"खामोशी में छुपा एक अहसास है,
शुरुआत-ए-मोहब्बत का ये खास है।
दिल धड़कता है, बात कहने को,
पर लफ़्ज़ थम जाते हैं, बस सुनने को।"
✧
Avyansh's POV
"Did you get the info?" I asked my secretary without looking up from the file I was reviewing.
"Yes, sir," he said promptly, handing over a thin dossier to me.
I took it and leaned back in my chair, opening the folder with deliberate slowness. My eyes scanned the first page-basic details.
Name: Avantika Agarwal
Age: ××
Education: Graduated from XYZ College with a degree in Economics.
The next section caught my attention.
Schooling:
Attended ABC High School until her 12th grade.
Noted for excelling in academics and extracurriculars, particularly music.
Received over 100 medals and awards in music competitions until the end of 12th grade. Left music after that.
Personal Life (School Years):
Reported incidents of bullying during middle and high school.
Situations were managed by her closest friend, Akshat Singhania.
Akshat Singhania... the name tugged at something in my memory, but I couldn't place it. I turned to the next page.
Family Background:
Closest to her grandparents during her childhood.
Her grandmother passed away in an accident at home. Avantika was the only one reportedly present when it happened.
There was a photo attached-her 10th-grade picture. Her face was round, soft, and chubby, but her eyes stood out the most. Even in that innocent-looking photo, her eyes held a dullness that I couldn't ignore.
I flipped to another page.
Relationships:
Rumor said that she had a boyfriend during graduation years-Name: ××
No major details regarding him except that the relationship didn't last .
The following pages contained more photographs, and each one seemed to tell the same story. In every image, whether in a family function or a school event, her face looked hollow, and her eyes appeared slightly swollen, as if she'd been crying.
Mental Health:
Began consulting a therapist during Class 10 after her grandmother death.
Continued therapy throughout college.
I stopped reading, my fingers still on the paper. Continued therapy... until now.
The words felt heavier than they should. I turned the page, and the final entry confirmed it.
Present Status:
Currently consulting a therapist once a month. Details of the therapist are confidential.
I frowned. She was still in therapy? Why hadn't anyone mentioned this? Not her parents. Not her...
