Rewrite the Stars | A Ruturaj Gaikwad Fanfiction

Aditi gives up (Mahati's pov)

Greenside Hotel, Mumbai, November 2028 (Present)

Mahati woke up from a fitful dose to find the sun had set; it was past eight in the evening. The room was dark, but she could vaguely make out Rutu sleeping on the sofa.

It had taken him two hours of fussing till he was satisfied that her headache had gone, that she had had enough to eat and that she wasn't feeling cold, and that her tears from earlier had been solely due to the headache and she wasn't sad about anything.

Mahati thought she had managed to fool him well. It wasn't very hard to fool someone as trusting as Rutu, though it did make one feel incredibly guilty.

He must have not been sleeping at all, because he switched on the light as soon as she sat up and gave her a tousled-hair melting-eyed smile. 

A fist closed around her heart.

"Evening, Mac."

"Oh, shut up."

Rutu's face fell the slightest bit at the tone, like he didn't know what had brought it on.

"Sorry," said Mahati at once, because she had never known someone talking harshly to whom made you so swiftly upset. "I got cranky 'cause I just woke up."

That made him smile, and he came back to sit beside her and start questioning her about her headache and health again.

"If you ask me again, I'd have no choice but to request the receptionist to take you away, Rutu," said Mahati. "I'm fine."

"All right," said Rutu. "Aditi must be due to arrive now...did you send her the name of this hotel?"

"No, I didn't," said Mahati. "Didn't you?"

"I didn't get a chance to tell her I'm here," said Rutu, suddenly looking uncomfortable.

It made Mahati feel something akin to horror.

Stop being stupid, she told herself strictly. Neither of them know you are killing yourself with silly, one sided love for your friend's fiance. 

Mahati texted Aditi their hotel and the room number and Rutu had just ordered a couple of milkshakes on room service when there came a knock on the door and Aditi looked in.

"Hello, you two," she said, smiling.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was flying to Mumbai," began Rutu.

"I know, Rakesh told me," said Aditi, catching his hand and pulling him close to hug him. "Don't apologize, I'm glad you came for my best friend."

"She's my best friend too."

"And mine," added Rakesh's voice unexpectedly from behind Aditi.

"You're here?" demanded Mahati. "Nobody told me you were coming."

"Are you sorry to see me, MC?"

"I'm always sorry to see you."

Rakesh grinned and came over to ruffle her hair. "Rutu didn't take me along on the helicopter. You feel okay now?"

"You didn't ask to come along," said Mahati. "And yes, I'm okay now. I was okay then, Rutu just panicked. As always."

Rutu raised his eyebrows in disbelief.

"You always do," said Rakesh and Aditi at once, the latter adding, "But I love you for it, darling."

Mahati looked away as Aditi reached for Rutu and recalled her aversion towards exactly this sort of stuff when she was younger. Aversion towards the smothering part of relationships, mostly.