Prithvi's confused gaze lingered on the two best-friends, as the girl he had his arm wrapped around smirked at her best-friend.

Eshanya seemed to be fuming, but at the same time, she seemed hurt.

" Prithvi, be a darling and give us a moment alone if you can." Eshanya pressed a smile on her face as she shooed him away, and he quietly walked away, feeling the tension unfold.

" So? What do you think about my taste in boys now?" Sharmin's smirk sickened Eshanya as she recalled what she said to her last night.

" C'mon Sharmin! You've mostly fallen for red flags till date when you clearly deserve better! You ought to have a better taste!"

" I meant it in a good way." She looked at her, hurt marred in her gaze.

" Whatever." Sharmin rolled her eyes and as her lips parted to speak further, a loud, harsh slap came her way.

" How.dare.you?"

" Tanvi?" Eshanya was stunned.

Tanvi barely lost her cool, let alone hit someone.

So when she did, she knew her best-friend was too furious to be handled.

Scoffing, Sharmin turned back to Tanvi with an eye-roll.

" So Grandpa's little princess finally got a tongue eh? I thought you were mute all these thirteen years."

Her remark infuriated Eshanya, no one spoke shit about her best-friend, so she stepped forward, colouring her other cheek red too.

Tanvi chuckled and Sharmin lost it.

" How dare you laugh at me you bitch?" She sprang towards her, probably to pull her hair and drag her down on the muddy road.

But Tanvi's guards immediately stepped forward, pushing her back harshly and firmly, and she wouldn't even touch her, let alone hit her.

Eshanya would be lying if she'd have said she did not expect them to do so.

Tanvi hated being touched.

And being one of the most influential businessman, Amit Kashyap's only grandchild, she constantly had her guards around her, to make sure she was safe, and away from anyone's touch.

Orphaned at the tender age of five, Tanvi suffered a lot, and built up her walls which only were let down with selective people.

Eshanya had met her at her parents' funeral, and ever since, the girls were inseparable, and highly possesive about one another.

Sharmin came much later, and Tanvi disliked her, not openly at least, but she did.

Eshanya was well aware that it wasn't her jealousy speaking, but her insecurities, fears, and her vibes.

As they grew, Tanvi's dislike for Sharmin grew too, and it never seemed to lessen.

There was no use of trying to talk to her into convincing her to let down her guard, because she wouldn't.

A soft thud echoed as Sharmin fell flat on her face, her pretty white dress, an exact resemblance of the one Eshanya had bought for herself last week, was now covered in mud.

Tanvi pressed her lips in order to stifle her laughter.

She groaned, crying out for help as Prithvi rushed there.

" They pushed me!" She cried out and Prithvi looked at their faces, now feigning concern and he frowned.

" Aren't they your best-friends? Why would they do that?"

Before Sharmin could explain, Prithvi helped her get up and dragged her away.

Tanvi burst into giggles as she left and Eshanya gave her light smack.

" That wasn't sweet!"

" Neither was that bitch, she finally revealed her true colours, and I'm glad she did. Now you do agree that if I don't get good vibes about someone, they always turn out to be bad?"

" I never disagreed!" She immediately said, tears pooling her eyes and Tanvi sighed, stepping forward and Eshanya immediately wrapped her arms around her causing Tanvi to wriggle and sigh again.

" Shut up and stand still! I'm heartbroken!" Eshanya pouted causing Tanvi to smile.

A year later

" Isn't that Prithvi?" Tanvi's hushed whisper made Eshanya snap out of her reverie and her eyes enlarged in recognition as she nodded.

" It is!"

" Why is he looking so...forlorn?" Tanvi pondered aloud.

" None of our business." She shrugged but Tanvi was persistent and dragged her over to his table in the café.

" Hi Prithvi! It's been long, how're you doing? Oh you got flowers too! Are they for Sharmin?"

Prithvi shook his head.
" They were. Now she left."

" What do you mean?" Eshanya frowned.

" She broke up with me."

" Oh you poor thing, what a pity! Do you mind me asking the reason?" Tanvi feigned sympathy and Eshanya was stunned at how good an actress she was that she herself almost believed her feeling bad for him.

" Yashasvi Jaiswal." Prithvi told them and the girls knit her brows.

" What?"

" The reason. Yashasvi Jaiswal."

" That that....cricketer?" Eshanya held herself back from cursing him.

" Yeah. He's her next target."

" What do you mean?"

" She was best-friends with you for clout. Once you broke off your friendship with her, I never knew the reason why, people started either brutally trolling her, or unfollowing her. Her career as an Instagram influencer is almost over. According to her, people have started thinking that we were a fake couple-"

" That's because you were." Tanvi rolled her eyes.

" She was clearly with you for clout as well. The reason her friendship with Esha broke was...was..."

" I used to like you. She knew that. I suggested she raises her standards in men and she asked you out, a deliberate move to prove that she is capable of anything."

Prithvi looked up at her, surprised.

" So why is she after Jaiswal now?" Eshanya asked.

" She thinks that dating rumours with him would get her good publicity. And, she admitted being attracted to him and said he's hot."

Eshanya's brows raised high, an idea creeping up in her mind, and slow smirk made its way on her lips.

" It was nice seeing you again Prithvi. Me and Tanvi are a bit busy or would've loved to stay and talk more. I hope you move on soon and find the right girl. Bye, take care!" She pressed a sweet smile and dragged Tanvi away from there.

" What're you thinking about Esha?"

" A perfect plan."

°°°•••°°°

The wind knocked out of Yashasvi as he walked into his house and saw Eshanya Singhania, sitting on the couch, looking like the epitome of a poised, well mannered person—everything she wasn't.

" To what do I owe this displeasure Singhania?" His brow arched up, suspicions raising within.

" Yashu! Be nice!" His mother hissed at him, scowling at his rude tone.

But Eshanya shook her head, maintaining her calm, the smile still etched wide across her face.

" It's okay Aunty! He probably had a rough day at practice today."

" You're such an understanding soul!" His mother looked at her in awe and he held back a scoff.

Understanding?

Her?

If anything, Understanding and Eshanya Singhania did not go together in the same sentence.

But he kept that to himself.

" I'm sorry Maa, can I please speak to her alone? I promise I'll be nice."

Staring at him suspiciously for a while, she gave in with a sigh seeing the earnest expression on his face and walked away inside.

Putting down his bag on the floor, he sat before her arching a brow.

" What the hell are you doing here?"

" Relax Jaiswal, I'm not here to stay."

" As if I would let you, even if you were stranded and had nowhere to go." He rolled his eyes, but deep down, was well aware that he was lying.

" If someone wanted to date you for clout, what would you do?"

" Huh? What's with your ridiculous questions? You keep getting worse at this question answer game. Listen to me Singhania, I'm in no mood for your questions."

" Just one. You can't even answer one question? Geez, what a-"

" Firstly, I have never dated anyone before, neither do I intend to. So even if someone asked me out because they like me, I'd have said no."

" What if someone stirred rumours with you on purpose for clout and-"

" Can you get straight to the point Singhania?"

" Do you remember Sharmin Bhatt?"

" Woh Alia Bhatt ki wannabe sasti copy?" Yashasvi rolled his eyes.
" What about her?"

" She plans on stirring dating rumours with you."

Yashasvi nearly fell off the bean bag he was sitting on.

" What the fuck do you mean by that?"

" I mean what I said. She wants clout."

" What the hell? What kind of a best-friend do you have?"

" Ex-best-friend. That's precisely why I came. To let you know."

" Is that all? Because I don't think so." He frowned at her.

" I've a deal to make."

" What?"

" You hate her, don't you?"

" Of-course I do! She's made so many attempts of harassing me! Luckily I escaped! What about it?"

" Dushman ka dushman dost hota hai aur-"

" Mai iss janam mein kya, agley saat janmo tak tumse dosti nahi karunga!"

" Suno, mujhe bhi tumse dosti karne ka koi shauk nahi hai. Kaamse aayi hoon. Timepass karne nahi. Aur bhi kaam hai mujhe."

" Toh meherbani karke bata bhi do?"

" Knowing Sharmin for the past thirteen years, whether you agree or not, she will still stir rumours with you to be in limelight, hoping that probably your fans would start liking her and the pair of you as a couple. But...if you're already dating someone, would she stand a chance?" A clever smirk spread across her pretty features and Yashasvi's eyes widened.

He never expected her to think this smart.

" So what do you suggest?" He asked her and she slid a file across the coffee table, which he took in hand and opened it.

" Fake dating?" He asked incredulously.

" Fake dating." She said confidently.