---
If someone had asked me what my dream school entrance looked like, I would've said something peaceful — maybe me sipping cold coffee, walking quietly, hiding from humans.
But no.
Instead, I was standing at the main gate of eternal High school with half the school staring at me, the other half staring at the super-shiny luxury car parked right next to me,which is rarely to be seen here and the rest capturing reels like their life depended on it.
And why?
Because Arav singhania had stepped out of that car, leaned against the door like a movies hero, and was now looking straight at me.
Correction:
Looking at his hired girlfriend.
Yes. Hired. Me.Riya sharma
God, why.
The murmurs were wild:
"THIS is leo's girlfriend?"
"She looks normal."
"How thinks ,they can be together?"
"Do you think she blinked twice? Maybe it's a scandal!"
I swear, if gossip was a career, my school would've produced CEOs.,but i don't totally blame them because a 20yo ,handsome ,blue eyed ,son of politician ,completed his high school from abroad and suddenly came to graduate here from here's big university and one of the forbes top model dating a normal 18 yo ,studying in senior year normal high school is not normal
Arav smirked at me — that annoying, arrogant kind that looks like it's carved out of expensive moisturizer and ego.
I was pretending that i didn't see him
Ahh i know thats stupid
I tried to ignore and wanted to move to the other direction because i don't want other to gossip about us more but i guess this doesn't digested by this 6 feet tall man
He stopped me like i fully belonged to him
"Smile," he whispered as he stopped beside me.
"I will punch you," I whispered back.
"Punch me after school. Dad may be watching from the car camera.,and also we may be getting principles attention"
I froze.
Great.
Attention?
And the more greatest thing is that vihan vashishth my almost boyfriend also my very best friend since childhood whom i don't think we'll be even friend or not after all this
We had something between us
Something more than friends and i know everyone thinks the same as i or i should say we
But the moment had changed the every situation
I can't tolerate this,he is looking at me innocently .....i made him feel super upset ,everyone is gossiping about him and i am sure ,me with leo absolutely making him feel bad .
I hope i could tell him everything but all i can do is just ignore him like i never know him before
I always craved to make long minute eye contact with him,but those eye contact i just made was never wanted which was filled with pain and pain and pain .
"Is it seriously important??" I asked leo
"Die heartedly..yes."
As if this wasn't humiliating enough.
I start moving
"Don't walk so fast," he muttered.
"Don't walk so slow," I muttered back.
Then he held my hand softly and slowly ,he even put his hand over my head and then petting at my shoulder ,he then opened the door for me like a gentleman .
This adds fuels to the fire ,i didn't look back because i don't want to see that upset face
We walked inside together, pretending to be a couple, while I prayed the ground would open and swallow me. Meanwhile, leo enjoyed the attention like a plant enjoys sunlight.
"Can you… at least pretend you're happy?"
"Can you pretend you're human?"
He choked. I felt victorious.
The car was painfully silent.
Arav drove like he was allergic to conversation.
Jaw tight, eyes fixed ahead, as if talking to me might cause him physical pain.
I cleared my throat.
"So… you didn't tell me you'd pick me up from the school gate like a—"
"Like a what?" he asked, still not looking at me.
"A—celebrity husband," I muttered.
His fingers tightened on the steering wheel.
"I didn't pick you up for fun," he said flatly. "Principal was at the gate. He needed to see us together."
"Great," I sighed. "Now the whole school thinks we're in a full-blown romance."
He didn't respond.
Of course.
Arav never responded unless the topic was business, money, or existential suffering.
I looked out the window… only to find vihan still standing there, watching the car drive away.
My chest tightened.
He looked so broken.
---
Inside the Car — riya Tries Not to Die
Arav finally spoke.
"You shouldn't look back so much."
"I wasn't," I lied.
"You were," he said with zero emotion.
"And it looked dramatic. Avoid it next time."
"Next time?" I frowned.
"There's a next time for being publicly humiliated?"
He didn't even blink.
"This entire deal is humiliation. Get used to it."
I stared at him.
He stared at the road.
Typical.
And eva went into the flashback
She had been broke.
Properly broke.
Like I-will-cry-if-my-scooter-needs-petrol broke.
Her dad's medical bills, rent, and everything else collapsing at once.
She needed urgent money as her dad met with an dangerous accident
She was wiping tables in the café all day and night ,so many part time jobs together
She rarely had enough sleep and food
She didn't even attended her school since two moths ,which was as enough to be called this moment as tsunami of her life. Until then when a tall man in a crisp shirt approached her with the emotional range of a refrigerator.,and brings more tsunami.
Arav Singh Rathore.
"Would you pretend to be my girlfriend for three months?" he asked as if ordering a sandwich.
Riya had dropped the tray.
"WHAT?"
He didn't blink.
"My father interferes too much in my life. I need a girlfriend so he'll stop pushing marriage proposals or he made me engaged with bussiness woman who will at the end cheat me like my mother did,
I saw you at the debate competition
You won right?,you have sharp tongue and i like your this baddie attitude,and guess you need money ,datingng you makes my dad impression in politics more proficient ,interesting and attention seeking which is enough to make You look… reliable."
Reliable?
Riya wanted to cry and laugh simultaneously.
But the money…is more than enough
Oh God, the money.
That night she sat with the contract in front of her.
No physical relationship.
No emotional expectations.
No falling in love.
Professional boundaries.
"Why me?" she had asked.
"You won't fall in love with me," he replied calmly.
Riya had never signed anything faster in her life.,because all she remembered is her father.
---
Car stopped and i get into the current situation
Arav Drops Her Off
He stopped the car two lanes before her colony.
"Why here?" she asked.
"There are nosy aunties near your building," he said.
"I don't want extra drama today."
Wow.
So now he cared about aunties?
"Don't forget," he added, "there's an event next week. You need to attend."
"Fine."
"And don't do anything stupid until then."
"I wasn't planning to breathe stupidly without your permission," Riya snapped.
He didn't react.
Of course.
She stepped out.
He drove away without waiting.
The contract life had begun.
EVENING — ARAV'S HORROR DINNER
Arav entered the singhania mansion and immediately regretted existing.
The dining hall lights were too bright.
The table was too long.
And his family was too… dramatic.
I need a new planet.
---so,it was family dinner which rarely happend before because arav and his sister ananya were sent to abroad for studies ,and other days he was always busy in politics,election ,meetings etc.,but suddenly we are having dinners.
---
He hated family dinners.
He hated the forced smiles.
He hated his father's judgemental looks.
He hated that he treated him like a long-term business project.
The only reason he even AGREED to the fake relationship was—
His sister.
Ananya
Owner of biggest make up brand 247 shades, a rich kid wanted her wish to be fulfilled at any cost.
His dramatic, emotional, unpredictable younger sister who adored him like he hung the moon.
The only girl who got super relaxed ,calm and happy by seeing his brother fake dating eva as using her for ananya's happiness .
And who had literally refused to eat for four days until she gets theo
Yes vihan ,she likes vihan but vihan likes riya ,there was no chance of ananya and theo but she was adamant that she wanted vihan only
She insisted her brother leo to trap riya and pretend to be with her , as she was great close sister of arav and he don't wanted to see his sister starve to death ,
He agreed to start this drama.
She was his weakness.
His only soft spot.
His only real family.
Arav entered the dining room.
Before he could respond, someone squealed.
"BHAAAI!"
Ananya ran toward him like a missile of emotion.
She hugged him tight.
"Are you okay? You didn't faint from having feelings, right?"
"I don't have feelings," Arav muttered.
"Exactly my concern." She grinned.
They sat.
Food arrived.
Drama began.
"Isn't dad comin"? Leo asked
Imstead of giving answer she carry on with her musings"So…" she smirked, "…how's your little romance going?"
Arav glared.
"Don't call it that."
"But it is that," she teased. "You literally went to pick her up today. The whole school saw. My friends sent me videos."
His fork froze mid-air.
"What videos?" he demanded.
"Oh," she said casually, "just you standing there like a mafia king waiting for his wife."
Arav nearly choked.
Arav softened instantly.
"You okay now?"
She hit him with her spoon.
"Do I look okay? I starved myself for FOUR DAYS so you would finally pretend to date someone! Even my skincare suffered!"
Arav pinched the bridge of his nose.
"You didn't need to do that."
"I DID!"
She slapped the spoon on the table.
"I can never repay your favour broo,i just love you soooo much"
Arav sighed.
"Do you really thinks this will work out and you will get theo".
"Controlling oxygen supply?"
Ananya raised her eyebrow.
"Exactly,i don't think he'll even talk to her again afterall she left him for money,and you really don't know what were people talkin about her in the school about her new date,its greate time to put him into my trap and i am sure he also wanted someone to cry over and to move on."
Arav shook his head.
"But she didn't really do this for money but for her father ,and i don't think breaking someone apart for our own sake is good thing,you should not have insisted on this".
Then ananya slowly leaned forward, squinting.
"Oho bhai,are you on my side or on her side ,am i your honey or she?,is she sprinkle magic on you like she did on my theo,she had already spend much time with theo now its my turn ,i can't tell you how i feels when i see theo and eva together .
It seems like direct arrows in my heart....i love him so much .he is my first love at sight ,i saw him at the debate competition in which our school lost and their teams wins he was looking very charming in that uniform but that girl always stick with him or should i say he akways stick with her.till then i decided one day i'll teach her a lesson ,how can i leave him..for him i even get admission to that small school but there i was always got disappointed by eva brown "
Arav blinked.
"Uh,but this is not fair"
"I KNEW IT,you would say something like this but you just need to pretend tgis for some months and its not only benefitting me but you too.,as this get you rid from stupid proposals and daddy getting attention to and after all she is also getting paid for this!" she gasped dramatically.
"She talks too much," Arav muttered before he could stop himself.
"Oho! You noticed she talks too much?"
Anika smirked.
"That means you paid attention."
"I didn't," he lied instantly.
"Mhmm. Sure ,well she will because she is debate competition winner."
She poked him with the spoon again.
"Anyway, thank you… for doing this. I know you only agreed because of me."
She looked genuinely grateful now.
Arav rested a hand on her head.
"Anika… you're my sister. I'd do anything."
She hugged him again—but then froze mid-hug.
"WAIT."
"What?"
Her eyes widened.
"Bhai… PLEASE don't fall for her."
Arav choked on air.
Before he could respond, their father burst in, beaming like he won a medal.
The man i was talking about.
Anupam singhania ,a famous business man and politician who loved to be busy in work more than family but it doesn't mean he dont love his family or he cared about it .
He care so much but only when he get benefit from it but i and my sis always thinks he'll be with us one day without any reason.
"Arav! I told the rathore family next door about your girlfriend and they congratulated me! We are getting so much fame!
His father looked up with shining eyes.
"Arav! Newspaper reporters asked me today about your girlfriend! Such proud moment"
When are you bringing the girl home? I want to meet her!"
Arav spilled the water out he just drank
Arav closed his eyes.
He atleast wanted a pause he never saw his father so happy because of him and talked to him like this as he always busy in his work and why not he would share his happiness ,afterall this is benificient for leo's dad that a rich politician is so grounded that his son dating a poor ,common girl and daughter attending normal town school.
His father was excited.
His mother was plotting.
His sister was suspicious.
His ex-almost-girlfriend was probably crying in a café.
And his fake girlfriend was clueless.
Just another day in his disaster life.
And that…
was how the nightmare truly began.
---
His father clapped happily.
"See! This is why you needed a girlfriend! People LOVE you both!"
Arav wanted into traffic.
! When are you bringing her home?"