𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐏𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒
What happens when
𝐒𝐀𝐌𝐀𝐘𝐀𝐑𝐀 𝐃𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐏𝐔𝐓𝐑𝐀 - the girl who mastered the art of being unseen,
stitched together with silence and scar tissue,
haunted by the ruins of love and friendsh...
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"Hey, Sam, how dare you? Why the hell are you ignoring my messages?" Prajakta yelled at me, and I immediately removed my earphones, turning my attention to her.
"I told you to return my AirPods on the bus, but you've been ignoring my messages. I messaged you thirty times, just check it already!" she barked, pointing at my phone.
First of all, I hadn't borrowed her AirPods—she asked me to keep them safe since she always loses them.
Secondly, she asked me to hand them to her at the destination, not on the bus.
"Yeah, I just replied that I wasn't on my phone, and it's only been five minutes," I responded, recalling the time when she asked me to keep them.
"And I clearly remember you asked me to give them to you at the destination, not on the bus."
"Well, I want them now. If you've kept them so safe, then return them to me now," she said in a challenging tone, making it sound like my fault as I searched for my bag.
Evyaan understood the urgency and immediately handed it to me.
For someone who'd always carried himself with such composure and authority, I expected frustration—maybe even anger. But to my surprise, he remained calm, quietly understanding, like he knew this moment needed grace, not pride.
I rummaged through it, feeling the weight of everyone's eyes on me, only to realize with a sinking feeling that I had packed the AirPods in my luggage.
"No, it's not in my bag. I have them in my luggage, I'm sure," I said, stumbling over my words. The pressure of the situation was suffocating.
"You lost them, didn't you?" she growled again, and at that moment, the bus started moving, sending a jolt through my already frazzled nerves.
I felt my breath hitch when I nearly lost my balance, but Evyaan steadied me, holding my back and arm with his hands, while Prajakta found support on his shoulder, grabbing it tightly.
"Are you okay?" Evyaan's voice was sharp—concern mixed with anger—as he looked at me.
He wasn't angry when she created the scene, but got mad when I was about to get hurt? My panicked brain couldn't be more delusional as I brought my attention back to the situation.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Prajakta jumped in quickly, flashing him a sweet smile.
"Good. I was asking you, Samayara. Are you hurt?" he said, turning to me with an angrier tone.
"No, I'm fine," I reassured him, trying to steady my voice. For the first time, I saw Prajakta step back—actually embarrassed.
She's the kind who thrives on the confidence she gains by stepping on others. And maybe that tactic worked with almost everyone else—but not with him.
The ace. The campus god of IAN International. And now, the one who was mad. He's the school's golden boy when he's smiling, but when that smile fades?
Everyone knows to stay out of his way.
A few of the heads that had been watching quickly turned away, sensing the shift in the air, the edge in his silence.
As much as no one in school likes to admit it, there's an unspoken rule when it comes to the Jadejas: don't get on their bad side. Looks like Prajakta's finally figuring that out.
"You better sit down first," Evyaan said, pulling me back into my seat and taking my bag. Wanting to defuse the moment, I offered my own earphones to Prajakta.
"You can use mine until we reach the destination," I said, but she recoiled.
"I don't like using these, Sam. It's not that hard—just admit you lost them. No need to drag this out," she said sharply, practically daring me to confess to something I hadn't done.
Evyaan stepped in again. He put my bag away, pulled out his own, and offered a solution. He had his own AirPods all this time? Then why... why did he lie to me?
"Here, use mine. These are my AirPods—you can use them until she returns yours," he said calmly.
But there was something about the way he said it—it was firm, final, like an order. He wanted her gone. After handing them to her, he sat down beside me.
"Evyaan, you—" I began, trying to stop him, but the moment I looked at him, his expression was clouded with real anger. I couldn't speak.
"If Samayara says they're in her luggage, believe her. And if she's right, will you own up to how you acted and apologize?" he asked Prajakta, his voice firm.
"That could be possible, but..." she muttered, her frustration spilling over as the veins in her temple began to bulge.
"Evyaan, wouldn't it be better if you didn't meddle in this?" Laksh added fuel to the fire. "It's not your issue. Let Samayara handle the mess she made."
I don't think I've ever hated the sound of my name as much as I did when he said it like that.
"If she's in it, I'm in it too," Evyaan replied, steadying himself again. Then he added, "I'm the vice prime minister of the council—I can get involved in anything that disrupts discipline," he declared, loud enough that people nearby heard and quieted down.
"If you're done, you should sit down," he told Prajakta. She grumbled under her breath and walked away, shaking her head.
Once the tension broke, Evyaan turned to me.
"You sure you're okay, Samayara? You need water?" he asked, handing me a bottle.
I nodded, genuinely grateful.
"I could see how freaked out you were," he said. I nodded again before putting the bottle away in his bag.
He asked what happened, so I told him—carefully skipping the ugly parts. But as I spoke, I watched his face tighten, the empathy in his eyes hardening into something protective.
And honestly, if someone had told me this morning that I'd be spilling my heart out to a guy I literally just met—a guy who also happens to be the campus god of our junior college—I would've asked what weed they were on, and maybe even tried it for once.
Because nothing about this feels real. And yet, somehow, sitting here beside him, it feels... safe. Safer than it should.
"So she gave them to you herself... and then acted like you borrowed and lost them?" he said, his brows furrowed.
His frustration matched mine, and I couldn't help but laugh at how earnestly upset he looked.
"You laugh at pretty questionable things," he said, brow furrowing deeper. I giggled again.
"No, it's just... adorable seeing you this mad," I admitted, laughing.
"You think I'm adorable when I'm mad?" he asked, genuinely confused—and that's when I realized what I'd said.
