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Flashback:

Sakshi's POV:

I was walking down the corridor, eyes glued to my phone, when I suddenly bumped into someone, a very familiar someone.

"Can't you watch where you're going like normal humans?" I snapped, glaring.

"I could say the same. You were the one buried in your phone," he replied casually, raising an eyebrow.

That's when realization hit—okay, maybe it was my fault.

"Well... you could've been more alert naa," I huffed, crossing my arms.

"Oh, right. It's hard to notice someone that short walking in front of me," he smirked, hands in pocket.

Excuse. Me.

"Who are you calling short?" I barked.

"You," he said, not even flinching. "Didn't my voice reach down to your ears?"

I could feel steam shooting out of my ears. And that smug grin on his face? I wanted to smack it off.

"You-" I was about to launch a comeback when Hriti and Samira came walking our way.

"Why are you both fighting?" Hriti asked, amused.

"We're not fighting. I was just giving your friend a height check," he said calmly, with that grin still glued to his face.

That stupid grin.

"One more time - just one more time - if you make fun of my height, I swear main tumhara muh noch lungi!" I snapped, completely losing my calm.

(I'll scratch your face off!)

"But you'll need a stool or chair to even reach my face," he replied, pretending to be genuinely concerned.

Koi iss aadmi ko chup karao!

(Someone shut this man up!)

I was this close to tears from frustration, while my two lovely traitor friends were busy laughing like they were watching a stand-up show.

I wanted to kick him. Hard.

"Call me when you find a stool tall enough to match my height. I'll bring my face for you to scratch off," he added, walking away casually with his hands in his pockets.

I turned to glare at Hriti and Samira. Still laughing. Still traitors.

We were all sitting in the college park, basking under the mellow sun. Hriti and Samira were animatedly narrating one of the most hilarious incidents of their lives to Nikki, Ayesha, and Soniya. These goons were laughing like there was no tomorrow.

Who needs enemies when you have such friends?

"Vihaan, Varsh..." Nikki suddenly called out to the boys sitting a few feet away.

Why? Just why?

Why is she calling him here?

I facepalmed instantly. This is not going to end well.

Varsh is my rakhi brother. And Vihaan's best friend. A deadly combo when it comes to roasting me. And if there's one thing Varsh loves more than Samira, it's teasing me. Yes, he likes Samira but hasn't confessed it yet.

God, please save me.

"Sakshi, itni jaldi stool mil gaya kya?" Varsh asked the moment he reached, barely keeping a straight face.

(Found a stool so quickly, huh?)

And just like that, the whole park exploded in laughter.

I shot him a deadly glare. He shut his mouth tight, still trying not to laugh. Useless fellow.

"Isse aise chup karani ki himmat toh hamare andar bhi nahi hai," Ayesha added in between laughs.

(Even we don't have the guts to shut her up like that.)

I glared at her. What are these people even doing?

I seriously wanted the ground to open and just swallow me whole.

"Well, what can I say? I've been talented since birth," Vihaan shrugged, settling into the chaos like he was born to be the centre of it.

"Ohh really? What other useless talents do you own, apart from constantly annoying me?" I shot back with a deadpan look.

"Admiring your annoyed face," he smirked and walked off with Varsh, as if he hadn't just dropped a mini atom bomb in public.

Wait. what?

Everyone turned toward me, wide-eyed and lips twitching like they were about to burst. I just sat there blinking like my brain forgot how to process language.

"Don't fry your two brain cells over it," I quickly blurted, desperate to save the remaining shreds of my dignity. "He just meant he likes annoying me. That's it. Nothing else."

But they were already whispering and side-eyeing and passing those mischievous grins like candy. And I? I was one millisecond away from screaming into the void.

Ever since that exam day when Varsh introduced him to us, Vihaan Sharma has made it his life's mission to turn my peace into popcorn. Always teasing. Always smirking. Always being him.

Later that night...

I was peacefully scrolling through reels on my bed, mentally minding my business, when I saw a notification pop up on my screen.

Vihaan Sharma sent you a message on Instagram.

Of course.

V: Hey 🙋🏻‍♂️👋🏻

Seriously? I rolled my eyes.

S: Whatttttt????

V: Just checking if you're still alive or went underground after being roasted in the park.

God, can this guy let me exist in peace?

S: No, I'm still alive. Sadly. Done? Bye now.

V: Why are you always in a mood to murder me?

S: Your actions justify it. And seriously? Asking this after that height shaming joke?

V: I just stated facts. It's not my fault you're... 3ft something.

My blood pressure spiked.

S: Excuse me, it's 4'11. Get your facts straight.

V: Ohh... 4 footiya 😭😭🤣🤣

Is he for real?

I stared at my screen. For a solid minute. Planning 67 different ways to commit fictional murder.

S: Alexa, how to kill a maniac without getting caught?

V: Apke liye toh jaan bhi haazir hai, Miss 4'11 🙇🏻‍♂️

I stared at the message like it was a glitch. Blank expression. Brain: error 404. What did he just-

S: Shut upppp!!!!!

V: 😐

I locked my phone, tossed it to the side, and cursed the day I asked this idiot for help during the exam.

Who knew one stupid question would invite a full-time tormentor into my life?

Vihaan's POV:

I stared at the screen.

"Shut upppp!!!!" she had texted, probably grinding her teeth, cheeks puffed in frustration like a tiny angry marshmallow.

God, she gets mad so easily.

And looks cute while doing it.

I threw my phone on the bed and lay back, arms crossed behind my head, a stupid grin refusing to leave my face. Miss 4'11. I was definitely going to get murdered one day because of that. But until then... why not enjoy?

Her reactions are gold. It's become a sort of addiction now, annoying her just to watch the way she fights back. That sass, that fire, that dramatic glare that could give villains a run for their money.

Yeah, I do flirt. With many girls, if I'm being honest. But she? She wasn't someone I could just casually flirt with and forget about the next day.

She's different.

I don't even know how or why, but there's something about her—maybe the way she fights back, or the way she always has a comeback ready. She doesn't ignore me. No matter how annoyed she acts, she always responds.

And that's what pulls me in.

It's weird, I know. But just fighting with her, annoying her, making her roll her eyes, it brings this odd sort of peace to me. Like I could do this forever. Like it's our language, this chaos between us.

And maybe...

The reason I can't ignore her is because deep down, she can't ignore me either.

Maybe I should've played it cool. Maybe I went a little overboard with the teasing. But she gets flustered so fast, it's hard not to push her buttons.

I opened her chat again.

Typing... stopped. Typing... stopped again.

Typical Sakshi, debating whether she should roast me or ignore me. Probably both.

V: Say it, Miss 4ft... don't pressurize your brain so much, your joints might start aching.

S: No, I was just... finding an emoji.

This girl can't even lie properly.

V: Okay, I believe you.

S: Good. Well, actually... I did want to ask something.

V: I'm waiting...

S: Umm... I know it's personal, but... you always post these sad stories about incomplete love, heartbreak, one-sided feelings. Did you... had a breakup?

I felt a sting pull right through my chest. No matter how much I pretend I've moved on, just the mention of her brings everything crashing back. Every memory. Every scar.

V: Yeah... and I don't want to talk about that. Anything else?

S: No.

I was about to shut the chat when I saw the typing bubble appear again.

S: Umm... are you coming tomorrow?

I chuckled at her hesitation.

V: Missing me already, Miss 4ft?

S: Stop calling me that!

And I was just confirming if I'll get some peace tomorrow or not.

V: Hate to break it to you... but nope, no peace.

S: Fine. Bye.

V: Bye, Miss 4ft.

I can bet she's fuming right now. And that makes me smile like an idiot.

~~~•••~~~

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Next few chapters will be about the college scenes.

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