Her Hated Feelings

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟕

"Nothing much, just a little play to help him... and make her mine," Ali said, his enigmatic smile deepening. "Oh, and maybe exact a bit of revenge-not on our dear brother, but on her."

With that, he walked out of the room, leaving Shameer stunned.

"What do you mean? Where are you going?!" Shameer called after him.

"To meet his 'mere girl,'" Ali said without turning, his voice light and teasing as he winked at Shameer.

"This is going to be a mess," Shameer muttered under his breath. Just then, a group of girls appeared at the end of the corridor, giggling and chatting as they walked his way. Panicking, Shameer darted back into the room.

"Hush, innocent me," he thought, shaking his head. If those girls saw him, they'd start swooning all over again.

"Aena!" he called, his tone casual yet purposeful.

She turned to him, her expression neutral. "Hm?"

"I just wanted to check on your friend. You left in such a hurry earlier, it looked like you were ready to take on the world for her," he said with a disarming smile.

The mention of her friend made her soften, her lips curving into a faint smile. "Oh... um, yeah, she's fine now. Thanks for asking," she replied, her tone even but polite.

"Good to hear. By the way, I've taken care of the meeting arrangements, so I'll just give you the passes later," Ali added smoothly.

Aena nodded. "Thanks. Bye." She walked away, her steps measured, leaving Ali standing there with a smirk.

"Trap set," he muttered under his breath, his eyes glinting with mischief.

---

Later that night
Ali made his way to the girls' hostel to deliver the passes. Technically, boys weren't allowed on the girls' floor, but rules rarely applied to Ali Durani. A simple nod from the guard, and he was let through.

He knocked on Aena's door, but there was no response. A faint melody played from inside, laughter mixing with the music.

"Huh?" he muttered, puzzled, before turning to the door next to hers. He knocked, and a girl opened it. Her eyes widened, clearly taken aback by Ali's presence.

"Hi, sweetie. Could you do me a little favor?" he asked, his voice smooth as silk. The girl nodded instantly, as if under a spell.

"Let me in," he said with a charming smile. She stepped aside without hesitation, and Ali entered the room. Ignoring his surroundings, he headed straight to the balcony that connected to Aena's. He climbed over the railing and crouched by her window, peeking in.

Inside, Aena and her friends were laughing and dancing, trying to cheer up Mia. Her carefree smile and the soft glow of her presence mesmerized him.

Ali leaned back against the wall, whispering to himself, "Oh my... Mahir needs to see this."

He pulled out his Samsung Fold and positioned it carefully on the windowsill, recording everything.

"This should do it," he muttered, settling down with his back against the wall. He closed his eyes, deciding to wait until the fun ended to make his move.

---

A while later...
The barking of stray dogs jolted Ali awake. He checked the room again and saw that the girls had fallen asleep. He retrieved his phone, smirking as he watched the video. Without hesitation, he sent it to the group chat with Shahab, Mahir, and Shameer.

"Done," he whispered to himself, spotting a ladder nearby. He used it to climb down and disappeared into the night.

I sat in the lounge of the Durani Estate, waiting for Shahab Bhai. A maid appeared, her tone respectful as she said, "Shahab Sahib is waiting for you on the terrace."

I sighed. I've been here for two minutes, and now I have to go upstairs? Without a word, I got up and headed to the terrace.

When the elevator doors opened, I froze. Shahab was there-along with Fariha.

My eyes narrowed. What is she doing here? Wasn't she scared her sister would find out?

Fariha glanced at me, smiling shyly. "Hi, Bhabhi," I muttered sarcastically. As expected, she blushed.

"She's here to discuss something important," Shahab began, but Fariha cut him off.

"Mahir, you're like a little brother to me," she said earnestly.

Little brother? Great. That's the last thing I want to be. My thoughts spiraled. If I were her little brother, I could get closer to Aena. But then... wait, we wouldn't be able to lo-

"Hush, Mahir Durani," I scolded myself internally, shaking off the ridiculous thought.

"We need your help," she continued.

"To get rid of Aena," Shahab added bluntly.

My brows furrowed. "What do you mean?" I whispered, feeling an uneasy weight settle in my chest.

"We have a plan," they said in unison.

Shahab elaborated, "On Friday night, I'll go to Fariha's house at 8 PM. We'll pretend to kiss-"

"What?!" I snapped, cutting him off, my voice laced with disbelief. "What if someone sees you?!"

"That's exactly what we want," Shahab explained calmly. "Fariha's maid will 'accidentally' catch us and call her parents. They'll rush home, only to find... you and Aena kissing."

The words hit me like a slap. My blood boiled, anger surging like never before.

"ARE YOU SERIOUS?!" I shouted, my voice echoing across the terrace. I had never raised my voice to Shahab Bhai before, but this... this was about her.

Shahab met my gaze, unfazed. "Mahir, we are dead serious," Fariha said, her tone cold and calculated.

To be continue.....