New day, new me… and an irritating new boyfriend—Ronnie. As if Maanvir wasn’t enough of a leech in my life, now I had the college bully trailing behind me too. Why me, God? Why me?

To celebrate my so-called "yes," Ronnie had planned a party—booze, girls, a DJ, the whole deal. And now, on my way to college, I had only one person to vent to—my bestest friend, Riyu.

I glanced at her. "Riyu, where are you lost?"

She mumbled something under her breath.

I frowned. "Did you just say Mohit?"

Her eyes widened in panic. "What? No! Who Mohit? What Mohit? I never said Mohit! You must have misheard—I was thinking about, um… mogra! Yes, mogra flowers!"

I gave her a skeptical look. "Riyu… are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, totally fine!" Riyu waved me off, a little too quickly. "You tell me—why the hell did you say yes to Ronnie when you like someone else?"

I blinked. "Someone else? Whom, Riyu?"

She rolled her eyes. "Hima, don’t play dumb. I know you like Maanvir."

My jaw clenched. "Who told you that? I hate him! He’s nothing more than a leech in my life!" I growled, crossing my arms.

Riyu just smirked. "Yeah, sure. Keep telling yourself that."

“We’ve reached college. Let’s go,” I said, sighing. “I just hope I don’t see that leech’s face today.”

But of course, the universe hated me.

Just as I was about to step inside, the so-called sports head decided to grace me with his oh-so-annoying presence.

"Princess, don’t date Ronnie," Maanvir said, his voice casual but firm.

I turned to him, narrowing my eyes. "And why the hell should I listen to you, leech?"

"Leech?" Maanvir raised an eyebrow, smirking.

"Yeah, leech!" I snapped. "Why should I listen to you? I… I love Ronnie, and I’ll prove it to you tonight at the party. Just wait and watch!"

His smirk deepened as he took a slow step closer, his gaze darkening. "I’ll be waiting," he murmured, his voice low and almost teasing. But there was something else in his eyes—something intense, unreadable.

And just like that, my stupid heart skipped a beat. Damn it.

Do I really love this leech?

The thought hit me like a truck the moment Maanvir walked away, his words still lingering in the air.

Was Riyu right?

No. No way. I hated Maanvir. He was annoying, arrogant, and always in my business.

Then why did my heart react like that? Why did his stupid smirk stay in my mind longer than it should?

I shook my head. Get it together, Hima. You love Ronnie… right?

Right?

I exhaled sharply, shaking off the ridiculous thought. No way. I wasn’t falling for Maanvir. Not now, not ever.

Yet, as I walked toward my class, my footsteps felt heavier, like I was dragging the weight of something I wasn’t ready to name.

"Come on, Hima," Riyu nudged me, her expression far too knowing for my liking. "Don’t overthink it."

I forced a smile. "I’m not."

But even as I said it, my mind betrayed me, replaying the way Maanvir had said, I’ll be waiting. The way his voice had wrapped around me like a challenge, like a promise.

And for the first time, I wasn’t sure if proving my "love" for Ronnie tonight was to convince Maanvir… or myself.

Riyu shot me a look but didn’t push further, and I was grateful for that. I didn’t have the answers—not for her, not for myself.

As we stepped into the classroom, the chatter around us felt distant, drowned out by the echoes of Maanvir’s words in my head. I’ll be waiting.

I shook it off, determined to focus, to push forward. But deep down, an unsettling truth settled in my chest.

Maybe, just maybe, I wasn’t as immune to Maanvir Singh Chauhan as I wanted to be.

I sank into my seat, gripping the edges of my notebook like it could somehow anchor me. But the more I tried to shove the thoughts away, the louder they clawed back.

Maanvir’s voice. His eyes. That quiet, infuriating confidence.

I chewed on my lip, flipping open my notes, but the words blurred together. This wasn’t supposed to happen. I wasn’t supposed to care. Ronnie was my boyfriend—or at least, he was supposed to be. And tonight, I would prove it.

I glanced at my phone, my fingers hovering over a text to Ronnie. See you tonight. I hesitated, then hit send.

If I kept moving forward, kept pretending, maybe this storm inside me would pass. Maybe tonight would silence the questions swirling in my head.

Or maybe… it would make them impossible to ignore.

The message delivered instantly, but instead of relief, a strange hollowness settled in my chest. I shoved my phone into my bag, refusing to acknowledge it.

Across the room, Maanvir strolled in, effortlessly confident, like he owned the very air around him. Our eyes met—just for a second, barely long enough to mean anything. But it did.

His lips curved, just slightly. Like he knew. Like he saw right through me.

I looked away first.

"Ugh, you’re doomed," Riyu muttered under her breath, her voice laced with amusement.

I elbowed her. "Shut up."

But as I stared at the blank page in front of me, my pen unmoving, I realized something unsettling.

No matter how many times I told myself otherwise…

A part of me was already falling.

And no matter how hard I fought it, I had a feeling Maanvir Singh Chauhan already knew.

.

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What do you think, guys? Is Hima in denial, or is Maanvir getting under her skin more than she wants to admit? Let me know in the comments!