Aarohi And Dev

CHAPTER 35

Aarohi POV

As I woke up in the morning, the anxieties of the previous day seemed to melt away as I recalled our conversation that lasted until 2 AM. It was the first time I had stayed up past midnight, but I didn't mind at all. Being with him brought me unparalleled happiness.

I glanced at my phone, noticing there were no new messages from him. Realizing his phone had probably died, I checked my battery and decided to put it on charge.

After freshening up, I headed downstairs for breakfast. To my surprise, Tara was already there, sharing a meal with Mom and Bhai.

"Finally up! Come join us for breakfast," Tara called out as soon as she saw me as if she were the host and I the guest. I scoffed, nodded, and joined them at the table.

"So, Tara, who is this gentleman Aarohi is seeing?" Aarav Bhai asked sarcastically, instantly piquing Mom's curiosity. I couldn't help but smile at their childish antics and scoffed, "Bhai, I'll introduce you to him when the time is right."

"He's a wealthy and busy man, unlike someone," Tara added, emphasizing the word 'wealthy' and earning a crooked smile from Bhai. "Well, I'm also a wealthy and busy man," Bhai replied with equal intensity.

The two of them are more like siblings than anything else, always seizing the opportunity to irritate each other whenever they can.

Before the argument could escalate, I dragged Tara out for university. As we settled in the car, she asked, "Did you check today's news?"

Puzzled, I furrowed my brows. "No, why?"

While driving, she replied with a fidgety expression, "Your Dev is going viral on the internet."

As soon as I heard his name, I quickly opened the news, only to be shocked by a photo of Dev with another girl. "What do you think? Who photoshopped this?" I asked, scrutinizing the image.

"Smart! Maybe someone who wants Dev," she replied with a proud grin. I may not be very good with communication, but I grasp situations quickly. It took just a few seconds for me to recognize the photo was doctored.

Despite Tara's reassurances, my mind was in turmoil. Who was this girl? Did she have feelings for Dev? Did they share a history? A surge of unease swept over me as I wrestled with these questions.

"There's nothing going on between them, we both know that," Tara said with a sly smile. "But for the sake of adding a bit of intrigue to your relationship, why don't you act a little annoyed?"

Though I initially dismissed the idea as juvenile, I was tempted by the prospect of drawing some extra attention from him.

Just then, a message from Dev popped up, assuring me that there was no connection between him and the girl in the photo. Even though I knew the truth, I chose to indulge in a bit of pretense, curious to see his reaction. I simply replied with an "Okay."

As we arrived at the university, I turned to Tara and asked if she knew anything about Mayank and Rajveer.

As we settled into class, Mayank joined us, followed shortly by Rajveer, whose eyes remained fixed on Mayank. Unable to contain his frustration any longer, Rajveer asked, "How long are you going to avoid me?"

Mayank, unable to meet Rajveer's gaze, murmured, "I don't know." The lecture then began, shifting our focus back to the lesson at hand.

Midway through, our phones buzzed with notifications, prompting us to check the messages.

Mayankey 🐵: Let's talk after the lecture in the cafe.

Mayank had texted in the group chat, causing Tara and me to exchange confused glances.