C32 The New Obsession

The hospital hummed with the usual morning energy—phones ringing, monitors beeping, patients shuffling in and out. But today there was a different kind of buzz.

Arjun had been quietly patrolling the corridors, his long strides deliberate, eyes scanning every corner. The nurses had given him a few curious glances earlier, whispering among themselves, but he ignored it. His focus was Aisha. Her safety. And keeping the entire place secure from any unforeseen trouble.

As he passed the nurses’ station near Aisha’s makeshift clinic corner, he caught fragments of conversation that made him pause.

“…Did you see the guy she brought in today?” one nurse whispered, barely hiding the excitement.

“Yeah! I mean, wow. That man… he’s something else. I can’t even—look at him!” another replied.

Arjun’s eyes narrowed slightly. He moved closer but remained in the shadows, just enough to hear without being noticed.

“Compared to her cousin last month, this one… is totally different,” another voice chimed in.

“Totally. The last cousin was so approachable, friendly… everyone loved him. But this one? He’s like… untouchable. And so serious. So tall and… dangerous-looking,” a young nurse giggled.

Arjun’s jaw twitched just slightly, a smile threatening at the corner of his lips. Dangerous-looking. Untouchable. Sounds about right.

“…And yet,” a softer voice whispered, “…I can’t stop looking. There’s something about him… he’s like a lion guarding her. Makes you wonder how she even… bagged a man like that.”

Arjun’s heart beat a fraction faster. Bagged a man like that?

He continued to patrol, listening silently, a mix of amusement and mild irritation swirling inside him.

The nurses were clearly comparing him to the last cousin Aisha had brought to the clinic—a cheerful, friendly young man who had charmed everyone effortlessly. That cousin had been mesmerizing, easy on the eyes, approachable. Everyone had treated him like a celebrity during his brief visit.

Arjun, on the other hand, knew he looked nothing like that. Six feet tall, lean but muscular, pale skin slightly tanned from training, curly brown hair, a well-kept beard, shoulders broad and defined, abs lean but toned, with brown eyes that had seen far too much… and a presence that screamed don’t get close unless invited.

He smirked inwardly. Ugly and unapproachable? That’s a new way to flatter a man.

He stopped briefly near the corner of her workstation, leaning casually against the wall, observing Aisha.

She was entirely absorbed in her work, treating patients from the village with care, her energy bright and infectious. Despite the exhaustion still lingering from the night before, she moved with effortless grace, talking softly, making even the most nervous patient relax in her presence.

Arjun couldn’t help but watch her—the way her eyes crinkled when she smiled, how her messy bun never stayed neat but somehow looked perfect anyway, how she carried warmth and light wherever she went.

“…I mean, seriously,” one of the nurses whispered again, voice low enough not to disturb patients, “how does someone like her even end up with a man like that?”

Arjun’s gaze hardened—not because of jealousy, not exactly, but because that conversation carried an assumption he wasn’t about to let go unchallenged.

Her safety, her happiness, and her choices—he had spent too long protecting her from the world to now just stand aside while people gossiped.

He straightened, moving smoothly to patrol the next corridor, ears still half-attuned to the whispers. But his mind wasn’t on them.

It was on her—on Aisha, the girl whose laughter could light up the hallways, whose presence made him feel both calm and wild at the same time. The girl who had become his obsession far beyond any of the nurses’ fascination.

And today, as the hospital buzzed around them, he silently vowed: no matter what anyone thought, he would stay close. He would protect her. And he would make sure she knew just how valuable she was to him.