JEIA'S POV
I ran away, my heart pounding in my chest. Without thinking, I headed in the opposite direction of the actual guest room. Reaching a door, I yanked it open and slipped inside, slamming it shut behind me.
"Jeia, Jeia, why are you so dumb?" I muttered to myself, facepalming. "I should have let that lady guide me."
But he is handsome, though...
"Nooo, Jeia, you can't think like that," I scolded myself. "He's older than you, and most importantly, he's that annoying Aarav's brother."
"Let's just sleep," I mumbled, hopping onto the bed. It was big and soft, though not as luxurious as the one in Mr. Singhania's room.
Next Morning
The morning sunlight hit Jeia's face, making her flutter her eyes open. She checked the time; it showed 7:03 AM. She stretched and headed to the bathroom.
Looking at herself in the mirror, she noticed she was still wearing the same clothes from yesterday. Quickly, she stripped and stepped into the shower. Refreshed and wrapped in a bathrobe, she went to her luggage to find some clean clothes.
Just then, her phone rang, flashing a familiar name. She picked up the video call.
"Hello?"
"Kaisi hai?"(How are you) the voice spoke.
"I'm good. How are you?"
"Same here, but I miss you, Jeia," her best friend Ketaki whined.
"Me too, Ketaki. As soon as the semester ends, I'll come to Mumbai," Jeia replied.
"Yes, by the way, where are you? The room looks different," Ketaki asked, curiosity evident in her voice.
"Oh, that..." Jeia said, then spilled everything that had happened to her best friend.
"So you're telling me that now you're staying at your enemy's house?" Ketaki exclaimed.
"It's not like I had a choice. Duh, Mom forced me. Either I return home, leaving my degree, or live with Amrita Dadi," Jeia replied, shrugging.
Meanwhile at dining table
AUTHOR'S POV
"Shanta, please go and inform Jeia that breakfast is ready," Amrita Devi instructed the servant.
"Okay, ma'am," Shanta replied.
As jeia was talking to Ketaki, a knock sounded at the door.
"Just a second, Ketaki," she said, heading to open it.
There stood the maid
"Good morning, Aunty," jeia greeted her.
"Good morning, Jeia ma'am.Madam has called you for breakfast," she replied.
"Okay, I'm coming.",she said with a smile.
Turning back to her phone, jeia said, "Okay, bestie, gotta go."
"Bye bye, and take care," Ketaki replied before ending the call.
JEIA'S POV
I quickly got dressed and hurried downstairs, stumbling a little in my haste. Mr. Singhania's disapproving glare greeted me. Ignoring him, I made my way towards dining area and said, "Good morning, everyone."
"Good morning, Jeia beta," Grandma replied warmly. "Come sit here," she added, patting the seat next to her.
I smiled and took the seat beside her, feeling a sense of comfort in her presence.
"Jeia, meet Parineeti, my granddaughter," Grandma said, introducing me to a girl sitting across from us.
"Hello, Jeia. I'm Parineeti, but just call me Pari. You're Aarav's classmate, right? Dadi told me about you," she said with a friendly smile.
I nodded. "Yes, that's right."
"Great to meet you," she replied enthusiastically.
Just then, Aarav walked in. "Good morning, Bhaiyya. Good morning, Pari Di. Good morning, Dadi. Morning, Jeia," he said, making a face at me as if I cared.
"Good morning."I replied with a forced, cringey smile.
Breakfast happened without much talking. Everyone finished and went their separate ways. Since it was Sunday, there were no classes, giving me time to go to my room upstairs and start unpacking my belongings.
After some time
There was a knock at the door, and when I opened it, Pari Di stood there with a friendly smile. "Hey Jeia, you must be bored," she said, her tone polite but cheerful.
"Not really, been busy unpacking," I replied.
She came in and settled on my bed, eager to chat. "Tell me more about yourself. I'd love a friend in this lonely mansion," she said warmly.
I smiled back and shared a bit about myself. "I'm from Gujarat but lived in Mumbai my whole life. What about you?" I asked.
She shared, "I'm a year older than Aarav, and I'm a painter."
"Wow, I love art, but I'm not good at it," I admitted.
She giggled, then asked about my plans after graduating, sparking a conversation about our futures.
To be continued
So now what will happen?
YOU ARE READING
BRIDGING HEARTS
Romance"Why were you dancing with him?" His voice slurred with alcohol and aggression, his grip on Jeia's arm tightening Jeia's eyes blazed with defiance as she shook off his hold."Aapko kyu fark padta hai Mr. Singhania?,You don't control me,I can dance wi...
