Chapter 5
707 Words
Life continued as usual, but something between them had shifted.
Ishaan had made up his mind—he wanted to get to know Aarohi, not as just a stranger he lived with, but as someone he could share a life with, even if only as friends.
One weekend, as Aarohi was curled up on her bed, lost in a book, she heard a knock at the door. Looking up, she saw Ishaan standing there, his hands tucked into his pockets.
“Hey,” he said, a little hesitantly. “Can we go out for dinner tonight?”
She blinked, slightly surprised by the invitation, but nodded. “Okay.”
He gave her a small smile before leaving the room.
When they got into the car, he glanced at her. “So, what do you want to eat?”
She thought for a moment before saying, “Actually… I’ve never tried Rais**** Cane’s before. It’s not available back home, but I’ve always wanted to try it. Can we go there?”
A grin tugged at his lips. “Raisi*** Cane’s it is.”
They went through the drive-thru and picked up their food. Instead of heading home, they decided to eat in the car, parked near a quiet spot.
Aarohi took a bite, her face lighting up. “This is really good!” she said, savoring the crispy chicken and sauce.
Ishaan chuckled, watching her enjoy her meal. There was something refreshing about seeing her happy over something so simple.
As they ate in comfortable silence, he took a deep breath and spoke.
“I’m sorry for the way I behaved before,” he admitted, his voice softer than usual. “I was going through a dark time, and I took it out on you. You didn’t deserve that.”
She looked at him, her eyes holding no resentment—just quiet understanding.
“I don’t know if I can be a good husband,” he continued, “but I hope we can at least be good friends while we’re here.”
For a moment, she said nothing. Then, she smiled. “That sounds nice.”
That night, after they returned home, they followed each other on Instag***. Ishaan even posted a picture of her eating with a simple caption: “Dinner 💕”
Weekends became their time together. They started going out for dinner more often, trying different places and learning about each other’s food preferences.
Their conversations were simple—small talk about work, childhood memories, and random interests. They weren’t deep conversations, but neither of them minded.
Even in the quiet moments, there was a sense of peace between them.
And sometimes, that was enough. They grew closer as friends.
One evening, Aarohi was curled up on the couch, scrolling through her phone when Ishaan walked in, carrying a box.
He placed it in front of her. “Open it,” he said with a small smirk.
Curious, she lifted the lid—and gasped. Inside was a tiny baby pug, looking up at her with big, round eyes.
Her hands flew to her mouth in shock. “Oh my God! Are you serious?”
He chuckled at her reaction. “Yeah. I figured you needed someone to take care of when I’m not around.”
She carefully lifted the little puppy into her arms, cradling him gently. The puppy licked her chin, making her giggle.
“This is the best gift ever,” she said, beaming. “Thank you”
“What do you want to name him?” he asked, watching her excitement with amusement.
She thought for a moment before saying, “Teddy. He looks like a tiny teddy bear.”
“Teddy it is,” Ishaan agreed.
He pulled out his phone and snapped a picture of Aarohi holding the puppy, her face glowing with happiness. Without hesitation, he posted it on i********: with the caption: Happiness 😍.
It wasn’t just for show—he genuinely felt content. His social media had slowly started filling up with moments of his life that actually made him feel lighter. Pictures of Teddy, random snapshots from his weekend dinners with Aarohi, and the peaceful, quiet joy he had started finding in his new life.
- Writer
