Chapter 3: Beneath the Tension

The rest of the morning passed in a blur for Reyaansh. He moved through the hospital with robotic efficiency, his mind still trapped in the tension that lingered with Dr. Avni. It wasn’t just her words that echoed in his head—it was the way she looked at him, the way she challenged him without flinching. It wasn’t supposed to matter. He was the senior doctor, the one in control. But Avni… she made him question everything.

He stopped at the nurses’ station, reviewing the patient reports, but the paper in front of him was a blur. His mind kept drifting back to her defiant gaze, the quiet storm she always carried with her. She was different from the others—residents who fell in line, who knew their place. Avni didn’t seem to care about protocol, about hierarchy. She cared about what was right, about the patients. And that, more than anything, was what frustrated him.

Reyaansh never let anyone see that side of him. He’d spent years building this fortress around himself, and no one was supposed to break through. But Avni had a way of chipping away at those walls, slowly, methodically. She wasn’t just a colleague; she was a reminder of everything he’d buried deep inside.

The day dragged on, the hum of the hospital always in the background, the incessant beeping of monitors and the shuffle of nurses and doctors moving like clockwork. But even in the midst of chaos, Reyaansh couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. He could feel her presence, like an unspoken challenge hanging in the air. He had to prove her wrong.

Finally, the meeting arrived, and Reyaansh stepped into the conference room, the door closing with a soft thud behind him. The administration team was already seated, papers and files scattered across the table. But as he took his seat, he couldn’t ignore the sense of unease in the pit of his stomach. The new pediatric ward, the one he’d been overseeing, was on the line. And the board was eager to hear about his progress.

But as he began to speak, his mind kept wandering. He could feel Dr. Avni’s eyes on him, her critique still fresh in his mind. The way she’d dared to challenge him, not out of arrogance, but because she believed she was right.

“Dr. Malhotra?” a voice cut through his thoughts. He blinked, refocusing on the table in front of him. The board members were all staring at him, waiting for him to answer.

“I’m sorry,” he said, straightening in his seat. “The ward is progressing as expected. We’re on track for the scheduled opening in a few weeks.”

A few nods passed around the room, but he could sense the skepticism in the air. They didn’t believe him. Not completely.

“Is everything up to the mark, or are there any concerns?” one of the members asked.

Reyaansh hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “There are a few minor setbacks, but nothing that can’t be managed. I’ll handle it.”

As the meeting continued, Reyaansh found himself distracted. He couldn’t concentrate. All he could think about was how Avni would’ve handled this, how she wouldn’t have let him off so easily. She’d ask the right questions, demand more from him. And that was exactly why he hated her. She made him feel vulnerable in a way no one ever had before.

But beneath that hate, there was something else. Something far more dangerous. Something that could tear both of them apart.

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