BRIDGING HEARTS

{33}

He finally broke free from his daze and started walking towards us, his movements smooth and confident. The crowd parted as he made his way, his eyes never leaving us. My heart raced, and I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks.

"You both finally came, I thought you bailed on us," he said, his tone teasing. "Well, not you, Saniya, but definitely her," he added, turning towards me. "Considering how this chashmish is, I thought she wouldn't show up," Aarav continued, flicking Jeia's forehead lightly.

Jeia quickly swatted his hand away, and Aarav smiled, clearly amused by her reaction.

"You both look amazing," he said with his usual charming grin.

"Saniya, I'm pretty sure you styled her," he teased, raising an eyebrow. "Otherwise, she'd have walked in with a pastel-colored dress, like she's headed to a garden party."

He chuckled at her reaction, clearly enjoying the back-and-forth between them. I couldn't deny it-there was something about the way they interacted that made me feel a strange pang of jealousy. The way he so easily teased her, how comfortable they were with each other, made me feel like I was on the outside looking in. I quickly pushed the feeling aside. It didn't matter. He was just being himself, and Jeia and I were friends.

"Won't you take us inside, Mr. Host?" I said playfully, hoping to shift his attention back to me.

He turned his gaze toward me, his eyes locking onto mine, "After my lovely ladies," he said, his voice low and playful as he gestured for us to follow him into the VIP area.

"After my lovely ladies," Jeia playfully mocked him, her voice laced with humor, before she stepped inside.

Me, Jeia, and Aarav talked for a while, the conversation flowing effortlessly between us. Aarav's teasing nature never seemed to stop, especially when it came to Jeia. He poked fun at her glasses again, which only made her roll her eyes and push him away, laughing. I couldn't help but smile at the lighthearted exchange between the two of them. It was so easy for them to joke around, to be comfortable with each other.

Then, Aarav glanced over at the crowd, realizing a few more classmates were approaching. "I'll be right back," he said, giving us a grin before heading off to greet them.

After Aarav left to attend to our classmates, I couldn't help but steal a few glances at him from across the room. My eyes roamed over his figure, lingering on the way he interacted with everyone.

Suddenly, I felt Jeia's eyes on me, and she smirked. "Done checking him out?"

I froze, my cheeks burning. "I am not doing that. I'm just observing the people around us," I said, trying to sound casual, but my defensive tone gave me away.

Jeia raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Oh please, I know what you feel about him. Be honest, it's something about him you wanted to tell me, right?"

I opened my mouth to deny it, but the words caught in my throat. There was no point in pretending. Jeia knew me too well.

I sighed, avoiding her gaze. "Okay, fine, Well how do I say it-."

Jeia leaned in closer, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "With your mouth, babes. Tell me it's more than a crush now. I'm curious."

I closed my eyes, bracing myself, and blurted out in a single breath, "IthinkiaminlovewithAarav."

Jeia leaned in, her expression confused as she tried to process the jumbled words. "Wait, what?" She tilted her head, her gaze narrowing slightly, as if trying to catch the meaning behind my words. It took a moment before the weight of what I'd said hit her.