RADHE - RADHE
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POV: Meher

The classroom was quiet except for the steady voice of the professor explaining the topic on the board.

“Now if the microcontroller receives the signal from the ultrasonic sensor before the threshold distance, the motor should immediately slow down…”

Markers scratched softly against the whiteboard as he drew a small diagram of a robotic navigation system.

Students sat focused, some typing on laptops, some scribbling notes quickly.

But near the window…

Meher sat completely still.

Her notebook was open in front of her, but the page was almost empty. The pen rested between her fingers as her eyes drifted toward the sunlight falling across the desk.

Her mind wasn’t in the classroom at all.

It was somewhere between the unfinished lines of code from last night… and the exhaustion still lingering in her body after barely four hours of sleep.

She replayed the robot’s structure in her head.

Did I connect the secondary sensor correctly…?

What if the navigation algorithm glitches tomorrow…?

What if the robot stops in the middle of the demo…?

Her pen absentmindedly started tracing small shapes in the corner of the notebook.

Across the aisle, Ishita had stopped writing notes completely.

Instead, she was watching Meher.

For the last ten minutes.

And the more she watched, the more irritated she became.

Usually Meher was the one correcting everyone’s code and asking questions during lectures.

But today she had barely looked at the board once.

“Meher…” Ishita whispered softly.

No response.

Meher didn’t even blink.

Ishita frowned.

She leaned forward and nudged Meher’s elbow lightly.

Still nothing.

Now her irritation grew.

Finally she grabbed the edge of Meher’s notebook and pulled it slightly toward herself.

The sudden movement snapped Meher back to reality.

“Huh—?”

She turned toward Ishita, confused.

Ishita lifted the notebook slightly.

“Notes le rahi hai?” she whispered sarcastically.

Meher looked down.

Instead of proper notes… the page was filled with random lines, circles, and small mechanical sketches.

She quickly straightened up in her chair.

“Main… bas…” she mumbled quietly.

Ishita rolled her eyes.

“Bas kya?”

Before Meher could answer—

The professor suddenly turned from the board.

“Alright everyone, listen carefully.”

The entire class looked up.

“As you all know, tomorrow will be the final robotics project evaluation.”

Immediately whispers started spreading across the room.

The professor raised his hand slightly to silence them.

“The external evaluator will be coming tomorrow morning.”

A student from the back raised his hand excitedly.

“Sir, kaun aa raha hai?”

The professor smiled faintly.

“That will remain a surprise.”

Groans and excited murmurs filled the room.

Another student asked,

“Sir at least hint toh dijiye!”

But the professor shook his head.

“Only Mr. Khanna, the head of the college, knows who the evaluator is.”

The curiosity in the class only grew stronger.

Some students started whispering guesses.

“Maybe some robotics scientist…”

“Maybe a big company director…”

“Imagine if it’s some famous CEO…”

The speculation continued quietly across the room.

Meher listened to the conversation, but her thoughts immediately went back to her project.

Whoever the evaluator was… it didn’t matter.

What mattered was that Project had to work perfectly tomorrow.

Beside her, Ishita leaned closer again.

Her voice was softer now but still filled with concern.

“Tu theek hai na…?”

Meher looked at her for a moment.

Then she forced a small smile.

“Haan.”

But Ishita wasn’t convinced at all.

She leaned back in her chair with a sigh.

Yeh ladki kuch chhupa rahi hai…

The professor finished the lecture and closed his marker.

“And that’s all for today. Make sure your projects are ready for tomorrow.”

Just as he stepped out of the classroom—

TRRNNGGG!

The bell rang loudly through the corridor.

Chairs scraped against the floor as students immediately began packing their bags. Conversations started filling the room again—everyone discussing their projects, guesses about the mysterious evaluator, and last-minute preparations.

Meher quietly closed her notebook and slipped it into her bag.

Her mind had already shifted to the robotics lab. She needed to check the sensors of

one more time today.

She stood up and was about to walk out with the flow of students—

But suddenly a hand grabbed her wrist.

“Ruk.”

Meher turned.

It was Ishita.

Her expression was serious… almost annoyed.

The rest of the class slowly emptied, leaving the two of them standing near the desks.

Ishita crossed her arms, looking straight into Meher’s eyes.

“Ab bata.”

Meher blinked. “Kya?”

Ishita’s voice became quieter—but much stricter.

“Jo tu chhupa rahi hai.”

Meher tried to laugh it off lightly. “Kuch nahi—”

But Ishita cut her off immediately.

“Meher.”

Her tone carried a scolding edge now.

“Main stupid nahi hoon.”

She stepped closer.

“Subah se dekh rahi hoon tujhe. Tu class mein bhi kahin aur hi thi. Face dekh ke hi pata chal raha hai kuch hua hai.”

Meher stayed silent.

Ishita exhaled in frustration and ran a hand through her hair.

“Am I not your best friend?” she asked.

The question wasn’t angry anymore… it sounded hurt.

“Agar main nahi sunungi toh kaun sunega?”

Her voice softened slightly but the seriousness remained.

“Tu meri sirf best friend nahi hai, Meher… tu meri behen jaisi hai.”

The words hung in the air between them.

“So come on,” Ishita said gently now.

“Tell me what happened.”

For a moment… Meher just looked at her.

Her chest felt tight.

Because Ishita’s words were true.

In a life where most people only gave her taunts or responsibilities… Ishita was one of the few people who truly cared.

Slowly, Meher’s lips curved into a soft smile.

Before saying anything—

She stepped forward and hugged Ishita tightly.

Ishita froze for a second.

Then her irritation melted a little as she hugged her back.

“Pagal ladki…” Ishita muttered quietly.

Meher rested her chin lightly on Ishita’s shoulder.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

Ishita pulled back slightly, narrowing her eyes again.

“Thank you baad mein bolna… pehle bata kya hua hai.”

Meher let out a small breath.

Her smile faded slightly.

The classroom had almost emptied now.

Only a few students remained, packing their bags or chatting near the door. Sunlight streamed through the windows, lighting the quiet space.

Ishita still stood in front of Meher with her arms crossed.

“Ab bata bhi,” she said, her voice firm but worried.

For a moment, Meher looked down at the floor. Her fingers tightened slightly around the strap of her bag.

Then she sighed softly.

“Actually…” she began quietly.

“Meri part-time job… café wali… chali gayi.”

Ishita’s eyebrows shot up in shock.

“Kya?!”

But Meher quickly raised a hand slightly, asking her to listen first.

“Waha par… kal kuch hua.”

She paused, trying to remember the details clearly.

“Café mein do log aaye the… kaafi important lag rahe the. Mujhe unke exact names yaad nahi… par unke assistants unhe Mr. Rana aur Mr. Aryavan keh rahe the.”

Ishita listened silently now.

“One of them was younger… maybe in his late twenties or something,” Meher continued slowly.

“Lekin dusre… Mr. Rana… woh shayad mid-forties ke honge.”

She swallowed lightly before continuing.

“Unhone manager se kaha ki café empty kar do. Unko waha meeting karni thi.”

“So manager ne sab customers ko politely request karke bhej diya.”

Ishita’s face slowly hardened.

“Phir?” she asked.

Meher looked away for a second.

“Meeting chal rahi thi… aur main bas side mein khadi thi, jaise staff rehta hai.”

Her voice dropped slightly.

“Par Mr. Rana… woh baar-baar mujhe dekh rahe the.”

Ishita’s jaw tightened.

“Phir jab woh… Mr. Aryavan… washroom ke liye bahar gaye…”

Meher’s fingers curled slightly.

“Tab Mr. Rana ne mujhe bulaya.”

“Bola drinks lekar aao.”

“I went.”

Her voice became steadier now.

“But phir…”

She paused.

“He ordered me to kneel down and pour the drink.”

Ishita’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“Kya?!”

Meher nodded slightly.

“Main bhi shock ho gayi thi.”

“But phir jab main glass fill kar rahi thi… unhone mera haath pakadne ki koshish ki.”

For a second, the classroom felt silent.

Ishita’s expression had already turned furious.

“I looked at the manager,” Meher continued quietly.

“Hoping he would say something…”

“But he just stood there.”

“Watching.”

Her lips pressed into a thin line.

“And then… mujhe bahut gussa aa gaya.”

She took a small breath.

“So I picked up the bottle…”

“…and poured the drink straight on Mr. Rana’s face.”

Ishita blinked in shock.

Before she could react, Meher continued.

“Usi time Mr. Aryavan wapas aa gaye.”

“I don’t know exactly what he saw… but he immediately demanded that I apologize.”

Ishita scoffed angrily.

“And I refused,” Meher said calmly.

“Unka tone… unka attitude…and he also insulted me without even knowing me or what happened”

She shook her head slightly.

“Mujhe aur gussa aa gaya.”

“So I took the glass of water…”

…and poured it on him too.”

For a moment, there was complete silence between them.

Then—

“MEHER!” Ishita whispered loudly in disbelief.

Her eyes were huge.

“You did WHAT?!”

But Meher only shrugged lightly.

A small, tired smile appearing on her face.

“Bas… uske baad manager ne mujhe nikal diya.”

She tried to sound casual.

“Simple.”

But Ishita wasn’t smiling at all.

Her anger wasn’t directed at Meher.

It was directed at the situation.

“Simple?!” she repeated, almost whisper-shouting.

But before she could explode—

Meher said quietly,

“Par ek baat hai…”

Her eyes held a strange calm.

“I’m not sorry.”

Because even if she had lost her job…

she knew she hadn’t done anything wrong.

The classroom had almost emptied. The corridor outside buzzed with students talking, but inside the room it was quiet now.

Ishita stood frozen after hearing everything.

Her anger was still visible, but now it had mixed with something deeper—hurt for her friend.

Meher leaned back slightly against the desk, her bag still hanging from one shoulder.

“And then…” she continued quietly.

“…ghar pe bhi wahi hua.”

She let out a soft, tired breath.

“Chacha, chachi ke wahi taane… yelling… shouting…”

Her eyes dropped to the floor.

“As if sab meri hi galti ho.”

Ishita’s fists slowly clenched.

But Meher wasn’t angry anymore.

She just sounded… exhausted.

“Tujhe pata hai Ishita,” she said softly, almost like she was thinking out loud, “kabhi kabhi na… bahut zyada feel hota hai.”

She looked up at her best friend.

“Tu mujhe bata…”

Her voice became fragile.

“Am I not a human?”

Ishita’s expression broke slightly.

“Don’t I also deserve a simple life?” Meher continued.

Her words were calm, but the weight behind them was heavy.

“Bas normal si life… jisme itna sab na ho…”

She gave a small, empty laugh.

“Phir itna pain kyun?”

The question hung in the quiet classroom.

Meher looked away toward the window.

“Tujhe pata hai… aaj kal na… mujhe kuch feel hi nahi hota properly.”

Her voice dropped to a whisper.

“Jaise… main bas chal rahi hoon… jo ho raha hai hone de rahi hoon.”

She shrugged faintly.

“Seriously… I don’t even care anymore what’s happening or not.”

For a moment there was complete silence.

Then suddenly—

Ishita stepped forward and grabbed Meher by the shoulders.

“Bas!”

Her voice was sharp, almost angry.

But her eyes were already shining with emotion.

“Ek aur word mat bol aisa.”

Meher looked at her, startled.

Ishita shook her head firmly.

“Tu Pagal hai kya?”

Her voice softened slightly but was still intense.

“Tu un sab logon se zyada achi hai...sabse achi hai tu.”

She pointed toward the door as if referring to the world outside.

“Woh Mr. Rana jaisa aadmi… jo kisi ladki ko kneel karne ko bolta hai… woh neech or non deserving log hai....”

“Ya woh manager jo khada dekh raha tha?”

“Ya tere chacha chachi jo tujhe roz sunaate hain?”

Her grip tightened slightly on Meher’s shoulders.

“Tu sabse achi hai, Meher. Aur bahut strong insaan bhi hai.”

Her voice cracked a little.

“Because itna sab hone ke baad bhi… tu toot nahi rahi.”

She gestured toward the bag on Meher’s shoulder.

“Tu yaha college aayi hai… apna project bana rahi hai… apne bhai ko support kar rahi hai…”

Ishita shook her head slowly.

“Ye koi weak person nahi karta.”

Then she pulled Meher into another tight hug.

“Sun…”

Her voice became gentle now.

“Life abhi unfair lag rahi hai. Bohot unfair.”

“But ye permanent nahi hai.”

She pulled back slightly and looked directly into Meher’s eyes.

“Ek din tu isi life se bahar niklegi.”

“Apni marzi ki life jeeyegi.”

“And us din jo log tujhe neecha dikhate hain na…”

She smirked slightly.

“Woh sirf dekhte reh jayenge.”

Then she poked Meher’s forehead lightly.

“Samjhi?”

Meher blinked, a little surprised by Ishita’s sudden fierce protectiveness.

But somewhere inside her chest…

that heavy feeling loosened just a little.

Because sometimes…

all a person needs is someone who refuses to let them give up on themselves.

For a few seconds after Ishita’s words, Meher didn’t say anything.

She just hugged her again—tightly this time.

The kind of hug where you don’t need to say anything.

Ishita immediately hugged her back, patting her shoulder lightly.

“Pagal ladki…” she murmured.

After a moment they slowly pulled apart.

Ishita wiped the corner of her eye quickly and tried to act normal again.

Then suddenly something crossed her mind.

“Waise…” she said casually, though curiosity was clearly visible on her face.

“Tu ne abhi un dono aadmiyon ke naam kya bataye the?”

Meher adjusted the strap of her bag again, thinking.

“Hmm…” she muttered.

“Assistants unhe Mr. Rana aur Mr. Aryavan keh rahe the.”

The moment the name left her mouth—

Ishita froze.

Completely.

Her eyes widened slowly.

“Wait…”

She stared at Meher.

“Kya bola tune?”

Meher blinked, confused by her sudden reaction.

“Kya?”

“Mr… Aryavan…” Ishita repeated slowly, as if making sure she heard it right.

Then suddenly—

“VO?!”

Before Meher could react, Ishita grabbed her shoulders and started shaking her lightly.

“MEHER!!”

Meher stumbled slightly.

“Aree kya kar rahi hai—”

“TUNE MR. ARYAVAN KE UPAR PAANI PHEKA?!”

Her voice was half whisper, half shocked scream.

Students passing in the corridor outside glanced inside the classroom.

Meher frowned.

“Haan toh… pheka.”

She said it like it was the most normal thing.

“Par itni shocked kyun ho rahi hai tu?”

Ishita looked at her like she had just heard the most unbelievable thing in the world.

“Don’t tell me…” she said slowly.

“Tujhe nahi pata woh kaun hai.”

Meher’s confusion only grew.

“Kaun?”

Ishita ran a hand through her hair in disbelief.

“Oh my god…”

She looked back at Meher.

“Meher… Mr. Aryavan koi random aadmi nahi hai.”

Her voice dropped dramatically.

“Woh…Veeransh Pratap Aryavan hai.”

Meher stared at her blankly.

Ishita continued, almost whispering now.

“Ek bada tech tycoon.”

“One of the biggest names in computer science and robotics industry and the crowend prince of veerangarh.”

She pointed at Meher like she was revealing something huge.

“Companies, research labs, international projects…”

“Log unse milne ke liye months wait karte hain.”

Then she leaned closer.

“And you…”

She poked Meher’s arm.

“Tu ne uske upar paani pheka.”

Meher blinked twice.

Her mind replayed the scene in the café.

The arrogant tone.

The command to apologize.

The glass of water in her hand.

“…Good,” she muttered calmly.

Ishita almost choked.

“GOOD?!”

Meher shrugged lightly.

“Attitude tha usme.”

But Ishita was still staring at her in disbelief.

“Meher… tu samajh bhi rahi hai kya hua hai?”

She lowered her voice again.

“Tu ne industry ke ek powerful aadmi and veerangarh ka shaan and waha ke heir ko insult kar diya.”

Meher sighed slightly.

“Usne pehle demand kiya tha apology.”

“Without even asking what happened.”

She crossed her arms.

“So I didn’t apologize.”

Ishita stared at her for a moment longer.

Then suddenly she started laughing in disbelief.

“Tu na…”

She shook her head.

“Sach mein alag hi piece hai.”

Meher raised an eyebrow.

“Kyun?”

Ishita smirked slightly now.

“Because normal log powerful logon se darr jaate hain.”

She pointed at Meher again.

“Aur tu unpe paani phek deti hai.”

Meher couldn’t help but smile faintly.

Ishita was still staring at her like she had just heard the most unbelievable story ever.

But Meher didn’t look worried at all.

Instead, she folded her arms across her chest and leaned slightly against the desk.

“Mujhe nahi pasand waise log,” she said firmly.

Ishita blinked. “Kaise log?”

“Jo sirf apne aap ko samajhte hain,” Meher replied immediately.

Her voice carried a quiet anger now.

“Power hai, paisa hai… toh lagta hai sab unke neeche hain.”

She shook her head.

“He insulted me.”

The memory flashed again in her mind—the cold tone, the command to apologize without even asking what actually happened.

“And I gave him what he deserved.”

Ishita watched her carefully.

“I hate people like him,” Meher continued.

There was no fear in her voice… only stubborn honesty.

Then she suddenly scoffed lightly.

“Aur waise bhi…”

She picked up her bag from the desk.

“Bas ek baar aur mil jaaye na woh mujhe—”

She paused dramatically.

Ishita narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

“Tab?”

Meher smirked slightly.

“Is baar unke muh pe paani nahi…”

She lifted an imaginary handful in the air.

“Gobar phekungi.”

For a second Ishita just stared at her.

Then—

“MEHER!” she burst out, half laughing and half horrified.

“Tu pagal hai!”

Meher just shrugged casually.

“Sach bol rahi hoon.”

Ishita covered her face with her hands for a moment.

“Bhagwan… agar woh aadmi sach mein phir mil gaya na tujhe…”

She peeked through her fingers.

“…toh ya toh tu usse maar degi ya woh tujhe.”

Meher laughed softly for the first time that day.

“Relax.”

She adjusted her bag again.

“Dobara milne ka chances kya hai?”

Ishita slowly lowered her hands.

A strange expression crossed her face.

Because somewhere deep down…

she had a weird feeling.

“Pata nahi,” she muttered.

But Meher simply started walking toward the door.

Her mind was already shifting back to the robotics lab and Project 

She had no idea…