accidentally in love

A Shift in the Air

The week after the café encounter was filled with an unspoken tension that Aradhya couldn’t shake off. It was strange. She couldn’t deny the odd feeling bubbling inside her every time she saw Zayn. And it wasn’t just because of his teasing or his cocky grin. No, it was something else—something she wasn’t ready to admit.

Zayn had barely spoken to her since their awkward encounter with Alex, and part of her was relieved. She liked the space, the distance. But another part, the part she tried to ignore, kept hoping he’d break the silence. He always had a way of making everything seem effortless, even when they were locked in their little game of rivalry.

On Wednesday afternoon, after a long day of classes, Aradhya found herself walking to her locker, her thoughts preoccupied with the upcoming weekend. She was looking forward to catching up on her reading, maybe hanging out with Maya, when she felt a familiar presence beside her.

“Can I talk to you for a minute?”

The voice was low, almost cautious. Aradhya looked up, her heart skipping a beat at the sight of Zayn leaning casually against the lockers. His usual cocky demeanor seemed toned down today, replaced by something she couldn’t quite place.

“Zayn?” she asked, trying to act like everything was normal, though she could feel her palms starting to sweat. “What’s up?”

He pushed himself off the lockers and stood up straighter, but the usual smirk wasn’t there. Instead, he looked... serious?

“Look,” Zayn began, running a hand through his hair, “I know we’ve been... well, you know, at each other’s throats lately.” He paused, glancing around as if making sure no one was listening. “I just wanted to say, I didn’t mean to make things weird. With Alex, I mean.”

Aradhya blinked, caught off guard by his words. “Weird?” she echoed, trying to keep her voice steady. “Zayn, you were just teasing. You always do that.”

Zayn let out a breath, his usual confidence wavering for the first time. “Yeah, but I could tell it bothered you. I don’t know why, but I didn’t like seeing you with him like that. He’s... different. And I don’t want to see you with someone who’s not... well, I don’t know, someone who doesn’t care about you.”

Aradhya stared at him, her thoughts a whirlwind. What was he saying? Was he actually admitting to being bothered by her talking to Alex?

For a moment, neither of them said anything. The air between them was thick, like a storm was brewing, but neither of them knew how to handle it.

“I don’t need you to protect me, Zayn,” she finally said, though her voice wasn’t as strong as she wanted it to be. “I can talk to whoever I want.”

Zayn’s eyes softened slightly, though the edge in his tone didn’t entirely fade. “I know. But... it’s just...” He trailed off, looking frustrated with himself. “It’s just that... I don’t like seeing you with someone else. Not like that.”

Aradhya’s heart pounded in her chest. She wasn’t sure what to make of what he was saying. Did he—could he—actually like her? Or was this just some twisted game to him, like everything else?

Before she could respond, a voice interrupted them.

“Well, well, what do we have here?”

They both turned to see Alex standing a few feet away, leaning casually against the wall, a teasing smile playing on his lips.

Aradhya could feel the shift in Zayn’s posture the moment Alex appeared. His shoulders tensed, and his jaw clenched slightly. It was as if everything had changed in an instant.

Alex raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. “Don’t mind me. I’ll just be over here, watching the show,” he said, before walking off without another word.

Zayn exhaled sharply, his gaze lingering on Alex’s retreating figure. When he turned back to Aradhya, his eyes were darker, intense, and for a moment, she felt like he was about to say something more—something he had been holding back.

But the bell rang, cutting through the tension between them. Zayn straightened up, his usual cocky attitude slipping back into place, though there was something unreadable behind his eyes.

“Well, I guess I’ll see you around,” he said, flashing a quick smirk before turning to walk away.

Aradhya stood there, her mind spinning. What had just happened? She felt like she was caught in some whirlwind of emotions, each one more confusing than the last. She had always known Zayn as the guy who teased her, who challenged her at every turn. But now, after today, she was starting to see a different side of him—one she didn’t know how to handle.

And as she watched him disappear down the hallway, Aradhya realized that the game between them was shifting. But what kind of game was it now? And where did she fit in?