8:34 AM-Paging Old Memories
The fluorescent lights in the hospital corridor matched the condition of Aradhya's current mental state- dull, drained, and barely holding it together.
She stood at the nurse's station, hair tied in a haphazard bun that had somehow defied both gravity and grooming standards. Her brain was half-functioning on a potent cocktail of caffeine and pure frustration and had just finished explaining for the third time to a patient's relative that Google is not a substitute for a medical degree, when her phone buzzed in her pocket.
She glanced at it, expecting another update from the duty schedule group.
But it wasn't that. It was her UG friend Vedant.
"Oye, drama queen, guess who's in your city?" Vedant's voice came through the phone, carrying its usual playful energy.
Aradhya blinked, caught somewhere between shock and surprise- "Vedant Sharma, I swear, if this is a prank, start running and write your will."
His familiar laughter crackled through the line- "Still dramatic as ever, I see. Chill yaar. I'm really here! Me, Riya, Shubham, and Kunal. We had some ortho conference, so we thought....Jaipur trip. And of course, couldn't skip meeting our drama queen."
Aradhya snorted, suddenly wide awake- "Wow. You all seriously came here and your first thought was me? I'm touched. Also mildly suspicious."
"Nothing suspicious, yaar. We all want to meet. It's been, what, a year?" Vedant teased.
"Eighteen months," Aradhya corrected, her voice softening.
"Then it's high time. Be free by 8 tonight? We're thinking dinner at this rooftop place in Vaishali Nagar—Bellisimo."
Aradhya sighed- "I'm on duty." Then, almost immediately, she added, "But I'll get someone to cover. Give me the full list—who all are in?"
"All the people from our extended group. Riya, Shubham, me, We had ortho conference, so we thought....Jaipur trip. And of course, couldn't skip meeting our drama queen."
Her heart filled with something warm and nostalgic. For a moment, the hospital chaos faded into the background.
"I'll be there, "Aradhya promised, already thinking of Mihika. "Wait. Should I bring Mihika along? It would be fun to see Mihika and Shubham fight over olives after such a long time."
Vedant laughed. "Perfect. Let's make it a reunion. Same old vibes."
As she ended the call, Aradhya smiled to herself—the first genuine, no-eye-roll, no-sarcastic- smirk smile of the day.
She texted Mihika-"Cancel your plans. Emergency nostalgia alert. We're going out tonight."
And just like that, the day that began with hospital chaos and eye bags now had something better in store- laughter, old friends, and memories waiting to be relived over rooftop lights and inside jokes.
7:57 PM-Rooftops and Reckonings
The Jaipur night felt unusually calm, almost like the city had slowed down to listen. The rooftop cafe- lit up with fairy lights and soft version of kesariya in background- was buzzing with laughter, clinking glasses, and the unmistakable energy of a long-awaited reunion.
Aradhya walked in with Mihika, both looking good.....like Sushmita Sen from "main hoon na" level good. Both glowing in the kind of way only a break from hospital drama can bring.
Mihika was in a mustard kurti with oxidized jhumkas and her signature smirk.
But it was Aradhya who turned heads. White top tucked into high-waisted denims, a breezy blue shirt thrown over like she couldn't care less, rose gold layered chains grazing her collarbones, and hoops that said I don't have time for nonsense. Her kajal was perfectly smudged, her nude pink lipstick still fresh despite a long day, and those curls? Effortless chaos.
Shubham whistled the moment he saw her. "Damn, Aru! Interns survive your rounds looking like this? ICU ke patients toh thik hone se pehle hi faint ho jaate honge."
Aradhya flipped her hair, rolled her eyes and said -"aapka over exaggeration krke ho jaaye toh bata dena."
Everyone laughed as she and Mihika slid into chairs around the table. Kunal passed them the menus, and Riya was already ordering mocktails for the whole table like she owned the place.
Conversations flowed like old times — chaotic, overlapping, and completely unnecessary.
"Remember when Shubham sent an empty syringe for sampling?"
"Riya, you still editing your selfies like you're applying for a dharma production ?"
"Vedant, you have still not deleted your emo playlist ."
They were loud, they were dramatic, they were home.
But of course, every reunion has that one moment — the mood shift, the deep sigh, the 'okay now this just got serious moment.
It arrived somewhere between bites of cheesy bruschetta and paneer tikka with Riya's very casual, very pointed comment.
"So....Aradhya," she said, stirring her drink slowly, "haven't seen Abhay on your feed lately. Everything okay?"
Aradhya didn't flinch. She sipped her drink and replied in her usual flat tone.
"We're on a break. It's been.....six, almost seven months now. Haven't talked."
And boom- silence.
Shubham tried to keep things light, grinning as he said, "Yaar, honestly, you two were like "the couple." First year se benchmark. Abhay was legit obsessed with you."
Riya jumped in "Obsessed toh understatement hai" lips twitching like she was trying to sound genuine but failed spectacularly. "I mean, the guy skipped his sister's engagement because Aru had an accident. That kind of love doesn't just fade....unless someone really messes up."
The air around the table felt tighter. Mihika shifted slightly in her seat. Aradhya sat straighter, eyes narrowing just a bit- ready with a retort.
But Vedant beat her to it.
His voice was calm, but that extra stillness in it was sharp. "Love like that.....doesn't fade. But it also doesn't fix everything. Sometimes, no matter how much someone says they love you, they end up making you feel like a burden."
Riya blinked. "I didn't mean it like that—"
Vedant cut in smoothly, "I know. But just saying—when someone stops trying to fix what's broken, don't assume the other person was the reason it broke."and also last I checked,none of us are relationship experts.Except Shubham,but only when he's drunk."
Aradhya looked at him- a little surprised,eyes unreadable, but that familiar spark of quiet gratitude flickered beneath. Their eyes met briefly. No words. But the message was clear. He had her back always.
Shubham chuckled nervously. "Okay wow, Vedant going all philosophical. Kunal, record this. We'll use it in his shaadi speech."
Mihika leaned in and changed the topic with expert best-friends instincts. "Okay but why is this paneer tikka better than anything we've eaten in the last month? I want to marry this chef."
As the conversation picked up again, she leaned over to Aradhya and whispered, "I swear, one more passive-aggressive dig and I'm throwing this drink on her face."
Aradhya bit back a laugh.
But then Mihika's phone buzzed. She glanced at it and made a face.
"Ugh. Guys, I have to leave. One of the juniors in emergency royally screwed up a drip line and Dr Rao ka fuse ud gya."
Aradhya groaned. "Of course. Duty calls. Typical Mihika behavior."
Mihika stood up, hugged her tight. "Call me if you need me to throw that drink,or Shubham cries."
Shubham: "I cried last time because my zomato order got cancelled and I was hungry."
Everyone laughed. Mihika air-kissed them and left like the confident disaster-saver she was.
The group eventually moved to dessert, and the vibe eased back into lighter banter. Riya was FaceTiming some mutual friend, showing off the table. Shubham was sharing some funny story with Kunal. Chaos, but cute chaos.
Vedant leaned closer to Aradhya who was sitting with a blank face with slowly stirring her drink and nudged her arm. "Wanna leave?"
She looked up at him and sighed. "More than anything. Before I emotionally strangle someone with a napkin."
He stood up, offered his hand like SRK in a 90s film. "Chahiye madam."
Aradhya rolled her eyes but stood anyway. "You're lucky I'm too tired to be mean."
The night had cooled down, the city was half asleep, but the roads were still humming. Streets stretched into golden lines ahead,and the breeze coming from half open windows messed up Aradhya's already wild curls even more.
He was driving slowly through the quieter roads, music low, just the way Aradhya liked it after a socially exhausting night.
Aradhya leaned back in the seat, her curls now slightly wild from the breeze, kajal still intact (a miracle), and nude pink lipstick smudged just right- not too neat, not too careless.
"I swear I forgot how good Jaipur feels at night,"Aradhya said,leaning her head against the window, "like thoda dust, thoda petrol aur thoda nostalgia."
She stretched her legs and yawned dramatically. "Yeh doston ka reunion tha ya emotional damage express ka pit stop?"
Vedant laughed, glancing at her. "You started the trauma dump with 'we're on a break'. Kya expect kar rahi thi? Ki sab slow clap karenge?"
"Excuse me," she turned to him, hand dramatically on chest, "I was answering a question. Mujhe kya pata tha ki Riya 'Koffee with Karan' mode mein chali jaayegi. 'So tell me Aradhya, why did your perfect relationship crash and burn?'"
Vedant grinned. "Honestly, I was waiting for someone to pull out cue cards."
Aradhya made a face. "Aur Shubham ka toh mujhe chappal maarna chahiye. 'Abhay was so in love, he skipped his sister's engagement'. Like bhai, you want a medal or a therapy session?"
They both burst out laughing.
He turned the volume up slightly. "Phir Le Aaya Dil..." started playing.
She snorted. "Wah, ab yeh bajaake mujhe senti bhi karna hai kya?"
Vedant glanced at her, a mock-serious expression on his face- "Emotional playlist hai yeh. Reserved for existential drives and break-up recoveries. Don't disrespect."
She smiled, but quietly. Then looked out the window.
"Kya main villain thi, Vedant?" Her voice softened.
His grip on the steering tightened, just slightly.
"Arrey pagli," he replied instantly, "Tu toh main character hai. Villain toh system hai. Or maybe Abhay's ego."
She turned to him, one eyebrow raised. "Subtle. Very subtle."
He chuckled. "Okay, listen. Main tujhe kabhi one-sided version sunake judge karne waalon mein se nahi hoon. But I was there, Aru. I saw you bending over backwards, Studies and ward duties ke beech mein uska birthday plan karna, then cancelling your own plans because uska mood kharaab tha."
"Uska mood kaafi permanent hi kharaab tha end tak," she said bitterly.
Vedant glanced at her. "You're not hard to love, Aradhya. You're just hard to handle for people who want a convenient version of love."
That shut her up for a second.
Then she mumbled, "Yeh line kisi reel mein suna tha kya?"
"Tu serious moment me bhi majaak dhundti hai?" he laughed. "Mujhe award milna chahiye tujhe emotionally support karne ke liye. Lifetime achievement."
She leaned her head back against the seat. "You are my emotional support idiot."
"Best title ever," he grinned.
The car stopped at a red light. For a moment, the city fell quiet around them.
Aradhya turned slightly toward him. "Vedant..."
He looked at her.
"I don't say it often, but.....you've always had my back. Mujhe pata hai main kabhi kabhi over the top ho jaati hoon — dramatic, cranky, emotionally constipated..."
"And full-time nautanki," he added.
Aradhya rolled her eyes. "But tum ho. Hamesha. Like, I can throw tantrums, cry over intern ke WhatsApp spelling mistakes, rant about Dr. Sharma... aur tum bas sunte ho."
He turned to her now, expression softer than usual.
"Because you deserve that. Someone who listens without making you feel like you're too much."
She held his gaze for a moment longer than she meant to. But then quickly looked away and said, "Tu hero banne ki koshish mat kar. Mujhe pata hai tu secretly mujhe leke possessive hai."
He laughed but didn't deny it.
Just said, "usme secret kya h, bestfriend h tu meri."
Another moment passed.
Aradhya sighed, then looked out again and spoke absentmindedly-"Tujhe yaad h jb 1st year k end mein, when you told me.......?
Vedant glanced at her. He didn't need clarification, he asked- "when I told you I liked you."
Aradhya- "Yeah." She looked at him with serious face, no smile and said, "sometimes I think.......maybe I should've just said yes."
Vedant didn't answer right away. Then he smiled a little, -if you would asked me this sometime ago I would have agreed but in the long run I would say, No, you did the right thing. Kyuki agar tu Ha Bol deti toh shayad hum aaj yaha saath nhi hote."
Aradhya didn't speak. She waited.
Vedant continued, voice calm but honest. "Tu pyaar me bohot selfless ho jati h,hr choti baat ko overthink krti h, jinse pyaar krti h unke like ekdum he selfless ho jati h and main.....main pyaar me protective borderline possessive ho jata hu. It was a receipe of disaster waiting to happen, we would've definitely messed it up,and I would have lost the best thing happened to me in college.
He looked at her for a second. "Bura laga tha, obviously. Tu keh ke gayi thi ki 'you're my best friend, Vedant. I can't lose that.' And mujhe laga tha ki woh line sirf movies mein hoti hai jab ladki politely reject karti hai."
Aradhya winced. "Oof. I hate that line even when I said it."
"But," Vedant added, smiling now, "turns out you were right. Tujhe mujhse pyaar nhi hua and mujhe tujhse ho gya,ismein kisi ki glti nhi thi bs situation kharab thi and you still handled me,stood by me even when I was crying or even when I was cursing you. And now? We're here. Still best friends. Still driving around at midnight like we own the city."
Aradhya was quiet. Then, softly, "And you're really......okay with that?"
He shrugged. "I've made peace with the friendzone, and this whole apart, you as a friend matter to me a lot Aru and I can't lose that and vaise bhi mujhe platinum membership mil gaya hai. Free emotional support, unlimited sarcasm, and occasional tight hugs."
She burst out laughing.
"And free therapy too," she added.
"That's charged extra," he winked.
Another long pause.
"Bohot sad baatein ho gyi. Tujhe yaad h jb hum log fresher's mein stage k peeche vodka wali water bottle le kr chale gye the?" Vedant asked, a hint of nostalgia in his voice.
Aradhya choked on her maaja- "AND YOU GAVE IT TO THAT OTHER GUY THINKING IT WAS ACTUAL WATER." and burst out laughing.
Vedant clutched his stomach, laughing- "Aur uske baad wo auditorium k beech mein 'DJ wale babu' pe solo krne lg gya tha."
Then Vedanta's phone buzzed. He glanced at it and said- Vaise we can re-live these moments, college attached to my PG hospital is hosting cultural fest, DJ night, open mic, food stalls and apparently someone's also doing a parody of Grey's anatomy. I think you and Mihika should come."
Aradhya looked up, eyes lighting up- "Wait, college fest? Like, 'student's-actually-having-fun type fest' and also imagine if they reenact Derek's death, Maine toh rooo Dena h."
Vedant said dramatically, "Yes, actual fest with lots of dancing, music, happiness and zero medical anxiety."
"Now you are totally flexing, okayy." Aradhya rolled her eyes playfully.
"Bro I am inviting you- 'OG trio-tu, main aur Mihika.' Come na. We will pretend we're still 20 and life hasn't crushed our souls." Vedant added.
Aradhya tilted her head. "Hmm... tempting. I haven't danced in public since final year viva crushed my self-confidence but I'm only coming if Mihika does my eyeliner."
Vedant clapped his hands like a child. "Yes, it's final then."
"Speaking of Mihika......man, she's the only one among us thriving in the love department," Vedant continued.
Aradhya smiled. "Seriously. Like imagine being in a healthy relationship AND having clear skin. Couldn't be me."
"Ritvik is actually a good guy though. Never thought our chirpy, 'fries-before-guys' Mihika would settle down and that too with a non-medico." Vedant remarked.
"Right? He knows nothing about this field, still handled her better than any of us handled our own feelings." Aradhya shook her head.
"And the way he loves her, man. Like actually loves her. It's in the small things... the way he talks about her when she's not around." Vedant said softly.
"That's rare, na? I think what's even better is that she feels safe with him. Mihika used to be all jokes and walls... now she's all jokes and emotional stability." Aradhya said, a fond smile tugging at her lips.
"You're telling me. Remember when she used to say 'men are the red flags printed on white paper'?" Vedant chuckled.
"And now she's out here planning skincare dates and Sunday brunches." Aradhya laughed.
"Lowkey jealous." said Vedant.
"Highkey same." countered Aradhya.
Vedant stayed quiet for a moment, then softly said, "We'll get there someday too. Maybe slower. Maybe messier. But we will."
"Hopefully without needing therapy in between." Aradhya replied.
"You'll be fine. You're......you. Tough, dramatic, overthinking, but weirdly strong." Vedant reassured.
"You really think so?" Aradhya's voice was soft, almost tentative.
"I know so."said Vedant
- 3k words.
-End of chapter. Extremely lengthy ho gaya.
-How was it.
-what do you think of Aradhya and Vedant's friendship.
-What was your reaction on their reunion
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