7:00 AM…
A soft golden beam of sunlight slid onto Ruhi’s face like an uninvited guest. She groaned, shifted, and squinted one eye open like a suspicious cat. With a dramatic stretch, she stood up, only to wince and grab her head.
“Oof... who’s drumming inside my skull?”
Her eyes were still only halfway open when a hand appeared in front of her, holding a glass.
“Drink this. It'll help with the hangover,” a voice said, calm and familiar.
“Hang… over…?” she mumbled, taking the glass in slow motion, “Wait… what…?”
Before she could process anything, the man had already turned to leave.
Ruhi blinked a few times and then—BOOM—her eyes flew wide open.
“Was that… was that Aaditya SIR?!”
The realization hit her like cold water. She set the glass on the table and jumped to her feet.
Her face turned crimson as flashes of last night’s chaos played in her head like a badly edited slideshow.
“Oh my God!! Why did You choose yesterday for this? What must sir be thinking? That I’m some ridiculous secretary who can’t even tell the difference between juice and vodka?!”
Just then, her inner angel cleared her throat and said, “But isn’t that kind of adorable? He probably thinks you’re so innocent. A pure soul. Doesn’t even know the smell of alcohol!”
Then her inner demon scoffed, “Or maybe he thinks you’re dumb. What kind of adult can’t smell liquor? He's going to fire you and replace you with a robot assistant who doesn’t mistake vodka for apple juice!”
Ruhi panicked, flailing her arms in the air, “No! Shut up! Just shut up! Nothing’s going to happen! And hey—maybe even Anamika was drunk!”
The demon sneered, "Yeah, sure. And if anything goes wrong, just blame it all on her.”
The angel gasped, “You can’t do that! That’s evil. Right, Ruhi?”
Ruhi collapsed back onto the bed dramatically, hugging a pillow like it was her only support system. “Please, brain, stop thinking. Whatever happens… happens. I’ll survive. Hopefully.”
Meanwhile, Aditya tiptoed into Anamika’s room.
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She was still sleeping peacefully, face glowing in the morning light. He placed a glass of lemon water on the table and gently pulled the curtains open.
The sunlight hit her face, and she flinched.
Aditya smiled and immediately closed the curtains again.
Just then, a voice came from behind with full sarcasm loaded: “You gonna let her sleep all day? Don’t forget… she has to be home before Saaniya returns!”
Aniket stood at the door, arms crossed like a strict hostel warden.
Aditya turned around with a sheepish smile, “But dude… she looks so cute while sleeping. I don’t have the heart to wake her up!”
Aniket walked in and teased, “Bro, she always looks cute to you! You’re too far gone in love. You probably find her adorable even if she drools in her sleep!”
Aditya pouted, “Shut up… That’s not true… I mean, maybe a little…”
Aniket rolled his eyes, “Okay, Romeo, you’re clearly not going to wake her up. I’ll do it. I’ll drop her home. You go keep tabs on Saaniya.”
Aditya glanced at Anamika once again, sighed like a hero in a tragic love song, and said, “Are you really okay being the third wheel? You do know people who interrupt lovers end up in hell, right?”
Aniket smirked, “Yeah, I’ve heard… but no one said anything about third wheels in one-sided love stories!”
Aditya clutched his chest as if Aniket had stabbed him with a butter knife. “Was that really necessary?!”
He turned to leave, sulking like a puppy, but Aniket added, “Although… I did hear that helping a friend find love earns you a place in heaven. Not that I care much for heaven… but hell sounds sweaty. You stay here. I’ll go enjoy my temporary sainthood and keep an eye on Saaniya.”
Aditya’s face lit up like Diwali. He ran to hug Aniket.
“Come here, bro—” But Aniket pushed him away and marched out, “By the way… my flight’s tonight. Bhutan.”
And poof—Aditya’s happiness burst like a soap bubble.
“Oh…” he said, trying to sound casual while clearly dying inside, “I’ll come drop you off.”
Aniket didn’t reply. He just glanced over his shoulder and left. As he walked down the stairs, his eyes fell on the bandages wrapped around his hand.
He mumbled to himself, “I wonder if she’s still sad… Guess I won’t understand her until I know the whole story. From the beginning…”
Back in the room, Aditya stood silently for a moment.
He let out a deep sigh, “I really should be used to this by now…”
He turned back to the curtains and opened them again—
Only to hear a sleepy whine: “Saaniya… close the curtains! I’m still sleeping!”
He turned and saw Anamika burying her head under a pillow like a cranky child.
Aditya couldn’t help but laugh. Just like that, all his sadness melted away.
Because here’s the twist— Anamika wasn’t asleep at all.
She had woken up when the Bhutan flight conversation began and had secretly watched Aditya’s face.
For the first time, she saw pain in his eyes.
And she didn’t like it. She didn’t want that face to carry sorrow.
So… she played along.
Aditya walked up to her bed with a smile. “Anamika… Saaniya isn’t here. It’s me—Aditya.”
Anamika slowly sat up, pretending to be confused. “Where… where are we?”
“At my place. You don’t remember anything from last night?”
Anamika tilted her head and said like a clueless kitten, “I just remember we were at the hotel… and you went out for something. After that… nothing.”
Aditya gently touched her forehead. “Sorry. It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have left you two alone.”
The truth? Anamika did remember bits.
How he’d told her stories…
How he’d carried her like a prince…
How he’d handled all her tantrums with patience and care.
But she didn’t say that.
Because for some reason, saying it out loud felt too… intimate.
Lowering her eyes, she whispered, “I don’t think it was your fault. It was just… fate being funny. Stuff like this can happen to anyone.”
Hearing that, Aditya’s heart lit up. “You’re right. Anyway… there’s lemon water on the table. Have some, you’ll feel better. Once we drop Ruhi home, we’ll go to your place, you freshen up, and then… straight to the office, yeah?”
Anamika smiled and nodded, “Absolutely.”
They looked so happy together… smiling like nothing else mattered.
But someone watching them from the hallway… was breaking inside.
Ruhi.
She had seen it all.
She had heard it all.
And in that moment, something inside her shattered.
She turned away, holding back tears, and whispered in her heart, “I started liking you the day I saw you.
I dreamed of walking beside you through everything.
But I never dreamed of this day.”
She entered her room, closing the door behind her. “I don’t know why you can’t see it, Anamika… But today… for the first time, I saw that love in sir’s eyes.
The love I prayed to witness someday.
And when I finally saw it—It broke me. Because it wasn’t for me.”
Not all love stories are mutual.
Some remain… painfully beautiful and one-sided.
But what now?
Will Ruhi accept this bitter truth?
Or will fate bring someone else into her life— Someone who sees her the way she sees Aditya?
