Ishqi POV
"Hi, Ishqi. Come on in," Mrs. Malhotra steps aside from the doorway to let me in. Ahaan's house is already packed with his relatives, who give me a glance and go back to whatever they were doing.
"Hi, Mrs. Malhotra. I brought some desserts if you don't mind." I try to balance the three pans of mini cheesecakes, fruit tarts, and pies in my arms.
"Let me help you with that," Mrs. Malhotra offers, taking a pan from me and leading me to the kitchen table.
"Thanks."
"No, thank you. These are so cute. How did you make all of this?" Mrs. Malhotra beams.
"I was just practicing."
"Well, they look great." Mr. Malhotra passes by us from the backyard, but Mrs. Malhotra pulls him aside. "Honey, look at how cute and yummy these look. Can you believe Ishqi homemade all of them?"
"Sure, they look... fine..." Mr. Malhotra replies in the least genuine tone possible. I'm no longer bothered by how cold Mr. Malhotra is towards me. It's established at this point that we strongly dislike each other. Instead, I let my eyes wander around to find Ahaan.
"Ahaan's upstairs," Mrs. Malhotra guesses from my searching eyes.
"Sorry, but may I ask what this party is for?"
"Oh, we have some family friends that just moved next door. They're practically family, so we're throwing them a welcoming party."
"I see... Well, thanks. I'm going to go find Ahaan."
Mrs. Malhotra nods and starts arranging my miniature desserts on a plate.
I head for Ahaan's room, carelessly swinging the door open out of habit. Ahaan's just sitting on his bed, smiling into space.
"You will not believe what Wilbur and Charlotte did yesterday. They shared a strawberry and-"
Ahaan's desk chair spins around and girl sits on it, staring at me wide-eyed.
I know how I describe Vamika as being drop-dead gorgeous and looking as if she was clipped out of a magazine cover, but this girl came straight from the runway. Her deep black hair with highlights in a summery beach wave, minimalist make-up, and glowing skin. I'm sure I could look at her skin with a magnifying glass and not see a single pore. She looked as if she had a camera filter on her constantly.
"Sorry, did I interrupt something?" I ask, even though it was obvious that I did.
"No. Come here and sit," Ahaan says, patting the spot next to him on the bed.
I hesitantly approach and slowly seat myself next to Ahaan.
"Hi, I'm Rheana, but most people just call me Rhea," the girl introduces.
Even her name is pretty...
Ahaan nudges me.
"Oh, sorry. I'm Ishqi."
"I'm Ahaan," he interrupts.
Rhea laugh, slapping Ahaan on the shoulder in the process.
"Ahaan and I go way back. We were friends since birth since our dads are best friends. I had to move away after middle school, but now I'm back."
"That's great," I smile.
"What are the chances too that I get to live next door now?" Rhea continues, excitedly.
"Wow... that's great..."
"Are you and Ahaan close?"
"Well, I've only known him for a year, so not as much as you, but-"
JE LEEST
His Girlfriend
TienerfictieSEQUEL TO HIS TUTOR As Ishqi and Ahaan step into their senior year as a couple, the path ahead is anything but smooth. Ahaan's stunning family friend takes on the role of their new neighbor, injecting an unexpected layer of complexity into their rel...
