After Aayansh left, the room felt strangely quiet, too quiet.
Badi maa was the first to break the silence. She adjusted the pillow behind me and looked at me with that familiar, knowing gaze.
“So,” she said slowly, “tell us something, Ruhi. When did this happen?”
Chachi nodded immediately. “Yes. We always thought you two couldn’t stand each other. You used to glare at him like he’d committed a crime.”
Even Avni bhabhi smiled teasingly. “We never imagined him.”
I sighed softly, realizing there was no escape now.
So I told them everything.
About how Aayansh had apologized for our first misunderstanding. About how, without me even realizing it, he started showing up every time I wasn’t okay, every time I felt low, every time I thought I was alone. I told them how he stayed when I pushed everyone else away.
Then I told them about the proposal.
About how my heart had betrayed me before my mind ever could.
And finally… the hospital incident. How Riya bhabhi had tricked me into coming there.
The moment I mentioned that, three pairs of eyes slowly turned toward Riya bhabhi.
She froze.
Then shrugged innocently. “What? It worked, didn’t it?”
Badi maa raised an eyebrow. Chachi crossed her arms. Avni bhabhi didn’t even try to hide her disappointment.
“You knew?” Avni bhabhi asked. “And you didn’t tell us?”
Chachi clicked her tongue. “We kept saying Ruhi has changed. We even wondered if there was someone in her life. And you still didn’t say anything?”
Riya bhabhi opened her mouth quickly. “I was going to tell you—”
She looked at me, silently asking for backup.
I shrugged and leaned back against the pillow.
“You’re on your own,” I said sweetly.
She stared at me like I’d just betrayed her soul.
For the next few minutes, the room was filled with Riya bhabhi desperately trying to justify herself while the ladies scolded her in three different tones disappointed, dramatic, and overly concerned.
I just shook my head.
I knew them too well.
They’d act angry now, lecture for a bit… and then forget everything five minutes later.
And just like clockwork, a few minutes later, the scolding stopped.
Chachi started talking about someone’s wedding. Badi maa complained about food in the hospital. Avni bhabhi asked if I wanted more soup.
Riya bhabhi shot me a victorious look.
I smiled faintly.
Nothing ever really stayed serious with them.But somewhere inside me, my heart felt lighter.
Because my truth was out now spoken, accepted, and quietly folded into family gossip.
And for the first time… it didn’t feel scary anymore.
But just then, Rishabh bhai walked into the room.And suddenly, my chest tightened.
I remembered.
There were still people who didn’t know. Bade papa. Chachu. And my brothers. They were unaware of me and Aayansh.
I knew I could manage telling them. I wasn’t afraid of their reactions. Questions, lectures, even anger I could handle all of it.
But Rishabh bhai…Him, I was scared of.
Not because he would forbid me. Not because he would ask me to choose. I knew he would never do that.
I was scared because of how much he loved me.
Ever since I was the youngest and the only girl in the family, everyone had been protective but no one liked Rishabh bhai. Even back in school, when he was our senior, he made sure no one even thought of bullying me. If anyone tried, he stood in front of me like a wall silent, strong, unmovable.
And when Papa died…
That was the time I broke completely.
I stopped eating. Stopped talking. Stopped responding to the world. The whole family was there, surrounding me with concern but I couldn’t open up to anyone.
Except him.
Rishabh bhai never forced me. Never raised his voice. He just stayed. Day after day. Sitting beside me. Making sure I drank water. Feeding me when I wouldn’t eat. Talking to me even when I didn’t reply.
He didn’t give up on me.
After that, something in him changed. He became more protective, more alert as if he had decided that no matter what happened, nothing would ever break me like that again.
So yes, I knew one thing for sure.
If I told Rishabh bhai about Aayansh, he wouldn’t tell me to leave him. He wouldn’t ask me to break up. He wouldn’t stop me.
But he also wouldn’t make it easy.
For Aayansh, he would become a test.
Not out of cruelty but out of love.
He would question him. Observe him. Push him. Make sure Aayansh was strong enough, patient enough, worthy enough to stand beside me when life got hard again.
And that… That was what scared me.
Not for myself.But for Aayansh.
Because I knew Rishabh bhai wouldn’t just be protecting his sister anymore.
He would be guarding my heart.
And I could only hope that when the time came,
Aayansh would be ready to face that storm.
Rishabh bhai stayed for a while, sitting beside my bed and talking to me softly. He kept asking how I was feeling, whether my head still hurt, if I felt dizzy, if I’d eaten properly. His eyes never left my face, as if he was searching for any sign that I was still unwell.
When the doctor came in, Rishabh bhai immediately stood up.
He questioned him carefully no, thoroughly.
“Is the fever completely under control?”
“Is she really stable now?”
“Any chance it could spike again?”
“Does she need more tests?”
The doctor answered patiently, reassuring him again and again that I was fine and recovering well. Only then did Rishabh bhai seem to relax, just a little.
That’s when Avni bhabhi leaned in closer and whispered from the side,
“So… how are you planning to tell your brother about Aayansh?”
My head snapped toward her instantly.
“I…I don’t think this is the right time,” I whispered back. “And even when I do… I need to warn Aayansh first. He has to be ready for the tests and confrontation he’ll have to go through.”
She nodded slowly, understanding my fear. But then she sighed and said softly,
“You should tell him soon. I can’t keep something like this from my husband for long.”
I gave her a betrayed look.
She only shrugged, completely unapologetic.
“He knows me too well. He’ll figure out I’m hiding something anyway.”
From beside me, Riya bhabhi who had clearly been listening to everything giggled.
“Looks like you’re finally getting a taste of your own medicine.”
I turned toward her, narrowing my eyes.
She grinned wider, enjoying every second of it.
And despite the fear sitting heavy in my chest, a small smile tugged at my lips.
Because no matter how scary the confrontation ahead felt…
I knew one thing for sure.
When the time came, I wouldn’t be facing it alone.
The next morning, the doctor checked me again and finally smiled.
“You can go home now.”
Those words felt like freedom.
I had spent only one day in the hospital, but it felt like ages. The smell of antiseptic, the constant beeping, the endless concern it was exhausting. All I wanted now was my own bed. Soft pillows. Warm blankets. Sleep without interruptions.
Ironically, I had slept almost the entire day yesterday, yet I still felt unbearably sleepy. My body felt weak, like it had run a marathon without my permission. The moment the discharge papers were done, I was already imagining myself crashing into my bed.
But of course, going home came with conditions.
Strict ones.
My entire family had gathered like a committee and issued a collective warning:
I was not allowed to step outside the house until I fully recovered.
No ice cream, No chocolates And worst of all
Tasteless food.
No spices. No flavor.
Ugh.
I wanted to protest. I really did. But the moment I even looked like I might argue, Rishabh bhai shot me that look.
The look that said: Say one word and you’ll get a two-hour lecture.
So I stayed quiet.
Later, when Rishabh bhai stepped out to complete some paperwork, my phone buzzed.
Aayansh.
I picked it up immediately.
And the moment I heard his voice, all my control disappeared.
“I have to eat that food,” I complained, sulking like a child. “No spices. No ice cream. And I’m not even allowed to go outside.”
He listened patiently and then laughed.
“You’re laughing?” I snapped. “Do you have any idea how hard the last two days have been? No ice cream. No chocolates. And you’re laughing!”
“Okay, okay, I’m sorry,” he said, still amused. “I shouldn’t laugh.”
I waited.
“But,” he added, “I’m completely on Rishabh bhai’s side. Healthy food only. No ice cream. No chocolates.”
I gasped. “Seriously?”
He chuckled. “Completely serious.”
I huffed. Then, remembering something even worse, I muttered,
“And I’m not allowed to go out… which means we’re not meeting either.”
There was a pause.
“Bye,” I said dramatically and hung up.
I stared at my phone for a second… then smiled despite myself.
Because even with tasteless food, strict rules, and a body that just wanted to sleep forever
Home felt good.
And knowing he was just a call away made it even better.
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