Heartstring

Chapter 2

Amira's POV

The next day, I made sure to arrive on time for class, determined not to repeat the same mistake as my first day. My friend teased me, jokingly accusing me of using my tardiness as an excuse. But this time, I was genuinely early, thanks to my newfound determination.

As we settled into our seats, my friend brought up the topic of my first encounter with "Mr. Arrogant" Her eyes widened with excitement as I recounted the details. "Wait, let me get this straight," she interrupted, her voice filled with anticipation. "Was the guy handsome? Did he wear a white shirt? Did he have a deep voice? And the brown eyes?"

I nodded, feeling a sense of déjà vu. "Yes, yes, and yes," I confirmed, wondering where she was going with this.
She practically squealed with excitement. "Girl, that's Agastya Choudhary! The guy everyone in this college swoons over. He's our senior, in the second year!"

I blinked, processing this new information. "Wait, logo ko aise khadus ladke pasand aate hai?" I exclaimed, incredulous.
My friend shrugged. "Tsk tsk, you'd be surprised how many girls fall for the bad boy charm," she said, shaking her head. Out of curiosity I asked "But seriously, tum usey kaise janti ho?"

"My cousin is his batchmate. She tells me everything about him."

I couldn't help but groan inwardly, remembering his name. Of course, fate had to throw me into the path of the most infamous guy on campus. Just my luck.

Agastya's POV

Life had been a whirlwind lately with my brother's wedding preparations and the relentless demands of my second year of college. Exhausted was an understatement. But tomorrow was my last exam, and despite everything, one thing remained true: I took my studies seriously. No matter how much of a bad guy people thought I was, or how deeply involved I was as the head of our group, I never slacked off academically.
This evening,

I was in the library, my usual sanctuary before exams. As I got up to fetch a book, my eyes landed on a familiar face. Little Miss "hayee little miss is here" , the girl from my first encounter, was sitting there, engrossed in her phone. Months had passed since I last saw her, but something about her presence brought an unexpected calmness to me. Was it exhaustion playing tricks on me, or was there something more?

Shaking off the thought, I smirked to myself. I couldn't resist the chance to mess with her again. I saw her name on her journal "Amira Singh" I cleared my throat, making sure she heard me. "Ms Amira Singh I thought people come here to study," I said, my voice dripping with mock seriousness.
She jumped, startled, and turned to look at me. "Are you for real??" she asked, her eyes wide with annoyance.

I leaned against the bookshelf, enjoying her reaction. "Oh, I'm very real," I replied, grinning. "And I see you're not making much use of this library, are you?"

She rolled her eyes and put her phone down, clearly irritated. "Shyaad main break le rahi thi?," she snapped.
"Ji bilkul ," I said, raising an eyebrow. "From all the hard work of scrolling through instagram, right?"

She huffed and crossed her arms. "Tumhari jaankari ke liye bata du, I was checking an important message."
"Oh, important messages," I nodded, pretending to be impressed. "Like what to wear for the next GRWM reel?"

"Ugh, you are impossible!" she exclaimed, her frustration mounting. "Why do you even care what I'm doing?"
"Maybe because it's amusing to see you get so worked up," I said, chuckling.

She glared at me, but I could see a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "You know, you should really try being nice for a change. It might suit you."
I shrugged, still grinning. "Where's the fun in that?"
She shook her head, clearly exasperated but unable to hide a small laugh. "Fine, whatever. Just let me study in peace, okay?"

"Sure, sure," I said, raising my hands in mock surrender. "But remember, Little Miss, I'm always watching."

She rolled her eyes again, but I could see her fighting back a smile. As I walked away, I couldn't help but feel a strange sense of satisfaction. Messing with her was fun, but there was something more to it. Maybe, just maybe, this semester was about to get a whole lot more interesting.

Amira's POV

I couldn't contain my anger and recounted the encounter with him to my friend. She was practically bouncing with joy, her eyes shining like she'd just met her favorite K-pop idol. "Oh my gosh, Amira! This is like straight out of a drama! What do you think of him? Do you like him?" she gushed.

I rolled my eyes. "Um, he's good-looking, I'll give him that," I admitted begrudgingly. "But I can't stand him, not even a single bit. Whenever I see him on campus, I just feel frustration and anger. He's so arrogant, and
he's involved in some gangs or something. I'd rather die than talk to him."

My friend just laughed, shaking her head. "You're such a cutie, Amira. But hey, maybe there's more to him than meets the eye."

I shrugged, unconvinced. "I doubt it."
But my thoughts quickly shifted as I focused on the project I'd been working on for months. I was representing our college in a debate competition, and if I won, our college would win. The pressure was on, but I was determined to make everyone proud.

Competition day✨

I was ready. I stepped onto the stage, nerves buzzing beneath my skin, but as soon as I started speaking, everything faded away. I delivered my arguments with confidence and poise, and when I delivered a particularly savage rebuttal, the crowd erupted into cheers.

I won.
I couldn't believe it. I was over the moon, basking in the glow of victory as random people congratulated me. Boys were asking me out left and right, but I politely declined, my mind already occupied with sending a picture of myself with the award to my mom.

That's when I saw him.
Agastya, looking all handsome and infuriatingly smug. I knew he was here to annoy me, but I wasn't about to let him ruin my moment of triumph.
 

Agastya sauntered over with that signature smirk of his, and I braced myself for whatever snide remark he had prepared.

"Well, well, well, look who's the campus hero now Amaira Singh," he teased, leaning against the wall next to me.
I rolled my eyes, not in the mood for his games. "What do you want, Agastya?" I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest.
He chuckled, unfazed by my hostility. "Just wanted to congratulate you on your win, Little Miss Debate Queen," he said, flashing me a dazzling smile that made my heart race for all the wrong reasons.

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. "And why would you care about that?"
He shrugged, his gaze never leaving mine. "Just thought I'd acknowledge the fact that you're not as useless as you seem."
I bristled at his backhanded compliment. "Gee, thanks," I replied, dripping with sarcasm. "Coming from you, that means a lot."

He chuckled again, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "You know, you're not so bad when you're not busy scowling at everyone."
I raised an eyebrow. "Says the guy who's practically made scowling his signature move."

He grinned, clearly enjoying our banter. "Touché, Little Miss. Touché."

I couldn't help but smirk back, despite myself. Maybe, just maybe, there was more to Agastya than meets the eye. But for now, I was content to revel in my victory and keep him at arm's length.