Ruhi had never been the type to second-guess herself. But today, as she scrolled through her phone, scanning social media for any trace of Abhi's dinner with Ishika, she felt something dangerously close to insecurity.
Then, she saw it.
A picture posted by someone from Ishika's circle-a distant shot, but clear enough. Abhi and Ishika, sitting across from each other in a dimly lit restaurant. He was smiling, his usual charming smirk, and she looked effortlessly poised. They appeared... comfortable.
Ruhi's grip on her phone tightened.
Why does it bother me so much?
Meera's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "So? What's the verdict? Is she a threat?"
Ruhi scoffed. "Please. She's just another over-polished rich girl."
"Uh-huh," Meera hummed. "And that's why you've been staring at your phone like it personally offended you?"
Ruhi shot her a glare. "I'm just... curious."
"Sure." Meera smirked. "Keep telling yourself that."
---
Abhi, on the other hand, was trying to shake off the conversation from earlier.
Ishika was different from what he had expected. She was confident but not pushy, intelligent but not arrogant. For the first time in a long while, he had felt like he was talking to someone who understood the pressure of being perfect. And that was unsettling.
As he parked his car outside his house, his phone buzzed. Ruhi's name flashed on the screen.
He grinned as he answered. "Missed me already?"
Ruhi scoffed. "Don't flatter yourself. Just making sure you survived your date."
Abhi chuckled. "It wasn't a date."
"Sure. So? How was she?"
He hesitated. "She's... interesting."
Ruhi hated that answer. "Interesting how?"
"Smart. Composed. Not as boring as I thought she'd be."
Ruhi forced a laugh. "Wow, high praise. Should I be worried?"
Abhi leaned back in his seat, smirking. "Would it bother you if I said yes?"
Ruhi rolled her eyes. "Please. I'm just concerned you'll get bored of me."
"As if that's possible."
She knew he was teasing, but something about his tone felt... different tonight. A shift in the air, subtle yet undeniable.
And for the first time, Ruhi wasn't sure if she was the one in control anymore.
....to be continued.....
Author's Note:
And just like that, the game tilts.
Ruhi—our firecracker, our queen of indifference—is starting to taste the bitterness of not being the only one who lights up Abhi's world.
Jealousy isn't always loud. Sometimes, it's silent scrolling, fake scoffs, and a voice just a little too casual on the phone.
But Ishika? Oh, she's playing the long game—quiet grace, calculated warmth. No claws, no competition. Just presence.
Abhi's walls are cracking. Ruhi's control is slipping.
And somewhere in between, love is starting to look a lot like war.
Are you ready for when the gloves finally come off?
—With love and layered drama,
Your author