Bade Sapne

◇ Part 3 ◇

Shubman's POV

I stood outside the apartment building, casually leaning against the railing as Abhishek rang the bell. The air was warm, but I barely noticed it. My mind was elsewhere.

Of all the places I’d expected to be today, standing in front of Vira and Priya’s apartment wasn’t one of them.

I’d agreed to hang out with Abhishek today, thinking it would just be a casual afternoon. He’d mentioned he was seeing someone, but he hadn’t said who. And I definitely didn’t expect his new girl to be Vira’s best friend, of all people. The moment I realised Priya was the Priya I’d heard about through Ishan and Vira, I should’ve backed out. But here I was, anyway.

"Chill, man," Abhishek said, noticing how stiff I was. "They’re nice girls. Priya’s amazing. You’ll like her friend."

I forced a smile, nodding, but my insides twisted. It wasn’t Priya I was worried about meeting. It was Vira.

The door remained closed for a moment, and I glanced up at the building, feeling a strange mix of emotions. Guilt. Frustration. Heartbreak. All of it bubbled just under the surface, but I kept my expression neutral. It was what I was used to—keeping everything inside, acting like nothing bothered me. But the truth was, ever since that argument with Vira and Ishan, I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it.

I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her.

Abhishek rang the bell again. "Weird, Priya usually opens the door fast. Maybe they’re running late."

I shrugged, pretending not to care, even though my heart was pounding. I couldn’t help but wonder what Vira would say when she saw me. If she’d even want to talk to me. Knowing her, she was probably still mad, and she had every right to be. I’d said things—harsh things—that I wasn’t sure I could take back.

Finally, the door creaked open.

Priya stood there, her eyes wide in surprise, clearly not expecting me to be standing there. She tried to mask it quickly, but I caught the flicker of panic before she composed herself.

"Hey, Abhi!" she greeted him, then her gaze landed on me. "Shubman..." She hesitated, her tone faltering for a second. "Didn’t know you were coming."

Abhishek laughed, oblivious. "Surprise! Thought I’d bring him along. You two know each other?"

Priya nodded, but her eyes told a different story. She was uncomfortable, maybe even nervous, and I had a feeling it wasn’t because of me. It was because of what was going on inside. Vira.

"Yeah... uh, come in." She stepped aside, but her gaze lingered on me for a moment longer. "Vira’s just... getting ready. She’ll be out in a minute."

Abhishek walked in, completely unfazed, while I followed slowly, my stomach knotting up even more. The apartment was small but cozy, filled with the scent of freshly cut cucumbers and some kind of perfume. But all I could focus on was the faint sound of a hairdryer coming from one of the rooms.

That had to be Vira.

As Priya led us into the living room, my eyes scanned the place. There was an awkward silence hanging in the air, one that Abhishek either didn’t notice or chose to ignore. He plopped down on the couch, completely relaxed, while Priya tried to make small talk.

But my mind was on the fact that Vira was just a few steps away. What was she going to say when she saw me?

The hairdryer stopped.

I froze, my heart pounding louder than it should have. I glanced at Priya, whose nervousness had only increased, and then back at the hallway where Vira would emerge any second now.

Seconds felt like minutes as the tension built, and I braced myself for what was coming.
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A/N:

Hey lovliesss

HOW WAS THIS CHAPTER???

I know I say this every time, but coz I have insight on where this story is going before you guys, I'm just going to say... it's going to get HOT. And when I say hot, I mean HOT. And not THAT type of hot 🤭😉🫣

DO U GUYS WANT ANOTHER CHAPTER TOMORROW???

PLEASE DONT FORGET TO VOTEEE

Love yaaa

Stay tuned ;)