BRIDGING HEARTS

{6}

(Triggered warning :- mention of dead body and murder)

After sometime

Author's Pov

As the bell ring signalling the end of lecture. Aarav's frustration bubbled up, his gaze fixated on Jeia, who sat in the front row, laughing carelessly.

"Woh ladki samajti kya hai apne aap ko?"(What does that girl think of herself) he muttered to Sameer, his tone filled with disdain.

Sameer, questioned, "kaun?" (Who)

Aarav nodded curtly. "Woh chudail."(That witch) he replied, pointing towards Jeia. "She has the audacity to eavesdrop and meddle in my affairs, even going so far as to call my Vihaan bhaiyya 'bhaiyya'."

Sameer's response cut through Aarav's anger. "You know as well as I do, Aarav, that if the tables were turned, you'd do the same if Jeia were summoned to the principal's office with her parents."

Aarav fell silent, unable to refute Sameer's logic. His pride stung, but he couldn't deny the truth in Sameer's words.

Aarav stood up and stormed towards Jeia's desk, the tension crackled in the air. His fist met the wooden surface with a resounding bang, but Jeia remained calm

"Easy, Singhania," she said with an air of nonchalance that only seemed to further infuriate Aarav. Saniya's laughter bubbled up, adding fuel to the fire.

"Tum khud ko samajti kya ho?" (What do you think of yourself?) Aarav's voice was sharp with irritation, but Jeia's response was equally cutting.

"Queen Victoria," she retorted, flipping her hair,her tone laced with sarcasm. Aarav's eyes rolled

"Apne kaam se kaam rakha Karo,"(mind your own business) he shot back, his frustration evident. "And don't call my brother 'bhaiyya'."

"aNd dOn'T cAlL mY bRoThEr "bHaIYyA". jeia's mocking tone grated on Aarav's nerves as she teased, "Bhaiyya nahi toh kya, uncle bulau? (If not brother then uncle or what?) Seriously, Singhania, you're such a cry baby." Her words hung in the air, a challenge waiting to be met.

"I AM NOT A-" Before Aarav could retort, the professor's arrival brought a temporary ceasefire. With a last glare exchanged, they retreated to their seats, the tension lingering in the classroom like a palpable entity.

The day ended at college, and students started moving out of their classes.

Jeia turned towards Saniya. "Today, I am going to sit for self-study in the library. Wanna join?" she asked.

To which Saniya replied, "No, not today. I am very tired. I am heading to the PG to take a long nap."

Jeia chuckled and said, "Okay, okay.
I'll get going then," Saniya said.
"Jaldi aajana(come fast). The road to our PG is often isolated early, it's not safe.and there are creeps everywhere"

"Yes, boss," Jeia said jokingly, saluting her.

Jeia headed towards the library. She sat down in one corner and started her work. It was a straight 3.5-hour study marathon for her. She laid her head down on the table.

Without realizing it, her body gave in to sleep.

The librarian was about to leave when she noticed a figure in the corner. She went towards Jeia and gently woke her up.

Jeia finally woke up from her so-called nap, realizing she had slept for a full hour. "Shit," she cursed, looking at her watch.

Jeia's Pov

I packed my things up and started moving out of college. Glancing at my phone, I realized it had 8 missed calls from Saniya. Before I could call her back, my phone died

"Wow, Jeia, so great of you to not charge your phone," I said to myself. Having said that, I made my way to the PG.

The streets were isolated, just as Saniya warned me. As I was walking further, I heard someone following me. I couldn't comprehend whether it was my brain making up scenarios or if someone was really following me. My breath hitched, and all the wrong scenarios came into my head. I was sweating. I couldn't dare to look behind. I felt terrified, tears threatening to fall.

I felt someone or something grabbing my bag

"AHHHHHHHH!"

Next morning

Aarav switched on his TV and turned to a news channel.

"Delhi ke Shanti Nagar ilaake mein ek mahila ka shav baramad hua. Sutro ki maane toh yeh 20-23 varshiya mahila ka hai. Hatya kaafi buri tarah se ki gayi hai. Jaane mein aa raha hai ki yeh peedit.Shanti Nagar ke kisi PG mein rehti thi," ("In the Shanti Nagar area of Delhi, the body of a woman has been recovered. According to sources, the woman is believed to be around 20-23 years old. The murder was carried out in a very brutal manner. It is being reported that the woman lived in a PG in Shanti Nagar,") the news anchor said, proceeding to show the dead body.

The face was brutally distorted, making it unidentifiable, but the victim wore a blue hoodie and jeans.

Aarav's heart sank. The remote dropped from his hand.The color draining from his face. Memories of their last heated exchange flashed in his mind, and he felt a wave of guilt and dread wash over him.

"Je-Jeia," he stuttered,

To be continued

What happened to jeia???
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