Legacy Unveiled: The Hidden Heir

Chapter 9: Shadows and Smiles

Someone sniggered from behind. "Looks like someone is having a good time," drawled Shivansh.

I turned around, realizing they heard all of that. They looked away, pretending they saw nothing. But for once, in my mind, I wished that it was just me and Pragyan. As if he heard what I thought, Pragyan said, "Guys, seriously, just let us be alone. Go patch up your girlfriends if you are so jobless." His cheeks were flushed. "Ah, so our boy wants some time alone with his girl, eh?" said Arnav. They turned around, walking towards Madhu and Geeta, who were watching them angrily, tears welling up in their eyes as the boys approached them.

"Ummm... so what do you wanna talk about?" he glanced at me. I shyly asked after a moment's thought, "Has anyone... at school... ever asked you out?" He looked at me and burst out laughing. "Well, duh... like many girls have asked for the dance next month. Why hasn't anyone asked you?" he said, his laughing expression shutting up the moment I shook my head, and looked to the ground, realizing that he already had a date to the dance. "Umm... I shouldn't have laughed. I didn't mean it that way," he stuttered, embarrassed. "Could you leave my hand alone now? I'm fine, you know," I said, and he immediately left it, but by his expression, I understood that my voice came out cold.

"Hey, on the bright side, I still don't have a date," Pragyan said, his tone trying to lift the mood, but I couldn't shake off the feeling of rejection written on my face.

"So?" I replied, my voice tinged with indifference. "Do you think I care?" He studied my expression.

"So...?" He looked at me with a mischievous grin. "Are you... jealous?"

I snorted in disbelief. "Yeah right, jealous my foot."

I leveled my gaze at him, a smirk playing on my lips. "Oh, so you actually thought I'd ask you out? Please, not in your wildest dreams."

His cocky demeanor faltered as if my words were a punch to his ego. "I still don't have a date," I mocked, mimicking his earlier tone, watching his cheerful expression twist into annoyance.

"As if you do," he shot back, his voice dripping with irritation.

"You'd think I care about the stupid dance when I'm not even going," I countered, my tone filled with defiance.

His eyes narrowed. "You aren't going?"

"Nope," I said with a grin, relishing the opportunity to knock him down a peg. "I've got a soccer match, so I'll be busy kicking goals while you're dancing like a fool."

A flicker of surprise danced across his face before a mask of defiance settled in. "You know what? I don't give a damn either. I give up," he said, his tone icy as he strode ahead, leaving me in his wake. Regret gnawed at me; I had ignited this standoff.

With frustration and longing swirling within me, I hurried to catch up, but he increased his pace, refusing to engage. Finally, I grabbed his arm, but he jerked away, irritation dripping from his voice. "What's your problem?"

"I'm sorry, okay? And fine... maybe I was a tad jealous. But you should know better than to just walk away, especially from a friend, even if you're being chased by a million girls," I said, refusing to release my grip. "Now, can we talk?" I implored, my eyes pleading for understanding.

"I knew my company was valuable," he smirked, his arrogance grating on my nerves. Suppressing the urge to roll my eyes, I warned, "Don't push it."

Undeterred, I pressed on, determination coloring my voice. "Hey, since you're going, who did you want to ask to the dance?" His cheeks flushed as he avoided my gaze. "Well, I wanted to ask you, but since you're not going... I guess nobody," he muttered, his admission hanging in the air.

I halted, defiance surging through me. "What if I told you it was just a practice match, gearing up for the next season against the Midnight Mavericks?" Hope flickered in his eyes. "So, does that mean you'll go to the dance with me?"

I paused, relishing the moment before responding with a smirk of my own. "Sure, why the hell not? It's just a dance, after all."

He chuckled but I knew that he was happy.

We finally reached the van an hour later, darkness cloaking the surroundings as we waited for the rest to show up. "Wouldn't it be a riot if they all just started getting cozy in the car and we played spectator?" I asked, a mischievous smirk playing on my lips.

Pragyan chuckled, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Oh, for sure. But knowing our school, they'll catch on that the shipping has evolved into full-blown couples," he quipped, his voice tinged with laughter.

Twenty minutes later, everyone else arrived, and it was obvious to us that Kajol Aunty had caught on to the fact that the pairs she spotted earlier were indeed couples. Her expression held a teasing edge as Arnav and Shivansh put on their best gentlemanly behavior in her presence.

We all squished into the car, me and Pragyan at the back, Arnav and Madhu in the middle, and Shivansh and Geeta up front. The ride was dead silent, everyone totally beat. If anyone said anything, it was barely above a whisper. I nodded off, like always, until Pragyan shook me awake as we pulled up to my place. Still half asleep, I accidentally planted a peck on his cheek, and suddenly, I was wide awake, feeling like a total dork. "I am so sorry, I shouldn't have," I blurted out, my face on fire.

Pragyan just chuckled, looking chill as ever. "No worries, good night!" he said, giving me a grin.

"Good night!" I muttered, practically stumbling out of the car. Once I was in my room, I flopped onto my bed, replaying the moment in my head a million times before finally drifting off to sleep.