𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 ( 𝐘𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐯𝐢 𝐉𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐰𝐚𝐥 )

10

Jemimah and Yashasvi sat across from each other at a cozy Italian restaurant, the dim lighting casting soft shadows across their faces. The air was filled with the aroma of freshly baked bread and garlic, but the tension between them was unmistakable, despite their earlier truce. Jemimah shifted in her seat, crossing her arms as she studied Yashasvi with a raised eyebrow, her smile more of a challenge than a sign of amusement.

Determined to break the awkward silence, she leaned forward, her tone light but with a sharp edge. "So, what's it like being so serious all the time? Do you wake up and practice your frown in the mirror, or does it just come naturally?"

Yashasvi barely glanced up from the menu, his face as unreadable as ever. "It's a skill, really. Some people are just born with it."

Jemimah rolled her eyes, leaning back in her chair with a sigh. "Well, congrats, you're a natural. But tell me, do you ever just... let loose? Dance around your room, sing in the shower, that kind of thing?"

He finally looked at her, his expression flat, as if the conversation was more of an obligation than anything else. "Do I look like someone who dances around their room?"

She tilted her head, her eyes narrowing slightly as she pretended to consider it. "I don't know, you might surprise me. I can totally see you doing a little jig when no one's watching."

Yashasvi's lips twitched, but he quickly suppressed it, his fingers tapping the edge of the menu with barely concealed irritation. "You've got quite the imagination, Rodrigues."

"And you've got quite the lack of one, Jaiswal," she shot back, her tone playful but her eyes sparking with a hint of annoyance. "Seriously, though, what do you do for fun? Or is your idea of a wild night reading a book in silence?"

He shrugged, the movement almost dismissive. "Sometimes, I read with music in the background. Gets pretty wild."

Jemimah's laugh was sharp, almost mocking, drawing a few curious glances from other diners. "Wow, you really know how to live on the edge, don't you?"

"Hey, I like my peace and quiet," Yashasvi replied, his voice clipped. His fingers tightened slightly around his water glass. "Not everyone needs to be bouncing off the walls 24/7."

She shook her head, still smiling, though the gesture seemed more out of exasperation than anything else. "You know, one day, I'm going to drag you out to a party and watch you squirm. It'll be good for you. Maybe you'll even have fun."

"Doubtful," he muttered, his tone edged with bitterness. "Besides, you'd probably just spend the whole night talking my ear off."

Jemimah gasped theatrically, though there was a flicker of genuine irritation in her eyes as she placed a hand over her heart. "I don't talk that much!"

Yashasvi raised an eyebrow, his expression as close to smug as it could get. "Really? You've barely stopped talking since we sat down."

She opened her mouth to argue but then stopped herself, a mischievous glint in her eyes as she leaned forward slightly. "Okay, maybe I do talk a lot. But that's just because I'm trying to get you to say more than two words at a time. It's like pulling teeth with you."

"I'm just a man of few words," he said, reaching for his water glass, his movements slow and deliberate. "It's called being efficient."