𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 ( 𝐘𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐯𝐢 𝐉𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐥 )

9

Jemimah Rodrigues was lounging on her bed, her phone balanced on her stomach, and an amusing meme on the screen when it buzzed with an incoming call. She glanced at the name flashing on the screen—Smriti Mandhana. Her heart skipped a beat. She had been dreading this call ever since the headlines started swirling around her and Yashasvi. Smriti was bound to ask questions, and Jemimah wasn’t sure how much longer she could keep up the charade.

With a deep breath, she swiped to answer. "Hey, Smriti! What’s up?"

"Don’t ‘what’s up’ me!" Smriti's voice came through, sounding equal parts irritated and suspicious. "Why didn’t you tell me about you and Yashasvi? Do you even remember me, your supposed best friend?"

Jemimah stifled a laugh. Smriti’s tone was more jealous than anything, and that gave Jemimah a small window to steer the conversation. "Whoa, calm down, Smriti! Of course, I remember you. How could I forget my cricket partner-in-crime?"

"Then what’s this about you and Yashasvi being the ‘IT’ couple of cricket? Are you really into him, Jemi? And why didn’t you tell me?!" Smriti’s voice softened a bit, but the suspicion was still there.

Jemimah bit her lip, mentally cursing herself for not being more prepared. "Well… yeah, I guess I do like him," she said, trying to sound as convincing as possible. "But it’s still new, you know? I didn’t want to jinx anything by talking about it too soon."

Smriti was silent for a moment, clearly processing the information. "So, you actually like him? Not just a little, but… like, really like him?" There was a hint of disbelief in her voice.

Jemimah winced internally. She had to go all in now. "Yes, Smriti, I really like him. I didn’t realize it at first, but after spending more time together, it just kind of hit me." She paused, hoping that was enough to convince Smriti.

"And what about Arjun Verma?" Smriti shot back, her voice sly. "Weren’t you just crushing on him a few weeks ago? What happened to that?"

Jemimah almost choked on air. Arjun Verma, her longtime crush? She had completely forgotten about the fact that Smriti knew about her crush! "Oh, Arjun… right," Jemimah stumbled, trying to think fast. "Well, that was just a crush, nothing serious. You know how these things are. But with Yashasvi, it feels different."

Smriti didn’t respond immediately, and Jemimah’s heart raced. She could almost hear Smriti’s brain whirring on the other end. Finally, Smriti spoke, her voice a mix of suspicion and amusement. "Okay, I’ll believe you… for now. But if this is some kind of elaborate prank you’re dead".

Jemimah breathed a silent sigh of relief. "It’s not a prank, Smriti. I swear. And, hey, you’re still my best friend, alright? Yashasvi might be in the picture, but no one could replace you."

"Good," Smriti huffed, though Jemimah could practically hear the smile in her voice. "Because if you start ditching me for him, I’ll personally come over and drag you back for some cricket drills." Followed by loud laughter which Jemimah assumed was of Palaash.

Jemimah chuckled, relaxing a bit now that the conversation was steering into more familiar territory. "Deal! And trust me, you’re going to be hearing about all the dates and conversations. You’ll probably get sick of it."

"Ugh, can’t wait," Smriti said, her sarcasm evident. But then her voice softened. "Seriously though, Jemi, I’m happy for you. If you like him, then I’m all in for team Jemi-Yashasvi."