...The art of falling in love...( Abhira❤️Armaan)

9.

The sun had barely risen when Armaan found himself standing with AARRC , It was in this moment of distraction that he heard a voice calling his name.

"Armaan!"

He turned, along with the rest of the group, to see Abhira striding towards him, her expression a mix of determination and urgency.

“I want to discuss my plan for our project,” she declared, her eyes glowing with enthusiasm.

Before Armaan could respond, Ruhi interjected. “Didn’t you see he is busy?”

“Busy? With what?” Abhira raised an eyebrow

Ruhi crossed her arms defiantly. “He’s busy with us, and whenever we’re all together, no one dares to bother us. Understood?”

“Okay, Armaan whenever you have time come to me.” As she began to turn away,

he called after her, “Wait, Abhira.”

She halted and turned back, curiosity etched on her features.

With a teasing grin, Armaan said, “Alright, but since you’re so eager to work with me, you’ll come over to my place for the project.”

Abhira rolled her eyes dramatically, challenging him with her response, “No way! You’ll come to my house!”

Just then, Tanvi,  “Why don’t you alternate? One day at Abhira’s place, one day at yours!”

“Deal,” Armaan agreed, a genuine smile breaking across his face. Suddenly, the thought of the project felt less like an obligation and more like an exciting opportunity to spend more time with Abhira.

As the  bell rang, signaling the end of their impromptu meeting, Abhira waved goodbye and disappeared into the throng of students heading for class.

With a puzzled look shared among the friends, Armaan’s group folded their arms and stared at him, confusion evident on their faces.

“What’s happening, guys? Why are you all looking at me like this?” Armaan asked, raising an eyebrow.

Aryan leaned in, smirking, “Really, you don’t know?”

Charu chimed in, “What’s going on between you and Abhira?”

Armaan shrugged nonchalantly. “Oh please, there’s nothing. She said sorry to me yesterday; it was just a misunderstanding.”

Ruhi wasn't letting him off that easily. “So, what’s the point? Armaan, why are you suddenly so sweet to her? I think there’s something on your mind.”

He held up his hands in surrender. “Guys, stop it! I will tell you at the right time. Believe me, I didn’t do anything to hurt any of you, okay?”

“Sure, we believe you more than we believe ourselves,” they all said in unison, closing the conversation with a group hug.

It was a humid afternoon outside the college, and Abhira was waiting for an auto-rickshaw to take her home. As she stood there, a group of boys nearby began to whisper and chuckle, throwing playful jabs and lewd comments her way. Abhira, used to the attention—most of it unwelcome—decided to ignore them, focusing instead on the bustling road in front of her.

Just as she turned to leave, one of the boys stepped directly into her path, an arrogant grin plastered across his face. He reached out and grabbed her wrist. Without hesitation, Abhira's hand shot out, slapping him across the face with a sharp crack. The boy looked taken aback, but his surprise quickly transformed into anger. He tightened his grip around her wrist and began to pull her toward his waiting friends.

But just as panic started to bubble up inside her, a figure on a bike zoomed into the scene. Armaan, without a second thought, leapt off the bike and dashed towards her.

“Let her go!” he shouted, eyes blazing with determination. In an instant, he had positioned himself between Abhira and her captor, grabbing her other hand to pull her behind him. “Are you okay?” he asked, concern etched on his face.

“Hmm,” she replied, still shaken.

In that moment, Armaan turned his attention to the boys, his expression hardening. With a quick jab and a few well-placed kicks, he sent them retreating. They stumbled back, cursing under their breath as they fled.

Once the threat had dissipated, Armaan turned back to her, his brow furrowed. “Are you mad? What were you thinking? Don’t you have a car? Why don’t you go with your cousin?” he scolded, frustration bursting forth.

Abhira's anger flared. “Stop! What’s your problem? Did I ask you for your help? Why are you always interfering in my life?” Her voice reached a boiling point, echoing the tumult of emotions coursing through her.

Armaan, taken aback, ran a hand through his hair. “Oh really? Interfering? If I hadn’t come today, they would’ve kidnapped you. You should be thanking me!”

She crossed her arms defiantly, shooting back, “So why do you care? It’s my life!”

“Seriously?” he retorted, disbelief evident in his tone. The intensity of the moment began to cool, the air settling into a tense silence.

Finally, Armaan sighed, relenting. “Tell me, where’s your home? I will drop you.”

Abhira shook her head stubbornly. “No thanks, I’ll go by myself. I don’t need your help.”

But Armaan wasn’t having it. “Shut up. Just shut up and sit on the bike. Otherwise…”

“Otherwise what?” she challenged, her voice steady.

A smirk played on his lips as he stepped closer, his confidence radiating. “Otherwise, I can promise you it won’t end well for you.”

Reluctantly, Abhira allowed him to help her onto the bike. She chose not to wrap her arms around him, wanting to assert her independence, but as Armaan revved the engine, he gave her a playful smirk.

Without warning, he pretended to lose control, braking suddenly. Abhira tumbled forward gently, landing against his back.

“Hold me tight,” he laughed, and in a moment of shared exasperation, Abhira found herself wrapping her arms around his waist, the thrill of the ride pushing aside the earlier tension.

As they zipped through the streets, the wind whipped through her hair, and for the first time that day, Abhira felt free. Armaan navigated the familiar routes effortlessly, and before long, they arrived at her doorstep.

He parked, turned back to her, and said, “See? Was that so bad?”

She rolled her eyes but couldn’t suppress a small smile. “You really need to stop playing hero.”

“Maybe,” he replied, grinning. “But I’d do it again, just so you know.”

As she got off the bike, their eyes lingered for a moment, a silent understanding passing between them. “Thanks,” Abhira said softly, finally appreciating his timely intervention.

“Just… be careful out there, okay?”he replied.

With a nod, she turned and walked inside, feeling a strange warmth in her chest, a mix of gratitude and something else—something that felt like the beginning of a friendship tangled with unspoken possibilities. Armaan watched her disappear, the tension of the day melting away, replaced by a lightness that promised new adventures ahead.

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