Ruhaan reached Sohana's house and, with great difficulty, managed to get Sohana out of the car. She was singing rhymes cheerfully as they approached the entrance.

He rang the doorbell, but no answer came. Confused, he rang it again, and when silence persisted, he pressed the button a few more times.

"Huiiii!!!" Sohana suddenly shouted, and Ruhaan hurriedly placed his hand over her mouth.

"Do you want to wake up the entire colony?" he whispered, a mix of annoyance and affection in his tone. Sohana pouted, her expression shifting from joy to sadness.

"Why did you reject me, Ruhaan?" she asked, her eyes welling up with tears. She buried her head against his chest, seeking comfort.

"You smell bad. Paseena paseena," she scrunched her nose, yet she remained still, unwilling to lose the warmth of his embrace.

Ruhaan wrapped his arms around her, kissing the top of her head. "I don't know, Sohana. I really don't understand what I'm feeling. It's like I'm in a turmoil. I want to protect you, to take care of you, but then I remember how I failed to protect the love of my life two years ago. I'm a failure, Sohana, and I don't want to lose you."

Sohana pulled back slightly, gazing into his eyes with sincerity. "Ruhaan, I love you so much! So much that I can't even explain!"

He caressed her cheeks, brushing away her tears, and pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I'm sorry! But yes, thank you so much for loving me! Thank you for caring about me."

Sohana pushed him away, frustration etched on her face. "I don't want a 'thank you.' I want 'I love you too.'"

Ruhaan sighed heavily, feeling the weight of her words. "It's not happening, Sohana!"

"Then I won't get into my house!" she declared defiantly. "Remember, my father is not home, and I have the keys. I won't give them to you unless you say 'I love you!'"

Ruhaan looked at her in disbelief. "Sohana, dear, love can't be forced. It has to come from the heart!"

But Sohana was too stubborn, her drunken state fueling her determination. "Tell me, or else-"

"Okay!" he finally relented, searching for the right words. "I..."

"Love..." she urged, her eyes sparkling with hope.

Ruhaan paused, studying her excited expression, then blurted out, "My doctor, who cares for me."

Sohana's face fell, her joy replaced by disappointment. "Nooo!! Cheating!!"

"Sohana, get inside the house. Your friends will be coming soon!" Ruhaan said firmly, yet gently.

"But-"

"Sohana, I won't talk to you if you don't listen to me!" he said, adopting a more serious tone.

She pouted but finally surrendered the keys to him. Ruhaan led her inside, guiding her to her room. Once there, he placed her on the bed and handed her a glass of water to help her settle. Exhausted from crying, Sohana soon dozed off, her breathing soft and even.

Kneeling beside the bed, Ruhaan caressed her head gently. "I'm sorry for hurting a pure soul like you. It feels like I'm committing a crime, but what I'm doing is for your good, for our good. I'm so sorry," he whispered, pressing a tender kiss to her forehead. Covering her with a duvet, he quietly left the room.

As he stepped outside, he noticed her friends approaching. Alisha narrowed her eyes at him. "What did you do?"

"Nothing, don't worry. I'm not what you think I am," he replied, slipping into his car and driving home.

Next Morning

With much effort, Sohana lifted her eyelids, blinking against the sunlight streaming into her room. As she surveyed her surroundings, realization dawned: she was back in her own space. Suddenly, a sharp throb in her head made her wince, and she cradled it with her hands.

"Ouch! Why is my head aching?" she groaned.

"Aur tipsy bann!" Nitya teased, entering the room while stirring lemon in a glass. She had decided to stay over at Sohana's place in case of emergencies. Alisha had wanted to stay too but had to return to her own apartment.

Sohana looked at Nitya in confusion, the events of the previous day slowly flooding back. A wave of embarrassment washed over her as she recalled everything she had said and done.

"Go and freshen up! I'm leaving this lemon water on your table. Don't forget to drink it; it'll help," Nitya instructed before heading out of the room.

Sohana made her way to the bathroom and gazed at her reflection in the mirror. She winced, recalling the curses she had hurled at Ruhaan and how he had heard every word. Not wanting to waste any more time, she quickly freshened up, changed into a crisp white coat, grabbed her bag, and headed downstairs.

Nitya had already prepared breakfast. She looked up as Sohana descended the stairs. "Are you going to the hospital?" she asked, surprise evident in her voice.

"Of course!" Sohana replied casually.

"What do you mean 'of course'? You're not well. Take a leave today and resume tomorrow!" Nitya urged, but Sohana shook her head resolutely.

"No, Nitya. I wasted enough time yesterday with my silly antics. I have too much work to do, and my boss will kill me," Sohana said with a sad smile.

Nitya approached her and hugged her tightly. "Don't dwell on those things. Everything happens for a reason, right?" she said, cupping Sohana's face with her hands.

"Yesss!" Sohana replied, her smile genuine this time.

After they finished breakfast, they left for work.

As Sohana drove towards the hospital, her attention was caught by a commotion at a nearby construction site, where a crowd had gathered, and some people were running.

Concerned, she parked her car and rushed towards the scene. "What happened here?" she asked a visibly worried man nearby.

"One of our workers is injured. A rod fell on his leg," he explained, panic evident in his voice.

"Have you called an ambulance? Let me check on the worker. I'm a doctor," she said, pushing her way through the crowd. When she reached the injured worker, her heart sank as she recognized the man holding him up-none other than Ruhaan.

"You?" they both exclaimed in unison, shock etched on their faces.

"Ouchhh!!!" the injured worker screamed in pain, breaking their moment of surprise.

"Don't try to lift him! Lay him down on the ground," Sohana instructed, focusing on the task at hand while ignoring the intensity of Ruhaan's gaze.

He nodded, a hint of admiration in his eyes as he complied. "Sorry, I didn't know," he said, stepping back.

Sohana quickly assessed the worker's injury, noting the swelling and bruising. She took out her phone and called her colleague. "Hello, Dr. Mehta? Please send an ambulance to the XYZ site ASAP... Yes, we have a patient here," she said, her voice steady.

"Don't worry, the ambulance is on its way," she reassured the injured worker, who nodded, albeit still trembling with fear.

Once the ambulance arrived and took the worker away, Sohana stayed behind, offering comfort and support to the other workers until they calmed down.

"Thank you," a voice broke through her thoughts. She turned to find Ruhaan standing there, a smile tugging at his lips.

"Mention not," she responded in a slightly cold tone, about to walk away when he unexpectedly caught her wrist, pulling her closer.

Startled, she looked up at him, anger flaring in her eyes. "What do you want?"

"I'm sorry," Ruhaan whispered, his expression earnest.

"No need, Mr. Raichand," she replied, trying to maintain her composure.

"Stop calling me that," he insisted, pulling her closer still. Their bodies were nearly touching, the air thick with tension.

"What should I call you then?" she challenged, a mix of irritation and curiosity in her voice.

"Ruhaan... I love it when you say that. It suits you," he replied, his fingers tracing the outline of her lips.

Suddenly regaining her composure, Sohana tried to pull away. "Leave my hand, Mr. Raichand," she gritted her teeth.

"No!" Ruhaan held firm.

"LEAVE ME RUHAAN!!!!!" Tears filled her eyes as she struggled against him, her voice breaking.

He released her immediately, regret flashing across his features. Sohana glared at him, her emotions boiling over. "What do you want from me? You rejected me, and I accepted it. Why are you saying sorry now? What's the point if you're not interested in me? Your apologies won't heal my heart. I don't want your pity."

"It's not that I don't like you," Ruhaan replied, his voice softening.

"Then you do like me?" she pressed, searching his eyes for answers.

"I... I don't..."

Sohana cut him off, frustration rising. "You know what Ruhaan, you're not able to listen to your heart. Aapka dimaag kuch aur keh raha hai aur aapka dil kuch aur kehne ki koshish kar raha hai. Lekin aap toh apne dil ki baat sun ne ko tayar nahi hai. Pehle apni dil ki baat sun ke aaiye phir batayega ki mujhe pasand karte hain ki nahi!" She left his collar and smiled a little.

(Your mind is saying something else and your heart is trying to say something else. But you are not ready to listen to your heart. First listen to your heart and then tell me that whether you like me or not!)

"I always loved you Ruhaan, you are my first love. And I will always love you no matter what. Sunai diya aapko? I love you Ruhaan Raichand." She shouted and her voice echoed.
(Did you hear it?)

Ruhaan was looking at her and was not believing all these things. How can a woman love a man so much even after getting rejected? Maybe because love has so much power.

"Sohana, I know you love me so much. But I am not able to move on from my Avni. Jaan thi woh meri." He said as tears filled in his eyes.
(She was my life)

"You...... it's not that you're not able to move on. You don't want to move on or maybe you have moved on but not ready to accept it." She told him.

"Sohana, how can I forget my Avni?"

"Ruhaan, move on doesn't means that you have to forget someone. It means you have to keep that person forever in your heart and start a new phase of your life. No one is asking you to forget Avantika. Everyone is telling you to begin a new life. Tell me will your Avni be happy when she'll get to know that you're not happy without her? No, never. Because she loves you."

"But I can't give my Avni's place to anyone else."

"Then don't. Make a new place in your heart for the one who loves you. Why to give Avni's place? Dil main kisi aur ki jagah liya nahi jaata hai, khudke liye jagah banaya jaata hai. Kyunki liya hua jagah phir kabhi aur koi bhi le sakta hai. Lekin banaya hua jagah chahkar bhi koi nahi le sakta hai. Like the way Avni has made a place in your heart and you're not ready to give that place to someone else."
(No place is taken in the heart, a place is created. Because the place which has been taken can be again taken by anyone any day. But no one can take away the place that has been created)

"But...

"You know what Ruhaan, you're not ready to accept the truth. Not at all. You need to realise your emotions. Because love is not a play. It's an emotion. The most beautiful emotion that god has created." She said as her eyes drowing into the brown orbs.

"Sohana....

His word's were cut off by Sohana's phone call.

"Hello?"

"Hello mam, a patient is waiting for you in your cabin. Please come fast." The woman said and hung up the call.

"I should leave. My patients are waiting for me." Sohana turned around but Ruhaan held her by her wrist.

"Thank you. I will think about those things you told me." He said and smiled a little.

Sohana pulled out her wrist from his hold and walked away.

🧿

Perfect 2000 words.

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