Karishma stepped inside the hospital, her hair still damp from a quick shower. The morning air was crisp, a refreshing contrast to the worry that had lingered all night but they were quickly overshadowed by concern for her sister, Khushi, who was still recovering inside. The nurse had assured her that Khushi was stable, but that did little to ease Karishma's mind.
As she entered Khushi's hospital room, she noticed her sister peacefully sleeping. Karishma's gaze shifted to Khushi's phone, which rested silently on the bedside table. Out of curiosity, she picked it up and found a flood of notifications — over fifty unread messages, mostly from Arnav, Aman, Maddy, and Akash.
Her confusion deepened into worry. What could have happened that required so many messages? Just as she was pondering this, Khushi's phone buzzed again. Karishma glanced at the screen; it was Akash calling.
For a fleeting moment, she hesitated but then answered the call.
"Hello?"
"Khushi, don't keep the phone down. It's not what you think, everything has gone wrong. Just talk to us once!" Akash's anxious voice broke through Karishma's thoughts.
"It's me, Karishma. Akash, listen — Khushi's in the hospital. She fainted last night and hasn't woken up fully yet," she explained quickly, her heart racing.
"Which hospital?" Akash asked, his tone shifting to one of concern.
"City Hospital," she replied.
"Okay, we're on our way," Akash said before hanging up abruptly.
Karishma's heart ached at the realization; maybe there was more between Khushi and Akash than she had initially thought.
Meanwhile, in the hospital, Akash relayed the news to Arnav, Aman, and Maddy. They hurried to the hospital, concern written on their faces. Outside Khushi's room, they conferred, Aman nudging Arnav gently.
"Dude, you should go inside. We'll keep watch here," Aman urged. The rest nodded in agreement.
Heart pounding, Arnav took a deep breath and pushed open the door, his stomach knotting as he beheld Khushi lying in the hospital bed. He rushed to her side, pulling up a stool. Khushi slowly opened her eyes and, upon seeing him, attempted to sit up.
"Sir Why are you here?" she pressed, her brow furrowing in concern.
"Shh… just rest. You need to heal," Arnav replied, holding her hand gently.
"Sir, you shouldn't be here," she murmured.
"I need to talk to you. About what happened—" he began, "You know what I said yesterday, all of it…"
"Sir, you shouldn't have come," Khushi interrupted him. "You have no reason to be here."
Arnav's heart sank at her words. "I know you're hurt, but please talk to me—"
"Who says I'm hurt? " Khushi's words sliced through the air, leaving Arnav reeling, tears pooling in his eyes.
he said softly, "Oh really, you don't hurt? Tumhe koi farak nahi padta hai na? Toh fir ye halat kaise hui tumhari?" His voice trembled, veering between concern and frustration.
Khushi hesitated, her resolve threatening to waver. "Vo... mai—" she stuttered, searching for words that would protect both her heart and the fragile lines they had drawn.
"Han mai ye vo kya," he murmured, leaning closer, drawing her gaze deeper into his.
Before he could respond, the door creaked open, and Aman, Maddy, and Akash entered. The sight of them brought a mix of relief and confusion to Khushi's face.
"Arnav, Karishma is on her way," Aman informed, gesturing for him to step aside.
Arnav wiped his eyes as Karishma entered the room. The moment she saw him, she rushed forward and gave him a tight hug.
"What are you doing here, Arnav? And Aman, what's going on?" Karishma asked, bewildered.
"It was me," Akash chimed in, joining the group. "I told them that Khushi is in the hospital," he explained.
Karishma turned to him, her expression shifting. "Oh, I'll talk to you later. You're the reason my sister ended up in this condition, aren't you?" she teased lightly.
Akash looked taken aback. "What? How am I the reason?"
Karishma grinned playfully. "Come on! It's obvious you like her, and you had a fight. Admit it!"
The group exchanged confused glances, while Maddy interjected, "You're wrong, Karishma di. I'm Akash's girlfriend."
"What?" Karishma shot back. "Then what about the emotional phone call I overheard?" she asked, her brows knitting together.
"Those were personal. Let's just focus on Khushi right now," Aman suggested, trying to steer the conversation.
As everyone gathered around Khushi, she remained tight-lipped about her feelings, deflecting their queries with generic responses. Karishma, sensing a moment, snapped a picture of the group, calling out, "You all seem so close!"
"Yes, she is so close to me " Arnav said, but there was a hint of pain in his voice as he glanced at Khushi.
Khushi turned to Karishma, attempting to clarify, "Di, he mean to say we all are close because we're a group that's been competing together for a long time. We've grown close because we've won a lot of competitions, traveled, and formed a bond."
Arnav's confusion deepened; he wondered why Khushi was reluctant to share the truth with Karishma.
Days drifted by, and Khushi remained silent, avoiding college, her phone, and most of her friends.
The weight of unspoken words hung in the air, and each member of their circle contemplated how their lives would change in the weeks to come, tethered together by an invisible thread of friendship, love, and unfulfilled promises.