The cafeteria buzzed with laughter and conversation as Zahir and the rest of the gang entered, still riding the high of the intense football match. The group found their usual large table by the window, and everyone quickly settled in, with the chatter flowing easily as they recounted the game's highlights.

"Zahir, come on!" Neha piped up, bouncing in her seat. "You have gotta give us a treat after that win!"

Zahir leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed, a smug grin tugging at his lips.

"Why don't you ask your Ry-Ry for a treat?" Zian taunted, his eyes flicking over to Neha. "After all, he lost quite spectacularly."

Zahir, always ready to stir the pot, chimed in, leaning forward with a smirk.

"Yeah, Neha. What's wrong with Ry-Ry? Shouldn't he be treating you after such a... memorable performance?"

Neha frowned at the duo, her lips pursed in annoyance.

"Ry-Ry already gave us a treat, Zi-Zi," she said in a sweet, innocent tone, batting her eyelashes as if butter wouldn't melt in her mouth.

The entire table erupted in laughter at her comeback, except for Zian, who scowled at the use of the nickname she had chosen for that guy.

"Ry-Ry..." he muttered under his breath, shaking his head.

"All right, all right, enough of the nicknames," Zahir cut in, chuckling as he raised a hand to signal the server. "Snacks and drinks are on me."

As Zahir placed the order for snacks — fries, sandwiches, wings, and platters filled with their usual favourites—he also ordered juices for the group. But before he wrapped up the order, his gaze subtly shifted toward Khushi, who had been quiet, occasionally joining the conversation but mostly observing from her seat.

A mischievous glint sparkled in Zahir's eyes as an idea struck him.

"And one special Oreo shake, too," he added with a smirk. The server nodded and went off to prepare the order.

A few minutes later, the food and drinks arrived, and the table was filled with plates of delicious snacks and colourful drinks. Zahir, however, reached out and picked up the tall glass of Oreo shake, standing up slightly to place it right in front of Khushi.

"Special Oreo shake for Miss Khushi Trivedi," Zahir announced with a teasing smirk, his voice deliberately playful as he pushed the glass closer to her.

Khushi raised an eyebrow, her lips pressing into a tight line as she glanced up at him.

"I didn't ask for it."

Zahir shrugged nonchalantly, but the smirk never left his face.

"Your insides must be burning right now after all that cheering for Ryan," he teased, his voice low so only she could hear. "Just have it and chill down, babe."

Khushi's eyes flashed as she stared at Zahir, her jaw tightening in response to his words. She set the Oreo shake down, leaning back in her chair, arms crossed, clearly unimpressed by his smug attitude.

"My insides are fine, thanks," she said coolly, raising an eyebrow. "But if anyone's burning up, it's probably you, after seeing Ryan outplay you all game."

Zahir's smirk faltered for a second, but he quickly recovered, leaning forward with a playful glint in his eyes.

"Outplay me?" He echoed, his voice dripping with mock disbelief. "Did you miss the part where I scored the winning goal? Or were you too busy batting your eyelashes at your Ry-Ry to notice?"

Khushi rolled her eyes, exhaling in exasperation.

"You are so full of yourself, it's exhausting," she shot back. "Ryan played like a team captain, while you just ran around trying to show off. Typical."

"Oh, please," Zahir scoffed, his smirk widening as he leaned closer across the table, challenging her. "You call it showing off. I call it winning. Something your precious Ryan couldn't manage, no matter how much you cheered for him."

The jab hit home, and Khushi's nostrils flared.

"At least Ryan plays with integrity. You play like you have got something to prove, Zahir. What is it, huh? Scared you are not the golden boy you think you are?"

A muscle in Zahir's jaw ticked as he tried to maintain his composure, though the barb clearly stung.

"I am not the one scared here, Trivedi," he said, his voice low and taunting. "You are the one who is clearly rattled. Every time you look at me, you get defensive. What's the matter? Afraid you might actually like me?"

Khushi let out a sharp laugh, the sound laced with disbelief.

"Like you?" She repeated incredulously, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Trust me, Zahir, liking you is not even on my list of concerns. In fact, it's not even in the same universe."

Zahir's eyes narrowed, but he was still smirking, clearly enjoying riling her up.

"Are you sure about that?" He teased, his voice lowering just enough to make the question feel personal. "Because every time we are around each other, you are all fired up. Face it, Khushi, I get under your skin."

"You get under my skin because you are insufferable," Khushi snapped, leaning forward, her temper flaring now. "You walk around like you own the world, and everyone's just supposed to bow down to your arrogance. Well, newsflash, Zahir—I am not impressed."

Zahir chuckled softly, shaking his head.

"You don't have to be impressed," he replied, his tone almost casual. "But you are. You can pretend all you want, but I see right through it. You are too stubborn to admit it, but you have got your eyes on me just as much as I do on you."

Khushi's cheeks flushed, but she quickly masked it with a glare, refusing to back down.

"You wish," she bit out, standing up abruptly. "Enjoy your victory lap, Zahir. I am done with this conversation."

Zahir's gaze followed her as she turned to leave, but just before she walked away, he called out, "Khushi."

She paused, glancing over her shoulder, her expression hard.

"Thanks for the cheers, babe," he said with a smug grin, his voice dripping with arrogance. "You know, it really helped."

Khushi shot him one last, icy look before rolling her eyes and walking away, leaving Zahir sitting there, still smirking as if he had won some unspoken battle.

But despite the banter, something about the way she had fired back at him made his chest tighten. She was fierce, determined—and no matter how much he teased her, he couldn't deny the pull between them.

He watched her disappear from the cafeteria, his smirk fading into something more thoughtful.

A/N

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SF❤️