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

15.

The morning sun cast long shadows across the college garden as Abhira arrived, her usual calm demeanour quickly replaced by confusion. The entire student body had congregated, a sea of faces turned towards a central point. As she moved closer, she recognized the AARRC group –Armaan, Aryan, Charu, Ruhi, and Rohit – standing prominently in the middle. Aryan, his voice booming, addressed the crowd, "Is there anyone who dares to challenge Armaan Poddar in the upcoming elections?"

A hush fell over the garden, followed by a murmur of hesitant denials. Then, a few voices began to chant, "Abhira! Abhira! Abhira!" The sound swelled, a chorus of students calling her name. Abhira stood rooted to the spot, her shock palpable. "No, no, I...I don't want to," she stammered, trying to wave off the attention.

But a group of girls surrounded her, their faces earnest. “Please, Abhira,” one pleaded, "For the girls, you have to participate. You’re our hope."

Another chimed in, "We believe in you, Abhira. You represent us.”

Abhira tried to reason with them, “But Armaan is good, he’s been doing his work sincerely.”

Aryan, cutting her off, sneered, “Hey, hey you! We don't want your thoughts, okay? If you have the courage, take part and fight against us. You'll be a loser anyway.”

Tanvi, stepped forward, her eyes flashing. “I think you're overconfident. Don’t forget that more than half the college is with Abhira, understand?”

“Oh, just shut up,” Charu retorted, rolling her eyes.

Aditya, couldn’t help but tease, “What happened? Feeling sad, haww?”

“Ewww, I’ll kill you, Aditya!” Charu snapped, her cheeks flushed with anger.

Abhira and Armaan, who had been silently observing the escalating conflict, exchanged a look. Both instinctively knew they had to stop this. "Stop arguing, guys!" they shouted in unison.

Abhira, her voice tinged with frustration, declared, “I don’t want to participate in any of this, okay?” She turned and walked away, leaving the charged atmosphere behind her.

At lunch, she sat with Tanvi and Aditya, trying to make sense of the morning. Just as she was starting to relax, Armaan approached their table. Tanvi and Aditya, sensing the need for privacy, quickly excused themselves and moved to another table.

Armaan sat down opposite Abhira, a playful smile dancing on his lips. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked, a subtle blush creeping onto her cheeks.

“I want to talk to you," Armaan replied, his tone serious. "When are you free? Let’s meet alone.”

Abhira raised an eyebrow. "I'm free right now. You can talk."

Armaan surveyed the crowded cafeteria, then stood up, his voice booming, "Everyone except Abhira, out now!"

Abhira’s eyes widened. “Hey, Armaan, what are you doing?”

“Shhsss,” he whispered, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

The cafeteria emptied, leaving only Abhira and Armaan behind. He turned to her, his gaze intense. "Listen, I want you to participate in the elections.”

Abhira’s mouth dropped open. “Against you? Like, seriously?”

“Yes,” Armaan stated confidently.

Abhira sighed, “Armaan, please. I'm not here for all of this. I'm here to study and pursue my dreams. If my father finds out I'm doing all this, he'll take me back with him.”

Armaan leaned forward, his voice softening.  But I think you should think about this because the whole college wants you; they trust you so much, and I trust you too.”

Abhira blushed, her eyes darting away. “Umm...”

Armaan, his eyes twinkling, added, “And anyway, if I lose, I’ll only lose to the one my heart has already lost to.”

“What?” Abhira asked, caught off guard.

They both burst into laughter, the tension dissipating. With a combination of persuasive charm and flattery, Armaan managed to convince her to participate. She finally agreed, a mix of apprehension and excitement stirring within her.

Armaan walked out of the cafeteria, finding the AARRC group waiting for him, confusion etched on their faces.

“What was all that?” Ruhi demanded, her expression questioning.

“What?” Armaan asked innocently.

Aryan shot him a knowing look. “Don't change the topic, we heard the whole conversation.”

“So?” Armaan shrugged, a smirk playing on his lips.

They all headed to their usual meeting spot. Rohit, his brow furrowed, asked, “So this was also your plan, right?”

Armaan’s smile widened. “Right. I will win her trust, and then betray her.” He continued, his voice laced with a chilling confidence, "Listen, the whole college will do what she says, and she will do what I say. Now go and start preparations for the elections.”

Charu, Ruhi, and Aryan moved to leave, but Rohit stopped, his concern evident. “What’s happened to you, Armaan? You’re not like this. Why are you punishing her so harshly? She doesn't deserve this.” He paused, his eyes narrowing. “Perhaps I feel like you're so attracted to her you just want to spend time with her, and that’s why you wanted her to participate in the elections.”

Armaan scoffed, “Rohit, Rohit, what are you saying, brother? This is only for revenge.”

Rohit, unconvinced, looked directly into his eyes. "But your eyes say something else."

“What, what do my eyes say?” Armaan demanded, his voice slightly strained.

Rohit stated, “That you like Abhira.”

Armaan was momentarily taken aback. “No, it’s not like that!” he insisted, his voice rising.

Rohit sighed, "Okay, then whatever you want to do with her, do it after this election, and after that, you leave her to her own life, okay? After that, you can’t make her life more difficult, please."

Armaan hesitated, then sighed. "Okay, I promise."

They both left, unaware that someone had overheard their conversation, hidden in the shadows of the corridor. This eavesdropper's heart pounded with a mix of shock, suspicion, and a deep, brewing plan of their own. (Suspenseful music fades in...)

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