"From Rivals to Forever: A Journey of Love"

Chapter 17

Aditi's perspective

The day at school had been a whirlwind, with Raghav's teasing and Kabir's quiet glances adding an undercurrent of excitement I wasn't entirely prepared for. But now that school was over and I was back home, I could feel the buzz of anticipation settling in. I had invited a few friends over for the evening, and the thought of everyone hanging out together—especially with Kabir joining—was enough to keep the butterflies in my stomach fluttering.

I glanced over at Anaya, who was sitting beside me on the couch, contentedly flipping through one of her storybooks. She looked up at me, her big eyes full of curiosity. "Di, who's coming over today?"

I smiled, reaching over to ruffle her hair. "Just some friends, Anaya. You'll get to meet them soon."

She nodded, her attention already shifting back to her book, but I could see the excitement in her eyes. Anaya loved having people over, especially when it meant she could show off her toys or get a bit of extra attention from my friends.

Ridhima, Atharv, and Arushi were already here, scattered around the living room, each of them doing their own thing. Ridhima was on the phone, probably gossiping with one of her friends, while Arushi and Atharv were engaged in a playful argument about something inconsequential. The sound of their laughter filled the room, making the atmosphere feel light and cheerful.

But as much as I loved the easygoing chaos, there was one thing nagging at the back of my mind—dinner. We hadn't planned anything elaborate, and I was suddenly struck with the realization that I hadn't thought ahead about what to serve everyone. My parents were still out, and the last thing I wanted was to drag them into cooking when they got back. I glanced at the clock, biting my lip as I weighed my options.

I decided to just go for it. "Guys," I called out, catching everyone's attention. "I'm thinking we should order food for tonight. What do you all think?"

Atharv looked up from his banter with Arushi, a grin spreading across his face. "Finally! I was wondering when you'd suggest that. I'm starving."

Arushi nodded in agreement, her eyes lighting up. "Yes! Let's get something good. I'm craving Chinese or maybe some pizza."

Ridhima, still on her call, waved a hand in our direction, mouthing the word 'pizza' enthusiastically before returning to her conversation. Clearly, the decision was unanimous.

I turned to Anaya, who was now watching the exchange with interest. "What about you, Anaya? Do you want pizza too?"

She nodded eagerly, her little face lighting up with excitement. "Pizza! Can we get the one with lots of cheese?"

"Of course, we can," I replied, laughing at her enthusiasm. "Extra cheese it is."

With that settled, I grabbed my phone and pulled up the food delivery app, quickly scrolling through the options. "Okay, let's get a couple of pizzas, some garlic bread, and maybe a few drinks. Anything else?"

Ridhima finally hung up her call and joined in, offering her two cents. "Get some fries too. You know they always go fast when everyone's here."

"Good idea," I agreed, adding it to the order. As I finalized everything, I couldn't help but feel a little rush of excitement. This was exactly the kind of evening I loved—surrounded by the people who meant the most to me, with good food and lots of laughter.

Just as I was about to place the order, my phone buzzed with a text. I glanced at the screen and saw it was from Raghav: "Kabir and I will be there in about 30 minutes. See you soon, bhabhi!" The message was followed by a series of emojis—winking faces and thumbs up.