kaho Na Pyaar Hai

Closer Than Ever

Ariyana's POV

College life is usually a welcome break from the chaos of home, but today? Today was different.

The corridors felt unusually loud as I walked through them, chai in one hand and my bag in the other. The usual crowd bustled around, but my mind was elsewhere. That was when I saw him—Vivek Sharma, the self-proclaimed "Greek God" of the college, surrounded by his usual fan club. Ugh.

"Vivek Sharma," I muttered under my breath. Iss insaan ka overconfidence kitna over hai!

"Ariyana Mehrotra!" Vivek's voice echoed down the hallway like a poorly timed alarm. My steps slowed for a split second, but I kept walking, pretending I hadn't heard him. Ignoring people like Vivek? That was an art form.

But, of course, Vivek didn't understand subtlety. He jogged up to me, blocking my path with that signature grin that was more irritating than charming.

"Tumhara project partner hoon, yaad hai?" he asked, making no effort to lower his volume. Great.

I sighed, already dreading this interaction. "Haan, Vivek. Mujhe yaad hai. Kya hua?"

"Kal se tum absent thi na? Socha tumhe update de du. Tumhare bina kaam nahi ho raha," he said, his voice dripping with drama. "Aur waise bhi, ek coffee toh banta hai na partner ke saath?"

Coffee, my foot.

Before I could make my escape, my phone buzzed. Ruhaan.

Perfect timing.

I quickly picked it up. "Hello? Haan Ruhaan, bol na!" I said loudly, making sure Vivek could hear.

Vivek raised an eyebrow, clearly sensing something was off. "Kya yaar, tum busy ho?"

"Bohot," I replied curtly, walking away and pressing my phone to my ear. "Haan Ruhaan, tu kab aa raha hai mujhe pick karne? College se ghar jaana hai, yaar!"

"Main?" Ruhaan's voice sounded confused, like I had just dropped a bombshell. "Are you okay? Kya ho raha hai wahan?"

I grinned mischievously. "Nothing. Just saving myself from the Greek tragedy standing next to me. Chal bye!"

Vivek stood frozen, watching me walk away as I ended the call, my heart still racing from the quick getaway.

Ruhaan's POV

The moment the call ended, I knew something was up. Ariyana never called me with that much drama. It wasn't like her.

"Greek tragedy? Who the hell is that?" I muttered to myself as I turned to Reyansh bhaiya and Misha bhabhi, who were casually eating breakfast at the table.

Misha looked up, amused. "Who's a Greek tragedy? Tum dono ke conversations mein hamesha naye characters kyun aate hain?"

Before I could explain, I noticed Navya Maa walking out of her room, clutching her forehead. Her face was pale, and something about it set off an alarm in me.

"Ruhaan beta..." Maa's voice sounded weak, and I rushed over to her. "Mujhe na... thoda chakkar aa raha hai."

I froze, a deep sense of worry creeping in. "Maa, aapne kal dinner miss kiya tha na? Wait, main doctor ko call karta hoon," I said quickly, panic rising in my chest.

But Maa shook her head weakly. "Nahi beta, bas stress hoga. Main thoda rest kar leti hoon."

Misha bhabhi placed a hand on my shoulder. "Main Maa ke paas hoon. Tum jao na, Ariyana ko pick karne ka plan tha na?"

I hesitated. "Plan? Nahi, Ari ne bas drama kiya tha..."

Misha raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Arre, jao na. Dekho kaunsa new masla chal raha hai."

Ariyana's POV

I was sitting in the canteen, complaining to Pooja about Vivek and his never-ending antics, when suddenly my phone buzzed.

Ruhaan: "5 minutes. Main gate pe hoon. Greek tragedy ka account chahiye mujhe."

I couldn't help but smile at the message. Ruhaan and his protective big-brother mode.

Me: "Drama queen, I don't need a bodyguard!"

Ruhaan: "Shut up. Aaja chup chaap."

Typical Ruhaan.

Third Person POV

As Ariyana reached the main gate, Ruhaan's car screeched to a halt, making a dramatic entrance. He rolled the window down, leaning his elbow out like some kind of hero from a movie.

"Madam, aap safe hain ya Vivek Sharma ko Greek se Roman tragedy bana doon?" Ruhaan teased, smirking at her with that signature grin.

Ariyana laughed and got in, rolling her eyes. "Tu over kar raha hai."

"Main nahi, woh over kar raha hai jo meri best friend ko coffee pe le jaane ka soch raha hai," Ruhaan shot back, his eyes focused on her but his smirk still in place.

Ariyana poked him playfully. "Bas bas, possessive bhai mat ban."

They settled into the familiar comfort of silence as Ruhaan drove, the hum of the engine filling the quiet. But after a while, Ruhaan glanced over at her, his expression turning serious.

"Ari..." he began, his voice soft.

"Haan?" she replied, still staring out the window, the rush of the day still in her mind.

"Tu kab tak yeh sab jhelti rahegi? Ghar pe Mia, college mein Vivek... Why don't you just stand up to them?"

Ariyana bit her lip, the question catching her off guard. She stared out the window, her mind racing. "It's complicated, Ruhaan. Tum samjhoge nahi."

Ruhaan's grip on the steering wheel tightened, but he didn't push. He knew Ariyana too well—she would talk when she was ready.

Ruhaan's POV

As I dropped Ariyana off, I couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right. I parked outside her house and watched as she walked toward the door. But just as she was about to enter, I saw Maahir step out with two of his friends, laughing like they owned the world. They didn't even acknowledge her as she walked past.

And then Mia appeared at the door, her lips curling into a smirk. "Wapas aa gayi?"

Ariyana didn't respond, her back straight as she disappeared inside the house, the door slamming shut behind her.

I clenched my jaw, a surge of protectiveness flooding over me. Kuch toh karna padega. Yeh sab theek nahi hai.

Ariyana's POV

Inside, Mia's voice echoed down the hallway. "Bohot attitude aa gaya hai is ladki mein na. Jaane kaha kaha ghoomti rehti hai!"

I ignored her, as always. Arguing with her never got me anywhere, and honestly? It was easier to stay quiet.

As I reached my room, my phone buzzed again.

Ruhaan: "Tum theek ho na?"

Me: "Hamesha."

But as I stared at the screen, I couldn't help but wonder—was I really?