The café meeting should've made things simple.
It didn't.
It made everything… complicated.
The group chat was active again that night.
Abhinav: "Today was officially the best day. 10/10 experience."
Meet: "You say that about everything."
Abhinav: "Because everything becomes better when I'm there 😌"
Elina: "Delusional."
She smiled at her screen. It felt normal—like before.
But it wasn't.
Because now she could see them in her mind. Their faces, their expressions, the way they looked at her.
Especially…
Bhagyavir.
The next few days at school felt different too.
They weren't just "online friends" anymore. They crossed paths in hallways, exchanged small glances, subtle smiles.
But something else had started creeping in.
Something unspoken.
One afternoon, Elina was sitting on a bench when Abhinav suddenly dropped beside her.
"Miss me?" he grinned.
She laughed. "You text me every five minutes. How would I miss you?"
"That's different," he said, nudging her lightly. "This is real-life me."
Elina rolled her eyes, but she didn't move away.
Abhinav noticed.
And he smiled a little more than usual.
From a distance—
Bhagyavir was watching.
Silent. Still.
His expression unreadable.
Meet stood beside him, following his gaze. "You've been quiet."
Bhagyavir shrugged slightly. "I'm always quiet."
Meet didn't look convinced. "Not like this."
Bhagyavir didn't reply.
His eyes stayed on Elina… and Abhinav.
Later that evening, the four of them were together again—this time in the school corridor.
Abhinav was talking, as usual, making Elina laugh.
"You laugh a lot with him," Bhagyavir said suddenly.
The group went quiet.
Elina blinked. "What?"
Bhagyavir's tone was calm, almost casual. "Just an observation."
Abhinav smirked. "Jealous?"
Meet sighed softly. "Don't start."
But Bhagyavir didn't react to the joke. His gaze stayed on Elina.
"I just notice things," he said.
Something about the way he said it made Elina's heartbeat quicken.
Not loud. Not dramatic.
Just… real.
That night, Elina lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling.
Her mind replayed everything—
Abhinav's laughter.
Meet's quiet understanding.
Bhagyavir's words.
"You laugh a lot with him."
It wasn't accusing.
It wasn't angry.
But it meant something.
She could feel it.
And somewhere, in a different room—
Abhinav was smiling at his phone, replaying her laugh.
Meet was thinking, trying to understand what was changing between them all.
And Bhagyavir…
He wasn't texting.
He wasn't joking.
He was just staring at the chat—
Thinking.
Because for the first time—
He wasn't just observing anymore.
He was starting to feel something he couldn't ignore.