Shehnaz tujhe Dr. Bakshi kaise lage?

asked Megha, looking at her curiously.

"Achhe hai..." Shehnaz replied casually,

sipping her juice as if it was a very ordinary question.

Shefali, who was sitting on the chair nearby scrolling through her phone, gave a clearly not-interested look and sighed.

"Arey achhe to hai, I know,"
Megha said, shifting closer and sitting on the edge of Shehnaz's bed, lowering her voice teasingly. "Lekin tujhe tere liye kaise lage?"

"OHH NOT AGAIN, MEGHA..." Shefali said in irritation, rolling her eyes.
"TUMHE BAS YEHI KAAM REH GAYA HAI KYA?"

Shehnaz suddenly choked on her juice.
"Kh-kh... Megha!" she coughed, grabbing a tissue while Megha quickly handed her some water.

"Arre sorry, sorry... itna shock kyun lag gaya?" Megha said, trying not to laugh.

"Tum bhi na... kuch bhi bolti rehti ho," Shehnaz muttered, wiping her lips, though a faint blush had appeared on her cheeks.
Megha noticed it instantly and smirked.

"Main bas pooch rahi hoon... he is good-looking, polite, and such a famous doctor. Any girl would like him."

Shehnaz looked away,

"He is just my doctor," she said softly, but her voice lacked conviction.
Shefali leaned back in her chair.

"EXACTLY. DOCTOR HAI... DOCTOR HI REHNE DO.
MEGHA, PLEASE STOP PLANNING EVERYONE'S LOVE LIFE."

Megha laughed lightly but didn't reply. She just observed Shehnaz for a moment-the way her eyes drifted toward the door unconsciously, as if expecting someone to walk in.
And at that very moment, there was a gentle knock on the door.
All three looked up.

Dr. Bakshi stepped inside, holding a file, his calm expression unchanged.

"I HOPE I AM NOT DISTURBING," he said politely. "I JUST CAME TO CHECK IF SHE IS FEELING BETTER NOW."

Shehnaz straightened slightly, suddenly very aware of herself, her heartbeat picking up for no clear reason.
Megha quietly glanced at Shefali with a knowing smile.
In her mind, an idea was already beginning to take shape...

.

As soon as dr Bakshi left
Shefali chided at Megha, her tone firm.

"Stop this, Megha. She needs to forget this bullshit. She needs a stable job and a room, for God's sake..."

Megha raised both her hands dramatically and touched her ears.

"Ok ok, meri maa... gussa mat ho," she replied playfully.

But inside, Megha was still thinking. She decided she would talk to Shehnaz about Dr. Bakshi when they were alone.

A few minutes later, the mood in the room softened.

"Shehnaz mere saath mere ghar rahegi," Megha said gently, holding her hand. "Aur job bhi mil jayegi... main aur Shefali dono try karenge... haina?"

Shefali looked at Shehnaz for a moment, then nodded.

"Haan... we'll manage something. Tu tension mat le."

Emotion filled Shehnaz's eyes. She hugged both of them tightly.

"Thank you... tum dono na hoti to pata nahi main kya karti..."💓

"Pagal," Megha said softly, patting her back.
Just then, Shefali's phone started ringing.
Shefali pulled out her phone and looked at the screen, her expression changing slightly.

"Unknown number..." she murmured and answered.

"Hello?"
There was a pause as she listened, her face becoming serious.

"Yes... she is here... but what happened?"

Megha and Shehnaz looked at her, sensing something was wrong.
After a few seconds, Shefali ended the call slowly.

"Kya hua?" Megha asked immediately.
Shefali exhaled.

"That was the hospital reception... They said Dr. Bakshi wants to meet Shehnaz once before discharge... he said it's important."
Shehnaz's heart skipped a beat without her understanding why.

Megha noticed the slight nervousness on her face... and a small, knowing smile appeared on her lips again.

"Important, huh..." Megha whispered teasingly.
Shehnaz shot her a warning look, but she couldn't stop the faint blush returning to her cheeks.

.

Achha chalo mujhe office jana hoga, Shehnaz," said Shefali, picking up her handbag. "Sham ko discharge ke time aaungi."

"Arey nahi, zarurat nahi,"

Megha replied quickly.

"Main sham ko le jaungi discharge kara ke... waise bhi Atharva aaj yahan hai nahi, toh yaha ruk ke kya karungi?" she added casually.

"Ohoo..." Shehnaz said teasingly, raising her eyebrows.
Shefali rolled her eyes.

"Tum dono na..."
She leaned down and kissed Shehnaz's forehead softly.
"Take care. Aur overthink mat karna."
"Bye..." Shehnaz smiled faintly.

.

.
Shefali walked out of the hospital room, her heels echoing lightly in the corridor.
Hospital Parking Area
As Shefali reached the parking lot, she stopped abruptly.

A black SUV was parked right in front of her car, blocking her way completely.

"Ye koi tarika hai kya car park karne ka?"

she muttered angrily.

She looked around but didn't see the driver anywhere. Her irritation rose instantly.

"Ruko... abhi batati hoon," she said under her breath.

Without wasting a second, she dialed the RTO helpline and lodged a complaint about the improperly parked vehicle.

"Yes, it's blocking my car completely. Please take action immediately,"

she said firmly before disconnecting.
Frustrated, she left in a cab to avoid getting late for office.
.

.
A Few Minutes Later

Khushal walked into the parking lot, adjusting his blazer, clearly in a hurry. He stopped mid-step when he saw something shocking.

His SUV was being lifted by the RTO towing vehicle.

"AREY SIR, YE AAP KYA KAR RAHE HAI?"

he asked in disbelief, rushing toward them.
One of the officers replied calmly,

"Car wrong parking mein thi. Complaint aayi hai."

"COMPLAINT?

But I just parked for ten minutes!" Khushal protested.

"Sir, rules are rules," the officer said as the vehicle was secured onto the tow truck.
Khushal ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

"GREAT... JUST GREAT,"

he muttered.
As the towing van drove away with his car, he stood there helplessly, unaware that somewhere in the hospital building, three girls had no idea their small moment of irritation had just created a brand-new complication.

.

.

Khushal was still standing in the parking area, annoyed and helpless, when he finally pulled out his phone and dialed a number.
"SIDHARTH..."

"HMM, BOL KHUSHAL," Sidharth's voice came from the other side.

"Yaar, I'm stuck at City Hospital. RTO people towed my car... and I have no way to get back. Can you send one of your cars?"

Sidharth frowned slightly.
"HOSPITAL? SAB THEEK HAI NA?"

"Haan, haan... I came here to meet one of our employees who's admitted here. But yahan aate hi yeh problem ho gayi."

Sidharth exhaled lightly.
"OKAY. I'LL SEND A CAR IN TEN MINUTES."

"Thanks, yaar," Khushal said, ending the call.

A little later, Khushal went to the hospital reception to ask about retrieving his car. After making a few inquiries, he finally reached the RTO help desk inside the administrative office.

"Sir, aapki car release ho sakti hai, lekin..." the clerk said, checking some papers.

"LEKIN KYA?" Khushal asked impatiently.

"Complaint registered hai. Jab tak complainant formalities complete nahi karega, car release nahi hogi."

Khushal sighed.
"Fine... Who Filed The Complaint?"
The clerk looked at the form.

"Advocate Shefali Bagga."
Khushal raised his eyebrows slightly.

"Advocate?"

"Yes, sir. Aapko unse milna padega... aur paperwork complete karna hoga."

Khushal leaned back in the chair, letting out a slow breath.
"Great... ab lawyer se milo," he muttered to himself.

Outside the hospital, a car from The Imperial arrived to pick him up. Khushal stepped into it, still thinking about the situation.

"Advocate Shefali Bagga..." he repeated softly, a faint curiosity mixing with irritation.
He had no idea that the same Shefali Bagga was, at that very moment, sitting in her office, completely unaware that the man whose car she had casually complained about was soon going to walk into her life.
And perhaps... complicate it.

.

.

.

Advocate Shefali Bagga?"

Khushal asked at the reception desk of the law firm where she worked.

The receptionist looked up politely.
"Yes, sir. This way..."

she said, gesturing toward the glass cabin at the end of the corridor.
Khushal adjusted his blazer and walked ahead, his expression calm but slightly irritated about the whole RTO situation.

He stopped outside her cabin and knocked gently.
"Come in,"

she replied, without looking up, completely engrossed in a file spread open on her desk.
Khushal pushed the door open.
And then-he froze.

The moment his eyes fell on her, time seemed to pause for a second.

She was sitting confidently behind her desk, hair neatly tied, spectacles resting lightly on her nose, completely focused on the paperwork in front of her.
But he recognized her instantly.
It's her...
The same girl.
The one he had seen months ago at his friend's wedding. The girl in the pastel saree, laughing softly near the mandap lights... the one who had caught his attention in a single glance.
He had searched for her that night. Asked around casually. But by the time he gathered courage, she had already left.
And now... she was standing right in front of him.

"MR...?" Shefali finally looked up from her file.
Their eyes met.
Khushal felt that same unexpected jolt in his chest.
Shefali, however, remained composed. Professional. Slightly stern.

"Yes?" she asked, adjusting her spectacles. "How can I help you?"

For a second, Khushal forgot why he was even there.
Then he cleared his throat.

"I'M KHUSHAL TONDON. I BELIEVE... you FILED A COMPLAINT AGAINST MY CAR."

A faint flicker of recognition crossed her face-not from the wedding, but from the parking lot memory.

"Oh," she said calmly. "The wrong parking case."

Khushal gave a half-smile.

"I prefer to call it a minor misunderstanding."

Shefali closed her file deliberately and leaned back slightly.

"Blocking someone's car isn't a misunderstanding, Mr. Tandon It's negligence."🔥

Her tone was sharp, but there was something effortlessly graceful about the way she carried herself.

Khushal couldn't help it-he smiled.
Because the girl he had once admired from afar... was even more impressive up close.
And for the first time since entering the office, the RTO problem didn't seem like a problem at all.

.

.

.

After Megha's teasing in the hospital, a strange restlessness had settled in Shehnaz's heart.
She didn't want to admit it, but somewhere... the calm, composed personality of Dr. Bakshi had left an impression on her.
She was still lost in those thoughts when a voice pulled her back.

"HELLO, MISS SHEHNAZ?"
She blinked and looked up.
Dr. Bakshi was standing in front of her, checking her reports.

"Y-Yes..." she replied, slightly embarrassed.
"Ab aap bilkul theek hain.

DISCHARGE KE LIYE READY HAIN,"

he said in his usual calm tone.

"Thank you, Doctor," she said softly.
He looked at her for a moment and then asked gently,

"WAISE... AAP ITNI STRESSED KYUN THI? YOU SEEM... TROUBLED."

Shehnaz hesitated.
"Nothing much, Doctor... bas... kuch professional problems."

Dr. Bakshi gave a small understanding nod.
"That's okay. Take care of yourself. Stress kam lijiye."

There was something comforting in the way he spoke... as if he genuinely meant it.
Shehnaz found herself watching him for a second longer than necessary before Megha nudged her playfully.

"Chalein, madam?" Megha whispered, suppressing a smile.

Shehnaz quickly looked away.
After completing the formalities, Shehnaz was discharged.

.

.
Megha took her to the apartment she had rented temporarily. By evening, the weather had turned pleasant, and the two of them were sitting on the terrace, sipping tea and enjoying the cool breeze.
Shehnaz leaned on the railing, looking at the tall buildings around.

"Ye penthouse kiska hai?" she asked, pointing toward a luxurious terrace across the street where soft lights were glowing.

Megha squinted to see.

"Ye... ek hotelier ka hai. Kya naam hai uska.....S....si....... yaad nahi aa raha."

She shrugged.

"Bilkul aiyash aadmi hai. Har din kisi na kisi ladki ke saath aata hai. Parties, drinks, music... bas wahi sab."

Shehnaz frowned slightly but didn't say anything. For some reason, a faint memory of the previous night flickered in her mind, but she couldn't connect it clearly.

"Chhod uski baat," Megha said, changing the topic and turning toward her seriously.
"Mujhe tujhse Ritik ke baare mein baat karni hai."

Shehnaz looked at her, confused.
"Kaun Ritik?" she asked.

Megha raised her eyebrows dramatically.
"Dr. Ritik Bakshi... same hospital wala. Cardiac surgeon. Jisne tujhe admit karwaya tha."
Realization dawned slowly on Shehnaz's face.

"Oh... woh..." she said thoughtfully.
Megha smiled mischievously.
"Handsome hai na?"
Shehnaz rolled her eyes, but a faint smile still appeared on her lips.
"Tu na... kabhi serious baat bhi kar liya kar."
Megha laughed.
"Main bilkul serious hoon."
Then she leaned closer and said in a softer tone,
"Shehnaz... tujhe phir se khush dekhna hai mujhe."
For a moment, the teasing disappeared, and only concern remained in Megha's eyes.
Shehnaz looked away toward the darkening sky... not answering, but not denying either.

The breeze grew cooler, and somewhere in the distance, city lights began to glow-quiet witnesses to the tangled emotions beginning to take shape in her heart.

Every story is different from another....
Enjoy the way it is....💓