"एक दिन कभी जो ख़ुद को तराशे
मेरी नज़र से तू ज़रा, हाय रे
आँखों से तेरी क्या-क्या छुपा है
तुझको दिखाऊँ मैं ज़रा, हाय रे"

The night was calm, the kind of serene silence that came alive with the occasional rustle of leaves and the distant hum of crickets. The moon hung low, its silvery glow illuminating the winding path Aarohi had chosen for her late-night hike. She’d done this trail before—a quiet escape that offered peace and solitude.

She adjusted her flashlight, its beam cutting through the dense foliage as she moved forward. But as she walked deeper into the forest, a faint sound caught her attention—a crunch of leaves, sharp and sudden.

She froze, her breath hitching. Slowly, she turned to look behind her, the flashlight trembling slightly in her hand.

Nothing.

“Get it together,” she muttered to herself, shaking her head.

As she turned back to continue her hike, her heart nearly leaped out of her chest.

“Boom!”

Shubman stood right in front of her, his smirk as sharp as the glint in his eyes. Aarohi gasped, taking an instinctive step back, but the uneven ground betrayed her footing. Before she could hit the ground, Shubman’s hand shot out, gripping her arm firmly and pulling her upright.

“Careful there,” he said, his voice carrying a teasing lilt.

“What the hell, Shubman?” Aarohi snapped, her voice a mix of anger and lingering fear.

He grinned unapologetically, still holding onto her arm. “You should’ve seen your face.”

She yanked her arm free, glaring at him. “What are you even doing here? Are you following me?”

Shubman raised his hands in mock surrender. “Relax, Detective. I couldn’t sleep and thought I’d explore. Didn’t know I’d find you sneaking around like a thief in the middle of the night.”

“I wasn’t sneaking!” she shot back, her voice rising.

“Right,” he said, stepping closer. “Because hiking alone in the dark is such a normal thing to do.”

“I’ve done this trail before,” she retorted, crossing her arms. “And I don’t need your company.”

“Clearly,” he replied, gesturing to the flashlight in her hand. “You were doing a great job of scaring yourself before I even showed up.”

She rolled her eyes, turning to leave. “Goodnight, Shubman.”

But he fell into step beside her, hands in his pockets, his casual stride matching her annoyed one.

“What are you doing now?” she asked exasperatedly.

“Walking,” he said simply.

“With me?”

“Well, it’d be irresponsible to let you wander alone, wouldn’t it?”

She stopped abruptly, turning to face him. “You don’t have to babysit me. I’m fine.”

“I know,” he replied, his tone softer now. “But humor me, will you?”

Aarohi opened her mouth to argue but closed it again. Something about the way he looked at her—earnest, concerned—made her relent. With a frustrated sigh, she turned back toward the path.

“Fine. But no talking,” she said firmly.

“Scout’s honor,” he said with a grin, earning him another glare.

As they walked in silence, the tension between them shifted, the quiet night amplifying every crunch of gravel beneath their feet. Aarohi stole a glance at him, his profile lit by the moonlight. He looked calm, almost content, as if this midnight hike was exactly where he wanted to be.

She shook her head, focusing back on the path.

This was going to be a long night.