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The sun was setting, casting a soft orange glow over the winding roads as the group of friends made their way to the distant fair. The air was filled with the promise of fun, laughter, and memories waiting to be created. Ekansh had been planning this outing for weeks—an escape from the chaos, a chance to bond, to relax, and to let the lightness of the evening sweep them away.

The drive to the fair was filled with chatter, but Abeer was unusually quiet. His eyes were fixed on Samiksha, who sat beside him, casually dressed in a kurta and jeans. She looked effortlessly stunning, her hair flowing loosely, and her smile radiant under the soft glow of the setting sun.

Abeer couldn’t help but notice how she looked today—dangerously gorgeous, as if the sun itself was trying to compete with her brilliance. His heart raced whenever their eyes met, each eye lock leaving him more breathless than the last. He turned his attention back to the road, but his mind was still on her.

“ahm ahm” he mumbled, his voice a little more nervous than usual. He quickly turned the volume up on the car stereo and pressed play on a song.

(Its the attached song 'sagar jaisi aankhon wali')

The soft melody filled the car, and Abeer glanced at her through the corner of his eye. He didn’t have the courage to say it directly, but the lyrics seemed to speak for him, sending a clear message—This song is for you. He had a way of expressing his feelings through music, even if it wasn’t the most obvious way to get the message across.

Samiksha’s lips curved into a small, knowing smile as the song played, her heart fluttering at the unspoken words hanging between them. She didn’t know what to say but couldn’t help but feel a warmth spreading inside her.

---

As they entered the fairgrounds, the hustle and bustle of the crowd surrounded them. The vibrant colors of stalls, the laughter of children, the smell of food—all of it felt magical.

Abeer’s attention drifted to the familiar face in the crowd—Adhya, the girl from his class.

She smiled brightly at him, her presence too warm and welcoming. She approached him, leaning in close to chat, her eyes sparkling with flirtation. Samiksha noticed it immediately. The unease in her chest twisted as she watched the interaction unfold before her.

She didn't even realize she was feeling jealous until she felt the emptiness creeping in. Why do I care? He’s not mine. He's just a friend.

But the jealousy lingered, deep and uninvited, as Abeer smiled back at Adhya, the conversation flowing smoothly. Samiksha’s heart sank as she turned away, trying to mask her emotions behind a casual smile.

As the evening wore on, the group wandered through the fair. Laughter echoed through the air as they tried out the various stalls, eating cotton candy, riding the Ferris wheel, and winning small toys. For a while, everything was forgotten, and they simply enjoyed the chaos of the fair.

Meanwhile, Aarohi was walking down one of the lanes, lost in the sights and sounds of the fair. Her attention was caught by the glowing lights of the food stalls, but as she moved past a group of boys, she felt their eyes on her.

The attention felt… wrong.

Her stomach churned as she realized they were ogling her in a way that made her uncomfortable. Before she could react, Vidyut appeared beside her, his gaze sharp as he looked at the group of boys.

He grabbed Aarohi’s hand gently, guiding her away from the uncomfortable situation.

“What were you looking at?” Aarohi asked, a little breathless from the sudden turn of events.

Vidyut gave her a crooked smile. “Nothing. Just making sure you’re not a target for those bastards.”

Aarohi’s heart fluttered in an odd, unexpected way. She looked up at him, meeting his eyes, and they shared a genuine laugh—one that was free of tension, free of worries.

“Thanks,” she said quietly, her hand still in his.

“No problem,” Vidyut replied, his voice softer now. “But next time, let me know if you see any more ‘idiots.’ I’ll be happy to deal with them.”

They walked in silence for a few moments, the easy camaraderie between them unspoken but understood.

Across the fair, Ekansh walked beside Avya, an awkward tension hanging between them. He wanted to thank her—he truly did—but every time he tried to say something, the words stuck in his throat. Instead, he found himself following her as she stopped at a stall with colorful bangles.

She touched a set gently, moving away almost reluctantly, and Ekansh saw his chance. He quickly bought the bangles as a small, thoughtful gift, hoping it would express his gratitude. But as soon as he moved on, Avya shifted to another stall, this time eyeing a selection of earrings.

He couldn’t help it. He bought them too, hoping she wouldn’t notice.

Avya moved again, this time to a bookstall. She admired a set of books but didn’t buy them. Without thinking, Ekansh picked them up too, his heart racing as he hoped she’d never find out.

The final straw came when a woman handed her child to Ekansh, asking him to look after the child while she checked out the food stalls.

Ekansh’s eyes softened as he carefully took the child in his arms. The little boy giggled, and Ekansh couldn’t help but smile. He bought the child an ice cream, sitting down on a nearby bench as the boy chattered away.

“You’re so nice, uncle!” the child said, his innocent voice tugging at Ekansh’s heart.

Ekansh smiled, a little embarrassed. “Don’t call me uncle. I’m not that old.”

The child giggled. “Okay, bhaiya. But bhaiya, bhabhi apko ese kyun dekh rhi?”

Ekansh’s eyes shot to Avya, who was standing nearby, watching him with an intensity he hadn’t noticed before. The word bhabhi echoed in his mind, and for the first time, he saw the way Avya was looking at him—not just with admiration, but with something deeper.

A blush crept up his cheeks as he turned back to the child.

As the evening drew to a close, Abeer wandered through the fair, his thoughts still tangled with Samiksha. His gaze was constantly drawn to her, and today, something about her looked different—more beautiful, more captivating. He passed a stall selling fresh flowers and spotted a gajra. The delicate strands of jasmine caught his eye, and without a second thought, he bought them, intending to give them to Samiksha.

When he reached home, he found himself scrolling through his Instagram, feeling the odd urge to post something. His feed was mostly filled with photos of football matches and study sessions, nothing that really gave away his personal life. As soon as he saw her profile his heart did a thing but he ignored it and thought of sending a request later on.

His heart did a small flip, but he tried to keep his cool. Maybe this is just a coincidence, he thought.

But deep down, he knew—things were about to change, and he couldn’t ignore it any longer.

---

It was a typical school day, and as always, Samiksha was lost in her own world, blabbering to Aarohi about Abeer. She couldn't contain her excitement, going on and on about how he had looked at her, how they had locked eyes multiple times, and how she could barely sleep because he was all over her mind. Aarohi, on the other hand, looked completely unimpressed, rolling her eyes as she listened to her best friend's hopeless romantic rants.

"You do realize that he doesn’t love you back, right?" Aarohi finally asked, a mix of curiosity and exasperation in her tone.

Samiksha didn’t falter even for a second. "Love isn’t about guarantees, Aarohi. It’s about hope."

Aarohi sighed, shaking her head at Samiksha's foolish optimism, but she couldn’t help admiring how much courage it took to love someone so unapologetically, even when there was no assurance of love in return.

Their conversation was interrupted when Adhya sauntered into the class, a smug expression plastered across her face. "Oh my god, you guys wouldn’t believe what happened last night!" she announced dramatically.

Aarohi barely looked at her. "You finally got arrested?" she deadpanned.

Ignoring Aarohi, Adhya flipped her hair and continued, "I ran into Abeer! We had such a long chat… he was totally into me. Flirting and everything."

Samiksha's stomach twisted uncomfortably. She hated how hearing Adhya say those words made her feel. Aarohi, however, had no such restraint. "Oh, really? Abeer was flirting with you?" she said, narrowing her eyes. "The same Abeer who doesn’t even flirt with oxygen?"

Adhya simply smirked, enjoying the reaction. "Believe what you want," she said, before walking away, her fake confidence trailing behind her.

Samiksha tried to brush off the weird feeling in her chest, but she couldn't shake off the uneasiness.

The class soon began, but Samiksha and Aarohi, sitting at the last bench, were far too entertained by their own jokes to pay attention. They exchanged memes under the table, giggling like idiots. Aarohi said something particularly ridiculous, and Samiksha let out a loud, uncontrolled laugh, drawing the teacher’s attention immediately.

"Samiksha! Stand up!"

Groaning, she got up, holding her ears as the teacher shot her a glare. "Look at you, distracting the entire class. And look at Abeer—so sincere, so disciplined. And you? A little piece of nothing!"

Embarrassment burned through Samiksha’s face. And just to make things worse, Abeer walked into the classroom at that exact moment. She wanted to disappear into the ground.

He glanced at her briefly before turning to the teacher. "Ma’am, I actually needed Samiksha in the library for some work."

Her head snapped towards him. Library? What work?

The teacher sighed, waving her hand dismissively. "Fine, take her away. At least she won’t disrupt the class here."

As soon as they stepped out, Samiksha frowned in confusion. "Uh… library? What work?"

Abeer shrugged. "No work. Just saving you."

She gawked at him. "You… lied?"

He simply reached out and patted her head, something entirely out of character for him. Abeer, who hated unnecessary touches, had just patted her head.

"Don’t get used to it," he said casually before walking away, leaving Samiksha standing there, her heart racing.

---

At lunch, Aarohi sat at the table, looking miserable as she stared at her math notebook. "I have to finish 160 questions," she groaned, slamming her head onto the table.

Vidyut, who had just joined them, raised an eyebrow. "Why didn’t you do them daily?"

"I meant to," she whined, "but then I… just didn’t."

He sighed, grabbing her notebook. "You eat. I’ll do your homework."

Aarohi looked at him, surprised. "But what about your lunch?"

"Priorities," Vidyut said with a smirk, already solving the equations.

Aarohi stared at him, something warm and unfamiliar settling in her chest.

---

Meanwhile, at the office, Avya walked into her cabin and immediately spotted a beautifully wrapped gift sitting on her desk, accompanied by a bouquet. A note lay beside it.

"For someone who notices everything but never buys for herself."

Curious, she unwrapped the gift and gasped. Inside were the bangles, earrings, and books she had admired at the fair.

Her heart fluttered.

Ekansh, sitting in his own office, wore an unusual smile on his face. His mind, however, wasn’t on work—it was on her.

His thoughts were interrupted when his secretary walked in. "Sir, your meeting is about to start."

He barely registered her words. "Hmm? Oh, right."

Meanwhile, Avya sat at her desk, blushing like an idiot.

---

That evening, Samiksha lounged on the sofa in her brother’s oversized t-shirt and shorts, her hair tied up in a messy bun. She heard footsteps at the doorway and, assuming it was Avya, started ranting without looking up.

"Avya, you won’t believe it! My teacher humiliated me, but Abeer saved me! But ugh, why does he talk to everyone but me? Am I an alien? And also, I’m so jealous of Adhya—"

She turned mid-sentence, and her soul nearly left her body.

Standing there, with an amused expression, was Abeer.

A scream tore from her throat. "AAAHH, MUMMY!"

Before he could say anything, she sprinted to her room, slamming the door shut.

Downstairs, Abeer stood frozen for a second before shaking his head, mildly entertained.

His thoughts were interrupted when Vidyut walked into the room. "Ooh, tu aa gaya?" he asked, flopping onto the couch.

Abeer nodded and sat down beside him.

"Did you see Samiksha?" Vidyut smirked, clearly knowing something.

Abeer, without missing a beat, replied, "No."

Vidyut gave him a knowing look but didn’t push further. They shifted to discussing studies, exams, and other random topics, but every now and then, Abeer’s mind wandered back to the flustered girl who had just screamed at the sight of him.

Upstairs, Samiksha sat on her bed, face buried in a pillow. Did he hear all that? Did he see me in this outfit?! Oh god, why am I like this?!

Her phone pinged with a notification.

A follow request.

From Abeer.

Her breath hitched. Hands shaking slightly, she hovered over the ‘accept’ button for a second before pressing it.

Somewhere downstairs, Abeer smirked as his notification popped up:

"Samiksha has accepted your follow request."

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