After the practicals, Tara offered a canteen treat to Lav as a gesture of thankfulness. The four of them ordered a few snacks and were waiting.
Natasha — a.k.a. the pick-me girl — dragged a chair and sat beside Vedh. She leaned closer and whispered in his ear, "Hey, handsome," while placing her hand on his shoulder.
Vedh immediately frowned and brushed her hand away. He clearly didn't like her.
Natasha flipped her hair and said, "Oh honey, you ordered all this for me?"
Everyone at the table cringed at her behavior.
Vedh stared at her with zero interest. "Leave."
She smiled softly and shook her head.
"Okay then, I'm leaving," Vedh calmly and walked away.
Natasha's face twisted. She had hated Tara from the start for absolutely no reason. Suddenly, she threw hot coffee on Tara and screamed, "It's all because of you!"
Maya was about to break her bones right there—but before she could move, a loud thud echoed across the canteen.
It was Vedh.
He had slapped Natasha.
"Don't you dare touch her," he growled.
Everyone in the canteen gasped, like what the hell did I just witness?!
And of course, there's always that one shameless best friend who knows exactly who you like but still won't miss a chance to tease you.
Maya grabbed a tissue and started cleaning Tara's outfit."Ahem… sooo, Vedh it is, I see. Niceee. The tea is really tea-ing today."
Tara rolled her eyes. "It's coffee, dumbo. Not tea."
"Yeah, yeah, but the canteen definitely has good tea," Maya continued dramatically.
"Shhh, Maya! I swear I'm gonna spank your ass—"
Maya burst into laughter. "Hahaha, okay, okay! Sorry, sorry! Come on, let's go. I have an extra pair of clothes. Change quickly."
Vedh couldn't help but notice her little gestures—the way her smile lit up even the dullest moments, the sparkle in her eyes whenever she laughed, and the genuine care she showed for everyone around her.
One day, Lav and his friends were playing volleyball. When the game ended, Tara walked over and handed him a bottle of water and a towel.
"You did a great job! Here, have some lunch—you must be hungry," she said with a smile.
Lav's friends immediately started making noise, teasing him. Lav, as usual, was annoyed as hell.
Vedh, however, felt something else—sadness mixed with jealousy. He wanted that same care from Tara… but only for himself.
Before long, Lav's other girl fans crowded around, offering him water and towels just like Tara had—but Lav refused to take it. "Lav grabbed the lunchbox Tara had made and kept it under a tree, then went off to eat with his friends."
Vedh followed behind, and when he saw the box placed under the tree, his heart skipped a beat. He glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then picked it up.
He was in heaven. A meal cooked by Tara… just for him.
From that day on, Vedh kept repeating this little ritual. By the end of lunch, the box was always empty—and Tara, unaware, assumed it was Lav eating it.
Meanwhile, Lav had started talking less to other girls, because he felt a strange connection with Maya. Tara, seeing this, mistakenly assumed it was because of her.
Some people were shipping them, while others were a little jealous. Slowly, the four of them became good friends. Natasha's hatred for Tara grew even more after the canteen scene. The group was full of fun and good vibes.
After the last class, Maya nudged Tara."Hey, can we go out? We can hit the supermarket and roam around the streets—it'll be fun!"
Tara shook her head. "Nope. By the time we get back, it'll be late, and I haven't told my parents… I'd probably end up being the headline in the local newspaper: 'Girl Gone Missing While Shopping!'".No one's gonna take you anywhere, Meri Ma! So either you come with me, or I'll just drag you along, hehe!".
"Can't you even spare one hour for me, you good-for-nothing?" Maya fluttered her long eyelashes and gave Tara the ultimate puppy eyes."Ewwww! Don't you ever do that—it doesn't suit you!" Tara groaned and started walking. Maya pouted and, in a dramatic comeback, put on her shades, trying to look all mysterious and cool, and walked beside Tara.
Tara asked, "What's with your face, huh?"
Maya snapped back, "What, huh? What, huh? You don't listen to me! Go, go, go to your so-called house!"
She was literally showing her anger by punching the air, each gesture perfectly matching her words.
Tara stopped and tapped Maya on the head. Her shades fell off.
"Oiii!" Maya exclaimed.
Tara grabbed her chin. "Where are we going, huh? To our house or the supermarket? Tell me!"
Maya blushed. "Ah… I was just pretending… hehe… pretend you didn't see anything. Let's go."
Tara grabbed her wrist and mimicked her, teasing her as they walked.