The next morning, I was at the hospital, sitting in the cafeteria with my lunch tray in front of me. The food was there, but my mind was somewhere else. My thoughts kept drifting back to the engagement—just six days away. Six days, and I would be engaged. It felt strange, different, almost unreal.

I tried to focus on the taste of my food, but instead, I kept thinking about Reyansh. I like him. I know I do. There's something about his quiet strength, his steady presence, that pulls me toward him. Maybe I'm a little attracted to him... but not fully. Because for so many years, my heart has belonged to my fictional world.

Since I was fourteen, maybe fifteen, books and dramas have been my comfort. They are the places where I cry freely, where I let my emotions out without fear. They know me in ways even my family doesn't. My family loves me, yes, but there are parts of me they don't see—the hidden corners, the silent tears, the unspoken fears.

And now, I wonder... will Reyansh be able to know those parts of me? Will he become my comfort the way my fictional heroes have been? Can he hold my pain, my dreams, my storms, and still give me sukoon?

I looked down at my lunch, untouched, and whispered to myself:
"Shaayad... shaayad woh mera sukoon ban sakta hai. Bas dekhna hai, kya woh meri asli duniya ko samajh paayega."

And with every patient I met, every chart I filled, my thoughts kept drifting back to him. To Reyansh. To the engagement. To the possibility of someone finally knowing me beyond the fiction.

I sat in my office, the glass walls reflecting the city skyline, files neatly stacked on my desk. Being the CEO meant decisions, meetings, strategies—but today, none of it could hold my attention. My mind was elsewhere.

Six days. Just six days until the engagement.

I tried to focus on the quarterly report in front of me, but the words blurred. Instead, I kept seeing her—Aroohi. The way she had closed her eyes yesterday beside Chachu, the way her voice had carried poetry, the way her anger had burned with justice.

My colleagues walked in and out, discussing numbers, projects, deadlines. They saw me as calm, detached, "emotionless." But inside, I was restless. I thought:
"They don't know. They don't see. For them, I am the CEO, the decision-maker. But for me, I am just a man counting down the days until she becomes mine."

I leaned back in my chair, staring at the city below. The world thought I was untouchable, but the truth was simple—Aroohi had touched me in ways no one else could.

"She lives in her fictional world, her dramas, her books. That's her comfort. But I will show her... I can be her comfort too. I can be the one she cries in front of, the one she trusts with her storms. Six days, and I will prove it."

I picked up my pen, absentmindedly writing her name on the corner of the report. Aroohi. Just seeing it on paper made me smile faintly.

The office buzzed around me, but my heart was already somewhere else—waiting, dreaming, preparing for the moment she would slip her hand into mine.

The door to my cabin swung open without a knock. Only a few people dared to do that—my closest friends. And sure enough, in came Vihaan and Arjun, grinning like idiots.

I raised an eyebrow, my voice calm but curious.
"Why are you here?"

Arjun smirked, leaning against the doorframe.
"Dekh raha hai, bhai. Biwi ke aate hi hume bhool gaya."

Vihaan chuckled, adding,
"CEO sahab ko ab sirf ek cheez yaad hai—engagement ke din ka countdown."

I sighed, pretending to be annoyed, but inside I couldn't help the faint smile tugging at my lips. They weren't wrong. My mind had been drifting all day, not to reports or meetings, but to her. To Aroohi.

I thought to myself:
"Yeh log mazaak karte hain, par sach yeh hai ki main waqai badal gaya hoon. Ek hafte baad engagement hai... aur main apne doston ko bhool nahi raha, bas apni zindagi ke naye safar ke baare mein soch raha hoon."

I looked at them, their teasing smiles, their laughter filling my office. For a moment, the weight of being CEO lifted, replaced by the warmth of friendship. But even then, behind it all, my heart whispered only one name—Aroohi.

The cabin door was still wide open when Arjun, with his usual smirk, leaned forward and said,
"Waise hum tujhe batane aaye hain... kal hum sab tere outfit select karne jaa rahe hain. Aur Aroohi ki family bhi aaegi."

Vihaan grinned, nodding in agreement.
"Bhai, ab toh CEO sahab ke liye boardroom se zyada showroom important ho gaya hai."

I looked at them, trying to keep my expression neutral, but inside, my heart skipped. Outfit selection. With her family. That meant seeing her again, not in hospital whites or beside Chachu, but in a space where our future was being stitched together—literally.

The next day, Reyansh's family arrived at the boutique. The air was filled with chatter, laughter, and the rustle of fabrics being unfolded. Sherwanis, lehengas, and shimmering dupattas lined the racks, waiting to become part of a new story.

Reyansh walked in with his usual calm, but his siblings and friends were already plotting. Riya, Karan, and Vikram surrounded him like mischievous shadows, their voices teasing.

"Bhai, bas dhyaan rakhna," Riya said with a grin.
"Usse poke mat karna... warna tumhare  bhi hospital wale aadmi ki tarah pitayi ho jaayegi."

Karan added dramatically, "Aroohi ke gusse se bachna mushkil hai, Reyansh. CEO ho ya nahi, woh tumhe bhi line pe le aayegi."

Vikram smirked, "Aur hum sab dekhne ke liye ready rahenge."

Their laughter echoed through the boutique, while Vihaan, Vanya, Arjun, and Ishita stood nearby, laughing even harder at the teasing. They knew Reyansh's calm face was hiding a storm of emotions, and they enjoyed every flicker of expression that betrayed him.

The boutique staff tried to keep the atmosphere professional, but the warmth of family and friends turned the place into a stage of playful banter. And in the middle of it all, Reyansh stood silently, his eyes searching for her—Aroohi.

Aroohi's family arrived at the boutique soon after. The atmosphere shifted instantly—warm greetings, smiles, and the subtle excitement of two families coming together. Aroohi greeted everyone politely, her calm presence balancing the playful chaos around her.

Soon, she drifted toward Vanya and Ishita, her closest companions in this moment. The three of them began chatting softly, their laughter weaving into the hum of the boutique. It was a comfort for her, a way to stay grounded while the elders and siblings busied themselves with preparations.

Then the real fun began—outfit selection. Sherwanis, lehengas, and shimmering fabrics were laid out, colors debated, styles compared. Everyone was involved, teasing, laughing, and imagining the big day.

But Reyansh and Aroohi? They weren't told what their own outfits would be. Their families had decided to keep it a surprise. The siblings and friends teased them both, saying,
"Tum dono apne dresses tabhi dekhoge jab engagement ke din ek doosre ke saamne aaoge."

As the boutique buzzed with laughter and outfit selections, Aarav suddenly raised his voice, drawing everyone's attention.

"There's a surprise for Aroohi," he announced, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

Aroohi froze, shocked. She turned to her brother, her brows furrowing.
"What surprise? bhai , batao na!"

But Aarav only smiled, refusing to answer. Instead, he gently blindfolded her, ignoring her protests, and guided her toward the car waiting outside. The family watched with curiosity, their voices rising in playful questions.

"Arre, Aarav bhai , yeh kya ho raha hai?" Riya asked, half laughing.
"Surprise kya hai?" Vikram pressed, trying to peek.

Aarav chuckled, his tone mysterious.
"Bas itna jaano... there is someone special for Aroohi."

The words hung in the air, sparking excitement and whispers among everyone. Reyansh's friends exchanged knowing glances, while his siblings teased him even more. The boutique, moments ago filled with silks and laughter, now buzzed with anticipation.

And Aroohi, blindfolded and confused, sat quietly in the car, her heart racing. She didn't know where she was being taken, or who this "special someone" could be. But deep inside, she felt the stirrings of curiosity—and a little fear.

The cars rolled through the gates of a grand villa, its beauty leaving everyone momentarily speechless. The garden stretched wide, lush and green, like something out of a dream. Laughter and whispers filled the air as the families stepped out, curious about Aarav's mysterious plan.

Aarav held Aroohi's hand gently, guiding her forward. She was still blindfolded, her heart racing with confusion. He leaned close and whispered,
"Tum uska intezaar kar rahi thi na? Dekho... woh aa gaya."

With that, Aarav slowly let go of her hand and stepped back, joining the others. The family watched in silence, anticipation thick in the air.

Aroohi hesitated, then lifted her hands to untie the blindfold. As the cloth fell away, her eyes blinked against the sunlight—and then froze.

For a second, she was stunned. Her breath caught in her throat. And then, without thinking, she sprinted forward. Tears welled in her eyes as she leapt into the arms of the man standing before her. She hugged him tightly, crying against his shoulder, her emotions spilling out in a way she rarely allowed.

The garden, the villa, the families—all faded into the background. In that moment, it was just Aroohi and the "someone special" Aarav had promised.

The moment Aroohi leapt into the arms of the man, crying and holding him tightly, the garden seemed to freeze. Her family stood calm, their faces soft with knowing smiles—they had expected this reunion. But Reyansh's side? Shock rippled through them like a wave.

Riya's eyes widened. "Wait... she just jumped on him?"
Karan muttered under his breath, "Bhai... yeh toh humne kabhi socha bhi nahi tha."
Vikram smirked, though his tone carried disbelief, "Aur Reyansh bhai ko hug bhi nahi diya. Seedha doosre ke gale lag gayi."

Vihaan, Vanya, Arjun, and Ishita exchanged stunned looks, their laughter fading into awkward chuckles. They had teased Reyansh endlessly about Aroohi's fiery nature, but this—this was something else.

And Reyansh? He stood still, his jaw tightening, his chest heavy with something unfamiliar. Jealousy. He had never felt it before, but watching her cry freely in another man's arms, watching her leap without hesitation—it burned quietly inside him.

"Main toh usse kabhi hug bhi nahi kar paaya... aur yahan woh apna sabse bada sukoon kisi aur mein dhoondh rahi hai."

Reyansh stood rooted in place, his eyes fixed on the scene unfolding before him. Aroohi—his Aroohi—had leapt into another man's arms, crying freely, clinging to him as if the world had disappeared.

His family's laughter and teasing echoed around him, but he barely heard it. His chest tightened, his jaw clenched. For the first time in his life, the emotionless CEO felt something sharp and unfamiliar—jealousy.

"Main toh usse kabhi hug bhi nahi kar paaya... aur woh bina soche samjhe kisi aur ke gale lag gayi. Uske aansu, uski muskaan... sab uske liye."

He tried to mask it, keeping his face calm, but his siblings noticed the flicker in his eyes. Riya nudged Karan, whispering, "Dekha? Bhai ko jalan ho rahi hai."
Karan smirked, "Aur hona bhi chahiye. Dulhan apne hone wale pati ko ignore karke kisi aur ke gale lag rahi hai."
Vikram added with a chuckle, "CEO sahab, ab samajh aaya na? Emotions ko control karna mushkil hota hai."

Vihaan, Arjun, Vanya, and Ishita laughed softly, but even they sensed the storm brewing inside him. Reyansh's gaze never left Aroohi. He wanted to be the one she ran to, the one she cried with, the one she trusted enough to break in front of.

"For the first time, Reyansh's mask cracked. Behind the calm CEO stood a man burning with jealousy, aching with desire, and silently vowing to claim the place in Aroohi's heart that no one else could."

"Who is this man? Why does Aroohi cry for him? Why does she hug him as if she has found her lost world? And what storm will this awaken in Reyansh's heart? If you want to know... stay tuned for the next chapter."

bye 

lots of love from your 

author ikku ❤️