𝑯𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒚 𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈!♡♡

When banter turns into heartbeats and the night isn’t as quiet as it seems…

      Ａｕｔｈｏｒ's Ｐｏｖ

The sun dipped low, painting the sky with streaks of pink and orange as the campus slowly emptied. Students scattered in every direction—some laughing in groups, some rushing to catch buses, others buried in notes.

Aishani slung her bag over her shoulder, yawning dramatically as she trudged toward the parking lot. Her eyes scanned the rows of cars and until she spotted the sleek black vehicle she now dreaded and secretly looked forward to.

Revansh's car.

He didn’t even bother looking at her when he parked. With surgical precision, he pulled up and honked once. Just once. Sharp. Impatient.

Aishani rolled her eyes.

“Wow. Seriously!? No “hello,” no “get in”… Not even a wave?Just honk-honk like I'm just a delivery package.”

“Typical Dr. Angry Bird” she muttered stomping forward.

She yanked open the door and plopped into the seat beside him. 

“Thank you so much, Sir Chauffeur. What would I ever do without you?”she muttered dramatically.

His hands tightened on the steering wheel and eyes flicked toward her, cold and unreadable.

“Chauffeur?”

“Yes,” she said sweetly. “You’re my personal driver now, remember? Your father announced it - You drop me, you pick me and you agreed, and here we are—our little road trip.”

His glare was sharp enough to kill, jaw tightening .

“It’s not a road trip. It’s called responsibility. And you should be grateful I haven’t thrown you out on the road yet.”

Aishani couldn't reply as she was struggling with the seat belt, pulling and tugging at the strap.

Revansh glanced sideways, his brows drawing together. “What exactly are you doing?”

“I’m… obviously… trying to wear this thing!” she snapped, wrestling with it.

His voice was clipped. “It’s called a seat belt. Try pulling, not strangling yourself.”

“I know that!” she huffed. But the truth was… she didn’t. Cars weren’t common back in her village..she had barely sat in one, let alone tried this strange contraption.

After watching her fumble for another second, Revansh sighed sharply, leaned toward her, and clicked the belt smoothly into place.

The time froze.

For a heartbeat, maybe two, they were dangerously close. His breath ghosted against her cheek. Her hazel eyes widened, locked on his profil the sharp jawline, the faint scar near his brow, the steady thump of his chest echoing against hers and his deep brown eyes.

Her own heartbeat roared in her ears.

Revansh gave her a hard look, his voice low. “You can’t even adjust a seat belt?”

Aishani blinked rapidly, flustered. “I..um.. I just… it’s not like I ride cars every day!”

He pulled back, clicking his tongue. “Hmm.I could see that.”

She pouted, muttering, “Grumpy driver…” under her breath.

His glare sharpened, but she quickly leaned back, reached forward, and switched on the radio, grinning mischievously.

The car filled with music.

And then… her voice.

Loud. Off key. Painfully dramatic.

She belted out the lyrics with all the passion of a stage singer, drumming her hands on the dashboard. “Laa laa laaaaa—”

Revansh snapped his head toward her, horrified. “What the hell are you doing?”

“Entertaining my grumpy professor,” she declared proudly.

“Stop it.” His voice was low, dangerous.

She sang louder.

“I said stop it, Aishani!” He shot her a glare that could have stopped traffic.

“You sound like..like a dying parrot!”

The car went silent. Aishani stared at him for two seconds… then burst into uncontrollable laughter.

“Dying parrot?!” she wheezed, holding her stomach. “Of all things you could have said bathroom singer, broken trumpet, anything..but a dying parrot?!”

Her laughter filled the car, bubbling, contagious, until even Revansh’s lips twitched though he quickly pressed them into a thin line.

“Omg this girl.. Unbelievable,” he muttered, eyes fixed firmly on the road.

She leaned closer, still giggling. “Aww, I know.. but admit it -you’d be bored without me and you love my voice. Secretly. Deep down.”

His knuckles turned white on the steering wheel. But his face… betrayed him with the faintest shade of pink.

He clenched his jaw, eyes fixed on the road. “Don’t test my patience.”

The ride home continued with her humming under her breath just to annoy him, and him threatening every two minutes to throw her out of the car. Yet, oddly, the silence between them felt.. less cold than before.

That Night

The mansion was quiet, the hallways dimly lit. Aishani stepped out of the shower in her pajamas, her hair damp and messy, when her phone buzzed. Her face softened instantly at the name flashing across the screen.

Baba.

She slipped quietly into the garden and answered the call. The air was cool, the moonlight soft, and the faint chirping of crickets filled the silence.

“Baba… I’m fine, really. Classes are tough, the city is huge, and everyone seems so serious. But I’ll manage, don’t worry.” Her tone wavered, betraying the tiredness she was trying to hide.

Revansh was passing through the garden at that moment, checking the perimeter around his room. He froze mid step when her words floated through the night air.

He shouldn't care. He really shouldn't. But something about her voice so small, so vulnerable pulled him.

Hidden in the shadows, he leaned lightly against a tree, listening.

Her voice wavered despite her effort to sound cheerful, betraying the tiredness she had tried to hide all day.

“I miss you, Baba. And Maa’s cooking… oh wait..” she chuckled sadly, “Maa’s not here to cook for me, right? She left me the day I came.” Her voice cracked but steadied.

“Sometimes I wonder what it would’ve been like if she was alive. Would I still feel this.. alone?”

Revansh’s chest tightened unexpectedly.

She exhaled quietly. “I’ll make you proud.. for Maa too.”

Her voice trembled again, softer now “But don’t worry, Baba. I’ll be fine.

And I’m really well here..,” she said with a little laugh.

“Uncle and Aunt are so sweet. Grandma makes me feel like her own, and I’ve really bonded with Isha and the others. They’re so cute, like my little shadows around the house.”

Revansh’s brows lifted slightly. His family. The ones who kept waiting for him through years of his absence.. and here was this girl, who had barely been in the house for a few days, already cherishing them like they were hers.

She paused, lowering her voice just a touch. “So please, don’t stress. You just focus on your health, okay? I’ll manage everything here.”

Her words were warm, but there was a thin layer of ache beneath them, the kind only someone truly listening would notice.

Silence followed, then her gentle laugh at something her father said.

Aishani’s voice trailed off into a soft goodbye. “I’ll talk to you soon, Baba. Sleep well… I love you.”

She ended the call and tucked her phone into her pocket, letting the quiet of the garden settle around her.

Revansh stayed hidden for a few more seconds, watching her from the shadows. She seemed so small and fragile under the moonlight, yet so strong, holding herself together for her father’s sake.

Once he was sure she was turning back toward the house, he finally moved. He walked over quietly and sank onto a nearby bench, keeping a careful distance, pretending casualness. But his mind was anything but calm.

He tilted his head back and stared at the sky, the stars pale and distant above him. His jaw clenched as thoughts raced.

She’s… different. And I can’t stop noticing it.

Idiot, he thought, running a hand through his hair. She hides behind her stupid jokes, acts like the world is her stage, but she's just a kid..trying to be brave.

Revansh closed his eyes, jaw tight. The image of her loud antics - the seatbelt struggle, the damn nicknames, the parrot singing faded, replaced by this softer, braver version.

For the first time, he saw her not as an annoyance but as someone carrying a pain she hid behind her endless chatter.

He finally pushed off the bench and walked back inside the mansion, his mind still lingering on her laughter, her words, and the warmth she seemed to bring to his family even without meaning to.

✿✿✿

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