accidentally in love

The Rival

The bell rang, signaling the end of another grueling day at Riverton High. Students poured out of classrooms, eager to escape into the freedom of the evening, but Aradhya Gupta wasn’t in a hurry. She adjusted the strap of her bag, mentally preparing herself for the daily showdown.

As always, Zayn was waiting by the door.

It was a game at this point—his game. The one he liked to play with her. Aradhya could already hear his familiar voice, a little too loud, a little too smug for her liking.

"Well, well, if it isn't the queen of perfection herself." Zayn leaned casually against the doorframe, a lazy smile tugging at the corner of his lips. His dark eyes twinkled with mischief, but Aradhya wasn't fooled. She knew exactly what he was up to.

"Not today, Khan," she replied, her voice cool and sharp. She kept her head high, not giving him the satisfaction of seeing her flinch. Zayn was nothing if not persistent, and she had grown used to his teasing. It had been going on for months now. His mocking, his taunts—always directed at her.

"I don't know, Aradhya," Zayn said, stepping forward, blocking her way. "You look like you're in a rush. Trying to escape from me again?" His teasing tone had an edge to it, the kind of edge that always made her want to roll her eyes.

"Move, Zayn," she said, trying to step around him, but he wasn’t having it. Instead, he leaned closer, making sure their faces were inches apart, that familiar cocky grin plastered on his face.

"You know," Zayn said, his voice lowering slightly, "you've been avoiding me a lot lately. Don't tell me you're scared of me?" His voice was mocking, but Aradhya caught the slight challenge in his words.

"I’m not scared of you," she retorted, her tone steady. "Just bored with you." She had learned a long time ago not to let him get under her skin.

"Ah, the queen of comebacks," Zayn smirked, his expression half-amused, half-intrigued. "If you say so. But, you know, it’d be more fun if you just let me win for once." He reached out, as if to ruffle her hair, but Aradhya stepped back, narrowing her eyes.

"You're the one who's always losing, Zayn. I don’t even know why you keep trying." She crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes daring him to say something, anything. She knew exactly how he operated—push her buttons until she snapped, then play it off as a joke. But Aradhya wasn’t about to give him that satisfaction today.

Zayn paused, eyes studying her for a moment. "You think you’ve won?" His voice was suddenly quieter, almost serious. Aradhya felt a flicker of uncertainty, but she quickly brushed it off. Zayn was good at making her second-guess herself, and she wasn’t about to fall for it.

"I’m not here to play games," she said firmly, standing her ground. "I’ve got work to do. Don’t waste my time."

Zayn gave a dramatic sigh and leaned back, his hands shoved in his pockets. "Fine, fine. But you know, one of these days, you're going to have to admit I’m right about something."

"That’ll be the day," Aradhya muttered under her breath, turning to leave.

"Later, Aradhya," Zayn called after her, his voice teasing once more. "I’ll be here when you finally figure out that I’m the one you need."

Aradhya didn’t look back. She didn’t need to. She knew exactly what he was doing. But there was something about the way he said it, something in the undertone of his voice, that made her pause for just a second. It was stupid. It didn’t matter. It couldn’t.

But as she walked away, the nagging thought lingered: What if he was right?