Tonight they were having dinner at Aarav's place who had invited them. Akansha was noticing his every move. He was smiling in exterior but something was disturbing him.

His smile didn't reach his eyes. He was reserved and shy but today he seemed dull and stressed. So after dinner, when her brother and bhabhi got up to go back, she stayed behind saying she had some work with Aarav.

Her brother knew Aarav was a good man but his brotherly instincts took over.

"Kya kaam hai iss waqt?"

"Baat krni hai bhai. Aap chalo mai aati hu thodi der mai."

Akansha said holding her brother's arm and ensuring him through her eyes. He nodded reluctantly before moving out with his wife.

"Kya hua? Kya baat krni hai?"

He asked with his ears turning pink. She hadn't been in his apartment alone like this before. Especially at night.

"I want to talk about you. Kya baat hai? Bhut off lag rhe ho? All okay?"

Aarav looked away. He didn't realise she would notice. Even his parents couldn't notice his mood. They always sidelined him saying he was shy and reserved.

"Umm-its nothing -just-"

"Aarav! Dost maante ho na?"

The way she asked it so sincerely made him nod. And it was true. She was the only friend he had.

"Toh batao na kya baat hai?"

He sighed and sat on the couch.

"I applied in various schools for the post of singing teacher. Mai ghar se dur aaya isliye tha ki mom dad ko ye prove kr sku that I can make a career in singing. But none of those schools accepted my application and denied saying they didn't have such posts."

He confessed and she listened with utmost attention.

"I've started losing hope. Mere yaha aane ka motivation tha khud ke liye kuch krna but kuch samajh nhi aa raha. Bhaiya roz call krte hai toh ask if I made some progress but mai unhe kuch jawab nhi de pata. He is the one who's managing all my expenses here and I feel like I am just wasting his money."

She let him speak everything he was feeling.

"Kuch samajh nhi aa raha. One part of me says that I should go back and do what my parents ask me to but the other knows ki agar mai chala gaya yaha se toh kabhi dobara singing mai kuch nhi kr paaunga. I just don't know what to do anymore."

She kept quiet processing everything he said.

"Is your dream becoming a singing teacher or doing something in the field of singing?"

She asked asking a minute of silence and he frowned.

"Ofcourse doing something in the field of singing."

"Toh phir iss baat kyu demotivate ho rhe ho ki kisi school ne application accept nhi kri. You could do something else."

She said and he looked at her.

"Like what? I've no clue about that."

She thought for some time and then spoke.

"How about you start posting songs on YouTube. Open your own YouTube channel."

He frowned but looked curious at her idea and she continued.

"Many people do it nowadays. Actually many playback bollywood singers today started from YouTube. Take Darshan Raval for example. Ya Rahul Vaidya. You can also start yours."

"They have big teams with them. Shooting, editing, music and stuff. I don't have anyone else."

Aarav said and Akansha waved her hand as if dismissing his words.

"Koi nhi chahiye. Shoot toh hum khud bhi kr skte hai. Bas ek tripod aur camera chahiye. Editing mai thodi bhut bhabhi se krwa lungi. We can pay her when the channel starts flourishing. Aur rahi baat music ki, toh mai hu na. Hum collab kr skte hai."

"You'll create a channel with me?"

He asked thrilled with the idea.

"Agar tum chahte ho toh."

"I do. Yes. Let's do this!"

She laughed at his excitement. She returned back home and told him that they'd discuss more the next day.

She told her brother and bhabhi about the idea and they supported her with it.

Akansha was too happy nowadays. Her dreams were becoming more vivid and it seemed like she was falling in love with a non-existent person.

Her brother was right. He wasn't even existing and she was feeling such strong feelings for him.

"Bhabhi! Help kro na. Samajh nhi aa raha kuch. Mann krta hai bas soti rahu aur sapne dekhti rahu. I think I'm going crazy because I'm starting to fall in love with him."

She whispered like it was secret and her bhabhi smiled and caressed her hand.

"You're reading that book and it happens. You start feeling a connection towards the character sometimes. Maybe once you finish with the book, the dreams would stop too. Just like you said, wo sab dreams mai aa raha hai jo tu padh rahi hai."

Akansha nodded. Her bhabhi was right. Maybe once the book was over, she'd stop dreaming.

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