Chapter 38
Kabir's Perspective
After our brief conversation, Aditi and I rejoined the crowd in the hall. The farewell was in full swing now. Groups of classmates were scattered all around, catching up, laughing, and taking pictures. The sunlight that streamed through the high windows bathed the room in a soft, warm glow. It was a perfect day to say goodbye to the years we had spent together.
Aditi walked beside me, still glowing from the compliment I had given her earlier. The white saree she wore seemed to make her look even more ethereal under the bright noon light. I couldn't stop glancing at her—she had an effortless beauty that seemed to pull everyone's attention, including mine.
"You alright?" Aditi asked, noticing how quiet I'd gotten.
"Yeah, just thinking," I replied, trying to sound casual even though my mind was still buzzing with how stunning she looked. But before I could say anything more, Raghav came over, smirking like he always did when he sensed I was off my game.
"I see the lovebirds are back," he teased, slinging an arm over my shoulder. "Did you two have your little moment? I'm telling you, bro, you look like you're about to faint every time you're near her."
"Shut up, Raghav," I muttered, rolling my eyes. "We were just talking."
"Right," he drawled, clearly not buying it. "Well, you better buckle up, because you're not the only one who's noticed how amazing Aditi looks today."
I frowned, not fully understanding what he meant until I saw Samar walking over toward us with a confident swagger in his step. I knew that look—it was the same one he used when he wanted to impress someone.
"Here we go," Raghav whispered under his breath, stifling a laugh. I had a sinking feeling that this was only the beginning.
Samar reached us in no time, his eyes already on Aditi. "Aditi, yaar, I can't believe this is the same topper we've seen all these years!" he exclaimed, his voice loud enough to draw a few more heads our way. "You've completely transformed today. I mean, where's the studious girl who never used to look up from her books? Look at you!"
Aditi smiled, a little taken aback by the directness of the compliment. "Thanks, Samar," she replied politely, though she seemed a bit embarrassed by the attention.
"I'm serious," Samar continued, shaking her hand warmly and then, to my annoyance, pulling her in for a quick side hug. "You look like you walked straight out of a Bollywood movie today. Topper ho toh ho, but you definitely don't look like one now!"
My jaw tightened slightly as I watched the exchange. It wasn't the compliment itself that bothered me, but the way he threw in that hug like it was no big deal.
Aditi, ever gracious, just laughed it off. "Come on, Samar, I'm still the same. Just in a saree today."
As Samar walked off, clearly satisfied with his attempt to charm her, I shot a glance at Raghav, who had been watching the whole thing with a gleeful expression on his face.
"Yikes," he said, clapping me on the back. "That was just round one. Let's see how you handle the next one."
Before I could respond, another boy—Vikram—was already making his way toward Aditi. He was a bit more reserved than Samar but no less enthusiastic about complimenting her.
"Aditi, wow," Vikram said, looking slightly nervous as he approached her. "You're... uh, looking amazing today. I didn't expect this. No offense, but I always thought you were just, you know... all about studies."
Aditi laughed softly, shaking his hand. "None taken, Vikram. I guess I can do both."
"No kidding," Vikram said, looking a little awestruck. "Honestly, if you came to school like this every day, none of us would be able to focus in class."
I winced internally. Another side hug. This one was a bit more awkward, but Vikram managed it before shuffling off, red-faced and clearly feeling accomplished.
"Two down," Raghav muttered, trying to hold back his laughter. "How are you holding up?"
I glared at him but didn't say anything. It was starting to bother me more than I wanted to admit. Each of these guys was getting a little too comfortable with Aditi, and I wasn't sure how much longer I could stand there and watch.
Then came Aditya, grinning like he was about to crack the best joke of the night. He was known for being a flirt, so I knew what was coming even before he opened his mouth.
"Aditi! Now this is a shocker. Are you sure you're the same girl who always sits at the front of the class?" he teased, giving her a playful wink. "I mean, seriously! Topper ke saath-saath beauty queen bhi nikli? Kya baat hai!"
Aditi shook her head, clearly amused by the over-the-top compliment. "It's just the outfit, Aditya. Don't get carried away."
"Outfit? Nah, it's the whole package!" Aditya replied, shaking her hand and, of course, going in for yet another side hug. "Aisa laga aaj you're playing a completely different role. Agar yeh wala version of Aditi roz hota, toh hum sab fail ho jaate."
He laughed as he walked away, leaving Aditi slightly flustered but still smiling. I clenched my jaw, trying to keep cool, but the casual side hugs were starting to grate on my nerves.
"Jealousy alert," Raghav whispered, leaning in close. "Dude, your face is giving it away. You're about two compliments away from snapping."
"I'm fine," I muttered through gritted teeth, even though I knew I was far from it.
Before I could process what Raghav said, Harsh appeared, looking surprisingly confident. He wasn't usually the type to go out of his way to compliment anyone, but it seemed even he couldn't resist today.
"Aditi, seriously, I didn't think it was possible for a topper to look this good," Harsh said, shaking her hand with a grin. "You've been hiding this side of you all these years, huh? Ab samajh mein aaya why you stay so focused—you've got all the brains and the looks."
Aditi laughed, trying to wave off the compliment. "Harsh, it's just the farewell. Everyone's dressed up today."
"Nahi yaar, you're different," Harsh insisted, and then, almost as if it was part of the routine, he leaned in for a side hug. "Looking like this, you could easily be a model instead of a topper."
I couldn't take it anymore. My fists clenched at my sides, and I was ready to step in and make it clear that the endless compliments—and especially the hugs—needed to stop.
But before I could, Aman, the biggest flirt of them all, appeared. He had a devilish grin on his face, and I knew this was going to be the worst one yet.
"Aditi!" Aman called out dramatically as he approached, his arms already half-open for a hug. "Kya chal raha hai? You're literally making the entire batch fall in love with you. How did you hide this avatar from us for so long?"
Aditi smiled, clearly overwhelmed by the attention but still polite as ever. "Aman, you're exaggerating."
"Not at all! You've got all the guys here wondering if we've been missing out this whole time," he said, shaking her hand before pulling her in for a side hug that lingered just a second too long.
That was it.
I could feel my blood boiling as Aman pulled Aditi in for the side hug, but what made it worse was the way his hand lingered after. He didn't just let go like the others had—no, he held onto Aditi's hand as if it was the most delicate thing in the world, his thumb gently brushing over her knuckles.
I took a step forward, my fists clenched at my sides, ready to break up the scene, but just as I opened my mouth—
"Kabir!" Priya's voice rang out, stopping me in my tracks.
Out of nowhere, Priya appeared in front of me with a bright smile and a glass of cold drink in her hand. She thrust it toward me, completely oblivious to the situation I was about to dive into.
"Have some cold drink, na," she said sweetly, her voice far too cheerful for the moment. "You must be thirsty, standing here all this time. It's so hot today!"
I shot a quick glance at Aditi and Aman, who was still holding onto her hand like it was some prized possession. My frustration spiked, but Priya was blocking my way, practically shoving the glass into my hand.
"I'm good, Priya," I muttered through gritted teeth, trying to sidestep her.
But she wasn't giving up. "Oh, come on! It's farewell. Have some fun, Kabir. You're always so serious," she said, holding the glass out more insistently. "You look like you could use a break."
I glared down at the drink. The ice cubes clinked softly against the glass, mocking me, as if reminding me that every second I stood here playing nice with Priya, Aman was still over there, holding Aditi's hand and flashing that annoying smirk.
I forced a tight smile, trying to keep it together. "Priya, seriously, I'm fine."
But she was persistent. "Arre, just one sip, na? For me? We're going to be done with school soon! At least pretend to have fun for once."
I shot another glance at Aditi. Aman was still holding on, chatting like nothing was wrong. My patience snapped.
"Priya," I said, my voice sharper now, "I'll have the drink later, alright?"
Her eyes widened slightly at my tone, but before she could protest, I stepped around her and strode toward Aman and Aditi. My heart was pounding, and I didn't care anymore if it looked like I was being possessive. Enough was enough.
Aman was still holding Aditi's hand, his fingers brushing over hers as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Aditi looked calm and relaxed, her smile as bright as ever. But watching that casual familiarity unfold in front of me was making my blood simmer.
I stepped in between them, my eyes firmly on Aman. "Aman," I said, keeping my voice even but with enough edge to make my point, "I think that's enough now."
Aman looked up at me, clearly amused, but he let go of Aditi's hand without a fuss. "Come on, yaar," he said, his smirk barely fading. "We're just having a little fun."
"Yeah, well, it's time to get some cold drinks," I replied, not moving an inch.
Aman raised his hands in mock surrender, still grinning. "All yours, man. All yours." He turned away with a lazy shrug, heading back into the crowd.
I turned to Aditi. "Let's go," I muttered, not quite looking at her as we moved toward the refreshment table.
Aditi didn't say anything at first, just followed alongside me, her saree brushing softly against my arm as we wove through the crowd. My mind was racing, my fists still clenched as I tried to shake off the irritation from that little display. Aditi might've been fine with it, but seeing all those guys getting too comfortable around her was getting under my skin more than I wanted to admit.
When we reached the table, I grabbed two glasses of cold drink and handed one to Aditi. She took it with a quiet "Thanks," and we walked away from the crowd, finding a quieter corner in the hall.
The silence between us lingered for a few moments, but I could feel Aditi glancing at me out of the corner of her eye. It was only a matter of time before she'd say something, and sure enough, after a couple of sips of her drink, she looked up at me with a raised eyebrow, a teasing smile already forming on her lips.
"Kabir," she started, her tone light and playful, "were you... jealous back there?"
I nearly choked on my drink. "What? No!" I said, way too quickly.
She gave me a knowing smile, clearly not buying it. "You sure about that? You looked like you were about to throw Aman out of the hall."
I huffed, rubbing the back of my neck awkwardly. "I wasn't jealous," I mumbled. "I just... didn't like how he was holding your hand."
Aditi's eyes sparkled with amusement. "Right, not jealous at all," she teased, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
I shot her a look, but she just grinned wider, clearly having the time of her life teasing me. "Okay, maybe I was a little... protective," I finally admitted, though the words tasted awkward coming out.
"Protective, huh?" she repeated, her tone still teasing. "I didn't know shaking hands required protection, Kabir."
I groaned, knowing I wasn't going to win this one. "It's not just the handshake," I muttered, trying to defend myself. "It's the way they all act around you. Like they've suddenly forgotten you're the same Aditi they've been ignoring for the last few years."
Aditi laughed, shaking her head. "Oh, come on. It's not that big of a deal. A few compliments, some friendly handshakes... it's nothing."
"Friendly handshakes?" I raised an eyebrow. "With side hugs thrown in for good measure? You really don't see what's going on, do you?"
She shrugged, clearly unbothered. "What? They're just being nice. It's not like I mind."
I sighed, feeling a mixture of frustration and amusement. Of course, she wouldn't mind—Aditi had always been oblivious to how many people secretly admired her, especially the guys. But I wasn't about to let her off that easily.
"You're too nice," I muttered, taking a sip of my drink. "If I didn't step in, Aman would've probably started serenading you."
She giggled at that. "Oh please, Kabir. You're being dramatic."
I looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "Am I? Because I think I'm being pretty accurate here."
She nudged me with her elbow, still laughing. "You're ridiculous. You do know that, right?"
"Maybe," I said, smirking slightly. "But I wasn't going to stand there while half the guys in our batch lined up to give you side hugs."
Aditi shook her head, clearly entertained by my frustration. "You really were jealous," she said, her voice softening but still playful.
"Okay, fine," I admitted, throwing my hands up in mock surrender. "Maybe I was a little jealous. But can you blame me?"
She gave me that teasing look again, but there was something warmer in her eyes now. "You didn't have to be," she said gently. "I can handle myself, you know."
"I know you can," I replied, meeting her gaze. "But that doesn't mean I liked it."
She smiled, and for a moment, the teasing faded as we stood there, the buzz of the farewell fading into the background. It was just us, like always—comfortable, familiar, and easy.
Before I could say anything more, a loud voice interrupted the moment.
"Everyone, please be seated! The program is about to start!" one of the teachers announced over the microphone.
Aditi glanced toward the stage, then back at me, her grin returning. "Saved by the bell, Kabir," she teased. "But don't think I'm going to let you off that easily."
I chuckled, shaking my head. "Yeah, yeah, let's just grab our seats before Raghav comes over with more comments."
As we walked toward the seating area, Aditi shot me one last playful glance. "Next time, try not to look so jealous. It's a dead giveaway."
"Noted," I replied, smiling despite myself. "But I'm not making any promises."
With that, we took our seats, and I couldn't help but feel a little lighter.