before the silence could stretch any further, Aayush dada grinned widely and stepped forward.
“Hey brother, you’re still alive?” he said, throwing an arm around his shoulder like they were long-lost chaddi buddie dost.
I blinked.
Brother?!
My brain short-circuited as I watched my elder brother casually pull him into a half-hug.
What. The. Hell.
The guy chuckled, his voiced rich and deep, and- was that amusement in his eyes.
“Why, did you think I’d died?” he asked, raising a brow.
“Well, it’s been ages since we got any news about you,” Aayu dada replied with a smirk.
They exchanged a look I couldn’t quite understand.
What are they even talking about?
Just then, Arjun dada walked over.
“What are you guys chatting about?” he asked, giving them both a playful look.
“Nothing, bhaiya,” Aayu dada replied nonchalantly, and I let out a relieved breath.
But then—
“Man, it’s been ages! How have you been, Nirved?” Arjun dada exclaimed, pulling him into a tight hug.
Nirved?!
The name slammed into my brain like a wrecking ball.
I didn’t even know his name.
And why would I? I had been desperately trying to forget him.
I stared at him, my breath catching in my throat as realization crashed over me like a tidal wave.
“Hey, don’t forget me!” Aayu dada jumped in, making it a group effort.
They all laughed, almost stumbling but managing to stay on their feet.
When they finally separated, I stood there-utterly dumbfounded.
I looked between the three of them, completely lost.
They knew him?
Since when? How?
and more importantly-
why did I not know this?
I was still trying to process what I had just witnessed.
Arjun Dada. Aayu Dada. Nirved.
All three of them, standing there, laughing like they had been close for years.
What in the plot twist is going on here?!
I must have entered some alternate reality because there was absolutely no way that this—whatever this was—was normal.
I stared at my brothers, then at Nirved, then back at my brothers. My mouth opened and closed like a fish gasping for air. Words refused to form, my thoughts spiraling into chaos.
How? When? WHY?!
And most importantly—why was I the only one completely unaware of this?
Before I could even begin to make sense of the situation, Arjun Dada turned towards me, a wide grin on his face.
“Oh, by the way,” he said, slinging an arm around my shoulder, “this is our little sister, Hruta.”
I swear, for a second, I stopped breathing.
The words echoed in my ears, and I could feel my soul leave my body.
No, no, no. Take it back. Delete it. Undo it. Control + Z.
I didn’t know what I was expecting, but it sure as hell wasn’t this.
I knew the moment I turned my head, I would find his piercing gaze on me. And sure enough, when I finally dared to look, his eyes were already on me—dark, unreadable, yet filled with something that made my stomach twist.
He didn’t say anything. He didn’t need to.
Because at that moment, I knew—he had known all along.
And I?
I was the fool left in the dark.
My fingers curled into fists.
This is fine. Totally fine.
I cleared my throat, forcing a shaky smile. “Uh… hi?”
His lips twitched slightly, as if holding back a smirk.
“Hruta, huh?” he murmured, testing my name like it was some kind of puzzle piece finally clicking into place.
I don’t want to acknowledge the way my name sounded coming from him.
Instead, I turned to my brothers, waving my hands wildly. “Okay, pause. Can someone please explain what’s happening here?”
Arjun Dada chuckled. “Meet Nirved—my childhood best friend.”
Childhood best friend?
I was convinced I had just stepped into some twisted parallel universe.
Because there was no way—absolutely no way—that this was real.
The guy I kissed is none other than Nirved.
My brothers' best friend.
No. Absolutely not.
I refused to process this information.
Yeh toh ekdum filmy scene ban gaya hai! I thought, panicking. Bas ab yeh na ho ke yeh sab kuch bol de, warna mein toh gayi…
[This has turned into a complete filmy scene! Just hope he doesn’t say anything, or else I’m doomed...]
He baghwann
Mera dimaag satak raha hai.
[I'm losing my mind.]
My eyes darted between Nirved and my brothers, desperately hoping that this was some elaborate prank. Maybe any second now, a hidden camera crew would pop out and yell, “Surprise! You’re on a prank show!”
But no one came.
No hidden cameras. No dramatic reveal.
Just my two brothers, grinning and chatting like they had no idea that my soul had just left my body.
Mai yaha hua hi nhi mai toh kab ka Jupiter par nikal gyi.
[I'm not even here; I left for Jupiter long ago.]
I had to fight the urge to grab Arjun Dada by the shoulders and shake him. Dada, are you serious right now?!
Meanwhile, Nirved…
He just stood there. Silent. Watching.
His dark, unreadable gaze was fixed on me, and for some reason, that only made my panic worse.
I swallowed hard, forcing a shaky breath. I had to play it cool. Act normal. Pretend this wasn’t the most awkward, horrifying moment of my life.
I opened my mouth, fully prepared to lie my way out of this. Maybe say something casual like,
“Oh wow, small world! Haha, isn’t that funny? Total coincidence, right?”
My mental spiraling was interrupted when Ayush dada asked,
“You okay, Ruhi? Tumhe dekhke aisa kyu lag raha hai jaise tumne bhoot dekh liya ho!”
["Why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost?”]
Because I have.
I forced out a laugh, but it sounded more like a dying squirrel than an actual expression of amusement. My hands were clammy, my heart was threatening to escape my ribcage, and my brain had officially left the chat.
I felt Nirved’s gaze still locked onto me, intense and unreadable.
His lips twitched again—damn that almost-smirk! It was as if he was thoroughly enjoying my misery, soaking in every ounce of my panic like it was some kind of entertainment.
Before I could react, he leaned in, his warm breath fanning against my ear.
"Missed me Firefly?"
A violent shiver ran down my spine.
His voice—dark, commanding, laced with authority.
Missed you, my foot.
I clenched my fists, glaring at him. “Tum apni bakwaas band rakho, samjhe? Or else…” I hissed, my voice low and sharp.
[Keep your nonsense to yourself, got it?]
Nirved tilted his head slightly, eyes glinting with amusement.
“Or else what?" he challenged, his smirk deepening.
Just then, Arjun Dada’s phone rang, cutting through the tension. He stepped aside to take the call, his expression growing serious. A few moments later, he returned, urgency clear on his face.
“Ayush, we need to go. It’s urgent.”
“But where? And what about Ruhi?” Aayu dada asked, frowning.
“Princess, it’s really urgent. Will you wait here, please? Amhi lavkar yeto,” Arjun dada asked, cupping my face gently.
[We’ll be back soon.]
I hesitated but nodded. If Dada said it was serious, then it had to be.
Turning back to Nirved, he added, “Nirved, please take care of her.”
Nirved nodded. With that, both my brothers walked to the car. I waved, watching as they drove away, leaving me alone with Nirved.
Toh ab tera kya hoga, Kaliya?
I mean, Hruta.
I sighed, mentally slapping my head. Of all the people in the world, why him? Of all the moments, why this?
Before I could spiral any further, a deep voice interrupted my thoughts.
“Are you planning to stay out here all day?” Nirved’s tone was calm—too calm—but there was a hint of amusement lurking beneath it.
I turned to face him, and sure enough, he had that same unreadable expression, the one that made my nerves tangle into a mess.
“Let’s go inside,” he said, effortlessly slipping his hands into his pockets, as if this situation wasn’t the most awkward thing ever.
I hesitated for a second, but then took a deep breath, bracing myself for whatever lay ahead.
Because at this point, all I could do was hope that the universe had a good plan for the day.
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Stay tunned! 💕
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