Born in the opulent high-rises of Mumbai, Neel's life glittered with privilege. 💰
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In stark contrast, Malang, a simple boy from Dehradun,🌸
dreamt under a sky full of stars. Fate, a mischievous puppeteer, intertwines their paths in the bustling...
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College Cafeteria
The cafeteria buzzed with life, students chatting and laughing over plates of food. Malang sat at a corner table with Netra and Rohan, their conversation punctuated by bursts of laughter.
"I swear, Malang," Netra teased, stirring her iced coffee, "if I see Ishaan ‘accidentally’ bump into you one more time, I’m going to start charging him rent for all the times he invades your personal space."
Malang blushed, fiddling with the edge of his notebook. "It’s not like that, Netra. It’s just... coincidence!"
"Coincidence, my foot!" Rohan chimed in, leaning back in his chair with a smirk. "The guy practically schedules his day around running into you. Wake up, Malang. He’s totally into you."
Before Malang could respond, Rehana walked past their table, her eyes narrowing as she caught sight of the trio. She stopped abruptly, her tray clattering onto the table beside them.
"Honestly, I don’t see what’s so special about him," she said, her voice dripping with irritation. "Ishaan’s just being... Ishaan. He likes playing around. Don’t take it seriously, Malang."
Netra raised an eyebrow, her protective instincts flaring. "And what makes you the expert on Ishaan’s intentions, Rehana?"
Rehana gave a sharp laugh, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "I’ve known him since we were kids. He’s my best friend. Trust me, this is just a phase. Ishaan gets bored easily."
Malang’s smile faltered slightly, but Rohan quickly jumped in. "Funny, because Ishaan doesn’t seem bored when he’s chasing after Malang. Maybe the problem isn’t Malang, but the fact that Ishaan isn’t chasing *you*."
Rehana’s face reddened, but before she could retort, a new voice cut through the tension.
"Mind if I join?"
All heads turned to see Ishaan standing there, his ever-present smirk firmly in place. Without waiting for an answer, he slid into the seat next to Malang.
"Hey, Malang," he said casually, as if the entire cafeteria wasn’t watching. "Fancy bumping into you again. What are the odds, huh?"
Malang gave a shy smile, trying to ignore the heat rising to his cheeks. "Yeah... um, hi, Ishaan."
Netra stifled a giggle, while Rohan rolled his eyes dramatically. Rehana’s jaw tightened, her grip on her tray turning her knuckles white.
Across the room, Neel sat with his own group of friends, his eyes glued to the scene. His jaw clenched as he watched Ishaan lean a little too close to Malang, laughing at something he said.
"You okay, Neel?" one of his friends asked, noticing his distracted demeanor.
Neel forced a smile, shaking his head. "I’m fine. Just... lost in thought."
