Unmatched

✨Sight-seeing✨

"Ridiculously charming," he corrected, watching me in that infuriating way where it feels like he's seeing more than you're willing to show.

I shook my head, focusing on folding my clothes into the suitcase. "You're here for two days, Rishi. That's it. No... unnecessary drama."

"Define unnecessary." He leaned against the doorframe, smirking like this was a challenge.

"Anything that makes people think we actually like each other."

"Oh, so you do think we might look like we like each other?" His grin widened.

I froze for half a second. Rookie mistake.
"That's not what I said."

"That's exactly what you said." He pushed off the doorframe, his voice dropping slightly. "Anyway, Jaan, whether you like it or not... I'm here. And I've got a whole weekend to annoy you."

"Annoy me?"

"Or," he shrugged casually, "maybe make you miss me when I'm gone again."

I hate how my stupid heart decided to skip a beat right then.

I look straight up at him, this time with lots of confidence.

"Are you flirting with me by any chance, Rishi?"

He tilted his head, like I'd just accused him of a crime he was more than happy to be guilty of.

"If I was, would you complain?"

"Yes," I said instantly. Too instantly.

His smirk deepened, and I could tell he'd caught the hesitation in my voice. "Hmm. Then maybe I'm not flirting... maybe I'm just being friendly."

"Friendly doesn't involve calling someone Jaan every five minutes," I shot back, crossing my arms.

"Well, lucky for you, I'm not friendly with just anyone."

I narrowed my eyes at him, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing me smile. But inside... my thoughts were a mess. We were supposed to be building the perfect disaster, the kind of story that ended in mutual freedom—not in late-night chai runs, not in stolen glances, and definitely not in conversations that left my pulse skipping like this.

And yet, here I am overthinking on everything he is saying and doing while he is simply just trying to pull my leg and get a hell out of a reaction from me.

"Hurry up, we are going to be late if we don't leave now based on my calculations." He said as he looked at his watch.

"Okay first of all, seriously? Secondly, where are we going?"

He gave me that maddeningly calm smile of his, the one that always made me feel like I was three steps behind whatever game he was playing.

"You'll see."

"That's not an answer, Rishi." I grabbed my bag and followed him toward the door. "And don't think using your mysterious tone makes this cute."

"Cute? So you do think I'm—"

"Don't finish that sentence," I warned, cutting him off before he could get too full of himself.

He just laughed, guiding me toward the car with that infuriating patience. "Trust me, Jaan, you're going to love it. And based on my calculations"—he glanced at his watch again—"if we don't leave in exactly one minute and thirty-two seconds, we'll miss the best part."

I rolled my eyes but got in the passenger seat anyway. Somewhere between the quiet hum of the engine and the way he kept sneaking glances at me, I realized something unsettling.