Not in the Script: An Ahaan & Aneet Collection

The Green Eyed Monster

"ANEET BABY GIRL, GET YOUR MAN!"
"Behen mera banda hota toh mai toh na sehti "
"bestie please come claim him before we do🤣."

The captions ranged from hilarious to ruthless. And every single one found its way to Aneet's phone, courtesy of their very loyal, very chaotic fandom.

Her thumb hovered over the screen, heart doing that irritating stutter-step it had started doing way too often lately.

Aneet's stomach twisted a little at the visual, a quiet pinch of momentary possessiveness, gone almost as soon as it came. She knew what he was like. She knew the golden-retriever energy he radiated; the way he made everyone feel like they were the single most important person in the room. Of course he'd lean down to hear someone over the music. And dear lord that smile.

But still... God, still.

"Unbelievable," she muttered, the sound thin and strained. The plastic pen clattered to the floor, the sharp snap yanking her out of the trance. She threw her head back against the wall, eyes squeezed shut. A slow, dangerous realization dawned.

He was teasing her. He knew she was trapped. He knew this would crawl under her skin.

"You're doing this on purpose," she whispered into the empty apartment, lips turning up into a knowing smirk. "Okay, Mr. Smarty Panday. Two can play this game."

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An hour of frantic, useless highlighting later, her phone buzzed again. This time, the screen flashed with the name that always made her heart trip over itself.

"Hello?" His voice drifted through the line, soft and teasing, like a warm blanket she didn't realise she was craving. "You've been ignoring me all day. Should I be worried, or...?"

Aneet didn't wait. Her voice was sharp, a barely-contained whisper of frustration. "Having fun at the clubs, I see?" She knew exactly what she was doing, talking like that.

A pause. A low, knowing chuckle. "Ah. So you've seen it."

"I've seen everything," she huffed, slumping back against her couch cushions. "The whole internet has seen everything. Apparently I need to 'get my man' before he's stolen from me. Didn't realize that was part of my job description."

Ahaan laughed again, but this time it was warmer, tinged with something softer. "Aneet. Come on. You know it wasn't like that."

She bit her lip, refusing to give in to the way his voice melted all her defenses. "Do I? Looked very chest-to-chest."

"Oh my God," he groaned, dramatic. "You're actually jealous."

"I am not," she bit out, even as the traitorous corner of her mouth threatened to curl into a smile.

"You are. I can hear it." His grin was audible, smug and boyish. "Should I apologize for the fan? Or maybe I should release a public statement—'Ahaan Panday deeply regrets standing too close to strangers; his heart belongs to one very grumpy girl currently hiding from the world.'"

She rolled her eyes, hiding her smile behind her palm. "You're insufferable."

"And you're adorable when you're pretending to be mad at me."

Her cheeks warmed, but she forced her tone flat. "I'm busy. Unlike some people, I don't have time to be out gallivanting around clubs and entertaining people."

That should have been the end of it. But of course, with Ahaan, it never was.

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