After a while, Arjun stood up.
The living room felt too open, too unfamiliar to sit still in. Without thinking much, he walked toward her room—the door slightly open, as if it didn't believe in being completely shut.
He stepped inside.
---
It was… her.
Completely.
---
The room was clean—but not in a perfect, untouched way.
It looked lived in.
Real.
---
Her bed was covered with notes—pages, books, loose sheets scattered like thoughts that hadn't been put away yet. On the floor carpet, a few copies lay open, a pen rolling slightly as if it had been dropped in a hurry. In one corner, her laptop rested, still on, frozen on some half-read page.
---
Arjun smiled faintly.
"She really didn't stop studying," he murmured to himself.
---
His eyes moved around slowly—
Taking in everything.
Understanding her… without her saying anything.
---
And then—
His gaze stopped.
---
In one quiet corner of the room, there was a small puja space.
Simple. Peaceful.
An idol of Lord Krishna, placed neatly, with a small diya beside it.
No show.
No decoration for others to see.
Just faith… kept quietly.
---
Arjun looked at it for a moment longer than he expected.
Something about it didn't match the Darini he thought he knew.
Or maybe—
It did, in a way he hadn't understood yet.
---
He gently placed his bag down, trying to make a little space on the bed.
Moving a few notebooks aside.
Stacking some papers.
---
"Don't."
Her voice came from behind.
---
He turned.
Darini stood at the door.
---
"I'll do it," she said, walking in.
---
Without waiting, she started gathering everything—her movements quick, habitual. She stacked the books neatly, picked up the scattered sheets, arranged the pens, and cleared the bed in a matter of minutes.
---
Arjun watched.
There was something… comforting in the way she did things.
Like she was used to handling everything herself.
---
"You can rest," she said, lightly patting the now cleared space.
---
But before sitting, she walked toward the corner.
---
The puja space.
---
She picked up an incense stick.
Lit it.
Then the diya.
---
The soft glow filled that small corner instantly.
The room felt… quieter.
Warmer.
---
Arjun frowned slightly, curious.
"At this time?"
---
Darini didn't look at him.
"There's no fixed time to pray."
A small pause.
Then she added—
"And I didn't have breakfast… so I'm still on an empty stomach."
---
Her tone was simple.
Like she was stating a fact.
---
Arjun didn't say anything after that.
He just watched.
---
The same girl who kept distance from people,
who avoided attachments,
who barely expressed herself—
stood there, silently praying.
---
There was more to her than what she showed.
More than what she said.
---
And for the first time—
Arjun realized…
Some parts of her world weren't meant to be explained.
Only understood.
To be continued...