DIL HAAREYA

PROLOGUE

“ye badal ki chaadar
yeh taaro ke anchal
mein chup jaye hum, pal do pal”

Aarna and Shreyas sat side by side on their usual spot at the marine drive, the place that had silently witnessed the ups and downs of their relationship over the years. The calmness, the sea, the stars - everything belonged to them.

Aarna tucked her hair behind her ear, her fingers brushing the smooth strands that had grown longer since the day they first met. She glanced sideways at Shreyas, a soft smile curving her lips. "Do you remember the first time we met?"

Shreyas who was already looking at her leaned forward, helping her fix those stubborn baby hairs of her behind her ear, a playful smirk tugging at his mouth. "How could I forget? You almost broke my glasses."

Aarna laughed, her eyes sparkling with nostalgia. "You make it sound like it was all my fault!"

"Wasn't it?" Shreyas teased, leaning back on his elbow as he grazed her cheeks with his thumb. His gaze kept looking into hers, but his mind was already slipping into the past.

The day they first met played out vividly in both their memories, they remembered it so clearly despite it being a mere coincidence - as if it had happened just yesterday.

Flashback:

It was as busy as the first day of college could ever be. Aarna hurried through the garden, her colorful kurti fluttering behind her as she weaved ahead, her mind buzzing with first-day nerves. Her shoulder-length hair danced freely in the gentle breeze, framing her radiant face.

She clutched her bag, double-checking her belongings to make sure everything was in order.

Just as she confirmed everything was in place, she felt a sudden jolt, she had collided head-on with someone. The impact sent her stumbling back, and with a sharp crack, the stranger's glasses flew off his face, landing on the ground between them.

"Watch where you are going!" the stranger exclaimed, his tone filled with surprise and a slight irritation as he bent to retrieve his glasses.

Aarna blinked in surprise, quickly recovering her composure. "You were standing right in the middle of the path!" she shot back, her voice rising defensively.

The stranger - Shreyas, though she didn’t know his name yet - glared at her, his eyes narrowing as he inspected the broken glasses. "I had every right to be there!" he snapped throwing her a glare.

Aarna looked around to make sure no one was around to witness her first day, first chaos in a frenzy.
"And I had every right to walk!" She fired back, folding her arms across her chest.

Shreyas crossed his arms too, his expression hardening. "Without looking where you are going?"

"Without expecting someone to be obstructing the entire path?" she retorted, not backing down.

Their banter sparkled like the sun kissed flowers surrounding them, filling the air with tension and tantalizing possibility.

As they exchanged a few more heated words, Aarna's gaze lingered on Shreyas's chiseled features, and his eyes crinkled at the corners, softening his annoyance.

"You are really clueless, aren’t you?" Shreyas said, his lips curling into a smirk, though the frustration still lingered in his voice.

"And you are really blind, aren't you?" Aarna shot back, her hands moving to her hips, her chin lifted defiantly.

Shreyas raised an eyebrow, sliding his slightly bent and totally cracked glasses back onto his nose the hint of a challenge in his eyes. "Literally, now."

Aarna rolled her eyes, the heat of their argument simmering down as a trace of amusement crept into her voice. "Not my problem."

He snorted at her sarcasm while she gave him a shrug and they both crossed each other going their ways, their minds obviously reeling with the other person.

Flashback over.

Shreyas smiles, his heart besting later as he realises just how lucky he was to have he by his side and he knew his Aaru felt the same as he leaned in,  cupping her face in his hand, he dropped a kiss on her temple as her melodious voice reached his ears -

‘Dekho kahan aa gaye hum sanam saath chalte, jahan din ki bahon mein raaton ke saaye hai dhalte.....’
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But does a happy ending always signifies a journey without obstacles?

Join the odyssey of Shreyas and Aarna to understand the purest form of love, dedication and sacrifice, where it's them against the world.

I hope you love Aarna and Shreyas (the author isn't too bad too, so i also hope to get a little love for myself hehe)

Bye bye cutus, I'll be posting regularly once my exams are over (it's in December) Just wait till then and take care ! Will try my best not to disappoint anyone.