In the evening, Aarshi called Momo and told her that she had gotten her period and needed pads urgently. Thinking the situation was serious, Momo rushed home without wasting a second.
But the moment she entered the house, she was left completely speechless.
Aarshi was lying upside down on the sofa — her head hanging toward the floor while her legs rested in the air — and Ayaan was calmly feeding her watermelon pieces as if this were the most normal thing in the world.
For a second, Momo simply stared at them, unable to process what she was seeing. Not knowing what else to do, she quietly started walking toward her room without interrupting them.
But Aarshi noticed her immediately.
"Momo, finally you came!" she exclaimed happily.
"Yes, I'm here," Momo replied, still stunned. Then she frowned slightly and asked, "Weren't you in trouble?"
"I am," Aarshi answered casually before straightening herself and standing up properly.
She followed Momo into her room, took the pads from her, and disappeared into the washroom.
When Aarshi came out a few minutes later, the very first thing Momo asked was, "How did you two become this free with each other?"
"You mean comfortable?" Aarshi corrected with a smile.
Momo hummed in response because, truthfully, she was still shocked by her brother's behavior around Aarshi.
Aarshi laughed softly. "I don't think he has changed. He has always been good to me… and today he cared for me the most."
Then she added teasingly, "You're the luckiest person to have a brother like him. My brother is dumb like a monkey. He never understands when I need care the most."
Momo chuckled. "I think your brother is just short-sighted. He probably doesn't notice changes in people that quickly."
Aarshi nodded in agreement.
After dinner, everyone went to their rooms. But Aarshi couldn't sleep because of the terrible cramps. She tossed around restlessly on the bed like a fish struggling out of water, trying her best to endure the pain silently.
She controlled herself for as long as she could, but around one in the morning, the pain became unbearable. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she cried helplessly, muffling groans of agony into her pillow.
At that same time, Ayaan had gone downstairs to refill his water bottle. As he passed by Aarshi's room, he heard faint sobs coming from inside.
Concern immediately crossed his face. He knocked on the door repeatedly.
"Aarshi? Aarshi, what happened?"
Through her painful cries, she managed to whisper, "Please… call Momo…"
Without wasting another second, Ayaan hurried to Momo's room and informed her.
Momo rushed to Aarshi's room and knocked quickly, only to realize the door was unlocked. The moment she stepped inside and saw Aarshi writhing in pain on the bed, her expression changed completely.
She immediately brought warm water for her to drink and instructed Ayaan to bring a hot water bag as quickly as possible.
Ayaan returned within moments.
Aarshi's entire body was drenched in sweat, her cheeks flushed red from crying, and tears continued falling endlessly from her eyes.
For the next hour, Momo stayed beside her, taking care of her patiently while Ayaan waited quietly in the hall.
Eventually, the warmth eased the pain little by little. Exhausted after suffering for so long, Aarshi finally drifted into sleep.
Only after making sure she was comfortable did Momo and Ayaan return to their own rooms.
The next morning, Aarshi woke up unusually late, around ten o'clock.
Still dressed in her pajamas, she walked into the hall where Momo was already waiting for her.
The very first thing Momo asked was, "Are you feeling better now?"
Aarshi nodded softly.
Ayaan was there too.
"I'm taking leave for two days because of you," Momo declared.
Aarshi blinked in surprise. "Why for me?"
"Because you're fragile like flower petals," Momo said dramatically. "So I need to take care of you for the next two days."
At the same moment, Ayaan silently handed Aarshi a cup of warm water.
Taking it from him, she sighed. "There's no need for you to skip work because of me. I'm not as sensitive as you think. I can take care of myself."
"Oh really?" Ayaan interrupted dryly. "I saw that very clearly last night."
Aarshi shot him an annoyed glare, but he said nothing more.
Momo smiled gently. "Relax. I'm working from home anyway, so it's not a problem."
Aarshi looked down guiltily. "I'll feel bad if you waste your time taking care of me."
"I'm not wasting my time on you," Momo replied immediately. "You're just as important to me as Ayaan. Like my little sister."
Then she turned toward Ayaan with narrowed eyes. "Am I right?"
Ayaan scoffed dramatically. "Sister? My foot. She doesn't deserve to be called my sister."
And with that, he walked away toward his room while Momo laughed mischievously because she already knew her brother's feelings for Aarshi were far from brotherly.
After freshening up, Aarshi returned to the dining table only to find a breakfast filled entirely with healthy food.
She stared at it suspiciously. "Why am I being treated like a patient?"
"You're being treated like a teenager who needs healthy food," Momo corrected.
"Please no…" Aarshi groaned dramatically.
Ayaan leaned against the chair and asked lazily, "Then what do you want to eat?"
A mischievous smile appeared on Aarshi's face. "Something sweet… and super spicy. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water."
"So drink that warm water and satisfy your cravings," Ayaan replied mercilessly.
"I hate you," Aarshi muttered before starting her breakfast.
Later, she lay comfortably on the sofa watching television when Ayaan came again with another glass of warm water.
She sat up and accepted it reluctantly.
"Stop taking care of me like this," she complained while sipping the water. "I feel spoiled here."
"You already are," Ayaan answered casually.
Aarshi sighed softly. "That's exactly why I feel bad. Who's going to care for me like this in boarding school? I don't want to get used to this kind of care."
Ayaan gently tapped her head. "You think too much. If your logic were right, then people shouldn't even make friends because eventually they'll have to part ways too."
Aarshi became quiet for a moment before whispering, "That's true… and I'm scared of that too."
"You fool," Ayaan muttered softly. "Instead of worrying about the future, just enjoy our care while you can."
A faint smile appeared on Aarshi's lips. "That's an honor for me."
Then she added quietly, "I know I'm going to miss you after the vacation. Even if you don't care about me, I'll always remember you as someone I could trust."
"Not me?" Momo interrupted dramatically from behind them.
Aarshi turned around and saw Momo standing there, clearly listening to their conversation.
"Why would I miss you?" Aarshi replied proudly. "You'll meet me frequently anyway."
Momo raised an eyebrow. "And how exactly do you know that?"
"I just know," Aarshi answered confidently. "We'll definitely keep meeting."
Momo narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Your brother told you this, didn't he?"
"No matter who said it," Aarshi replied smugly, "it's going to come true."
Ayaan sighed dramatically. "It sounds like both of you are fighting over who will miss whom more."
Simultaneously, both girls snapped, "None of your business."
Ayaan stood up in annoyance and returned to his room while the two girls burst into laughter and continued chatting happily.
When Ayaan looked back at them from the stairs, both of them were laughing together like they had known each other forever.
He sighed internally.
It's better to stay away from both of them.
Meanwhile, Aarshi and Momo had started making fun of Jihan together. Aarshi narrated several embarrassing stories about him, and Momo laughed so hard she nearly cried listening to them.
Later that evening, when Ayaan returned to the hall, he found Aarshi lying comfortably with her head resting on Momo's lap while the two talked endlessly.
He quietly chose not to interrupt them.
That night, dinner felt unusually warm and joyful. Everyone sat together laughing and talking happily.
Ayaan smirked. "I seriously thought you two were going to fight this afternoon."
"Oh please," Momo replied dramatically. "I was just curious about how she found out my plans."
Ayaan turned toward Aarshi in surprise. "So you'll actually meet her often?"
"Not often," Aarshi corrected proudly. "Frequently."
Ayaan looked offended. "How rude. You meet me only twice a year during vacations."
"No problem," Aarshi teased. "Next time I'll meet you along with Momo occasionally."
"No need for that," Ayaan muttered.
"Oh yes there is," Aarshi argued proudly. "Otherwise one day you'll be asking me for my autograph when I become a famous badminton athlete."
Ayaan smirked mockingly. "Really? I saw your skills that day."
Aarshi instantly started arguing with him, and within seconds both of them were fighting noisily again while Momo tried to calm them down.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang.
Momo silenced them and went to open the door.
Outside stood an elderly woman from the neighborhood whose daughter-in-law was pregnant.
"Is something wrong?" Momo asked politely.
"My daughter-in-law is having an emergency," the old woman said anxiously. "No one else is home right now. Can you please help us get to the hospital?"
"Of course," Momo replied immediately.
Without hesitation, she took them in her car and rushed them to the hospital.
Back at home, Ayaan and Aarshi waited for her anxiously. Around ten at night, Momo finally called Ayaan.
"The woman is about to deliver," she explained tiredly. "It might take a long time, and I can't leave the old lady alone."
"You should stay there," Ayaan replied sensibly. "Don't worry about us."
After hanging up, he explained everything to Aarshi.
The two of them sat quietly in the hall together afterward.
To pass time, Ayaan started showing her pictures on his iPad and talked about all his friends.
Aarshi was genuinely shocked.
"How can one friend group have so many ridiculously good-looking people?" she muttered while staring at the photos attentively.
Ayaan laughed and explained stories about each of them one by one.
Eventually, Aarshi began talking about her own friends.
"I only have two close friends," she admitted. "Ishika and Shanaya. Ishika is my best friend… but Shanaya cares more about her boyfriends than friendships."
Ayaan raised an eyebrow. "She got another boyfriend after Aditya?"
Aarshi nodded.
"How many boyfriends has she had in total?" he asked curiously.
"Thirteen."
Ayaan stared at her blankly. "She and Aditya seriously deserve each other."
Aarshi immediately shot him a murderous glare.
"Sorry," he said quickly, though he continued anyway. "But honestly, your friend has a huge collection of exes, yet she's angry at you over one relationship with Aditya? What kind of friend chooses her ex over her own best friend?"
"That's none of your concern," Aarshi replied coldly.
"Okay, okay. You're right."
After a short silence, Aarshi spoke softly again.
"I once had a male best friend too. He was the best friend I ever had… but one day he suddenly changed schools without even telling me. Everything changed after that."
Sadness clouded her eyes.
"Your luck with friendships is terrible," Ayaan remarked.
"I still wonder how friendships can become so messed up," she whispered.
Ayaan looked at her seriously. "It won't be messed up with me."
Aarshi looked at him quietly. "Hope so."
After a while, Ayaan stood up. "I'm going upstairs for some work. Stay here."
Aarshi nodded.
His iPad was still in her hands as she continued scrolling through his photos. In every group picture, her eyes unconsciously searched for Ayaan first.
Suddenly, a call from an unsaved number appeared on the screen.
At first, she ignored it. But when the same number called again, curiosity got the better of her and she answered.
A girl's voice spoke from the other side.
"Hello… is this Ayaan?"
"Yes," Aarshi answered hesitantly.
"And who are you?" the girl asked sharply. "Why are you answering his phone?"
Aarshi frowned slightly. "Wait… are you Mishtha or Natasha?"
"No. I'm Bhavya."
Aarshi froze. She had never heard that name before.
"Where is Ayaan?" the girl asked possessively. "And who exactly are you?"
Just as Aarshi was about to introduce herself, Ayaan walked downstairs.
"Who's on the call?" he asked casually.
Aarshi looked at him blankly. "Who's Bhavya?"
The color drained from Ayaan's face instantly.
Without saying a word, he snatched the iPad from Aarshi's hands, disconnected the call immediately, and walked back upstairs.
The sudden action hurt Aarshi deeply.
She remained sitting silently on the sofa, tears slowly filling her eyes.
A few minutes later, Ayaan returned and found her quietly crying.
Alarm crossed his face instantly.
"Why are you crying now?" he asked worriedly. "Are you hurt somewhere? Are the cramps back?"
But Aarshi said nothing and simply turned her face away from him.
Only then did Ayaan realize how badly his behavior had affected her.
He sat down beside her and spoke in the softest voice she had ever heard from him.
"Listen… that girl is basically your version of Aditya for me. The only difference is that she hasn't dated any of my friends."
Aarshi remained silent.
"You shouldn't have answered that call," he continued quietly. "She's a really messed-up person… and honestly, she's exhausting for me to deal with."