CH 33 - Aadhira s BFF
The MBA cafeteria was pure madness.
Arguments over assignments.
Fantasy football screams from one corner.
Music blasting from someone's speaker despite three warnings from the faculty.
And in the middle of it all—
Aadhira Malhotra and Arjun Oberoi were fighting.
Again.
"You changed my slide font."
Arjun didn't even bother looking up from his laptop.
"Because it looked criminal."
"It looked professional."
"It looked like a funeral invitation."
Aadhira gasped.
"How dare you insult Calibri?"
"It wasn't Calibri."
"It was."
"It was Calibri's unemployed cousin."
The table exploded.
Kabir clutched his chest dramatically.
"I swear one day you two will either get married or end up on Crime Patrol."
"Both," Anika added instantly.
Everyone nodded.
Aadhira threw a ketchup sachet at Kabir's head.
Direct hit.
The cafeteria erupted.
"ASSAULT!"
"SOMEBODY CALL SECURITY!"
"WE LOST A GOOD MAN!"
Kabir slid off his chair like a dying soldier.
Then suddenly—
Two hands covered Aadhira's eyes.
"Guess who."
She froze.
For one second.
Two.
Then spun around so fast her chair nearly toppled.
Her eyes widened.
"REYANSH?!"
The scream echoed across the cafeteria.
The next second she launched herself at him.
Hugged him tightly.
Without hesitation.
Without thinking.
The entire table fell silent.
Because nobody—
Absolutely nobody—
Had ever seen Aadhira hug anyone like that.
Not her friends.
Not her cousins.
Not even Anika.
And definitely not Arjun.
Something unpleasant twisted inside his chest.
Instantly.
---
Reyansh Khanna looked exactly like trouble.
Tall.
Messy hair.
Easy smile.
The kind of guy who made friends in elevators.
The complete opposite of Arjun.
Where Arjun was controlled—
Reyansh was chaos.
Where Arjun was intimidating—
Reyansh was effortless.
Where Arjun was Akdoo—
Reyansh was sunshine.
Reyansh grinned.
"Well, this looks dramatic."
Kabir immediately stood.
"I love him already."
"Dangerous sentence," Aadhira muttered.
Then she remembered introductions.
"Oh. Right."
She pointed toward the table.
"Guys, this is Reyansh Khanna."
Her smile widened.
"My school best friend."
Best friend.
Arjun's jaw tightened.
Reyansh noticed.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
He turned toward Arjun.
"So you're Arjun Oberoi."
The tone carried recognition.
Arjun stood.
Offered his hand.
Cold.
Controlled.
"You've heard of me?"
Reyansh laughed.
"Oh definitely."
Aadhira suddenly looked nervous.
Which meant disaster was coming.
And it did.
Fast.
"Aadhi talks about you constantly."
Silence.
Pure silence.
Then—
"I DO NOT!"
"She does."
"I DON'T!"
"You literally called him emotionally constipated three days ago."
The cafeteria exploded.
Kabir fell off his chair.
Again.
"EMOTIONALLY CONSTIPATED?!"
Anika was crying.
"THAT IS THE GREATEST INSULT EVER."
Someone from another table shouted—
"WHO'S EMOTIONALLY CONSTIPATED?"
Kabir pointed dramatically.
"HIM!"
Half the cafeteria looked at Arjun.
Arjun slowly turned toward Aadhira.
One eyebrow raised.
Dangerously calm.
"You discuss me?"
Aadhira wanted to disappear.
"You are dead, Reyansh."
"No, no. Wait."
Reyansh pointed at Arjun.
"That's not even the best one."
Aadhira's eyes widened.
"Don't."
"Oh yes."
"REYANSH."
"He has another nickname."
The table leaned forward.
Arjun narrowed his eyes.
"What nickname?"
Reyansh grinned.
"Akdoo."
Three seconds of silence.
Then the entire cafeteria burst into laughter.
"AKDOOOO!"
"IT FITS!"
"SO MUCH!"
Aadhira buried her face in her hands.
Kabir couldn't breathe.
Anika was recording the entire thing.
Meanwhile—
The corner of Arjun's mouth twitched.
Almost.
Almost a smile.
Which somehow made him more annoying.
---
Within twenty minutes Reyansh had completely destroyed Aadhira's dignity.
"She once cried because a pigeon stole her sandwich."
"I WAS TEN!"
"She failed a cycling test."
"I FELL INTO A DRAIN!"
"She punched a boy in seventh grade."
"He stole my lunch!"
"She still names her plants."
"They have personalities!"
The table was losing their minds.
And Arjun—
Was watching.
Listening.
Observing.
Because Reyansh knew things.
Tiny details.
Personal details.
Years of stories.
Years of memories.
An entire version of Aadhira he had never met.
Then Reyansh casually asked—
"Still bite straws when you're nervous?"
Arjun's eyes immediately shifted toward her.
She was chewing her coffee straw.
Exactly as Reyansh said.
Aadhira groaned.
"Can you stop exposing me?"
"No."
"And stop smiling."
"No."
"You are evil."
"I learned from you."
The cafeteria cheered.
---
Then came the final attack.
"You still scared of thunderstorms?"
Aadhira pointed a finger at him.
"One more word and I'm ending this friendship."
Reyansh laughed.
Arjun didn't.
Because his mind flashed back to the library.
The thunderstorm.
The way she'd flinched.
The way she'd moved closer without realizing.
The way he'd shifted his chair beside hers.
Without thinking.
Without understanding why.
Reyansh noticed the look.
And suddenly everything clicked.
The staring.
The tension.
The constant arguments.
The way Arjun noticed everything about her.
Oh.
Interesting.
---
Classes ended.
The crowd dispersed.
Aadhira and Reyansh walked through the corridor carrying coffees.
"So."
Reyansh smirked.
"Your boyfriend looks upset."
Aadhira nearly choked.
"WHO?"
"Arjun."
"HE IS NOT MY BOYFRIEND."
Reyansh raised an eyebrow.
"Really?"
"Really."
"Then why does he look like he wants to throw me off the building?"
Aadhira turned.
And saw him.
Standing at the end of the corridor.
Hands in pockets.
Watching.
Her stomach flipped.
For absolutely no reason.
None.
Zero.
---
A few moments later Arjun approached.
The atmosphere instantly changed.
Even Reyansh noticed.
"You leaving?" Arjun asked.
Aadhira blinked.
"What?"
"Library."
Their usual study session.
The routine they'd built over months.
The routine everyone already treated like a date.
"Oh."
She nodded.
"Yeah."
Then Arjun looked at Reyansh.
"You're coming?"
The question sounded polite.
The tone didn't.
Reyansh smiled.
"No thanks."
Then casually slung an arm around Aadhira's shoulder.
Natural.
Comfortable.
Like he'd done it a thousand times.
Arjun's jaw clenched.
Hard.
And for the first time—
Aadhira saw it.
Jealousy.
Raw.
Visible.
Arjun Oberoi looked threatened.
And somehow—
That realization made her heartbeat stumble.
---
That night—
Arjun sat alone in his apartment.
Laptop open.
Work untouched.
His mind replayed the same scenes repeatedly.
The hug.
The laughter.
The stories.
The ease between them.
The years of memories they shared.
His phone buzzed.
MBA Group Chat.
A new picture.
Twelve-year-old Aadhira.
Missing front tooth.
Messy braids.
Holding a school trophy.
Looking furious.
Caption:
"The day she punched a boy for stealing her lunch."
The group exploded.
Kabir:
ANGRY SQUIRREL ??
Anika:
THIS EXPLAINS SO MUCH.
Aadhira:
DELETE THIS RIGHT NOW.
Reyansh:
No
Aadhira:
I HATE YOU.
Reyansh:
Liar.
Another photo appeared.
Then another.
School memories.
Embarrassing stories.
Years of history.
And Arjun stared silently at the screen.
Because for the first time—
His biggest problem wasn't jealousy.
It was realizing that someone already knew every version of Aadhira.
The child.
The teenager.
The girl before MBA.
The girl before him.
And no matter what happened—
He could never get those years back.
That thought bothered him far more than it should have.
And somewhere across the city—
Aadhira was trying to murder Reyansh with a pillow.
"DELETE THOSE PHOTOS!"
"Never."
"REYANSH!"
"You looked adorable."
"I looked possessed."
"You still do."
A cushion hit his face.
Reyansh laughed.
Aadhira groaned.
And for the first time in weeks—
She was genuinely happy.
Which was exactly why Reyansh had come.
Even if he'd never admit it.
?? Hi My Dear Readers ??
Thank you so much for all the love on the previous chapter! ??
Were you laughing at Reyansh exposing Aadhira's embarrassing childhood stories? ??
Or were you enjoying seeing our beloved Akdoo Arjun Oberoi getting jealous for the first time? ????
Because trust me...
Things are about to get much more interesting.
? PRECAP — Chapter 33: "One Dance, One Jealous Akdoo" ?
The MBA cafeteria is packed.
Music blasting.
Students cheering.
Someone casually announces a mini Freshers' Party throwback event.
And then—
Reyansh suddenly stands up.
"Aadhi."
Aadhira looks up suspiciously.
"What now?"
Reyansh places a dramatic hand on his chest.
"I missed your Freshers' Night."
"So?"
"So I demand compensation."
The entire table goes silent.
Aadhira narrows her eyes.
"Compensation for what exactly?"
Reyansh grins.
"A dance."
The cafeteria erupts.
Kabir nearly chokes on his fries.
Anika starts recording immediately.
Aadhira stares at him.
"You're insane."
"Correct."
"Sit down."
"Dance first."
And before she can refuse—
Music starts playing.
Meanwhile...
At the entrance of the cafeteria—
Arjun Oberoi freezes.
Watching.
Watching Reyansh extend his hand.
Watching Aadhira laugh.
Watching everyone cheer.
And for the first time...
The nickname "Akdoo" might not be enough to describe his mood.