Author's note: Thank you for all the votes and love on the last chapter! Can we please get 140 votes on this chapter as well! ❤️ Faster the target is achieved the quicker the updates :)

~We all like each other~
Sanjana Thapar

I kicked off my shoes and face-planted onto the bed.

It was my favorite position to cry. I borrowed my face into the pillow letting it absorb my tears.

After a while, I used the back of my hand to wipe away the tears. Why was I crying anyway? I had more than enough friends in both real life and the virtual world. Heck, my Instagram followers number went up to thousands.Then why was I obsessing over whether Varun considered me a friend.

I didn't want to be his friend anyway. Screw him.

A tentative knock interrupted my solo emotional performance. I stayed perfectly still, committed to wallowing in my misery. The knocking persisted, but I was in no mood for human interaction.

My phone buzzed. Varun. Of course. He couldn't even let me cry in peace.

I rejected the call and tossed it on the bed. It rang again. And again. What the fuck was this jerk's problem?

Another knock. I lifted my head, equal parts irritated and curious. My phone vibrated again. Annoyed, I answered the call.

"What?" I snapped.

He cleared his throat. "Why aren't you opening the door?" I could sense him shuffling nervously, weight shifting from one foot to the other.

"Because I'm not in my room," I lied, hanging up with dramatic flair.

"I can literally hear you," he said, knocking once again.

"Then you know I'm ignoring you," I yelled. "Go away."

His persistence was impressive. With a grunt, I rose from the bed and yanked open the door.

"What's your problem?" I demanded. "Go celebrate with your friend. Why are you harassing me?"

He looked genuinely confused. "Are you... crying?"

I rolled my eyes. "It's a part of my winding down routine for the evening. I find it very therapeutic." I was about to shut the door on his face when Varun stopped it using his hand.

"Do you want to come to the new cafe with me and Tabassum?" he asked, like this was a perfectly normal response to finding someone mid-breakdown.

Was this guy for real? "No."

"Why?"

The audacity. The absolute audacity. "Because I only hang out with my friends and since I'm not friends with either you nor Tabassum..." I tried to shut the door once again but he didn't let me. Why was he being so annoying? Seriously! We played tug of war with the door till I gave up. Crossing my arms over my chest, I glared at him.

"I wasn't trying to offend you," he said, stepping closer to me.

"No," I said with a slight shrug. "You were being honest. Tabassum and you are friends and we aren't."

He scratched the back of his neck and licked his lips. "I... I... So..." he fumbled with his words. "I... The reason Tabassum and I are friends is because she said so."

I raised an eyebrow. "What?"

He sighed. "I have never had friends before," he said, quietly.

I stared at him. The confession was so unexpected, so honest, that my anger started melting. "You've never had friends? Ever?"

Varun looked down, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "Never until Tabassum just one day announced that we were friends and I well like I said I don't know a lot about friendships so I just... went along with it."

I scoffed. "So what? If I said we are friends... then you would be my friend?"

He nodded. "No."

I was about to slam the door when he stopped it once again. "Will you for once just listen and let me finish?" he cried out.

"I think I have heard enough," I said, annoyed. "I understand that you don't want to be my friend. What else do you want me to say or do?"

"I'm not... I'm saying we can be friends if you want," he blurted out.

"If I want to?" I interrupted. "But you don't want to be friends with me."

"It's not that I don't want to, but I don't understand why you would want to be friends with someone like me?" he asked, running a hand through his hair. "Most people are friends with people who share common interests or goals, but you and I have nothing in common. And you have so many friends already so I don't understand why..."

What the hell was wrong with me? I was going soft, and I knew it. Me-the self proclaimed queen of holding grudges. I had a "People I Hate" list. I had written every single slight, every minor infraction dating back years. That time Leena borrowed my favorite sweater and returned it with a stain? Listed. The guy who cut me off my car while we were driving to the airport for our Bali vacation? I documented it in case I came across him and his stupid jeep, complete with license plate number and a detailed description of his driving violations.

But now? Now I was watching Varun and his vulnerability, and it made my anger melt away. Like seriously. It melted away like a chocolate ice cream on a hot day, dripping pathetically and leaving nothing but a puddle of butterflies in its wake. "Because I like spending time with you," I blurted out, the words surprising even me.

"What?" he asked, his eyes comically widening behind his glasses.

"I know!" I said, laughing in disbelief. "I can't believe it either. But I enjoy spending time with you. Even though you spend 90% of our interactions rolling your eyes and looking like you want to be anywhere else."

"That's not true," he mumbled, but there was a hint of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. His protest was weak, unconvincing.

I playfully narrowed my eyes at him. "Oh, really? Not true? Sometimes I'm scared that they are going to get stuck like that. I could literally create a PowerPoint presentation documenting every single eye roll."

Varun bit his lip trying to hide his smile, but I could see it. Now that I spent so much time with him, I could pick out on his little gestures. "Will it have a pie chart?"

I burst out laughing. "See? This is exactly why I like spending time with you. Who else would negotiate their eye-rolling documentation?"

His cheeks flushed a soft pink, and he looked down, that vulnerable expression returning. Instead of being angry, it made me want to... protect him? Befriend him? Hug him and never let go? I shook my head vigorously, as if I could physically eject these bizarre thoughts from my brain.

"Friends?" I asked, extending my hand in an exaggerated formal gesture.

Varun looked at my hand, then back at me with a deer-in-headlights expression.

"Only if you want to though," I added quickly, mentally crossing my fingers. Inside my head, a tiny cheerleader was doing backflips, hoping he'd say yes.

He smiled. Or at least, Varun's version of a smile-which was more like a nervous twitch of the lips that could generously be called a facial movement. He raised his hand and gave my hand a shake so tentative it was almost a hover.

Stuffing his hands in his pants, he rocked back and forth on his heels. "So?" he asked, fixing his glasses-a habit I was starting to find weirdly endearing. "Do you want to..."

"Of course!" I nodded so enthusiastically my head might have resembled a bobblehead. I was about to close the door when he caught me mid-movement. "What?" I asked.

"You..." He pointed at my face, looking slightly uncomfortable. "You have black stuff under your eyes."

Oh right! I had applied mascara and eyeliner earlier. "I'll meet you at the gate," I said, darting into the washroom. Twenty-five minutes later-a personal best, might I add-I was ready with freshened up makeup and outfit change.

At the gate, Varun and a slightly miffed-looking Tabassum waited. I could practically see the irritation radiating from her.

"Ready?" I asked, with a wide smile. That's right, Tabassum. I'm Varun's friend too. In. Your. Face!

Her eyes swept over my outfit-a mustard yellow turtleneck and blue jeans. "Did you change your clothes?" she asked, her tone hovering between curiosity and mild judgment.

"Yeah, why?" I asked innocently.

Tabassum and Varun exchanged a glance-one of those lightning-fast communication moments that made me wonder what secret language they'd developed.

I could tell she was itching to make a comment, but Varun gave a subtle head shake. He cleared his throat. "Since we are all here, we should get going, no?"

I nodded and positioned myself strategically between them as we walked.

The cafe was further away from the previous one Varun and I went to so it was a long walk, but I was pretty proud of myself for not complaining. At least not more than three times.

Because it was a new place, everyone seemed to want to try it. The lineup of patrons snaked around the corner.

"This is ridiculous," Varun muttered, adjusting his glasses. "Maybe we should find another spot?"

"No," Tabassum said, with a slight pout. "I really wanted to try their red velvet cupcake. I have read so many reviews."

"We can always come back another time," Varun suggested, his voice gentle.

I stood on my tiptoes, craning my neck over the crowd to see how long it would be for our turn. Suddenly, a familiar face caught my eye. Wait! Was that Saksham? I craned my neck further and saw Tara as well. What the hell!

"Excuse me," I immediately said to the people in front of me as I pushed past them.

"Sanjana, what are you doing?" Varun hissed, a mix of embarrassment and concern.

I was already pushing past the line. "I know someone up front," I called back, completely unapologetic about the grumbles and complaints surrounding me.

Tabassum and Varun followed. I could hear them whispering awkward apologies to the disgruntled people.

"Should we stop her?" Varun asked Tabassum.

"I don't know," she sighed. "She's your friend."

I spotted Ayushmaan standing with the group as well. Tara was the first to notice me, her body language immediately shifting. She straightened her back, those familiar guilty eyes meeting mine-the exact same expression she had worn the day I caught her kissing Sameer.

Saksham looked surprised, but without a trace of guilt.

"What a pleasant surprise to see you both here," I said dryly, narrowing at my brother and ex-best friend. "Together."

"Hello," Ayushmaan waved a hand to my face. "I'm here too."

I tsked and pushed his hand away.

Varun and Tabassum caught up, looking slightly mortified. Saksham raised an eyebrow, taking in our little group. "What are you doing here?"

"The same thing as you," I countered, crossing my arms. "Checking out the new cafe with my friends."

Because my brother wasn't as dumb as he looked, he didn't make a comment.

Everyone offered small nods so I didn't bother with the introductions.

The café employee approached, clipboard in hand. "How many in your party?"

Before anyone could respond, I blurted, "Six!"

Tabassum shook her head. "Oh, no, we don't want to intrude-"

"Yeah, it's fine," Varun said. "We can wait or come back later."

"No, why? We are going to be waiting forever. Just look at the line. It's going to be even a longer wait because we'll have to go all the way to the back of the line," I argued. "And we can all hang out. It'll be fun." I turned to Saksham and gave him a pointed look. "You don't mind, do you?"

He sighed and shook his head. "No. Please join us."

"See?" I said with a grin.

Varun looked like he wanted to disappear. Tara shifted uncomfortably. Saksham just looked amused. Tabassum looked annoyed. Ayushmaan appeared displeased.

However, I couldn't rectify the situation because the employee waved us in. "Welcome to Rose Café!"

The scent of coffee and something floral-I think it was rose-hit me the moment I stepped inside

I took a moment to soak the ambience of the cafe. The decor was definitely inspired by Pinterest. There are plant vines trailing down the walls. In the corner, there was a swing, draped in the kind of flowers you see in bridal bouquets- pinks, whites, soft purples. There was a pair of girls sitting on it. They laughed as they took pictures, the swing swaying gently with their movement.

We sat in the middle of the cafe- the table by the giant tree. Their branches were covered in little notes pinned with clothespins.

There were menus on the table and we all grabbed one. It became super quiet as we scanned the menu.

"Who wants what? I can go up and order for the group," Saksham announced after a while, placing the menu back in its place.

"Club sandwich for me," Ayushmaan ordered first.

He began making a note on his phone. "Varun, what do you want?"

"The Russian panini," he said, hesitantly.

"Tabassum?"

"Red velvet cupcake," she replied, her tone soft.

Varun frowned. "Are you sure that's all? You mentioned being hungry earlier."

She avoided his gaze. "I'm fine."

My brother looked at Tara next. "What would you like?"

"I want to try the cheese burst pizza," Tara said, tracing her finger along the menu. "But I don't think I can finish it all," she mumbled.

"I want to try that as well, so we can share," I said, without glancing in her direction. Without even looking, I knew she was smiling. Ignoring her, I stood. "I'll come with you."

As we waited to order, I studied my brother. His eyes kept drifting back to our table. I stepped between him and the view, my glare sharp. "What's going on with Tara?" I demanded.

He sighed, a mixture of resignation and mild irritation. "Nothing. We had costume trials. Ayushmaan wanted to hang out, Tara was there and she overheard so I invited her along because it's the polite thing to do. That's it."

"What exactly are your intentions with her?" I pressed.

Saksham was momentarily caught off guard. Then he chuckled, shaking his head. "Intentions? Did we time travel back to the 18th century?"

I leaned closer, my voice a dangerous whisper. "Shut up. This is serious." My fingers dug into his arm. "I swear if you try anything with her, I'm going to kill you."

"Relax!" he drawled, rolling his eyes. "She isn't exactly my type."

I smirked. "That's true. Maybe I'm worried about nothing. In all honesty you aren't her type." The look of shock on his face was priceless. I almost burst out laughing. He was so easy to rile up.

"Meaning?" he challenged, his eyebrow arching.

I couldn't help the slight tremor of laughter bubbling up. "She's into the artistic type. Dark. Mysterious. Enigmatic." I watched his expression carefully.

"Artistic?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yup," I said, pressing my lips together. It wasn't a lie. Saksham wasn't Tara's type at all. "If I know her then she would go after a guy who sits alone at a cafe or bar," I continued, my voice low and teasing, "scribbling poetry, disappearing for weeks chasing the perfect photograph. Introspective. Intense." With every word, Saksham's expression shifted, his face twisting into one of pure inquisitiveness.

"I'm enigmatic," he argued weakly.

I snorted. "I doubt you even know how to spell that word."

The look of pure indignation on his face was priceless. I had to press my lips together to stop from laughing outright.

After placing our order, we returned to the table, and I slid into my seat beside Varun."So what were we talking about?" I asked casually, glancing around. Silence greeted me. Clearly, no conversation had taken place while Saksham and I were away.

Saksham and I exchanged a loaded twin look. My eyes said, "Make conversation," while his screamed, "This is your fault." I kicked him under the table-hard enough to make a point, not hard enough to draw attention. He mouthed "Okay" and visibly steeled himself.

He cleared his throat, leaning forward. "So, Tabassum," he said with calculated casualness, "I hear this year's talent show is going to be one of the best in university history."

She smiled smugly and lifted her shoulder slightly. "It will be."

"Were you always involved in organizing events?" Saksham probed, his tone carefully neutral.

Tabassum's fingers traced the edges of her Tom&Jerry keychain on her backpack. "No, I was part of the student activities board back in school as well."

I looked around Varun to Tabassum. "Where did you go to school?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"Nainital," she whispered after a while.

Something shifted in the atmosphere. "Nainital?" I perked up, sensing a potential conversation thread. "Ayushmaan's from there too. What school?"

"We went to the same school." Ayushmaan interjected, his voice flat.

"Oh that's so..." I trailed off. I wanted to say cool but nothing about their expressions were cool. Tense. Complicated. Anything but cool. And now I was super curious. Clearly they had a past. How had I not noticed before. I looked over at Varun who looked equally surprised, so he didn't know either. This was what happened when one spent all their time with their nose stuck in their books.

The silence settled over us once again, but thankfully, our food arrived, and we ate quietly. Maybe forcing everyone to hang out hadn't been such a great idea after all.

"Fuck!" Ayushmaan hissed and slunk lower into his seat. "Eagles."

All the eyes on our table darted to the table behind us. The Phoenixes and Eagles had a notorious rivalry. After all, there could be only one top university in the city.

"Shit!" Saksham whispered, pulling his hood over his head like a protective shield.

I frowned. "So... who cares and why are you hiding?"

Ayushmaan's jaw tightened. "At one of my games, we got into an argument."

"And we challenged them to a fight anytime we met again," Saksham finished, his head ducked low.

Tabassum scanned the rival table."There are at least 20 of them."

"We need to find an exit and leave," Varun said, looking around the cafe.

"Why? We can fight them," Tara said.

"Did you not hear? There's 20 of them and 6 of us," Saksham said, incredulously.

"It's not always about the quantity," I said, shrugging.

"That's stupid," Varun argued. "Let's just get out of here. I don't want any trouble."

"We can't run away," Tabassum said. "It's a matter of pride. Phoenixes never back down."

"Holy shit! There are definitely a lot more than 20 of them. Let's think of another way," Ayushmaan said. "There has to be another option."

"It doesn't look like it," Tara mumbled. "Here they come."

"Well, well, well," a deep voice drawled from behind us. "Look who we have here. The mighty Phoenixes."

A tall guy with a cocky grin stepped forward. I didn't know his name, but I had seen him at games whenever I was there. His eyes scanned our table, landing with particular derision on Ayushmaan. "Fancy seeing you here," he said, his voice dripping with mock sweetness.

Ayushmaan's hand clenched around his water glass. "Rohan."

"I suggest you walk away. We can settle it later," my brother told the guys.

Several Eagles members laughed. "Walk away? After what happened at the last match?" Another guy-Vikram, I remembered he had sent me a sleazy Instragm message a few months ago-stepped forward. "No chance."

"Maybe fighting isn't the best option here," I whispered, looking at the size of the guys in front of me.

"Yeah..." Tabassum murmured. "We can come to an agreement."

Just then, Vikram grabbed the bottle of ketchup and squirted it in our direction. It hit Saksham square on the cheek. For a moment, he looked comically stunned-then his expression transformed into pure, unadulterated rage. "You asshole!" Saksham screamed, grabbing the water pitcher and throwing it directly at Vikram.

Water splashed across the table, drenching Vikram and several nearby patrons. The cafe erupted into shocked gasps and angry murmurs.

Rohan lunged forward, his face contorted with anger. "You're dead!" he roared.

Tabassum grabbed the balled up napkins we had used and tossed at the Eagles. It did nothing more than annoy them.

The cafe descended into absolute mayhem. Screams erupted from every corner. A waiter yelped as Ayushmaan grabbed a nearby tray, using it as an impromptu shield warding off the assailants.

"Run!" Saksham screamed, already moving towards the exit. In his haste, he tripped Tara, but quickly helped her up and dragged her towards the door. The rest of us scrambled to our feet, noticing more Eagles members advancing towards us.

We burst out of the cafe into the chilly night. People waiting outside turned to stare, their curious glances and surprised shrieks added to the chaos of everything else. Some yelled at us to stop, but we ignored them, focused solely on evading the stupid eagles.

"SPLIT UP!" Ayushmaan screamed, his voice cracking with hysteria. "IT'S SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST! EVERYONE IS ON THEIR OWN."

Branches whipped our faces as we blindly ran through the jungle behind the university. Leaves crushed beneath our feet, and occasionally someone would trip or run directly into a tree. But we didn't stop. We couldn't stop. I wasn't even sure where everyone was or where I was headed but I continued running as fast as I could.

I was pretty sure that I was about to get caught when someone pulled me into the thick foliage. I was about to scream but a hand clamped over my mouth. I relaxed a little when I realized it was only Varun.

He pulled me behind a massive banyan tree, the rough bark pressing against my back. One of his arms went up against the tree, creating a protective barrier around me. I could feel every inch of him-close, yet not touching. His body radiated heat that cut through the jungle's evening chill.

"Shit," he whispered, his mouth dangerously close to my ear. "They're going to find us."

I tilted my head, our faces mere inches apart. His eyes-I'd never noticed how intense they were before. Was his nose always this sharp? "Not," I breathed, "if we're quiet," I managed to say.

Something shifted between us. The adrenaline, the fear, the proximity. My breath caught in my throat as he moved even closer to get a better look at the guys following us. I could feel the rise and fall of his chest, hear the thundering of his heart because of the chase.

For a moment, the world around me-the Eagles, the jungle, everything-seemed to fade into white noise as I watched Varun and took in our proximity. Without thinking, I reached out to hold his hand and he intertwined his fingers with mine without hesitation.

But then Varun spoke and I snapped back to reality, realizing I hadn't heard a word he said. My throat felt dry and parched, but I managed to say. "What?"

"I said I think they're giving up," he repeated. He let go of my hand and stepped away from the tree, gesturing for me to follow him. As we walked through the jungle together, my hand clenched in a fist as I felt the loss of his warmth.

"They are gone. Let's find the others," Varun announced once we were sure we were out of danger.

Nodding in agreement, I followed him. First we found Tara and Saksham and then we began looking for Ayushmaan and Tabassum.

"Is everyone okay?" Ayushmaan inquired as he and Tabassum jogged up to us.

"Yeah," we all replied, still out of breath.

Tabassum, who was doubled over, looked up and began laughing. A light, genuine sound that made Ayushmaan look at her differently. Now that I knew there was some drama, I would watch them like a hawk.

"That was awesome!" Tara said, grinning and clutching her stomach.

"We should head back," Varun announced, already walking into the campus. "I have had enough adventure for the night."

He was never going to forgive me. I groaned internally as we all followed Varun toward our respective dorms. The guards gave us curious glances but we played it off by smiling and pretending to like each other.

Still buzzing with adrenaline and disbelief at what had just happened, I made my way to my room. I paused in my tracks when I noticed Maya pacing outside my door.

As soon as she saw me, she rushed toward me. "Babe, what happened?" Her voice was laced with concern as she took in my disheveled appearance. "Why haven't you been answering my calls? Is everything okay?"

"I'll explain later when I have the energy," I said wearily, opening the door and letting her into my room. I collapsed onto my bed, feeling completely drained. No cardio for me for another week.

"Are you not coming to Yash's birthday party?" Maya asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Oh shit!" I exclaimed, slapping my forehead in frustration. "I completely forgot it was today. But honestly, I'm so exhausted. I don't think I can make it."

"What is going on with you, Sanjana?" Maya demanded, her tone becoming more serious. "You never hang out with us anymore, you ignore our group messages, and all you do is study. Seriously, what's happening? This isn't like you at all? Something is going on and you aren't telling me. I'm really worried about you."

I rolled my eyes and let out a sigh. "Relax. Why are you getting so worked up? Everything is fine," I asked. "And it's not like he will even notice if I'm not there. Yash and I hardly know each other like that."

Maya's expression turned to one of anger, but she quickly shook it off. "Anyway...I have some news for you," she said, changing the subject. "Remember how I promised you that I'll dig up dirt on Varun's past?"

My eyes widened in surprise and confusion as I propped myself up on my elbows. "Oh yeah...about that-"

She hurriedly pushed her hair behind her ear and took a seat beside me on the bed like she was going to give me some juicy gossip. "You won't believe it, but Varun has actually been to jail."