2

Cabin 203 stood quiet at the end of the corridor. The frosted glass door bore a gold-plated name:

Dr. Ishan Kashyap (M.Ch., Neurosurgery)

Consultant Surgeon, Kashyap Lifecare Institute Hospital

Pranvi took a deep breath outside the door. Her palms were damp despite the air conditioning. She adjusted her white coat the only thing she wore above her regular clothes now, her OT scrubs replaced, her stethoscope gently looped around her neck. She reached out and knocked lightly.

"Come in," came the voice, familiar now, but still sending a strange jolt through her every nerve.

She opened the door and stepped in.

There he sat Dr. Ishan Kashyap, behind a sleek mahogany desk, no mask, no cap this time, just the full view of the face she never thought she'd see again like this.

The sun cut through the blinds, lighting one half of his face as he studied some patient files, brows furrowed in thought.

Pranvi stood silent for a second, her hand frozen at the edge of her coat pocket.

"Sir..." she said finally, her voice carefully neutral.

Ishan didn't look up right away. "Come, sit there," he said, pointing to the chair opposite him while still reading a file.

But the moment he glanced up to speak further, his eyes landed on her properly and the air between them changed.

He blinked. "Wait..." His eyes widened slightly. "Ye toh..."

"Ye toh sach mein... Ishan hai," Pranvi muttered, barely audible but the words still slipped out.

He stood up a little, almost leaning forward.

"Pranvi...?" he said, disbelief flickering in his eyes.

She gave a small, stunned smile, still standing. "Yeah... it's me."

There was a pause. Long enough to feel a million things. Too short to say any of them.

He stepped back and laughed under his breath. "What a surprise... So, you're P. Singh?"

She gave a tiny nod. "And you're... Dr. Kashyap." She let the words settle, her tone half-playful, half-stunned.

He smiled, but it faded quickly as he composed himself again, putting on his professional tone.

"Alright. Let's first get back to work mode. We'll go through today's cases, your shift schedule, and upcoming OT assignments," he said, tapping the file in front of him. "And... after your rounds, maybe four hours from now let's have a coffee? We'll catch up properly. I wasn't expecting this..." He trailed off, still clearly surprised.

"Me neither," she said, finally sitting down. "It's... a strange kind of full circle."

The next twenty minutes went on in what could be called semi-normal fashion. They discussed three critical patient files, one scheduled surgery, and hospital protocols.

He explained her daily OT duties, her timings, her responsibility regarding post-op care, and where the case reports should be submitted.

Their tone was mostly professional, but every now and then, a stolen glance or soft smile passed between them, silent acknowledgments of a shared history neither had spoken aloud yet.

Ishan tapped his pen on the table.

"With your technique today, you have steady hands. Good instincts too."

"Thank you, sir," she said, biting back a smile.

"'Sir' ajeeb lag raha hai " he chuckled. "But fine. We're here to work."

"Exactly." She smirked. "Let's keep our past for the coffee table, not the operating one."

He raised an eyebrow, clearly amused.

As they wrapped up, he handed her a slip. "Take a round of Ward B now. Observe the patients, especially Room 118. I'll see your notes later."

She stood, collected the slip, and nodded. "Yes, surgeon"

Before leaving, she paused at the door, turned to look at him once again.

He had already gone back to his files, but his lips were curled slightly like he was smiling at something unspoken.

She left quietly, her footsteps light, head buzzing.

As she walked down the corridor, she couldn't help the racing of her heart.

She had come to Jaipur expecting a new life, a fresh chapter.

She didn't know the past would walk right into her first page.

It was 3:40 p.m. The hospital cafeteria buzzed with life, filled with the subtle clinking of cutlery, murmurs of conversation, and the occasional sound of pagers going off in the distance. It was lunchtime, some doctors and surgeons rushed in for a quick bite between surgeries, while others lingered with half-eaten meals and tired eyes, discussing patient reports or the latest gossip.

In a corner, near a large glass window that let in the soft golden afternoon light, Ishan sat alone at a small table. The table had a clear view of the hospital garden outside, where a few interns could be seen relaxing under the shade of trees. His white coat was neatly folded on the chair beside him, and his stethoscope peeked out from his sling bag. He was scrolling through a few MRI scans and case summaries of a critical brain tumor patient on his phone, his eyebrows slightly furrowed in concentration. Occasionally, he took sips from his lukewarm coffee.

Two nurses on the next table giggled over something on one of their phones apparently, a staff member's wedding invitation had just gone viral in their department WhatsApp group.

Suddenly, a familiar voice broke through the background noise.

"Hey..."

Ishan looked up to see Pranvi standing behind the chair opposite him, a soft smile on her face. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun, and a few strands had escaped, framing her slightly flushed face from walking across the building.

He smiled immediately, that calm, warm smile she remembered.

"Hi," he said, shifting his phone aside. "Sit," he added, gesturing toward the chair.

She pulled it slightly and sat down, adjusting the ID card hanging around her neck.

"So, how was your day till now?" he asked, leaning slightly forward, interested.

"Good," she replied gently, tucking a loose strand behind her ear.

"Nice," he said, nodding. A short pause passed between them before he leaned back slightly, a hint of amusement on his face.

"Toh... you're a neurologist, haan? You never mentioned that on the trip," he said with a mock accusing look.

"Yeah... I guess it wasn't needed then. Besides, I'm still surprised to see you here," she said, looking around. "Can't believe I'm your assistant now."

A quick thought crossed her mind, and she couldn't help but silently say to herself: "Main toh itni khush hoon, aisa kaun sa punya kar liya maine?"

He noticed her smile lingering a bit longer than usual and raised an eyebrow slightly, curious.

"Hmm," he said with a small chuckle. "Fate, I guess."

"And how's everyone else? Vani, Swara, the whole gang?" he asked, stirring his coffee slowly.

"They're good," she said. "Even Vani is here in Jaipur, she got a job too. Cardiologist. But in another hospital."

"Really? That's great!" he said, genuinely happy. "Looks like Jaipur just turned into a reunion city."

"There should be a party for this!" he added, grinning.

"Yeah, of course whenever you want," she replied, sipping water from her bottle.

"Today?" he asked without missing a beat. "After the hospital shift?"

She looked at him for a moment, surprised but amused. "Hmm... okay," she said with a small nod, a slight blush forming on her cheeks.

There was a tiny moment of quiet.

"I honestly thought we'd never meet again," she said casually, glancing out the window.

He caught that. His lips curled slightly as he leaned a little closer across the table, lowering his voice in that same teasing tone she remembered from the trip.

"You wanted to meet me again?"

She froze for a second. Her throat suddenly dried. Words refused to come out. A soft panic settled in as her eyes darted around like she was looking for an escape route.

"A-a... I mean sabko... sabse milne ki baat kar rahi thi main!" she said quickly, waving her hands slightly, trying to cover her flushed cheeks.

He burst into soft laughter, clearly amused by her reaction. "Oh... okay," he said, nodding with an exaggerated serious look while biting back his grin.

She narrowed her eyes at him, "You still tease like before, Ishan."

"Only when I enjoy the reaction," he said, winking.

She rolled her eyes but couldn't help the smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

The cafeteria continued to buzz around them, but for the next few minutes, everything else faded into the background. The strange comfort between them, that familiar ease, was back , just like it had never left.

The street was relatively quiet, lit dimly by a few flickering street lamps. A soft breeze rustled the leaves of a nearby neem tree. Just then,

BEEEEEP. BEEEEP. BEEP-BEEP.

The blaring sound of a car horn shattered the silence.

"Kaun hai ye... itni awaaz kar raha hai ghar ke saamne!" Vani shouted from inside the house, clearly annoyed as she rushed toward the balcony.

She opened the sliding glass door, her brows furrowed and her face crumpled in irritation, ready to give someone a solid scolding. But as her eyes fell on the figure below, her expression shifted instantly.

Ishan stood there, casually leaning against the driver's side of his black Honda City, one hand in his pocket, the other casually waving up at her with a sheepish grin on his face.

Vani blinked, stunned. Her frown disappeared like it had never existed.

"Oh..." she mumbled, then raised her hand and smiled. "Hi!"

"Pranvi! Uth jaldi! Ishan aaya hai bahar!" Vani shouted, marching into their room.

"Mmm... thodi der sone de yaar, please..." Pranvi grumbled groggily, turning away and burying her face under the pillow.

"Pagal hai kya? Ishan neeche khada hai!" Vani yanked the pillow away, smacking her lightly with it.

Pranvi sat up instantly, eyes wide. "Ish...Ishan?!" She rubbed her eyes, then gasped. "Kitna baj gaya?!"

"8:30."

"Aaaaahh!" Pranvi jumped off the bed in a panic. "How could I forget he said we'll have dinner together as a celebration...!"

Vani folded her arms. "Kis baat ka celebration? Aur pehle ye bata, ye Ishan Jaipur mein kya kar raha hai?"

"Vo... he's the one I'm assisting!" Pranvi said, still searching for her slippers. "Remember I told you about Dr. Kashyap? That's him! Ishan Kashyap! Can you believe it?"

Vani raised her eyebrows. "Acha..." she started to say something, but Pranvi cut her off mid-thought.

"Baaki sab baad mein bataungi! Pehle tu use andar bula, main muh dho ke aati hoon!" she shouted, already halfway to the bathroom.

"Haan haan, jaa! Lagta hai ladki ladne jaa rahi hai, dho le muh!" Vani said, rolling her eyes dramatically.

Pranvi tossed her a mock glare before disappearing into the washroom.

Vani walked down and opened the front gate.

"Ishan, andar aa jao na! Kya kar rahe ho gaadi mein wait karke?" she called.

He looked up from his phone, smiled, and shook his head. "No no, I'm fine here. Just sitting."

"Come inside , at least have a glass of water."

"It's okay, really. I'll wait here."

"You sure?"

"Yeah." he said with a soft, patient smile, folding his arms.

Vani shrugged and turned back toward the house .

The room now looked like a mini fashion explosion. Clothes were everywhere on the bed, chair, floor, even hanging halfway out of her open suitcase.

"Yeh... nahi nahi, acha nahi lag raha." Pranvi muttered, holding up a kurti and throwing it aside.

"Yeh bhi nahi..."

"Yeh toh hai hi bekaar..."

"Ughhh! Kya pehnu?! Kya mere paas ek bhi dhang ka kapda nahi hai?!" she yelled in frustration, flopping on the bed for a second before springing up again.

Vani leaned against the doorframe, watching this chaos unfold. "Tune kya dukan khol ke rakhi hai? Date pe thodi ja rahi hai!"

"Ha, but still... saare ajeeb se lag rahe hain!" Pranvi whined.

"Acha kal tak toh yeh kapde tujhe apsara se kam nahi lag rahe the. Ab kya ho gaya?" Vani teased.

"Late ho raha hai. Chal, tu apni woh pink wali gown de de mujhe, please!"

Vani laughed. "Kyu, sagai karne jaa rahi hai kya? Gown mein dinner karegi?"

"Chup! Chal na, kuch toh stylish de de."

Vani finally picked a yellow t-shirt and blue jeans from the pile. "Yeh pehen le. Simple, cute, comfortable. Aur tujhme toh charm waise bhi bhara pada hai."

Pranvi rolled her eyes but took the clothes, muttering, "Haan haan, tu toh fashion queen hai."

They both stepped out of the house, now dressed and ready. Vani locked the door, and they walked down the stairs.

Ishan looked up as he saw them approaching and his gaze rested a little longer on Pranvi. She wore that yellow tee with fitted jeans, hair neatly tied in a high ponytail, a bit of kajal in her eyes, and a lip tint she had swiped on at the last minute. She looked effortlessly pretty.

"Sorry for the delay!" she said, slightly breathless.

After exchanging greetings and smiles, Ishan reached out to open the car door for the girls. Just as they were about to settle into their seats, a sudden, familiar voice echoed from inside the car, catching them completely off guard.

"Hey... guys. Sorry, me so gaya tha wait karte karte," came the lazy, unapologetic voice from the back seat.

A figure slowly emerged stretching like a sleepy lion waking up from a nap. It was Aman. His shirt was creased, hair slightly messy from the nap, and that ever-smug smile rested on his face. He yawned, stepped out of the car, and casually stood beside Ishan, giving him a light pat on the shoulder.

"Power nap, you know," he added with a wink.

Ishan chuckled, clearly used to Aman's unexpected ways. But the real shock came from the two standing in front of them.

Vani and Pranvi froze. Their steps halted mid-motion, their eyes wide in disbelief. Their minds seemed to echo the same thought: "He... He is here too?"

Pranvi blinked twice, trying to process what she was seeing. Vani's face twisted instantly from confusion to fury.

"Hi Pranvi. Hi chhachhundar," Aman greeted casually, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Hi Aman," Pranvi replied, unable to suppress her laugh. A smile tugged at the corner of her lips despite the surprise.

"Hello chuhe ke mausa ji," Vani shot back without missing a beat, her hands already on her hips.

"To tum uski mausi," Aman quipped, completely unfazed, tossing his reply like a tennis ball across a net.

Vani slowly turned her gaze toward Pranvi and Ishan, her eyes burning with betrayal. Her eyebrows shot up as if asking, "What. Is. Happening?"

"Tumne pehle kyun nahi bataya ki ye karela bhi aa raha hai sath? Main nahi jaoongi kahin iske saath," she declared, crossing her arms with a dramatic huff and taking a step back toward the house.

Aman clutched his chest theatrically. "Haan, mein to mara ja raha hoon jaise," he said, pretending to faint.

"Haan to kahin aur jaake maro na, mere ghar ke samne kyun mar rahe ho," Vani snapped, stepping forward again.

"Haan haan, nahi mein to tumhare garden ko hi shamshan banaunga. Koi aapatti hai?" Aman said, lifting his eyebrows like he was offering a business proposal.

"Acha, to main tumhari laash kutto ke samne fek dungi nikal ke," Vani growled, pointing a finger at him as if declaring war.

"To main bhoot banke tumhare sar mein baithunga phir," Aman countered, tilting his head creepily with a wicked smile.

"Achha... tumhe kya lagta hai main tumhara ye sand jaisa vajan uthake ghoomungi?" Vani said, glancing at him up and down with disgust.

Their verbal volleyball kept bouncing back and forth with growing intensity, like a firecracker fight with no signs of stopping.

Finally, Pranvi couldn't take it anymore. She threw her hands in the air and shouted:

"Bas karo tum log! Milte hi shuru ho jaate ho!"

The silence that followed was thick but not peaceful. Vani turned slowly to glare at her, her cheeks puffed with anger, lips tight, and eyes narrowed. Her expression looked like she had blown up a balloon of fury and was about to pop it.

Ishan, calm as ever, adjusted his watch and finally spoke:

"Aman, chal gaadi mein baith."

Without another word, Pranvi grabbed Vani's arm and gently but firmly pulled her toward the car.

Vani resisted for a moment, shooting another venomous look toward Aman, but Pranvi nudged her forward.

They opened the back door, and Pranvi practically pushed Vani inside before sliding in beside her. Vani sat with her arms crossed and her face turned toward the window, clearly fuming.

Aman, unfazed, slipped into the other side of the backseat with a smug look.

Ishan got into the driver's seat, glanced in the rearview mirror, and shook his head lightly with a smile, as if saying: "And here we go again..."

The car doors shut. The engine started.

The restaurant buzzed softly with background music and scattered chatter. Warm yellow lights cast a cozy glow over the place, and glasses clinked lightly as servers moved swiftly between tables.

At one of the corner booths, the four of them sat two on each side.

Vani and Aman were seated directly across from each other, like enemies preparing for a war summit. Their eyes locked, sharp and intense, as if they could end each other just through sheer willpower. The table between them felt less like furniture and more like a battlefield boundary.

On the other side, Ishan and Pranvi sat comfortably, watching the growing tension like spectators to a very familiar and very tiring drama.

Ishan finally broke the silence with a smile.

"Kya order kare?" he asked casually, picking up the menu.

Before anyone else could speak, Vani smirked devilishly, eyes still fixed on Aman.

"Octopus kar do? Iss octopus ke dada ke liye," she said, her voice sugar-sweet but the sarcasm dripping heavily.

Aman didn't miss a beat.

"Aur tumhare liye kya karun? Sea horse ka muh," he shot back, loud enough that the couple at the next table glanced over briefly.

"Yrr tum dono ab bas bhi karo, batao kya order kare?" Ishan and Pranvi said together in perfect sync, both of them exasperated.

They looked at each other for a second and sighed.

Ishan raised his hand and called over the waiter, who approached politely, holding a notepad and pen.

"Mam, your order?" he asked, turning to Vani first.

She didn't even glance at the menu.

"Magarmach ke daant kar do is magarmach ke liye," she declared coolly, flicking her eyes toward Aman.

Aman raised his eyebrows. "Aur iske liye sadi hui gobhi mein lage hue keede ki kheer," he fired back, clearly unfazed.

The waiter froze, blinking at them. He turned to Ishan, completely lost.

Ishan gave him a helpless look and was about to speak, but Pranvi had had enough.

Her palms slammed gently but firmly on the table as she leaned forward.

"Ab main tum dono ka sir phod dungi is jug se. Chup chap order do." Her voice wasn't loud, but the fury in it made everyone at the table straighten instantly.

Even Aman and Vani stopped mid-glare and looked away like guilty children being scolded by a strict teacher.

The waiter waited silently.

They finally gave their actual orders, mumbling them like kids caught cheating in class.

The waiter scribbled the items quickly and walked off, definitely confused but relieved to escape.

Now, the table was quiet. A few awkward coughs. Cutlery adjusted. Menus pushed aside.

Vani looked at the corner of the table, fidgeting with the edge of a tissue. Aman stared at a painting on the wall like it suddenly held the meaning of life.

Across from them, Ishan leaned slightly toward Pranvi and grinned.

She raised an eyebrow, still mildly annoyed.

He chuckled softly and whispered, "Tumne toh dono ko do minute mein silent mode pe daal diya."

Pranvi rolled her eyes but couldn't help the tiny smile creeping onto her lips.

The dinner had finally settled into a calmer rhythm after the earlier drama. The plates were filled, the table crowded with dishes and mocktails, and the four of them sat more relaxed now. Vani and Aman were still seated across from each other, though the fire in their eyes had cooled slightly, they continued to throw glances like verbal punches.

Ishan broke the silence.

"So how's everything going? A cardiologist haan? Impressive." He looked at Vani with a small nod of appreciation.

"Fine till now, but I'm a little nervous for the job. Joining is from the day after tomorrow," Vani replied, fiddling with her spoon.

"That's normal in the beginning. But don't worry you'll handle it just fine. Just like Pranvi did.

" Ishan said reassuringly.

" It was nothing. You guided me well there."Pranvi added, smiling as she looked at Ishan.

"No no, you did really well. I was honestly impressed by how you managed everything on your own on the first day." His tone was sincere.

Pranvi smiled again, hiding a small blush.

Then, she turned to Aman casually. "Aman, tum yaha kaise? I mean... Jaipur mein?"

"Actually, I work here," Aman replied, taking a sip of his drink.

"Vaise kya job karte ho aap tinde ke jijaji?" Vani couldn't resist, smirking as she attacked again with her sarcasm.

"Bawarchi hoon. Tumhe koi pareshani hai?" Aman replied with mock seriousness.

"Lagte bhi wahi ho," Vani said, rolling her eyes.

Aman opened his mouth to strike back but before he could speak, Vani had already turned toward Ishan like he didn't exist anymore.

"Ishan, tum yaha kaise? Aur ye sab party plan... sab kaise bana?" she asked.

"Oh... we discussed it at the hospital. But I guess Pranvi forgot to tell you." Ishan replied calmly.

"Forgot? No no. You know she slept like a bear, even without changing her dress," Vani said, giggling.

"Ise bhi aaj hi meri beizzati karni hai Ishan ke samne..." Pranvi muttered under her breath, glaring sideways.

Ishan chuckled softly.

"How did you know about our house?" Vani asked, now genuinely curious.

"CID se pata lagwaya," Aman jumped in again before Ishan could answer, his voice laced with sarcasm.

Vani gave him a look sharp enough to cut steel, but Ishan interrupted calmly.

"Actually, today I dropped Pranvi at your home after hospital."

Vani simply nodded and took a sip of water.

They continued chatting, now nibbling at their food between casual jokes. The vibe had settled into a warm, funny flow. Just then, from the restaurant speakers, an old Bollywood song started playing:

"Kabhi tu chaliya lagta hai, kabhi deewana lagta hai

Kabhi anaadi lagta hai, kabhi aawaara lagta hai..."

Vani immediately perked up and looked straight at Aman, and with her full voice (and drama), she sang aloud:

"Kabhi tu chaliya lagta hai... kabhi tu SUAR lagta hai!"

The sudden twist made Pranvi and Ishan burst out laughing.

Vani didn't stop there. She continued the song with full exaggeration:

"Kabhi tu chaliya lagta hai, kabhi deewana lagta hai

Kabhi anaadi lagta hai, kabhi aawaara lagta hai..."

Aman, not one to back down, dramatically stood up a little and sang right back, raising one hand like a classical singer:

"Kabhi tu Noorie lagti hai... kabhi tu Julie lagti hai,

Kabhi tu Chandni lagti hai... kabhi tu Bobby lagti hai!"

Then, with full revenge energy, he added:

"Kabhi tu dayan lagti hai, kabhi tu kauaa lagti hai,

Kabhi chudail lagti hai, kabhi tu saadi hui gilki lagti hai!"

The whole table erupted. Even the waiter serving water nearly choked on his own laughter. Ishan held his stomach, laughing, and Pranvi had tears in her eyes from laughing too hard.

The music continued:

Tu jo acha samjhe ye tujhpe chhoda hai..."

Vani took a tissue, wiped her mouth, and leaned toward Aman mock-sweetly:

"Tu jo acha samjhe... tujhpe chhoda hai,

Tujhse toh mein kabhi bhi... aur bhi chhota soda chhoda hai!"

Pranvi laughed so hard, she hit the table. Aman wasn't done:

"Tere mere beech mein deewar na ho koi,

Main intkaam loonga... jab tu royi royi!"

Vani sang right back while chewing:

"Nadiyon ke paar hai pyaar ki manzil,

Tere jaise ke liye toh nafrat hi hai dil!"

Aman dramatically clutched his heart and fell back into his chair.

"Kabhi tu jugnu lagta hai, kabhi tu junglee lagta hai,

Kabhi fatoosh lagta hai, kabhi azaad lagta hai!" Vani sang, now full-on dancing while seated.

She wasn't done. She added:

"Kabhi tu kharbooja lagta hai, kabhi angoor chhata hua,

Kabhi purani chai, kabhi biryani ka khatta masala bacha hua!"

By now, everyone was laughing uncontrollably. The people at the next table started clapping along, thinking this was some kind of restaurant performance.

They all finally started eating properly, still chuckling between bites, making fun of the lyrics and trying to add worse rhymes than before. Between the music, madness, and masaledar dinner, it was turning into a night they would never forget.