The sound of laughter rang through the campus gardens, the golden glow of the setting sun casting long shadows over the students gathered in small groups. Ruhi had been searching for Abhi, but when she finally spotted him, her heart clenched in irritation.
He was leaning casually against a bench, chatting with two girls she vaguely recognized from their business class. One of them touched his arm as she laughed, while the other played with her hair, tilting her head flirtatiously.
Ruhi inhaled sharply. Again?
For days now, she had noticed the shift. The girls around Abhi had become bolder, and worse-he was letting them. Before, he would have dismissed them with a lazy smirk, made it clear that he was spoken for. But now? Now, he entertained them. Not in a way that crossed a line, but just enough to get under her skin.
And she hated it.
Plastering a sweet smile on her face, Ruhi approached them, her heels clicking against the pavement. "Well, well, I hope I'm not interrupting anything important."
The girls turned, their expressions shifting from delight to mild discomfort. Abhi, on the other hand, simply smirked. "Ruhi, sweetheart. I was just making some new friends."
Ruhi arched a brow, her tone deceptively light. "Friends? Oh, how lovely. I didn't realize we were expanding our social circle."
One of the girls, sensing the tension, cleared her throat. "Uh, we were just-"
Ruhi didn't let her finish. "Right. Just leaving, I'm sure."
The girl hesitated, but at Abhi's amused silence, both of them mumbled quick goodbyes and walked away. Ruhi turned back to him, her smile dropping. "You're doing this on purpose."
Abhi tilted his head, pretending to think. "Doing what, exactly?"
She stepped closer, crossing her arms. "Flirting. Entertaining them. You never used to."
He chuckled, his eyes gleaming with something unreadable. "And you never used to care this much."
Her jaw tightened. "Don't be ridiculous."
He leaned in, voice low. "A little jealousy looks good on you, Ruhi. But tell me-why does it bother you so much?"
She forced a scoff, even as her heart pounded. "It doesn't."
"Liar." His smirk was infuriating, his confidence unbearable.
Ruhi hated how easily he could get under her skin, how effortlessly he could turn the tables on her. But two could play this game.
She lifted her chin. "Do whatever you want, Abhi. But don't expect me to sit around and watch."
His smirk faltered for just a second, but before he could respond, she turned on her heel and walked away, her head held high. She could feel his gaze on her back, but she didn't stop.
She had won this round.
Or at least, that's what she told herself.
But then why did it feel like she was losing control?
...to be continued...
Author's Note:
Jealousy, sharp words, and a whole lot of tension—our girl Ruhi just delivered a masterclass in "sweet smile, deadly intent." But let's be real, Ruhani—if love is a game, these two are already in the finals, throwing punches with their eyes and flirting like it's war. One's poking the fire, the other's fanning the flames… and we're just here for the burn.
—Your author, sipping on iced drama and living for the slow unravel.