Aadhya's POV
" Okay, same teams as yesterday," Vivaan announced, his voice echoing in the quite hallway.
"W-Wait!" I interjected, stopping them in their tracts.
Vivaan looked at me, his eyebrows raised in annoyance clearly.
"What now?" He asked, clearly losing patience. Oh no this demon.
"L-lets change partners" I suggested, trying to stay casual where my heart hammering against my ribs. I don't want to be partner. I'll definitely go crazy.
"Huh? Why?" Avi asked, confused. Others too. Oho please just do it.
"Just like that..I .. want some change.." I said avoiding Vivaans gaze.
I risked a glance at him only to find him staring at me with an unreadable expression. I looked away instantly.
We gathered around for Rock-Paper-scissors again, as soon as the teams started forming—I felt the universe conspiring to pair with him again. It's just me Vivaan and Nikansh.
Before that could happen, I lunged forward and grabbed Nikansh's arm and started dragging him away.
"Nikansh and I are checking the 10th graders building" I shouted over my shoulders. They kept calling but I ignored it.
My heart can't take it. Not with him. Im already crazy enough if I go more crazy bhaiyya might just send me to Agra.( There's a special place for mentally challenged people). No no.. Aadhya stop it.
Once we reached the 10th graders building, the silence was heavy.
"Adi, is there a problem?", Nikansh asked softly. I shook my head.
How do I tell him I'm falling for his Idiotic best friend. More than that his voice, his song keeps ringing in my head. Reminding of his smile.
Fuck that thought Aadhya.
Maybe telling him a little won't affect.
Besides if i don't tell this anyone I might really go bananas.
I played with the flashlight in my hands. Hmm ..
"Nikansh .." I started staring at the dark lockers..
"D-do you think it's possible to fall for someone....even if you really, really don't want to..?"
He went quite for a sec. Then "y-yes" he stammered.
"I-its is ",he said.
"What to do" i asked desparately.
"How to avoid it. How to stop yourself from falling completely."
Nikansh looked at me seriously. " Why avoid it Adi..? You can't just stop falling for someone. It.doesnt work like that."
" But I'm mad at him!" I burst out, my frustration bubbling over.
"He has the worst personallity. He's an idiot, jerk, a cobra, and worst of all he is a demon.no no.. he is the king of demons...no no ...god of demons..." I blurted out one after one.
Nikansh let out a small, amused smile. "So who's this unlucky guy you have fallen for?"
Huh? No. " Nothing! Is there..? I don't like him yet ..I'm just .. I'm just confused yeah..I confused." I lied but honestly I didn't even believe it.
"You're still in denial state" he teased.
" You don't understand! I m just irritated by what Vivaan is doing to me!" I groand, the name slipping out before I could catch it.
My eyes went wide. I realised too late what I had just admitted.
" So...is it Vivaan you like?" Nikansh said his smile fading into something complex.
I lunged at him, covering his mouth with my hand. " Adi let go.." he struggled, muffled by my palm.
" First you promise me you won't tell him. " I hissed.
He nodded frantically. And I let go, my face burning. " Come on, let's just go!", I muttered, walking ahead.
" You're just excited to see him" he teased from behind.I spun around,and raised my fist. He backed away and nodded. It's better if he keeps quite or I might just die out of embarrassment.
"Aad'Van or Viv'Adhya sounds good " he teased again.
Shit. What are we Celebrity couple ? Or a love team on TV.
Damit! I spun around and this time I was sure to hit him but before that he sprinted out.
Damn these boys. I caught up with him. We just kept walking until we reached our building, others still didn't arrive, so we sat on the broken benches scattered around. I looked up the sky. The sky was full of stars. I have never saw this pretty view even back in the village.
"...So beautiful.." I whispered, staring at the stars.
" Too.. beautiful" Nikansh said. I looked at him, and for a moment, I felt he wants looking at the stars when he said that. He was also looking at stars. Maybe I'm reading to much into this. His eyes looked sad, almost like there were twinkling tears in them. Why..
" Nikansh....don't you like anyone else besides Yuvika.?" I asked softly. " I do " admitted.
" Tell me!" I said, leaning in excitedly. He just shook his head refusing to say more. I just pouted. So unfair I told him mine. The silence was deafening.
"Well, whoever she is, she's lucky", I said smiling at him. " You're Nikansh Mittal. You're smart, rich, polite and good. You'll do anything for her".
" I'd be happy if she liked me back," he said, his voice barely a whisper.
" Why wouldn't she? She must be one of a kind if you like her".
"She is," he said, staring directly into my eyes. For a split second, a thought crossed my mind that he was talking about me, but I quickly masked it.
Don't be conceited, Aadhya I scolded myself. You're overthinking.
Slowly the rest of group arrived. We walked back to our room in a tired huddle.
3:00 am.
It was finally sleep time.
" Goodnight, Avi," I whispered as we settled in.
" Goodnight, Adi," he replied.
Because I was the only girl,.the boys insisted I sleep in the middle of a protective circle. Vivaan and Nikansh were particularly adamant about it—neither of them wanted me to sleep beside anyone else.
As I closed my eyes, the image of Vivaan on the stage and the sadness in Nikansh's eyes blurred toghether, drifting me into a restless sleep 💤 😴
Thursday morning.
Most of them are at the school, but I'm at the mall with the "Council of Idiots." These jerks were so confident they could pick my Saree 🥻for the Miss Elegance contest. Honestly, I should have brought my Masi instead of them. Ugh.
"Aadhya, for the love of god, stop stomping," Krish barked, leaning against a railing. "You're supposed to be 'Miss Elegance,' not 'Miss Most Likely to Start a Bar Fight.'"
Bhavik chimed in with a smirk, "Seriously, can you try to behave like a girl for once? Just an hour? We're worried the judges will think we brought a younger brother in a wig."
"Shut up, Bhavik! I am a girl," I snapped, my thoughts a chaotic mess of sarcasm and genuine annoyance. Damnit, why did I agree to this?
We finally reached Veer's sister's boutique. The second we walked in, she lunged at me and pinched my cheeks.
"Oh, you're so cute! I hope my brother doesn't bother you too much," she chirped. If only you knew, Di, I thought. I didn't even know who Veer was until yesterday, and now I'm being treated like a family pet.
She immediately grabbed four sarees and shoved me toward the trial rooms.
There was no mirror inside the room—it was outside, which meant I had to face the "judging panel" every time.
I chose the purple one first. It was nice, elegant, and didn't feel like it was trying too hard.
I struggled into it, nearly tripping over the hem as I tried to balance on heels that felt like torture devices.
When I walked out, the reaction was... dramatic.
The teasing stopped. Maddy's jaw practically hit the floor, and krish stood up so fast he nearly tipped his chair.
" Wait...is that actually adi..?" Romy whispered, rubbing his eyes.
" Whoaa.." simple short lazy reaction of kabir.
" Damn...adi bro..you look incredible." Veer said softly. " I think we lost our 'bro' and found a queen".
" The saree has finally found its owner," Veer's di (sister) declared dramatically. I snorted, Me? Im a tomboy:
sarees on me usually looks like I'm wearing a fancy curtain, but they just won't stop. They kept complimenting. Someone even said I've already won.
After trying those three too, I was exhausted. Veer's di handed me Black saree—her special recommendation. The blouse was sleeveless and exposed my waist slightly making me little self-conscious but the back was fully covered it has a zipper. As I tried to pull it on, zip at the back for stuck halfway.
" Di! Are you there? Can you zip this up? It's stuck!" I called out, my arms reaching back awkwardly.
I felt a presence behind me I assumed it was her, so I stood still. The zip glided up smoothly, the cool metal brushing against my skin. But as I turned to thank her, my heel got caught in the hem. I stumbled, only to be caught by a pair of strong arms. I looked up and my heart stopped. It wasn't di.
It was Vivaan.
He was holding me firmly by the waist, our faces dangerously close.
The realisation hit me—he was the one who had ziped up my blouse.
I felt a hot blush creepy up my neck as I quickly disentangled myself fidgeting with the pallu.
" W-why are you here?" I asked, unable to meet his intense gaze.
" ..Maddy told me you were having hard time deciding .." he said, his voice low and raspy.
" ..I-is this ..one okay?" I asked, gesturing to the Black saree. He didn't answer immediately; he just stared at me, his eyes tracing the line of saree before walking toward the racks. He grabbed the purple one I had tried on first.
" Wear this one," he ordered, thrusting it towards me.
"I alredy wore that" I argued,. confused.
" Change into it. Now" he said, his mood swinging back to its usual dark intensity. I took the saree but he didn't move. He just stood there.. without moving. Now how am I supposed to change with him standing here. Does he think we're the same gender.
" Maybe you want to wait outside" i said sarcastically. " What, do you think we're the same gender or something?"
" Like I can see anything in your... whatever..," he snapped back, though his eyes lingered a second too long.
" What the hell is that supposed to mean? Get out," I snapped, pointing to the door. He clicked his tongue in annoyance" Tch.."
and finally walked out, leaving me alone with a racing heart and very confusing purple saree.
When I finally stepped out of the trial room in the purple saree the boutique felt strangely quiet. I looked around, confused, only to realise that rest of boys had alredy vanished. Veer's Sister approached me, her eyes radiating geniune warmth " this is the one Aadhya. It's perfect for you," she said smoothing out the pleats. I looked at my reflection, still feeling a bit unsure, my eyes drifting to Vivaan. He was standing by the window, deep in a phone call, his back turned to me.
These sarees are definitely not for me. I'll just throw a gown and go. No no. It's for the sake of section e reputation. I sighed deeply.
The moment he finished his call and turned around, he froze. For the second time today, I saw that flicker of stunned silence in his dark eyes. I walked up to him, instinctively pulling the pallu to cover my waist slightly, feeling his gaze track my every move.
" Where are others?" I asked softly.
" ..They are waiting at the restaurant .. decided to have lunch.." he said, his voice lower than usual. I turned slightly showing him the fall of fabric, still seeking some kind of confirmation.
" Is this ..one okay?" I asked.
" It's perfect," Veer's sister chimmed in, joining us with a knowing smile. Vivaan just nodded slowly, his eyes never leaving mine for a bit too long. He turned to her abruptly. " Di, I'll pay for it. Let's go," he looked back at me, his expression still unreadable.
" Get changed. We're heading to restaurant ".
Wait you jerk. I'll take my time. Slowly nicely. No rushes. Let him wait. The impatient king to learn how to wait.
By the time I change into my normal clothes and came out, Vivaan had already settled the bill. I took the bag from counter, but I noticed he was carrying two additional bags.
Seems like jerk couldn't wait. So he must have shopped for himself from nearby store. Whatever.
We headed to the restaurant were the others were already gathered. Vivaan and I were waiting while other monkeys went to place our orders.
The silence was heavy so I decided to kill my time by playing game. Ofc Pokèmon. My Pikachu baby.
" What talent did do decide?" Vivaan asked suddenly.
" Dancing" I said my eyes focused on the game.
Oh shit I lost.
Hmm leave it. Huh? I received a message.
📩
Nikansh: Hi!
Before I could even type him a reply, Vivaans hand shot out and snatched the phone right out of my grip.
What fucking hell. This Damned dinosaur.
I shot him a glare.
" Hey! that's my phone! Give it back," I said reaching out for it, but he held it just out of my reach.
" Look at me when I'm talking to you," he snapped back, his eyes flashing with a sudden, sharp irritation. " What's on your phone that's so much more interesting than me?".
Damn it! What disease is that statement.This Damned bastard.
The outburst was loud enough that the others who were walking back with the food, stopped in their tracks.
" Ohhhhh! Looks like boyfriend's jealous!" Bhavik teased from few feet away. Others also joined him.
" Boyfiee mode activated "
" Possesive boyfriend"
" Oyiii Bhavik ke bache" (you son of..) I snapped at him. And this jerk. He just casually dropped that bomb. Vivaan ignored him, his thumb scrolling through my screen.
" Nikansh messaged you," he said, his voice tight.
" That's my phone! Don't you dare look at my messages!" I threatened, my face flushing with anger. Who knows he looks at the messages were we talked about him. If he reads those..damn I would die out of embarrassment.
He looked at me for a long moment then simply nodded and pocketed my phone in his jacket.
" Eat first," he ordered, his tone final. The others arrived with food, and soon the table was filled with usual chaos—teasing, laughter and the clatter of cutlery.
But as I ate, I couldn't help but notice that vivaan had gone completely quiet. He sat there, staring off his plate and chewing.. .looking like he was lost in very deep, very troubled thought.
The heavy lunch and sweltering afternoon heat finally caught up with me just as we reached the drop-off point. One moment I was fuming about my phone, and the next, my body reminded me that I was, in fact, a mere mortal. A sudden, urgent "number one" hit me like a train.
"I need to use the washroom!" I bled out, shifting uncomfortably.
"Just go home and use it," Vivaan snapped, his jaw set in that annoying, stubborn line.
"No! It's coming out!" I retorted, my face flushing with a mix of urgency and embarrassment.
Vivaan didn't respond; he just let out a frustrated sigh and took the heavy boutique bag from my hands. I didn't wait for a thank you—I bolted toward the nearest restroom. Luckily, it was empty, so I didn't have to suffer through a line. I finished quickly, washed my hands, and practically ran back to the group, my mind already shifting toward the dance rehearsal.
As I approached the car, my steps faltered. Vivaan was standing there, leaning against the door, holding a phone to his ear.
But as I approached the car, my heart stopped. Vivaan was leaning against the door, holding a phone to his My phone.
"Hey! That's my phone!" I snapped, lunging forward to grab it.
He moved the phone just out of my reach, his dark eyes boring into mine with an intensity that made my skin crawl. "Who's Jivin?" he asked, his voice low and dangerously calm.
Panic surged through me like an shock. I snatched the phone from his hand and instantly the call, fingers trembling.
"W-what what did he say to you?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady despite the frantic drumming of my heart.
"That he's looking for you. And that wants to see you," Vivaan replied, his gaze never wavering.
My mind raced. Jivin is awake. The twins were right—he was looking for me. I looked at the screen the name "Jivin" staring back at me like a ticking time bomb.
I could feel Vivaan's suspicion radiating off him in waves, but I couldn't tell him truth...