It was almost 3 PM when Avneet hurried to get ready. She threw on an oversized black shirt with bold words splashed across it, paired it with jorts, slipped into her Adidas sneakers, and made her way to Siddharth's house.
As she stood on his doorstep, her heart thumped unexpectedly. She shook off the feeling and knocked. When the door opened, Siddharth stood there—smiling. For the first time. Her eyes widened at the unfamiliar warmth, but before she could react, she stepped in and spotted Rohan and Ashi already seated.
"We're doing the assignment here? In the living room?" she asked, confused.
Siddharth nodded. "Got a problem?"
She shook her head and sat down beside Rohan.
Ashi shot her a secret glare—sharp and sour. Avneet ignored it and focused on typing on her laptop. But as her throat dried up, before she could say anything, Rohan noticed and offered her his water bottle.
"Here—" he began, but Siddharth snatched it and drank it all.
"What’s your damn problem?" Rohan snapped.
Siddharth replied casually, “I was thirstier. My bad.”
Annoyed, Avneet stood up and made her way to the kitchen. To her dismay, Ashi followed.
As Avneet finished drinking water and turned around, she saw Ashi leaning against the counter, arms crossed, a smug smirk playing on her lips.
"What now?" Avneet asked, rubbing her temples.
"Don’t get too close to Sid," Ashi said smoothly. "You’ve heard about my family, right? I can do things you can’t even imagine. Especially with Siddharth."
Avneet let out a dry laugh. “But you love him, don’t you?”
Ashi’s voice sharpened. “And so do you. Don’t you? I can see it all over you. And honestly, I think he’s starting to feel something too.”
Avneet froze. Her tongue felt heavy, but she managed to respond, “I don’t like him, and I never will. I’ve always been awkward, that’s all. But don’t you dare hurt him. I’ll go to any extent to protect him—because he’s my best friend.”
Ashi tapped the counter mockingly. “Your best friend? Since when?”
Avneet cursed herself mentally for slipping. “Since before he even knew you existed.”
Ashi chuckled bitterly. “Well, guess what? If I can’t have him, no one will. Keep your distance, let him keep hating you. That’s how it’s gonna be.”
Avneet felt a cold knot twist in her stomach. She nodded slowly, fear curling into her chest. She returned to the living room, her energy suddenly shifted.
“What took you so long in the kitchen?” Siddharth asked.
Ashi responded sweetly, “Nothing, we were just bonding.”
“Good. Let’s continue. We're behind schedule,” Siddharth said, unaware of the tension crackling in the air.
Rohan passed Avneet a note: You okay?
She scribbled back: Yeah, don’t worry. And offered him a smile, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes.
They finished early that day. Avneet began packing her things to leave.
“I can drop you,” Siddharth offered, his voice soft.
She looked up and said coldly, “No need. I have legs.”
He raised an eyebrow but stepped back. Ashi quickly jumped in, “Babe, drop me then?”
Just then, Ashi’s chauffeur arrived. “Miss, the car is ready.”
She sighed. “Not today, I guess. But thanks, babe.”
Avneet used the distraction to quietly slip away.
—
Avneet's POV
I was walking alone when I got a message from an unknown number:
“Good… keep rejecting him like this!!”
I didn’t even need to guess—it was Ashi. I left her on read and kept walking. A few steps later, someone placed a hand on my shoulder. I turned around—it was Siddharth.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, clearly annoyed.
He studied me for a moment. “You’ve changed. Your tone, your vibe… everything. What happened?”
My eyes widened—he noticed?
“None of your business,” I muttered, walking ahead.
He followed. “I’ll walk with you.”
“Your choice,” I said flatly.
At home, I flopped onto the sofa. Mom came over, gently stroking my head.
“I saw Siddharth outside. Why didn’t you invite him in?”
“Because I didn’t ask him to follow me or walk me home,” I snapped.
She teased, “What if Sid likes you?”
“Ugh, Mom! Stop!” I shot up and stormed into my room.
—
Siddharth's POV
Since she came back from the kitchen, something’s been… off. Her whole energy flipped. The bubbly Avneet is gone, replaced by this cold, distant version.
Is it Ashi? Could it really be my own girlfriend behind this?
I need to get close to Avneet and find out the truth. Because whatever this is... it hurts.
Just then, the door creaked open. It was Dada.
He sat down beside me and asked, “How’s everything, chote?”
“Fine… I guess.”
But I couldn’t hold it in anymore. “Dada, why does it hurt when someone you supposedly don’t even like… changes all of a sudden?”
He looked at me thoughtfully, then smiled. “Because you like them, Sid. Love—whether it’s romantic or platonic—always hurts when it’s real.”
My eyes widened. “No. It can’t be…”
Before he could ask more, Vaishnavi called us for dinner.
—
Abhishek & Vaishnavi's POV
Lying in bed, Abhishek whispered, “Vaishu… chote was asking why it hurts when someone changes. Someone he doesn’t ‘like’.”
Vaishnavi sat up. “It’s Avneet. I’m sure of it.”
“You think he’s in love?”
Vaishnavi nodded. “Yes. But it’s their story. We’ll help if needed—but only if we’re sure.”
Abhishek pulled her close and they cuddled, eventually drifting off to sleep.
˚˖𓍢🌷✧˚.🎀⋆
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—the authors" ☆
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𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐌𝐄 𝐓𝚰𝐋𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐄𝐍𝐃 (𝐑𝐄𝐕𝚰𝐒𝐄𝐃)
FanfictionThey were childhood best friends, inseparable until fate tore them apart. Years later, Avneet returns-hoping, longing-for even a flicker of recognition in Siddharth's eyes. But he looks at her like a stranger. Every memory... gone. Every promise...
