I 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧, 𝐬𝐡𝐞’𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝.

It had been a few days since the locker room incident. Yet the only thing I could focus on that day were her mesmerizing hazel-green orbs. They seemed to speak secrets I couldn’t fathom, drawing me in deeper with every glance.

Her light olive skin was the perfect backdrop for those captivating orbs, and her honey-brown hair cascaded in loose waves, adding to her enchanting allure. Her rose-pink lips complemented her complexion beautifully, giving her a natural yet striking appearance. And when she spoke, a charming dimple appeared on her left cheek, making her even more irresistible.

She lingered in my mind like an unwelcome guest, refusing to leave. I was at the library, trying to focus on my final-year B-Pharma and medicals, but my thoughts kept drifting to her. I’m not usually the study-freak type. Practically speaking, there was a mock test coming up. I had to be studying.

The way she rolled her eyes at me and tossed the ball back with that attitude, it was infuriating and strangely intriguing. I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to her than met the eye.

Questions flooded my mind: Who was she? Why did she seem different and angry? Had we met before? I only meet girls who’s hungry for money and looking for credit cards instead of humans. I did meet some girls who weren’t interested in me, but I don’t understand why it feels so different when I’m around her. I had nothing to do before.

I don’t want to feel this way, but somehow I do. It’s just her everywhere.

Suddenly, I heard a familiar voice. “Agh! Come on, dam it.” It was her again—the girl from the locker room incident. Those beautiful hazel-green orbs. I also noticed that she couldn’t reach her hands to the book on the top shelf, stretching on her tiptoes in vain.

Unable to resist, I walked over to her. “Need a hand?” I asked, reaching up effortlessly to grab the book for her.

She looked up, clearly annoyed. “I had it under control,” she snapped.

“Sure, you did,” I said with a slight grin, handing her the book. “Is helping someone a crime?”

She rolled her eyes and turned back to her table, clearly not interested in making small talk. I couldn’t help but grin. This was going to be fun.

Unable to resist, I walked over to her table, pulled out a chair, and sat down the other way around, resting my arms on the back of the chair as I looked at her curiously.

“Mind if I join you?” I asked, trying to sound casual.

She looked up, clearly annoyed. “What do you want?” she sighed.

“Just studying,” I said with a genuine smile. “Is that a crime?”

She rolled her eyes and went back to her books, clearly not interested in making small talk. I couldn’t help but grin. This was going to be fun.

I opened my own books, pretending to study while sneaking glances at her. The way her brow furrowed in concentration, the way she absentmindedly twirled a strand of hair around her finger—it was mesmerizing.

Curious, of what she’s studying, I leaned a little closer and glanced at the pages she was scribbling on. “Hmm… what are you even studying?” I asked, tilting my head, trying to make sense of her notes.

She looked up at me, half-deadpan, half-amused. “You really want to know?” she asked, a small smirk tugging at her lips.

“Of course,” I said, genuinely curious.

Sehr rolled her eyes. “I didn’t get half of the email,” she admitted, her tone almost playful now. “But from what I remember… the professors paired first-year law students with med students for a bioethics thing. Something about understanding healthcare laws, patient rights, and… all that legal-medical stuff.”

I blinked, trying to take it all in. “Ah… so that explains of what happened that day. You aren’t a med student, then. Just law, okay… understandable. But— what were you doing in the locker room? Are you even allowed there? I mean, yeah, the girls slipped in sometimes, but what about you?”

Sehr looked at me, unimpressed. “Listen, guy— first, I have no interest in you. And second, that day? I was just being nice to a ball that was lying around.” She gave a small shrug. “It’s just for a year that med students and law students are combined for this module. The rest? totally separate. And thank goodness, I don’t have any classes with you in them… or anything like that.”

I let out a quiet laugh, shaking my head. “Ahhh… got it.” I nodded slowly, my eyes drifting back to her book and the way she held the pen, delicate and precise.

“By the way, why do you get so annoyed when you see me?” I asked, my voice laced in curiosity.

She shot me a glare, her patience already wearing thin. “Because you’re always in my space. Like now.”

I grinned, unfazed. “Come on. There’s got to be more to it than that.”

She rolled her eyes and went back to her books. “You’re impossible.”

“Seriously, though,” I continued, not letting it go. “What did I even do to deserve this level of annoyance?”

She sighed, finally looking up. “You just have this way of getting under my skin. Your arrogance, your smirk, the way you think you own the place…”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Well, I can’t change who I am. But maybe, just maybe, you secretly enjoy our little interactions.”

She snorted. “In your dreams.”

“Maybe,” I said, leaning forward with a mischievous look. “But I think I saw you smile just now.”

She opened her mouth to retort but then closed it, clearly flustered. “Just… focus on your own work, okay?”

“Noted,” I said, seeing her getting annoyed.

“So, what are you studying for? Test or just lectures?” I asked after a few minutes, breaking the silence.

“None of your business,” she replied without looking up.

“Come on, sweetheart, lighten up a bit. We’re just two students trying to get through the day.”

She sighed, finally meeting my gaze. “Fine. First, stop calling me that. Second, if it will shut you up, I’m working on a legal history assignment. Happy now?”

“Ecstatic,” I said with a grin. “Need any help?”

She snorted. “From you? I doubt it.”

“Hey, don’t underestimate me. I know a thing or two about history.”

She raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. “Oh really? Why did countries start codifying laws in the 19th century?”

I leaned back in my chair, trying to remember the details. “To make law uniform and predictable. Before that, it was a mess. Different regions, different rules. Codification made it more systematic, I think.”

She looked slightly annoyed and thrilled, but quickly masked it with a shrug. “Lucky guess.”

“Not a guess,” I corrected. “Just well-read.”

“You’re something else, you know that?” I said, shaking my head.

“And I love it,” she shot back, turning back to her books without meeting my eyes.

“May I ask you your name?” I asked her, thinking it would be the perfect moment to ask her about it.

“Sorry, not interested,” she said with a small pout, shrugging her shoulders while still engrossed in her books.

“Alright, then I’ll still call you sweetheart!” I said, and she snapped. Her head turned towards me, and her eyes widened in surprise. In utter disbelief.

“You wouldn’t dare!” she looked at me exclaimed, still annoyed.

As I watched her, I couldn’t help but smile. This girl was going to keep me on my toes, and I was looking forward to every moment of it. She’s wild. Just like the girl I want.

Just then, Adeel popped out from behind a nearby shelf. “Hey, Ruhaan! We’re heading to the mall. You coming?”

I grabbed my bag and stood up, shooting a quick smile at her. “Duty calls,” I said with a wink, and she rolled her eyes at me, a small smile creeping onto her face despite herself.

Once we reached the parking lot, we hopped into Adeel’s car, and I noticed Salem and Kai were already in the back seat. Jerry slid in right after me, and the car was filled with the usual shenanigans.

“What’s the plan, gentlemen?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Did you actually study?” Adeel asked as he drove.

“Yeah, totally. I know why countries started codifying laws in the 19th century,” I shot back, rolling my eyes.

“Liar! You were probably just staring at that girl,” Jerry teased, making a dramatic hand gesture as if I were some lovesick puppy.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I replied, though the corners of my mouth were betraying me, twitching in amusement.

As we parked and made our way into the mall, Adeel suddenly got serious. “Okay, guys, important news: Salem’s brother is getting married.”

“Wait, what? When did this happen?” I asked, genuinely shocked.

“Just found out,” Salem said with a shrug, looking both excited and slightly nervous.

“So we need to buy him a gift. Something epic.” Adeel continued.

“Alright, how about a car?” I joked, leaning back dramatically. “Nothing says ‘Congratulations on your marriage’ like a brand-new BMW!”

“Seriously?!” Salem laughed. “We could get him a yacht while we’re at it!”

“And don’t forget an Armani watch!” I chimed in. “He’s gotta look fly on his big day.”

As we browsed through the stores, I watched the sheepish our conversation turns out. “Alright, so we’re buying him a car, an iPhone, and an Armani watch. What else?” I asked, trying to suppress my laughter.

“Wait, wait,” Jerry interrupted, trying to wrap his head around it. “We’re buying him a car? Who do you think we are? The Kardashians?”

The whole group erupted into laughter, and I couldn’t help but join in. “Hey, if we’re going to go all out, let’s do it right! We’ll make this wedding unforgettable!”

Salem nodded, clearly enjoying the chaos. “Yeah, It’s practically a wedding necessity!”

We finally wrapped up our shopping spree for Salem’s brother. After a series of ridiculous discussions, we actually ended up buying him a BMW and branded Armani watch.

“Alright, mission accomplished!” I declared, holding the shopping bags triumphantly. “Two luxury gifts down, one more to go!”

“Yeah, and we didn’t even need to sell our souls to do it!” Jerry joked, slinging his arm around my shoulders as we stepped out of the store.

“Yet,” I replied with a laugh, just as my gaze landed on a familiar figure. Those hazel-green orbs-there she was. Hazel-green orbs girl, looking effortlessly beautiful as she browsed through a shop. Her hair fell perfectly around her shoulders, and she had that focused look that made her even more intriguing. It was infuriating how she managed to look like she stepped out of a magazine.

We stepped out of the store, Jerry clapped his hands together. “Alright, let’s go buy our suits for the wedding! We need to look sharp, gentlemen!”

“Or maybe just buy ourselves some nice designer tuxedo sets ,” Adeel suggested, grinning. “Let’s keep it classy.”

“Designer tuxedo it is, then!” Salem replied, leading the way.

I held up my shopping bags, my lips curving into a smirk. “You guys go ahead; I’ll catch up with you in a minute. I just need to check something.”

“Check what?” Jerry asked, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow.

I shrugged casually. “Just something,” I replied, trying to sound mysterious but not giving much away.

“Dude, don’t make us leave without you!” Adeel warned. “What if we miss out on the tuxedo sets ever?”

I chuckled, waving them off. “Relax, I’ll be there in a bit. Go on without me. I’ll catch up.”

“Fine, but don’t take too long!” Salem said, giving me a look before they headed off to the other end of the mall.

Our eyes met, and there she was—the girl from the locker room. What was she doing? Whatever it was, I was instantly captivated by her mesmerizing hazel green orbs.

She raised an eyebrow, clearly annoyed. Her hazel-green orbs locked onto mine, and instead of the usual surprise, I was greeted with an irritated look. That same, infuriatingly familiar expression she wore every time we crossed paths.