Junoon E tishnagi

Chapter 11 : Moments in the Quiet

The next morning, *Aarohi* stood in front of the small mandir at her home, her hands folded in prayer. The warm glow of the diya flickered softly, casting a serene light on her face. As always, she muttered her morning prayer, but today there was a particular request.

**Aarohi (in a quiet plea):** 
"Bhagwan ji, aaj uss *khadus* ko durr rakhna mujhse. Aap jaante ho, mujhe gussa nahin aata, but jab bhi usse milti hoon, mera gussa control mein hi nahi rehta."

She sighed, remembering her encounters with *Ansh Rai Singhania*. Every time she crossed paths with him, he seemed to push all the wrong buttons, bringing out a side of her she wasn't proud of—fiery, sharp-tongued, and constantly on edge. Today, she hoped for peace.

She grabbed her bag and rushed out of her room. *Samaira* was waiting outside, already on her scooty, her smile bright against the early morning sun.

**Samaira (teasingly):** 
"Chal, Bhagwan ji se permission mil gayi kya? Ya aaj phir Ansh se takraana pakka hai?"

Aarohi rolled her eyes as she climbed onto the scooty.

**Aarohi (sighing):** 
"Pata nahi yaar. Aaj ka din kaise guzrega, vo Bhagwan ji hi jaane."

With that, they zoomed through the city streets, Aarohi trying to focus on the fresh air and not on the prospect of running into Ansh.

---
The moment Aarohi stepped into the office, her phone buzzed. It was a message from *Ansh's secretary*.

**Message:** 
"Ms. Aarohi Sharma, Mr. Ansh Rai Singhania would like to see you in his cabin."

Aarohi felt her stomach flip.

**Aarohi (muttering to herself):** 
"Bhagwan ji, maine aapse kya hi maang liya tha? Ab bacha lena."

She took a deep breath and headed toward Ansh's office, her mind already racing. What could he possibly want now? As she approached his cabin, she glanced through the glass door and froze.

Inside, standing with her back to the door, was a tall, slim, and beautiful woman. Ansh was talking to her in a way Aarohi had never seen before—he was smiling, and his expression was soft, almost warm. It wasn't the usual cold, sarcastic demeanor that he reserved for everyone else. Aarohi's eyes widened as she watched them.

**Aarohi (thinking to herself, annoyed):** 
"Yeh Ansh khadus sirf mere hi saath aisa hai. Baaki sabse toh has-has ke baat karta hai."

She rolled her eyes, still annoyed at the thought, and knocked on the door before stepping in.

**Aarohi (politely):** 
"May I enter, sir?"

The beautiful woman turned around, smiling warmly at Aarohi. Ansh's smile faded, replaced by his usual unreadable expression.

**Ansh (in his cold tone):** 
"Come in."

Aarohi stepped into the room, feeling a strange tension in the air. Before she could process what was happening, the woman stepped forward, her smile bright and welcoming.

**Sana (warmly):** 
"Hi, Aarohi! I'm *Sana Lalwani*. I studied with your boss, Ansh, in the U.S. for 8 years."

Aarohi blinked, taken aback by how friendly Sana was. She seemed genuinely nice, and Aarohi found herself smiling back.

**Aarohi (thinking to herself):** 
"Ohh, achha... purani dost hai. Jitni sundar hai, utni hi achi hai. Ek yeh khadus hai."

Before Aarohi could say anything, Ansh's voice cut through her thoughts.

**Ansh (curtly):** 
"Aarohi, show Sana the designs you're working on. They're for her project."

Aarohi's eyes widened slightly. These designs were for *Sana*? That was a surprise, but what stunned her more was what Sana said next.