She was born of water—tides, whispers, moonlit rivers.
He rose from fire—flames, fury, untamed stars.
The world said they would end each other.Magic said otherwise.
Rekha turned to the next page of the diary. A smile formed on her lips as she imagined the scene unfolding. Since she had no idea what “Jaanu” looked like, her mind automatically placed herself in Jaanu’s shoes. She couldn’t help but picture herself living these moments, and it made her heart race with excitement
Diary Entry:
“Finally, I got Gagan’s mobile number!
But the moment I called, my bad luck struck.
Aryaman answered the call.
‘Hello, who’s this?’ he said.
I wanted to scream. Aryaman! I will kill you someday!
I calmly replied, ‘Can you pass the phone to my boyfriend?’
Aryaman burst out laughing. ‘Really?’ he asked, still chuckling.
I rolled my eyes. ‘Do you have nothing better to do than laugh? I’ll curse you to become a rat! And trust me, Aryaman, once you’re a rat, you won’t survive long. Should I do it?’
At this point, Rekha couldn’t hold back her laughter. She closed the diary and laughed uncontrollably, imagining the poor guy’s reaction. After a few moments, she wiped her eyes, settled down, and opened the diary again.
Aryaman was panicking. ‘Oh no!’ he yelled, running to Gagan’s room and shoving the phone into his hand.
‘Gagan, take this! I don’t want to be cursed into a rat or some other creature. Be careful, yaar—I think she’s a witch!’
Gagan, who was busy with some files, sighed and walked out of the room, taking the phone.
Meanwhile, Jaanu was watching him through her binoculars from her apartment, smiling to herself.
Aryaman muttered, ‘She’s mad. Completely mad.’
‘Hello?’ Gagan said into the phone, his voice calm but curious.
Jaanu’s heart began to race. She had been waiting for this moment.
‘H-hello,’ she stammered, trying to control her excitement.
‘Who’s this?’ Gagan asked, confused.
‘Can I speak with my boyfriend? I mean… my would-be boyfriend?’ she blurted out, trying to sound confident.
Gagan frowned at his phone. The number was private.
‘Is this some sort of prank?’ he asked, his tone stern.
‘Do you think it’s a prank?’ she teased.
‘I’m not interested in nonsense. Stop wasting my time,’ Gagan replied.
Jaanu smiled. ‘Then maybe you should get some sense, Gagan.’
That made him pause. ‘How do you know my name?’ he asked, now on high alert.
‘I have my ways,’ she said with a playful tone.
‘Then why don’t you come and talk to me directly? Why all this?’
There was a brief silence before Jaanu replied, her voice soft, ‘Because we don’t know what the next moment holds. I’m scared of rejection, Gagan. I can’t bear the thought of you saying no to me. If that’s my fate, I at least want to make a few memories, hear your voice, and talk to you. That’s enough for me to live on.’
Gagan was stunned. Her words were so genuine, so heartfelt, that they left him speechless.
‘Why do you think I’d reject you?’ he finally asked.
‘Because you haven’t given me any hope that you’d accept me,’ she said, her voice tinged with sadness.
‘Who are you? What’s your name?’ Gagan pressed.
‘Until I feel ready to tell you, let’s just say my name is Jaanu. At least you can call me that. Hearing you say it will feel like I’ve achieved something.’
Gagan, who was about to sit on a chair, stopped when he heard her next words.
‘Gagan, don’t sit on that chair—it’s broken. I think Aryaman forgot to remove it,’ Jaanu said.
Gagan froze in surprise. ‘How do you know that? Are you watching me?’
Jaanu quickly replied, ‘No, I’m calling from Albany.’
Gagan immediately opened his phone to check the weather report for Albany. It was currently raining there.
‘So, how’s the weather in Albany?’ he asked, testing her.
Jaanu sensed something was off. She quickly Googled the weather in Albany and saw that it was indeed raining. She ran to the washroom, turned on the shower, and stood far enough away so only the sound of water could be heard.
‘Oh, it’s raining here,’ she said, trying to sound casual. ‘Maybe that’s why the signal is weak.’
Gagan was still suspicious, but for the moment, he let it go.
‘If I told you I think you’re lying, what would you say?’ he asked.
Jaanu smiled. ‘Are you upset that I’m lying? Does that mean I’m important enough for you to care?’
Gagan was caught off guard. ‘Jaanu…’ he began.
‘That’s enough, Gagan,’ she interrupted, her voice filled with quiet happiness. ‘You said my name. That’s all I wanted to hear. I love you, Gagan.’
Her words left him speechless, his heart skipping a beat.
‘Jaanu, listen… It’s not like that,’ he started to explain.
‘Shh, let me feel this moment. Don’t disturb my feelings, Gagan. Now go inside; the weather is cold, and it’s not good for you,’ she said softly before cutting the call.
Rekha closed the diary, her mind filled with the girl’s passionate love for Gagan. She leaned back against the wall, a smile on her face.
Rekha’s POV: “Who is this girl? She loved Gagan so deeply, so selflessly. And Gagan… he might not have shown it, but I wonder if she left a mark on his heart too.”
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