Aayansh’s POV
It had been a few days since all of us last sat together laughing, eating, arguing over nothing important.
Life felt… good.
The group chat was alive twenty four seven. Plans were being made without us, deliberately. The girls created a separate shopping pin and very clearly didn’t invite the boys.
And to make it worse, they kept flooding the group with pictures.
Outfits. Coffee cups. Pouting selfies.
Just enough to make us jealous.
And yes it worked.
That entire day, I couldn’t even talk to Ruuh properly.
Apparently, it was “girls’ day no disturbance allowed.”
The only time I heard her voice was late at night. Five minutes. That too, she fell asleep mid conversation.
I stared at my phone for a long time after that.
As it was a video call I could see that she was sleeping peacefully. I didn't hang up. I also placed my phone beside me and slept while the phone was still on.
……
I have been noticing this Over the last two days, she hadn’t been herself.
She laughed but it didn’t reach her eyes.
She replied but there were pauses between her texts.
She smiled but something in her shoulders stayed tense, like she was always bracing herself.
I asked her.
“Are you okay?”
She shrugged it off easily. “Just work. Nothing else.”
But my instincts weren’t buying it.And I trusted my instincts more than words.
I knew her.
I knew the difference between tired Ruhi and troubled Ruhi.
And this?
This was the second on
Today, I decided I couldn’t ignore it anymore.
Whatever was bothering Ruuh it wasn’t just work.
And it wasn’t small.
By evening, my patience had run out.
She had told me she had an important meeting today and would be busy, so I decided I’d go to her office and wait. I didn’t mind waiting to see her even for a minute, it was enough.
I reached her office just before sunset.
The Assistant smiled when she saw me. She recognized me by now.
“Good evening, sir.”
I nodded and was about to walk toward Ruuh’s cabin when she gently stopped me.
“Sir… ma’am isn’t here.”
I frowned slightly. “Not here? She has a meeting today.”
The assistant looked confused.
“Meeting? Sir, there was no meeting scheduled today. Ma’am left the office a while ago.”
Something inside me went cold.
“Oh,” I said quickly, forcing a calm tone. “Right. I forgot. She must’ve gone home.”
The assistant nodded, still unsure, and I turned around before she could say anything else.
The moment I stepped out of the building, my chest felt tight.
She lied.Again.
I sat inside my car for a few seconds, staring straight ahead, my fingers clenched around the steering wheel. Then I pulled out my phone and called her.
She picked up after the second ring.
“Hello,” she said but her voice wasn’t relaxed. She was careful.
“Ruuh,” I said softly, “where are you?”
There was a pause.Just a second too long.
“I’m… at the office,” she replied.
My jaw tightened.
I could hear it, the hesitation, the slight shift in her tone. She was choosing her words.
“Are you sure?” I asked quietly.
Another pause.“Yes,” she said. “I’m preparing for the meeting.”
That was it.
No teasing.
No complaints.
No, why are you asking?
“Aayansh,” she added quickly, “I’ll call you later, okay? I’m busy.”
Before I could say anything.The call ended.
I stared at my phone.
My heart wasn’t racing anymore.It was sinking.
She wasn’t at the office.
And I know she wasn’t at home either.
And she didn’t want me to know where she was.
This time, I wasn’t going to wait.If Ruhi wouldn’t tell me the truth
I’d find it myself.
I was about to sit in my car
That’s when Rishabh walked in.
I hadn’t even noticed him at first. I was too busy replaying Ruhi’s words in my head. I’m at the office.
A lie.
He stopped a few steps away from me, his eyes immediately narrowing the moment he took in my expression.
“You’re here to meet Ruhi?” he asked.
I opened my mouth, then closed it again.
I didn’t know what to say.That silence was enough for him.
Rishabh studied my face carefully, the way he always did when something didn’t sit right. “What happened?”
I hesitated.
Should I tell him? or Should I stay quiet?
But this wasn’t about pride anymore. This was about Ruhi.
“She lied to me,” I said finally, my voice low. “She said she’s at the office. But she’s not here.”
Rishabh’s jaw tightened.
“I’ve been noticing it for a few days now,” I continued. “She’s not her usual self. She’s distracted… stressed. And today something felt off. Very off.”
He took a deep breath, slowly exhaling, as if confirming something he already suspected.
“I noticed it too,” he admitted quietly. “That’s why I came here.”
That alone sent a chill down my spine.
“So you think something’s wrong?” I asked.
He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he pulled out his phone.
“I’m texting her,” he said. “I’ll ask her to meet us. Somewhere neutral.”
My heart skipped. “Us?”
“Yes,” he replied firmly. “Whatever is going on we’ll hear it directly from her.”
He typed quickly, his face unreadable.
“Restaurant near the old flyover,” he said after a moment. “She usually agrees to that place when she doesn’t want attention.”
That hit too close.
“She said yes,” he added, slipping the phone back into his pocket. “She’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
I nodded.
Neither of us spoke after that.
We left together, walking side by side but the air between us was heavy. This wasn’t a casual meeting. This wasn't a family dinner talk.
This felt like a calm before something ugly surfaced.
At the Restaurant
We arrived early.
The place was dimly lit, quiet, almost empty perfect for conversations people didn’t want overheard.
Rishabh chose a table in the corner, back against the wall. Habit. Strategy.
“She doesn’t know you’re coming,” I said.
“I know,” he replied. “I didn’t mention you.”
I frowned. “Why?”
“Because I want to see her reaction,” he said calmly. “Fear shows faster than lies.”
I swallowed.
Five minutes passed. Ten.Every time the door opened, my heart jumped.
Then I saw her.
Ruhi walked in slowly, scanning the room. She looked tired. Not physically emotionally. Like she was carrying something far heavier than she let on.
And then
Her eyes met mine.She froze.
For half a second, pure panic crossed her face before she masked it.
That hurt more than the lie.
She walked toward us, her steps hesitant.
“Aayansh?” she whispered. “What are you doing here?”
Before I could answer, Rishabh spoke.
“Sit, Ruhi.”
She looked at him, then at me, then slowly sat down.
“What’s going on?” she asked, forcing a small smile. “Why does this feel like an interrogation?”
I leaned forward slightly. “Because you lied to me.”
Her smile faltered.
Rishabh didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t need to.
“You weren’t at the office,”
Ruhi’s fingers tightened around her bag strap.
“I can explain”
“Then explain,” Rishabh said. “Now.”
She looked at me.
And for the first time in days, her eyes filled with fear.
Not guilt.
Fear.
“Aayansh,” she said softly, “please… trust me.”
“I do,” I replied instantly. “That’s why I’m here.”
Rishabh leaned in slightly. “And that’s why you should stop handling this alone.”
Her breath hitched.
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