Avni Nambiar

Avni Nambiar had always been the quiet one, the type to stay late at the hospital, reviewing cases, making sure she hadn't missed anything. A second-year medical resident, she knew the grind. The 12-hour shifts. The exhaustion. The nagging feeling that she wasn’t doing enough. But beneath the scrubs and stethoscope, there was a spark—a desire to prove herself in a world where only the best made it. Still, no matter how much she gave to the job, there was always something missing. Maybe it was the pressure to live up to her mother’s legacy. Or the fear that, one day, she'd lose herself in the process. The idea of love, of someone seeing her beyond the white coat, felt like a distant dream, buried under the weight of patient charts and overnight shifts. Yet, in the midst of it all, there was a challenge she wasn’t expecting—a senior doctor whose presence made her second-guess every clinical decision she made.

Reyaansh Malhotra

Reyaansh Malhotra, a 26-year-old senior doctor from Kanpur, embodies a complex mix of traits. Physically, he stands tall at 6'1" with a lean, athletic build, perfectly styled dark hair, and piercing brown eyes that seem to bore into those he meets. His sharp jawline and small scar above his left eyebrow only add to his enigmatic presence.

On the surface, Reyaansh appears cold, calculating, and always in control, with high standards for himself and others that can sometimes make him come across as aloof or distant. However, beneath this exterior lies a deeply compassionate and empathetic individual who is fiercely dedicated to his patients. Born and raised in Kanpur, Reyaansh comes from a long line of doctors and was always expected to follow in their footsteps. He studied medicine at a prestigious university and quickly rose through the ranks to become a respected senior doctor.

Reyaansh's primary motivation is to provide the best possible care for his patients, and he is fiercely dedicated to his work. However, he also has a deep-seated desire to prove himself as a top-notch doctor and to make his family proud. Despite his many strengths, Reyaansh struggles with his own emotional guardedness, having built walls around himself to protect against the emotional demands of his job. This makes it difficult for him to form close relationships with others, and he is also haunted by a past mistake that continues to weigh on his conscience. Ultimately, Reyaansh hopes to find a way to balance his professional ambitions with his personal relationships and to learn to open up to others.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this chapter. Your support means the world to me, and I’m truly grateful to have you along for this journey. Writing this story has been a labor of love, and I’m excited to share it with you. Please feel free to leave your thoughts and feedback, as I’d love to hear from you. Stay tuned for more, and I hope you enjoy what’s to come!

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Reyaansh's eyes were two shattered mirrors, reflecting fragments of a past he'd rather forget. The city outside his window was a canvas of chaos, but his mind was a maelstrom of memories. He stood at the edge of his bed, his feet sinking into the darkness like anchors. The silence was a palpable thing, a physical presence that wrapped itself around his throat.

As he struggled to shake off the remnants of his dream, his thoughts drifted to the hospital. The pediatric ward, with its cheerful colors and innocent laughter, was a constant reminder of his failures. Reyaansh's grip on his phone tightened as he thought about the meeting scheduled for later that day. The administration office wanted to discuss the new ward's progress, and Reyaansh knew he'd have to face the consequences of his actions.

A faint scent of antiseptic wafted through his mind, transporting him back to the fateful night that changed everything. The emergency room was chaotic, with patients pouring in from a massive accident on the highway. Reyaansh was tasked with treating a young girl, no more than ten years old, who had severe injuries. Despite his best efforts, the girl didn't make it. Reyaansh was consumed by guilt and self-doubt, wondering if there was something he could've done differently.

The sound of his phone buzzing was a lifeline, pulling him back to the surface. He reached for it, his hand closing around it like a vice. A message from the hospital's administration office. A meeting to discuss the new pediatric ward. Reyaansh's eyes narrowed as he read the message. It was a reminder that, no matter how hard he tried to escape, his past was always lurking just beneath the surface.

As he got ready for the day, Reyaansh's thoughts lingered on the girl he couldn't save. He wondered if he'd ever be able to forgive himself, or if the weight of his mistakes would continue to haunt him. The city outside his window seemed to pulse with energy, but Reyaansh felt drained, like he was drowning in a sea of what-ifs and maybes.

He took a deep breath, steeling himself for the challenges ahead. The meeting, the hospital, the memories – Reyaansh knew he'd have to face them all head-on. With a newfound determination, he stepped out of his apartment and into the unknown, the city's chaos swallowing him whole.

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Thank you so much for taking the time to read this chapter. Your support means the world to me, and I’m truly grateful to have you along for this journey. Writing this story has been a labor of love, and I’m excited to share it with you. Please feel free to leave your thoughts and feedback, as I’d love to hear from you. Stay tuned for more, and I hope you enjoy what’s to come!

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Reyaansh walked into the hospital as if he was carrying the weight of the world, his steps deliberate, each one measured with cold precision. The sterile air, the buzzing fluorescent lights, and the distant hum of machines were all too familiar, and yet today, they felt suffocating. His mind was a tangled mess of past regrets and the pressing demands of the day ahead. The pediatric ward. The meeting with the administration. He could almost feel the weight of their expectations already.

As he made his way to the nurses’ station, his gaze fell on her. Avni. Standing there, perfect in her clinical composure, as always. But Reyaansh couldn’t help but notice the subtle tension in her posture, the way her eyes never quite met his, as though she was trying to hide something.

"Dr. Avni," he said, his voice cold, though there was an undercurrent of something sharper. His eyes narrowed as he took in the sight of her. She was always so damn efficient, so damn composed. She made him feel as though he was drowning in a sea of her perfection.

"Dr. Malhotra," Avni replied, her voice as crisp and professional as ever, but there was something in her eyes—something challenging. She always had that look, like she was daring him to push her buttons.

He didn’t have the patience for it today. "I hope you’ve reviewed the pediatric cases. I don’t want any mistakes." His words were blunt, almost cutting.

Avni didn’t flinch. Instead, she met his gaze directly. “I’ve reviewed them. But you might want to check the lab results before jumping to conclusions, Dr. Malhotra. Your track record for rushing decisions isn’t exactly stellar.”

Reyaansh’s jaw tightened. She was always like this—testing him, challenging his authority. There was no room for such insolence, not when lives were on the line.

“I don’t need a reminder of my record, Dr. Avni,” he replied, his voice dropping lower, the edge of anger creeping into it. “I expect you to do your job without unnecessary commentary.”

Avni didn’t back down. “And I expect you to stop undermining every decision I make. I’ve earned my position, just like you.”

The words hung between them, thick with tension. Reyaansh took a step closer, his presence looming over her. There was a palpable intensity in the air, an undeniable clash of wills. He didn’t care about the competition, but she seemed to make it personal, as though every time they crossed paths, the stakes got higher.

“Don’t mistake your position for power, Dr. Avni,” he murmured, his voice low, dangerously calm. “You’re still a second-year resident. You still have a lot to learn.”

Avni’s eyes darkened, and for the first time, she didn’t try to mask the anger simmering beneath her calm facade. “And you’re still a man running from his past, Dr. Malhotra. You’re not as untouchable as you think.”

The words stung. Reyaansh’s grip tightened around the chart in his hand, his pulse quickening. There it was again—the challenge, the unspoken accusation. Avni was always trying to get under his skin, always pushing him to confront the parts of himself he preferred to ignore. She didn’t know it, but she was getting dangerously close to the edge.

“Keep pushing me, and you’ll regret it,” he said, his tone shifting, colder now. “I don’t tolerate insubordination.”

Avni didn’t flinch, but her lips curled into a knowing smirk. “We’ll see, Dr. Malhotra. We’ll see how long you can keep pretending that nothing touches you.”

Reyaansh turned away, his fists clenched at his sides. He hated her, and yet, there was something about her—something in the way she looked at him—that made him question everything. But he couldn’t afford distractions. Not now. Not ever.