💖✨ Rivals' Romance: An Unexpected Love Story ✨💖

Chapter - 8

During lunch, Rohan noticed Kabir swapping Tara's lunch with vegetables and couldn't help but comment, "Kabir, what are you doing? Are you serious right now?"

Kabir, with a mischievous grin, replied, "Just a little lunchtime fun, Rohan. Tara needs to eat her veggies anyway."

Rohan shook his head in disbelief. "I think that slap has done something to your brain. Why are you behaving like a 5-year-old child? Just say sorry to her and move on."

Kabir's playful demeanor shifted slightly as he defended himself, "Why should I say sorry? She was the one who slapped me. If anyone should apologize, it's her."

Rohan sighed, realizing Kabir's stubbornness. "Yaar, kuch toh samajhne ki koshish kar. This isn't helping anyone."

Kabir, unfazed by Rohan's words, replied confidently, "Rohan, just chill and watch how I make her apologize to me."

Rohan shook his head, disagreeing with Kabir. "Kabir, I'm not with you in this. This isn't the way to handle things."

Meanwhile, during lunch, Tara opened her lunch box to find vegetables instead of her usual meal. She muttered to herself in annoyance, "Kabir, yaar, yeh ladka mera peecha kab chodega."

Just then, Kabir approached. "Kisi ne mujhe yaad kiya?" he joked.

Tara rolled her eyes. "Haan, mein Kabir. Kya hai yeh?"

Kabir chuckled. "Vegetables. Tumhe nahi pata mujhe toh nursery se pata hai."

Tara retorted, "Haan, pata hai per yeh mere lunch mein kya kar rahi hai?"

Kabir shrugged, pretending innocence. "Mujhe kya pata? Tumhari mommy se pucho."

Tara snapped, "Kabir, I don't like veggies, so my mom would never put them in my lunch."

Kabir teased, "Tabhi tum itni patli ho rahi ho. Veggies khaani chahiye, health sahi rehti hai."

Tara sighed, trying to keep her cool. "Kabir, mein health advice nahi le rahi. Batao, mere lunch ka kaha hai?"

Kabir smirked, changing the topic, "Kaha hai kabhi meri notebook puchi ho, kabhi mera lunch box. Yahi puchti rehti ho."

Tara rolled her eyes at Kabir's teasing and retorted, "Kabir, tujhe toh har waqt mazaak hi lagta hai. Kuch serious bhi ho sakta hai kya teri dictionary mein?"

Kabir flashed a playful grin. "Serious? Haan, agar tu serious ho gayi toh mera entertainment kaise hoga?"

Tara crossed her arms, pretending to be annoyed. "Entertainment? Tujhe mujhe pareshan karne mein maza aata hai, right?"

Kabir leaned in closer, his smirk widening. "Well, tere reactions dekhne mein definitely maza aata hai."

Tara couldn't help but smile despite herself. "Kabir, tu kabhi nahi sudhrega, hamesha bachpana hi karega."

Kabir shrugged nonchalantly. "Hey, bachpana karke bhi koi kisi ko impress kar sakta hai."

Tara raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Impress? Tere antics se toh sirf irritation hoti hai."

Kabir chuckled, enjoying their banter. "Oh, come on, Tara. You secretly love the attention."

Tara rolled her eyes again, but there was a hint of amusement in her expression. "Secretly? Please, Kabir, you're not that charming."

Kabir grinned cheekily. "Oh, I beg to differ. Maybe you just haven't seen my charming side yet."

As the break came to an end, Tara and Kabir's banter continued, with both of them exchanging playful yet teasing remarks.

Tara quipped, "Kabir, you should seriously consider a career in stand-up comedy. You have a talent for annoying people."

Kabir laughed, "Oh, thanks for the compliment, Tara. I'll make sure to add 'annoying people' to my resume."

Tara rolled her eyes, unable to suppress a smile. "You do realize that annoying people won't get you very far in life, right?"

Kabir shrugged nonchalantly. "Who said I'm aiming for the stars? Sometimes, just having fun is enough."

Tara shook her head, feigning exasperation. "Fun for you, maybe. But for the rest of us, it's just headaches."

Kabir flashed a mischievous grin. "Ah, but you can't deny that I bring excitement to your otherwise boring day."

Tara chuckled, shaking her head. "Excitement or chaos, Kabir?"

As lunch came to an end, Tara realized she hadn't eaten anything. Frustration bubbled up as she muttered, "Pura lunch khatam ho gaya or mein khana bhi nahi khaya. Thank you, Kabir, for making me starve."

Kabir, wanting to explain or say something, opened his mouth, but Tara stormed off back to the classroom in anger before he could utter a word. He sighed, a mix of regret and amusement playing on his face as he watched her leave.

Kabir couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness as he watched Tara storm off in anger. He pondered to himself, "Why am I feeling sad? She starved herself because she doesn't like veggies, and that's not my fault. But why am I feeling sad for her?"

As the class resumed after lunch, Kabir found it difficult to focus on the lesson. His guilt over Tara going hungry gnawed at him, yet his pride and unresolved feelings from their previous altercation held him back from apologizing. He kept stealing glances at Tara, noticing her occasional sighs and furtive glances at her empty lunch box.

"Should I say sorry? No, Kabir, you can't. You have to make her suffer for the slap," he thought to himself, torn between his guilt and his wounded ego. "Why am I feeling sad? It's just a lunch," he tried to rationalize, but the guilt lingered.

Lost in his conflicting thoughts, Kabir didn't realize that the teacher had called his name several times until Tara nudged him gently. "Kabir, the teacher is calling you," she whispered, her tone neutral.

Startled, Kabir turned his attention to the front of the class where the teacher was waiting with a raised eyebrow. "Yes, ma'am?" he replied, trying to appear attentive.

"Kabir, what's going on with you? I've noticed a decline in your focus on studies lately. You used to be one of the top students, but now your grades are dropping, and you seem distracted in class," the teacher voiced her concern.

"Nothing, ma'am. I wasn't feeling well," Kabir quickly offered as an excuse, his gaze briefly flickering towards Tara, a silent challenge brewing in his eyes, marking the beginning of their silent battle.

The teacher sighed, not entirely convinced but choosing to let it go for the moment. "I hope you'll improve and fulfill your promise of coming first in the next exam," she said with a hint of expectation, addressing Kabir's earlier assurance.

Kabir nodded, a determined glint in his eyes.