Love Rivals: The Day I Saw Your Tears

122. Starting Off As Strangers

(Ryan's Pov)

The early morning chatter from downstairs broke through my sleep, pulling me out of bed before I was ready. I rubbed my eyes and yawned, wondering what all the commotion was about. As I descended the stairs, the familiar sound of laughter grew louder. Rounding the corner, I found Sarah, Nitya, Aditi who was Aditya's sister, and Aunty sitting in the living room, chatting like old friends, their laughter light and infectious.

Still groggy, I strolled over to them, yawning again. "What's all this noise about so early?" I asked, rubbing the back of my neck and blinking away the last traces of sleep.

Aunty looked up at me with a playful grin. "Oh, just some gossip, dear. You know how it is," she said, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

Sarah didn't seem as amused, though. She gave a polite smile but stayed quiet, her posture a little stiffer than usual.

Completely unaware, Aunty continued with a fond smile. "Ryan and Nitya used to come here all the time during their college days," she said, her voice filled with nostalgia. "This place was practically their second home. They'd stay overnight more than once, especially when they were knee-deep in their projects."

Sarah's reaction didn't go unnoticed by me. Her response was a quick, almost indifferent, "Oh," though the tone was far from thrilled. It wasn't just curiosity; it was as if hearing this brought out a deeper discomfort.

Aunty, still lost in her memories, "They were always working so hard, burning the midnight oil. Such dedicated kids, weren't they?"

I glanced at Nitya, as she chimed in, "Well, Ryan," she said, "since you're up, we should really finish up that final report for the artificial eye project."

I raised an eyebrow, "You came all the way here for the project?" I asked, though I already knew the answer. Nitya was nothing if not dedicated, but I hadn't expected her to blend business with... whatever this was.

She gave me that confident smile of hers, "Of course," she replied smoothly, as if there were no other reason for her presence. "And by the way, I'll be staying the night as well. So don't act too surprised," she added with a wink, as if this was the most natural thing in the world.

I caught a glimpse of Sarah's face. She sat quietly next to Aditi, her expression carefully composed, though I could sense the unease behind it. She was clearly affected by Nitya's announcement, though she wasn't about to show it.

"Alright," I said, putting on a grin that I hoped masked the awkwardness. "Let's start with the terms and conditions." I plopped down on the couch, grabbing a notebook, trying to wake up fully.

Sarah, ever practical, chimed in, "Nitya, Ryan, you guys might want to work in his room. If you stay here, you'll definitely be disturbed."

Aditi nodded in agreement, flashing a grin. "Yeah, we're planning to cook together, and trust me, it'll get noisy. You won't get any peace out here."

Nitya glanced between them and me, a knowing smile playing on her lips. "I suppose that's a good idea," she said, already standing up, motioning for me to follow.

We headed to the room to dive into work, but every now and then, bursts of laughter from downstairs reached us, piquing my curiosity. What could be so funny? I tried to concentrate on the project, but my mind wandered to what Sarah and Aditi were up to.

Three hours passed, and the soft sound of a knock came from the door, even though it had been open the entire time. Aditi stepped in, carrying a tray with two steaming cups of coffee and some snacks. She placed it carefully on the bed without a word, offering a polite smile before slipping back out.

After an hour, we almost finished the project and decided to leave the final review for later. Finally free, we made our way downstairs and settled around the dining table. The aroma of freshly cooked food filled the air.

I looked around and asked, "Where's aunty?"

Aditi replied casually, "She left for the hospital. She'll be there for a while."

As Sarah started serving the food, we began to dig in. Nitya took a bite and commented, "This is definitely better than the last time. Sarah, you're improving."

I blinked, surprised by the sudden compliment. Glancing between the two of them, I couldn't help but ask, "Wait...what's going on here? Are you two...friends now or something?"

Nitya smirked, replying with her usual sharp tone, "Not exactly. Let's just say we're starting off as strangers."

I raised an eyebrow. Something felt off. These two have never been on the same page, and knowing their history, it was hard to believe they could ever be anything other than enemies.