Her Innocent Love

19 ~ Foreign Feelings & Heartbreak

Aadarsh's POV

"Aarohi..." The sound of her name slipped from my lips before I could stop myself. She turned around, her wide, chocolaty eyes locking onto mine, clearly taken aback. Of course, she was. I've never addressed her by her first name and I shouldn't have. I should've kept my distance, just like I always do. But seeing her after so many days... I couldn't help myself.

I've always been good at control—at keeping my emotions in check. After all, love, relationships—none of that has ever mattered to me. I don't believe in them. Never have. My life is disciplined, focused. There's no room for distractions. And yet, standing here, facing her after so long, the cracks in that armor were showing. I missed her. Not just her presence, but the sarcastic remarks she'd throw at me, her bluntness, even the way she'd curse under her breath when she thought I wasn't paying attention.

Why do I crave that now? Why do I want to hear her speak again and again, like I could listen to her for hours? What is happening to me?

"Yes, Mr. Jindal?" Her response was formal, distant—just the way it should be. She was a concierge; I was her boss and yet, something about it made my chest tighten.

I straightened up, trying to suppress whatever was surging inside me, and stepped toward the door, keeping a measured distance between us. That's how I've always done things—professional, no lines crossed. But then I noticed her cheeks flush slightly. It wasn't warm in here, so why did she seem... unsettled? Was she as disoriented as I felt?

"Don't push yourself too hard," I said, my voice stiff, like I was speaking to just another employee. But the words came out awkwardly, uncharacteristically. Where was my usual control?

"Thank you for your concern," she replied, turning to leave as if nothing had changed. As if she hadn't just flipped my world upside down with her mere presence.

No. It couldn't end like this. Why am I still talking?

"Also, make sure you stay focused," I blurted out, trying to salvage some sense of authority, but it came out even worse. What was wrong with me? She must think I'm losing my mind.

She gave me a look, one eyebrow raised, as if I'd just said something utterly nonsensical. "I will, Mr. Jindal. Anything else?" Her voice was clipped, her gaze challenging.

"No, that's... that's it," I muttered. It should've been. I should've let her walk away. I contemplated with myself. But just then, the door flew open with a loud thud.

The sound startled her, and before I could react, she stumbled forward—right into me. Her hands grabbed onto my shoulders for balance, and I instinctively reached out to steady her, my hand brushing against her waist without thinking. The sudden closeness caught me off guard. The warmth of her body against mine, the scent of her hair  set my heart racing by overpowering my usually sharp self-control.

Her breath hitched, and for a brief moment, neither of us moved. Her eyes met mine, and for the first time in as long as I could remember, I didn't know how to react. How to keep myself from letting this moment mean something.

"Aadi Bhai, I had a... oh no!" Sanvi's voice shattered the moment as she barged in, freezing mid-sentence when she saw us. "I'm so, so sorry! I didn't know!" Her hand flew to her face, covering her eyes.

Aarohi pulled away from me so quickly it almost felt like I imagined the whole thing. She stepped back, her posture stiff, cheeks red with embarrassment. I straightened up, my expression carefully neutral, fighting to regain my control.

"Sanvi, you should knock first, right?" I said, my voice even, though inside, everything felt off balance.

"I'm sorry, Bhai, I thought you were alone as always" Her words were innocent enough, but they hit harder than they should've. Alone. That's how it's always been for me. I prefer it that way. Or at least I did.