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The next evening, Samiksha found herself standing in front of Aarohi's house, taking a deep breath before ringing the doorbell. It wasn't like she hadn't been here before-this was practically her second home-but today felt different. She wasn't sure if it was because she knew Abeer would be there or if it was just the anticipation of spending time with everyone in a more relaxed setting.

The door swung open, revealing Aarohi, who grinned upon seeing her.

"You're late, Gunnu," Aarohi teased, stepping aside to let her in.

Samiksha rolled her eyes. "It's just five minutes."

"Five minutes is enough to miss the best part of my mom's snacks," Aarohi quipped. "Come on, everyone's inside."

Samiksha stepped in, instantly feeling the warmth of a familiar home. The dining table was already filled with snacks, and their mothers were laughing in the kitchen. The boys were in the living room-Vidyut, Abeer, and Ekansh-seated comfortably, engaged in conversation.

Her eyes instinctively landed on Abeer, and for a moment, she forgot to breathe. He was sitting with one arm draped over the back of the couch, listening intently to something Vidyut was saying. His serious expression was in full display, but every now and then, he smirked at something someone said.

Aarohi nudged Samiksha's side. "Breathe."

Samiksha shot her a glare. "I wasn't holding my breath."

Aarohi smirked but said nothing as she dragged her to the couch, squeezing in between Ekansh and Vidyut. Samiksha settled beside her, trying not to make eye contact with Abeer, but she could feel his presence.

"Finally, the princess has arrived," Vidyut teased, ruffling Samiksha's hair.

She swatted his hand away, frowning. "Stop treating me like a kid!"

"You are a kid," Abeer suddenly spoke, his voice calm but teasing. "A tenth grader is practically a child."

Samiksha's mouth opened in protest, but her words got stuck. He said it so casually, without even looking at her, but she felt the impact of it like a punch to the gut.

Aarohi, sensing the tension, jumped in. "Okay, okay, let's stop attacking Samiksha's age and start the real fun. We're playing a game."

"What game?" Ekansh asked, raising an eyebrow.

Aarohi grinned mischievously. "Dumb charades!"

Groans filled the room, but Aarohi had already made up her mind.

Samiksha was grateful for the distraction-anything to stop thinking about Abeer's words.

The game started with Ekansh and Avya on one team, Vidyut and Aarohi on another, and Abeer and Samiksha forced into a team together.

"Fate has spoken," Aarohi whispered to Samiksha, who gave her a look of pure panic.

The game began, and chaos erupted in the room. Vidyut and Aarohi bickered more than they guessed, with Aarohi accusing him of being the worst partner ever. Ekansh and Avya, surprisingly, worked well together-though Avya kept throwing in sarcastic remarks about how boring his guesses were.

Then, it was Samiksha and Abeer's turn.

Samiksha picked a chit and gulped. It was a Bollywood movie she knew but had no idea how to act out. She turned to Abeer, who was waiting with his arms crossed.

She raised an eyebrow. "You're not even going to try guessing?"

"I'll guess when you start acting," he replied smoothly.

She groaned and tried her best to mimic the movie's title, flailing her arms dramatically. Abeer stared at her with amusement.

"Are you possessed?" he asked with a completely straight face.

Laughter erupted around the room.

"Shut up!" Samiksha huffed.

"I'm just asking," Abeer said, his lips twitching as if holding back a smile. "Because you look like you're trying to summon spirits."

She threw a pillow at him in frustration. "Guess the movie!"

"Okay, okay," he smirked. "Is it... Chennai Express?"

Samiksha gasped. "How did you-"

He shrugged. "Lucky guess."

"Lucky my foot," Aarohi muttered under her breath. "He was just enjoying watching you suffer."

Samiksha ignored her, crossing her arms. "Fine. Your turn now."

Abeer picked a chit and glanced at it. Without hesitation, he mimicked a scene-doing it so perfectly that Samiksha immediately knew.

"Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge!" she blurted out.

"Correct," Abeer smirked.

Samiksha stared at him. "How are you so good at this?"

He shrugged. "I have a good memory."

The way he said it made her heart race.

The game continued, and somehow, Samiksha and Abeer ended up winning, mostly due to Abeer's unexpectedly good guessing skills.

"Not fair," Vidyut grumbled. "Abeer has some weird telepathic skills."

"You're just a sore loser," Abeer smirked, patting his best friend's shoulder.

Samiksha watched the interaction, feeling a strange mix of emotions. Abeer was serious most of the time, but moments like these-where he was relaxed and teasing-made her feel something even deeper for him.

And that was dangerous.

As the night wound down, most of the group dispersed to different corners of the house. Samiksha stepped onto the balcony for some air, needing a break from the chaotic energy inside.

A few minutes later, she heard footsteps behind her. She turned, only to find Abeer standing there, leaning casually against the railing.

"Escaping the madness?" he asked.

She nodded, suddenly aware of how close he was.

They stood in silence for a moment, the distant sounds of laughter from inside filling the air.

Then, unexpectedly, Abeer spoke.

"You don't talk much when I'm around," he observed.

Samiksha's heart pounded. "That's not true."

"It is," he said, tilting his head. "You talk a lot with everyone else. But not with me."

Samiksha swallowed. She wanted to tell him the truth-that she was too busy trying not to make a fool of herself around him. That she had been crushing on him for as long as she could remember. But instead, she just shrugged.

"I guess I just don't have much to say to you," she said, trying to sound nonchalant.

Abeer studied her for a moment, then smirked. "Liar."

Samiksha's breath caught in her throat.

Before she could reply, Vidyut's voice called from inside, breaking the moment.

"Samiksha! Let's go!"

She exhaled sharply, turning toward the house. But just as she stepped past Abeer, she heard him murmur under his breath-just loud enough for her to hear.

"One day, you'll talk to me the way you do with everyone else."

Samiksha's heartbeat thundered as she walked back inside.

She wasn't so sure about that.

The next morning, Samiksha groaned as her alarm rang. She had barely gotten any sleep after last night's game night. Abeer's words kept replaying in her mind.

"One day, you'll talk to me the way you do with everyone else."

What was that supposed to mean?!

She shook off the thought and got ready for school.

Downstairs, Vidyut was already at the table, munching on parathas. Avya was on her phone, scrolling through something, while their mother kept nagging Vidyut to eat properly.

"Samiksha, hurry up or we're leaving without you," Vidyut announced.

Samiksha rolled her eyes. "Shanti rakh, I'm ready."

She grabbed her bag and followed them outside. They were just about to hop into Vidyut's car when she heard a familiar voice.

"Vidyut, hurry up! We're getting late!"

Her breath caught. It was Abeer.

She turned and saw him leaning against his bike, fixing his watch. His sharp uniform made him look effortlessly good, and Samiksha internally cursed the fact that even the morning sun made him look unfairly attractive.

"You could have left without me," Vidyut grumbled as he walked toward Abeer.

"And let you fail your math test?" Abeer smirked. "I'm not that heartless."

Vidyut scowled. "Shut up."

Meanwhile, Aarohi appeared from nowhere, hooking her arm around Samiksha's.

"Look at you," Aarohi whispered in her ear. "Aaye Haye! Pyaari sharma gaii."

Samiksha glared at her. "Shut up, Aarohi."

Unfortunately, Abeer and Vidyut turned to look at them.

"Shut up about what?" Abeer asked, his brows raising slightly.

Samiksha's stomach flipped.

"Nothing," about you she answered quickly

Abeer gave her a curious glance but didn't press further.

As soon as they entered school, the usual chaos unfolded. Students were running to classes, some loitering in the corridors, while others were laughing over their unfinished homework.

In another corner of school

Vidyut was minding his own business when he felt an irritating presence beside him.

Aarohi.

She was casually leaning against the lockers, arms crossed, smirking at him.

"What do you want?" Vidyut asked, sighing.

"Nothing," Aarohi said sweetly. "Just here to remind you that I beat you in dumb charades last night."

Vidyut narrowed his eyes. "You cheated."

Aarohi gasped dramatically. "I outsmarted you. There's a difference."

Vidyut grumbled something under his breath and started walking away. Aarohi followed him.

"You know, it must be so hard for you," she mused.

"What?" Vidyut asked, annoyed.

"Being my best friend's brother and my brother's best friend. You get the worst of both worlds."

Vidyut groaned. "Aarohi, just leave me alone."

Aarohi pouted. "Aww, but I love bothering you."

Before Vidyut could retort, a girl from another class walked up to them.

"Vidyut, hi!" she greeted, blushing. "I was wondering if you could help me with physics?"

Aarohi's smirk widened.

"Oh, he's very busy," she said before Vidyut could respond. She placed a hand on his shoulder. "You know... with me."

Vidyut stiffened.

The girl's face fell. "Oh... I see. Maybe another time, then."

She walked away, and Vidyut turned to glare at Aarohi.

"What the hell was that?!" he hissed.

Aarohi batted her eyelashes. "Just helping you avoid distractions."

Vidyut groaned. "You're the biggest distraction!"

Aarohi smirked. "I know."

Vidyut gritted his teeth. "One day, I'll get back at you for this."

"I'm counting on it."

And with that, she walked away, leaving Vidyut completely flustered and irritated

Samiksha knew her feelings for Abeer were one-sided. He had always treated her like a little sister—annoying, immature, and too young to be taken seriously. And yet, every time he ruffled her hair, teased her about being a ‘kid,’ or dismissed her opinions with a smirk, her heart ached with the knowledge that he would never see her the way she saw him.

She had tried convincing herself it was just a phase. A silly crush on the guy who had been around since childhood, the one who had always been a little out of reach. But the way her stomach flipped when he looked at her, the way her heart pounded when his hand accidentally brushed against hers—it wasn’t a phase. It was real, and it was terrifying.

Today was no different.

The four of them—Samiksha, Abeer, Aarohi, and Vidyut—were at a café near campus, a casual get-together after classes. Samiksha was deep in conversation with Aarohi about an upcoming college event when Abeer suddenly flicked her forehead.

“Ow! What was that for?” she glared at him, rubbing the spot.

“You were zoning out,” Abeer said, leaning back in his chair lazily. “Probably daydreaming about some k-pop guy again.”

Samiksha rolled her eyes. “Not everything I think about is K-pop.”

“Yeah?” Abeer smirked. “Then what were you thinking about?”

She swallowed. You.

But she wasn’t about to say that. Instead, she huffed, “None of your business, old man.”

Abeer chuckled, shaking his head. “You’re such a kid, Sam.”

And there it was. That word again. Kid.

A pang of frustration shot through her. Would he ever see her as anything else?

Aarohi, ever the troublemaker, decided to jump in. “She’s not a kid, Abeer. Just because you’re practically ancient doesn’t mean we’re toddlers.”

Abeer scoffed. “She literally just sulked because I flicked her forehead.”

“It hurt!” Samiksha argued, but her voice lacked conviction.

“See?” He smirked. “Kid.”

Samiksha clenched her jaw, choosing to ignore him rather than give him the satisfaction of seeing her annoyed. Instead, she turned her attention to her iced coffee, stirring it aggressively.

And that’s when it happened.

A guy from the next table—a senior, if she remembered correctly—walked over to them, a hesitant smile on his face. “Hey, Samiksha, right?”

Samiksha blinked, looking up. “Uh, yeah?”

“I was wondering if you’d like to grab coffee with me sometime. Just the two of us.” His voice was casual, but the intention was clear.

Aarohi’s eyes widened in delight, and Vidyut nearly choked on his drink, clearly entertained. Samiksha, on the other hand, was speechless.

Before she could even respond, Abeer’s chair scraped against the floor as he shifted, his posture changing. “She’s busy.”

The words came out sharp, leaving no room for argument.

Samiksha turned to him, startled. So did everyone else.

The guy raised an eyebrow. “I wasn’t asking you.”

Abeer’s jaw tightened. “Yeah? Well, I’m answering for her.” His gaze flicked to Samiksha, expectant, as if daring her to say otherwise.

Her heart pounded. Not just because of the senior’s sudden interest, but because of the way Abeer had said it. Firm. Possessive. Like the very idea of someone asking her out was unacceptable.

She swallowed. “Uh, actually—”

“She’s not interested,” Abeer cut in before she could finish.

The guy frowned, looking between them. “Right. Got it.” And with that, he walked away.

Silence hung over the table.

Aarohi was the first to break it. “Okay, what the hell was that?”

Abeer exhaled sharply, looking almost as surprised as everyone else. “Nothing. He was annoying.”

Vidyut snickered. “Or you just didn’t like him asking her out.”

Abeer shot him a glare, but Samiksha was too focused on the strange fluttering in her chest.

Had that just happened? Had Abeer really—

No. No, she wasn’t going to read into it. It was probably just his overprotective nature. He would have done the same for Aarohi.

And yet… she couldn’t shake the feeling that, for the first time, Abeer had seen her as something other than a kid.

Even if it was only for a second.

.

Meanwhile, in a completely different world-away from school chaos-Avya Maheshwari walked into the towering Rajvansh Enterprises, ready to start her new job.

Her confident strides came to a halt when she saw Ekansh Rajvansh standing in the lobby, looking straight at her.

Her jaw dropped.

"You?!" she blurted.

Ekansh sighed. "Of course, it had to be you."

Avya's brain short-circuited.

She was here to join as the Executive Head of Marketing. But nobody told her that the CEO was Ekansh Rajvansh.

"This is a disaster," she muttered under her breath.

Ekansh ran a hand through his hair. "I couldn't agree more."

And just like that, another story began.

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See cuties first few chapters are boring and crap I know but if you will trust the process then the upcoming chapters are much more interesting.🎀