The school backyard was quieter now, the loud chatter of the students left behind as OG Four huddled in a corner, their faces painted with worry and curiosity.

“Tum sure ho na Adyansh?” Ridrakshika asked sharply, crossing her arms as she glared at him. “Ye match koi mazaak nahi hai… Rehan kab se bas chance dhoond raha tha tumse takraane ka. What if something goes wrong?”

Adyansh gave a lopsided smirk, shoving his hands casually into his pockets.

"Relax, yaar… main basketball se zyada apni jeet pe bharosa rakhta hoon," he replied, his voice dripping with that usual overconfidence that made her blood boil. “Aur Rehan jaise amateur ko main aankh band karke hara sakta hoon.”

“Aankh band karke?” Ridrakshika raised an eyebrow, stepping closer. “Tumhare iss overconfidence ne hi toh hum sabko pehle problem me daala tha. Yaad hai ya yaad dilaoon?”

Sanskar chuckled, nudging Esha. “Lagta hai match se zyada yeh dono apni personal match ladne wale hain…”

Esha giggled, whispering, “Enemies to... something else maybe?”

Adyansh glanced sideways at Ridrakshika, eyes narrowing slightly but his smirk staying intact. “Tumhe kya lagta hai Verma? Main haar jaunga?” he asked, leaning slightly towards her — the air between them suddenly charged.

For a moment, Ridrakshika faltered. His proximity, that annoying self-assured smile — why did he have to stand so close?

“Nahi…” she muttered, looking away quickly. “Bas... main cautious hoon. Tum toh kabhi serious hote hi nahi ho, isliye puchha.”

“Main haarne wale logon me se nahi hoon.” He leaned even closer, voice low. “Tum dekhna… Rehan ki aukaat yaad dila dunga usse court pe.”

Ridrakshika bit her lip, half-annoyed, half-worried. This boy and his reckless ego.

Sanskar finally cut in, waving his hands. “Guys, chill! Bas ek game hai. Khatam karo yeh staring contest. Mujhe toh laga tum dono abhi bhi dare game ke mood me ho…”

Esha smirked, crossing her arms. “Aur main toh soch rahi thi ki tum log court pe jaane se pehle confess karoge…”

Adyansh straightened, his sharp gaze flicking between the two before focusing back on Ridrakshika.

"Jo bhi ho," he said softly, "match toh main jeetunga hi. Tum bas dekhna."

And with that, he turned and started walking towards the court, basketball spinning on his finger — as if the whole world was his to win.

Ridrakshika exhaled sharply, watching his retreating figure. "Iss ladke ka kuch nahi ho sakta… lekin... kahin na kahin mujhe bhi bharosa hai ki yeh jeetega."

The match was about to begin.

And so was the real drama.

---------

The entire school ground buzzed with excitement as students gathered near the basketball court, forming a restless, noisy crowd. Whispers, gasps, and chuckles filled the air as everyone waited for the most unexpected match of the year — Adyansh Sachdeva versus Rehan Oberoi.

Ridrakshika stood at the edge of the court with Sanskar and Esha, eyes fixed on Adyansh as he walked in, spinning the basketball in his hand with practiced ease, his signature smirk playing on his lips.

“Dekha? Bilkul Bollywood hero wali entry maar raha hai...” Sanskar whispered, nudging Ridrakshika lightly.

But Ridrakshika wasn’t smiling. Her brows were furrowed, concern flashing in her eyes. “I just hope he’s not underestimating Rehan.” she muttered.

“Don’t worry Ridz,” Esha assured, holding her arm. “Adyansh apne games me kabhi haarta nahi. Aur uska confidence genuine hai.”

At the opposite side of the court, Rehan Oberoi appeared, eyes dark and gleaming with challenge, his signature black wristband tightly strapped, a wicked smirk pulling at his face. His gaze locked with Adyansh’s—silent war lines drawn between them.

"Ready to lose your so-called ‘reputation’, Sachdeva?" Rehan mocked, bouncing the ball hard on the ground as he approached the center line.

Adyansh gave a casual shrug, his eyes sharp and unblinking. "We’ll see who loses, Oberoi. Court pe kiski aukaat dikhegi, time hi batayega. Game on," he replied smoothly, spinning the ball on his finger before passing it to the referee.

The whistle blew.

And the match began.

The ball flew high in the air—both boys leaped at once. The crowd erupted into cheers and shouts, some yelling "Adyansh! Adyansh!" while others screamed "Rehan! Rehan!"

Ridrakshika’s heart thudded painfully as her gaze followed every single move Adyansh made — his swift dodges, his perfect dribbles, and that cocky smirk never leaving his face.

“Why does this idiot always take such risks?” she thought, biting her lip nervously.

But Rehan was no less. His moves were sharp, ruthless — trying every trick in the book to distract and unbalance Adyansh. He wasn’t just playing basketball; he was playing mind games.

A sudden moment of contact — Rehan tried to trip Adyansh — but Adyansh caught himself just in time, spinning smoothly and scoring a basket, smirking as the crowd roared.

Rehan clenched his jaw. "It’s not over yet, Sachdeva," he muttered under his breath.

From the sidelines, Tanisha watched everything with narrowed eyes, her lips curling in irritation every time Ridrakshika unconsciously cheered for Adyansh.

Back on the court, Adyansh turned slightly, glancing at Ridrakshika — a flicker of connection sparking in his eyes before he refocused, determination burning brighter.

“Tum dekhna Miss.Thunder… I promised you. I’ll win this.”

And with that thought, he dashed forward for the next play as the crowd roared louder than ever.

-------

The match heated up with every passing second.

With a swift turn and a sly smirk, Rehan ducked past Adyansh and leaped, shooting a clean basket. The crowd roared in shock and excitement.

"Good shot, Oberoi!" someone yelled from the sidelines.

But Adyansh didn’t flinch. His jaw tightened, his gaze sharpened. He bounced the ball twice, steadying his breath, and then boom—he dashed forward, slipping past Rehan like water through fingers, scoring a perfect basket in return.

The crowd erupted.

"Adyansh! Adyansh!" chants filled the court.

A small, involuntary smile curled on Ridrakshika’s lips. She cupped her hands around her mouth and cheered, "Come on, Adyansh! You can do this!"

Tanisha stood stiff at the far end of the court, her nails digging into her palms as she watched Ridrakshika smile, her eyes burning with fury.

“Again... again she’s cheering for him. Like she belongs there… like she deserves this…” Tanisha seethed silently.

Meanwhile, the game was fire — Adyansh was unstoppable. Another basket. Then another. Dodging, spinning, leaping — owning the court as if he was born to rule it.

Every single student was on their feet, whistling, clapping, shouting his name.

Even Ridrakshika couldn’t hide her excitement — she grinned unconsciously every time Adyansh made a perfect shot.

Tanisha’s patience snapped.

“Enough.”

Her furious eyes darted to the spare basketball lying near the bench. She glanced around — no one watching her — and before her conscience could scream otherwise, she grabbed the ball and hurled it as hard as she could... straight at Ridrakshika.

The ball struck her squarely on the nose.

“AAHH!” Ridrakshika gasped, stumbling back in shock, clutching her face as sharp pain exploded across her features.

A horrified gasp rippled through the crowd.

“RIDZ!!” Esha shrieked, rushing toward her as blood began to pour from Ridrakshika’s nose, staining her hands bright red.

Sanskar paled. “Shit! Someone call the nurse—!!” he yelled in panic.

The whole court broke into chaos.

Adyansh turned sharply the moment he heard Ridrakshika’s painful cry. His heart dropped.

"RIDRAKSHIKA!" he shouted, sprinting across the court without a second thought, pushing past players and students.

By the time he reached her, Ridrakshika’s eyes were fluttering, her face drained of color as the blood flow increased.

Without hesitation, Adyansh scooped her into his arms — holding her close against his chest, fear flashing openly in his eyes for the first time.

“Thunder open your eyes, please…” he murmured, his voice shaking slightly.

Her head lolled weakly against him as consciousness slipped away.

“MOVE! Out of the way!” Adyansh barked at the crowd, storming through the sea of students as everyone gasped and parted, watching the most unexpected scene of the day unfold.

Esha and Sanskar ran behind him, panic written all over their faces.

Meanwhile, on the edge of the court, Tanisha stood motionless — heart pounding wildly. A small victorious smirk threatened to curl her lips... but she quickly wiped it away, pretending to look shocked.

“Perfect. And no one knows it was me...” she thought darkly.

As Adyansh hurried towards the medical room, clutching Ridrakshika carefully in his arms, the entire school watched — stunned, silent — as the match that started as a rivalry had now turned into something far more serious.

A single drop of Ridrakshika’s blood slid down Adyansh’s wrist, staining his hand.

And for the first time, a dangerous storm swirled silently in Adyansh Sachdeva’s eyes.

__________________________________

Stay tuned for further updates 🎀

~shanshya🧿