The next day was a holiday and Pallavi’s birthday. They had planned a pool party at Sid’s family resort. Pallavi and Akshita decided to go early to check the decorations and other preparations. Akshita arrived at Pallavi’s house and called her to come down.

Pallavi came out with some bags, and Akshita immediately hugged her tightly.

“Happy birthday, bestie! May you get lots of happiness and good health. God bless you. This day is special for me too because if you weren’t born, we wouldn’t be best friends.”

“Aww, thank you so much, Akshita. We need to hurry, though, or we’ll be late.”

“Yeah, let’s go.”

They got into Akshita’s car and drove off to the resort, excited for the celebration ahead.

The resort, a charming haven nestled amidst lush greenery, belonged to Sid’s family. Pallavi and Akshita had arrived early to ensure everything was perfect for the celebration. Sid soon followed to lend a hand and called Advik to join them. Within minutes, Advik and Sid reached the resort. While Sid went to wish Pallavi a happy birthday, Advik lingered, admiring the decorations.

“Hmm... impressive,” Advik mused to himself. “The decorations are really well done. Whoever thought of this is quite intelligent and creative. I mean, just look at it—so unique and awesome.”

His eyes fell on Akshita, who was standing precariously on a stool, struggling with some decorations. She was trying to reach a high spot, jumping slightly to get it just right. As she jumped, the stool wobbled, losing balance. Akshita closed her eyes, bracing herself for the inevitable fall, but instead, she felt strong arms catch her.

Opening her eyes, she found Advik holding her tightly. Their eyes locked, creating a moment of unexpected connection. They stared at each other, lost in the depths of one another’s gaze, until Akshita broke the spell by looking away. Advik, suddenly aware of their close proximity, loosened his grip.

“Hey, are you going to let go, or do you plan on holding me all day?” Akshita snapped.

Advik thought to himself, **I saved her from falling, and she’s still snapping at me. Typical wildcat. Let’s see how she likes this.** He removed his hands, letting her fall onto a pile of cloth below.

“I didn’t catch you because I wanted to. If you’d gotten hurt, Pallavi’s party would have been ruined,” Advik said, walking away with a huff. Akshita stood up, fuming with anger.

“How dare he let me fall? I won’t let him get away with this,” she muttered.

Soon, more friends arrived, and Pallavi and Sid called Akshita and Advik over.

“I have a request for both of you,” Pallavi began, looking between the two.

Akshita and Advik exchanged wary glances before nodding in agreement.

“Today is my birthday, so please, no fighting,” Pallavi pleaded.

“Pallavi, you—” Akshita started, but Pallavi cut her off.

“Please, for me. Can’t you do this much for your friend?”

“Fine,” Akshita sighed. “No need for the emotional drama. I won’t ruin your day. But if he starts anything, I won’t back down.”

Pallavi turned to Advik. “And you, Advik? Promise you won’t start a fight?”

“Okay, I won’t start anything. But if she does, I’ll show her what Advik Goenka is made of,” Advik said, smirking.

“Great! If neither of you starts, there won’t be any fights. Now let’s enjoy the party. We’ll cut the cake once everyone else arrives,” Pallavi said with relief.

Everyone nodded and began mingling, enjoying the party. A few minutes later, Sid announced that it was time for the cake cutting. Everyone gathered around the table where the cake was placed. Pallavi stood in the middle, Akshita on her left, Sid on her right, and Advik next to Sid. Pallavi blew out the candles and cut the cake as everyone sang the birthday song. She took the first piece and offered it to Akshita.

“You should give it to Sid first,” Akshita said.

“No, the first bite of my birthday cake is yours,” Pallavi insisted.

“Yes, Akshita,” Sid added. “You’ve known Pallavi since childhood, you’re her best friend, her soul sister. It’s only right.”

Akshita smiled, took a bite, and then fed Pallavi. Pallavi then fed Sid and Advik, and everyone else followed, wishing her a happy birthday.

“Okay, guys, now you can enjoy the party. Eat, drink, and dance. Have fun!” Akshita announced.

The party was in full swing. Some were drinking and chatting, while others danced. Akshita was sipping her soft drink, talking to a classmate. Advik, engrossed in a phone call, was walking behind her. Suddenly, Akshita turned, colliding with Advik, spilling juice all over his clothes.

“I’m really sorry. I didn’t see you there—” Akshita started, then looked up. “You!”

“You! You did this on purpose, didn’t you?” Advik accused.

“No, I didn’t! I told Pallavi I wouldn’t fight today, so I’m letting it go,” Akshita replied, trying to stay calm.

“But I won’t let it go. You spilled juice on me, and now, I’ll throw you into the pool,” Advik declared, advancing on her.

“Don’t you dare touch me,” Akshita warned, backing away.

Advik chased her around the party. Finally, he caught her, lifting her into his arms despite her struggles, and threw her into the pool. Akshita surfaced, drenched and fuming, but then an idea struck her. She pretended to drown, causing Advik to panic.

Realizing his mistake, Advik jumped in to save her. As he reached her, she pushed his hands away, stood up, and burst out laughing.

“Ha ha ha! Gotcha! You really thought I was drowning in a pool where the water only reaches my chest? Now you’re soaked too!” Akshita laughed.

Advik, still processing what happened, couldn’t help but join in. The tension between them eased, if only for a moment, as they shared a laugh amidst the water and the party’s celebrations.

The vibrant pool party continued, with laughter and music filling the air. However, the lighthearted atmosphere was interrupted when Akshita began splashing water at Advik, who was now thoroughly irritated by her antics. Just then, Pallavi and Sid arrived, urging them to come out of the pool.

Advik climbed out first, grabbing a towel to dry his face and hair. He noticed Akshita emerging from the water, her soaked clothes clinging to her body, revealing her figure. As he reached for a bathrobe, he saw some boys leering at her with lustful eyes. His disgust was palpable; he wanted to pummel them for their indecency. There was only one bathrobe, so he left it for her and went inside to change, hoping she wouldn’t notice the stares.

As Akshita wrapped herself in the bathrobe and headed inside to change, Advik seethed with anger. **Disgusting... how can someone think like that about a girl? The way they stared at her was revolting. Even in my worst dreams, I could never imagine doing something like that to her, even if she is my biggest enemy.**

One of the boys, Angad, was particularly fixated on Akshita. He harboured a twisted obsession with her, which he mistakenly called love. Deciding to propose to her that day, he followed her inside the resort, ready to intrude on her privacy. However, before he could enter her room, Advik intercepted him.

“Hey, how are you, buddy?” Advik asked, masking his suspicion with a friendly tone.

“Hi, I’m fine. What about you?” Angad replied, caught off guard.

“I’m good. What brings you here? The party is outside, isn’t it?” Advik inquired.

“Uh... actually, I needed to use the washroom. Someone told me to go inside, and when I asked the staff, they said I could use this room,” Angad stammered.

“No, you can’t. This room isn’t vacant. You can use my room instead,” Advik suggested, pointing to his room.

Reluctantly, Angad agreed. “Oh... okay. Thanks, bro.”

“Don’t mention it,” Advik responded with a fake smile, relieved as Angad walked away. He remained vigilant outside, keeping an eye on Akshita’s door until she emerged and re-joined the party, ensuring Angad wouldn’t harm her.

Angad, fuming with rage over Advik thwarting his plan, soon spotted Akshita alone near the pool. Seizing the opportunity, he approached her.

“Hi, Akshita,” he greeted.

“Hi,” she replied, indifferent.

“Um... I need to talk to you. Can we go somewhere private?” Angad asked, trying to sound earnest.

“We can talk here,” Akshita said, clearly uninterested.

“No, I need to tell you something alone,” he insisted.

“Okay,” she agreed reluctantly, following him to a secluded spot away from the party.

“What is it?” Akshita asked, crossing her arms.

“Akshita, I wanted to tell you that...” Angad began, dropping to one knee and extending his hand. “I love you, Akshita. Will you be mine?”

“What?” Akshita was taken aback, feeling a mix of surprise and discomfort.

“Yes, Akshita, I love you. Please be mine,” Angad repeated.

“No. How can you even say that? I don’t even know you properly, and you’re asking me this. I don’t love you. Please, get up and leave,” she said firmly.

“Akshita, please be mine. You have to be mine. You are only mine,” Angad persisted, his tone growing possessive.

“No, I am not,” she retorted, walking away.

Angad, enraged by her rejection, muttered to himself, “You rejected my proposal, Akshita. Now watch what I do. Angad always gets what he wants. I thought I’d be nice, but now you’ve made me angry, sweetheart.”

Back at the party, Akshita was visibly upset. **How dare he claim me without my consent? Liking someone is one thing, but forcing

them is another. He doesn’t seem right. My instincts tell me to stay away from him.**

The party ended, and everyone returned home.