Code name: Ishq

Chapter 41

Aditya caught the expression, the way Mayank's entire body went rigid at seeing that name. Without thinking, driven by an impulse he couldn't quite name, he answered on speaker.

"Well, well, Dr. Kapoor," came the voice that made Mayank's eyes fall shut involuntarily. Five months. Five months since he'd heard that particular combination of warmth and chaos, that cadence that could shift from medical precision to theatrical complaint in a single breath. "I hope you're having a better morning than I am, because mine has been a spectacular disaster from the moment I opened my eyes."

Mayank's hands stilled completely, coffee cup suspended in midair. Every muscle in his body seemed to focus on the sound of her voice, the way she drew out certain words, the hint of laughter that threaded through her complaints even when she was genuinely frustrated.

"Princess Buttercup," she continued without waiting for a response, "has apparently decided that my neighbor Mrs. Sharma's prized petunias are her personal toilet. And before you ask, yes, I did try to explain property rights to a cat. No, it didn't work. Mrs. Sharma is now convinced I'm running some sort of feline terrorist organization from my apartment."

Aditya managed a chuckle, his eyes flicking to Mayank's face. The major's expression was carefully neutral, but his knuckles were white where they gripped his coffee cup.

"That's not all," the voice continued, building momentum like a freight train. "I tried calling Neha this morning, My supposedly best friend who promised to keep in touch? Well, apparently she's too busy with Vikram to answer her phone. I've left approximately seventeen messages, each one more creative than the last. The seventeenth involved a detailed explanation of what I plan to do with a rusty spoon and some very specific anatomical references."

Mayank's lips twitched despite himself. He could picture her pacing around her apartment, gesturing wildly at no one, Princess Buttercup probably watching with feline judgment from some perch.

"And don't even get me started on the hospital politics," she continued, her voice taking on the particular tone that meant she was about to launch into one of her legendary rants. "Dr. Anamika has apparently decided that my very existence is a personal affront to her sensibilities. Yesterday, she actually suggested—and I quote—that perhaps I should consider a career change to something more suited to my 'particular talents.' I spent twenty minutes explaining to her exactly what she could do with her suggestions, and let me tell you, it involved creative uses for medical equipment that would make even you blush."

Aditya glanced at Mayank again. The major's eyes were still closed, but there was something almost peaceful in his expression now, as if her voice was a balm he'd been unconsciously craving.

"Then there's the ongoing situation with you-know-who," she continued, and Mayank's jaw tightened slightly. "He's been making comments again. Snide little observations about my competence, my judgment, my choice in friends. I swear, if he makes one more passive-aggressive comment about my 'emotional decision-making,' I'm going to demonstrate exactly how emotional I can get. I've been researching medieval torture techniques in my spare time, and I have some fascinating ideas about creative applications for modern medical instruments."

"You're developing a concerning expertise in creative violence," Aditya managed, his voice carefully casual.

"It's a coping mechanism," she replied cheerfully. "Much healthier than actual violence, and significantly more entertaining. I've planned out seventeen different scenarios involving dental equipment alone. Riveting stuff."

Mayank's shoulders shook slightly, whether from suppressed laughter or something else entirely, Aditya couldn't tell.

"Speaking of entertaining," her voice took on a sly tone, "how's your romantic life, Dr. Kapoor? Still making googly eyes at a certain pediatric resident? Because I have it on good authority that she's been asking about you."