Love's Rivalry (LOVE AND WAR)

PART 5:😠A Morning Mix-Up and College Chaos😠

Rudra sprang upright in bed, panic-stricken and drenched. "What the—? Soumya!" he shouted, looking around wildly, but then reality hit him like a ton of bricks. "I'm sorry! I was just dreaming about my girlfriend!"

Soumya shot him a deadly glare, her eyes narrowing like she was ready to unleash a thousand angry cats. "Great, just great!" she huffed, storming out of the room.

Rudra rubbed his eyes, still half-asleep but now wide awake with regret. "Why do I always mess up?" he mumbled, slumping out of bed and getting ready to face the music—or rather, the breakfast table.

When he finally made it downstairs, Tej looked at him with a mix of annoyance and amusement. "We've been waiting 30 minutes for you, Rudra. You could've given us a heads-up about the tsunami."

"Sorry, Dad," Rudra replied sheepishly as he slid into a chair next to Shivay, directly across from Soumya, who was studiously avoiding eye contact.

Rudra, determined to break the icy silence, leaned in and tried to engage her. "So, about this morning—"

But Soumya cut him off, her glare sharper than a samurai sword. She turned away, and in a moment of misguided inspiration, Rudra stretched out his leg to accidentally nudge her. Instead, he collided with Omkara's leg under the table.

"What the—?" Om looked down, his eyebrow raised as he met Rudra's desperate gaze. "Rudra! Are you trying to start a leg wrestling competition under here?"

Rudra was too busy focusing on Soumya's furious expression to pay much attention. "Um, sorry!" he said weakly, but the pleading look in his eyes was all too evident.

"Rudra!" Om called again, louder this time, hoping to snap him out of it. Finally, Rudra's attention shifted. "Yes, Om?"

"Could you please stop trying to break my leg?" Om sighed, rolling his eyes.

Rudra recoiled, adopting a puppy-dog expression. "I'm late for college. Dadi, is your granddaughter coming with me or not?"

Soumya crossed her arms defiantly. "I can manage to go by myself. No need for a driver."

That comment struck a nerve. Rudra huffed and stormed out, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife. Om, Shivay, and Anika exchanged glances, sensing a brewing storm.

"Do you know what happened this morning?" Dadi asked, looking concerned.

The trio shook their heads, and Anika couldn't help but let her imagination run wild. "I mean, they're like Tom and Jerry!" she burst out laughing, picturing Rudra as the bumbling cat and Soumya as the clever mouse.

Dadi and Shivay exchanged amused glances. "Oh, this I have to see," Dadi chuckled, joining in on Anika's laughter.

At college, Soumya breezed in, acting like Rudra was invisible. She headed straight for Karan and plopped down beside him, completely ignoring Rudra, who was simmering quietly at a distance.

Rudra noticed her demeanor but chose to stay silent, nursing his wounded pride. After class, however, he couldn't hold back any longer. In a burst of determination, he cornered Soumya against a wall.

"What are you doing, Rudy? If anyone sees this—" she protested, but he cut her off.

"Now you know me?" Rudra shot back, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. "Since this morning, I've been trying to talk to you and apologize! But what's the use? You've been avoiding me like I'm contagious!"

Soumya's eyes flashed with anger. "I don't need your apology, Rudra. It's as useless as you are!" She pushed past him, her heart racing not just from anger but a hint of something else.

"Wait!" he called out, desperation lacing his voice. But Soumya was already striding towards Karan, who was scanning the crowd for her.

"Want to join us for lunch, Rudy?" Karan asked, eyeing him with curiosity.

"Hard pass," Rudra grumbled, watching Soumya and feeling the weight of unspoken words hanging between them. As he walked away, he couldn't shake the feeling that the battle between Tom and Jerry was far from over.

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TO BE CONTINUE...

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