Vihaan's POV

The next day, I headed to college with two auditions lined up. Acting wasn't just a hobby for me—it was my passion, my dream. Despite the uncertainties, I was determined to chase it relentlessly.

"Bro, what's up?" Akshay greeted me, his usual playful energy evident.

"Nothing, why?" I responded, curious about his tone.

"I saw you yesterday with Jia," he said, his sheepish smile giving away his interest in the topic.

"It's nothing. We're neighbors, and she just dropped me off," I explained casually, though my mind lingered on the moment.

As we spoke, Jia entered the classroom. She glanced at me and offered a faint smile, something that caught me off guard. I returned the gesture instinctively.

Akshay froze for a moment, his jaw almost dropping. "What?" I asked, amused by his reaction.

"I saw her smiling for the first time," he said, his astonishment clear.

I laughed. "Are you shocked because she smiled or because she smiled at me?"

"Obviously because she smiled at you," he replied with a teasing smirk.

Before I could respond, Jia started packing her bag again. She walked toward the exit, and I couldn't help but wonder where she was going. Acting on impulse, I hurried after her.

"Jia!" I called out. She turned, looking slightly annoyed.

"Where are you going? What happened?" I asked, genuinely curious.

She hesitated for a moment before replying, "I'm bunking. I forgot to bring the assignment."

"Ohhh... I forgot mine too. Can I bunk with you?" I suggested, grinning.

She stared at me for a moment before giving a small nod of agreement.

Back in the classroom, Akshay teased me mercilessly. "Nice, bro... Very nice. Leaving your brother here to suffer in this boring lecture?"

"Shut up," I retorted, grinning as I made my way out.

Jia was waiting for me outside. "Let's go," I said.

"Where exactly are we going?" i asked, raising an eyebrow.

"To the canteen. It's just for an hour," she suggested, clearly aiming for the simplest option.

"Seriously, Jia? Let's go somewhere else," I said, wanting to make the most of our time.

"But why?" she asked, sounding both confused and slightly annoyed.

Before she could protest further, we found ourselves in the car. She sighed dramatically and muttered, "I still don't know why I agreed to this."

"Let me correct you—you didn't agree; I just brought you along," I replied with a smirk. Her expression darkened, but she didn't argue further.

We drove in silence for about 15 minutes. I knew exactly where we were headed, and the fact that she had reluctantly agreed to come along made me inexplicably happy.

"Tell me something, Jia," I said, breaking the silence.

She nodded, signaling for me to continue.

"Do you trust me?" I asked.

Her brows furrowed in confusion. "What kind of question is that?"

I shrugged. "Just curious."

"Listen," she began, her tone cold, "the only reason I'm in this car is because you dragged me into it. I neither asked to join you nor wanted to."

Her words stung more than I cared to admit. The sharpness of her tone cut through the fragile rapport I thought we were building. I stayed silent, turning the car around without another word.

The rest of the drive was heavy with unspoken tension. When we arrived back at the college, I handed her car keys over to her.

"What happened?" she asked, looking puzzled.

"Nothing. I forgot I have two auditions today," I said shortly before walking away, not wanting to prolong the awkwardness.

Her words had hurt. They made it clear she wanted to keep her distance. And as much as I hated it, I respected her choice.

At the audition venue, the casting agent greeted everyone with a bright smile. "Hello, everyone! A warm welcome to today's audition. We're looking for a fresh face for our big banner advertisement. The script is available on the table. Please pick it up, and we'll begin shortly."

I grabbed a script and skimmed through it. It was for a Cornetto ice cream commercial. The story revolved around a boy asking a girl out on various dates—coffee, tea, lunch, dinner—all of which she declined. Finally, the boy presented her with a Cornetto ice cream, asking for an ice cream date, and she agreed. The scene ended with the two enjoying the ice cream and sharing a moment of happiness.

When my turn came, I went through the script confidently. Everything was going smoothly until the pivotal moment.

The girl playing the other role said her line: "Vihaan, I don't want to go for dinner."

Following the script, I responded, "Then what do you want, Jiaa?"

Silence. The entire room went quiet.

The girl corrected me gently. "Nishaaa... My name is Nishaaa."

Realization hit me like a ton of bricks. I had accidentally called her Jia.

The casting agent tried to diffuse the tension. "That's okay. Please continue. You're doing well."

I managed to finish the audition, but the embarrassment lingered. Afterward, I approached the girl.

"Hey, I'm really sorry, Jia," I started, only to catch myself. "I mean Nisha. Sorry, Nisha."

She laughed, waving it off. "It's okay, Vihaan. Good luck. I hope you get what you're aiming for."

I smiled, grateful for her kindness, and headed home.

"How was your audition?" Mom asked as soon as I walked in.

"It went well, Mom. Let's see if I get shortlisted," I replied.

"Vihaan, you don't need to go through auditions. I have friends in the industry. I could talk to them—get you a role directly," she offered.

"No, Mom," I said firmly. "I want to do this on my own. If I get a role, I want it to be because I earned it. The audience needs to accept me first."

She smiled, her pride evident. "I'm proud of you," she said, giving me a hug.

Later that night, I found myself replaying the day's events. Jia's cold words still stung, and the slip-up at the audition had left me flustered. I stepped onto the balcony, hoping to catch a glimpse of her.

Her window was dark, her room empty. Disappointed, I turned to head back inside, only to notice her arriving home.

Our eyes met briefly. She stopped in her tracks, surprised to see me watching her. I considered calling out to her but decided against it.

As I lay in bed that night, my thoughts were consumed by her. Jia's coldness, her smile, her presence—they were all pieces of a puzzle I was determined to understand.

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Hello everyone,

I'm excited to share that I've been consistently updating chapters. In the upcoming chapter, it will be Jia's point of view for the first time, and things are getting quite intriguing! 😉

I'd like to let you know that the next chapter is in the works. However, due to my work commitments, I might not be able to update daily. Nevertheless, I'll do my best to provide regular updates.

Thank you for your continued support and happy reading!

Warm regards,

Erica <3