At Delhi

At Delhi
Avani arrived in Delhi, notifying her family of her safe arrival. With Smriti away on a long leave, Avani found herself alone in her apartment. As the night progressed, she settled in her home and prepared a light meal for herself and contemplating the recent silence from Rishabh.

In spite of that, Avani picked up her phone and dialled Rishabh's number, now it was absolutely beyond reach.

"Where are you?' Frustration and worry filled Avani as thought touched her mind. She again picked up her phone and started typing a text to send to Rishabh, desperate for his response.

‘Where are you Rishabh…. I am trying to reach you since last week. I hope you are okay. Please call me as soon as you get this message. I need to talk to you. I am in Delhi for 2 days.' Avani pressed the send button. While waiting, she kept tapping her phone screen in nervousness. But, the silence from the other end only intensified her anxiety. In a fit of anger, she tossed her phone onto the couch, burying her face in her hands to quell the restlessness within.

The memory of their last meeting replayed in her mind, and the absence of his presence since then fuelled her fears. Was this the culmination of their relationship, she wondered, a punishment for pushing him away?

s


In Army Unit office in Delhi Army Headquarters, Rishabh was busy but thoughts of Avani was still occupied in corner of his mind. His visit to Avani before Diwali left him grappling with profound emotional pain. Avani, in turn, emotionally and physically distanced herself from him. Feeling the weight of his actions and the repercussions of hurting Avani, Rishabh saw this separation as a form of punishment he believed he deserved. Despite the anguish, he was determined to respect Avani's apparent desire for space and distance.

But end this relationship? No never, not in my dreams.' He thought and involuntary smirk appeared on his lips.

He realized that Avani was deeply hurt and broken, and he was the cause of her suffering. He understood that healing would take time, but he was determined to mend her heart with his love. Even though he had achieved success and reached his life's goals, the realization that he had lost the most precious person in his life, left him feeling a mix of anger, sadness, and disappointment in himself.

When Rishabh received a call for an urgent meeting at the Delhi Army Headquarters, he quickly went home, changed into his uniform, and informed Vikram about the situation. Both headed towards the Airforce base in Pune, where an Army chopper was waiting for them.

Upon reaching Delhi, Rehaan and Kabir, his fellow comrade, and friends, were already waiting for them both at the base. They settled in their Army van and proceeded towards the Défense Minister's office. The meeting lasted for about four hours, after which they had to report back to the Ghaziabad Army base.

The next day, as Rishabh entered the technical room, he received a call from Avani. Despite not being angry, he had to disconnect her call as he had to rush inside the room. Avani called again, and he disconnected once more. She sent him a message, but he couldn't reply. Before entering the room, he switched off his phone.

Rishabh was deeply engrossed in a critical mission involving a potential threat. Collaborating with a team of adept Army hackers, he dedicated himself to hacking systems and extracting information. To maintain focus, he deliberately kept his phone off for 12 days. The team successfully cracked a system, revealing a looming attack scheduled for the next year in Delhi. However, the exact location remained elusive.

With gathered information, Rishabh confidentially shared the findings with intelligence agencies for further leads. Exiting the technical room after completing the task, he finally switched on his phone. To his surprise, he discovered numerous missed calls and messages from Avani, his mom, and Kriti. A smile appeared on his face as he realized the depth of Avani's love. Amidst the notifications, he noticed Avani's last message, expressing her presence in Delhi for two days and a desire to talk to him.

Rishabh couldn't help but smile when he saw the abundance of messages from her. Their love for each other was unwavering. With a smile on his face, he took a deep breath. Her last message informed him that she was in Delhi for the next two days and wanted to talk. It was already midnight, so he decided to meet her the following evening. However, he couldn't resist the urge to playfully tease her. Suppressing a smile, he refrained from responding to her message and instead, tracked her location through his phone. Confirming that she was at her apartment, he instructed the guards to stay alert and keep close watch on Avani's apartment. This precautionary measure had been in place since the day he initiated the breakup, ensuring her safety in his absence. Vikram, Rehaan, and Kabir were aware to this arrangement. After a demanding day at work, Rishabh headed straight to his quarters, preparing for an early departure to Delhi Headquarters the next morning to submit final reports on the identified locations.

Avani reached the office early, dressed in beige pencil-fit trousers and a crisp black shirt. Her hair was tied in a neat ponytail, stilettos clicking softly as she walked in. The post-Diwali silence filled the space, only a few colleagues at their desks. As she settled in, she noticed the familiar black Innova still parked outside her society. Something about it lingered in her mind.

She called Smriti.

"Hey stranger," Avani said playfully. "Too busy with Vikram to call your poor friend?"

"Shut up! I was about to call you," Smriti laughed. "Wait, are you in office?"

"Yeah. Meeting's in the evening. Thought I’d get a head start. By the way... still no word from Rishabh. He read my message yesterday. Nothing."

"Still? That doesn’t sound like him," Smriti said, concerned.

"I think this time it’s really over," Avani said quietly.

"Don’t lose hope yet." Smirit consoled her.

Before Avani could reply, a shadow loomed. Tushar, her manager, leaned in too close.

"Good morning, Avani. You look beautiful today," he said, his eyes scanned her.

"Excuse me," she replied sharply, moving away. "Do we need any client decks?"

"No," he said, smirking.

Feeling uneasy, Avani walked to the breakout room.