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साथिया.. साथिया..पगले से दिल ने ये क्या कियाचुन लिया.. चुन लिया..तुझको दीवाने ने चुन लियादिल तो उड़ा-उड़ा रेआसमान में बादलों के संगये तो मचल-मचल केगा रहा है सुन नयी सी धुन
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Everyone in the class was practically floating with excitement. Last day before summer vacations plans were being whispered like national secrets, tiffin boxes exchanged like black-market deals, and even the strictest teachers had mentally checked out.
But in the notorious corner of Room 11-F, where the school’s most chaotic gang usually sat cooking up bizarre theories and half-baked conspiracies, today, a very serious investigation was underway.
“Bhaaiii… mujhe na sach mein lag raha hai Ansh Bhaiya ko tere pe crush hai,” Priya declared, practically vibrating with excitement, eyes shining, her accusing finger dramatically pointed at Aditi as if she just cracked an FBI case.
“Kuch bhi,” Aditi scoffed, flipping her pen lazily in the air like she had stock in the stationery company.
“Aree yaar maan le na, it’s so obvious he likes you,” Shagun chimed in, face glowing with that classic CBI-officer-on-duty fake seriousness.
“Pagal ho gaye ho kya tum dono? Woh bhala mujhe kyun like karenge?” Aditi shot back, disbelief in her tone sharper than Vivaan’s cheekbones on sports day.
“Haan, obviously Bhaiya ko pasand karna hoga toh kisi sundar ladki ko karenge na… yeh toh ladki ke roop mein ladka hai,” Vivaan added with his trademark devil-may-care grin, practically signing his own death certificate.
Aditi’s eyes narrowed dangerously. She draped an arm around Vivaan’s shoulder like it was some K-drama moment, but her grip tightened like a python coiling around its prey.
“Aur tu… tujhe main banaun ladki, Vivaan?” she asked sweetly, her smile making Vivaan’s entire life flash before his eyes.
“Mar jayega chuha… rehnde Aditi,” Shagun interrupted, enjoying the ankhon hi ankhon wali silent war.
“Acha, toh hum kahaan the?” Priya asked, blinking innocently, as if a murder attempt hadn’t just occurred beside her.
“Aditi ki love story pe,” Vivaan declared cheerfully, only to receive a death glare so fierce it could’ve burnt the syllabus, question bank, and his confidence to ash.
“Haan toh dekh Aditi, main tujhe bata rahi hoon… Ansh Bhaiya definitely has a crush on you,” Shagun stated with Sherlock Holmes-level conviction, tapping her temple like she cracked the Da Vinci Code.
“Acha? Kya proof hai tere paas?” Aditi crossed her arms, eyebrow arched like she was ready to shatter their dreams with logic.
“Hum hain na proof,” Priya declared, placing a hand dramatically over her heart like she’d just accepted an Oscar for ‘Best in Gossip.’
“Main aise proofs ko seriously nahi leti,” Aditi deadpanned, grabbing her bottle and standing up from the desk, clearly done with their nonsense.
But Vivaan, as always, didn’t know when to shut up.
“Waise bhi, Aditi ka taste toh… pata nahi kaisa hi hoga… yeh toh kisi bhi ladke ko pasand karne se rahi,” he added dramatically, grinning like he owned the school.
Aditi turned slowly, her smile way too sweet for comfort.
“Haan, kyun nahi, tu hi bata de na ab mera type, itna keh raha hai toh…” she replied with deadly politeness, like a sugar-coated landmine.
Vivaan’s soul visibly left his body.
“Aree kaisi baat kar rahi hai… main toh ladka hoon na… tera type kaise bata doon?” he backtracked, palms up, questioning all his life choices.
Priya and Shagun high-fived, nearly falling off their seats in laughter.
“Mujhe toh lag raha hai Aditi ko ladke hi nahi pasand… tabhi toh door bhagti hai sabse,” Priya teased, still giggling.
Shagun nodded eagerly, “Aur soch, galti se Ansh Bhaiya ko sach mein Aditi pasand hui… tab toh Bhaiya gaye kaam se.”
Aditi rolled her eyes so hard they nearly reached another dimension. “Tum log kuch bhi bakwaas karte rehte ho… idiots,” she muttered, stuffing her notebook into her bag.
But Vivaan, unable to resist, leaned in with a devilish smirk. “At least hum khuli aankhon se dekh toh paate hain… kaun kisse kitna like karta hai…”
Aditi’s hand flew to her notebook, wielding it like a weapon. “Physics ki ek equation toh dekh nahi jaati tujhse… aaya bada likings dekhne wala,” she shot back, ready to bonk him into oblivion.
Vivaan ducked, laughing hysterically, as Priya and Shagun clutched their stomachs, the class erupting in muffled giggles.
Aditi stood up from the desk, mind clouded with leftover thoughts from the morning, her gaze distant as she headed for the door… when reality harsh and sharp collided into her. Literally.
Raghav, that smirking cockroach, brushed past her shoulder intentionally.
For anyone else, it was minor.
For Aditi… it was a jolt straight into buried memories.
Her chest tightened. The classroom around her blurred for half a second. The weight of old fear settled on her lungs like chains.
Before she could spiral…
“Oye dekh ke nahi chal sakta kya?!”
Vivaan’s voice boomed through the room, slicing the tension like a blade as he stormed toward them, fists practically vibrating with rage.
Behind him, Priya and Shagun followed like storm clouds brewing, protective energy crackling off their skin.
“Tu theek hai?” Priya’s gentle voice tugged at Aditi’s shoulder, grounding her back into the present.
Aditi blinked rapidly, heart still racing, voice barely steady. “Huh… haan… I’m fine.”
But her trembling fingers betrayed her lie.
Shagun, ever the firecracker, was already standing in front of Raghav, her eyes narrowed to dangerous slits.
“Can’t you see, Mister? Kahan dekh ke chal raha hai?”
Raghav tilted his head with that sickening grin. “Ohh sorry… galti se lag gaya,” he sneered, eyes lingering far too long on Aditi’s recoiling frame.
Before anyone could blink, Vivaan’s foot snuck out like a well-trained reflex..
THUD…Raghav met the floor, his pride shattering louder than the sound of his fall.
Laughter erupted from all corners of the classroom.
“Sorry, galti se pair aa gaya beech mein,” Vivaan deadpanned, wearing his most innocent, I’m-so-innocent smile.
Raghav scrambled up, face burning. “Abe bola toh sorry… kis baat ka ghamand dikha raha hai?”
Priya stepped forward, arms folded. “Iss baat ka… ki hum teri tarah cheap harkatein nahi karte.”
Raghav scoffed, straightening his collar. “Achha… bhai head boy hai tumhara, iss baat ka ghamand leke baithe ho sab?”
Shagun let out a sharp laugh. “Bhai toh head boy hai, tu to insaan bhi mushkil se lagta hai… ladkiyon ko touch karne wali harkatein dekh ke.”
The class erupted again with oooh’s, some hiding their snickers behind notebooks.
“abu to theek se touch bhi nahi kiya hai…kar k dikhau kya,” Raghav smirked, trying to regain control, stepping toward Aditi again.
She instinctively stepped back the subtle panic in her eyes returning.
But Vivaan moved first, sliding between them like a wall of fury. “Be in your limits, Raghav.” His voice was steel.
Raghav, unbothered, sneered. “Aur nahi toh kya karega? Tu height mein chhota hai bhai… yaad hai?”
THWACK!
Vivaan’s fist smashed across Raghav’s jaw so cleanly the class audibly gasped Raghav stumbled back like a malfunctioning puppet.
“Ye karunga,” Vivaan declared, rolling his shoulders like this was round one.
Chaos ignited.
Raghav’s friends leapt forward, fists flying, books falling. Shagun yanked one by the hair like it was a trophy, Priya strangled another’s tie, pulling hard enough his eyes bulged.
Aditi’s chest squeezed tight, panic flooding fast. “Guys…guys, stop! Bas karo…please!”
But no one listened.
“Tujhe haath lagane ki himmat kaise hui?!” Vivaan barked, fists still swinging.
Somewhere behind the mess, Charu, their ever-ready gossip queen, slipped out the door with her trademark fake concern.
Moments later, the door banged open The teacher entered, eyebrows raised to the sky, accompanied by none other than Ansh and Prateek.
Silence.
Vivaan halfway on top of Raghav, Shagun clutching hair like victory spoils, Priya mid-tie chokehold, Aditi frozen between them, breath shaky.
The teacher’s voice boomed. “Yahan circus chal raha hai kya?!”
Ansh’s jaw clenched as his eyes swept the scene landing first on Aditi’s trembling form, the very air around her screaming discomfort.
Beside him, Prateek froze, eyes darkening with realization the same old haunted look on his sister’s face from a year ago.
“Yeh ho kya raha hai?” Prateek muttered toward Ansh, his voice low, laced with dread.
Before anyone could reply…
“Ma’am, friendly wrestling competition… health is wealth, na?” Vivaan, ever the chaos controller, raised his hand with a blindingly fake grin.
The teacher was far from amused.
But Ansh’s gaze never shifted from Aditi’s unsettled face, to Raghav’s lingering smirk, to Vivaan’s tense posture.
His expression darkened. Quiet. Calculating.
The storm hadn’t even started yet.After all the Mahabharat-level chaos in the classroom, the group now stood outside the Vice Principal’s cabin, looking like they’d just returned from war hair messed up, faces pale, nerves fried.
The wooden door creaked open, and out came Ansh and Prateek, both trying to keep their calm, masks of responsibility in place, handling the disaster their juniors had brewed. But right behind them? Raghav still wearing that irritating, smug smirk like he hadn’t just messed with the wrong people.
Ansh’s jaw flexed. His knuckles twitched at his sides, but he stayed silent. Head Boy instincts control the storm. But his gaze flickered sideways, scanning the group.
Aditi.
Standing small, sleeves clutched in her fists, eyes down not the fiery, teasing Aditi he’d seen a thousand times this week, but…this version? Shoulders tense, fear hanging in her eyes like ghosts from a past no one deserved. His heart clenched tight, something sharp curling inside his chest.
“Kya zarurat thi itna bada tamasha karne ki?” Prateek’s voice cracked like a whip, sharp, protective, already simmering.
Before anyone could answer, Raghav scoffed, brushing invisible dust off his shirt with exaggerated drama:
“Ye sawaal tum is Head Boy ke bhai se kyun nahi poochte? Sab kuch toh is group ka hi hai drama bhi.”
Vivaan, already vibrating with frustration, shot back, “Haan aur tu toh jhanda gaad ke aaya hai na?”
“Teri toh…” Raghav lunged half a step, fists curling, arrogance oozing.
Ansh’s hand twitched, ready to intercept, but…
“Meri galti thi, Bhaiya,” Aditi’s soft, broken voice sliced through the chaos.
The world froze. Even time held its breath.
Ansh’s pulse stumbled. His eyes snapped to her and damn if it didn’t gut him to see her like that. Voice shaking, eyes glued to the floor, fingers nervously twisting the hem of her sleeves.
The group exchanged wide-eyed glances, all stunned silent.
“What?” Prateek’s voice cracked through his fury, disbelief coating every syllable as his gaze snapped to his little sister.
Raghav grinned, oozing smugness, seizing the opportunity like a parasite:
“Aur kya? Tumhari behen ko seedha chalna bhi nahi aata. Seedha aa ke mujhse takra gayi. Samajhta hoon handsome main, par iska matlab ye toh nahi ki…”
CRACK.
Prateek’s fist smashed into Raghav’s jaw mid-sentence, sending him stumbling, mouth agape in pure shock.
Ansh was on him in a second, gripping his arm, voice low but edged with command “Prateek, stop.”
But Prateek, trembling with rage, barked back “Ansh, chod mujhe! Isse toh main chodunga nahi!”
Aditi’s eyes filled, lashes heavy with tears as she slipped between them like a fragile barrier”Nahi Bhaiya… ruk ja… please.”
Her voice wavered, tiny cracks of fear and exhaustion bleeding through, and damn if it didn’t shatter something inside Ansh.
She looked… wrecked.
The same girl who, just this morning, had smirked at him from across the assembly ground like she ruled his world now reduced to this eyes glassy, fists trembling, burying herself into Prateek’s chest like she could disappear.
Ansh’s entire body tensed. His vision tunneled, heartbeat heavy in his ears.
How dare someone make his Aditi cry?
He didn’t know when that possessive word settled in his chest, his Aditi, but right now, it consumed him whole. Rules? Rulebook? Titles? Screw them all.
The hallway was too quiet, only laboured breathing and distant student chatter filling the space.
Prateek’s fists hovered mid-air, but his eyes dropped to his sister small, shattered, clinging to him like a lifeline. His anger broke, replaced by helpless, raw protectiveness.
His voice cracked, shaking as he murmured “Theek hai… bas… rona band kar… kuch nahi hoga tujhe.”
He guided her away, hand on her head, grounding her gently. But Ansh?
Ansh couldn’t move.
His fists curled tighter, jaw clenched until it ached, eyes locked onto Raghav like a sniper’s scope.
Vivaan leaned in, low venom dripping from his words “Aaj toh gaya tha tu… agli baar seedha ICU mein dikhai dega.”
Priya and Shagun threw exaggerated death threats dramatic throat-slitting gestures, eyes blazing with unfiltered chaos.
But Raghav… still stupid, still suicidal, had to open his mouth “Ab tum bhi jao… ya phir Aditi ki tarah drama karoge?”
That was it.
CRACK.
Ansh’s fist flew, fierce, calculated landing square across Raghav’s jaw. The sound echoed like a gunshot. Raghav reeled, stumbling hard, nearly crashing onto the floor.
The hallway gasped in collective shock.
Ansh stood there, fist hovering mid-air, chest heaving, wildfire blazing in his usually unreadable eyes.
The Head Boy. The rule-follower. The one who never raised his voice let alone his hand just punched Raghav so hard his knuckles bruised on impact.
Ansh’s voice came low, lethal, carved from ice and fire “Don’t… you… dare… say her name again.”
Every word slammed heavier than the punch itself.
Raghav clutched his face, gasping, disoriented, reevaluating every dumb life choice that led him here.
Ansh shoved his bruised knuckles into his pockets, exhaling sharp through his nose, turning away, eyes locked in silent, simmering rage.
He walked, calculated and unflinching, following the direction Aditi had gone the canteen.
Every step fueled by one thing:
He may not have the right to protect her openly yet… but that doesn’t mean he won’t burn the world if anyone dares to break her again.
————————
The canteen’s background buzz faded distant, like the world outside their corner table didn’t exist.
Aditi sat there, small, almost folded into herself, head lowered, arms curled on the table like she could disappear into the wood. Her red, tear-stung eyes peeking out, nose adorably flushed from crying vulnerable, raw, and yet… heartbreakingly cute in that way she’d hate if someone pointed it out.
Around her, their chaos-crew sat, Vivaan dramatically sulking, Priya’s hand rubbing Aditi’s back softly, Shagun leaning forward with that ‘protective best friend’ scowl, Ruhaan uncharacteristically quiet, Prateek silently observing with that elder brother tension carved into his face. And Ansh… the calm storm beside them, unreadable, knuckles still bruised.
“Aditi… bas kar yaar,” Priya’s voice, soft, like a mother pleading with her stubborn child. “Tu kyun har baar khud ko blame karti hai?”
Aditi shook her head weakly, voice cracking at the edges “Sab meri wajah se hua… agar main theek se react karti toh…”
“Pagal hai kya?” Shagun interrupted, eyes narrowing, pure protective fury in her voice. “Us cheap insaan ki galti tujhe apni kyun lag rahi hai? Agar main hoti, toh uski haddiyan tod ke decoration bana deti.”
Vivaan, fists on the table, jaw set, exhaled like a pressure cooker releasing steam. “Aur agar tu firse yeh boli na ki sab teri wajah se hua… toh iss baar tu bhi pit jaayegi.”
The group chuckled lightly, even Aditi’s lips twitched faint, but there.
But her eyes stayed distant, heavy with that silent suspicion creeping in.
They were being… too careful. Too understanding. Too… ready for this.
Her gaze scanned them all the clenched fists, the soft reassurances, the way they shielded her and it clicked.
They knew.
Her throat tightened. “Tum log… sab kuch jaante ho na?”
The table froze. One silent heartbeat of panic.
Vivaan, ever the expert at chaotic deflection, shot his hands up dramatically “Haan, hame pata hai… ki tu uske dhakka marne se pehle usko dhool chata deti agar mood mein hoti.”
Shagun instantly played along, smirking “Aur hame ye bhi pata hai ki ham sab ne uske haddiya todne ka form bhar diya hai.
Priya caught on instantly, eyes softening as she played along, “ha….par hamne socha ham kyuu peeche rahe to hamne bhi hath saaf kar liye”
Ruhaan dramatically sighed, “Aur mujhe toh hamesha sabse baad mai pata chalta hai…saara drama miss kar deta hu main, ik adha to main bhi maar hi deta”
The group chuckled lightly, masking the undercurrent of tension except for Ansh, who remained quietly watching, expression unreadable but his eyes sharp, heavy, protective.
Aditi’s suspicion didn’t fade entirely… but she let it slide, for now. Deep down, she felt it their knowing gazes, their cautious words but she also felt their walls of care, their refusal to force her into old scars.
She stayed silent.
Aditi’s gaze flickered to Ansh, the ever-calm, rule-abiding Head Boy and her breath caught.
His knuckles.
Bruised. Red. The skin scraped just enough to hint at impact.
Her eyes widened, realization dawning like a slow, heavy wave.
Vivaan caught her stare, curious, and followed her line of vision. “Arey… ruk ruk ruk…,” he leaned over, grabbing Ansh’s hand, “Yeh kya hua, bhaiya?”
At that, shagun whipped around. ” Ansh bhaiya ke haath pe bruise?!”
priya’s eyes popped wide, her hand smacking the table dramatically. “Wait, wait, wait… bhaiya aur violence? Yeh combo kisne banaya?”
Ruhaan, ever the chaotic one, nearly jumped across the bench. “Matlab tune bhi Raghav pe haath saaf kara hai?”
Prateek, surprisingly silent until now, chuckled darkly. “kamaal hai…mujhe to bada rok raha tha…aur khud hi maar k aagya…ye double personality kaha se aa gyii.”
Ansh, unfazed amidst the chaos, simply shrugged, lips curling into that rare, quiet smirk. “vo kuch jyada hi uchal raha tha…so had to bring him down.”
The table went silent for a beat stunned and then erupted again.
Vivaan dramatically clutched his chest, “matlab ansh bhaiya ne rule tod diya apna…ye kaise hua?”
Ruhaan groaned dramatically, head hitting the table. “Main hamesha late kyun hota hoon? Raghav ko thappad maarne ka golden chance chala gaya!”
He turned to Aditi, eyes gleaming with mischief. “Ek baar scene recreate kar na… mujhe bhi maarna hai usko!”
Before Aditi could answer, thwack Shagun smacked the back of his head.
“Main maar deti hoon, same hi baat hai,” she deadpanned, rolling her eyes.
Ruhaan grinned, undeterred. “Aapke haathon se toh hum maar kya, zeher bhi khushi se kha lenge,” he flirted shamelessly.
Thwack Another smack landed, courtesy of Shagun.
“Meri taraf se bhi ik maar ise… zyada hi bol raha hai aaj kal ye” Prateek added, laughing, as the group dissolved into giggles while Ruhaan clutched his head dramatically
Even Aditi… couldn’t help it.
Her lips curved. A small, reluctant smile. Her heart, heavy seconds ago, lifted just a little as their familiar chaos filled the space.
But her eyes drifted back to Ansh, and the bruises on his knuckles soft smile on his face raw, proof that even he, the quiet, unshakable Ansh lost control today.
For her. And he noticed her stare.
His expression didn’t change much, but there was a softness a silent reassurance that flickered in his eyes, only for her to see.
He had done it for her. Without needing to say it.
Clearing his throat casually, Ansh stood up, brushing his palms on his trousers. “Tum logon ka drama toh khatam nahi hoga… main kuch lene jaa raha hoon, kya kya chahiye pehle hi boldo saare?”
Vivaan jumped in first, “Haan bhaiya, ek Coke aur samosa mere liye!”
Priya added, “Mujhe ek aloo pati!”
Shagun grinned, “Mere liye fries, please… extra masala!”
Ruhaan whined dramatically, “Mere liye kuch bhi… bas jaldi lana, thanda hoga to tu hi khayega”
Prateek, leaning back, waved lazily, “Wohi apna usual le aa mere liye.”
Ansh’s eyes shifted, almost as an afterthought, landing quietly on Aditi.
She sat there, small and curled into herself at the edge of the bench, her arms loosely wrapped on the table That hesitant smile from earlier lingered faintly, but the storm behind her eyes hadn’t fully settled.
And strangely, he didn’t need to ask.
His gaze softened. She noticed the way his stare held for a second longer than necessary but before she could say anything, he turned and walked away, hands in pockets, blending into the canteen crowd.
The group slipped back into their chaotic banter while they waited, tossing playful jabs, bickering over whose fault the earlier fight was, Ruhaan grumbling dramatically about missing all the “live action.” vivaan bickring about how he would have done extra maar peet with raghav how his handsome face has been slightly ruined by that donkey and all.
But Aditi’s eyes stayed fixed on the counter, watching Ansh, watching the way he ordered, the casual way he carried himself… the stillness he carried even in the mess of everything.
Minutes later, he returned.
Tray balanced in his hand, setting down the Coke and samosa for Vivaan, cold coffee for Priya, fries for Shagun, Ruhaan’s random selection, and Prateek’s usual.
And then without a word he placed a cold Coke bottle and a steaming plate of chowmein right in front of Aditi.
Her favorite. Her lips parted slightly in surprise,
Before she could finish, his voice, low and steady, cut in, quiet enough only for her to hear, “i know you wanted this.”
Their eyes met.
No teasing, no dramatics, just that maddening, unshakable calm in his gaze. Familiar. Steady. Infuriatingly observant.
The others were lost in fries, cola bubbles, and exaggerated complaints, but Aditi…
She sat frozen, staring at the plate, at the Coke, at him.
A small part of her chest warmed, unexpectedly.
Because he knew. Not just what she liked. But somehow… what she needed.
Without pushing. Without asking.
Ansh, still beside her, quietly sipped his drink, gaze shifting back to the group like nothing had happened.
———————–
The driveway of the Singhaniya residence buzzed like a film set in peak chaos mode bags half-packed, parents issuing instructions no one planned to follow, and the younger lot radiating pure vacation energy.
Ansh stood there straight out of some Pinterest aesthetic board. Light blue t-shirt, beige trousers, sleeves slightly rolled, hair casually perfect. That annoying, effortless ‘Head Boy but secretly boyfriend material’ aura? Unintentional, yet lethal.
Ruhaan lounged nearby, violet shirt and pants, that ‘I woke up looking like this, deal with it’ vibe firmly intact, sunglasses dangling off his collar.
Vivaan? Pink t-shirt, ripped jeans, grinning like a kid who just discovered sugar for the first time outfit trying to say cute, his energy screaming ‘public safety hazard’.
Aman, in his classic head-to-toe black, sunglasses perched on his head, efficiently loading bags into the car with the silent suffering of the most responsible sibling. His black t-shirt practically whispered ‘don’t mess with me’ but the way he side-eyed Ruhaan stuffing chips into a bag? Pure elder brother trauma.
Near the entrance, Priya twirled in her bright yellow Pikachu t-shirt and cargo jeans, a walking serotonin boost. Shagun stood beside her in soft pastel pinks, holding the phone up for selfies, both giggling in sync.
Everyone waited for the grand arrival of the Mishras, the last piece of this puzzle.
And right on cue, their car rolled in.
Prateek jumped out first, black and white striped t-shirt, dark pants already arguing mid-air with someone inside.
Samaira stepped out next shoulders squared, sunglasses perched like armor, and that signature bold, untouchable energy radiating off her stronger than Delhi’s June heatwave.
Head held high. Stride confident. Expression unreadable.
She looked exactly like the version of herself the world had always seen the unstoppable force who could roast professors, reduce boys to stammering messes, and make chaos look fashionable.
Except… to Aman… She looked different.
Not because she was hiding weakness. But because she wasn’t even looking at him.
Not a glance.Not an eye-roll. Not even that familiar smirk she reserved just to annoy him.
It was like he didn’t exist.
She brushed past him barely two feet away and the faintest whiff of her perfume clung to the air between them. It used to announce her arrival like fireworks. Today, it hit him like a quiet reminder of everything he shattered.
Aman’s heart sank a painful, sinking feeling that settled heavy in his chest. His guilt, already gnawing at his insides for days, twisted tighter around his ribs.
He had thought he could push her away for her own good. He had thought disappearing from her world was protection.
But watching her now thriving in front of everyone, while so pointedly erasing him.
It didn’t feel like victory. It felt like punishment.
The ache in his throat worsened as she laughed at something Priya said, tilted her head at Ruhaan’s joke, casually teased Vivaan in passing flawless, fierce, and unreachable.
And for the first time…Aman realized
Being hated by her would’ve hurt less. But this silence? This indifference?
It was breaking him in ways he hadn’t prepared for
Aditi emerged behind him, practically shoving him aside, victorious grin on her face and that’s when Ansh’s brain officially short-circuited.
Pastel blue crop top. Light bell-bottom jeans. Two mini half-ponytails, secured with teddy bear clips that should’ve been illegal for being that distracting.
Effortlessly adorable. Stupidly, unfairly distracting.
Aditi waved energetically at Priya and Shagun, jogging over to them like sunshine bottled into human form.
And Ansh?
Frozen. Suitcase mid-air. Expression blank.
Brain gone to airplane mode. Eyes? Firmly glued to Aditi like he was personally paying rent to stare.
Ruhaan clocked it in 0.3 seconds.
“Bhai… pehle suitcase to neeche rakh de?” he teased, elbowing Ansh with a smug grin.
But Ansh didn’t react jaw slightly tight, faintest flush creeping onto his ears as he tracked Aditi like she was some top-secret mission briefing.
Meanwhile, Aman reached to grab the suitcase from Ansh’s hand, probably assuming his younger cousin still had basic motor skills. Spoiler: he didn’t.
The bag slipped.
“gaya pair kaam se” Aman’s foot took the hit.
“Main hi mila marne ke liye tujhe?!” he hissed dramatically, hopping on one foot, sunglasses nearly falling off.
Ansh blinked back to Earth, horror dawning on his face. “S-sorry bhaiya! Vo… vo galti se… chhoot gaya…” he stammered, ears practically glowing now.
Aman fixed him with the most betrayed, elder-brother glare of the century. The entire driveway’s attention turned toward them like an audience at a live comedy show.
Meanwhile, by the car Priya and Shagun were already having a moment of their own.
Shagun leaned closer to Aditi, grinning like the devil. “Maan ja… he likes you.” She wiggled her brows, eyes sparkling with mischief.
Aditi’s eyes widened like saucers, voice serious but cracking with embarrassment.
“Shut up!” she snapped but the blush blooming across her cheeks? Immediate. Visible. Glowing.
*****************************
That’s all for this chapter, Bubbles! ✨
I truly hope you enjoyed it and more than anything, I really hope it made you feel something.
If any scene touched your heart, made you smile, or even gave you tiny butterflies…Don’t forget to vote and drop your thoughts in the comments.
See you in the next chapter!
Till then, be healthy, stay safe, keep smiling, and always keep reading.
With love,
Prachi 💌
***********************
Do follow me up on Instagram for spoilers.
I’D – pixiee_wrts
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