The Night shift

Aarohi adjusted the sleeves of her uniform for the fifth time in ten minutes.

It wasn’t that they were uncomfortable.

It was the nervousness.

Her first night shift.

The hospital looked completely different at night. During the day, it was loud, chaotic, alive with voices and footsteps. But now… it felt quieter. Heavier. Like every wall carried secrets no one talked about.

She took a deep breath and stepped inside the ward.

The faint smell of antiseptic hit her instantly.

“Relax, Aarohi… you’ve trained for this,” she whispered to herself.

But training and reality were never the same.

A patient coughed somewhere. A machine beeped steadily. A nurse passed by quickly without even looking at her.

Aarohi clutched her file tighter.

“New?” a voice came from behind.

She turned instantly.

A senior nurse stood there, arms crossed, expression neutral.

“Yes ma’am,” Aarohi replied quickly. “First night shift.”

“Hmm,” the nurse nodded. “You’ll be assisting in Ward B. Follow instructions. No mistakes.”

No mistakes.

The words stayed in her head like a warning.

She nodded and walked toward Ward B.

That’s when she saw him for the first time.

He stood near the patient’s bed, slightly leaning forward, reading a report. His face was serious, almost emotionless. The white coat fit him perfectly, sleeves folded neatly.

A doctor.

But not like the others.

There was something… distant about him.

“Doctor?” Aarohi said softly, unsure.

He didn’t respond.

“Doctor…” she tried again.

This time, he looked up.

For a second, their eyes met.

And Aarohi felt it.

Not attraction.

Not even interest.

Just… something strange.

Like looking at someone who had forgotten how to feel.

“Yes?” he said, voice calm but cold.

“I… I’m assigned here for night duty,” she said, trying not to fumble.

He looked at her for a moment, then nodded.

“Check the vitals every hour. Inform me if anything changes.”

That was it.

No introduction.

No name.

Nothing.

He went back to reading the file.

Aarohi blinked.

“Okay…” she whispered to herself.

She started doing her work—checking temperature, noting readings, adjusting IV lines carefully.

But her attention kept drifting back to him.

He hadn’t moved much.

Just standing there. Silent.

Focused.

Alone.

⸻

Hours passed slowly.

The clock showed 2:47 AM.

Aarohi rubbed her eyes. Sleep was trying to win.

She hadn’t realized when she sat down on the chair nearby.

“Sleeping on duty?”

His voice startled her.

She stood up immediately.

“No! I mean… I was just—”

“Relax,” he said, not even looking at her this time.

She stopped.

That was unexpected.

“I’m not going to report you.”

Aarohi didn’t know why… but she smiled slightly.

“Thank you… doctor.”

He sighed softly, finally closing the file.

“Vivaan.”

She blinked.

“What?”

“My name,” he said. “Vivaan.”

“Oh…” she nodded quickly. “Aarohi.”

He didn’t respond.

Silence again.

But this time… it didn’t feel awkward.

Just… quiet.

⸻

At 3:15 AM, Aarohi walked toward the small pantry.

She needed coffee.

Badly.

She poured some into a paper cup and took a sip.

Terrible.

“Hospital coffee is always bad.”

She turned.

Vivaan stood there.

She almost choked.

“You don’t have to scare people like that,” she said.

“I didn’t,” he replied simply.

She rolled her eyes slightly.

“Do you ever talk normally?” she asked without thinking.

He looked at her.

For a second… she thought she had crossed a line.

But then—

“Rarely.”

Aarohi blinked.

Was that… humor?

She smiled.

“Good. Because I talk a lot.”

“I noticed,” he said.

She laughed softly.

And just like that…

Something shifted.

⸻

They stood there, drinking terrible coffee in silence.

But it wasn’t the same silence anymore.

It was… lighter.

Comfortable.

“Why did you choose nursing?” he asked suddenly.

Aarohi looked at him, surprised.

“Helping people… I guess,” she said. “And… it felt right.”

He nodded slowly.

“Hmm.”

“What about you?” she asked. “Why doctor?”

He didn’t answer immediately.

For a moment… his expression changed.

Just slightly.

But Aarohi noticed.

“Does it matter?” he said finally.

“Yes,” she said softly.

He looked at her again.

Longer this time.

“Not really,” he said.

And just like that—

The wall was back.

⸻

Aarohi didn’t push further.

But something inside her told her—

There was a story behind that answer.

And it wasn’t a happy one.

⸻

When her shift ended, the sky was just beginning to lighten.

Aarohi stepped outside the hospital.

She was exhausted.

But her mind wasn’t.

It kept replaying one thing.

His eyes.

Tired.

Empty.

And somehow…

Familiar.

⸻

“Vivaan…” she whispered to herself.

She didn’t know why…

But she had a feeling—

This was not just another night.

And he was not just another person.

⸻

End of Chapter 1

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