Aradhya

It was five o'clock in the evening, and it was raining outside- soft and steady, the kind of rain that arrived without urgency and lingered long enough to change the mood of everyone. A cool breeze slipped in through half-open windows, carrying with it the faint, earthy smell of wet soil. The sky was washed in layers of grey, heavy clouds stretching endlessly, muting the sunlight into a pale glow that barely reached the ground.

Everything seemed to move at half its usual pace. Time itself appeared to soften, stretching gently between moments, inviting pause rather than rush. It was the kind of evening that made people linger by windows, have warm cups in their hands, and let their thoughts wander without direction- an unspoken permission to slow down, if only for a while.

(basically soft music chala kr window k pass baith k chai peene ka mausam ho raha tha and no aradhya is not a chai person she is a certified coffer lover to the level that she can't survive a single day without her coffee but baarish k Mausam ka feel toh chai k saath he aata h wo alag baath h ki aradhya ko aaj tak chai ka taste samajh nhi aaya , uske liye chai is garam dhood with cheeni but kuch cheeze sirf feel k liye ki jati h.)

((It was basically the kind of weather where you play soft music, sit by the window, and sip tea. And no, Aradhya is not a tea person- she's a certified coffee lover, to the extent that she can't survive a single day without it. But the vibe of rainy weather just hits different with tea. It's another thing that Aradhya has never really understood the taste of tea- to her, it's just hot milk with sugar. But some things are done purely for the feel, not the flavor))

Ironically, instead of romanticising the rain, Aradhya was sitting near a window in the doctor's room of a government hospital, staring at a mountain of files, contemplating her life choices.

More specifically- questioning her sixteen-year-old self.

Kaun sa genius decision tha yeh?.......Doctor banna. Wah.

Because of that overly ambitious, slightly delusional teenager who thought passion alone could conquer exhaustion, Aradhya was now a first-year PG, completing documentation for the entire day's work- because that's what first-year PGs mostly do.

They don't save lives.

They save files.

Endless files.

Files that smelled faintly of dust and disinfectant, filled with handwriting that made no sense even to the people who wrote it. Files that demanded signatures, dates, stamps, and patience- lots of patience.

This wasn't the heroic version of medicine sixteen-year-old Aradhya had imagined. There were no dramatic diagnoses, no slow-motion moments of triumph. Just fluorescent lights, tired eyes, and paperwork that never seemed to end. Somewhere between ticking boxes and correcting medicine dose, she wondered when exactly this had become her life.

And yet- despite the sarcasm, the frustration, the very real urge to time-travel and shake some sense into her younger self- she kept writing. Because complaining was allowed. Regretting was optional. But quitting?...........That had never really been an option.

Her pen moved mechanically across the paper, line after line, as her mind slowly drifted away from the present.

The last year returned to her in fragments— endless exams that blurred into one another, panic-filled nights where sleep felt like a luxury she couldn't afford.Routines where she cried silently with cold water splashed on her face, reminding herself to breathe, to hold it together just a little longer.

A year measured not in days, but in anxiety.

Every morning she woke up with a tightness in her chest, her first thought not good morning but what if I don't make it? Notes scattered across her bed, her table, her wall- colour-coded, underlined, rewritten until the pages felt heavier than her hands. Coffee that went cold because her stomach was too knotted to drink it. Mock tests that decided her mood for entire month. Rankings that haunted her even in sleep.

Some days she studied for hours and still felt it wasn't enough. Other days, anxiety paralysed her so completely that even opening a book felt like a battle she was already losing. She smiled through family calls, said haan, theek chal raha hai, while silently wondering if she was falling behind everyone else. Every night ended the same way- with exhaustion, self-doubt, and a quiet promise to do better tomorrow.

There were moments when she questioned everything. When the fear of failure felt louder than her dreams. When she wondered if she had chosen a path that required more strength than she actually possessed.

And now.......Here she was.

In a government hospital.

In a doctor's room.

With her name printed on an ID card she was still getting used to wearing.

Exhausted, yes.

Overworked, definitely.

Running on coffee, habit, and sheer will.

But here.

Her eyes drifted to the rain-streaked glass of window, the outside world blurred into soft greys and motion. For a moment, she let herself pause.

Maybe- all those anxious mornings, sleepless nights, and silent breakdowns had led her here.

A place where all the fear had finally turned into something real.

Her phone rang at a distance, snapping her out of the spiral.

She frowned, checking the screen.

Swara Boss.

(boss is a term used by juniors for their seniors in many Indian medical colleges)

She picked up the call.

"Aradhya, are you done with file work?"

"Almost done," she replied.

"Okay. There's not much work left in the hospital right now. You can leave. Vaise bhi tum kal raat se yahin ho."

(( you've been here since last night anyway."))

Aradhya's shoulders sagged in instant relief.

"Thank you, boss! You just saved my life. I am so dead on my feet right now. Thodi der aur rukti toh mere liye hi bed lagana padta," she sighed dramatically.

(( "If I'd stayed a little longer, you'd have had to arrange a bed for me."))

Swara chuckled. "I can understand, sabki yahi haalat rehti hai PG first year mein. It's ok, you will get habitual for this hectic life in some days. Abhi toh it's just been a week tumhe join kiye huye. Chalo bye, tum niklo. I am getting late for rounds."

((everyone goes through the same phase in their first year of PG.))

(( It's only been a week since you joined anyway. Alright bye, I'll get going now, I'm late for rounds.))

"Bye, boss," Aradhya said with relief.

.

.

.

.

.

By the time Aradhya reached her flat, the rain had slowed into a soft drizzle, the kind that barely made a sound when it touched the ground. For a brief moment, she paused near the balcony door, fingers resting on the handle, tempted to step outside and let the cool breeze brush against her tired face.

Baad mein, she decided after a second. Sleep was the bigger priority right now.

(( Later))

Her body ached in that familiar, dull way- stiff shoulders , sore hands and legs, eyelids heavy with sleep.

She dropped her stuff by the door without a second thought and headed straight for the bathroom.

The warm water cascaded over her, slowly washing away the smell of antiseptic, the echo of hospital corridors, and the weight of the day that seemed to cling to her skin. She stood there longer than necessary, eyes closed, letting the steam quiet her thoughts.

Once dressed, she padded into the kitchen, moving on autopilot, grabbed some fruit-  just enough to keep hunger from disturbing her sleep.

Because after a day like this she wants to sleep like a log...... seedha subah uthegi.

(( "Now I'll wake up straight in the morning."))

.

.

.

.

.

The flat was quiet, wrapped in that peaceful post-rain stillness.

Somewhere outside, a lone vehicle passed by, its sound muffled by wet roads.

Aradhya switched off the lights one by one, the fatigue finally catching up to her.

As she slid into bed, the mattress welcomed her like an old friend.

Just as she settled into bed, pulling the blanket up to her chin, her phone buzzed again.

Mumma.

She smiled automatically and answered.

"Beta, pahunch gayi?" her mother's voice came instantly- warm, familiar, carrying that quiet worry only a mother can manage even through a phone call.

(( Beta, you reached? ))

"Haan, mumma. Abhi bas sone ja rahi thi," Aradhya replied, her voice already softer than it had been all day.

(("Yes, mumma. I was just about to sleep."))

"Safely pahunchi na?"

"Auto mein zyada der toh nahi lagi?, Metro se jaaya kr na time bachega."

"Room lock kiya hai na theek se?"

(("Did you reach safely?

It didn't take too long by auto, right? Try using the metro next time."

"You've locked the room properly, haven't you?"))

Aradhya smiled, rolling onto her side, staring at the faint shadow of rain sliding down the window.

"Haan maa, sab theek hai. Metro ka schedule samjhana padega na pehle. Lock bhi kiya hai. Aur area bhi safe hai.......itna tension mt lo aap, thik hu main"

(("Yes, Maa, everything's fine. I'll need to understand the metro schedule first. I've locked the room, and the area is safe too.........don't stress this much, I am fine"))

"Adjust ho gyi wahan?" her mother asked next, carefully, like she didn't want to show her worry and overwhelm her.

"Khana time pe kha rahi hai ya phir wahi hospital ke chakkar mein bhool jaati hai?"

((Have you adjusted there?" ))

(("Are you eating on time, or do you end up forgetting because of all the hospital rounds?"))

"Haan maa, sab manage ho raha hai," Aradhya said patiently. "Thoda hectic hai, obviously, but manageable. Aur Mihika hai na- same hospital, bas department he toh alag h. Reh bhi saath he  rahe hain."

(("Yes, Maa, I'm managing everything," Aradhya said patiently. "It's a little hectic, obviously, but manageable. And Mihika is here too- same hospital, just a different department. We're living together as well."))

There was a pause on the other end, like her mother was mentally ticking off worries.

"Achha hai," she finally said. " Kam se kam sheher mein akeli toh nahi h, Kisi apne ka hona bohot farq padta hai."

(( "That's good," she finally said. "At least you're not alone in the city. Having someone you know makes a big difference."))

Before Aradhya could reply, another voice jumped into the call.

"Doctor sahiba," her brother teased, unmistakably smug.

"Ho gayi settle ya abhi bhi suitcase hi unpack nahi hua?"

(("Have you settled, or is your suitcase still not unpacked?"))

Aradhya rolled her eyes even though he couldn't see it. "Kuch bhi," she scoffed. "Suitcase unpack ho chuka hai. Emotional unpacking chal rahi hai bs."

((Excuse me, "The suitcase is unpacked. It's the emotional unpacking that's still going on." ))

Her brother laughed.

Acha on a serious note- ghar ko miss rahi hai?"

("On a serious note- are you missing home?"))

She paused for half a second. "Thoda," she admitted honestly. "But kaam itna hai ki kuch yaad  karne ka time hi nahi milta."

(Little bit, But there's so much work that I don't even get the time to remember anything " ))

"Bas wahi toh," her mother said softly. "Kaam mein mat kho jaana. Apna bhi dhyaan rakhna."

(That's exactly it- "Don't lose yourself in work. Take care of yourself too." ))

"Haan maa," Aradhya replied, her voice dropping another notch. "Koshish kar rahi hoon."

(("I'm trying."))

"Khaana skip mat karna," her mother added quickly, Aur coffee zyada mat peena—"

(( "Don't skip your meals, And don't drink too much coffee—"))

"Maa," Aradhya groaned, smiling. "Ye toh aap sb impossible wale kaam krne ko bol rahe ho."

(("All this is  impossible."))

Both her mother and brother laughed.

"Achha, theek hai," her mother said gently. "Ab so ja. Kal phir subah jaldi uthna hoga."

((" ok, fine, "Go to sleep now. You'll have to wake up early again tomorrow."))

"Ha maa," Aradhya said softly. "Good night."

"Good night, beta."

"Good night, doctor sahiba," her brother added.

The call ended, and the room fell quiet again.

Aradhya stared at the ceiling, listening to the rain outside, her phone resting warm in her hand.

The exhaustion was still there- heavy, bone-deep but now it felt.....lighter.

Bearable.

Maybe because no matter how new the city was, how long the shifts were, or how scary the unknown felt- there were voices on the other end of the phone that would always feel like home.

-2.3k words

-Done with the first chapter.

-Please give feedback what you people liked and what needs to be improved.

-Also what's your opinion about aradhya till now.

-Story would be written in Hinglish only, English translation is given under paragraphs in which conversation is in Hindi.