Subah ka ghar unusually shaant tha.

Aaj Aarohi ki first rasoi thi—par irony yeh thi ki usse cooking ka C bhi nahi aata tha.

Kitchen mein khadi woh gas aur kadhai ko aise dekh rahi thi jaise dono milkar uska viva lene wale ho.

“Advay…” usne dheere se bulaya, thodi ghabrahat ke saath.

Advay ne ek second mein situation samajh li. Usne sleeves fold ki, aur calmly bola,

“Tum sirf serve karogi. Aaj chef main hoon.” Aarohi ne surprise aur

relief ke mix ke saath usse dekha—yeh wahi professor tha jo class mein kisi ko extra word bhi bolne nahi deta.

Advay ne poha banaya—simple, soft, bilkul Aarohi jaisa.

Saath mein kheer bhi, perfect sweetness

ke saath.

Aarohi ne simple red saari pehni thi—no heavy jewellery, no makeup drama.

Bas ek laal bindi, thoda sa kajal aur woh innocence jo sabse zyada notice ho jaati hai.

Jab usne pooja ke baad sabko serve kiya, Advay ki maa ne pyaar se uska sar chhua, “Bahut sundar lag rahi ho, beta.” Aarohi ke lips pe halki si smile aayi, par woh aankhon tak nahi pahunchi.

Shaam ko Advay ki bua aayi

. Aur jaise hi woh baithi, hawa ka tone change ho gaya.

“Yeh toh bilkul bacchi hai,” bua ne bina hesitation ke keh diya,

Aarohi ko upar se neeche dekhte hue,

“aur humara Advay—professor hai. Itna bada gap? Khaana banana bhi nahi aata, rasoi bhi pati ne banayi. Aajkal ke bachche…”

Aarohi chup rahi. Ek word bhi nahi bola. Usne bas apni ungliyon ko pallu ke edge mein twist kar liya.



Advay wahan khada tha.

Aur kuch nahi bola.

Yeh silence Aarohi ke liye sabse zyada loud tha.

Usne quietly plate side mein rakhi.

Na poha khaya, na kheer.

Advay ne bhi khana chhua tak nahi—par difference yeh tha ki log uski khamoshi ko seriousness samajh rahe the, aur Aarohi ki khamoshi ko weakness.

Advay ki maa ne turant situation samajh li.

“Bas kijiye,” unhone bua ko thoda firmly toka,

“meri bahu hai woh. Aur ghar sirf khaane se nahi chalta.”

Bua ne awkward laugh diya, par damage ho chuka tha.

Raat ko Aarohi chup-chaap bedroom mein aa gayi.

Bed pe baithi, ghunton ko chest se laga ke.

Advay ne peeche se aakar softly bola, “Aarohi—”

Usne bina dekhe keh diya, “Aaj aap professor the ya husband?”

Advay froze.

“Main bacchi hoon, mujhe pata hai,”

Aarohi ne dheere se kaha, awaaz control mein, par dil nahi,

“par aaj mujhe aapke saath khade hone ki zarurat thi.”

Advay ne uske paas baithne ki koshish ki, par Aarohi thoda side ho gayi.

“Mat aaiye,” usne softly bola, “aaj mujhe akele rehna hai.”

Advay ke liye yeh lecture se zyada hard tha.

Usne bas itna kaha, “Kal… main better karunga.”

Aarohi ne koi jawab nahi diya. Bas light off kar di.

Andheron mein bhi, uski laal saari ka rang jaise Advay ke guilt pe chhap chhod gaya.

Subah ghar mein ajeeb si shaanti thi—woh shaanti jo sirf tab hoti hai jab raat ko dil bahut zyada bol chuka ho.

Aarohi kitchen mein aayi, simple cotton kurti mein, baal loose, face pe calm expression…

par andar se woh abhi bhi thandi thi.

Advay breakfast table pe already baitha tha.

Unki nazrein mili—sirf ek second ke liye—phir Aarohi ne aankhen hata li.

Advay ne softly poocha,

“Chai?”

Aarohi ne bina dekhe jawab diya,

“Aaj mujhe coffee pasand hai.”

Simple line thi, par tone mein distance tha.

Advay samajh gaya—yeh abhi bhi naraz hai.

Tabhi bua ji living room se aayi, morning judgement mode ON.

“Beta, aaj rasoi mein  kya banega?” bua ne almost casually poocha, jaise test le rahi ho.

Aarohi ne coffee ka mug table pe rakha, sweet si smile ke saath boli,

“Bua ji, aaj rasoi mein teamwork hoga.”

Bua ji ne eyebrow uthaaya,

“Matlab?”

Aarohi ne blink bhi nahi kiya.

“Matlab—Advay ji banaenge, main serve karungi. Jaise kal.”

Advay almost choked on water.

Unki maa ne lips press kar ke smile chhupa li.

Bua ji ne thoda taana maara,

“Par bahu ho, seekhna toh padega.”

Aarohi ne bilkul calmly, par perfectly timed reply diya,

“Bilkul bua ji. Jaise aapne bhi seekha tha—sirf khaana banana nahi, chup rehna bhi.”

Dead. Silence.

Advay ki maa ne turant cough ki,

“Aarohi—”

Par Advay ne pehli baar clear voice mein bola,

“Ma, theek hai.”

Bua ji ka face thoda stiff ho gaya.

Aarohi ne koi overreaction nahi diya—bas coffee ka sip liya aur bola,

“Waise bua ji, kal aap keh rahi thi main bacchi hoon. Bacche sach bol dete hain… mujhe kal bura laga.”

Phir ek beat ke baad, softly,

“Bas itna.”

Aur woh uth kar room se bahar chali gayi.

Advay wahi baitha raha.

Uske liye yeh moment lecture se zyada heavy tha.

Usne kal jo nahi bola, aaj bolna chahiye tha.

College ke liye nikalte waqt Aarohi hamesha ki tarah gate se thoda pehle utar gayi.

“Drop yahin,” usne neutral tone mein kaha.

Advay ne gaadi roki, phir ek second ruk ke bola,

“Kal main chup tha… aaj nahi rahunga.”

Aarohi ne uski taraf dekha—

pehli baar us subah.

“Actions, Advay. Promises nahi.”

College corridor mein Advay unusually alert tha.

Aarohi jab class mein enter hui, usne jaan-bujh ke back bench choose ki.

Maya ne whisper kiya,

“Aaj kya hua? Sir se fight?”

Aarohi ne half-smile di,

“Sir se nahi… husband se.”

Physics class mein Advay normally strict hota hai. Aaj—protective.

Jab kisi student ne Aarohi ke notes pe comment pass kiya, Advay ne instantly bola,

“Personal remarks not allowed. Focus on equations

Aarohi ne notice kiya.

Uske heart ke andar ek chhota sa flutter hua—par face pe kuch nahi aaya.

Class ke baad Advay ne usse roka nahi.

Bas ek paper uski desk pe rakh diya.

Top pe likha tha—

“No zeros today.”

Neeche, chhoti si handwriting mein:

“Kal main galat tha.”

Aarohi ne paper fold kiya.

Smile aayi—bohot halki si.

Raat ko ghar pe Advay quietly kitchen mein khana bana raha tha.

Aarohi door pe khadi thi.

“Help chahiye?” usne poocha.

Advay ne peeche dekha, thoda surprised,

“Tum?”

Aarohi shrugged,

“Teamwork, yaad hai?”

Unki fingers accidentally touch hui—

aur dono ne ek second ke liye haath nahi hataya.

Butterflies.

Strong. Quiet. Real.

Healing slow thi.

Par shuru ho chuki thi.

Shaam ka time tha aur ghar surprisingly peaceful lag raha tha.

Aarohi bedroom mein bed pe baithi thi—Advay ki black hoodie pehne hue, sleeves thodi lambi, hood half-head pe chadha hua.

Hoodie uske liye oversized thi, par ussi mein woh sabse zyada comfortable lag rahi thi.

Mirror ke saamne khadi ho kar usne khud ko dekha aur softly murmur kiya,

“Yeh hoodie aap pe itni serious lagti hai… mujh pe cute.”

Advay door ke paas khada tha,

arms folded, aur bas usse dekh raha tha.

Uske lips pe woh smile thi jo sirf Aarohi ke liye reserved hoti hai.



“Tum jaanti ho,” usne casually kaha, “yeh hoodie mujhe college mein logon ke saamne intimidating banaati hai.”

Aarohi ne aankhen utha kar dekha, “Aur mujhe?”

Advay ek step aage aaya, voice low, “Dangerous.”

Aarohi grinned. Butterflies, welcome back.

Tabhi—

Knock knock.

Bua ji bina wait kiye andar aa gayi.

Unki nazar seedha Aarohi pe gayi.

Aur phir hoodie pe.

Aur phir shorts pe.

Expression instantly judgemental.

“Yeh kaise kapde pehne hain?” bua ji ne almost offended tone mein kaha

, “shorts, upar se ladke ki hoodie? Bahu ho tum, bacchi nahi.”

Aarohi kuch kehne hi wali thi, par usse pehle Advay aage aaya.

Calm. Firm. Proud.

“Woh meri dharmpatni hai,” Advay ne ekdum clearly kaha,

“aur usse jo pehne ka mann hai, woh pehnegi.”

Phir usne Aarohi ki hoodie ki sleeve lightly pakdi aur add kiya,

“Aur yeh hoodie meri hai. Maine di hai usse.”

Silence.

Aarohi ne side se Advay ko dekha—

heart literally skipped.

Bua ji ne thoda shocked tone mein kaha,

“Par Advay, log kya kahenge?”

Advay ka jawab simple tha,

par heavy impact ke saath:

“Jo log meri wife ko judge karte hain, unki opinion mere liye irrelevant hai.”

Aarohi ne ab apna chance liya.

She smiled. Sweet. Sarcastic.

“Bua ji,” usne innocent tone mein kaha, “yeh hoodie actually secure feel karwati hai. Jaise mujhe permission nahi… right mila ho khud hone ka.”

Phir thoda head tilt karke add kiya,

“Waise bhi, aap keh rahi thi na main bacchi hoon—bacchon ko comfort chahiye hota hai.”

Advay ne lips press kiye, smile chhupaane ke liye.

Bua ji awkward ho gayi.

“Hm… main bas keh rahi thi,” keh kar woh door ki taraf badh gayi.

Door band hua.

Aarohi ne turant Advay ki taraf dekha, aankhon mein mischief aur softness dono.

“Toh, Professor Advay Sharma,” usne tease kiya,

“meri clothing choices pe lecture nahi milega?”

Advay ne usse waist se gently pull kiya, forehead almost touching hers.

“Lecture sirf class mein,” usne low voice mein kaha,

“ghar pe sirf appreciation.”

Aarohi ne hoodie ke strings kheench ke bola,

“Achha? Toh phir ek baat batao—Divyansh ne aaj class mein bola tha yeh hoodie mujh pe cute lag rahi hai.”

Bas.

Jealousy activated.

Advay ka expression change hua.

“Divyansh?”

“Haan,” Aarohi ne intentionally innocent bante hue kaha, “maine kaha—thanks.”

Advay ne ek eyebrow raise kiya.

“Ka

l se yeh hoodie sirf ghar mein.”

Aarohi laughed, heart fluttering,

“Possessive, much?”

Advay ne softly reply diya,

“Sirf tumhare liye.”

Aarohi ne uski chest pe head rest kar diya.

Hoodie mein uski smell, uska warmth—sab kuch perfect lag raha tha.

Thankyou everyone love you All bye bye take care

Vote target 🎯 10