Author's Pov

For nearly a full week, the silence in the apartment building wasn't just quiet, it was suffocating.

Achint hadn't crossed the threshold of the internship classes once. At first, Rishabh had assumed it was just stubbornness, a day, maybe two of cooling off before her chaotic energy, inevitably will drag her back through his lecture doors. But day after day, the empty seat in the row remained painfully vacant.

The sudden vacuum she left behind wasn't just noticeable, it felt entirely wrong. The sharp banter, the unbothered eye rolls, the invisible tether that kept his senses on high alert, without it, his life felt aggressively, agonizingly muted. Even his teaching had started to slip, his mind wandering back to the heavy crack of that slap in the Controller's office and the fierce, burning tears in her eyes.

On the other side of the wall, Achint was locked in self imposed exile. She hadn't stepped foot outside the apartment all week. When Janisha and Abhishek tried to coax her out for even a breath of fresh air, she had turned on them with a chilling, defensive edge, telling them that she will flat out that if her presence was a burden, she would pack her bags and leave. They had instantly shut up, terrified of pushing her any further into the dark. Abhishek had spent hours trying to coo and comfort her, but her spirit felt deeply, heavily bruised.

And now, Abhishek and Janisha were sitting in Rishabh's living room, their postures tense and pleading.

"Sorry sir for disturbing you," Janisha said quietly, wringing her hands.

"No, it's okay," Rishabh replied, his voice measured as he sat across from them.

"Sir, we want to talk about Achint," Abhishek started, swallowing hard. "Sir, she's completely shut everyone down. We've tried everything, we even begged her to go and issue a formal apology to the department so she could get reinstated, but she's not ready to bend an inch."

"Sir, she would have apologized if her father wasn't involved," Abhishek added, his voice dropping into bitter frustration. "He has never looked at her like a human being, not since her mother died."

Rishabh's lips parted, a sharp ache hitting his chest at the new piece of information that he had never thought of.

"Sir, please, if you can help in resuming her internship, please do it," Janisha implored, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "This internship is critical for us to qualify as lawyers. And you know she completely refused to take a single penny from her father anymore, so she desperately needs this career."

"Sir, she was barely using his money anyway, but now she's cut him off entirely," Abhishek said. "Sir, I've known her since school. She's bubbly, carefree, but she never hurts anyone maliciously. We're so sorry from her side if she crossed a line or upset you, but please... help her."

Rishabh drew in a long, steady breath, the weight of their plea settling heavily on his broad shoulders. "Don't worry. I'll talk to the Controller."

Janisha and Abhishek visibly sighed in relief. "Thank you so much, sir," Janisha breathed.

After they left, Rishabh sat alone in the quiet apartment, rubbing his temples as a dull headache thudded behind his eyes.

A sharp chime broke the silence, his phone vibrating with an incoming video call from Kunal. Rishabh swiped to accept it and propped the phone up on the table, keeping his face turned slightly away.

"Oye, ab kyun sadaa muh bana rakha hai?" Kunal's voice boomed through the speaker. "Main tujhe kabhi bhi, matlab kabhi bhi call karoon, chahe do din mein ya das din mein, tera yeh sadaa sa chehra kyun rehta hai?"

"Achint got expelled," Rishabh blurted out, bypassing all greetings.

Kunal's teasing expression vanished instantly. He leaned closer to the camera lens. "Don't tell me it's because of you."

"Indirectly, yes."

Kunal sat back, crossing his arms. "Hmm. Jane de, ab tu kar bhi kya sakta hai. Waise bhi woh tujhe zyada pareshan karti thi. Achha hi hua na tere liye? Ek aafat tal gayi."

"Kya achha hua, yaar?" Rishabh snapped, his tone sharp enough to surprise even himself. "Her entire career could be ruined, do you even realize that?"

"Toh tujhe kya hai?" Kunal asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Arey, aise kaise nahi hai, woh meri..." Rishabh froze mid sentence, the words catching in his throat as the raw truth of his own defense hit him.

"Woh teri kya?" Kunal pressed softly.

"...Student hai," Rishabh finished slowly, the lie tasting like ash.

"Yeh chuna kahin aur lagana," Kunal sighed, shaking his head. "Aise pata nahi kitne students honge toh kya tu sabke liye aise stress leta hai? Tu manta kyun nahi hai yaar that you've started feeling something for her? Woh ladki tere andar se saare emotions baahar laati hai. I have always seen you calm, carved out of ice, carrying the exact same blank expression for years. Lekin from day one, she has entered, she had added color to your life! Tu hasta hai, tu gussa hota hai, naraz hota hai, tu react karta hai, do you even realize it?"

"Aur tu yeh kyun nahi samajhta, Kunal, that I'm not made for this? For anyone?" Rishabh finally exploded, his voice cracking slightly as he swallowed the heavy lump in his throat. "I can't give anyone the love, the care, the family they deserve!"

"Really? Why do you always talk like that, haan?" Kunal's voice softened, laced with a painful, shared history. "At least you had Roohi ma in the orphanage. You felt a mother's warmth at some point. I never even saw mine! You didn't have your biological family, but you had me and the others. But do you have any idea how I felt when my own flesh and blood abandoned me simply because I was diagnosed with a cancer patient? Tujhe kya lagta hai main hasta rehta hoon, mazaak karta hoon, toh meri life bohot aasaan thi? Rishu, sabke pasts hain! But it doesn't mean we let our past hold us hostage and ruin our present and future!"

"She has already lost her mother, yaar... and I have no family who could ever love her the way she needs. Mera khud ka wajood adhura hai," Rishabh murmured, staring down at his hands.

"Toh kya tu is darr ki wajah se har achhi cheez ko chhod dega? Bhai, kisi bhi ladki ko apne partner ka saath chahiye hota hai. Woh tujhse tera poora khandaan nahi maangti!" Kunal argued, before leveling a heavy look at him. "And it means you have started having feelings for her, right? Admit it."

Rishabh stubbornly shook his head, though the denial lacked any real conviction.

Kunal ran a frustrated hand over his face. "Yaar... tu akele baith kar please soch is baare mein. It's not about Achint anymore, it's about YOU. Just You. Figure out what the hell it is you actually want out of your life instead of punishing yourself."

Without waiting for a reply, Kunal cut the call.

The screen went black. Rishabh stared at his reflection in the dark glass for a long, agonizing moment before standing up abruptly. He walked out onto the balcony, the night air cool against his flushed skin.

Involuntarily, his eyes drifted toward the adjacent balcony. Achint's side was completely dark, empty, and dead silent.

Pulling a chair out, he sat down in the shadows, pulling up a quiet, low humming melody on his phone, and stared blankly up at the vast, indifferent sky. His mind was an absolute warzone, and for the first time in his life, he had no legal defense left to save himself from what he was feeling.

Suddenly the song changed. The lyrics spilled into the night air, feeling less like a song and more like an exact, terrifying translation of his own unravelling mind.

"Ik sanwri si ladki bawri si...Gusse mein patte si kanpti si...Jo mera zikr sune bhool se bhi, Tarkeebo se dil woh dhampati si... Woh ladki mil jaye toh kehna!"

Rishabh closed his eyes. Instantly, the dark void behind his eyelids lit up with the only face that had occupied his thoughts for a week.

He saw her in fragments, flashing like an old, vivid film reel. He remembered the fierce, unyielding fire in her eyes during their very first meeting, and the comically desperate way she had tried to make herself invisible when she realized he was her trainer.

Then, his mind shifted to something darker, sharper, the memory of the Controller's office, the brutal snap of her father's hand across her cheek, and the raw, magnificent courage with which she had stood her ground, refusing to break, refusing to bow.

"Dhoop mein palkon ko hai woh meechti...Chalti woh zindagi ke kash kahin kheechti...Woh ladki mil jaye toh kehna!"

A ghost of a memory pulled at his lips. He remembered an afternoon in the college corridor, long before the chaos had peaked. She hadn't just walked, she had been twirling, singing under her breath, a chaotic burst of unadulterated life, completely oblivious and utterly uncaring of anyone else's judgment. He had been walking just a few paces behind her, watching the way she moved like sunshine caught in motion. When she had suddenly spun around, spotted him, and offered a wide, radiant grin, he didn't react and walked away.

And then, the memory of her spilling hot coffee all over his suit, demanding he pay for it with that ridiculous, brazen audacity. A helpless, tender smile finally touched the corners of his mouth.

"Thodi thodi aankhen nam...Baaton mein tha phir bhi dam...Hansi nahi thi woh aisi jo baat mein yunhi ud jaye,Raat mein yunhi ghul jaye, na na nana...Woh ladki mil jaye toh kehna!"

He remembered the party night, seeing the faint, shimmering trace of tears in her eyes for the very first time. Now, looking back, he understood the crushing weight she carried behind those walls. Yet, even in her breaking, she was brave. At least braver than he had ever been. She didn't hide, she challenged the world head on. He thought of her in the passenger seat of his car, gloriously intoxicated, slurring insults, fighting her own vulnerability with stubborn fire, entirely unfiltered and entirely unforgettable.

She was everything a man could ever ask for. A force of nature, a brilliant storm, a soul far too precious to ever be dismissed or taken for granted.

Rishabh drew in a deep, shuddering breath, the night air filling his lungs, and finally opened his eyes.

And then, cutting straight through the melancholic lyrics of the song, he heard it.

After seven agonizing days of dead silence, a familiar, high pitched, indignant shout pierced the thin drywall from the adjacent apartment. Achint was currently screaming at the top of her lungs at Abhishek about something entirely trivial.

Rishabh remained seated in the shadows of his balcony, the phone music fading into the background. He listened to the faint, muffled sound of her voice, letting the chaos of her return wash over him as he tried, with every ounce of his fractured soul, to solve the impossible dilemma of his own heart.

The next morning, Rishabh sat across the Controller's heavy mahogany desk, his posture rigid and uncompromising.

"Mr. Ranawat, are you literally saying that you will resign if I don't reinstate her?" the Controller asked, his voice teetering between sheer disbelief and simmering frustration.

"Yes," Rishabh replied, his tone chillingly calm.

"She's just a silly, reckless, and deeply irresponsible girl! Why are you taking this so personally?"

"She is neither silly nor irresponsible," Rishabh countered firmly, his gaze locking onto the Director's eyes. "The simple truth is that she treats people the straight way because she doesn't mask who she is. Maybe I was harsh on her initially, we've all had professors we couldn't stand in college. But she is fiercely direct. Beyond that, she is one of the sharpest analytical students in this department."

"She only creates chaos! And that day, she was openly insubordinate to her father..."

"And is it okay to subject her to public humiliation?" Rishabh cut across him sharply. "Does she have no dignity? Her father had slapped her in front of campus faculty. And in the first place, calling her father over a minor doodle was an overreaction."

The Controller let out a heavy, defeated breath, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Rishabh stood up, his height giving him complete command of the room. "The bottom line is simple. Her career shouldn't be collateral damage for an institutional ego trip. If she isn't back in that classroom, I won't continue here either."

Without waiting for a counter argument, Rishabh neatly buttoned his suit jacket, turned on his heel, and walked out. He knew that they wouldn't dare to lose him.

By evening, the news reached Achint, the expulsion had been completely rescinded, and she was officially cleared to return. Janisha and Abhishek shrieked in triumph, dragging her into a crushing, group hug sandwich that nearly knocked the wind out of her.

Later that night, around 9 PM, Achint wandered down to the building's open ground compound. The cool night air felt good against her skin, and with her earbuds plugged in deep, she was completely lost in her own chaotic world.

Upstairs, Rishabh happened to glance out his balcony glass and spotted a familiar figure moving below. Driven by a sudden, protective urge, fearing she might still be brooding or lonely after the brutal week, he walked out of his flat, took the elevator down, and stepped out into the courtyard.

He tracked her, and started walking towards her but suddenly his eyes widened at the view making him stop dead in his tracks. His jaw literally unhinged, his eyes widening in pure, unadulterated shock.

Achint was not brooding. Instead She was dancing. Clad in a loose crop top and wildly patterned cartoon pajamas, she did a mid twist, hips swaying to an imaginary brass band as she belted out the lyrics straight into the night air

"Dil walon ke dil ka qaraar lootne, hum aaye hain UP Bihar lootne!"

She was executing the most erratic, unapologetic dance moves known to his civilization. For ten agonizing seconds, Rishabh stood frozen like a statue witnessing an alien landing. Then, as she spun around, she caught sight of a tall, sharply dressed man standing stiffly.

Achint froze mid shimmy. She yanked her earbuds out, staring at him wide eyed.

"Thank you!" she blurted out.

Rishabh blinked, completely derailed. "For what?"

"For talking to the Controller! Janisha told me that it's because of you!" she beamed.

Rishabh gave a tight, awkward nod, clearing his throat.

"Waise... aap is time yahan?" (What are you even doing down here at this hour?) She asked.

"Why? Can't I walk?" he frowned.

"No, I mean... I walk here every day, I've never seen you," she said.

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Umm... just wanted some air."

"Okay!" she said easily, turning on her heel to resume her walk, when his voice stopped her.

"Wait. Miss Sharma." He hesitated. "Actually... I wanted to say sorry."

She stopped, looking back with a raised brow. "For what?"

"All of this... the suspension, the chaos. It happened because of me."

"Haan, baat toh sahi hai aapki," she teased and His face fell, his shoulders slumping slightly as he looked down at the pavement.

Achint caught the genuine remorse in his posture. Her teasing facade instantly melted. She giggled softly, stepping closer. "It's okay! I was just joking."

A sudden, warm wave of relief washed over Rishabh's chest. He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

"Okay then, bye!" she chirped, turning away again.

"Wait!" Rishabh called out, his mouth moving faster than his brain. "Uh... I want coffee. Do you know any good place nearby?"

Achint tapped her chin, her eyes lighting up. "Oh, yes. I know the best one. Come on, let's go!" Then, pointing a finger at him, she added cheerfully, "Par treat aap denge!"

He nodded, a helpless smile already tugging at his lips.

As they walked toward the nearby café, she practically hopped beside him, her steps light and fluid. Rishabh kept his hands tucked deep in his pockets, watching the way she moved. Under the streetlights, a profound, disarming softness settled over his features.

They reached the small, cozy café and went to order. Rishabh ordered a simple black coffee. Achint, however, stared at the menu like a scientist designing a chemical weapon.

"Umm... a KitKat shake, please! And add vanilla ice cream, and..." She leaned over the counter, pointing at the topping jars. "Add these chocolates too..and these cupcakes and a few choco chips!" she beamed.

The waitress stared at the chaotic compilation, raising an eyebrow. "That's... a very intense duo."

Achint flashed a triumphant grin.

Rishabh just watched her in sheer amazement, wondering how the human pancreas survived such a sugar assault.

Once they were seated, Achint suddenly went wide eyed, spotting someone across the room. She leaned aggressively across the small table, beckoning him close. "Arey! Aap usko jaante hain?" she whispered, nodding toward a guy nursing a latte by the window.

Rishabh frowned, glancing over and shaking his head. "No."

"You know, I'm ninety percent sure he's gay!" she whispered conspiratorially.

Rishabh choked slightly. "Really?"

"Yeah! You know what he did?" she leaned in closer, and instinctively, Rishabh found himself leaning in too, trapped in the gravity of her gossip. "He ditched his girlfriend just to move in with his best friend, and told her he was checking into a hospital! Later, the girlfriend caught them at a PVR cinema holding popcorn with his Best friend while holding hands!"

Rishabh stared at the stranger, then back at Achint. "And... how do you know this?"

"Because his ex screamed at him across the campus lawn ! But wait, that's not even the best part," she said, her eyes sparkling with absolute glee. "Later,he found out the best friend with whom he ditched his girlfriend was also cheating on him with that same girl that means his girlfriend. The poor guy was crying in the corridor. I honestly couldn't tell if he was crying over the girlfriend or the boy friend!"

Rishabh stared at her, utterly bewildered. What am I doing? Here he was, a high profile criminal defense lawyer, sitting in a café listening to campus gossip like it was a supreme court briefing, completely invested.

He rubbed his forehead, realizing with terrifying clarity that she was actively rewriting his sanity brick by brick.

"Jane dijiye, humein kya!" she shrugged nonchalantly, leaning back and sipping her monstrous chocolate shake with an angelic expression of pure innocence.

Rishabh shook his head, a helpless, breathless laugh slipping past his lips. After delivering a ten minute investigative report, she was sitting there looking like the most innocent person.

Once they finished, they walked back under the quiet canopy of the night.

"You're always like this?" Rishabh asked softly, genuine amusement lacing his tone.

"Like what? A walking firecracker?" She wiggled her eyebrows playfully.

He smiled, looking straight ahead. "Nothing."

"Arey bataiye na, sharmaiye mat! Main bilkul bura nahi manungi, do chaar tareef mere muh par phenk dijiye!" she challenged playfully.

Rishabh finally stopped walking, turning to look down at her under the yellow glow of the apartment gate lamp. "I thought you were broken because of what happened last week. I came down just to make sure you weren't hurting. Instead, I found myself ambushed by you dancing wildly on a chaotic song."

Achint's playful expression softened just a fraction, the moonlight catching the dark depths of her eyes.

"Chaotic song?" she feigned offense. "Nahi! Main toh masterpiece par dance kar rahi thi Dil walon ke dil ka qaraar lootne!" she sang a loud, tuneless bar right there in the lobby driveway.

"Stop! People are staring!" Rishabh hissed, a laugh breaking through his panic as he glanced around the empty courtyard.

"Oho, aap kuch zyada hi care karte hain in do kaudi ke logo ki!" she rolled her eyes. "Hamare UP mein toh aise ghooroge toh chappal khane padenge, aur gaali alag!"

"You're from UP?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, my mother's family is from Agra." she said softly, the flippant armor dropping for a fleeting second.

They stepped into the elevator, the heavy metal doors sliding shut, sealing them in a quiet, intimate bubble. When it reached their floor, they stepped out into the hallway. As Achint turned toward her apartment door, Rishabh's voice stopped her.

"Miss Sharma."

She paused, looking back over her shoulder.

"Stay like this," he said quietly, his dark eyes steady and completely bare of walls. "Don't ever let anyone force you into silence."

Achint's breath hitched. A bright, radiant smile broke across her face, lighting up the dim corridor like actual sunshine. "Okay! Does that officially mean you're giving me full immunity to legally trouble you for the rest of the internship?"

Rishabh let out a soft huff of air, shaking his head. "I just... I don't want the silence."

"Okay! From tomorrow, I'll make sure you regret saying that!" she joked brightly.

"Goodnight, Miss Sharma."

"Bye, sir! Goodnight!" She gave a cheerful little wave and slipped inside her apartment, clicking the lock shut.

Rishabh stood in the hallway for a long moment, the quiet space suddenly feeling warm. A small, permanent smile rested on his face as he walked into his own flat, knowing the quiet was gone, and for the first time in his life, he didn't want it back.

It had been a week since Dev had been forced to leave urgently for abroad due to critical business issues. He missed Janisha with an ache that felt physical, but between the heavy workload and the time zone difference, he could only manage a few stolen minutes to talk to her mostly because by the time he finally caught a break, it was the dead of night back in India.

Janisha's phone buzzed on the nightstand. Seeing Dev's caller ID flash across the screen, her heart skipped a beat, and she swiped to answer immediately.

"Hello!" she said softly.

"Hayeeeee!" his rich, breathless voice came through the speaker.

"Ji?" she frowned, caught off guard.

"Kuch nahi ji!" (Nothing, ji!) he replied.

"Kya ho gaya hai!" (What has happened to you!) she asked, still frowning in amusement.

"Aapse pyar, mohabbat, aur thoda bahut uhun uhun!" (Love, romance, and a little bit of... uhun uhun with you!) he teased.

She let out a soft giggle. "Kya?" (What?)

"Wahi jo aap samajh nahi rahi hain!" (The thing you're refusing to understand!) he sighed dramatically.

"Dev ji kya hua hai aaj?" (Dev ji, what is wrong with you today?) she asked with a smile pulling at her lips.

"Bataya toh ji aapse pyar. Aur is chakkar mein neend ud gayi hai meri!" (I told you, love for you. And because of that, my sleep has completely vanished!) he said, resting his head back against the headboard of his hotel sofa.

Her cheeks instantly flared red. "Yeh kis type ki baatein kar rahe hain aap?" (What kind of things are you talking about right now?) she asked shyly.

"Bas wahi jo aap mujhse nahi karti!" (Just the things you don't do with me!)

"Kya nahi karti main?" (What don't I do?) she asked, completely missing his drift.

"Wahi agar magar, aah uhh wali baatein!" (Those 'what if' kinds of talks!)

"Agar magar, Aah Uhh?" (What ifs?) she frowned.

"Haan, ki agar main aapke paas hota, bohot paas... phir dheere se mere honth aapke galo ko chume, phir dheere dheere aapke gale ko..." (Yes, that if I were near you, very close... then slowly my lips brushed against your cheeks, then slowly your neck...) he murmured huskily.

"Dev ji.." she shrieked, instantly palming her burning cheeks as heat radiated off her skin.

"Magar aap ye sab karne kahan dengi!" (But where would you let me do all this!) he sighed.

"Aap kaunse mood mein aa gaye hain?" (What kind of mood have you suddenly gotten into?) she asked in utter shock.

"Ji, aapke saath thodi shaitani karne ke mood mein!" (Well, in the mood to be a little mischievous with you!) he replied smoothly.

Janisha bit her lower lip hard to stop herself from blushing furiously. "Aapko nahi lag raha ki aap bohot fast ja rahe hain?" (Don't you think you're going way too fast?) she asked.

"Kahan? If I had been fast, then I would be above you, hovering over, kissing you breathlessly and making you feel heaven that you'll only remember me and my name. But here I'm just talking, that too shallow one!" (Where? ) he retorted.

Janisha gasped, her eyes going wide. "Dev ji? You literally said that?" she asked in a mix of shock and agonizing shyness.

"I have just said, Jaan. I didn't do anything!" he replied with absolute calm.

"You're too shameless!" she accused in mock anger.

"Really? But I haven't even done anything!" he whined like a helpless kid, making her let out a hopeless, breathless smile.

"Stop teasing me, or I'll not pick your call!" she warned.

"Oh god no! I'm already craving for you badly. This distance is already making me insane, so don't do it, Jaan, please..." he pleaded, his tone instantly turning soft and desperate.

"Okay, so no teasing?" she asked in mock seriousness.

He let out a heavy sigh. "Kya zulm hai yaar. Chaliye, aapka yeh zulm bhi sar aankhon par!" (What tyranny. Alright, even this tyranny of yours is accepted)

She blushed deeper at his words. "Did you eat?" she asked, changing the topic.

"Hmm," he hummed. "How's your internship going?"

"It's good, just 3 weeks are remaining!" she replied.

"Okay. Don't take stress, and if anything troubles you, then tell me, I'll handle it!" he reminded gently.

"Achha? exam hai 3 weeks ke baad. Meri jagah de denge kya aap?" (Right, there are exams after 3 weeks. Will you give them in my place?) she asked mockingly.

"Aap kahengi toh poora result aapke hisaab se banwa dunga. You just have to order!" (If you say so, I'll get the entire result made according to your wish. You just have to order!) he answered without missing a beat.

Janisha shook her head in disbelief. This man is really insane for her, she thought.

"Go and sleep!" she instructed.

"Why? What happened? Did I say anything wrong?" he asked in sudden panic.

"Oh god, nothing happened, Dev ji. I'm just a little tired, and tomorrow I have early classes. Also, you're sounding tired!" she reasoned.

"Meri saari thakaan door ho jaati hai aapki aawaaz sun kar!" (All my tiredness vanishes just by hearing your voice!) he said, visibly relaxing against the couch.

"Okay, but right now take some rest. You have a meeting in two hours, and I am sure you haven't slept even a minute!" she scolded softly.

He smiled softly into the phone. "Yeah... good night."

"Good night," she whispered.

"I love you!" he murmured, and her heart skipped a violent beat.

"Uh... thank you!" she stammered, unable to find the courage to say it back yet.

Dev took a deep, steadying breath. "Take care," he said softly, and cut the call.

It was early evening when Janisha and Abhishek walked back through the front door carrying heavy bags of groceries, only to freeze in their tracks. In the middle of the living room, Achint was sitting cross legged on the floor, listening with absolute, undivided attention to a random elderly woman. (she had apparently dragged the old lady in from somewhere down the hallway.)

"Yeh kaun hai?" (Who is this?) Janisha whispered, blinking in confusion.

"Mujhe kya pata?" (How should I know?) Abhishek replied, equally baffled.

"Achint ki dadi hai kya?" (Is she Achint's grandmother?) Janisha asked.

"Uski dadi hai aur mujhe aaj tak nahi pata?" (It's her grandma and I didn't know until today?) Abhishek blurted out in shock. Dropping the grocery bags right onto the floor, he marched over.

"Yeh kaun hai, Achint?" (Who is this, Achint?)

"Oh, tum log aa gaye!" (Oh, you guys are back!) Achint chirped happily.

"Nahi, abhi Sabzi Mandi mein hi hain!" (No, we're still at the vegetable market!) Abhishek taunted sarcastically, making her wrinkle her nose.

"Janu, yeh dadi hain!" (Janu, this is dadi!) Achint introduced proudly.

"Oye! Teri dadi hai aur tune bataya tak nahi mujhe?" (Hey! It's your grandma and you didn't even tell me?) Abhishek demanded, looking genuinely wounded. "Arey par " Achint tried to interrupt.

"Chup reh yaar, mujhe nahi pata tha tu mujhse yeh sab chhupati bhi hai. Main school se tujhe jaanta hoon! Maine tujhe yeh tak bataya tha ki meri laal chaddi ud gayi thi aur kitna roya tha main, aur tune mujhe itna bada sach nahi bataya!" (Shut up, yaar, I didn't know you hid things like this from me. I've known you since school! I even told you when my red underwear blew away in the wind and how much I cried, and you didn't tell me this massive truth!) he ranted dramatically.

Everyone in the room visibly scrunched their noses at him. Before he could squeeze out any more fake tears, a walking stick cracked sharply against his shin.

"Oww!" Abhishek jumped, rubbing his leg. "Nashpite, uski baat toh sun le! Magar nahi, apni hi rat laga kar baitha hai!" (You fool, at least listen to her! But no, you just keep repeating your own nonsense!) the old lady scolded, whacking him again with her stick.

"Oww, dadi, sorry..." Abhishek yelped, hopping backward and scurrying to hide behind Janisha. Achint burst into a loud, unbothered fit of laughter.

"Main iski dadi nahi hoon! Main toh raste mein mil gayi thi, toh yeh bachhi ne meri poori kahaani suni aur mujhe yahan lekar aa gayi. Badi pyaari bachhi hai, aaj tak kisi ne meri prem kahaani itne gaur se nahi suni!" (I'm not her grandma! I just ran into her on the street, so this girl listened to my whole life story and brought me here. Such a sweet child, no one has ever listened to my stories with this much focus before!) Dadi explained warmly, while Achint flashed a triumphant grin.

Meanwhile, Janisha and Abhishek stared at her like she had escaped from a psychiatric ward. "Dadi, I think you should go now," Janisha suggested politely.

"Arey aise kaise? Abhi toh humne decide kiya hai ki dance karenge! Tum logon ko pata hai, dadi apne zamane mein patakha thi!" (What do you mean, 'go'? We just decided we're going to dance! Do you guys know, dadi was an absolute firecracker in her youth!) Achint declared, prompting a pair of deeply horrified glances from Janisha and Abhishek.

"Yeh dimaag se paidal dost kaise bani meri?" (How did this brain dead idiot become my friend?) Abhishek muttered under his breath, still cowering behind Janisha.

"Yaar, woh toh yeh shuru se thi, magar ab yeh bahar se anjaan logon ko pakad kar laane lagegi, yeh nahi pata tha mujhe!" (Yaar, she was always like this, but now she's starting to kidnap random strangers off the street I didn't know she'd go this far!) Janisha sighed.

"Wahi toh! Agar yeh budhiya koi serial killer hoti toh? Jis tarah se dande maare hain na isne mujhe, kasam se police waale dande se zyada lagi hai!" (Exactly! What if this old lady is a serial killer? The way she swung her stick at me, I swear It was terrible than police batons!) Abhishek whispered frantically.

"Tu police ke dande bhi kha chuka hai?" (You've been beaten by police batons too?) Janisha frowned.

"Haan, isi namooni ki wajah se!" (Yes, because of this specimen right here!) Abhishek hissed, gesturing toward Achint, who was now busy browsing music playlists with the elderly woman.

"Tu hi jhel in logon ko, main ja raha hoon apne flat par. Mujhse nahi khaye jayenge aur dande!" (You handle these people alone, I'm going back to my flat. I can't take any more beatings!) Abhishek announced, bolting out the front door in pure panic.

Suddenly, the heavy, thumping bassline of Halkat Jawani blasted through the speakers. Janisha's eyes went wide as saucers at the sudden noise. True to her word, Achint and Dadi immediately broke out into wild, uninhibited dance moves, swaying their hips and throwing their arms up.

"Aaja zara sarak le, gir le zara bahak le,

Saiyaan zara chhalak le, haye, aake mose lipat le!"

Before Janisha could even process the chaos, Achint lunged forward and grabbed her arm. "Achint, tu pagal hai kya?!" (Achint, are you out of your mind?!) Janisha protested, planting her feet.

"Arey yaar, bohot tension leti hai, dance kar!" (Arre yaar, you take too much tension, just dance!) Achint laughed recklessly, pulling Janisha in by the waist and dragging her into a ridiculous, jerky step. Despite herself, Janisha let out a helpless giggle at Achint's sheer absurdity.

"Tedha zehar hai ye isse na kar chhedkhani,

Life ki naughty kahaani ye halkat jawani!"

Dadi spun around, brandishing her walking stick like a prop master before dropping into an enthusiastic hip sway. Achint let out a piercing, loud whistle, and Janisha threw her head back, laughing brightly as she finally surrendered and joined the circle.

"Meetha ye namkeen paani, ye halkat jawani!" Janisha and Achint faced each other, nailing the frantic hook step in sync.

"Haye joban hai pyaasa toh zor kare,

Ainvaye ye din mein bhi shor kare!

Takiya bana le pat le

Kambal bana rapat le

Tan hai kateela baras ki ada hai shaitani

Life ki naughty kahani, ye halkat Jawani..."

Janisha hopped in front of Dadi. The old woman flashed a cheeky wink, swaying her arms, which sent Janisha into another fit of laughter.

From the corner of the room, Achint whipped out her phone, noticing how carefree and genuinely happy Janisha looked. Moving fast, she quickly recorded a video, sneaked Janisha's phone off the counter, sent the video straight to Dev, and slipped the phone back before jumping back into the dance floor.

"Meetha ye namkeen paani, ye halkat jawani!"

Right as they hit the peak of the chorus, the music abruptly cut dead silence filling the room.

"Kis bhai ke launde ne band kiya yeh?!" Dadi bellowed indignantly.

Standing right in the doorway with the auxiliary cord pulled out of his hand, Rishabh's eyes bulged out of his head. He had unplugged the speakers because the noise was destroying his concentration on a complex case study.

Dadi slowly pivoted, marching straight up to Rishabh until she was standing inches away from him. "Teri mausa ki machardani kholun, bhai ke munde! Yeh tere baap ka ghar hai jo yeh band kar diya, haan?!" she fired off without missing a beat.

Rishabh was completely frozen, his brain short circuiting. He stared at Janisha and Achint in absolute horror, realizing he was currently on the receiving end of a barrage of insults in a dialect he couldn't even map.

"Dadi!" Janisha finally scrambled forward, horrified, grabbing the old woman's arm. "Yeh... yeh hamare professor hain!" (She... she's our professor!)

"Haan toh popla hoga apne ghar mein! Yahan aakar yeh band kyun kiya?!" (So what if he's a professor in his own house?! Why did he come here and stop the music?) Dadi snapped back, and Rishabh looked like he might actually faint.

Achint hurriedly stepped in, biting the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. "Dadi, actually yeh humein tuition padhate hain, aur ab time ho gaya hai tuition ka! Aap aisa karo, aaj ghar jao, hum log phir kisi aur din dance karenge!" (Dadi, actually he teaches us tuitions, and tuition time is starting! Why don't you go home today, and we'll dance some other time?)

"E nash mara, tera tusan wala hai!" (Oh damn you, it's your tuition guy!) Dadi grumbled.

Sun nakchidhe meri bachio ko achhe se padhana warna tere tusan ki pagar na milegi aur ye danda marungi alag!"she warned and Rishabh gulped.

The old lady grumbled and Achint managed to steer her toward the door to drop her off down at the ground floor.

Left alone in the living room, Janisha turned to Rishabh, her face burning red with mortification. "SORRY, sir! Achint pata nahi kis kis ko lekar aa gayi thi. Hum log toh jaante bhi nahi hain unko!" (Sorry, sir! Achint brought god knows who into the apartment. We don't even know her!)

Rishabh clutched his temples, completely traumatized by the elderly stranger who had just verbally dismantled his dignity. Without a single word, he turned on his heel and bolted back into his own apartment, slamming the door shut behind him.