Roohi's POV

Now and then, his protectiveness over me flared up, blurring the lines between friendship and something more—or so I let myself believe.

There was a boy in our anatomy class—Aaditya. He wasn’t particularly half as charming or handsome as Vihan, but he had a crush on me, which was apparently a crime in Vihan’s eyes. But I could empathize with him as I was in the same situation. Aaditya liked me but I liked ... Loved Vihan.

One day Aditya asked me if I would like to be his lab partner, I didn't want to break his heart but I wanted to have Vihan, or at least Mihir or Gauravi as my partner. I just said that I would like to be partners with one of my 3 friends. He nodded with a faint smile and went away.

I was feeling very guilty as I knew how he must have felt. But I was a slave of my heart too.

" What was he asking you?" Vihan asked.

“Aditya asked me to be his lab partner,” I told Vihan.

“What? No! Absolutely not,” he declared immediately.

“Why not?”

“Because he’s a creep, that’s why.” he declared.

No!!

“He’s not a creep,” I argued. “He’s nice.”

“Nice? Roohi, the guy stares at you like you’re the last cookie in the jar. It’s weird.” he retorted with a raised eyebrow.

" You are weird! " I argued.

"Don't entertain him. Or I will beat him." He said glaring at me.

" But why? I don't tell you who can you talk to... You flirt with everyone. "

" I can handle it, you can't as you are very naive and gullible. I know how men think. Stay away from him. He is not good for you." He said as if he was my Tauji, dad, or one of my overprotective brothers.

Idiot!!

" Who do you think is good for me?" I asked, crossing my arms. He looked at me and thought for a second.

He didn't reply??

" What?? Name one guy who you think is good enough for me to talk to." I challenged him.

" Mihir! " He said looking around.

" Seriously? You think I need your permission to talk to Mihir? He is more concerned about me than you are. Tell me the name of another guy. " I retorted. He looked a bit annoyed.

" I will tell you when I find one. Stay away from him." He said. And went to Aaditya warning him to stay away from me.

And just like that, Aditya was out of the picture, he never talked to me again. Vihan, in his usual overbearing way, volunteered to be my partner instead. Though many girls had asked him to be their partner, and before that incident, he was thinking about whom to give a chance to.

Why did he volunteer to select me?

“You don’t even like dissecting,” I pointed out.

“I like it more than watching Aditya drool over you,” he replied matter-of-factly.

My heart wanted to interpret his protectiveness as a sign of something more, but my brain knew better. To Vihan, I wasn’t a girl he could flirt with—I was his best friend, his little Roohi... whom he had to protect.

Ughhh!!

********

As suggested by Gauravi, I tried to think of other boys around to make my obsession with him vanish, and I started talking to other guys in our batch and some from the hospital. But Vihan's protectiveness over me didn’t help, it became more pronounced, especially when it came to other guys.

Once an intern tried to flirt with me.

“Hey, Roohi, want to grab coffee after rounds?” the intern asked, smiling.

Before I could respond, Vihan appeared out of nowhere.

“Sorry, she can't, she’s busy,” he said flatly, glaring at the guy. Who was at least 3-4 years senior to us.

The intern backed off, and Vihan turned to me.

“You don’t have to talk to every guy who smiles at you,” he said, his tone exasperated.

“Why do you care?” I snapped.

“Because you’re... you’re Roohi,” he said.

"What does that mean? I know I am Roohi..." But he went away saying he recalled something important.

The next day, someone in my batch asked me to come for a coffee but I told him that I had notes to make.

That guy insisted that he would help me with that as he had the best notes from one of the toppers, but I must come, though I thought of going out with the guy to get my mind off Vihan, I could not... So I refused him.

The next day, I was talking to Saanjh about something, she was like a baby to all of us, and she was asking me about something; I knew that she had a crush on someone older and was asking me something about it. But I discouraged her. It was important. I had much more experience than her about having a crush on someone.

Though our situations were completely different, I still was at least 7 years older than her and I could not let her make a fool of herself. So I was engrossed in that issue with her and didn't pay heed to what my friends were saying. They tried to talk to me but I gave monosyllabic replies absent-mindedly. The break was over, and I told Saanjh that I would talk to her later.

Just when we were going back, I got a message from another guy who asked me to come for a coffee or some movie; I told him that I had a lot of work to do..

“Who was texting you during lunch?” Vihan demanded all of a sudden.

“No one important,” I said, trying to brush him off as I could not discuss everything with him.

"Someone just texted you again just now, is it the same person?" I was still thinking about what to say; he shot another question.

“Was it that intern from pediatrics who asked you out yesterday?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. I didn't reply. It was not him, but I didn't want him to beat that guy from our batch, so I let him think what he assumed.

"Show me your phone." He said.

"No! "

"Did he text you?" He asked, I nodded.

" What did he want?"

" Why do you want to know?"

" Tell me, Roohi!"

" He wants me to come for a coffee with him." I finally told him.

" Tell him you are not interested. He’s too old for you,” he said as if I was bound to do what my master was saying.

“You’re ridiculous, he is just 3-4 years older than us. ” I shot back.

“Maybe,” he said, “but you’re not dating him.”

“Why do you care?” I asked, exasperated.

“Because you’re my Roohi, I will not allow that old man anywhere near you,” he said simply as if that explained everything.

It didn’t. Did it??

But I could not say anything. He called me his Roohi.

His Roohi?? Like really? His Roohi in what sense?

I didn't dare to ask him as it could have embarrassed one of us.

******

Roohi's POV

Valentine’s Day in medical college was chaotic. The campus buzzed with couples exchanging gifts and shy students mustering the courage to confess their feelings.

I had no expectations from Vihan—after all, Vihan never saw me that way. I braced myself for another year of watching Vihan charm every girl in sight.

And I also knew if that guy in our batch gave me something today, Vihan would get to know, and he would get annoyed with that guy. I was scared that he would punch the poor guy, but I was surprised that no one approached me; I was relaxed as well as upset. Though a few guys kept ogling at me, no one approached me, while Gauravi got gifts and flowers.

But then a small box appeared on my desk miraculously. My heart raced as I opened it, finding a single rose and a note: To the sweetest and the prettiest girl I know. Happy Valentine’s Day.

Oh my God!! It was Vihan's handwriting.

For a moment, I dared to hope that he...

Just then Vihan leaned over with a casual grin. “Oh, that’s from me,” he said.

“For... me?” I stammered, my face heating up.

Was that happening? My heart skipped a beat.

“Yeah,” he said. “You were the only one who didn’t get anything. Thought I’d save you from feeling left out."

What??

Of course. It wasn’t romantic. It was just Vihan being Vihan.

But why did he have to say that??

I swear I didn't know whether I should have thanked him for being considerate or thrown in ait on his face.

I wanted to scream. He didn’t even realize what he was doing to me, how his kindness felt like a blade against my heart.

Through it all, he remained oblivious. Or maybe he knew and chose to ignore it. Either way, I couldn’t help but love him—the boy who’d been tracing circles on my back since kindergarten, the man who made my heart ache with every smile.

It wasn’t fair. But love rarely is.

******

Medical school was supposed to be my chance to shine, to show him I wasn’t just the nerdy girl from next door. But somehow, it only solidified my role as his best friend.

The exams were just around the corner; I thought my chance to get closer to him had finally come. I was one of the top students, and Vihan—well, let’s just say studying wasn’t his point of interest though he was very intelligent, but he paid a lot of attention to silly girls and was always distracted.

I was the one he turned to during all-night study sessions, the one who patiently explained concepts he didn't bother to attend or attend but was not attentive to as he was preoccupied; I was the one who kept him grounded.

“Roohi, you’re a genius,” he said once, his head resting against the pile of books between us.

“Tell me something I don’t know,” I replied, trying to keep my voice steady as he leaned closer to read my notes.

“You’re also really patient,” he added with a grin. “I’d have given up on myself ages ago.”

I also would have... if I could.

“Just focus, Vihan,” I said, tapping his forehead with my pen. “You’re not going to charm your way through exams.”

“Who says I’m not trying to charm you?” he quipped, his eyes sparkling with mischief. My heart skipped a beat, but he laughed, and I knew he was joking. He was always joking.

I rolled my eyes but secretly loved every second of it.

Through all these moments—funny, frustrating, and sometimes heart-wrenching—I couldn’t stop loving him. His protectiveness, his teasing, his infuriating obliviousness—it was all part of the Vihan package.

And even though he didn’t see me as anything more than his best friend, I couldn’t imagine my life without him.

Because he wasn’t just my best friend. He was my lifeline.

Over the years, my love for him never wavered, but neither did his obliviousness. Every smile, every touch, every playful remark felt like a tiny sliver of hope—and an equally sharp reminder that to him, I was just his best friend.

Despite everything, I couldn’t imagine a life without him. Vihan Rathore was chaos and comfort, laughter and heartbreak, all rolled into one. And though it hurt, I would’ve endured a thousand moments of unrequited love just to stay by his side.

But there were moments when the facade cracked when I couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like if he saw me the way I saw him.

What if, just once, he flirted with me instead of someone else?

What if, just once, he traced those circles on my back because he wanted to, not out of habit?

What if, just once, he loved me back?