Unbreakable After You

Episode 15 : A Slow Saturday

(Aarohi's POV)

The sharp ringing of my phone mixed with the pounding inside my head.

I groaned and buried my face deeper into my pillow.

"Who's calling at..." I mumbled before opening one eye.

The room was dim. Fairy lights still hung on the wall from last night, and the curtains barely kept the afternoon sunlight from flooding the room.

Afternoon?

I quickly grabbed my phone from the mattress beside me.

12:37 P.M.

"Oh my God!"

My head instantly reminded me why I shouldn't have moved so fast.

"Oww..."

I held my forehead and fell back onto the mattress.

Every beat of my heart echoed inside my skull.

"What happened?" I muttered.

The memories came back one by one.

Smoke Club.

Music.

Dancing.

Street food.

Lemonade...

Then...

Nothing.

"Good morning, Miss Party Queen."

I slowly turned toward the kitchen.

Riya stood there holding two steaming mugs of tea, wearing an oversized T-shirt and laughing shamelessly.

"I hate you."

"You hate me because your head is exploding?"

"I hate you because you forced me to go."

She placed one mug in front of me.

"And whose idea was the second drink?"

I blinked.

"...Mine?"

She burst into laughter.

"Yes, yours! You literally shocked your entire office."

I covered my face with both hands.

"Please tell me I didn't embarrass myself."

"Oh, you embarrassed everyone else."

"What?"

"You danced for almost two hours."

My eyes widened.

"I did what?"

"You danced with Nisha, Pooja, Kritika..."

She paused dramatically.

"...and Abhay."

"What?"

"You don't remember?"

I shook my head immediately.

"I remember dancing... that's it."

Riya sat beside me.

"You looked happy."

There was something soft in her voice.

"Genuinely happy."

I smiled unconsciously.

"It... was fun."

She nudged my shoulder.

"And your boss?"

My smile disappeared instantly.

"What about him?"

"You kept saying, 'He's not as scary as everyone thinks.'"

"I said that?"

"Several times."

"Oh God..."

I buried my face inside the pillow.

"I am resigning."

Riya laughed so hard that she almost spilled her tea.

"No, you're not."

"I challenged my manager."

"You did."

"I drank."

"You did."

"I danced."

"You definitely did."

I looked at her miserably.

"Please stop."

She leaned back comfortably.

"I've never seen you enjoy yourself like that."

Neither had I.

After lunch, the headache finally eased. The rest of the afternoon disappeared while the two girls cleaned the apartment, arranged groceries inside the kitchen cabinets, and folded the remaining clothes into their plastic wardrobes.

By evening, the apartment looked even cozier.

The soft fairy lights, the neatly arranged cushions, the little dining table by the window—it finally felt like home.

Aarohi had just finished watering the small money plant they had bought the previous day when her phone vibrated.

Abhay Calling...

She answered immediately.

"Hello, Abhay?"

"Good evening, Miss Party Queen."

She laughed.

"Please don't start."

"So... headache better?"

"Much better."

"Good."

There was a brief pause before he continued.

"I'm actually nearby."

"Nearby?"

"One of our clients has a small office in your area. Came here for some work."

"Oh."

"I thought I'd grab a cup of tea before heading back."

Aarohi looked toward Riya.

"I... I'm with my friend."

"So?"

"So..."

"Bring her."

"What?"

"I said bring her."

She laughed.

"I don't think—"

Before she could finish, another voice came from behind.

"Who is it?"

Riya.

Aarohi covered the phone.

"My senior."

"The funny one?"

She nodded.

Riya stretched her hand toward the phone.

"Give it."

Before Aarohi could stop her—

"Hello!"

Abhay laughed from the other side.

"So you're Riya."

"And you're Abhay."

"I've heard a lot about you."

"I've heard even more."

Aarohi stared at her best friend in disbelief.

"When did you two become friends?"

Both ignored her.

Abhay continued laughing.

"I'm picking both of you up."

"No, no," Aarohi interrupted immediately. "We'll come ourselves."

"No chance."

"Abhay—"

"Send me the location."

"Seriously, that's not necessary."

"I wasn't asking."

The call disconnected.

Aarohi looked at Riya.

"He disconnected."

Riya grinned.

"I like him already."

"You met him for thirty seconds!"

"And he sounds fun."

"He is."

She immediately regretted saying it.

Riya noticed.

"Ohhh..."

"Don't."

"You smiled."

"I always smile."

"Not like that."

Twenty minutes later, a black SUV stopped outside their building.

Abhay stepped out wearing a casual black T-shirt and jeans instead of office formals.

"You both actually look like civilized people outside the office."

"And you look younger," Aarohi replied.

"I'll take that as a compliment."

Riya folded her arms dramatically.

"So this is the famous Abhay."

"And this must be the famous Riya."

"The one who knows every embarrassing story about Aarohi?"

Riya nodded proudly.

"Since kindergarten."

"Oh, I need those stories."

Aarohi groaned.

"I'm going home."

Neither of them paid attention.

For the next two hours, the three of them wandered through a nearby open market, trying different snacks, laughing over ridiculous stories from college and office, and arguing over which chaat stall was the best.

At one point, Riya finally asked the question that had been bothering her.

"So... what work brought you here?"

Abhay wiped his hands after finishing a plate of golgappas.

"Our company is planning a local promotional campaign for a new client. I came to inspect a few advertising locations nearby—billboards, metro branding, bus shelters, digital screens. Since I finished early, I remembered Aarohi had recently shifted here."

"So you thought free tea would be nice?" Riya teased.

"Exactly."

"And free company," he admitted.

The three of them laughed together.

As the evening turned into night, Abhay drove them back home.

The car stopped outside their apartment.

"Thanks," Aarohi smiled.

"My pleasure."

Riya leaned forward before getting out.

"You know..."

Abhay looked at her through the rear-view mirror.

"You should hang out with us more often."

"I was thinking the same."

"Done."

They exchanged a quick smile.

After waving goodbye, the girls walked toward their building.

The moment the apartment door closed behind them, Riya slowly turned toward Aarohi with a mischievous grin.

"What?"

Riya crossed her arms.

"I understand now."

"Understand what?"

"Why you like going to the office."

Aarohi blinked.

"I don't."

"Mmm..."

"I go because they pay me."

"They pay everyone."

"They do."

"But not everyone smiles the moment Abhay calls."

Aarohi picked up a cushion and threw it straight at her.

"Shut up!"

Riya caught it easily.

"I never said you liked him."

"I DON'T!"

"I only said you smiled."

"I hate you."

"No."

Riya wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"You love me."

Aarohi couldn't help smiling.

"Unfortunately..."

"I know."

The two friends laughed as they walked toward their little kitchen to make late-night tea, completely unaware that life was quietly setting pieces into place—one ordinary day at a time.