"I am not a bloody playboy..." Zahir screamed at the end of his wits, leaving everyone in the room other than Zian, Zada and Sam shocked by his declaration.

"What???" It was Amar's voice that rang out more loudly. Zada gave him an elbow jab asking him to shut up.

"Listen, Khushi. I am not a playboy. I have never been one. The only girl in my life is you. When I was five, it was only you. And now when I am twenty, it is only you." Zahir said, looking earnestly into Khushi's eyes.

She looked at him suspiciously.

"Stop lying." Vansh said coldly.

"He is not lying, Vansh." It was Sam who spoke.

"What?"

"He is not a playboy. He is plain stupid. He has this dumb belief that if he has this playboy image, it would make him more popular. He is only dumb, not a playboy." Sam said and Zahir glared at her.

"What? I am only telling the truth. Who would do such stupidities like you do?" Sam asked with a shrug.

"What makes you so sure?" Vansh challenged and Sam smiled.

"Remember the truth or dare game we played at Amar's farmhouse? I told you about the most embarrassing incident of my life, right? Well, what I didn't mention is that the guys in that story are Zahir and Zian." Sam said and it was Zian's turn to look shocked.

"What?" Zian asked in disbelief.

"Well, I had been in love with Zian for a while. But he never saw me that way. Seeing him with Neha in the beginning had hurt me. Zahir had come to console me and I kissed him on an impulse. I thought, 'Well, he is a playboy. I can just use him for a little while to forget my heartbreak.' Stupid of me, I know. Anyways, that's the day I saw a different Zahir. He acted maturely. He pulled away. He explained to me what I am trying to do is wrong. And I accused him of friendzoning me despite being a playboy. And finally, he had to let me in on his little secret. That he is no playboy. That he has never touched a girl ever in his life." Sam said and there was a pin drop silence in the room.

"You are crazy.." Khushi mumbled under her breath, though her heart had calmed down.

"You might not be a playboy, but still you dared to fall in love with our friend's sister.." Amar pointed out with a grin.

"What is your problem?" Zahir snapped at him.

"Remember how you two annoyed me with your stupid tasks? Now is your time." Amar said with a smug smirk.

"Shut up.." Zada whispered to him.

"No way, Mirrie. No way I am going to shut up. I have been waiting for this for god knows how long." Amar said and walked towards Vansh and stood next to him.

Vansh looked at him in confusion.

"Both Khushi and Neha are your sisters, Vansh. So, you ought to make these two go in circles before letting them off.." Amar said.

"Why the hell are you dragging me into this now?" Zian asked in disbelief and Amar simply grinned, too happy with the turn of events.

Zahir let out an exasperated sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose as he muttered, "Why do I even put up with you?"

Khushi, who had been silently watching the entire exchange, crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.

"Circles, huh?" Her voice was sceptical, but there was a hint of amusement in her eyes now as she processed Amar's words.

"Oh, don't worry, you will be the one making him go in circles soon enough." Amar quipped, smirking at her. "In fact, we can all help with that."

"Some friend you are, Amar," Zahir said, shaking his head. "This is not how you help someone."

"Oh, but it is! See, this is called tough love. Besides, you put me through all that nonsense with Zada, and now it's payback time, my friend." Amar just shrugged, looking pleased with himself.

Zahir looked to Zada, almost pleadingly, but she just rolled her eyes.

"I told you it would come back to bite you, Zahir," she said, a mischievous smile tugging at her lips. "Should have been nicer to him."

Zian, meanwhile, threw his hands up in disbelief.

"I was minding my own business, and somehow, I am in this mess now too?" He turned to Amar, narrowing his eyes. "You are just too pleased with yourself, aren't you?"

"Absolutely," Amar replied with a grin, patting Vansh on the back. "Our boy here deserves all the backup we can give him."

Vansh's face softened slightly as he looked between Amar and Khushi, but his protectiveness flared back up as he turned to Zahir.

"You want my trust? Then prove it, Zahir. I won't have you messing with Khushi's feelings. And if you so much as think of breaking her heart..."

Zahir raised his hands in surrender.

"I am not here to mess around, Vansh. I will do whatever you want—jump through hoops, walk on hot coals, run laps—just name it. Because I am not walking away from Khushi."

Khushi's cheeks tinged pink at his words, her arms dropping to her sides. She opened her mouth to say something, but Amar cut in first, a devilish glint in his eyes.

"Fine, since you are volunteering for tasks..." he started, shooting Vansh a wink.

"Every week, for one month, you have to make a grand, public declaration of your love for Khushi—extra points if it's embarrassing," Amar smirked. "Could be a poem, a song, or even a shout-out at a campus event."

"Every morning, text Vansh a thank-you for trusting you with his sister, along with a reason why you are lucky to have her. Miss a day? Start over." Amar added.

"To prove you know her, Vansh will quiz you every week on details about Khushi—favourite food, hobbies, even her quirks. And no room for error here!" Amar gleefully said.

"Fine, whatever. I'll do it." Zahir groaned, glaring at Amar, who looked like he was enjoying this way too much.

"And Zian, replace Khushi with Neha and do the same." Amar said and Zian looked horrified.

"Wait, why am I part of this punishment? I didn't even—"

"You also fell in love with a friend's sister," Amar replied, barely containing his laughter. "Welcome to the club."

Khushi hid a smile as she watched Zahir's expression go from pained to resigned. She took a step closer to him, placing a hand on his arm.

"I think I will enjoy seeing you sweat a bit," she teased, her eyes glinting with playfulness.

"You are going to pay for that comment, Khushi Trivedi. Just wait until it's my turn." Zahir leaned down to her level, a smirk playing at his lips.

"Oh, so it's a competition now?" She arched an eyebrow, not backing down an inch.

"Everything with you is a competition," he murmured back, his gaze softening, sending a thrill down her spine.

"Hey, lovebirds, save it for later!" Amar interrupted, a broad grin on his face. "This is only the beginning of Zahir's journey to win our approval."

Zahir shot Amar an annoyed look but then sighed, letting his gaze return to Khushi.

"I'll take whatever they throw at me," he said earnestly. "Because you are worth it."

"Good, because I plan to make you work for it." Khushi smiled softly, finally letting her walls fall a little more.

A/N

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SF❤️