Closer Than Before | 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙙 ✅

Chapter 20: Jealousy Game?

Radhika's POV:

As I left the meeting room, lost in my thoughts, I didn’t notice Reyansh coming around the corner. I walked straight into him, almost losing my balance.

Before I could hit the ground, his hands were on my waist, steadying me. Instinctively, my hands clutched onto his t-shirt, holding on for support.

"Whoa, careful Radhika," he said, a hint of amusement in his voice as he helped me stand steady. "If you wanted to fall for me, you could’ve just asked."

I let out a nervous laugh, stepping back and quickly letting go of his shirt. "Sorry, Reyansh. I didn’t see you."

"Arey fine!!" he said, still smiling. "But seriously, you okay? You look a little out of it."

"Yeah, just… a lot on my mind," I replied, trying to brush off the embarrassment and the lingering feeling of his hands on my waist. "Thanks for catching me, though."

"Anytime," he said with a playful wink. "But if you need someone to talk to about whatever's on your mind, I’m all ears."

"Thanks, Reyansh," I said, genuinely appreciating his offer, even if I wasn’t going to take him up on it. "I’ll be fine."

"Alright, but remember, I’m here if you need a distraction," he said with a grin before giving me a mock salute and heading off down the hallway.

I watched him go, shaking my head with a small smile. Reyansh was always so easygoing, always ready with a joke or a grin to lighten the mood.

But as much as I appreciated his lightheartedness, my thoughts were still elsewhere, tangled up with Samar and everything that had been happening between us.

With a sigh, I adjusted my shirt and headed back to my desk, trying to refocus on work.

But even as I sat down, the feeling of Reyansh’s hands on my waist and the playful look in his eyes kept replaying in my mind.

Not because I felt anything for him, but because it reminded me of how different things were with Samar.

With Samar, every touch, every glance felt loaded with unspoken words, with emotions too deep to easily express. And that was something I couldn’t shake, no matter how hard I tried.

I went to my desk, trying to shake off the weird encounter with Reyansh, but as soon as I sat down, my eyes landed on Samar and Aanya.

They were engaged in a conversation, and something about the way she was looking at him, all soft and blushing, made my blood boil.

What was she doing? Why was she looking at him with those sick puppy eyes? And why was he even entertaining her?

A memory suddenly flashed in my mind—one I hadn't thought about in a long time.

It was during our second year of college. We were studying late in the library for our midterms, and I had been feeling particularly stressed. My laptop had crashed, and I lost all my notes for the upcoming exam. I was on the verge of tears.

Aarav noticed my distress. “Radhika, what’s wrong?” he asked, his voice full of concerns.
“I lost all my notes,” I said, my voice trembling. “I don’t know how I’m going to catch up.”

Without missing a beat, Aarav pulled his chair closer. “Don’t worry, we’ll get through this together. I have my notes, and we can stay up all night if we have to.”

He stayed true to his word, patiently going over everything with me, helping me reconstruct my notes and ensuring I understood the material.