[Zara's POV]

I was all dressed up in a baggy blue jeans and a red sweatshirt which was loosened.

Even though my parents always hated this baggy style of clothing— but it was only to ease my insecurities and honesty, I felt comfortable in these clothes.

"Hello, sahiba" a recognisable voice reached my ears, but I didn't had to look who was it. Nickname was enough.

"Hello, mr. Narcissistic bastard, what happened now?" I asked.

"You look so good," he said, when I just nodded as a thank you.

"Won't you compliment me?" he asked, when I gave him a stern glare-wanting it to be scary, but he ended up chuckling at me. "This is a very wrong way to admire, Zara... your eyes should soften when you admire another person"

I raised my eyes again at him- but this time softening them, with a small smile.

"HAPPY NOW?" I asked him, when I'd see him touching the back of his neck, his cheeks all flustered. "YOU'RE LOOKING SOOOO GOOOOOD AGASTYA OMG, NOW RESPECTFULLY CAN YOU LET ME BE ALONE"

I said, when he touched his chest.

"Your honey-dripped voice, my god Zara, I'll die, you use your glares only" he said, keeping a hand on his chest. I blinked at him, when I saw Aaradhya coming towards me- my eyes moving at food again and again- it has 3 CATERGORIES OF CHICKEN. My hesitance towards food was one of the worst things I faced in years- my constant comparison about how I shouldn't eat so much and look at my cousins was started by my mother, continued by my family and then by my ex.

Well. I can't help with it, I needed something to survive, I can't trouble to be in eyes of people for being overdramatic now.

"Zara, come let's have some snacks" Aaradhya said, when I lightly smiled at her.

"I'll eat that soon..."stepping aside like I needed space to breathe. "You guys go."

Aaradhya frowned. "Are you sure—"

"Yeah," I said, sharper than I intended. I softened my tone. "Really. Go."

She nodded, giving me a little reassuring squeeze before leaving.

The second she was out of earshot, I stared hard at the floor—pretending I was fixing my jeans, pretending I wasn't fighting myself again.

"Zara, you should start eating, eat something light if you want!" Agastya said

Miracles, they say.
Agastya was a miracle in my life maybe. The first person who actually cared?

I just shook my head, what's going on in my head.... He isn't anything to me.

I repeated that to myself— I can't be harsh to myself again.

"I don't want to" I told him, when he tilted his head, and smiled looking at me.

"Do you want to faint on my shoulders? I know you haven't eaten anything, eat something light? I'll bring daal rice, eat as much as you want, don't force yourself much but something?" Agastya asked me, when I smiled at him and nod.

He just went to take them when a girl came near me— her face was recognisable as if she was someone from our class only, but I couldn't quite remember her.

"Zara!" She said, when I bit my tongue. She knew my name, so irresponsible of me to not remember anyone's name.

"Kashish," she said, forwarding her hand with a big smile that felt so fake. She'd have sensed my confused silence maybe that's why, but if she knows so she must know that I don't want to talk, like go away already... urgh, I feel so awkward talking with people.

Time to leave this world, Zara baby. I said to myself as she started talking.

The conversation was dryer than Sahara Desert, when she started talking about my whereabouts... like bitch come to the point, but no, she wants to twist words.

With Shreya and Aaradhya, there was always a comfort connect, but here, I couldn't quite understand what was the need to even exchange words?

Like let me live, but no, she started ranting. I so wanted to interrupt her and ask her to come to the point, but of course, I can't... and honestly I feel so weak for not being able to do that.

"Hi Kashish, long time!" Agastya said, as he waved at her with a smile. Kashish smiled back at him, smiling when he kept the plate on the table.

This bastard knows her, greeted her by himself? Is he really just trying on me?

"Yeah, you're talking as if we stay 7 oceans away? You didn't talked to me" Kashish said, when Agastya just bitted his tongue. Why would he talk to another girl like that?

I mean, I don't mind, but is this a way? If you like a girl, so how dare you look at another one.

My eyes darted in between of Agastya and Kashish when my stomach growled with hunger.

Agastya's eyes softened at me, why'd you double play, you traitor? My brain rang, when I mumbled curses under my breath.

Another guy made an entry, who exclaimed. "Oh my goodness, the popularly rumoured couple together!" The guy said, when I was about to shook my head thinking he was talking about me and Agastya— but he wasn't.

He looked at that bitch and then at that bastard.

This guy was glued with me since the starting, I TOLERATED HIM—THIS MAY SOUND AS JEALOUSY BUT THIS IS NOT JEALOUSLY

I mean I'm the one who's been with him, was I that invisible that this girl, whatever her name is his rumoured girlfriend?

Kashish and Agastya laughed at the same moment, as they shrugged their shoulders.

"Who knows?" Agastya said. MIND YOU AGASTYA DID. THIS HELL OF A GUY WHO WAS GLUED TO ME IS CONFUSING PEOPLE WITH HIS DATING RUMOURS?

Anyways, let him do whatever he wants... I mean look at the girl, who'll choose me over her. I started comparing myself with her, I can't even face mirror.

"Anyways you're soo pretty Zara" Kashish said, when I froze. "And if you're done with this drama so can I go, or do you want my boyfriend to hit on your ass?" Kashish asked, when I raised my furrows.

"I've a boyfriend and he's my rakhi brother, but just because my boyfriend doesn't want to hard launch himself, he became my rumoured boyfriend..." Kashish explained.

"He's a red flag then, you'd leave him, is he embarrassed?" Came in my mind, but anyways I won't speak that because of course....

Why? Because I'm Zara, a dumb, shy, awkward as hell weirdo whose conversations roam in her mind clearly but when it comes to speak, I fumble and if someday I speak so the words are so scandalous that I can't.

But my mind stopped working, after she said she has a boyfriend. That's nice, good for her.

I was thinking, when Agastya sat in front of me grinning as always. I gritted my teeth, while rolling my eyes at him.

"Zara, why so angry? Are you jealous?" He asked, when I took a deep sigh, and sat next to him.

I took off my hair clutcher and put on his sweatshirt. "Wha—" he asked, as I tugged my clutcher on his sweatshirt.

"If you want to ever date me, don't you dare to remove it" I told him,  when his cheeks were pink again.

"I'll keep your name as pinky, just look at your cheeks 8 hours they're all red, and then they'll turn pink" I said, when he looked at me.

"Are you in love with me?" He smirked, when I just kept on looking at him... I mean I don't know... I don't want to hurt myself but I can't deny about something between us.

I simply shrugged my shoulders, suppressing my laugh. "Not now," I told him, when his smirk faltered. "Maybe someday in future if you stop flirting with others"

"Huh, when do I even flirt huh?" Agastya asked me, when I just started looking somewhere else.

There was a silence between us... "very bold you're I see"

"Someone needs to be bold,"I muttered, crossing my arms and pretending I didn't just challenge him like a maniac.

Agastya leaned forward, elbows on his knees, eyes fixed only on me as if the entire room disappeared.
"Then be bold with me," he whispered, half-teasing, half-serious—like he wanted to laugh but his breath hitched instead.

I swallowed. Nope,not giving him that win.

Instead, I flicked his forehead lightly. "Shut up. Eat your food."

He blinked. "YOU eat."

I stared at the plate like it was a bomb about to explode. The smell hit me—warm, simple, comforting—and my stomach growled so loud he choked on air.

"I hate this body," I muttered under my breath.

"I don't," he said instantly.

He bit his tongue, realising what he'd said, but didn't try to take that back
"One bite?" he asked softly.

I didn't trust myself to speak, so I picked up the spoon and ate a tiny mouthful. His shoulders relaxed so dramatically, it looked like someone removed a ten-kg dumbbell off him.

"There you go," he whispered, way too proud.

"Stop smiling, you look stupid," I said.

"You look stupider."

I glared.

"Use your eyes only, Zara," he warned with a grin.

I rolled mine dramatically.

"Zara, you'd stop showing this eye roll attitude" he said, when I glared at him and he went quiet. "I mean your choice"

"Better"

"So we've a chance?" He questions when I silently sat there.

"Tell no? Something?"
He asked, when I didn't replied.

"You want your own delusions more than my answers, Agastya..." I told him, when he nodded at me.

"I wonder how're so patient, Zara!" He commented. Sure, I've always been this calm... this easy.

"I don't want to smash your mouth" I told him.

"Are you jealous?" He asked, when I coughed a bit.

I don't know what is it... in a few moments, it was insecurity, then a fear, and now jealousy.

Before I'd make an answer, he laughs at me. "Just say it out loud, Sahiba— you're JEALOUS" he said, when I looked at the plate.

"Why'd I be jealous, go and swim with her in the pool or whatever you want to..." i told him, trying to eat some food so that I look normal.

"Why're you getting so specific? And why're you so annoyed"

"I'm NOT JEALOUS" I said, when he nods surrendering his hands in mid air, a smile remained on his face. That irritating one.

"Okay, sahiba" he said, when stood up and went to take some food for himself.

He came back with a plate of biryani and raita.
I focused on my plate, forcing myself to eat some bites before my mind triggers again. I took small bites,

"By the way," Agastya said suddenly, leaning closer, voice dropping, "you didn't deny it."

I blinked. "Deny what?"

"That you were jealous."

I inhaled sharply, almost choking on the rice. "I DID deny it."

"No you didn't," he said, taking a spoonful of biryani, far too smug. "You said 'go swim with her in the pool'. Very specific. Very jealous. Very—you."

I wanted to fling the spoon at his forehead.

"Agastya, for god's sake—"

"You can tell me," he said, nudging my elbow with his. "I won't make fun. Promise."

Lies. Biggest liar on Earth. He lives on making fun.

I looked away, huffing. "I wasn't jealous. I just... didn't like it."

His chewing slowed. "Didn't like what?"

YOU.
HER.
YOU WITH HER.
HER WITH YOU.
HER existing in your line of sight.
Her knowing you longer than I did.
Her laughing in sync with you.

Everything.

But I said none of that.

Instead, I stabbed my rice with the spoon. "Nothing."

He stared at me for a second too long, then smirked—but softer, more like he was trying not to scare me away.

"You know," he said quietly, as he looked in my eyes. "I only have eyes for one girl... and that'll always be you"

"Stop with your cheesy lines" I told when Sid, Anirudh, Shreya and Aaradhya came.

"Don't you want to dance? And you how can you eat alone?" Anirudh said, as he took a bite from Agastya's eaten chiken.

Yuck.

My mind was creative enough to write another story on them.

"Uski goodi mei hi beth jao na?" Shreya comments when Anirudh trembled as a scary ass.

"Aaj kal ladkiyan bahut jealous ho rhi hai is there some reason" Agastya said, looking at me.

"Market mei options kam ho gaye hai na ab jab bandaro ko bhi double attention ki jarurat hai to ladkiyan jealous kya jaan bhi lele" Aaradhya taunted— her eyes were at Agastya, but her tone shouted the indirectness.

....

It was nearly 11 when we all were asked to return back to our rooms, when I heard someone's footsteps, but I knew who it was... I knew how he walked.

Something that shocked me was that he still had my clutcher on his sweatshirt. Why'd he?

I froze in the middle looking at him— when he shook his head. "Why'd I remove something that belongs to you, Zara?" He asked.

I got quiet. Maybe I just didn't had the energy to argue anymore, fastening my steps.

"Zara!" He said, when I turned at him. I was the first one to leave for the room, and maybe he was the second one.

"What Agastya??" I asked him, when he bit his lips looking at me. I was a bit frustrated by talking so much, so maybe my voice had that too.

"Zara, I'm really an idiot. I don't know if I end up crossing my limits, or say something wrong... but please don't go like this, please tell me what's wrong... I'll make it up and apologise... but please don't be this quiet" he said, when my eyes immediately softened for him.

A man-hater like me can fall in love with me? All again?

****

Tbc

<Do vote and comment your opinions on the chapter>

I hope it wasn't boring.

Next chapter will be out as soon as the target gets complete- or maybe a lot of spam of comments 😋😋

Also, I uploaded Sid-Aaru's book you can check it out if you want