Chapter 7

Aarohi's home :

The golden rays of the sun pierced through the window curtains, making their way into Aarohi’s room. But for Aarohi, this was no ordinary morning. The blurred memories of last night—the pounding music and that mysterious touch—swirled in her mind like a tangled puzzle. Her head felt heavy, a lingering reminder of the previous night’s indulgences that hadn't quite faded yet.

She walked down the stairs with unsteady steps, greeted by the aroma of fresh breakfast wafting through the house from the kitchen.

"Good morning, Aarohi!" Saisha said warmly, lifting a pan off the stove. Her voice held that familiar maternal tenderness that always brought Aarohi peace.

Aarohi pulled out a dining chair and replied softly, "Good morning, Mumma..." There was still a distinct heaviness in her voice that she was trying hard to conceal.

Placing a hot paratha on her plate, Saisha said, "Beta, have breakfast first... you came home quite late last night and you look exhausted."

Aarohi glanced around the room. The spot where her father usually sat every morning, buried behind a newspaper, was empty today.

"Mumma, where is Papa?" Aarohi asked curiously.

A faint crease appeared on Saisha’s forehead for a brief second, but she quickly masked it with a smile. "Papa had an important meeting early this morning, so he left early for work."

Aarohi paused, trying to look into her mother's eyes. She sensed something in the air—something left unsaid. "Why... did you have some work with Papa?" Saisha asked back, as if trying to gauge the depth of Aarohi’s thoughts.

Aarohi took a long breath. "No, just like that... we didn't get to talk properly last night, that's why."

Saisha watched her daughter in silence. A fear sat deep in her heart—a fear that Aarohi might stumble upon the truth they had been suppressing for years. Akshay’s early departure was perhaps just another excuse to avoid facing that very truth. For Aarohi, it was just a typical morning, but behind the walls of that house, an old secret was beginning to stir once again.

The morning sunlight filtered through the kitchen window, casting long shadows across the breakfast table, but there was a lingering heaviness in the air that was hard to define. Aarohi picked at her food, her focus less on the meal and more on her mother’s face, which had seemed subtly strained since the previous night.

"No... I was just asking," Aarohi said softly, keeping her eyes fixed on her plate. After a moment’s pause, she looked up, her eyes swimming with an old memory and a persistent question.

"Mumma... can I ask you something?" There was a strange flicker of hesitation in her voice.

Saisha, who was busy wiping the kitchen counter, suddenly froze. Her hands stopped moving, though she didn't turn around immediately. "Ask... what is it?" she replied, trying her best to keep her voice level, even as her heart began to race.

Aarohi took a deep breath and finally voiced the question that had been buried in her heart for years: "Mumma... where is Didi?"

A heavy silence descended. Even the ticking of the wall clock felt like an intrusion. Saisha’s face paled for a fraction of a second, but she quickly composed herself and turned slowly toward Aarohi.

There was a spark of panic in her eyes, which she masked behind a blink.

"You're suddenly asking about your sister today... did something happen?" Saisha questioned back, as if she were testing the waters to see how much Aarohi knew.

Aarohi lowered her head. "No, it's just that I tried calling her, but her phone didn't connect...!" Her voice held a clear note of worry and a hollow longing for her sister.

Saisha let out a breath of relief, though she remained visibly uneasy. She forced a thin smile onto her lips. "Maybe she’s just busy with work... or perhaps she got a new number! Don't worry, she’ll call you herself when she’s free...!" She spoke rapidly, as if she wanted to bury the subject right then and there.

Aarohi didn't find the reassurance she was looking for in her mother's answer, but she knew that pushing further right now would be futile. She offered a faint smile and stood up from her chair.

"Alright... I’m leaving for work then," Aarohi said. It had only been a week since she had started her new job after returning home. She was trying to get her life back on track through her career.

Saisha watched her walk toward the door and called out from behind, "Okay... have a great day, dear!"

Saisha watched her walk toward the door and called out from behind, "Okay... have a great day, dear!"

Aarohi waved goodbye and stepped out of the house. The fresh morning air hit her face, but two things continued to swirl in her mind—the mysterious touch she had felt the night before, and the enigmatic absence of her elder sister. Little did she know that both were about to steer her life in an entirely new direction

Aarohi's Hospital :

Amidst the sterile white walls and the sharp, clinical scent of antiseptic, Aarohi was trying to find her rhythm in her new life. The morning's freshness still lingered on her face as she walked through the hospital corridor.

Suddenly, a chirpy and incredibly sweet voice called out to her.

"Good morning, Aarohi Ma'am!" said Disha with a wide, radiant smile.

Disha wasn't just Aarohi’s assistant; she was a capable and kind-hearted doctor herself. She had a natural sweetness in her voice that seemed to soothe patients’ pain even before any medicine could.

Aarohi stopped and smiled back warmly. "Good morning, Disha... and please, don't call me Ma'am. Just call me Aarohi... okay?"

"Yes, absolutely, Aarohi!" Disha nodded with a playful glint in her eyes.

"By the way, where is Raghav Sir?" Aarohi asked, glancing around. The truth was, Aarohi hadn't actually met Raghav yet.

Having been at the hospital for only a week, she only knew that he was her senior and one of the finest doctors in the department.

She felt a mix of curiosity and slight nervousness about finally meeting him.

"Raghav Sir is in his cabin! Why, did you have some work with him?" Disha asked curiously.

"No... I was just asking. Since I haven't officially met him yet," Aarohi replied, hugging her medical file to her chest.

"Anyway, I'm heading off for rounds!"

Time ticked away at its usual frantic pace.

Immersed in the hustle and bustle of the hospital, Aarohi became so occupied that she lost all track of time. About five hours later, while she was reviewing a patient's report, Disha rushed toward her. This time, her face was etched with worry and a sense of urgency.

"Aarohi... there is a very important call for you!" Disha said, slightly out of breath.

Aarohi looked up, startled. "Disha, who is calling?"

"I don't know, Aarohi... but whoever she is, she desperately wants to talk to you. She keeps saying it's something incredibly important—an emergency. Judging by her voice, she sounds very distressed," Disha said, gesturing toward the telephone.

Aarohi’s heart suddenly skipped a beat. A cold sense of foreboding washed over her. With trembling hands, she picked up the receiver and pressed it to her ear.

"Hello... who is this...?" Aarohi’s voice was laced with an underlying fear.

"Aarohi... beta..." came a broken, sobbing voice from the other end. It was her mother, Saisha. Aarohi had never heard her mother sound like this—it was a voice filled with helplessness, agony, and a deep-seated terror. It sounded as if a massive storm had just leveled her world.

"Mumma? What happened? Why are you crying? Is Papa okay?" The ground felt like it was slipping from beneath Aarohi's feet.

The chaos of the hospital faded into silence; all she could hear were her mother’s sobs, pointing toward a truth she wasn't ready to face.

To be continued...