Destiny: Time To Fall In Love

Chapter 30 - Shattered Reflections

Flashback

Veer's POV

I was sitting in my hotel room, flipping through a business magazine, but I wasn't reading a single word. My mind was a mess. Ever since I left the hospital, a strange silence had settled between me, Aashi, and Aryan. Neither of them had called. Aashi wasn't even picking up my phone anymore.

I felt like an intruder in their perfect life.

I was about to reach for the lamp to turn off the lights when my phone buzzed on the nightstand. My heart skipped a beat when I saw her name. Aashi. A bright smile, the first one in days, spread across my face. I picked up before the second ring.

"Hello, Aashi! Where have you been? Why aren't you—"

"I want to meet you tomorrow," she interrupted. Her voice was flat, devoid of the usual warmth. "Are you free?"

"Yes, of course I am," I said, my smile faltering.

"Okay. Meet me at Sunshine Café across from my office."

"Okay," I whispered, but she had already hung up. I laid back, staring at the ceiling. She sounded stressed, guarded. I told myself I'd ask her what was wrong tomorrow.

The next morning, I overshot my alarm. "Oh, Veer, you idiot! You're late!" I scrambled out of bed, rushed through a shower, and practically ran to the café. When I arrived, she was already there, sitting by the window. Even in the dim morning light, she looked breathtaking. How could she always look this beautiful?

"Hi..." I greeted her, slightly out of breath.

"Hi," she replied, her eyes meeting mine for only a split second before she looked away. "Come, sit."

I took the seat across from her. "Order something for yourself," she suggested.

I tried to lighten the mood. "Don't you already know what I like?"

Aashi didn't laugh. She didn't even smile. "Yeah, I know, Veer. But it's time you start doing these things for yourself."

The words felt like a cold splash of water. I didn't understand what she meant, but before I could ask, a wave of dizziness hit me. I hadn't felt well since I woke up—the lingering effects of the accident, maybe. As I stood up to adjust my chair, the room tilted violently. My vision blurred.

"Veer! Veer, are you okay?"

I felt her hands grab my arms, steadying me as the world went dark at the edges. "What happened to you?" her voice was laced with panic.

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Aashi's POV

The moment my hands caught Veer's arms to stop him from falling, I felt it. His skin was scorching, radiating a heat that felt like a furnace. I pressed my palm against his forehead, and my heart hammered in my chest.

"Oh my God, Veer! You're burning up," I cried out. "Why didn't you tell me? Why did you even come here? Tell me—did you take your medicines today?"

He looked at me with glazed, tired eyes and slowly shook his head.

"What the hell, Veer? Why?!" I glared at him, half-angry and half-terrified.

"I was getting late," he whispered, his voice cracking. "You were waiting for me. I didn't have time... the medicines could wait."

"So could I, Veer!" I snapped. I didn't care about the "meeting" anymore. I grabbed his arm, pulling it over my shoulder to support his weight. "Let's go. Right now. You are taking those meds."