Author’s POV
Rawat’s Mansion
“Kalaaaa! Oh my God, what the hell—you’re still sleeping?” Meera shouted while entering Kala’s room.
“It’s 9 a.m. We have class at 10:00. Bro, wake up!” Meera said, shaking her. “Kala, wake upppp! We have to go!”
“You idiot, not again please. It’s the eighth time you’re banging on my door on a Sunday. It’s Sunday, not Monday, bro,” Kala said, covering herself with the blanket.
“No, no, no… it can’t be,” Meera said, crying dramatically.
“Yes, yes, yes, it is. You have literally gone insane for that guy,” Kala said, throwing a pillow at Meera.
“He is not a guy, he—” Meera said, placing her hand on her chest.
“What? He’s not a guy? Or you love girls? Wait—what’s going on? I don’t get it,” Kala said, cutting Meera in the middle.
“Whatttt… idiot! I mean, he is not an ordinary guy. He is mine. My Mr. Perfect. My Prince Charming,” Meera said, lost in her dreams.
“Meera, I support you in everything, but there are very few chances of you two. Please, yaar, I don’t want you to go through heartbreak like last time. You dated that asshole for only six months and took three years to move on,” Kala said, concern clear in her eyes as she got up.
“Kala, I know you’re concerned about me. But I’m stronger than before. And anyways, no one can say no to me,” Meera said while flipping her hairs like a soap opera actresses.
Kala just stared at her.
“Okay, fine. Whatever happens, I’m with you, okay? I won’t let anyone hurt you. I’ll break their bones for sure.”
“Ohhh hooo, my violent Kala,” Meera said, wiping her fake tears dramatically and hugging her.
“Anything for you, Meeru,” Kala said, hugging her back.
“Wait, wait—why are you in jeans and a top? You sleep like that?” Meera asked, looking at Kala in confusion.
“Because,” Kala said.
“Because what?” Meera asked, raising her eyebrows.
Kala stood on her bed, jumped down, grabbed her college bag, and shouted,
“Because it’s Monday! 🤣🤣”
Meera sat stunned, trying to understand what had just happened.
“Youuuu! I’m going to kill you for sure,” Meera shouted, running behind Kala.
Kala ran downstairs laughing. “Mummyyy! Papaaa! Didiiii! Someone save me! Meera has gone psycho and she’s trying to kill me!”
“Harsh, look at her. She always looks so lively whenever she’s with Meera,” Poonam said to her husband.
“Yes, she does. She smiles just like you—bright and radiant,” Harsh said, winking at Poonam.
“Ohhh hooo, flirting this early in the morning?” Riddhi said, grinning.
Harsh cleared his throat. “Okay, okay, that’s enough. Have breakfast and go to your college.”
“Yes, yes, why not? So that Mumma and Papa can flirt better,” Riddhi said, earning a glare from her mother.
“Says who is always in call with her fiancé 24/7,” Kala said making Riddhi blush.
Rathore’s Mansion
“Rudra beta, Abhinav beta, come downstairs and have breakfast. It’s getting cold,” Rajeev called out.
Rudra and Abhinav came downstairs.
“Good morning, Papa,” both said in unison.
“Good morning. Now have your breakfast,” Rajeev said.
“How’s your college and PhD going, Abhi? Are you able to manage both teaching and your PhD?” Rudra asked.
“Yes, bhaiya. I am. After all, I’m your brother. If you can manage the house, business, and everything alone, I can manage teaching and my PhD together. And one day, I’ll make you and Papa proud for sure,” Abhinav said sincerely.
Rudra looked at him with a proud smile. “Of course, I know my brother is the best. Just remember, Abhi—your happiness is enough for me. Don’t overdo things for my sake. Do everything for yourself. I just want you and Papa to be happy.”
Rajeev looked at his son with warmth and pride in his eyes.
“Papa, I’m going to London for three days for a business trip. I’ll leave in afternoon and will be back by Friday. You both take care of yourselves,” Rudra informed them.
“You take care of yourself too, bhaiya. You’ve been working very hard lately,” Abhinav said.
Rudra smiled. “I’m doing everything for you and Papa. It makes me happy.”
“But bhaiya—” Abhinav started.
“No buts,” Rudra interrupted. “Just take care of yourself and Papa.”
“I will,” Abhinav replied with a smile.
“Yrrr, Kala, where is my Prince Charming? I’m literally coming to college regularly for the past two months only because of him,” Meera said, pouting.
“Don’t worry, don’t worry, he must be busy in his classes with 1st semester students, first semester students need more attention na,” kala said, looking at Meera.
“If I knew that I should’ve failed and stayed in 1st year,” Meera murmured.
Kala facepalmed herself looking at her friend.
“You need help,” Kala said while laughing. “Professional help.”
Meera gasped dramatically. “Excuse me? I am perfectly fine. I am just… emotionally invested.”
“Okay leave it and tell me have you ever thought what kind of man you want? Don’t say again it’s your anime characters” Meera said while twirling dreamingly.
“Ummm, someone who will understand me, without me saying anything, who will love me the way I am, who will always choose me without any hesitation, who will know how to love me without me telling, Ahh but leave it, because I know love exists, but it’s not for me……, because people like me until they saw quiet, simple and sober girl, no one sees chaos and mess inside me, Soo let it be” Kala said while looking at sky.
“Arey, why you always underestimate yourself, you are better than me at everything, still you don’t take credit, but I know that deep down you also know you deserve best.” Meera said with confidence.
“Yeah yeah…..I know I deserve best and I’m not settling for less……but I want to see you and him settle first” Kala said smirking, while looking at Abhinav, who just entered the class. “Your prince charming is here”.
Meera looked at Abhinav entering the class, her heart racing.
“Okay students settle down, today we will continue with our topic perspectives in Mental and Behavioural disorders.” Abhinav Rathore said calmly.
She immediately sat straight, pretending to look extremely serious—as if she had been waiting for the lecture her entire life.
Kala noticed and bit her lip to stop herself from laughing.
Abhinav adjusted his glasses and looked around the class calmly, his gaze briefly passing over Meera and Kala before moving on, unaware of the storm he had just caused.
“Yes, sir,” the class replied in unison.
As Abhinav began explaining the topic, his voice steady and composed, Kala tried to focus on the lecture. But her thoughts kept drifting back to Meera’s words. And she kept thinking how will it feel like to fall for someone, who will fall for her too.
Kala sighed softly and opened her notebook.
She didn’t know it yet, but while Meera had already found her “Prince Charming,” fate was quietly preparing someone else for her—someone she wasn’t ready to meet, someone she never asked for.
And when that meeting happened, it would change everything.
“Sorry, bhaiya, for bothering you. I don’t know how I forgot those important research papers. Thanks for coming here, even though you have a flight in an hour,” Abhinav said gratefully to his brother, Rudra, over the phone.
“It’s fine, Abhi. I’ll be there in ten minutes. And you don’t have to thank me,” Rudra replied.
Meanwhile in college canteen………
“Okay listen, you wait for me here in canteen, I’ll be there soon, let me spend some time with Abhi sir and flirt too.” Meera said to kala while running towards Abhinav’s office.
“Arey listen Meeru……..” Kala shouted, but Meera had already left
Kala sighed “who is going to tell her, that sir is busy in his research project today”.
She adjusted the strap of her bag and decided to go to the collage garden.
She was lost in thoughts about her anime and romance novels.
Then she bumped on something, no someone
THUD
“Ouch—” she gasped as she bumped straight into a broad chest. The file he was holding slipped from his hands and scattered across the floor.
“I’m so sorry!” Kala said immediately, bending down to gather the papers. “I wasn’t looking—”
“Maybe you should start doing that,” a cold voice interrupted.
Kala froze for a second.
She looked up.
The man standing in front of her was tall, sharply dressed in a dark suit—completely out of place in a college. His jaw was set, irritation clear in his eyes as he checked his watch.
“Excuse me?” Kala said, standing up. “I already said sorry.”
“Sorry doesn’t change the fact that you weren’t paying attention,” he replied curtly. “People like you should learn to watch where they’re going.”
Kala’s eyebrows shot up.
“And people like you should learn some basic manners,” she shot back. “You’re standing in the middle of a college, not a boardroom.”
Rudra’s gaze hardened.
“I don’t have time for this,” he said sharply. “I have important work to do, rather than wasting my time with you troublemaker”
“Then maybe don’t waste your time scolding strangers, Mr Angry Bird” Kala retorted. “Accidents happen. It’s not the end of the world.”
After 25 minutes of heated argument.
He clenched his fist, annoyance flashing across his face.
“Unbelievable, I’ll deal with you later” he muttered, stepping aside.
Kala watched him walk away, equally irritated.
“Such an angry bird” she murmured under her breath.
A few minutes later, Rudra reached Abhinav’s office, breath slightly uneven.
“Bhaiya!” Abhinav exclaimed. “Thank you so much for coming”.
Rudra handed him the file, forcing a small smile. “You’re lucky you’re my brother”.
Abhinav noticed the tension in his face. “You okay? You said you will be there in 10 minutes but it’s almost 35 minutes”.
Rudra checked his watch again, then sighed.
“Nothing just bumped into a girl and now too late to catch my flight” Rudra said clenching his jaw.
Abhinav’s eyes widened. “What? Why didn’t you leave earlier?”
Rudra’s mind flickered—
a pair of expressive eyes, sharp words, unapologetic defiance.
“…leave it now,” he said simply.
Outside, Kala sat in the Garden, completely unaware that the man she had just argued with had missed his flight because of her.
And neither of them knew that this was only the beginning.
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