Jai Mata Di ! Radhe Radhe !

Hello, my dear Moodies. Here it is, the second chapter of my book, and there's a little request: if you like my book pls comment and vote; otherwise, how would I know? Thank you for reading my book.ENJOYYYYY!!!

Laptop shut. Books pushed aside.

For once, we weren't building empires or planning domination.

We were just three mentally and physically exhausted teenagers sitting cross-legged on my bedroom floor.

Kavya slowly turned her head toward Reyaan.

She knew exactly what she was doing.

"So," she began casually, "should we talk about that café girl who was boring holes into your existence?"

Reyaan didn't look up. "No."

Clearly trying to pretend unbothered.

I leaned back on my hands thoughtfully.
"Strange. Because she was staring at you like you were her dessert."

Kavya nodded seriously. "Correction. Her favorite dessert. She looked ready to devour you."

Reyaan rolled his eyes. "You both are jobless."

"Oh, we are?" I raised a brow. "She adjusted her hair ten times in that café."

"And dropped her spoon," Kavya added.

"That was an accident."

"Was it?" I smirked. "How do you know? Were you focusing on her that much?"

Silence.

"When you got up to pay," I continued calmly, "she followed you with her eyes like a CCTV camera. Head to toe."

Kavya gasped dramatically. "Scanning mode activated."

Reyaan finally looked at us. "Can you stop calling her 'café girl'? She has a name."

"Oh?" I muttered. "Mister possessive."

Kavya leaned forward. "You must remember it. Carved into your bones, perhaps?"

I tilted my head. "What should we call her then? Future Mrs. Malhotra?"

He went red.

Ears included.

"Please shut up."

"You know what I think?" I said thoughtfully.

His head snapped toward me. "What?"

"I think Reyaan Malhotra is scared."

"Of what?"

"Of obvious affection. Of a girl capable of breaking that strict Vice Head Boy, disciplined captain vibe."

Kavya clutched imaginary pearls. "Because Mister Basketball Star doesn't know how to handle someone who actually likes him."

"You are Blushinggggg.OMG," she said dramatically

"I'm not blushing."

"You are," I said sweetly. "Should we get you ice?"

"Or call Mrs. Malhotra?" Kavya added helpfully.

He stood up abruptly. "I'm making dinner."

"Oh, that's right," I called calmly. "Run away."

"And careful," I added, "she might be waiting outside with a love playlist."

"Or love potions," Kavya chimed in. "Straight out of Harry Potter."

He threw us a look.

We burst out laughing.

For a moment, there was no Randhawa. No marriage talk. No empires.

Just us.

We moved to the kitchen like it was a battlefield.

Departments were assigned without discussion.

I tried to negotiate.

"Can I make the pasta today?"

Both of them, in sync: "No."

"I won't burn it."

"That's what you said last time," Reyaan said dryly.

Kavya crossed her arms. "We are not getting lectured by Aunty again."

I sighed dramatically.

"Fine. What's my department?"

"Baking," Kavya declared.

"Pasta is mine."

"Dal rice because I am the only mature person here," Reyaan added, already tying an apron like a warrior.

"Please," I scoffed. "You once burnt water."

"I have evolved."

"Into what?" I asked sweetly. "A red flag? Or Mrs. Café Girl's future husband?"

Kavya choked.

"At least girls talk to me," he shot back.

"Oh, they do," I replied, pulling out flour. "Especially the ones who text after 11 PM."

He froze.

"It was for discussing the strategy of an upcoming match."

Kavya leaned forward slowly. "Late-night strategy, Captain?"

"It's called teamwork."

"Yes," I nodded seriously. "Very important teamwork."

He narrowed his eyes. "You both want to play?"

Danger.

He turned to Kavya.

"And what about the former Activity Head practically writing poems about you?"

"He does not write poems."

"He brought you a handmade bookmark."

"That's creative appreciation," she said defensively.

"He waited outside the auditorium for forty minutes," Reyaan added casually.

Silence.

I turned slowly. "Forty?"

"How much have you guys been hiding from me? Why didn't I know, you traitors?" I gasped dramatically, placing a hand on my chest

"It was raining," she muttered, clearly avoiding eye contact

"Oh," I whispered dramatically. "Romantic rain."

She threw a spoon at him.
Reyaan leaned in. "Someone's blushing. "

She turned a deeper shade of pink

I was laughing. Actually laughing.

Then Reyaan turned to me.

"And Anvika."

Oh no.

"Your birthday is next month."

Kavya gasped. "Oh my God."

Reyaan leaned against the counter. "Last year. How many love letters?"

"Twenty-six," Kavya answered immediately.

"Twenty-eight," he corrected.

"And 8 chocolate boxes and 5 bouquets," Kavya added proudly

"I don't count them."

"Ofc you categorize them, " he said with a slight smirk

"THAT WAS ONCE"

"You color-coded them," Kavya said.

"That was psychological analysis."

"Of course," Reyaan smirked. "And what about him? Do u think he'll finally have the guts to try to ask you out this year ?"

I stiffened.

W...who?

"Oh girl, u clearly know who we are talking about, your academic rival, the one you claim to hate, but still blush when he is mentioned, " she added, enjoying herself far too much.

"I told you," I said calmly, "only you two are legally allowed to tease me about him."

"Legally?" Reyaan raised a brow.

"Yes. Constitution approved."

"And if someone else does?"

"They won't survive,"

I smirked.

Kavya burst out laughing. "That's why the poor guy doesn't stand a chance."

"He hates me," I replied flatly. "It's competition. That's it."

"Then why are you blushing?"

"I'm not blushing."

"Denial," Reyaan said calmly.

"Rage," I corrected.

"Sure," Kavya said.

I rolled my eyes, but a soft smile betrayed me.

This.

This is what home feels like.

The bell rang.

"Maa," I muttered.

Kavya went to open the door because I was too busy aggressively icing the cake like it personally offended me.

Mom walked in and froze.

Flour on my cheeks.
Rice in Reyaan's hair.
Kavya's apron looking like abstract art.

She burst out laughing.

"You three are impossible."

"For the record," Reyaan said calmly, "the rice in my hair was not an accident."

"It absolutely was not," I said proudly. "He was looking too clean. I had to balance it."

We sat at the table. Reyaan served everyone like the responsible adult he pretends to be.

"How was the exam?" Mom asked casually.

We all nodded at the same time.

"Good."

"Of course," she said. "You three and exams are in a very healthy relationship."

We chuckled.

Then she turned serious — not dramatic serious, just parent serious.

"Anvi, Kavu, and Rey, after your boards, we have to go to the Randhawa mansion. We'll discuss the marriage dates."

Reyaan asked, "They won't mind if we join?"

Mom smiled. "They know you two are her chosen family."

That shut us up for half a second.

I nodded. Calm. Neutral. Controlled.

"Okay."

Then she added, "When I met Adhiraj today and told him you agreed, he was on cloud nine. Though... his smile did drop a little when I told him you won't move in yet."

I kept eating.

"He understands," she continued. "But no one else in the family knows that part. They're very excited. A daughter in a house full of sons."

Kavya and Reyaan both looked at me at the same time.

I didn't react.

Mom continued, unaware of the storm brewing inside me, "Boards end on 23rd. Your school celebration is on the 24th, right?"

I nodded.

"So we'll leave on the 26th. That gives us a day to prepare."

"Prepare?" Kavya raised a brow.

"Yes," Mom said calmly. "We can't go empty-handed. We'll have to take gifts."

I swallowed slowly.

Of course, we would.

I wasn't going there as some helpless girl being handed over.

If I was entering that house, even for formality, I would enter properly.

Respectfully.

Reyaan noticed the shift in my expression.

"Shopping day?" he asked lightly.

I gave him a small smile. "Obviously. We're not showing up unprepared."

Mom looked at me for a moment — something softer in her eyes.

"That's my girl."

I didn't reply.

Not because I disagreed.

But because I didn't trust my voice to stay neutral.

Under the table, Kavya nudged my knee.

Silent message:
You don't have to do this alone.

I straightened.

"26th it is."

Jaipur.

Let's see what kind of family thinks they're ready for me.

At School – Last Exam

Yesterday was quiet.
My kind of quiet.

Just me.
Buried in books and designs.

Like Kavya says — therapy.

The silence dissolved into revisions and last-minute checking before I even realized it.

The bell rang.
Answer sheets were distributed.

I finished on time.
Two revisions. My usual ritual.

Then the bell rang again.

The end of exams.
The end of school.
The end of a chapter, people call "the best stage of life."

Now I won't walk back into the school where I met Reyaan and Kavya.

I won't walk back into these halls as Head Girl again.
I won't walk in as the girl who made her mother proud with every result.
Anvika Mehra won't walk these corridors as the popular student who never asked for attention — but somehow owned it anyway.

Around me, chaos.
Screaming. Laughing.
People discussing imaginary college lives as if they'd already lived them.
Everyone clinging to their chosen idiots.

And then—

"Oii, Mehra. Kaunse khayalon mein ho?"

("Oii,Mehra. In which thoughts are you ?")

Ayaan.

I didn't see him coming. I was too lost.

He snapped his fingers in front of me like he always does when I start overthinking.

Annoying.
Familiar.

No matter how much I deny, WE WERE NEVER JUST ACADEMIC RIVALS.

Maybe not something dramatic.
But definitely more than "just classmates."

We worked on projects together.
Went on school trips — the elite top-students-only ones.
Shared stage duties. Shared arguments. Shared victories.

I've known him since fifth grade.

And though I will never admit this out loud...

I will miss him.

I gave him a playful hit on his hand

"Main kiske khayalon mein jaaungi?" I sighed.

(In whose thoughts will I go?)

He rubbed his hand dramatically as I'd injured him. "Of course... only if you let someone in your head."

Before I could respond, Kavya and Reyaan appeared behind me.

Both staring at us.
Both smirking.

Traitors.

Just then, my phone buzzed.

Mom.

I excused myself before either of them could say something illegal.

I attended Mom's call.
Just a short update. Logistics. Timing. Jaipur.

I kept my voice neutral. Controlled. As always.

When I came back—

I froze.

Kavya and Reyaan were standing way too close to Ayaan.

Both of them wearing that look.

The "come on, accept it, we know you like her" look.

Traitors.

Ayaan looked cornered. Defensive.

And then I noticed it.

His ears were red.

Not slightly pink.

Red.

And suddenly—

I could feel the heat rising through my own neck.

Why.

Why.

Mata Rani, what exactly is different about him?

I walked toward them casually. Too casually.

"What did I miss?" I asked lightly.

Kavya turned slowly. That evil smile.

"Oh nothing," she said. "We were just discussing... academic improvements."

Reyaan nodded solemnly. "Very intense discussion."

Ayaan refused to look at me.

Suspicious.

I had no idea what they talked about.

But whatever it was—

It clearly wasn't about grades.

Guys, I am sorry, but we gotta go, Mom just called, we have to reach home by 5.

We were heading out when Kavya turned dramatically.

"Ayaan, shopping. Conclusion party. Last chance to see us in legendary outfits. Coming?"

He didn't hesitate.

"No. You guys go."

Too quick.

Reyaan raised a brow. Suspicious.

"Busy?"

"Yeah."

He wasn't.

We all knew he wasn't.

For a second, silence sat between us.

I adjusted my bag strap. "Cool."

I didn't look at him.

But I felt it.

That pause.

That almost.

And when I finally did glance up—

His eyes were on me.

Not playful.
Not competitive.

Just... quiet.

Controlled.

Like he was trying too hard not to say something.

Not to step forward.

Not to stay.

And suddenly—

I saw it.

The restraint.

The effort.

The way he was choosing distance.

Just like me.

Mata Rani.

Why is he like this?

Our eyes met for a fraction too long.

And I smiled.

Not the confident Head Girl smile.
Not the sarcastic one.

A soft one.

Rare.

He looked away first.

Good.

Because if he hadn't—

I'm not sure I would have.

I know this chapter was a bit boring but i wanted to explain you all how good friends and how close the trio is soo the next ch might be a lil moreee fun and maybe even shocking at points 

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Love u alll 💖💖