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Shashi’s POV

It had been twenty minutes since I woke up.

I brushed my teeth, swept the entire house with the broom in one hand and half-sleep clinging to my eyes. Something in me suddenly clicked—I stared at my cluttered bookshelf and decided, "Let’s clean that too."

But first, I picked up my phone and ordered the essentials: milk, bread, coffee... the usual things that make mornings easier.

Just as I began dusting the bookshelf, the doorbell rang. I opened the door and found the delivery guy standing there with my order. He gave me a small nod, probably amazed at how someone could be cleaning so early on a chilly Delhi morning.

After the bookshelf and my study table were done, I took a cold shower. Yeah, cold. In this freezing Delhi weather. I’m that kind of crazy.

Then I headed to the kitchen, made myself a strong cup of coffee, and chopped up some papaya for breakfast. I wasn’t really starving, but I couldn’t risk messing up my immune system. So I ate.

For lunch, I made kadhi chawal—comfort food that hugs you from the inside.

I thought of reading a novel but then remembered the "shit" I was supposed to write last night. So I sat down and wrote—pages flowed with ease, and it made me oddly happy. But by the time I looked up, it was already past lunch. I wasn't hungry anymore, so I packed it neatly into the fridge for dinner.

I plugged in my earphones, played a loud song—so loud that I’m sure if my neighbor was deaf, he would’ve still heard it. But who cares?

Wearing an oversized sweater and shorts, I strolled around the apartment, feeling... watched.

I paused.

I could feel someone’s eyes on me—not just now, but for the day i came here . I knew it had to be Abhishek, doing his usual surveillance through the CCTVs. He’s just doing his job, but still—creepy much?

Anyway, I changed into a proper dress. Something... feminine. After all, we were going shopping. I’m not really the shopping-type, but today, I had a reason.

Tomorrow’s the award ceremony.

I couldn’t just show up in my comfy rags. I needed to look put together. I needed a saree—and I didn’t have one.

So off I went.

I didn’t book a cab. I decided to walk to the nearest metro station and take the Delhi Metro—cheap, fast, and it gave me that same feeling I used to get back in college.

I reached the mall and the first thing I did? Bought myself a cold coffee. I knew I'd need the caffeine to survive this.

Then began the saree hunt.

I tried on a few and found myself getting flashbacks... pehli rasoi. Burghhh. Don’t think about it, Shashi. Just... don’t. I shook the memory off and got back to business.

After a bit of struggle, I finally found the perfect one.

I paid the bill and stepped out of the shop—only to bump into a man. Hard.

📢 Content Warning (for readers):

This scene contains verbal street harassment and a strong verbal comeback. The intention is to portray a woman standing up for herself in the face of inappropriate behavior. Reader discretion is advised.

It wasn’t an accident.

“Nice tits, sweetheart,” he said with a disgusting grin.

I raised an eyebrow. “Hmm?”

“Nice shape,” he said again, licking his teeth.

I looked down and smirked. “Your dick also seems... disappointingly little.”

He stepped closer, trying to act smart.

“Abe chal na b***i,” I cursed and backed off. Abhishek—who had been shadowing me—stepped in and handled the bastard like a ghost in the wind.

Anyway, I slid right back into my sweet-girl mode and entered a salon.

I prayed silently for good results as I sat down for a haircut—just bangs, nothing else. My heart thudded a little, but when I saw the final look, I didn’t hate it. Small win.

Then I bought some makeup—just the basics. A nude lipstick, eyeliner, mascara, blush. That’s all I needed.

Took the metro back, walked through my neighborhood, entered my building, pressed the button for the 7th floor, and reached my flat.

But as I stepped into the corridor... my door was open.

I locked it. I remember locking it.

It must be Saksham, I thought, pushing the door cautiously.

And then my heart skipped.

Standing there, waiting for me, was Sarthak bhai.

“Bhai...?” I barely whispered.

“How are you here?” My voice cracked.

“Beta, I just want to talk,” he said softly. “Can we?”

I nodded and sat with him on the couch.

“Shashi, I’m not here to tell you what you did wrong. I just... want to have a normal brother-sister conversation.”

I stared at him.

Last night, I was overthinking—wondering how his family would hate me after everything.

If my parents had been alive, they would’ve definitely blamed me.

He continued, “Shashi... I want to share something important.”

“Go ahead,” I said.

“Aakash has always been like that—rude, arrogant, filled with rage. But you—you changed him. You turned him into something more.”

My throat dried. My heart didn’t know which direction to beat.

“If your heart says don't forgive him, then don’t,” bhai said. “But if he ever asks for forgiveness... just give it a thought.”

“I’m not asking you to return to him. Just... don’t shut your heart before your mind gets a chance to think.”

I stared blankly, the storm inside me rising again.

“He may be my brother by blood. But I know—you are his home.”

"And if you meet him... slap him, curse him, do whatever your heart tells you. But listen to it."

I asked, “Where is he?”

“I don’t know... not physically. Not mentally either. But I know he’s around you,” he said, his eyes full of something... pain, maybe.

“Don’t stress your brain too much,” he said gently, cupping my face, wiping tears I didn’t even realise had escaped.

“Can this brother get a hug?” he asked.

I hugged him. Lightly. And for the first time in days, I felt safe again.

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Author’s POV

It had been an hour since Sarthak left.

Shashi sat in the balcony, staring into the evening sky—bathed in orange hues, calm and wide, just like the storm inside her that was beginning to settle.

She had dinner quietly. Her eyes weren’t clear, her mind wasn't either. But her heart? It was trying to feel something other than pain.

She went to bed early that night.

The house was silent again.

And then—her bedroom door opened slowly.

Aakash walked in.

He leaned down and kissed her temple—just a whisper of his lips.

He looked at her like she was a ghost he had lost once, and now finally found.

He stood there silently, watching the rise and fall of her chest with each breath.

He gently moved her bangs away from her face, brushing his fingers like feathers over her skin—memorising every piece of her as if she might vanish in the morning.

He didn’t say a word.

But his presence said everything.

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Author 💕

Hey pretty readers

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