Jaanvi wasn't sure if the blanket wrapped around her was warming her—or if it was just Aditya's presence beside her. The messages still echoed in her head, but the steady rhythm of the group slowly drowned them out.
Ron, with his usual dramatic flair, jumped up on the coffee table.
"Okay, okay, we are NOT ending this sleepover without a game," he declared. "And not just any game. I'm talking Couple Showdown."
Half the room groaned. The other half cheered.
"We're not all couples, genius," Aryan said, tossing a chip at him.
Ron caught it in his mouth. "Doesn't matter. We'll pair people up. Spin-the-wheel-style."
Saachi grinned wickedly. "We don't need to spin. I already know who's getting paired."
"Don't you dare—" Jaanvi started.
Too late.
Saachi's finger pointed. "Jaanvi. Aditya. You're up."
Siya joined in, shrugging like it was the most natural thing in the world. "C'mon, you two basically debate like an old married couple already."
"We're not a couple," Jaanvi muttered, hugging her knees tighter.
"Exactly," Rey said, eyes twinkling. "That's what makes it fun."
Aditya looked unbothered. Too unbothered.
He leaned back on his elbows, glancing at her. "You scared, Vaidya?"
Her eyes narrowed. "Of what? Beating you again?"
"Again?" he echoed, amused. "Remind me when that happened."
"Guys," Kiara cut in. "Can you please flirt less aggressively and sit over here?"
"I'm literally not flirting—" Jaanvi began.
"Sure you're not," Meera said.
Eventually, they were seated together in the middle of the circle. The room was dim but cozy, all of them piled on blankets and pillows across Ron's massive living room floor.
The game was simple: each pair had to answer questions about each other. If their answers matched, they earned points. The winning pair got bragging rights—and first pick of breakfast cereal the next morning.
"Okay, first question," Aryan read off a card, trying to sound serious. "What's your partner's favorite comfort food?"
Jaanvi and Aditya locked eyes for a second.
He smirked.
She sighed. "Ugh. Fine."
They both wrote down their answers and flipped them at the same time.
"Pav Bhaji."
The group exploded.
"Wait, how—" Siya began.
"You've never even said that out loud," Saachi said to Jaanvi, stunned.
Aditya shrugged. "She orders it every time at debate meets. She doesn't even look at the menu anymore."
Jaanvi stared at him.
He just looked back, cool as ever. But there was something softer behind his eyes. Something unspoken.
Next question.
"What's your partner's biggest pet peeve?"
Jaanvi grinned devilishly. "Easy."
They flipped cards.
"People talking during movies."
Another roar from the group.
"Bro," Ron said, jaw dropped. "Are you guys lying about not dating?"
"We're not dating," they both said—too fast. In unison.
That only made the teasing worse.
By the fifth question, they were barely pretending not to smile.
"What's one thing your partner always carries?"
Jaanvi's card: Aditya's earbuds.
Aditya's card: Jaanvi's binder. Then, scribbled in small letters: (and ten pens.)
She blushed.
He noticed.
Eventually, Meera stood, hands in the air. "Okay, okay. That's enough. If I have to watch you two 'not flirt' for one more second, I'm calling it."
"Can we declare them fake-winners?" Rey asked.
"Already did," Kiara grinned.
Jaanvi flopped back onto the blanket, burying her face in her hoodie.
Aditya just lay back next to her, arms behind his head.
"Still not a couple," he murmured so only she could hear.
Her heart did not need to race at that.
She rolled her eyes.
"I hate you."
He smirked without turning. "No, you don't."
She didn't respond.
And the silence between them was... easy.
But underneath it all, the weight of those messages hadn't left.
Not really.
They'd just pressed pause.
Some nights pretend to be soft.
Some games reveal more than they should.
And some invisible threads only pull tighter when you try to look away.
Write a comment ...