Ruhi's POV...
Sometimes, I find myself wishing we'd never crossed paths. Wishing my heart didn't ache so deeply for you. If only those words had never been spoken… if only you hadn't drifted so far away. Maybe, just maybe, with a little more time, I could've painted the emotions in my heart, made you see what you mean to me. But it's all just a wish now.
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A little while later…
"Ruhi!" Mom's voice breaks through my thoughts, pulling me back to reality.
"Yes, Mom?" I respond, looking up.
"Come here. Dinner's ready." Mom calls.
I take a deep breath, setting aside my phone.
"Yeah, I'm coming." I call back, forcing a small smile.
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The Next Morning...
Comments flood my notifications:
> "Hey Ruhi, this is so helpful for me…"
> "You're always awesome!"
> "My first comment!"
> "I wish I could get a heart from you…"
> "Again, love for this channel and you."
> "Why don't you give full information?"
> "Please make a review!"
It's nice, seeing the responses grow, feeling like all my hard work is beginning to pay off. Right then, my phone rings.
"Hey, Esha," I answer.
"Oh my god, Ruhi, Ruhi, Ruhi! It's ten million! Your video hit ten million views!" Esha's excitement bursts through the line.
I laugh, a bit in disbelief.
"Thank you so much, Esha." I say, still processing the news.
"Have you seen the comments? They're incredible!" she asks, her voice bubbling with excitement.
"Yeah, I was just reading through them." I respond.
"Keep it up, girl. This is huge! Love you!" Esha says, her voice filled with pride.
"Love you more, Esha." I reply, feeling her joy lifting me up.
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The Following Day...
Knock, knock…
"Hi, Aunty! Is Anshi home?" I ask, smiling at the warm, familiar face of Anshi's mom.
"Hey, Ruhi! Yes, she's in her room. Come on in." She says, waving me inside.
"Thanks," I say, stepping into the house that feels like a second home to me.
"Ruhi!" Anshi calls out, appearing in the hallway.
"What's up? You didn't call first." Anshi says, slightly surprised.
"Well, I left home early and thought I'd drop by. I just needed to return this book to you." I say, handing her a worn paperback.
She takes it, looking at me skeptically.
"Oh, did I lend you this?" Anshi asks, raising an eyebrow.
"Yep, you did." I respond with a grin.
"Really? Alright then, if you say so." She says, still skeptical.
I smile.
"Anyway, here you go. I should get going." I add, making a move to leave.
Anshi raises an eyebrow.
"Wait, where are you rushing off to?" she asks, curiosity lighting her face.
I hesitate, knowing how she's going to react.
"You know that area near Arav's place? The one with the cemetery?" I ask.
She frowns. "Yeah…?"
"Well, there's an old bungalow right next to it, abandoned for years. I want to explore it for my vlog." I say, the excitement in my voice.
Anshi's face shifts, her expression tightening.
"An abandoned bungalow? Really?" Anshi asks, concern creeping into her tone.
"Yep! That's the plan. I'm not exactly sure how close it is to the cemetery, but it's somewhere around there." I explain.
Anshi crosses her arms, clearly uneasy.
"Ruhi, I don't know. This doesn't sit well with me." she says, her concern evident.
"Come on, don't worry so much. People love these kinds of stories. It'll be fine." I try to reassure her.
"Look, I'm not just worried about that. If something goes wrong, it's you who's going to be in danger. I don't know, Ruhi, I've got a bad feeling about this. Please reconsider." Anshi pleads with me.
"You're overthinking it, Anshi. Really, I'll be okay." I say, trying to stay calm.
"Please, think it through just one more time." Anshi urges.
"Trust me, Anshi, I've already thought about it. Anyway, I should get going." I say, my voice firm, but I can tell she's not convinced.
Anshi's gaze lingers on me, a mixture of concern and frustration in her eyes.
"Ruhi… please, I'm still urging you to stay away from this." she says softly, her voice full of worry.
I let out a sigh, trying to keep things light.
"Alright, alright. Bye then!" I say, waving as I step outside.
As I walk away, I glance back to see her watching me leave, worry written all over her face. Her concern lingers in my mind, like a shadow following me as I walk away, but curiosity drives me on.
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