Chapter 49: CHAPTER 45: THIRD WHEEL WE ALL WANT

Adolph

I pushed open the door to Neti’s room without hesitation. She was curled up under the covers, trying to sleep, trying to ignore me—like she had all day.

Not happening.

Without a word, I strode forward and scooped her up in my arms. A startled gasp left her lips as she clutched at my shoulders.

"What the hell are you doing?!" she hissed, her sleepy voice laced with irritation.

I smirked, adjusting my grip as I carried her effortlessly out of the room. "Bringing you where you belong."

She squirmed against me, fists pressing against my chest, but I barely felt it.

"Put me down, Adolph!"

"Shhh, dolcezza," I murmured, pressing a teasing kiss to her temple. "You’ll wake the whole house."

She let out a frustrated sound, struggling harder, but I held her tighter, my grip firm yet careful. She was warm in my arms, her scent—sweet, with a hint of something floral—messing with my head.

The moment I stepped into my room, I kicked the door shut behind me and carried her straight to the bed. She barely had time to protest before I dropped her onto the mattress.

She bounced slightly before scrambling up, eyes wide. "Adolph, I swear to—"

I climbed onto the bed in one smooth motion, caging her beneath me before she could escape. One hand pressed against the mattress beside her head, the other reaching out lazily to trace a slow path down her arm.

"You’ve been avoiding me all day," I mused, tilting my head. "Why’s that, tesoro? Embarrassed?"

Her glare could’ve burned a hole through my skull. "Go to hell."

I smirked. "Already there, amore. And you’re here with me."

She turned her face away, trying to ignore me, but I wasn’t having it. I caught her chin between my fingers and forced her to meet my gaze. Her lips were parted, her breath uneven, and damn if that didn’t fuel my amusement.

"Let me go, Adolph."

"Say it like you mean it," I murmured, letting my lips graze her ear just enough to make her shiver.

She exhaled sharply, her fists clenching the sheets.

"Your body betrays you, Neti," I continued, my voice dipping lower. "You’re tense, but not from fear."

I let my lips brush the curve of her jaw, slow, teasing. Her breath hitched, and my smirk deepened.

"You’re insufferable," she muttered.

"And you’re mine," I countered smoothly, pulling back just enough to see the fire in her eyes. God, she was beautiful when she was mad.

Her chest rose and fell unevenly, her frustration evident, but beneath it… I saw something else. A crack in her defenses.

Good.

I dragged my fingers down her arm again, slower this time, watching how her pulse fluttered at her throat.

"You should get some sleep, dolcezza," I murmured, shifting onto my side and pulling her against me before she could argue.

She stiffened. "You’re sleeping here?"

I chuckled, tucking her against my chest. "Where else would I sleep?"

She muttered something under her breath—probably a curse—but I didn’t care. Because despite her protests, despite the way she tried to resist, she didn’t push me away.

And that was enough.

For now.

Half an hour later...

The knock on the door was soft at first.

I ignored it. Neti was finally settled against me, not fighting for once, and I wasn’t about to let some nonsense ruin it.

Another knock.

"Adolph… are you awake?"

Pranav.

I sighed. "No."

There was silence. Then—

"Okay, but what if I told you I had a nightmare?"

Neti, who had been relaxed in my arms, suddenly snorted, her body shaking with laughter. I shot her a glare, but she just buried her face in my chest.

"Pranav," I said, exasperated. "Go back to your room."

"Can’t," he replied dramatically. "I’ve seen things, Adolph. Terrible things."

Neti lifted her head slightly. "Oh no, what happened?" she asked, not even trying to hide her amusement.

Pranav sighed. "I saw a pigeon steal an entire sandwich from a man today." A pause. "The way he screamed… it haunts me."

Neti let out a choked laugh. I closed my eyes, praying for patience.

"Pranav," I said through gritted teeth. "If you don’t leave, I swear I will—"

The door creaked open before I could even finish my threat.

I turned my head slowly. There he was. Standing in his stupid pajamas, his stupid hair all messy, and a stupid blanket wrapped around him like some traumatized war survivor.

He looked at the bed. At me. At Neti still in my arms.

Then, with the most infuriating smirk, he said, "Well, well, well. What do we have here?"

Neti groaned, shoving against my chest like she was suddenly desperate to escape. I held her in place out of pure spite.

"Leave, Pranav," I said.

"Wow, so rude." He clutched his chest like I had stabbed him. "I come here, vulnerable and in distress, and this is how you treat me?"

Neti finally wrestled herself free and sat up, glaring at him. "You’re a grown man. Go deal with your nightmares yourself!"

"I would," he sighed. "But I need emotional support."

I threw a pillow at his face. He caught it like he had been expecting it.

Damn him.

Neti sighed, rubbing her temples. "Pranav, what do you want?"

"To sleep here."

My eye twitched. "You are NOT sleeping here."

Pranav ignored me completely and walked into the room, humming to himself.

I narrowed my eyes. "What are you doing?"

He yawned. "Getting comfortable." And before I could even stop him, he climbed into the bed.

MY BED.

Neti gasped. "WHAT THE HELL, PRANAV?!"

"Shh," he said, fluffing the pillow. "It’s bedtime."

I almost lost my sanity right then and there. "You are actually insane."

Pranav sighed dramatically, pulling the blanket up to his chin. "Ah, nothing like a good ol’ sleepover between besties."

Neti turned to me with pure horror on her face. "Kick. Him. Out."

I tried. I really did. But the bastard just went boneless like some giant, overgrown cat and refused to move.

"You’re actually the worst person I’ve ever met," I grumbled.

"Love you too, buddy," he mumbled, already half-asleep.

Neti groaned, grabbing another pillow and covering her face. "This is a nightmare."

Pranav peeked out from under the blanket. "Oh? So now you’re having nightmares? Maybe you need emotional support too."

I reached for another pillow, ready to suffocate him on the spot.

Few minutes later...

Pranav was suspiciously still for a whole minute, like a glitching NPC processing new information. Then, suddenly, he shot up, eyes wide.

"Wait a damn second." He pointed at me, then at Neti, then back at me. "Why are you in your room?"

Neti groaned, rubbing her temples. "Pranav, go to sleep—"

"NO!" He dramatically stood on the bed, still wrapped in his blanket like some chaotic bedtime philosopher. "Something is wrong. I feel it in my bones."

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "I brought her here."

Pranav gasped so hard he choked on his own breath.

Neti slapped her forehead. "Oh my God—"

"You kidnapped her?" He pointed at me, his mouth open in pure betrayal. "You didn’t even let her sleep peacefully in her own bed?!"

Neti crossed her arms. "Exactly!"

I glared at her. "You refused to open the door for me."

Pranav gasped again. "OH. MY. GOD." He turned to Neti, eyes wide with fake shock. "You locked him out?"

"Obviously!" she snapped.

Pranav dramatically clutched his chest. "My poor friend. Left out in the cold, like a lost puppy."

I rolled my eyes. "You do realize it’s my house, right?"

Pranav ignored me completely. He turned to Neti, stroking his imaginary beard. "So let me get this straight—every other night, he sleeps in your room, but now that you're in his, you’re acting all scandalized?"

Neti froze.

I saw the exact moment the realization smacked her in the face.

Her lips parted. "Wait… I…" She blinked. Then, suddenly, her face turned red.

Pranav cackled. He pointed at her, shaking his head. "Ohhh, this is GOLDEN. This is the best night of my LIFE."

Neti threw a pillow at his face. He caught it again. Damn him.

I sighed, rubbing my temples. "Pranav, leave."

He wiped fake tears from his eyes. "I just—" he sniffled, "—I never thought I’d see the day you dragged a woman to your bed instead of the other way around."

Neti choked. "WHAT—"

I grabbed another pillow and threw it. This time, it hit him square in the face.

"Get out."

Few more minutes later...

Pranav lay beside me for a solid five seconds before dramatically throwing an arm over his eyes.

"You guys just don’t get it. I have suffered tonight."

I sighed, leaning back against the pillows. "Pranav. What exactly did you dream about?"

He sat up cross-legged, looking completely serious.

"It started simple. I was at a restaurant, waiting for Aliya. She actually agreed to see me—big win, right?"

Neti snorted. "Totally."

Pranav ignored her. "So there I am, looking hot as hell in my black suit, a red rose in hand—classic romance. The candlelight was hitting me just right. And then…" He shivered. "Then, she walked in."

"Let me guess," I muttered. "She had a knife?"

"Worse." Pranav’s eyes darkened. "She was smiling."

Silence.

Neti burst into laughter. "Oh no, not that!"

Pranav pointed at her. "Exactly! You understand. Aliya NEVER smiles at me. It was wrong, Neti. It was cursed. She sat down, looked me straight in the eye, and said—"

He took a deep breath, then imitated Aliya’s voice in a sickly sweet tone:

"‘Pranav, you’re my favorite person in the whole world.’"

Neti fell onto my shoulder, wheezing.

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "So, just to be clear—your nightmare was Aliya… being nice to you?"

Pranav nodded solemnly. "I was terrified. I tried to run, but the walls closed in. She leaned closer, and said—"

He gripped my wrist, eyes wide.

"‘Let’s get married.’"

I lost it.

Neti collapsed onto the bed, howling.

"WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO?!" Pranav wailed. "I SCREAMED. I RAN. BUT SHE CHASED ME DOWN IN A WEDDING DRESS."

I wiped a tear from my eye. "Let me guess. The priest appeared out of nowhere?"

"YES! And you were my best man, and Neti was the flower girl, and before I could escape—" He took a deep, shaky breath. "She kissed me."

Neti rolled off the bed, cackling.

I smirked. "That’s when you woke up?"

Pranav shuddered. "I woke up crying."

I patted his shoulder. "You’re an idiot."

Neti wiped her eyes. "God, I can’t wait to tell Aliya about this."

Pranav gasped. "NETI, NO—"

Neti, still laughing uncontrollably, didn’t even hesitate—she grabbed her phone and called Aliya right then and there.

Pranav’s eyes went wide with horror. “NETI, HAVE MERCY!”

I leaned back, enjoying the show. “Oh no, let her cook.”

Neti put the call on speaker, biting back a grin. The dial tone barely rang twice before a very angry, half-asleep Aliya picked up.

"What the hell do you want at this hour?"

Pranav practically dove to snatch the phone, but I shoved him back with one hand. “Shhh, let her talk.”

Neti, still giggling, cleared her throat. “Aliya, you’re not gonna believe this—”

"I don’t care."

“Oh, but you will.” Neti smirked. “Pranav just had a nightmare about you.”

Silence.

Then, in the coldest, deadliest tone imaginable, Aliya said:

"I am hanging up."

“No, no, wait! Listen—”

But before Neti could say another word, Pranav yanked the phone away and hung up himself. He turned to us, looking completely betrayed.

“You two are the worst.”

I just smirked. “You’re the one dreaming about Aliya in a wedding dress, bestie.”

Neti lost it again.

Pranav groaned dramatically and flopped backward on the bed. “You guys don’t understand, this wasn’t just any nightmare—it was a horrifying experience.”

Neti wiped away a tear from laughing too much. “Oh? Do tell. I’m dying to know.”

I crossed my arms, amused. “Yeah, enlighten us.”

Pranav sat up, running a hand through his already messy hair. “Okay, so, in my dream, Aliya and I were getting married.”

Neti gasped theatrically. “Oh no! The horror!”

Pranav pointed at her. “Exactly! It was awful. She was walking down the aisle, looking drop-dead gorgeous, but instead of smiling at me, she had that look. You know the one.”

I raised an eyebrow. “The ‘I-want-you-dead’ look?”

Pranav snapped his fingers. “Yes! That one! And the closer she got, the more I realized—” He shuddered. “She wasn’t holding a bouquet.”

Neti leaned in. “Then what was she holding?”

Pranav took a deep breath and whispered, “A knife.”

I chuckled. “Makes sense.”

“Oh, it gets worse,” Pranav insisted. “When the priest asked if I took her as my lawfully wedded wife, I said yes. And you know what she did?”

Neti’s eyes sparkled with anticipation. “What?”

“She leaned in, smiled at me—a real smile, like she actually liked me—and whispered, ‘That’s the last mistake you’ll ever make.’”

I smirked. “Romantic.”

Pranav ignored me and kept going. “Then BAM! Right before the kiss, she stabbed me.”

Neti gasped again. “Where?”

Pranav placed a hand over his chest. “Right in my heart. But wait—plot twist! Instead of dying, I woke up in a different nightmare.”

I sighed, already entertained. “Let me guess. Another wedding?”

“YES!” Pranav threw his hands up. “But this time, I was running away from the altar in a full-blown Bollywood-style chase scene. Aliya was in a red lehenga, looking like a vengeful goddess, throwing knives at me while dramatic background music played. And guess who was helping her?!”

Neti and I exchanged glances. “Who?”

Pranav jabbed a finger at me. “You!”

I grinned. “Of course I was.”

“You were in a black suit, sipping wine, laughing like a villain, and every time I tried to escape, you’d just casually trip me.”

Neti burst out laughing again. “That sounds about right.”

Pranav threw himself back onto the bed. “I woke up sweating. I almost cried.”

I patted his shoulder. “Sounds rough, bud.”

Pranav rolled onto his side, looking at Neti with his best attempt at puppy eyes. “Neti, be honest. Do you think she’s actually planning my murder?”

Neti smirked. “Only if you keep texting her at three a.m.”

Pranav groaned. “I’m doomed.”

I grinned. “Yes, you are.”

Pranav sat up suddenly, looking traumatized. “Wait—there was another one. Worse than Aliya stabbing me.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Worse than your own fiancée trying to murder you?”

Pranav shuddered. “So much worse.”

Neti wiped away tears from laughing. “Oh, this I have to hear.”

Pranav nodded solemnly. “Okay, so—I was at this fancy restaurant, right? Super luxurious, gold chandeliers, classical music playing—the whole deal. And then, I saw him.”

Neti tilted her head. “Who?”

Pranav took a deep breath. “A random man. Just sitting there. Completely normal.”

I narrowed my eyes. “...And?”

Pranav’s voice dropped to a whisper. “He was eating fried chicken.”

I blinked. “That’s it?”

“Dipped. In. BOBA. TEA.”

Neti gagged dramatically. “WHAT?!”

“I KNOW!” Pranav threw his hands up. “I watched in horror as he dipped this perfectly crispy chicken into a cup of iced boba tea, swirled it around, soaking it—AND THEN HE ATE IT.”

I stared. “That’s disgusting.”

“RIGHT?!” Pranav clutched his chest. “And the worst part? The people around him didn’t even react. They just—kept eating. Like this was NORMAL BEHAVIOR.”

Neti covered her mouth. “Oh my god.”

“And then,” Pranav continued, looking haunted, “He looked me straight in the eyes. Chewed slowly. Smiled. And said, ‘You don’t understand true flavor.’”

I blinked. “That’s disturbing.”

“EXACTLY!” Pranav pointed at me. “I woke up in a cold sweat. Genuinely nauseous. I might need therapy after this.”

Neti shook her head. “You need help.”

Pranav sighed dramatically and flopped backward onto the bed. “This is why I came here. I couldn’t be alone after witnessing that horror.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose. “You’re an actual menace.”

Pranav just sighed. “I need to cleanse my soul.”

Neti patted his arm. “Go drink some holy water.”

“I just might.”

Pranav, still traumatized by his nightmare, let out a long sigh before shoving me slightly.

“I’m sleeping here tonight. You’re between me and the world, Adolph.”

I groaned. “Absolutely not.”

But before I could even throw him out, Pranav flopped down beside me like a lifeless sack of potatoes, pulling the covers over himself with zero shame.

Neti, still laughing at his ridiculous dream, shook her head. “This is my life now. A literal circus.”

I didn’t even bother arguing anymore. Too tired for this.

Pranav yawned dramatically. “Ahhh, safety. Protection. The warmth of my best friend shielding me from nightmares.”

“I will suffocate you with this pillow.”

He ignored me, snuggling deeper into the blankets, his back pressed against mine.

“Goodnight, bestie.”

I visibly cringed. “Don’t call me that.”

“Soulmate?”

“Pranav, shut up.”

“Love of my life?”

I turned completely silent. Pranav took that as a win and closed his eyes happily.

Neti just sighed, rubbing her temples. “I need a real vacation.”

Pranav stretched like a lazy cat. “We can go to that restaurant from my dream. I hear they serve chicken boba.”

“I hate you.”

And just like that, Pranav snored peacefully, as if he hadn’t just spent the last twenty minutes being a complete menace to society.

I was living in hell.

Not the gunfire-and-bloodshed kind of hell.

No.

This was worse.

This was Pranav.

Cuddling.

Me.

His arm was draped around my waist, his face pressed against my back, and worst of all—

He was snoring.

Softly.

Like a content baby.

I tried to move. His grip tightened.

I nudged him. He made a happy little sigh.

I whispered, “Pranav.”

Nothing.

I tried again.

“Pranav.”

Still nothing.

I sucked in a breath and muttered, “I swear on everything, if you don’t—”

Pranav sighed in his sleep.

And then—with his stupid sleepy voice—

He whispered, “So warm… my teddy bear…”

I froze.

Did. He. Just. Call. Me.

A. Teddy. Bear?

I turned my head slightly. Neti was sleeping peacefully on the other side, completely unaware of my suffering.

I gritted my teeth.

I had two options.

1. Wake him up gently.

2. Launch him off the bed.

I chose violence.

I twisted sharply, but before I could push him, Pranav—still half-asleep—tightened his grip like a damn octopus and—

Snuggled closer.

Closer.

His face was now against my chest.

I stared at the ceiling.

This. Was. It.

I was going to lose my mind.

I whispered, low and menacing, “Pranav.”

No response.

“Pranav.”

A little snort in his sleep.

“PRANAV.”

His eyes finally cracked open.

He blinked, still dazed.

And then—his face lit up in pure joy.

“Oh, good morning, Teddy.”

I have never been closer to murder in my entire life

I kicked him.

Hard.

Off the bed.

He let out a loud yelp and hit the floor with a thud.

I expected cursing, complaints, a dramatic monologue about betrayal.

But no.

The idiot stayed asleep.

On the floor.

Like it was normal.

Like he hadn’t just been yeeted out of bed by his so-called ‘teddy bear’.

I leaned over the edge and stared at him.

His arm was tucked under his head, his mouth slightly open, breathing evenly.

Still asleep.

I turned back, rubbing my temples.

Neti—peacefully unaware—was still asleep, wrapped in the blanket, probably dreaming about ways to escape me.

And Pranav?

Sleeping on the damn floor.

Like a cockroach that just accepted its fate.

I sighed and flopped back onto the bed.

This was my life now.

Pure suffering.

_______________________________

The next morning came far too soon.

I barely slept.

Not because of Neti.

Not because of work.

But because of the human disaster on my floor.

Pranav.

I sat up, rubbing my face, feeling the remnants of a headache from hell.

And there he was.

Still asleep.

On the floor.

Sprawled out like a crime scene victim.

His arm was flung over his face, one leg bent at an unnatural angle, drooling slightly onto my expensive rug.

I sighed.

I should kick him again. For good measure.

Instead, I grabbed my pillow and threw it at his face.

"Wake up, you useless idiot."

Pranav groaned, mumbling something about boba tea and betrayal, before slowly sitting up, rubbing his eyes like a damn toddler.

Neti shifted beside me, still half-asleep, stretching under the blanket.

She peeked at Pranav.

Then at me.

Then at Pranav again.

And groaned. Loudly.

"For the love of God, why is he still here?" she muttered, pulling the blanket over her face.

I didn’t blame her.

Pranav yawned, scratching his head.

"Good morning, lovebirds," he said, grinning sleepily.

I grabbed my second pillow.

And threw it again.

Pranav stretched like a lazy cat and let out a deep sigh.

"You won’t believe the nightmare I had last night," he groaned, rubbing his head dramatically.

I just stared at him.

Neti peeked from under the blanket, her eyes still half-shut.

Pranav placed a hand over his chest, as if reliving the horrors of his subconscious.

"I dreamt—no, I lived through it. I was standing at the edge of a cliff, admiring the breathtaking view, you know? The wind in my hair, the sunset painting the sky…"

Neti blinked.

I blinked.

He sniffled.

"And then," he continued, his voice breaking, "someone—someone heartless, cruel, and absolutely evil—PUSHED ME!"

He threw his hands up, as if still falling.

Neti sat up now, rubbing her temple. "Pranav, what the hell—"

"I could feel the air rushing past me! My life flashed before my eyes! I saw my childhood! My first ice cream cone! My first love!"

"Didn’t you say you've never been in love?" Neti cut in.

"I meant my first biryani," he said, clutching his heart.

I dragged a hand down my face, exhaling slowly.

"You mean the same biryani you refused to share with me?" I asked.

"Not the point!" he snapped.

I leaned back against the headboard, waiting.

I already knew.

Knew exactly where this was going.

"And when I hit the ground," Pranav continued, eyes wide with realization, "I WOKE UP!"

He turned to me, his face filled with dramatic horror.

"You know what this means, right?"

Neti rolled her eyes.

I just sipped the water from my bedside glass.

"It wasn’t a nightmare," Pranav whispered, as if solving a murder case. "It was a vision! A sign from the universe! Someone out there wants me dead!"

Neti groaned, falling back onto the pillows.

I finally spoke.

"It wasn’t a vision, you idiot."

Pranav frowned.

I took another sip of water.

"It was just me kicking you off the bed last night."

There was a long pause.

A silence so thick that even Neti, who was trying her best to ignore this entire conversation, peeked at us.

Pranav blinked.

Once.

Twice.

"You…" he started slowly. "You kicked me?"

I nodded. "Yes."

He gasped.

"You mean… YOU were the cruel monster in my dream?!"

I set my glass down. "Correct."

Pranav clutched his chest, looking absolutely betrayed.

Neti let out a tired laugh.

Pranav pointed at me.

"You threw me off the cliff!"

"It was a bed."

"But you threw me!"

"I warned you to sleep somewhere else," I said with a shrug.

He turned to Neti, his only hope.

"Neti, you heard him! He threw me like I was nothing! I could have died!"

Neti simply sighed, sitting up.

"Pranav," she said, voice dry, "you’re perfectly fine."

He scoffed. "Physically, sure. Emotionally?" He touched his heart. "Scarred for life."

I picked up another pillow.

And Pranav ran.

One whole damn hour later...

Pranav, in all his glorious immaturity, was now roaming around the mansion in his Pikachu night suit, grumpy as hell.

His hood was up, the Pikachu ears flopping dramatically as he stomped around like a toddler who didn’t get his candy.

Eliza, who was setting the breakfast table, paused as he passed by.

She glanced at me. Then at Neti. Then at the oversized, sulking Pikachu.

"Should I… ask?" she murmured.

"No," Neti and I said in perfect unison.

Pranav huffed.

"This house has no love," he muttered under his breath.

Neti shot him a look. "Pranav, you’re literally a grown man in a Pikachu onesie, pouting because you got kicked off a bed."

He turned to her dramatically.

"It wasn’t a bed," he hissed. "It was a cliff."

I pinched the bridge of my nose.

Neti leaned toward me. "Do you regret keeping him alive?" she whispered.

Pranav heard.

"EXCUSE ME?!"

I simply sipped my coffee.

Pranav dramatically clutched his chest.

"I knew it. I always felt it. You two are plotting against me! First, Adolph kicks me off a cliff in my dreams, and now you’re actively debating my existence over breakfast?"

Neti rolled her eyes. "Pranav, we’re not plotting. We’re just… questioning the unfortunate reality of you."

Pranav gasped so hard I thought he’d choke on air.

"You hear that, Eliza?" He turned to the poor maid, who was minding her own business, just trying to live a normal life. "She called me an unfortunate reality. That’s emotional damage!"

Eliza blinked. "...I’m just here to serve breakfast."

He groaned, pulling out a chair aggressively and slumping into it. "You’re all so heartless. I’m in pain."

I sipped my coffee. "Your only pain is the fact that you got caught cuddling me like a stuffed animal last night."

Neti choked on her juice.

Pranav slammed his hand on the table. "It was a trauma response! I was dreaming about my imminent death, okay?!"

"You were dreaming about a man eating chicken dipped in boba tea."

Pranav scowled. "It was horrifying. You don’t understand."

Neti put her head in her hands. "I think I’ve lost brain cells just from this conversation."

Pranav perked up. "Oh, great! That means we’re on the same level now!"

"GET OUT."

He threw his arms up. "No love in this household!"

Pranav’s phone rang, and the moment he saw the caller ID, he froze.

Aliya.

He suddenly sat up way too straight, smoothing out his Pikachu onesie as if she could see him through the phone. With a fake cough, he casually answered, trying to sound unbothered.

"Hello?"

Aliya's voice came through, her usual sharpness softened just a bit. "Are you okay?"

Neti and I both choked on our drinks at the same time.

Pranav. Ignoring Aliya?

Impossible.

I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. "Wait, what?"

Neti sputtered. "She’s asking if you’re okay?! What kind of parallel universe—?"

Pranav shot us a glare and shoved his chair back to leave, pressing the phone closer to his ear. "Oh, yeah, totally fine! Just… super busy, you know? Being a very serious and important mafia guy and all—"

"Pranav, you literally sent me 73 texts last night, then disappeared. I thought you died."

Neti slammed the table, laughing so hard she nearly fell off her chair. "Oh my god—she thought he died."

I shook my head in disbelief. "I mean, fair assumption."

Pranav’s ears turned red. "I—I was just giving you space. You’re always yelling at me, so I thought, you know, maybe you'd miss me."

Aliya snorted. "Miss you?! Pranav, I was getting ready to celebrate."

Neti wheezed. I covered my face.

Pranav, looking like he’d been stabbed in the heart, dramatically leaned against the doorframe. "You wound me, cara mia. Wound me deeply."

Aliya sighed. "I swear to god, Pranav, if you don’t stop acting like a dramatic novela character—"

He smirked. "Too late, mi amor. I’m already the main lead."

Aliya hung up without another word, probably rolling her eyes so hard they did a full 360-degree spin.

Pranav, however, stood there frozen for a second, staring at his phone screen like a heartbroken widow in a dramatic movie.

Then, as if nothing happened, he turned back to us, flipping his hair like some delusional prince.

"She loves me."

Neti choked on air. "WHAT?!"

I just sighed, rubbing my temples. "Pranav. She literally just celebrated your disappearance."

He smirked, crossing his arms. "Classic denial. She’s obviously fighting her true feelings for me."

Neti slammed her forehead on the table. "Why does he have more confidence than my entire existence?"

Pranav dramatically clutched his chest. "Because, mia cara, I am a man of persistence, charm, and unmatched—"

"Delusion," I finished.

He gasped, looking offended. "How dare you?!"

I took a sip of my coffee. "With great ease."

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