Book One of "The Roses" Series
✿PINK ROSE✿
Vikrant was a man shaped by shadows-ruthless, calculating, and unyieldingly cold. In his world, softness was a weakness, and mercy was a foreign concept. He had climbed the ranks of the underworld, his name...
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I gripped the glass, feeling the chill of its surface against my warm skin. Bringing it closer, I took a slow sip of the cold coffee. The cool, sweet liquid mingled with the rich, bold taste of coffee, lingering on my tongue.
"So, Miss Zoya has a boyfriend," I teased, watching her squirm shyly in her seat opposite me. She flashed a timid smile and quickly averted her gaze, her cheeks tinged with a light blush.
I shifted my attention to Ananya, seated on my left. She wore a knowing smile, clearly relishing the unfolding moment as she looked between us, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
"Now, we can finally tease someone, right, Ananya?" I asked, glancing at her with a grin.
Ananya smirked and said, "Of course, of course. By the way, what's his surname, Zoya?" she asked, her tone laced with playful curiosity.
Zoya looked between us, hesitating. I wiggled my eyebrows, nudging her silently to answer. Instead, she covered her face with her palms, her cheeks flushed. "Stop, guys," she winced, her voice muffled and embarrassed.
Our laughter echoed in the room, the sound mingling with her shy protests, making the moment even sweeter.
"Kh...Khandelwal, his surname," she answered, still avoiding our gaze. Ananya smirked, leaning closer. "His surname and soon to be yours too?" she teased just loud enough for us to hear. Zoya's eyes widened in playful shock as she gently hit Ananya on the shoulder.
"Okay, okay, jokes aside. Tell us the whole love story," I said, resting my chin on my palm, eagerly waiting. Zoya's face lit up with a smile as she began, "He's my senior. He confessed and honestly, I already had a crush on him too."
"How cute," I expressed my feelings while listening to her love story. I've always adored old-school romance, from seeing it in cartoons to watching it in films and now reading about it in books. It's so endearing how they, as a junior and senior, sneak glances at each other in the canteen during breaks to keep their relationship private. I couldn't help but smile at the scenes playing out in my mind.
I snapped out of my fantasy world when I heard Zoya clearing her throat. The smile on my face vanished as her words hit me, "Why do I feel Vikrant bhaiya likes you?" My eyes widened in shock. I looked at Zoya, catching the smirk on her face, then shifted my gaze to Ananya, who wiggled her eyebrows at me with a teasing grin.
"No, no, you've got it all wrong," I defended, dismissing the baseless rumours. How could he possibly like me? We just met a few weeks ago and exchanged barely a single sentence. And more importantly, I don't see him that way.
"Come on, Jaanvi. I was stunned when I saw Bhaiya caring for you at the hospital. He's always so cold, I even call him an emotionless robot," Zoya said, with Ananya nodding in agreement. I shook my head, trying to brush off their wild imaginations.
"Of course, I'm his Sir's daughter, so he took care of me. Plus, Dad always says they were his first batch and shared a special bond," I replied, taking a sip of my coffee.
