Where Heart Returns-3

Chapter 5: Between Orders and Emotions

Coffee Mishaps and Lingering Smiles

At morning in the canteen, Aadhya turned a corner, coffee cup in hand — and bumped straight into Ekansh. Hot coffee splashed on both their jackets. “Oh! Commander, I’m— I’m sorry!” she stuttered, dabbing at his uniform. Ekansh stared down at her. Silent. Cold. Unreadable.

Nearby, a soldier muttered with a grin:

“Careful, sir. She might charm you too.”

Ekansh froze. Aadhya smirked at the soldier and whispered,

“Don’t tempt me.”

She walked off with a cheeky smile, leaving Ekansh standing there, gripping his own cup tighter than usual.

Growing Admiration and Quiet Jealousy

Aadhya’s recruits idolized her. Her pep talks were full of jokes and simple words that made everyone feel included. She trained with them, laughed with them, and soon her name was everywhere around campfires and corridors:

“General Aashi’s got that spark.”

“Yeah, she’s like fire. Commander Ekansh’s the ice.” “Think the Commander likes her?”

“Hah, like he even knows what liking is.”

One afternoon, Ekansh happened to pass by the training grounds and saw Aadhya talking with another officer. The man was clearly flirting, tossing playful compliments that made Aadhya laugh — the kind of easy, carefree laughter Ekansh never heard directed at him.

Something twisted in Ekansh’s chest. He stopped for just a second, eyes narrowing before he moved on, his face as unreadable as ever.

Aadhya, noticing his brief glance, felt the corner of her mouth curl into a teasing smile.

Jealous, Commander? she thought, amused.

Silent Treatment

Aadhya ended up paired with Ekansh again for patrol. It bothered her that he never responded to anything she said, so she stayed quiet for the next few days. No jokes, no playful chatter—just silence.

Ekansh found himself glancing at her. “Why so quiet?”

Suddenly, a sniper laser swept across the ground — aimed straight at him. Aadhya reacted instantly, grabbing his arm and pulling him behind a boulder just as the shot cracked through the air.

Once the danger passed, she straightened and brushed the dirt from her jacket.

“You may thank me properly another time,” she said calmly.

Ekansh’s response was his usual:

“…Hmph.”

But later that night, lying on his bunk, he stared at the ceiling.

“Why did my chest tighten when she touched me?”

Unexpected Command and Hurt Feelings

The very next morning at six, the training ground echoed with claps and cheers. “General Aashi! General Aashi!” the recruits chanted over and over, grinning wide.

Aadhya felt her cheeks warm. Why am I blushing? It’s just a name, she told herself, trying to hide the smile creeping up.

Later, the canteen buzzed with chatter. Officers crowded around a table, discussing the next round of training schedules. Aadhya slipped in casually, grabbing her tea.

“Another round of endless drills, huh?” she joked, shaking her head. “At this rate, even my dreams will have warm-ups.”

The group burst into laughter, the tension from yesterday gone, and for a while, everything felt light again.

Ekansh stood on the edge of the group, arms folded, watching the scene. Something in the way the room gravitated toward her, the way her name was whispered with admiration, pulled at him like a stone in his chest.

Suddenly, he stepped forward.

“General Aashi,” his voice cut through the laughter like a blade, “Step aside. I need to speak with you.”

The room fell silent. Aadhya blinked, her smile fading.

“Now?” she asked, confusion lacing her tone.

“Yes, now,” he repeated, and he placed his hand on her wrist, turning toward the exit with her.

She followed, feeling the heavy gazes of the others on her back. Outside, away from the crowd, she turned to him, hurt in her hand, hurt flickering in her eyes. “What happens, Commander?” she questioned him, full of hope and a little hurt expression.

Ekansh did not speak, just stared at her with an unreadable gaze. After a moment without speaking, he said, “You can go.”

She yanked her arm free, her voice unsteadies but sharp enough to silence the whispers around them.

“What is this, Commander? Dragging me like that in front of everyone? Do you have any idea how that looks?”

Ekansh didn’t answer immediately. His face was a mask—cold, unreadable—but inside, his thoughts burned. “Why does it bother me hearing her name like that? Why does it sound like she belongs to them more than… “He clenched his jaw. “No. I shouldn’t care. This is about discipline—nothing else.”

“I asked you a question,” she pressed, her voice cracking slightly, anger and humiliation tangled together.

For a second, guilt broke through his composure. He hated that flash of something in her eyes—the hurt he had caused. But the moment passed, and the steel returned to his voice.

“Next time, don’t make me repeat myself on the field. You’re an officer—act like one.”

He turned and walked away before she could see anything else.

Aadhya stood frozen, his words slicing deeper than they should. “Act like an officer? Is that all I am to him? After everything… just another name on his roster?”

Her chest tightened, the sting of humiliation burning hotter than the morning sun

Chapter 6: Absence and Reflection

Avoidance and Inner Chaos

Next Morning,

Aadhya didn’t show up at drills. She avoided the mess hall where Ekansh usually sat, skipped the meeting where her presence was required, and spent the day buried in training logs away from everyone.

In her bunk that night, she lay awake, staring at the ceiling.

"Why? Was it humiliation? Because my name is everywhere on the base? Because I’m not like him?"

Her chest ached with a mixture of anger and sadness.

Across the base, Ekansh sat at his desk, his head resting in one hand. The reports in front of him blurred as his thoughts kept circling back to her.

"Why did I do that? She’s only doing her job… but every time I hear her name, see her laughing with others, it feels like something I can’t control."

His face remained expressionless, but his thoughts betrayed the quiet storm raging inside.

"It’s not like that… I just…"

He cut himself off, pressing his lips into a hard line, unwilling to name the feeling.

Hurt Words and Silent Confessions

The sun was setting, washing the training fields in shades of orange and gold. Ekansh finally found her near the cliff at the edge of the base. She stood alone, arms wrapped around herself, staring out at the horizon.

He walked up quietly, his boots crunching against the gravel. She didn’t turn, staring straight ahead.

“Skipping drills, are we?” His voice was calm, almost casual—like yesterday’s clash had never happened.

Aadhya sighed without looking back.

“Why does it matter? You made it very clear yesterday that I don’t belong.”

Ekansh’s chest tightened.

“That’s not what I want to say.”

“That’s exactly what you say and I felt like it.,” she shot back, finally turning to face him. Her eyes fills with tears and hurt. “In front of everyone… you humiliated me. And for what? Did I do something wrong, Commander?”

“Hah… what can you expect from someone so cold?” she said, her voice shaky. “Honestly, I’m hurt. You pulled me away from my friends like I was nothing. It felt humiliating. I’m not as ice-cold as you—I have feelings, and this really hurts. Why did you do that?” She wiped away her tears.

He opened his mouth, then closed it again. No words came.

After a long pause, he finally said, “I’m sorry… for what I said yesterday.” His voice was low, distant—he didn’t want to explain or say more.

Aadhya laughed bitterly and turned away.

“Then say something that isn’t an order. Just once.”

Ekansh’s jaw tightened as he stepped closer, almost against his own will. His hand shot out and caught her wrist. She froze, eyes wide.

For a long moment, they held each other’s gaze—silent, heavy with things neither dared to say.

“Why am I doing this?” he wondered, a knot of guilt twisting deep inside him. “I shouldn’t care, but I do. I shouldn’t be here, holding her like this…”

The weight of the moment pressed down on them both, leaving Ekansh restless, unsure, and quietly conflicted.

Aadhya pulled her hand back. “Exactly what I thought,” she whispered. “You have nothing to say.”

While wiping her tears, she walked away, leaving Ekansh standing alone by the cliff, the sound of her retreating footsteps echoing in his ears.

Silence and Searching

The next morning, her bunk was empty. She didn’t show up for drills or roll call, and he didn’t spot her in the canteen either. By afternoon, Ekansh realized she wasn’t anywhere on base—and she hadn’t asked for leave.

For the first time in years, his usual routine felt off. He kept glancing at the training schedules, wandering the hallways, even checking the mess hall—like he was hoping to see her somewhere.

“Why does her absence bother me so much?” he thought, but didn’t want to admit it even to himself.

At night, he sat alone in his office, staring at the empty chair across from his desk. The silence felt heavy, and regret weighed on him for what happened yesterday.

“Why does it feel so empty without her here?” he wondered.

Around the base, he caught bits of conversation:

“General Aashi’s not here. The place just feels off without her.” “She’s probably off charming some other unit,” a soldier joked.

Ekansh’s face stayed calm, but his hand froze over the papers.

“Charming another unit?” The idea left a strange bitterness he couldn’t explain.

Distance and Realizations

After three days without any word from her, Ekansh finally got a report: Aadhya had been given special leave by higher-ups. She had gone home because she couldn’t deal with his cold behavior and jealousy. She needed a few days to clear her head before coming back to focus on her duties.

He stared at the document longer than necessary.

Higher authority… of course. She doesn’t need my approval for anything.

He leaned back in his chair, a strange heaviness pressing down on him. Quietly, almost without thinking, he muttered to himself, “I miss her.”

The words shocked him. Why would he miss someone like her? Her laugh, her smile, the way she was polite but strong—it was all pulling him in, whether he wanted it or not.

For the first time, he felt the weight of those feelings rising inside him, unexpected and confusing.

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