Tangled Shadows

Chapter 4: The Irritating mystery

Arjun's POV

I couldn't shake the thought of her.

Aanya.

It was so damn frustrating. Ever since that stupid coffee incident, she kept creeping into my mind. I didn't even know why. I barely knew her, and yet every time I tried to focus, she'd appear in my thoughts like some uninvited guest.

"What's up with you today, Arjun?" Karan asked, slapping me on the back. "You've been weirdly quiet since morning."

"I'm fine," I grumbled, shoving my hands into my pockets. But I wasn't fine. I hated feeling like this-distracted. Irritated. Why the hell was I thinking about Aanya? She wasn't even worth the attention I was giving her.

Yet there I was, still going over our encounter in my head. The way she looked at me, the annoyed expression on her face when I spilled her coffee. That cold, dismissive tone when I tried to apologize.

And worse, the way she just... brushed me off.

I didn't like it. I wasn't used to being dismissed like that, especially not by someone like her. Quiet, pretty, sure-but nothing out of the ordinary. Just a girl. So why did it keep bothering me?

"Arjun!" Karan snapped his fingers in front of my face, breaking me out of my thoughts again. "Seriously, man. You're acting weird. Who's got your mind wrapped up like this?"

I shot him an annoyed look. "No one. Just thinking about the lecture."

Karan raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Right. The lecture. Sure, that's it."

I rolled my eyes, trying to shake off the irritation that was building inside me. Why was I letting this get to me? It was just some random girl in college. I had dealt with plenty of girls, all of them easy to figure out-most of them chasing after me, eager for my attention. But not her.

Aanya wasn't like that. She didn't care, and somehow that made me care more. The way she had dismissed my coffee offer like it was nothing-it just didn't sit right with me. She hadn't even looked at me for more than a second. Not a glance, not a flirt, nothing.

I hated that it made me curious. That it made me want to figure her out.

"Dude, snap out of it. Let's grab lunch," Karan said, starting to walk ahead. "You look like you need food to fix whatever's going on in your head."

I followed him without saying much, my thoughts still tangled up in the morning's events. And sure enough, as soon as we got to the cafeteria, there she was. Sitting quietly with her lunch, minding her own business.

Great.

I clenched my jaw, trying not to look in her direction, but my eyes betrayed me. Of course, they did. Why couldn't I stop? It was like I was annoyed at myself now for constantly thinking about her. She wasn't even doing anything, just sitting there, eating lunch with someone. It shouldn't be a big deal, but here I was, staring like an idiot.

"Go talk to her again, man. Get it over with," Karan nudged me.

I let out a frustrated breath. Maybe I should just clear the air, apologize properly, and be done with it. Maybe that would get her out of my head for good.

I walked over to her table, trying to keep my expression neutral. She looked up, her eyes meeting mine briefly before going back to her food. No interest. No reaction.

Annoying.

"Aanya," I said, stopping in front of her. Her friend shifted uncomfortably in her seat, clearly sensing the tension.

Aanya looked up again, giving me that same unreadable expression. "Yes?"

"I wanted to apologize for earlier," I said, keeping my voice as casual as I could. "And to make it up to you, I thought we could grab a coffee-on me."

She looked at me for a moment, and for a second, I thought she might actually consider it. But then she shook her head, not even a hint of hesitation. "No, thank you."

Seriously?

I clenched my fists in my pockets, trying not to let the irritation show on my face. "It's just coffee. No big deal."

"No big deal for you, maybe," she replied coolly, her voice steady. "I don't need you to make up for anything."

And just like that, she dismissed me again.

Before I could say anything else, she turned back to her food, clearly done with the conversation. I stood there for a moment, feeling the sting of rejection-and hating myself for caring.

I should have just walked away right then, but no. I had to push it. "You know, you're kind of mysterious."

"And you're kind of irritating," she shot back without missing a beat.

That was it. That spark of fire. Beneath all that calm, quiet exterior, she had some fight in her. It was enough to throw me off, but also... I couldn't lie-it intrigued me. But instead of sticking around to see where this might go, I just shrugged.

"Alright. Maybe next time."

As I walked away, the irritation didn't fade. If anything, it only grew. I couldn't believe I let myself get so worked up over this. Why was I even wasting my time?

The rest of the day went by in a blur, but no matter what I did, I couldn't stop her from drifting back into my thoughts. And that only pissed me off more.

By the time I got home, I was frustrated. With her. With myself. I flopped onto my bed, staring at the ceiling, and tried to push the thought of her away. But of course, it didn't work. Why the hell was she getting under my skin like this?

I sighed, rubbing my eyes in frustration.

I didn't even want her.

But I couldn't stop thinking about her.

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Hello guys so I tried writing Arjun's POV. I hope you guys find it interesting.

Keep reading as it gets more interesting...