𝙿𝚊𝚙𝚎𝚛 𝚁𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 (Yashasvi Jaiswal)

10

Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel settled into the car, Yashasvi focused on the road while Dhruv scrolled through his phone, humming to himself. They were on their way to Riyan Parag's house for his post-birthday party, a yearly event that had turned into a tradition for the three best friends. Every year, Riyan would host a chill get-together, just the three of them hanging out, reminiscing, and creating memories over endless rounds of food and laughter after his birthday.

Dhruv stretched his arms and let out a dramatic sigh. "Man, I can't wait for tonight. You know Riyan's going to pull out all the stops with the food again. Last year's chicken ? Still thinking about it."

Yashasvi chuckled, his eyes still on the road. "Yeah, he always knows how to keep us fed. Remember when he made that ridiculous 5-course meal two years ago? We couldn't move by the end of the night."

Dhruv laughed, nodding. "Of course! He takes his planning way too seriously when it comes to food. But hey, not complaining."

The car fell into a comfortable silence for a few minutes, with only the hum of the engine and the quiet playlist Yashasvi had running in the background. As they hit a stretch of the road without much traffic, Dhruv noticed Yashasvi's hand resting on his phone, which was open to a search page. The name "Vishana Arora" glowed faintly on the screen.

Dhruv raised an eyebrow, leaning in closer to see. "What are you searching there, Yash?"

Yashasvi quickly locked the screen, a little too fast for Dhruv's liking. "Nothing important," he muttered, but his tone wasn't convincing at all.

"Uh-huh, sure," Dhruv said, smirking as he stretched out in his seat. "You're checking out Vishana again, aren't you?"

Yashasvi glanced at him, exasperated. "You and your assumptions, man. It's nothing like that."

"Really?" Dhruv replied, crossing his arms, clearly enjoying this way too much. "So, the fact that you've been Googling her instead of cricket stats in the last few hours is just... research for the UNICEF campaign, right?"

Yashasvi felt a heat rise in his cheeks. "Look, we just did a photoshoot and an interview together today. It was fun, that's all."

Dhruv wasn't buying it. "Uh-huh, just fun. You're into her, admit it."

Yashasvi groaned, gripping the steering wheel a little tighter. "I barely know her. We just clicked, okay? She's interesting. That's all."

"Interesting?" Dhruv laughed. "Man, that's just a polite way of saying you've been thinking about her non-stop. It's fine. I mean, she's pretty, talented, and has a good sense of humor. Not to mention, she's famous too. It's like a match made in celebrity heaven."

Yashasvi shot him a glare. "This isn't some fling thing, Dhruv."

Dhruv held his hands up in defense. "Okay, okay. All I'm saying is, it's pretty obvious you've got a soft spot for her. And, I mean, why not? You're allowed to like someone."

Yashasvi sighed, feeling slightly cornered. "I don't even know if I like her. We've only had one interaction that wasn't awkward ."

Dhruv raised an eyebrow, his teasing tone softening a little. "Well, maybe that's how it starts. You've got to give it a chance, Yash. And stop overthinking everything for once."

Yashasvi stayed quiet for a moment, his thoughts swirling. Maybe Dhruv was right. He had enjoyed his time with Vishana. There had been a spark—a genuine connection—but he hadn't thought too much about it, or at least he'd tried not to.

Before Yashasvi could respond, Dhruv chuckled again, breaking the tension. "Man, if you don't tell her how you feel, I will. What's the worst that could happen?"