| our beautiful hate | book 1 in trilogy | [completed✓]

Chapter Three

꧁ SIA ꧂

Raghav seems lost in some serious thinking, so I try to figure out what exactly is cooking in his mind.

“Raghav?” I shake him.

“Because…”

“Because?”

His countenance is blank. This should be the first time he doesn’t have the answer to the asked question. I don’t know whether I should be happy or worry about something being changed between us. Or perhaps, nothing has changed and we’d been blind to the anonymous thing between us since the beginning.

“Things are getting heated!”

We’re startled by Esha. Yash, Darren, Mansi and her are standing amused as if they’re watching fishes flying in the sky, birds swimming in the sea and unicorns baking cupcakes.

Raghav loosens his grip and I get off his lap, sitting beside him. Neither of us have the balls to look at them. This has to be the most embarrassing moment. The last time we were in an intimate position was the day we first kissed.

“Something brewing between you two?” Yash is curious.

Raghav and I stay quiet.

“Mehra asked you something,” Darren tells.

“Yes,” we reply together.

“Meaning you guys secretly loved each other all these years?” Mansi looks at Raghav and then me.

“Love?” We glance at each other with the same blank expression.

“Not love for fuck’s sake!” Raghav snaps back to reality.

“We hate each other!” I add dramatically. They’re nuts to think we secretly love each other and pretend to hate. We hate each other passionately and unconditionally and that’s the only base of our relationship or whatever they want to name it.

“Then what were you doing?” Yash chaffs.

I’m embarrassed but won’t let them see through me. “Ask him,” I frown at Yash.

Our friends look at Raghav with interest. “What? Don’t fucking look at me like that! I hate her and I’m not giving any explanation.” Such a dog to bark all round the clock.

The class is loading up and the lecture would begin any minute. “Get aside.” I get up because I cannot sit with him again. It’s torture.

Raghav pretends not to have heard me.

“Move, Mr. Ass.”

“You’ve enjoyed the first bench with me so today time to have fun at the last,” he smirks. Meanwhile, our friends capture the two benches ahead of ours. “Once in a lifetime opportunity, hamster. Consider it a no-cost premium offer.”

“Stop calling me that!” I’m losing my temper when I’d decided to avoid him for my own good.

“How about baby?”

“Just let me go!” Pushing him doesn’t work because he’s way stronger than me. Besides, I don’t have much time to fight him.

He chuckles at my failure and our friends guffaw. “Stop laughing! Help me!” At my chiding, the four traitors zip their mouths.

But to my doom, Prof. Malini arrives and the class stands to greet her except for Raghav. “I can’t bear you for a second,” I groan, defeated by my destiny and rest my cheek on the desk.

Raghav lays his cheek down too. “Daddy will give you the best company.”

“Doubt that.”

He moves closer and I recall what had happened between us when we were all alone. I hope he’s unable to see my nervousness. He stares at me, intently, and gently tucks the hair fallen across my face behind my ear.