His Rooh

25 | Her Test

Aruhi

The night after the mela, I felt like I was floating. Everything about that day had been perfect. I could still feel the warmth of Rudraksh's hand in mine, the way he looked at me when he chose those bangles—like I was the only person in the world who mattered. It was a day that felt like a fairytale, something out of a story where everything was perfect, where nothing could go wrong.

But life has a way of reminding you that happiness can be fleeting.

It had been a few days since the mela, and I was back in the hospital, caught up in the familiar rhythm of my rounds. The day had been exhausting, but in a good way, the kind of exhaustion that made me feel like I was doing something meaningful. I was taking a short break in the lounge when my phone buzzed on the counter beside me. Absentmindedly, I reached for it, expecting a text from Rudraksh or maybe a reminder from the hospital's scheduling system.

But when I unlocked the screen, my heart stopped.

"Meet me in 2 hours. Near the old palace. Don’t make me ask again."

The words blurred as my eyes filled with dread. It was happening again—the messages that had haunted me before, the ones that had led to Rudraksh nearly losing his life. I had hoped that after confronting him, after that terrible night, it would all be over. But here it was, back like a ghost from the past, pulling me down from the clouds of my happiness.

My hand trembled as I clutched the phone. I wanted to tell Rudraksh immediately, to let him know that this wasn’t over. But a small voice inside me, the part that didn’t want to drag him back into this darkness, urged me to stay silent. Could I handle this on my own? Did I even want to?

I deleted the message, slipping the phone back into my pocket as if that could erase the fear gnawing at me. No, I wouldn’t let this message control me. I would go about my day as if everything were normal, as if my world wasn’t tilting on its axis.

I pushed through the rest of my shift, the busyness of the hospital and a welcome distraction from the anxiety coiling in my chest. But every now and then, the memory of that message would creep in, and my stomach would twist into knots.

When the day finally ended, I was more than ready to leave. As I walked toward the exit, I saw Rudraksh waiting for me by the car, leaning casually against the door with that easy, confident smile that always made me feel like everything was going to be okay.

"Hey, Rooh," he said, his voice wrapping around me like a warm blanket.

"Aksh," I murmured, smiling back as I approached him. The tension from the day began to melt away, replaced by the comfort of his presence. He opened the car door for me, and I slid into the passenger seat, grateful to be with him, to have this small moment of peace.

As we drove off, the cool night air brushing against the windows, I felt myself beginning to relax. The city lights blurred past us, and I found myself reaching out to him, needing to feel his touch, to remind myself that I wasn’t alone.

My hand rested on his thigh, and I felt his muscles tense slightly under my touch. He glanced at me, a slow smile spreading across his lips.

"You okay?" he asked, his voice soft but laced with curiosity.

I nodded, biting my lip. "I just… missed you today."

His smile turned into a playful smirk, the kind that always made my heart skip a beat. "Is that so?" he teased, his hand covering mine, his thumb brushing over my knuckles. "Missed me, or missed getting into trouble?"

I chuckled softly, trying to push away the lingering unease. "Maybe a little of both."

His eyes darkened, filled with that familiar intensity that I couldn’t resist. He leaned in closer, his lips just grazing the shell of my ear. "I can help with both," he whispered, his breath warm against my skin.