"From Rivals to Forever: A Journey of Love"

Chapter 16

Kabir's Perspective

Monday mornings were never my favorite, but this one felt particularly off. I wandered through the school corridors, my thoughts still lingering on yesterday's hawan puja. The day had been a blur of rituals, family, and a certain someone who had managed to occupy most of my thoughts.

Just as I turned the corner, I spotted Raghav heading in my direction, his usual mischievous grin plastered on his face. I knew that look—he was up to something.

"Kabir bhai, kal tumhara din bada interesting raha hoga na?" Raghav started, his tone all too casual for my liking.

I raised an eyebrow. "Haan, theek tha. Kyun?"

He leaned in slightly, dropping his voice as if sharing a secret. "Bas aise hi... Waise kal tumne kuch suna to nahi tha, na? I mean, jab Aditi di hum sabko daant rahi thi?"

I knew exactly what he was hinting at, but I wasn't about to give him the satisfaction of knowing that I had, in fact, heard every word. Aditi's scolding had echoed in my mind all night, especially when she admitted to liking being called "frosty." But there was no way I was letting Raghav in on that.

Feigning ignorance, I shrugged. "Suna? Nahi yaar, kuch khaas nahi. Waise bhi, us waqt to main busy tha."

Raghav gave me a scrutinizing look, clearly not buying my indifference. "Haan haan, busy..."

I could tell he wasn't going to push it further, at least not now, and I silently thanked whatever gods were listening. But just as I thought I was in the clear, Ma'am walked into the classroom and announced a change in seating arrangements. Great, just what I needed.

To my dismay, I was assigned to sit next to Priya. As I moved towards my new seat, I could already feel the dread settling in. Priya was nice enough, but she was also extremely talkative, and I wasn't in the mood for endless chatter today.

The moment I sat down, Priya's face lit up like she'd won the lottery. "Hi, Kabir! Isn't it great that we're sitting together now? We can finally talk during class without getting caught."

I forced a smile, nodding politely. "Yeah, great."

She didn't seem to notice my lack of enthusiasm and launched into a monologue about her weekend. "So, you won't believe what happened yesterday! I went shopping with my mom, and we found this amazing dress. I think it's perfect for the school dance next month. Do you like attending school dances, Kabir?"

I muttered something about them being fine, but my mind was elsewhere. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Aditi entering the classroom. My heart did that stupid fluttery thing it always did when she was around. But then I saw where she was heading—right next to Raghav.

Perfect. Just perfect.

Internally, I groaned. "Mera rishta aage badh nahi raha, aur ye bhabhi ke devar saare abhi hi usse bonding kar rahe hain." I could see the two of them chatting, and from the way they were grinning at each other, I knew they were probably talking about something related to me. Raghav was notorious for digging into things he shouldn't, and if Aditi was in on it, I had no doubt they were plotting something.

Priya was still talking, oblivious to my wandering thoughts. "And then we saw this cute puppy, Kabir! You would've loved it. I was thinking maybe we could go see it together sometime? You like dogs, right?"

I nodded absently, my attention still fixed on Aditi and Raghav. Priya kept chattering away, her words blending into background noise as I watched Aditi lean in closer to Raghav, whispering something that made him grin even wider.

Great, just great. Here I was, stuck with Priya, who was talking about puppies and dresses, while Aditi was out there getting cozy with Raghav.

Priya's voice cut through my thoughts. "Kabir, are you even listening?"