Another summer afternoon in their house
Momo wasn't home. She had gone out to take care of some legal work, leaving Ayaan and Aarshi alone.
The house felt unusually boring.
Aarshi was lying on the couch, endlessly scrolling through her phone, when a sudden craving struck her.
"I want ice cream."
She immediately began pestering Ayaan.
Ayaan had absolutely no desire to step outside in the unbearable summer heat. The sun was practically setting the world on fire.
"No."
"Please."
"No."
"Please."
After several minutes of relentless convincing, Ayaan finally surrendered.
"Fine. But if I melt before the ice cream does, it's your fault."
Aarshi grinned triumphantly.
Ayaan grabbed his bicycle and left for the nearby shop.
Fifteen minutes passed.
Then twenty.
There was still no sign of him.
Aarshi kept glancing at the clock.
"Why is he taking so long for ice cream?"
Just then—
Ding Dong.
The doorbell rang.
Aarshi immediately jumped up from the sofa.
"He finally came!"
Her excitement was impossible to hide.
She practically skipped toward the door, clapping her hands like a child. Her wavy hair bounced behind her as she hurried across the house.
The moment she opened the door—
Her smile vanished.
Not slowly.
Not gradually.
Within half a second.
Standing outside was not Ayaan.
It was Aditya.
A cold shiver ran through her body.
Aditya wore that same unsettling smile that always made her uncomfortable.
To anyone else it might have looked normal.
To her, it looked demonic.
Her fingers tightened around the door.
Her hands began trembling.
For a brief second, it felt as though her heart had completely stopped.
Aditya tilted his head slightly.
"Is Ayaan home?"
Aarshi silently shook her head.
His smile widened.
"Are you alone this time?"
She hesitated before nodding.
Trying to sound calm, she quickly lied.
"No. Ayaan is home. He just stepped outside for something. He'll be back in a minute."
Aditya nodded.
"I'm here to meet him."
Aarshi said nothing.
Her fingers tightened further around the door.
She slowly tried to close it.
Before she could—
Aditya placed his hand against the door.
Stopping it.
"Why don't you welcome me inside?" he asked.
"This isn't my house," Aarshi replied immediately. "I can't invite people in."
But Aditya didn't move.
He could clearly see the fear on her face.
And that was exactly why he stayed.
The truth was, Aditya hadn't arrived by accident.
Earlier, he had seen Ayaan leave on his bicycle.
He knew Ayaan would be gone for a while.
And he knew Aarshi would be alone.
That was why he came.
Realizing he wasn't going to leave, Aarshi gave up trying to argue.
She turned and hurried toward her room.
Maybe if she stayed there, he would remain in the living room.
She practically ran.
What she didn't realize was that Aditya was following her.
The moment she entered her room, she grabbed the door and tried to lock it.
But Aditya caught it before she could.
The door stopped moving.
Aarshi froze.
Her breathing stopped for a moment.
Her hands shook like a glass of water during a violent earthquake.
Her throat felt dry as a desert.
Slowly, she raised her eyes.
Aditya was staring at her.
This time his expression was colder.
More unpleasant.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
Aarshi nodded.
Even her lips were trembling.
"Is Ayaan okay?"
"You can ask him when he comes back," she replied.
His smile returned.
A smile that looked more like a warning.
"Let me ask you something else."
Aarshi remained silent.
Aditya leaned slightly closer.
"Don't you think you and Ayaan have been getting pretty close lately?"
For the first time, Aarshi forced herself to gather some courage.
"It's none of your concern."
His eyebrows lifted.
"You've learned how to answer back now."
Again she tried closing the door.
Again he stopped it.
"You've changed a lot."
"So what if I have?" she replied sharply.
His expression darkened.
"He taught you that much, huh?"
Aarshi crossed her arms.
"Yes. He taught me a lot."
Then she added,
"Want me to demonstrate some of it on you?"
Aditya immediately understood.
She was talking about the self-defense techniques she had learned.
For the first time since he arrived, Aarshi wasn't completely silent.
She was fighting back.
Aditya narrowed his eyes.
"You're getting too close to him."
"And if I am?" Aarshi shot back.
"Keep your big nose out of it. It's none of your concern."
A dangerous look flashed across his face.
Then he pulled out his phone.
Aarshi's confidence disappeared instantly.
On the screen was a photograph.
A photograph of her kissing Ayaan.
The moment she saw it, she became speechless.
Aditya held the phone up.
"Still think it's none of my concern?"
Aarshi couldn't find any words.
His smile returned.
"If you don't stay in your limits, you know exactly what I'll do with this."
Fear surged through her chest.
But this time she refused to back down.
Even while trembling.
"Even if I'm getting closer to him, so what?"
Her voice shook.
"You still think you ever had a chance with me?"
Aditya's smile disappeared.
"Keep dreaming."
She glared at him.
"You're still a mole rat."
"Keep your nose in the gutters where it belongs."
The insult landed perfectly.
His jaw tightened.
"You'll regret saying that."
Then his voice changed.
Completely.
"You'll regret trusting Ayaan."
Aarshi frowned.
"What?"
Aditya folded his arms.
"You know he's practically the prince of his campus, right?"
"He has girls following him everywhere."
"He has trapped dozens of girls already."
"And now you've become one of them."
Aarshi looked directly into his eyes.
"It's me who's trapped here right now."
"So stay out of it."
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Aditya reached out.
His fingers moved toward her hair.
Aarshi immediately flinched backward.
Fear flashed across her face.
His smile returned.
"You'll regret not listening to me."
Even though her body was trembling, she forced herself to answer.
"Even if Ayaan and I are getting closer, it's still none of your business."
That was the final straw.
Aditya's patience snapped.
He yanked the door violently.
The force threw Aarshi off balance.
She fell onto the floor.
Her hands shook uncontrollably.
Breathing became difficult.
Her heart pounded painfully against her chest.
Aditya stepped closer.
Closer.
Closer.
Then he crouched beside her.
His hand moved toward her face.
Tears filled Aarshi's eyes.
Her cheeks trembled.
Her lips trembled.
Even her legs shook beneath her.
She felt completely helpless.
Then—
The sound of the front door opening echoed through the house.
Both of them froze.
Ayaan was back.
Aditya immediately stood up and walked toward the living room.
Moments later, the two boys faced each other.
Ayaan looked confused.
"What are you doing here?"
Aditya casually shrugged.
"I'm here to meet my classmate."
For a second, Ayaan was stunned.
Then something felt wrong.
Very wrong.
Without another word, he rushed toward Aarshi's room.
The sight that greeted him made his stomach drop.
Aarshi was sitting on the floor.
Tears covered her face.
Her entire body was trembling.
She looked terrified.
Ayaan immediately knelt beside her.
"Aarshi?"
No response.
"Aarshi, look at me."
The moment she saw him, whatever little control she had left shattered.
She threw herself into his arms.
And burst into tears.
Not ordinary tears.
The kind that came after holding fear inside for far too long.
She buried her face against his shoulder and cried uncontrollably.
Ayaan immediately understood.
He didn't need an explanation.
He could see her fear.
He could feel it.
Without saying a word, he wrapped his arms around her and gently patted her back.
Again.
And again.
And again.
He stayed like that until her breathing slowly steadied.
Until the sobs became quieter.
Until she finally calmed down.
Nearly half an hour later.
When she seemed better, Ayaan gently tapped her shoulder.
A silent signal.
Aarshi understood.
Slowly, she loosened her grip and moved away.
Ayaan stood up and quietly left the room.
The ice cream he had bought had completely melted by then, dripping across the floor while he spent all that time comforting her.
The evening arrived.
Aarshi remained in her room, replaying every word of the confrontation in her head.
Every threat.
Every warning.
Every insult.
Especially one sentence.
"You'll regret trusting Ayaan."
That sentence refused to leave her mind.
Eventually she stepped outside.
At the same moment, Ayaan was walking downstairs.
When he noticed her, he calmly followed her into the living room.
Aarshi sat on the sofa.
Without realizing it, she immediately started searching for him with her eyes.
Ayaan stepped in front of her.
"Where did you go after leaving me?" she asked softly.
Ayaan looked at her.
"I was doing something for you."
"I'll tell you later."
The tears returned to her eyes.
Seeing that, Ayaan crouched down in front of her.
Gently holding her cheeks, he asked,
"Did he do something to you?"
She quickly shook her head.
"Nothing serious."
Ayaan's jaw tightened.
"What did he bark this time?"
Aarshi lowered her gaze.
She wanted answers.
She wanted to tell him everything.
But she couldn't bring herself to repeat the part where she had defended her closeness to him.
The words echoed in her mind.
"Even if I'm getting close to him, so what?"
What would Ayaan think if he heard that?
Would he misunderstand?
Would he think differently of her?
The thought alone made her panic.
Fresh tears spilled from her eyes.
Ayaan immediately sat beside her.
Without hesitation, he pulled her into a comforting embrace.
One hand rested on her head.
Gently patting her hair.
A simple gesture.
Yet somehow it made her feel safe.
After a long silence, Aarshi finally spoke.
"Aditya said he'll leak that photo everywhere."
Ayaan's expression softened.
"Please don't cry because of him."
His voice was calm.
Steady.
"Even if that photo gets leaked, I'll handle it."
He looked directly at her.
"I'll take responsibility."
"And even if it reaches your brother, I'll talk to him myself."
For the first time since afternoon, Aarshi felt some of the fear leave her heart.
Because regardless of what Aditya had said—
At that moment, Ayaan was still sitting beside her.
And for now, that was enough.