Episode 9 – "The Green Thing Called Jealousy"
It started with a story post.
Tanishka had uploaded a boomerang — laughing with one of her guy friends from college. Nothing special. Just a casual clip, harmless to anyone.
Except Hemant.
He stared at the screen a little longer than he should have.
He didn't like how the guy stood close.
Didn't like how Tanishka smiled that wide.
And he definitely didn't like the feeling in his chest.
Jealousy.
Not the loud kind. The quiet, confusing kind that sneaks in and whispers:
"Why him?"
He didn't reply to her texts for a while.
Tanishka noticed.
Tanishka:
"Where's the daily roast? You died or what?"
Hemant:
"Busy."
That one-word reply?
Unusual. Cold. Not him.
Tanishka frowned.
She knew something was off.
So she FaceTimed him. No warning.
When he answered, he looked annoyed.
"Wow," she said. "Someone's in a mood."
"I said I'm busy," Hemant muttered, not meeting her eyes.
"With what? Staring at my story and acting like a moody girlfriend?"
His eyes shot up. "I'm not your boyfriend."
She paused. That hit harder than she expected.
"Exactly," she said, her voice suddenly softer. "You're not. So what's your problem?"
Silence.
He opened his mouth. Closed it.
Ran a hand through his hair. Looked down.
"It's nothing," he finally said.
But she wasn't buying it.
"Hemant," she said quietly. "Talk to me. For real."
He sighed. Then gave in.
"I just... didn't like that guy in your story."
Tanishka blinked. "Why?"
"I don't know. I didn't like how he was looking at you. Or standing so close. Or that you were laughing with him like—" He stopped.
"Like how?" she pressed, voice barely above a whisper.
"Like you laugh with me."
The room fell silent.
Not angry. Not awkward. Just full — of all the things neither of them had dared to say.
She took a deep breath.
"Hemant," she said gently. "You can just tell me you were jealous."
"I wasn't—okay maybe a little."
"A little?" she smirked.
"Okay, a lot. I hated it. Happy now?"
She didn't reply. Just smiled — the kind of smile that meant everything.
"I don't laugh with anyone the way I laugh with you," she said. "You should know that."
And with that, the tension melted. The fight faded. The unspoken finally got a little louder.
He looked at her through the screen and whispered, "So what are we then?"
She grinned.
"Still figuring it out. But whatever this is… I kinda like it."
So did he.
Even if they didn't have labels, even if they were "just friends" to the world — they knew. And sometimes, knowing was enough.
For now.
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