D I Y A ' S  P O V

I straighten the wrinkles on the outfit I am going to wear today. It is one of my favorite outfits because it always helps me distract kids during vaccinations at health camps. And honestly, it also helps with the kid inside Aakriti who gets angry at me for being careless about my health. To calm her down, I have to act like a clown all the time just to make her smile.

I know she cares about me a lot. But my profession never really gives me enough time for myself. Still, now I am trying hard to balance everything because I have already lost too many people in my life. I cannot lose her too because of my own negligence.

Then there is the little kid I met this morning, Krish. He is such a brave and adorable child. With just a little sweet talk from me, that tiny guy is ready to do anything. Whenever he fusses about bland food or bitter medicines, I simply tease him by saying I will marry him one day, and instantly that little charmer listens to everything. He is truly a cute kid.

And today, another cutie is coming. Rashmi ma'am told me he is very scared of needles. That is why I am standing here in my red clown dress with a cute little red nose, ready to add some fun to the moment. I really want to help that little one become fearless of injections.

For now, there are no serious cases for me to handle unless an emergency suddenly appears, so I can spend proper time with this cutie.

Kids hold half of my heart anyway.

A little later, I get a call from the receptionist saying that Rashmi ma'am's nephew has arrived. I quickly get ready and decide to play every kid's favorite song, Chanda Chamke Cham Cham. Honestly, not just kids, even adults and old people love this song.

I press the button on the speaker. Since the cabin is soundproof, I do not have to worry about disturbing anyone outside. I hope the little boy likes the environment and forgets his fear of injections for a while. I already told Sweety Aunty to let them enter directly.

As the music starts playing, I begin swaying lightly to the rhythm, waiting for my tiny patient with a smile on my face.

"Oh, the mask!" I quickly pick up the monkey mask and place it behind my head. Why not add one more fun element to my outfit?

I do all this to fill other kids' hearts with laughter, yet I could never do enough for our own. The very reason I started thinking of all these little tricks and cheerful ideas was for my tiny jellybean, Avu.

I miss him so much. Why did he abandon us?

My eyes sting for a second, but I quickly wipe them before the tears can fall. Right now, I need to focus on my work.

Just then, I hear the soft creak of the door. They are here.

At the same moment, the music begins to play.

"Chanda chamke cham cham, chikhe chaukanna chor... Chinti chaate chini chatori chini khor..."

I immediately start dancing playfully with my back facing the door. I sway my body lightly to the rhythm, moving my shoulders dramatically while the monkey mask behind my head bobs along with every step. I raise my hands in the air and do silly little actions to match the lyrics, then spin halfway without turning enough for anyone to see my face. I tap my clown shoes softly against the floor and bounce from one side to another, acting completely lost in the music like a funny cartoon character. The red clown nose and the monkey mask together make the whole act even more ridiculous.

I know I can dance well, and all the credit goes to my Aku. During our college days, she taught me how to live freely and enjoy small moments like a carefree girl. Because of her, I learned how to laugh loudly, dance without caring about judgment, and bring smiles to others even on difficult days.

The song continues playing while I keep my back turned, humming softly and doing playful little dance steps, hoping the child behind me slowly forgets his fear of injections and starts enjoying the moment instead.

I walk backwards toward Sweety Aunty and the little cutie, my whole body moving perfectly in sync with the music. I wave my hands dramatically in the air, then swing them side to side while lightly tapping my feet to the beat.

I can clearly hear Sweety Aunty giggling behind me, but where is the child's laughter? Why is the little one so quiet?

Before I can think much about it, the next line of the song starts playing.

"Itna mushkil hai gaana, zara gaa ke dikhana..."

Right on cue, I finally turn around, planning to point at the child dramatically as if asking him to sing just like the confused little kid in the song.

But the moment I turn, my eyes widen in shock.

My feet freeze instantly.

My hands remain stretched apart exactly the way they were during the dance, and my waist stays awkwardly tilted to the left from the move I had just done seconds ago.

Everything inside me stops.

Never in my entire life have I ever felt this embarrassed.

Never.

For one horrifying second, my brain completely shuts down as I stare ahead in disbelief.

Oh God.

At this point, I seriously should have learned some curse words from him and Aku because I desperately need them right now just to curse myself.

What was I even doing?!

Inside my head, I scream dramatically.

Aakhritiiii! HELP ME!

A U T H O R ' S  P O V

As Diya stands there with horror written all over her face, Rishi finds himself admiring her even more than he does while secretly watching her dance a few moments ago.

There is something dangerously beautiful about a person who embarrasses themselves so freely just to make a child smile.

A soft laugh almost escapes his lips, but he holds it back.

Instead, he bends a little closer toward her, enough for his voice to reach only her ears, and sings the line she has been waiting for from the "cutie" in her imagination.

"Chanda chini chamke chaate, chaukanna chikhe chor..."

The moment his voice wraps around her, Diya's lips part slightly.

Her amber eyes slowly lift to meet his pale hazel ones.

And suddenly, something shifts.

Not around them.

Inside them.

The playful atmosphere of the room quietly fades away, leaving behind only this strange stillness between two racing hearts.

Diya forgets how to breathe properly for a second.

His eyes are unfairly calm, yet they carry something deep enough to drown in. They look like silent rain before a storm, soft but capable of shaking everything inside her. And the way he looks at her, without laughter or mockery, makes her chest tighten strangely.

Why is he looking at her like she is something precious?

"Oh Bhagwan ji... what is happening to me? I ask you to save me from embarrassment, not make my heart forget how to behave."

Meanwhile, Rishi stands just as lost.

Because her eyes...

God.

Those amber eyes are not just pretty. They feel alive.

Like they carry sunlight inside them.

Warm like golden winter mornings after difficult nights. Like the last rays of sunset touching a quiet river. There is comfort in them, softness in them, and yet somewhere deep inside, there is hidden pain too. The kind of pain that teaches a person how to love others gently.

And maybe that is why her eyes glow the way they do.

Rishi feels himself getting pulled toward her in the quietest way possible.

Not like fire.

Not like an obsession.

But like tired hearts finding warmth after being cold for too long.

The red clown nose on her face, the monkey mask hanging behind her head, her frozen dance pose, all of it should look ridiculous.

Instead, to him, she looks unforgettable.

And Diya, standing there under his gaze, feels her heartbeat soften and race at the same time.

"Diya, he is Rashmi ma'am's nephew and Sunetra Bhati's grandson, Rishi. And Rishi, she is the doctor your aunt assigns for you," Sweety Aunty says warmly, trying to ease the strange tension floating inside the cabin.

But her introduction changes absolutely nothing.

If anything, both hearts become even more restless.

One beats fast because of nervousness and closeness.

The other beats softly in admiration.

Rishi keeps looking at Diya while she awkwardly stands there in her red clown dress with the monkey mask hanging behind her head and the music still playing faintly in the background.

God.

She looks unreal.

Cute in the most dangerous way possible.

A smile slowly appears on his lips before he mutters softly under his breath,

" Looks like the doctor distracted me from my fear only to leave me distracted by her cuteness."

Diya instantly notices his lips moving.

Her brows pull together suspiciously as she looks at him with innocent confusion.

"Aap mera mazak bana rahe hai apne mann mein?" she asks softly.
("Are you making fun of me in your mind?")

Rishi's heart almost betrays him right there.

How is someone this adorable while accusing him?

He lets out a quiet chuckle and slowly reaches forward.

Before Diya understands what he is doing, he gently takes the little red clown nose off her face, making her gasp softly in surprise.

For a second, both of them freeze again.

Because suddenly the distance between them feels far too small.

Rishi twirls the tiny red nose between his fingers before looking back at her.

"No, Doctor Sahiba," he says softly, amusement dancing in his pale hazel eyes. "I am just saying Maasi does a great job choosing a doctor who can make me forget I am scared of injections."

Then his gaze slowly travels from her messy clown outfit to the monkey mask and back to her glowing amber eyes.

A smile tugs at his lips again.

"I mean..." he says deliberately, pretending to think seriously, "after this, I might start coming here again and again just to get injections from you."

Diya's eyes widened instantly.

"Only you, Doctor Sahiba."

Hearing his words, Diya's eyes widen instantly, and a deep shade of red slowly spreads across her cheeks.

Oh God.

Why does this man speak like this so casually?

Her heart starts panicking again, and unable to handle his teasing gaze anymore, she quickly ducks her head down in shyness.

But before the silence between them can grow any softer, a loud sound of someone clearing his throat suddenly echoes inside the cabin.

Once.

Then again.

Diya and Rishi both turn toward the source at the same time.

Atharv stands there, looking at them intently with an expression that screams he has understood far more than he should.

"Are you having a dry throat?" Diya immediately asks him professionally.

And just like that, her entire expression changes within seconds.

From an embarrassed girl to a calm doctor.

Her voice becomes composed, her posture straightens slightly, and concern fills her features naturally.

The sudden shift leaves Rishi staring at her all over again.

How does she do that so effortlessly?

One second she looks like a flustered sunshine girl hiding behind a clown nose, and the next second she becomes Doctor Diya again.

Rishi cannot help smiling softly to himself.

But before he can admire her further, Atharv loudly clears his throat again.

This time with extra drama.

Rishi's jaw tightens immediately.

Slowly, he turns toward Atharv, only to find him already staring directly at him with raised eyebrows and an annoyingly knowing look on his face.

Meanwhile, Sweety Aunty glances toward Diya meaningfully.

Diya follows her gaze downward.

And freezes.

The clown outfit.

The monkey mask.

The red shoes.

A fresh wave of embarrassment crashes over her.

"Aap log baithiye... I will just come," she mutters quickly before almost running toward the changing room.
("You both sit.")

The moment she disappears, Atharv's eyebrows twitch mischievously.

Then he slowly wiggles them at Rishi as if silently asking,

Why are you looking at the doctor like she personally hangs the stars in your sky?

Rishi glares at him instantly.

Without saying a word, he fishes out a Vicks chocolate from his pocket and throws it directly at Atharv's face.

"I hope this helps soothe your dry throat," Rishi says through gritted teeth.

Then narrowing his eyes, he adds calmly,

"Otherwise, I still have my hands available to squeeze your neck and permanently solve the problem."

Atharv catches the chocolate dramatically and places a hand over his heart like a wounded soul.

"Waah," he says emotionally. "This is what brotherhood becomes after one pretty doctor enters life."

Rishi rolls his eyes in irritation, but the corner of his lips still lifts unconsciously.

Because honestly?

Atharv is not entirely wrong.

Rishi's heart is already awestruck, quietly whipped, and falling for a doctor he is meeting for the very first time.

After a few minutes, Diya returns wearing her usual yellow full-sleeved short kurti paired with white palazzos and her doctor coat over it. The playfulness from earlier is gone now. Her expression is focused and calm as she walks straight toward Rishi and looks at his bandaged arm.

But before she attends to him, she turns to Atharv.

"I'll prescribe you some remedies for your dry throat," she says in a caring, professional tone.

Atharv instantly feels a little better. He nods with a small smile, thinking in his mind,

'Nani ji has sharp eyes. She has chosen the perfect one for Rishi bhaiya.'

He quietly nods at her and steps aside.

Diya then gestures for Rishi to sit on the hospital bed. She carefully starts removing his bandage, her movements gentle and practiced. But her attention is not just clinical. Her brows slightly furrow when she sees the wound, and there is a faint concern in her eyes as she examines it.

Rishi, on the other hand, is not really focusing on the wound at all.

He is watching her.

The way she concentrates.

The way her lips press together slightly as she works.

The way she almost winces mentally, like she is feeling the pain for him too.

Something about that makes his chest feel oddly warm.

"So, Mr.... how did you get this?" Diya asks in her professional, steady voice.

"Rishi," he says softly, eyes still fixed on her face.

She pauses for a second.

"I'm sorry, what?" she asks, slightly confused.

"Call me Rishi," he says again, this time with a faint boyish smile.

For a second, the room goes still.

Atharv, who is just about to drink water, suddenly chokes and starts coughing loudly.

Rishi does not even look at him.

He already knows.

This is new.

Rishi never lets just anyone call him by his first name. For most people, it is Mr. Chauhan or Boss or Rishiraj.

But here he is.

Offering it so casually.

To a stranger doctor he just met.

Diya frowns slightly, still confused by the reaction, but before she can say anything, Rishi turns his head and says flatly,

"Paani pi lo, Atharv. Agar main uthke gaya na tumhe paani pilane, toh tumhe tumhari nani yaad aa jayegi."
("Drink some water, Atharv. If I get up to make you drink it, you'll start missing your grandmother.")

Atharv immediately stops coughing, nods like a disciplined student, and drinks the entire glass of water in one go.

Sweety Aunty, who has just entered again, looks at the scene and quietly shakes her head as if she has seen enough chaos for one lifetime.

Diya sighs softly and turns toward her.

"Sweety Aunty, can you bring lukewarm water with ginger powder for him?" Diya asks politely.

Sweety Aunty nods immediately and leaves the cabin to get it.

As if he has been waiting for this exact moment, Atharv quickly excuses himself too.

"I'll... I'll just drink water outside," he says in a rushed tone.

And before anyone can react, he practically runs out of the cabin, clearly using the excuse of water as an escape route.

But his real mission is something else entirely.

To inform the mastermind behind all of this carefully planned chaos, the one who made this "accidental" meeting happen in the first place.

And that is none other than Sunetra Bhati.

"Okay, Rishi... how did it happen? I am sure it is not like the iron rust just decided to dig a hole in your arm," Diya asks in a firm, very doctor-like tone.

Her eyes stay on the wound, fully professional, but her eyebrows are slightly raised like she is already mentally judging the story.

Rishi looks at her for a second and then smiles like he has absolutely no intention of making this easy.

"Sach bata du toh aap mujhe maarengi toh nahi na?" he says casually.
 ("If I tell you the truth, you won't hit me, will you?")

Diya gives him a look that clearly says I am a doctor, not a criminal.

He continues anyway, very calmly.

"Aur agar maarne ka mann ho, toh bata dena. Main khud ko thappad maar lunga. Bas aap apne haathon ko takleef mat dijiyega, Doctor Sahiba."
("And if you do feel like hitting me, just let me know. I'll slap myself. Just don't trouble your own hands, Doctor Sahiba.")

For half a second, there is silence.

The kind of silence where even the stethoscope probably wants to listen carefully.

Diya freezes.

Then slowly blinks.

Once.

Twice.

Her heart, on the other hand, completely refuses to stay professional and starts behaving like it has just run a marathon without permission.

She opens her mouth to say something but nothing comes as she immediately forgets what she was supposed to say.

Then she tries again.

And inside her head she panics.

She quickly presses her fingers near her wrist, checks her pulse like a proper doctor, then looks at it like it betrayed her.

And somewhere in that quiet chaos, one thought flickers in her mind, half confused and half alarmed.

Am I... going to die because my heart is beating like this?

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