Aanya POV

“AAANYAAAA!”

Riya ki loud awaaz poore ghar mein echo ho rahi thi.

Main uske living room mein couch par baithi thi, phone scroll karte hue.

“Chilla kyun rahi ho?” maine upar dekhe bina kaha.

“Kyuki tum mujhe ignore kar rahi ho!”

Main sigh karke phone side par rakh diya.

“Main literally tumhare saamne baithi hoon.”

Riya dramatic expression ke saath mere saamne baith gayi.

“Tum emotionally ignore kar rahi ho.”

Main aankhein roll karne hi wali thi jab suddenly footsteps sunai diye.

Heavy footsteps.

Aur mujhe instantly pata chal gaya.

Aarav.

Maine automatically apna posture straight kar liya.

Great.

Bas yehi baaki tha.

Riya bilkul normal thi.

Usse toh koi farak hi nahi padta tha.

Kyuki obviously…

woh uska bhai tha.

But mere liye?

He was a walking problem.

Aarav kitchen se living room mein enter hua.

Black t-shirt.

Grey sweatpants.

Hair thode messy.

Aur jaise hi uski nazar mujh par padi…

woh ruk gaya.

Uski eyes thodi narrow ho gayi.

Jaise woh mujhe analyze kar raha ho.

“Tum phir aa gayi.”

Uska tone teasing tha.

Main instantly defensive ho gayi.

“Main Riya se milne aayi hoon.”

“Obviously.”

Woh couch ke peeche khada ho gaya.

Mujhe feel ho raha tha ki woh mujhe dekh raha hai.

Aur mujhe ye bilkul pasand nahi tha.

Okay…

ye thoda jhoot tha.

Mujhe pasand tha.

Bas main admit nahi karna chahti thi.

Riya ne suddenly bola,

“Hum mall ja rahe hain.”

Aarav ne casually pucha,

“Hum?”

“Main aur Aanya.”

Aarav ne ek second ke liye mujhe dekha.

Phir bola,

“Main bhi aa raha hoon.”

Main literally choke kar gayi.

“Why?” maine turant pucha.

Riya bhi confused thi.

“Since when tum shopping karte ho?”

Aarav ne shoulders shrug kiye.

“Bored hoon.”

Uski eyes phir mere upar aa gayi.

Aur mujhe suddenly ek strange feeling hui.

Jaise…

woh mere reaction ka wait kar raha tha.

Main turant phone utha kar pretend karne lagi ki mujhe koi farak nahi padta.

Lekin andar se…

mera heart fast ho raha tha.

Kyuki mall jaana Riya ke saath easy tha.

Lekin mall jaana…

Aarav Mehra ke saath?

Dangerous.

Car Ride

15 minutes baad hum car mein the.

Riya front seat.

Aur main…

backseat.

Aarav ke saath.

Universe clearly mujhe torture kar raha tha.

Main window ke bahar dekh rahi thi jab mujhe feel hua…

koi mujhe dekh raha hai.

Maine slowly side glance liya.

Aarav.

Of course.

“Problem?” maine pucha.

Usne slowly head tilt kiya.

“Tum uncomfortable ho.”

“Main nahi hoon.”

“Jhoot.”

Maine eyebrow raise ki.

“Tumhe kaise pata?”

Aarav thoda sa lean hua.

Aur uski voice slow ho gayi.

“Kyuki jab tum nervous hoti ho…”

Uski nazar mere haath par gayi.

“Tum apni ring ghumaati ho.”

Mera heart skip kar gaya.

Kyuki woh bilkul sahi tha.

Aur abhi bhi main ring ghuma rahi thi.

Maine quickly haath band kar liya.

“Tum mujhe observe karna band kar sakte ho.”

Aarav ki lips par slight smile aa gayi.

“Impossible.”

“Kyuki?”

Woh thoda aur paas aaya.

Aur whisper kiya—

“Kyuki tum interesting ho.”

Meri heartbeat instantly fast ho gayi.

Aur mujhe tab realize hua.

Yeh sirf normal teasing nahi tha.

Yeh kuch aur tha.

Aur agar main careful nahi rahi…

toh main bahut buri tarah phas sakti thi.

Kyuki Aarav Mehra sirf meri best friend ka bhai nahi tha.

Woh meri sabse badi weakness ban sakta tha.