Meet Ishaa Shetty:
The poised and polished future heir to Arcadia, Hyderabad's largest tech empire. With her flawless style, straight A's, and loyal circle of friends, Ishaa is the embodiment of perfection. Bold, intelligent, and effortlessly beauti...
Rishi and I were on our way home from school, the afternoon sun casting long shadows on the deserted street. As we pulled into the driveway, he casually tossed out a question.
"Your place or mine?"
My cheeks flushed instantly. A scene from that hilarious rom-com we watched last week flickered in my mind, and for a fleeting moment, my imagination ran wild. Thankfully, Rishi's next words shattered my fantasy.
"Don't let that little brain of yours think too much," he teased, playfully swatting my head. "Just deciding where we should torture ourselves with math, that's all."
I scoffed, trying to appear nonchalant despite the lingering warmth in my cheeks. "Of course, that's what you meant," I mumbled, though a mischievous glint sparkled in my eyes. Even as I spoke, a tiny part of me couldn't help but wonder... what if...?
Just as we were about to step out of the car, I blurted out, "Come to my house for the study session."
Back home, I changed into comfy clothes and raided the pantry for a much-needed snack attack.Chewy chocolate chip cookies – the perfect fuel for a long evening of battling quadratic equations. I scrolled through Instagram for a few minutes, a light distraction before the inevitable math mayhem began.
Glancing at the clock, I saw the time – 5:00 pm sharp. Taking a deep breath, I gathered my books and headed towards the dining area. It was the least likely place to be interrupted, and besides, studying in my room with Rishi felt... well, a little too close for comfort. With a determined sigh, I tackled the first few problems, the silence broken only by the scratching of my pen on paper.
Just then, I heard a dramatic flourish from the doorway. Rishi stood there, arms outstretched in a mock-heroic pose.
"Behold!" he declared with a grin. "Your saviour has arrived!"
I couldn't help but smile. "Saviors don't announce themselves, you know," I retorted playfully. "Besides, a little humility wouldn't hurt."
The first ten problems felt manageable, a warm-up before the real challenge. But problem number eleven... it stared back at me with a mocking indifference. I reread the question twice, each time the solution seeming further out of reach. Frustration gnawed at me, and I glanced over at Rishi.
There he was, a picture of concentration as he meticulously worked his way through the problems. He looked... kind of cool, actually. The way his brow furrowed in focus, the way his pen danced across the paper... I quickly tore my gaze away, cheeks burning with the sudden realization that I'd been staring.
"Done checking me out?" Rishi's voice cut through the silence, laced with amusement.
I stammered, "Wh-what? No way! I was just... zoning out for a second."
He smirked, a knowing glint in his eyes. "Sure, Ishu. Whatever helps you sleep at night." He paused, then leaned in conspiratorially. "Although, Ish..."
I braced myself, already anticipating his teasing. But before he could launch into his usual playful jabs, I held up a hand.
"Nope," I declared, a mischievous glint in my own eyes. "New topic. Problem number eleven. Lost cause. Help a damsel in distress?"
Rishi chuckled, his amusement genuine and warm. He leaned back, his gaze flitting to the problem. A spark of excitement ignited in his eyes – not the kind you'd expect from someone staring at math equations.
"Oh, this one?" he said, a grin spreading across his face. "This one's actually kind of interesting. See, the trick is..."
He dove into his explanation, his voice filled with an unexpected passion. He wasn't just explaining the steps; he was narrating a story, a logical puzzle waiting to be unravelled. For the first time, math didn't feel like an enemy, but a challenge to be conquered alongside a friend.
The afternoon melted away in a flurry of equations, explanations, and playful banter. Rishi's laughter echoed through the room as I grappled with the concepts, his patience and good humour slowly chipping away at my frustration. By the time he was packing up his things to leave, the house was filled with the warm glow of the setting sun.
"Thanks, Rishi," I said, a genuine smile gracing my lips. "You're a lifesaver... literally."
He winked. "Anytime, Ish. Remember, every cloud has a silver lining. Even a cloud shaped like a quadratic equation." He paused, then added with a playful jab, "And hey, at least you finally admitted you needed help."
I rolled my eyes, a smile tugging at the corners of my lips. "Oh, shut up. prathi kukka ki oka roju vasthundhi raa. (every dog has its day.) "
he started teasing again with"then do you admit that you are a dog ?"
I just rolled my eyes and told,"takes one to know one."
Rishi chuckled, then turned towards the door. As he was about to leave, he threw a parting shot over his shoulder. "See you tomorrow... same time, same place?"
A blush crept up my cheeks, but I managed a nonchalant shrug. "Maybe."
He wagged his finger playfully. "Don't even think about skipping out on me, Ishu. We've got more math adventures to conquer!" With that, he winked and disappeared out the door, leaving me with a fluttering heart and a head full of numbers... and maybe something else entirely.
Isha's ootd
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Rishi's ootd
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Author's note:
Hey guys, how do you like the story so far? I know this is a short chapter but I promise the next is a big one. I also noticed that a few of you read the second part of chapter "the match" first and skipped the first part , so please do check before reading.....do comment and vote on the chapters and let me know if the chapters are too long or short or if they are fine.
