"Never Grow Up" - Taylor Swift

🎵 "Don't you ever grow up / Just stay this little..."

Aashi's Room - Early Morning

The gentle sun rays filtered in through the sheer curtains, casting a golden hue over the quiet room. It should've felt peaceful, but to me, it only marked the beginning of another meticulously structured day.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

6:30 a.m. sharp. My alarm clock, right on cue.

I groaned softly, stretched my limbs, and whispered the words I lived by, "Structure was safety. Predictability was peace."

"Alright, Aashi," I murmured, swinging my legs over the bed. "Time to move."

I placed a soft kiss on Anaya's forehead, her tiny arms curled around her pillow, and slowly got out of bed.

The hot shower grounded me as I made mental notes for the day: post-op rounds, case discussions, Anaya's school pick-up, groceries maybe? Nothing I hadn't done before. Still, I couldn't shake the feeling that today might unravel differently.

Wrapped in a towel, I stepped into a pale yellow cotton saree and tied my hair into a low bun. Simple. Predictable.

"Mumma?" a sleepy voice called out.

"Good morning, baby," I said, brushing her hair back gently. "Time to wake up. Go brush while I prep your bubble bath as I promised yesterday."

"Okay, Mumma! But remember..."

"Yes, yes," I smiled, "pretty smells and lots of bubbles. I know the drill."

I tested the bath water with my elbow, making sure it was perfectly lukewarm, and dropped in a fizzy bath bomb - the one that made the whole bathroom smell like strawberries.

"Mumma done!" Anaya called out, standing with her toothbrush in hand, toothpaste still foaming at the corners of her mouth.

"Come here, sweetheart," I said, adjusting the towel and helping her into the tub.

"Mumma, I'm a big girl now. I can take off my clothes." she declared proudly.

"Oh really? Alright, big girl, show me then."

Of course, I still helped her with the tricky bits.

She soaked in the bath, eyes wide with delight. As I gently washed her hair, she squealed and splashed bubbles.

"Can I stay five more minutes, pretty please?"

"Only five," I said, wagging my finger. "I'll be back soon. You better be done playing by then."

Back in the room, I laid out the clothes we'd picked out the night before. I dressed her in the floral frock she chose last night. While I brushed her hair, she blabbered about her teacher's sparkly saree and her friend Nivi and the glitter sticker she'd earned for knowing the days of the week.

Her world was tiny. Safe. I had built it that way.

Downstairs

I sat her in her high chair beside Vihaan. Maa was trying to spoon-feed both kids.

"Aashi, I hope it's okay. I packed Anaya's tiffin today," my sister-in-law Priya said from the kitchen doorway. "You seemed a little behind schedule."

"That's perfectly fine. Anaya wanted a bubble bath detour."

We shared a knowing smile. These were the small accommodations for peace.

After a quick breakfast, I kissed Anaya's forehead as I dropped her at playschool. "Be kind, be brave, and listen to your teacher."

"Okay, Mumma! Love you!"

---

Hospital

I did my patient rounds, checking vitals, adjusting medications, and reviewing post-op charts. Then straight to the conference room for the surgical review.

"The approach for this lesion should be anterior-less vascular interference," I explained, laser pointer steady in my hand.

A junior hesitated. "But wouldn't that risk the motor strip?"

"Only if you're careless. Precision isn't optional in this case."

No one argued. Respect wasn't demanded. It was earned, one nerve fibre at a time.

Then came the ER call.

As I walked swiftly through the corridor, I caught fragments of a conversation from two interns at the nurses' station.

"Have you worked under Dr. Aashi yet?"

"Yeah, she's amazing, but... intense."

"I've heard she doesn't tolerate nonsense. Kind of cold though, don't you think?"

"She probably thinks emotions are a disease."

I paused for just a second, and my chest tightened.

Cold.

I repeated my mantra, my armour "Distance is discipline. Attachment is weakness."

In the OR

My peace returned. My scalpel, my decision, my control.

Then my pager rang. I told one of the nurses to dismiss it. But it again buzzed.

Before I could dismiss the buzz, something flickered-Anaya's tiny hands tugging at my dupatta the night before. Her words: "Mumma always comes."But then-

Beep. Beep.

"Who's it from?" I asked the nurse, my hands steady.

"Your mother, Doctor. She said the school couldn't reach you. Anaya has a high fever. She's picking her up."

A punch to the gut. But I couldn't falter. Not now.

"Let her know I'm in surgery. I'll be home in 30 minutes."

I finished the operation on autopilot - efficient, but my heart was already home.

I left the hospital abruptly after issuing post-op instructions, stating a family emergency. Something I had never done in my career.

---

At Home - Juhu

I burst through the door and ran straight to the bedroom.

There she lay curled in bed, her little hand clutched around Maa's fingers. Her cheeks were flushed. Her small chest was rising and falling rapidly.

"How is she?" I whispered.

"Slightly better. The fever's breaking," Maa said softly.

I settled beside Anaya. She stirred, whimpered, and buried her face into my lap.

"Shh... I'm here, baby. Mumma's here."

Her skin was warm - too warm.

Later that evening, I joined Maa and Papa in the drawing room. A cup of hot tea was waiting.

"How's Anu now?" Papa asked.

"Sleeping. Still warm, but better."

Maa handed me the cup without a word. We sipped quietly, but my thoughts swirled.

I'd built this life on predictability. But this one fever cracked something open inside me.

Am I doing this wrong?

Is this not what Anaya truly needs?

A stable life... structure... everything in place. I've left no stone unturned. So why does it still feel like I'm failing her?

That night, I sat by Anaya's side, watching her fragile form. I opened my journal - untouched for months - and wrote for the first time:

Maybe silence isn't always safe. Maybe love isn't the risk I thought it was.

Anaya mumbled in her sleep, "Mumma, don't go to the hospital tomorrow."

I froze. Her words echoed, soft but shattering.

And just like that, the armour I had worn for years cracked quietly, completely.

------

So,

How was the chapter?

What part of the chapter stayed with you the most?

Did you feel connected to Aashi's emotions? Why or why not?

When Anaya got sick, what did you feel for Aashi?

Have you ever felt torn between duty and family like Aashi did?

Do you think Aashi is doing her best - or is she missing something?

Did this chapter make you feel warm, sad, ten

se... or something else?

What do you think love looks like in this story?

That's it for today will meet on next update. Till then stay tuned.

With all my love,

-the_stellarflower