Roohi's POV

"Lucky?? Why do you let him get away with it?” Gauravi asked me once, her sharp eyes missing nothing.

“Because he’s Vihan,” I replied, as if that explained everything.

In a way, it did. Gauravi rolled her eyes and said, "You have lost it. Don't give so much importance to him; he is already very high headed. I guess they deserve each other. But I don't want her to be part of our group. I will punch Vihan if he ever includes her in our group."

After a few more words of meaningless ranting, she asked me to come out.

" I need to use the washroom; you go, I will join you in five minutes. Er... In fact, I think I should call one of my brothers; he would come here to pick me up. She didn't want me to leave so early but I wanted to go so she hugged me and went out.

But when the door clicked shut, the tears I had been holding back finally fell, silent and unstoppable. It wasn’t just about the kiss or Kavya—it was the harsh realization that Vihan would never see me the way I saw him. I was his shadow, his confidant, his friend. Nothing more.

I washed my face, cleaned it, tied my hair in a messy ponytail, and went out of there. I didn't want Vihan or Mihir to see me in that mood as Mihir was very sensitive, and we kind of understood each other; I didn't want him to see me like this. He would understand what I was going through as I knew that he had feelings for Gauravi just like I had for Vihan.

I called Raj bhai to come and pick me up. He was surprised when I called him as it was too early for the party to end, but I told him that I was not feeling well. He said he would be there in ten minutes.

I was waiting for Bhai to come when Mihir and Vihan came to find me.

"Hey, why are you standing here? Where have you been? I was looking for you." Vihan said.

"I am not feeling well, so I called Raj bhai; I am going home," I said, and both of them looked concerned all of a sudden.

"Roohi, are you alright?" Mihir asked me looking into my eyes.

"Just got a severe headache because of the loud music," I said looking away.

"Why didn't you tell me if you were not feeling well, I would have taken care of you. You don't have a fever." Vihan touched my forehead. I looked at him and saw that his lips had a shade of pink lip color.

I felt another pang of pain. I averted my eyes again. And removed his hand.

" Just a headache. You both please enjoy the party. Bhai will be here any minute."

"Why did you call him? I will drop you home..." Vihan said.

" No thanks, I can't be so unfair to all the girls present here. Go and enjoy the party and the attention of all those silly girls. "

" I can drop you. " Mihir said and before I could reply, bhai stopped his car in front of us. I didn't want Bhai to see the traces of the lip gloss of that girl on Vihan's face and give him another chance to tell me to stay away from him. So I rushed to him saying bye to Mihir and Vihan.

" Are you alright, Roohi?" Bhai touched my forehead and cheek.

" Just a severe headache because of the very loud music. " I said and turned my face away from him. He nodded.

We reached home, he gave me medicine, and I rushed to my room.

For the whole night, I kept staring at the ceiling, the image of them kissing replaying in my mind like a cruel loop. My chest ached with a pain so deep it felt physical. For the first time, I considered letting go of the dream I had clung to for so many years.

But as much as it hurt, I couldn’t. Not yet.

********

The memory shifted again, this time to a quieter moment. I recalled being sixteen, sitting on the rooftop during a power outage while our families were having dinner together. The city lights twinkled in the distance, and for once, Vihan was quiet.

“Do you ever wonder what the future will be like?” he asked suddenly, his voice softer than I’d ever heard it.

I glanced at him, surprised. “Sometimes.”

“Do you think we’ll still be friends?”

His question caught me off guard, but I nodded. “Of course.” though I wanted us to be more than just friends, I could not voice it.

He smiled then, and for a moment, it felt like the world had shrunk to just the two of us.

My feelings for him had shifted long ago, growing into something deeper. I felt a bit awkward and was a bit embarrassed once I accepted it myself. As it is, I have taken a step back and avoided him a bit after that incident last week. But he had not realized it till now.

Roohi's POV

The next day, there was another Holi celebration, and we were surrounded by bursts of color and laughter.

I had been trying to avoid him, unsure of how to deal with the new confusing whirlwind inside me. But Vihan was relentless. He asked me to come and play, but I said that I was not in the mood and was with my younger cousins, Sahaj and Saanjh, and my brother Ruhan, Mahi. My older brothers/cousins ( Raj, Ron, Sujal, and Viren) were busy with their group.

Mihir and Gauravi also applied color to my face and asked me to play with them, but I told them that I was a bit under the weather. But Vihan cornered me by the water pump, his face streaked with vibrant pinks and yellows.

“Why are you hiding, Roohi?” he asked, his voice teasing but with an undercurrent of concern.

I had looked away, pretending to focus on the ground, but he wasn’t having it. He smeared a streak of color across my cheek, his touch lingering for a moment too long. My heart raced, and I hated how obvious it must have been.

“I’m not hiding, I am feeling cold.” I lied, my voice barely above a whisper.

He had grinned then, a mischievous, knowing grin that made my stomach flip. “Good. Don't ever think of hiding from me, because I’d find you anywhere.”

And he always had. Every time I tried to distance myself, to build walls around my heart, he would find a way in, as though he belonged there.

I could not help loving him however painful it had been to see him with other girls.

The pain didn’t stop there. One evening, it started pouring down in sheets, all of a sudden, soaking us to the skin as Vihan and I were leaving campus. Vihan grabbed my arm.

“Come on, let’s make a run for it!” he said, laughing as he dragged me outside.

We sprinted through the rain, dodging puddles and shouting like kids. My sandals squelched with every step, and my hair clung to my face, but I didn’t care. We were alone, the world around us blurred by the rain, and for a fleeting moment, it felt like we were in our own little bubble.

“You’re a mess,” he said, brushing a strand of wet hair from my face.

“So are you,” I shot back, shivering.

For a moment, he just looked at me, his usual teasing smile replaced by something softer. My heart leaped, but then he said, “We should get you inside before you catch a cold.”

" No, let it be! I am loving it. " I said.

Vihan shook his head, sending droplets flying as he laughed. “Remind me to check the weather forecast next time,” he joked, brushing his wet hair out of his eyes. His grin was contagious, but I could barely muster a smile. My heart was racing, my pulse loud in my ears as I searched for the courage to say what I’d been holding back.

“You know,” I began, my voice hesitant, “rain is supposed to be romantic.”

"Really? You think so? This is something new. " He asked with a grin.

“This is, like, the perfect setting for a love story. Imagine a guy and a girl, walking home in the rain, sharing an umbrella—”

“Or getting drenched and catching a cold,” he interrupted, grinning.

I rolled my eyes but pressed on. “You’ve never thought about kissing someone in the rain?”

To my horror, his face lit up. For a moment, he seemed to consider it, his expression softening. My heart soared, daring to hope. But then he said it.

“Actually, yeah!” he said enthusiastically. “That scene in The Notebook? Total classic. I’d love to do that someday. With someone special, of course.”

My heart soared for about two seconds before crashing spectacularly when he added, “Maybe Parina. She’s been hinting that she likes me.”

The bubble burst yet again. My heart plummeted, the warmth of his smile replaced by a cold ache in my chest. I managed a laugh, masking the sting of his words. “Lucky her,” I said, hoping he didn’t hear the crack in my voice.

He didn’t notice. Of course, he didn’t.

Moments like that weren’t rare—they were the threads of my heartbreak, woven into the tapestry of my love for him. The physics lab incident was another.

It was a holiday for everyone, but we had some extra classes that day, so we had a short break. Vihan excused himself and went to the washroom. My practical file was left in the physics lab in the previous class, so I thought of going there to retrieve my physics practical file before it was lost. Gauravi and I went to the physics lab.

But the sight that greeted me was anything but comforting. Vihan stood against the wall, his signature smirk in place, leaning close to Meera D’Souza.

His voice was low, his words meant only for her, but I didn’t need to hear them to know they were sweet. Too sweet. My chest tightened as I watched him brush a strand of hair from her face, the gesture so intimate it felt like a slap. And then, as if to twist the knife, he kissed her.

I froze. I wanted to look away, to turn and leave before he noticed me, but my feet wouldn’t move. It wasn’t until Meera giggled, her laughter echoing in the hallway that Gauravi held my hand and tugged me away. Finally, I found the strength to walk away.