"Hey Maahi, is he your friend?" Sam asks, pointing towards Rehaan.
"Nah, he's actually my older brother," she replies.
"Oh, my bad," Sam apologizes, getting up and bowing respectfully. "Nice to meet you, brother." Rehaan gives him a quick once-over.
"Is he the one?" Rehaan whispers, looking at Maahi.
She shakes her head and turns to Sam. "Who are you? Have we met before?" Maahi asks, looking confused.
"I'm Sam."
"Wait, which Sam?" Maahi questions.
"The one you called to come here."
Rehaan leaned forward, his hands firmly planted on the table, causing the juice to tremble.
"Are you the one following my sister? You stalker"
"I'm not a stalker, I'm Sam, her college senior," he replied.
"What kind of senior?" she inquired.
Rehaan paused, then pointed towards Maahi. "Her brother is right there. Still pretending," he remarked. "Is he the one bothering you, Maahi?"
"No, brother, I don't recognize him," she responded.
"Wait, hold on, I'm not a psycho. I'm just a regular guy," he insisted. "And Maahi and I have met before."
"How?" Rehaan questioned.
"I helped Maahi out once when she was in trouble," he explained.
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"What?" she asked, clearly puzzled.
"Maahi, remember when you complained about a senior to the principal during your first year, and I was the one who supported you? Don't you remember?" Sam tells her.
"Senior...complain...?" she says, pondering deeper. "Sam, are you talking about our super senior from the Music department?" she asks.
"Yes, it's me. You remember," Sam confirms.
"Hmm," Maahi nods.
"Then why are you here, Sam?" Rehaan asks.
"Maahi told me to come here. She texted me, look," he says, showing his chats.
"So, it was you who keeps bothering me. No, wait, but why?" she asks.
"Me? No way. Why would I?" Sam denies. "I am..."
"Listen to me carefully," Rehaan interrupts, cutting off his words. "Don't you dare disturb my sister again, or I will..."
"Sorry, brother. Maahi, I think there is some misunderstanding. Brother, we have to figure out what."
"What happened, Sam?" a voice from behind Sam asks.
A man wearing a black hoodie, black mask, and cap stood next to Sam. Rehaan and Maahi glanced at him. The man locked eyes with Sam before turning his gaze to Rehaan. His eyes widened upon seeing Rehaan, as if he had stumbled upon a long-lost treasure.
"Well, well... it seems you're not alone. Are you here for a confrontation?" Rehaan remarked, his voice laced with curiosity.
Sam swiftly intervened, eager to dispel any notions of hostility. "No, no, he's my friend. We're not here to fight," he clarified.
"If you're itching for a battle, we're more than willing to oblige," his companion chimed in, taking a seat beside Sam.
Rehaan scrutinized the man intently, his mind racing to unravel the enigma before him. "Wait a moment, why does that voice sound so familiar?" he muttered to himself, his eyes darting around in search of a connection.
With a mischievous grin, Sam's friend removed his cap, revealing his true identity. In that fleeting moment, Rehaan's gaze locked onto him, refusing to waver, as if determined to uncover the secrets hidden within. As the mask slipped away, Maahi gasped in astonishment, while Rehaan found himself completely taken aback.
'Tevin... why on earth is he here?' Rehaan pondered silently, his body frozen in place. 'Of all the times to encounter my first love and my worst friend, it had to be in the most unexpected circumstances'.
Tevin paid no attention to anyone else, his eyes fixated solely on Rehaan. An uneasy feeling washed over Rehaan, causing him to avoid meeting Tevin's gaze.
Maahi's voice burst with exhilaration as she called out, "Tevin!" Her eyes sparkled with recognition. "I can't believe it's you, the Tevin from the Youth Dreamers group!"
Tevin responded to Maahi, "Indeed, it is I."
He shifted his attention towards Rehaan and uttered, "It has been quite a while, my dear friend." A warm smile graced Tevin's face, radiating genuine joy.
To be continued...