Note: This chapter shifts between the pov of both protagonists. I'm experimenting to see how this fits into the story's flow. I'd love to hear your thoughts. Does it enhance the experience or feel out of place? 

Riya

My hands burned where he'd grabbed me earlier, the phantom sensation leaving my skin tingling. I looked down as if expecting to see the marks, but there was nothing, nothing except the lingering weight of his gaze.

I was lost in my thoughts, the loud music doing nothing to drown the sound of my heartbeats when I collided with someone.

"Whoa, careful there," a familiar voice said, steadying me with a light touch on my arm.

I blinked, looking up into a pair of soft grey eyes. "Arjun?"

What was happening tonight? Why was he here?

"The one and only," he said with a soft smile. "You okay? You looked like you were ready to burn this place down."

I shook my head, trying to focus. "Just...trying to escape this circus," I muttered. I didn't need to turn to feel Abhay's eyes drilling into my back, his presence as suffocating as the smoke that clouded this party.

Arjun chuckled softly, brushing at the damp spot on his shirt where my drink had spilled. "Parties like this can be...overwhelming." He glanced down, flicking away the drops of liquid. "Though I think you owe me a drink for this."

Before I could reply, his gaze shifted past me, and the warmth in his voice disappeared, replaced by something colder.

I didn't need to look to know who he saw.

"What are you doing here?" I asked Arjun quickly, trying to keep his focus on me.

"Kat invited me," he said, his tone casual, though his shoulders had stiffened. "We're friends."

"Friends," I repeated, more to myself than him. "So, you decided to come to the celebration party for the game you lost?"

Arjun's smile faltered, his expression hardening. "Wasn't aware this was a celebration party." His voice dropped. "Definitely wasn't aware he would be here." Guilt started creeping up on me.

I didn't want to turn, but still against my better judgment, I turned.

Abhay was descending the stairs, his movements slow and deliberate, like a predator closing in on its prey. His dark eyes locked on mine, and my chest tightened under the weight of his stare.

"What's his deal?" Arjun asked quietly, his voice tight with irritation.

I swallowed hard, my pulse hammering in my ears. "I don't know," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

Abhay stopped a few feet away, his presence filling the space like it was meant to crush everyone else. He didn't glance at Arjun, not yet. 

—-----------—

Abhay

Two strikes.

Two fucking strikes.

I made the same fucking mistake. Why did I even come to this godforsaken place? Right...Because Dhruv had to 'celebrate' his win. Another reason I shouldn't listen to that dumbass. But today I did because I was planning on looking for someone else. Someone who didn't smell like freshly made chocolate, someone who didn't throw daggers at me every second, and someone who was not the little sister of my friend.

I watched as Riya's fingers twitched as if she wanted to strike me or shove me out of her way. But instead, she froze, the anger radiating off her like a storm ready to break.

I noticed how her chest rose and fell rapidly, her pulse visibly racing under the skin of her neck. Good. She should've felt something after what she had done, after turning my whole world into chaos.

The warmth of her body was not leaving even after she had walked out of my personal space as if I burned her. I was dreading the moment when the first wave of cold hit me. I wanted her to come back.

My mind was telling me to look the other way as she walked towards the door. But my mind had lost control of my body long ago when it saw Riya Sharma walking in the red dress like a goddess.

The moment I saw her walk into Arjun's line of sight, something in me twisted. Not because of him, he didn't matter, but because of the look on her face when he spoke to her. Something shifted in her eyes and that was all it took for my patience to snap.

I started walking down with slow, deliberate steps.

Her eyes flicked to me, and I saw it, that look. The one that made my pulse quicken. The one that was only for me. The unstoppable rage that only I was able to bring out. She wasn't scared, not anymore. But there was something else there, something between us that I couldn't ignore no matter how hard I tried.

When she turned to face me, there was nothing but raw defiance in her gaze. She always had that damn spark. For me.

The thought made me forget the fact that she had said a lot of hurtful words just a few minutes ago. She must've been drowning in guilt. If not now, she would later. That's how she was.

A good person would never take advantage of this. But fortunately, good wasn't an adjective anyone used for me.

I spoke before she could say anything else, my voice soft but edged with sharpness. "Riya," I drawled, letting her name roll off my tongue like a threat. My hands itched to touch her hands, to pull her closer. Instead, I put my hands inside my pockets. "Making new friends, I see."

She didn't flinch, just crossed her arms, her body tense. Arjun, oblivious to the storm brewing, stepped a little closer to her. I could see the way she hesitated, and that gave me more power than she realized.

I tilted my head, the smirk on my lips almost a reflex. "Is that what we're calling it?"

Her eyes flashed. "Is there a problem?" Arjun asked, his voice cool but with an edge of concern for her.

I looked at him, just for a second. The problem was that I didn't want him anywhere near her. But that wasn't something I could say aloud, so I kept my tone neutral, even amused.

"Not yet," I replied, the words sharp, but my eyes were still on Riya. She was the one who mattered in this moment, even if she didn't know it.

I wasn't about to waste my time here, not with him. So I shifted my focus. "You can go now," I said, my voice steady. "I'll make sure she gets home safe."

Her face shifted, the disbelief painting her expression with a hint of fury. "What?" she sputtered, her eyes wide with confusion and something else I couldn't quite decipher. I loved it. When the sweet and kind Riya went all furious. I was never going to admit it aloud, but it was fun pushing her buttons.

Arjun's gaze flickered between the two of us, trying to figure out if this was some misunderstanding. "Are you sure? I can—"

I cut him off, my voice sharp and final. "I said I'll take care of it."

His eyes were hesitant, but he was no fool. He knew when to back off. "Riya?" His voice was soft, and questioning, but also full of concern.

Her smile was forced, and it didn't reach her eyes. "It's fine. Thanks, Arjun."

Arjun hesitated, but he nodded, the tension between us thickening as he turned away. The moment he disappeared into the crowd, I felt a small weight lift from my chest.

The sound of her turning toward me, the fury in her step, made the tension coil again, tighter this time. She was mad.

"What the hell was that?" Her voice was low but full of raw anger.

I smirked, my voice calm. "That was me making sure you didn't do something stupid."

Her eyes narrowed, her fists clenched at her sides, and she stepped toward me. "Stupid?" she hissed. "You mean talking to someone who isn't you?"

"I mean letting someone like him use you to get to Dhruv."

She didn't even flinch, just leveled me with a glare that could melt steel. "Oh, so now you're protecting me?" she spat, her words dripping with sarcasm. "How generous of you, Mr. Raichand."

Her words stung, but I didn't show it. I wasn't going to lose control. Not yet.

I took a step forward, my jaw clenched. "Don't twist this, Riya."

"I'm not twisting anything," she snapped, her voice rising in frustration. "You don't get to decide who I talk to or what I do."

Her voice was sharp, biting, but I wasn't finished. Not yet. "I'm not deciding anything," I said, lowering my voice. "But don't act like you don't know how people like Arjun work. He's not here for you."

"Not everything revolves around you."

Her defiance only made me want to push further, so I stepped closer, lowering my voice until it was barely a whisper. "You think I care about that?"

I saw the way her body stiffened, the way her breath caught. Her eyes flashed, but I could see the crack in her armor. She was rattled. And I hated that I wanted to reach out and steady her trembling lips.

She sucked in a breath, her chest rising and falling with each unsteady inhale. But she didn't back away. Instead, she stood her ground, her voice barely above a whisper. "Get out of my way."

For a moment, I thought she might try to shove past me. I almost wanted her to. But she didn't. Instead, she stayed close, too close.

Something had shifted in her mind. But what? I wanted to know what went in her mind. What were the things that made her smile?

What would she do if I reached out and captured her lips with mine?

I leaned in, feeling the heat between us intensify with every inch that closed. Her breath hitched, her lips slightly parted. "Go ahead," I said, my lips curling into a bitter smile.

Her eyes were wild, that fire burning brighter than I'd ever seen it. She wasn't backing down. And I wasn't either.

Heat rushed through my veins, mixing with the adrenaline that made my heart race. "You're an insufferable jerk."

"And yet you're still here," I said, my voice low.

I thought she would shove me away because I had pushed her too far today, but she looked straight into my eyes, searching for something.

—-----------—

Riya

What game was he playing? Why was he doing this?

In my life, confrontation was not something I excelled at. I had a lot of questions for a lot of people I wanted answers from. But I never got to the point, never got the courage to ask.

I couldn't ask Dhruv the questions I needed to ask. I couldn't ask Angie. I couldn't say anything to people I called my relatives. Couldn't ask Ruhi about her past until she brought it up. Thinking it would hurt them, thinking it would fray the edges of the relationship.

But here, with Abhay, I wanted to ask. Because it was him. He already had not-so-good opinions about me. Or maybe it was my adrenalin talking. But I had enough. Enough of this...whatever this was.

My throat felt dry as his cologne engulfed me. I took a deep breath. The music vibrated around us.

"What game are you playing Abhay?" I finally asked, and he blinked as if surprised by my question.

"Game?"

"Yes, this game of...whatever this is." I pointed towards us. "You push, you pull. Then you act as if you're the noble protector."

"You're too in your head to think there is something here." He said casually, a bit too casually.

 How could he do that? How could he stand here as if it was just another day when my world was turned upside down?

My lips trembled. I wanted it all to stop and not stop at the same time.

I took a shaky breath, "Abhay-" I pleaded, and his eyes widened. His eyes reflected a softness that I had yet to see.

"Riya!" Someone shouted, and I flinched. The muted voice of the music started blaring and I felt as if I was coming out of a dream. Right, I was at the party. The chatter of people started becoming louder and louder.

Abhay's eyes turned stone cold, and I wanted to scream.

"Riya," Angie shouted again, and I turned my head to watch her descending the stairs towards me.

I looked at Abhay's cold eyes again, done with all of it. I was too stupid. "It was better when we didn't speak to each other." I tried mustering all the coldness in my voice I could. I was hurting, and I wanted him to feel the hurt too.

"But we did, little Miss Savior. And when you cross certain lines, you can never go back." He said as if he had made up his mind. Then, he turned around and walked off.

This. Insufferable. Jerk.

Angie approached me as Abhay walked towards the makeshift counter filled with liquor bottles.

"You didn't tell me Dhruv was going to be here," I asked before she could say anything.

The guilt on her face told me everything, "you did that on purpose." I mumbled. I didn't even have the energy to get angry at her.

She held my hand, "he said he wanted to talk to you."

"Well, I don't. Not anymore." I said with a finality. "I just want to go home."

Her eyes were filled with guilt as she let go of my hand, "and when would you be ready to talk to him?"

"When he'll have the courage to come to me on his own."

My eyes fell on Abhay. As he picked up the paper cup and put the cup to his lips, his eyes met mine. The smirk on his face was back, and I felt my pulse quicken.

"I'm going home," I said as Angie looked in his direction with furrowed eyebrows.

I turned and walked out of the large wooden doors. There was a chill in the air. It was going to rain again. As I stepped down the stairs on the front porch, I saw both Sia and Ruhi sitting in the car talking animatedly.

As they saw me approach, their eyes lit up. I opened the back door and sat down quietly. There was a silence in the car.

"Why do you look like you just went twelve rounds of mental gymnastics?" Sia mused.

Because I did.

I wanted to make sense of this...situation. Of this mental turmoil and the storm that was brewing inside me. And there was no one better than them.

"I wanted to tell you guys something."

"Finally," Ruhi spoke with a knowing look in her eyes. 

-----

"When I look at you the world goes silent."

Do vote and share your thoughts<3