It was morning, and for the first time, I woke up next to her—the girl my heart loved the most. My heart was hers, and only hers, because I belonged to her completely. She looked like an angel while she slept, her hair falling over her face. I felt a little jealous of those strands; at least they got to touch her, while I could only watch. She was so beautiful, I could worship her like this every single day. I wanted to say all this out loud, but I just couldn't.

Sighing, I gently moved her hand off mine and headed to the washroom, grabbing a casual outfit on the way. After a quick shower, I went to the kitchen, talking to myself. "Maine alarm to laga diya hai, uth jayegi abhi... par nashte ke liye kya banu? Firse kitchen disaster na ho jaye. Gurpreet ma'am ko message karta hoon."

I picked up my phone, but just then, a notification popped up from Gurpreet ma'am. Her message read, "Sorry beta, I'll be late. I don't know if you'll be able to cook. If not, just order food. Otherwise, I'm sending a recipe; try it if you can. But it might be safer to just order, remembering your last kitchen disaster!"

I laughed, shaking my head. "Fiza, muh band nahi rehta na tumhara... ya phir Anaya ne bataya hoga." Thinking of how they both always teased me about my cooking, I muttered, "Subah subah apne banaye khane se mood off nahi karna. Warna fir ladhayegi mujhse ye dumbo."

With that, I made up my mind. "Ek kaam karta hoon, order hi kar leta hoon. Ye recipe fir kabhi banaunga, jab sikh lunga. Hmm, ye theek hai." I remembered the dishes Gurpreet ma'am mentioned Anaya liked and placed the order, finally settling down to wait for the food.

The alarm blared, and I woke up groggily, hearing an AI voice repeating, "Anaya uth jao, Anaya uth jao." I groaned, realizing exactly who was behind this. "Ye idiot bhi na..." I muttered, turning it off and spotting a note on my bedside table. Uth gaye, dumbo? Fresh ho jana, dress rakha hai—wahi pehena aur neeche aana, hume jana bhi hai hospital. Yours, idiot (ik yahi naam dogi aap). I muttered under my breath, "Hmm, isko kaise pata chala? Gadha kahi ka." Huffing, I thought, and why should I wear what he picked? Determined to have my way, I picked a completely different suit. "Haan, ye wala perfect hai... Strawberry ban ke to nahi ja sakti main, aur black suits me better."

Once I was ready, I headed to the dining area and found him serving breakfast. He glanced up at me, and I was eager to see his reaction, but he just smirked, giving me a devilish look that left me confused. Is gadhe ko kya hua? I thought, a little thrown off, but he said, "Come, dumbo, have your food chup chap se," in a low, commanding voice.

I took a breath to steady myself. Anaya, cool. You can't be affected by him, I reminded myself, then responded with a cool "Hmm," sitting down at the table. I was surprised to see he'd prepared my favorite food—poha with green chutney—and looked at him, curious and almost touched. He immediately raised his eyebrows, clearly annoyed. "Kya hua, dumbo?" he said, practically daring me to complain.

"Kuch nahi," I mumbled, and we ate in silence before heading to the car. I slipped into the passenger seat, and he settled into the driver's side. Before starting, he gestured for me to do something, but I didn't get it. Then, to my shock, he leaned over to my side, close enough for me to feel his warmth, and reached across me to buckle my seatbelt. My heart pounded, and I turned my face away, flustered. He looked amused. "Kya hua, dumbo? Dar mat, khaunga nahi tumhe," he teased.

I swallowed, trying to regain my composure. "Maine kab kaha tum khaoge? Waise bharosa bhi nahi hai tumhara. Emergency number dial karke rakha hai maine," I said, attempting to sound casual. He chuckled. "Dumbo," he said while starting the car.

After a while, he looked over and began, "Waise, ek baat batau—" but then stopped. "Khair, chhodo," he said, leaving me wondering what was on his mind.

When we reached the hospital, we picked up a food parcel for my father. As we walked behind the receptionist toward his room, he leaned close and whispered in my ear, "Mujhe pata tha tum ulta karogi jo main kahu. Waise, pyaari kam, aur hot zyada lag rahi ho," his voice mocking yet deep. I clenched my fists, controlling my reaction. "Tabhi sochu, gussa kaise nahi aya tumhe," I muttered back.

I turned my eyes upward in a silent prayer, Bhagwan ji, bacha lo mujhe is shaitaan se, mimicking the hand gesture from my chest to my head, pleading for patience. Lost in my thoughts, I almost bumped into the receptionist, but Raghav quickly pulled me back. "Dekhe, dumbo, kis duniya mein khoyi ho?" he said, exasperated.

"Tumhari..." I nearly blurted out but quickly caught myself. "Kuch nahi," I mumbled, glancing away.

When I finally looked at my father, a wave of relief washed over me. "Papa, kaise ho aap? Main kitni darr gayi thi, pata hai?" I said, my voice full of emotion. He smiled warmly. "Are bacha, theek hoon main. Dekho, fit and fine. TV dekh raha tha." Then, with a small chuckle, he added, "Bacche, tumhe award lete hue dekha, toh Khushi mein bas... aise hi hogaya. Abhi toh main bilkul theek hoon."

"Achhi baat hai, papa! Maine aapka favorite khaana laaya hai—kadi rice, wahi jahan hum jaake khaate the, yaad hai?" I said, smiling as I showed him the food. He looked at it and then at me with so much warmth. "Kaise bhool sakta hoon? Bacha, plate laga do."

He noticed Raghav standing to the side and asked, "Beta, wahaan kyun thehre ho? Aao idhar." My father then asked me, "Ye kaun hai, bacha?"

"Ye Fiza di ke dost hain, papa," I replied as Raghav joined us.

"Namaste, uncle," he said, bowing and touching my father's feet. It was heartwarming to see, and my father beamed. "Khush raho, beta. Jee te raho," he blessed him and added, "Aao baitho, aap bhi khao hamare saath."

"Oh, bas uncle, abhi abhi kha ke aaye hain. Aap khaiye," Raghav replied politely.

"Achha, thik hai beta," my father nodded, satisfied.

Raghav looked at me and said, "Main abhi aata hoon, doctor se mil ke," gesturing to me as he stepped out. I gave a slight nod. As he left, my father turned back to me, "Ye kahan gaya?"

"Kuch kaam se, papa," I answered. Then, with a smile, I urged, "Aap ye khao. Bohot tasty hai."

Raghav left Anaya's father's hospital room and set off to find Dr. Asha. After asking a few nurses in the corridor, he finally located her cabin and knocked.

"Come in," she called.

Raghav entered, and Dr. Asha greeted him with a warm smile. "Oh, Raghav! Kaise ho? Haris ne bataya tha ke tum aa rahe ho."

"I'm good, Asha," he replied. "Actually, I came to discuss Anaya ke papa ki reports."

"Baitho," she gestured to the chair as she took a seat and began explaining. "Look, Raghav, Anaya ke father kaafi saalon se yahaan hain. Hospital mein rehne ki wajah se unko bohot depression aur stress ho raha hai. Sirf medicines kaam karti hain, lekin kai baar environment change, laughter, aur rishte bhi asar karte hain. I hope you understand what I'm trying to say."

Raghav nodded, listening intently.

"Unhe apni zindagi waisa hi jeeni chahiye jaise wo pehle jeete the," Dr. Asha continued. "Maybe that will help him regain some strength. Honestly, he doesn't have much time left, but maybe a change in environment could extend it, even if it's just a little. Tum Anaya aur unke father ko kahin le jao, unke saath kuch aise pal bitao jo yaad rahen. Before it's too late."

Raghav felt a weight settle in his chest as he understood the importance of what she was saying.

"And about the permission to take him out—I'm granting it," she concluded. "You can take her father out and spend some quality time with them."

"Thank you, Asha," he replied gratefully.

She smiled reassuringly. "No problem. Main abhi ek surgery attend karne ja rahi hoon. Take care."

As she hurried out, Raghav stood there, lost in thought, contemplating how to break the news to Anaya. She's too sensitive. How do I handle this without upsetting her? Maybe I'll tell her tomorrow when we actually go out. Yes, that sounds like the best plan.

With a plan in mind, he returned to Anaya and her father's room. The evening passed comfortably, with conversations, laughter, and shared memories. They even had dinner together before finally heading back to the apartment, where they both fell into a peaceful sleep.

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Hey lovelies! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

 I'll be taking a short break to focus on my exams, 

but I'll be back in February with draft chapters ready to go. 

Thank you so much for your patience and support—it truly means a lot! 

See you soon!