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POV AUTHOR
Tara and the crew reached the canteen, and as they walked in, they noticed all the boys waiting for them. It was like a scene straight out of a movie—just missing the dramatic background music. They all made their way to the table, with tiya plopping down beside manav, while Rajveer sat beside him. Ishita was seated right across from Tara, with Rahul next to her, then Tarun beside Rahul, Tara next to Tarun, and Mahi beside her. Last but definitely not least, Shivi took her seat at the end, looking like she had just seen her celebrity crush.
Everyone was busy chatting and having breakfast when suddenly Mahi leaned toward Tara and whispered, “Tara, see that guy? He’s soooo handsome.”
Tara turned her gaze toward the boy she was referring to, and for once, Mahi wasn’t exaggerating. He really was pretty good-looking.
“Haan, how handsome he is!” Tara said, completely forgetting about her food. She and Mahi were ogling him like they were in a movie theater watching the latest heartthrob.
Meanwhile, Tarun, who was sitting next to Tara, noticed her not-so-subtle admiration from the corner of his eye. He watched as Tara and Mahi continued to stare at the guy, and his jaw clenched. Tarun didn’t like this. Not one bit.
He leaned toward Tara, his voice dangerously low and serious. “Tara, it’s not good to gawk at other boys when I’m sitting right next to you. You never know… the consequences might not be pleasant.”
Tara almost choked on her food. Her face went bright red, like she was about to burst into flames. Her heart raced, and she grabbed her water glass, but it was like she couldn’t catch her breath. She coughed a couple of times, turning even more crimson with embarrassment.
“What happened, Tara?” Shivi said, half-laughing, half-glaring. “I keep telling you not to talk while eating, but do you ever listen?”
Mahi was patting Tara on the back, trying to help, while Tarun looked like he might implode from worry. As soon as Tara had stopped choking, Tarun quickly passed her the water, which she gratefully accepted.
Tara finally calmed down, but now she was staring at the table, too embarrassed to look anyone in the eye. She could still hear Tarun’s words in her head. *”Consequences.”* Was this some kind of warning or… a threat?
“Are you okay, shorty?” Rohan’s familiar voice cut through the tension as he strolled over to the table.
“Rohan! Come sit with us!” Manav said, motioning for him to take a seat beside Shivi, who had practically turned into a puddle of happiness at the sight of him. It was as if she’d seen her celebrity crush walking into the room, and suddenly, the entire canteen had turned into a love story.
“Manav bhai, how do you know him?” Mahi asked, her curiosity piqued.
“Oh, Rohan’s Tarun’s cousin,” Manav explained. “He’s around our age, but due to some transfer issues, he missed a year. He moved in next door to us two days ago.”
Shivi was practically swooning. “He’s Tarun’s cousin? That’s like…wow”
“Hey, shorty, you good?” Rohan asked, his smirk returning as he sat next to Shivi, who was now in danger of fainting from happiness.
“Shut up, chimpanzee,” Tara scoffed, trying to act casual as she continued to eat her food.
Rohan chuckled. “Seriously though, guys, are you all joining us this Saturday? We’re planning a trip to the amusement park!”
All the girls immediately perked up. “Yes!” they all chorused in excitement. There was no way they were going to miss out on that.
“Ooh, sounds like shorty will have some company there,” Rohan teased, causing everyone at the table to burst into laughter. But, of course, his comment earned him glares from Manav, Tara, and Tarun. They were not having it.
“Tara, don’t take his nonsense seriously,” Tarun said, rolling his eyes. “He’s just pulling your leg.”
Tara nodded, but she couldn’t help but feel a small pout forming on her lips. That little comment still had her mind spinning.
Tarun caught her expression and couldn’t help but smile, trying to hide the fact that he thought it was cute.
*****
Days passed, and before they knew it, Saturday arrived—the day for the big amusement park trip. Tara had gotten ready in a white full-sleeve crop top and a light blue denim skirt. She was excited but also secretly hoping there wouldn’t be too much attention drawn to her.
Tara grabbed her phone and sling bag, making her way downstairs, only to see Manav already waiting by the door.
“Monkey, let’s go, I’m ready!” Tara called out to him, hands on her hips.
Their dad looked at them, his eyebrows raised. “Are both of you going somewhere?”
“Yeah, Dad, we’re heading to an amusement park with our friends,” Tara replied with a grin.
“Great! Have fun, and be safe. Manav, take care of your sister,” their dad said, looking concerned.
“Aww, come on, Dad, I’m not a baby anymore! I can take care of myself!” Tara huffed, pouting dramatically.
Manav just ruffled her hair. “But you’ll always be my little sis. Now, let’s go, or we’ll be late!”
“You monkey!” Tara shouted as she ran after him.
*****
When they finally arrived, everyone was gathered outside, looking at each other curiously. But Rohan, ever the troublemaker, walked up with a disappointed look on his face.
“Bad news,” he said dramatically.
“What happened?” Manav asked.
“Khud bhi manoos hai, toh baat bhi koi manoos wali karega,” Tara muttered under her breath.
(He himself is unlucky, so obviously, he’ll talk about something unlucky too)
“What?! What did you say?” Rohan asked, clearly annoyed.
“Nothing… did you hear something?” Tara replied sweetly, pretending like nothing had happened. But Rohan just rolled his eyes and ignored her.
“The amusement park is closed today due to some reasons,” Rohan said, deflating everyone’s excitement.
“Yaar, ab kya karein?” Mahi groaned, her mood instantly crushed.
“Don’t spoil the mood, let’s head to a café instead,” Rajveer suggested, trying to lift the spirits. The girls reluctantly agreed, but soon enough, they were on their way to a nearby café.
******
At the café, everyone took a corner seat with a perfect view of the beach. It was 5:30 PM, and the sunset was just around the corner.
“Guys, shit, we forgot!” Manav suddenly exclaimed, eyes wide with realization.
“What? What happened?” everyone asked.
“It’s India vs. Bangladesh today!” Manav said, like the world had just ended.
All the girls rolled their eyes in unison. “Are you serious right now?” Mahi groaned.
“Aree, it’s at night, and we’ll be together then. Chill out!” Rajveer said, trying to downplay the situation. But, of course, the boys started talking about the match, getting deeper into their boring, nerdy discussion.
“For the love of God, can we not talk about cricket right now?” Tiya said, clearly irritated. She wanted to talk about something—anything—else.
“Then tell us, Miss Malhotra, what would you like us to talk about?” Manav asked with a mischievous grin, leaning toward her. Tiya blushed instantly, and the entire table erupted in laughter.
“Ooooh, Tiya’s blushing! I’m seeing something I’ve never seen before!” Rohan teased, earning a smack on the head from Tiya.
Tara looked at the two of them, shaking her head. “Tara, what did aunty feed you today? Manav bhai is acting all weird,” Shivi teased, causing Tara to laugh.
“I don’t know, I’m just as shocked as you are. I’ll have to ask Mumma about this,” Tara replied, making everyone chuckle.
******
After the café date, the boys dropped the girls at their homes, and then they headed to Tarun’s place for their much-anticipated match night.
Tara wasn’t feeling sleepy at all, so she decided to scroll through Instagram while everyone else was talking. Just as she was about to put her phone down, a notification caught her off guard:
TARUN VERMA wants to follow you.
Her heart skipped a beat.
********
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