ꜰᴀʟʟɪɴɢ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʀᴀᴘ

Aarini stretched her arms, groaning softly as she sat on the wooden bench outside her school library. The golden sunlight of late afternoon bathed the lush green school gardens, and the air carried the scent of freshly cut grass. It was peaceful and exactly what she needed after a long, exhausting day of classes.

But, of course, peace and Revansh Malhotra could never exist in the same sentence.

“Enjoying your alone time, sweetheart?”

Aarini stiffened at the familiar voice. She glanced up to see him standing in front of her, hands casually tucked into the pockets of his blazer, that maddening smirk firmly in place as always.

“Enjoyed,” she corrected, closing her book. “Past tense.”

Revansh chuckled, completely unfazed. “Ouch. That hurts.”

Aarini raised an eyebrow. “Do you even feel anything?”

He leaned closer, just enough for her to catch the faint scent of his cologne which was dark, musky, and annoyingly intoxicating. His voice dropped to a teasing whisper.

“Would you like to find out?”

Her stomach flipped, but she quickly masked it with an unimpressed glare.

“What do you want, Malhotra?” she asked, standing up.

Revansh tilted his head, watching her like a predator would watch prey. “I have a proposition for you.”

She scoffed. “Not interested.”

“Not even if it involves a party, hmm?”

Aarini frowned for a second. “A party?”

Revansh nodded. “Tomorrow night. My house.”

Aarini crossed her arms. “Why would I go to your party?”

“Because,” he said, stepping even closer, “you’re my partner, sweetheart. And it would be rude to refuse. Right?”

Aarini rolled her eyes. “We are not partners.”

“We have a bet,” he reminded her. “That makes us something.”

She hated how easily he got under her skin. She hated that smug expression on his face and the way he smirked.

She exhaled. “Even if I wanted to go which I don’t. I have no dress for a rich brat’s fancy party.”

Revansh grinned, reaching into his pocket. “Already handled, darling.”

Aarini’s eyes widened as he pulled out a small, elegant black envelope. He held it out to her, his gaze daring her to take it.

“What is this?” she asked warily looking at the guy.

“An invitation,” he said smoothly. “And inside is something to make sure you show up.”

Aarini hesitated before snatching the envelope from his hand. Carefully, she opened it and froze.

Inside was an exclusive invitation to the party and a credit card.

She stared at it in disbelief before looking up at him. “Are you insane?”

Revansh smirked. “Debatable.”

“I am NOT taking your money,” she hissed, shoving the card back at him.

He sighed, shaking his head. “It’s not money, sweetheart. It’s an unlimited shopping card.”

“Exactly,” she snapped. “I’m not your charity case.”

Revansh chuckled. “I know. But you are my date.”

Aarini’s breath hitched.

Date?

As if reading her mind, Revansh smirked. “For the night, of course. Don’t read too much into it.”

Her heart pounded. She wanted to throw the card at his face, but a tiny, rebellious part of her was tempted.

It wasn’t about impressing him, it was about proving that she could step into his world and not be overshadowed.

She exhaled sharply. “Fine. But I’m paying you back.”

Revansh grinned, victorious. “We’ll see about that.”

***

The Malhotra estate was something out of a movie.

Golden chandeliers cast a soft glow over the grand ballroom, their crystals catching the light in a mesmerizing dance. The polished marble floor reflected the shimmering dresses of the elite crowd that had gathered, their laughter and conversation filling the air.

Aarini took a deep breath as she stepped inside, in her navy blue gown. It hugged her in all the right places, flowing elegantly to the floor, making her look like she belonged in this world.even if she didn’t feel like it.



The dress had cost a small fortune, and she was already mentally calculating how many months she’d have to save to pay him back.

She could feel people staring at her, whispering but she ignored them.

But one gaze burned more than the others.

Revansh.

He was leaning against the bar, dressed in a tailored black suit with the top few buttons of his shirt undone, revealing just a hint of his toned chest. His hair was perfectly styled, his expression unreadable until his lips curled into a smirk.



He pushed off the bar and strode toward her, eyes never leaving hers.

“You clean up nice, Joshi,” he murmured.

Aarini fought the warmth creeping up her neck. “Try not to sound so surprised.”

Revansh chuckled. “I’m not surprised. Just impressed.”

She rolled her eyes. “Where’s your actual date?”

He leaned in slightly. “Right in front of me.”

Aarini’s breath caught in her throat and for a second she didn't know what to speak.

She opened her mouth to argue but before she could respond, someone interrupted.

“Revansh, darling, you’re finally here.”

A stunning brunette draped in a red gown slid up beside him, her manicured nails tracing his arm.

Aarini immediately recognized her. Tanya Oberoi. The girl looked gorgeous. No doubt she was Revansh’s on-and-off girlfriend for the past year.

Tanya barely spared Aarini a glance before turning her attention back to Revansh. “You didn’t tell me you’d be bringing… company.”

Revansh smirked. “She’s not company. She’s my date.”

Tara’s expression faltered for a fraction of a second before she recovered, her lips curving into a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “How cute.”

Aarini clenched her jaw in anger. She had no plans to see the exes drama unfold.

***

The music shifted to a slow, haunting melody.

Revansh turned to her, holding out a hand. “Dance with me.”

Aarini hesitated for a second but then she saw Tanya still watching.

And suddenly, she wanted to play along. Just for tonight and with that she placed her hand in his.

Revansh’s smirk softened as he pulled her close, one hand resting against her waist, the other holding hers firmly.

They swayed to the music, bodies close but not quite touching.

“You hate me a little less now, don’t you?” he murmured.

Aarini scoffed. “Don’t flatter yourself.”

Revansh chuckled, his grip tightening slightly. “You’ll fall for me eventually, Joshi.”

She met his gaze, determination burning in her eyes.

“Not in this lifetime, Malhotra.”

But neither of them noticed the way their heartbeats quickened.

Or the fact that, for the first time, the game didn’t feel like a game anymore.

It felt real. Too real.

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So how was the chapter yall?

Any thoughts on today's characters?