7:05 PM - The Moment Things Got Worse

Siya had reached a point where she no longer controlled her life.

She was merely a spectator.

A very stressed spectator.

Rohan was still standing beside the table looking personally victimized.

Aaru was eating fries she didn't order.

Kabir was questioning his career choices.

And the stranger-

The stranger looked suspiciously entertained.

Which was unacceptable.

"Sit down, Rohan," Aaru said.

"No."

"Then stand dramatically. I don't care."

Rohan pointed toward the stranger.

"You met him TODAY?"

"Yes," Siya replied.

"And you came to a café with him?"

"Yes."

"You wouldn't even come to a café with me."

"Because you once sent me a reel titled 10 Signs She's Secretly Obsessed With You."

Aaru slammed the table.

"EXPOSE HIM."

Rohan looked betrayed.

"It was educational."

"It was embarrassing."

The stranger quietly took a sip of coffee.

"I'm starting to understand why she ignored you."

Kabir immediately looked away.

Aaru gasped.

"OH HE'S TALKING NOW."

Rohan stared.

"Excuse me?"

The stranger smiled politely.

The kind of smile that made peple nervous.

"I said I'm starting to understand."

Siya pressed her fingers against her forehead.

This was becoming a disaster.

Then suddenly-

A phone notification echoed.

Ping.

Everyone ignored it.

Another ping.

Then another.

And another.

And another.

Ping.

Ping.

Ping.

Ping.

The entire table looked toward Aaru.

Aaru looked innocent.

"Why are you looking at me?"

"Your phone sounds like it's having a seizure," Siya replied.

Aaru checked the screen.

Then froze.

"Oh."

"What?"

"Oh no."

"What?!"

Aaru slowly turned the screen around.

The entire table leaned closer.

Instagram Notifications.

38 New Messages

17 Story Replies

12 Follow Requests

Siya blinked.

"What happened?"

Aaru opened Instagram.

And immediately screamed.

"WE'RE VIRAL."

The stranger frowned.

Kabir sighed.

Rohan looked confused.

Siya looked terrified.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN VIRAL?"

Aaru showed the screen.

One of the college girls had uploaded a blurry photo from the café.

The caption read:

> Our Wattpad Queen found her Mafia Boss 😭❤️

Below it-

Another photo.

Then another.

Then another.

One of them was literally Shashwat helping Siya after she fainted.

Another was him holding her books.

Another was him looking at her.

And the comments...

The comments were INSANE.

> WHO IS HE???

> SIS WON LIFE

> HE LOOKS LIKE HE COMMITS TAX FRAUD ATTRACTIVELY

> THIS ISN'T A BOYFRIEND THIS IS A NETFLIX SUBSCRIPTION

> SIYA DROP THE TUTORIAL

Kabir covered his face.

"I hate social media."

The stranger remained strangely calm.

Too calm.

Aaru zoomed further.

Then gasped.

"No way."

"What now?" Siya asked nervously.

Aaru turned the screen around.

Someone had created an edit already.

AN EDIT.

WITH MUSIC.

IN UNDER AN HOUR.

The edit showed:

Siya fainting

Him catching her

Him holding her books.

Him laughing

Slow-motion effects included.

The comments were even worse.

> MOM COME PICK ME UP I'M FEELING THINGS

> THEY HAVEN'T EVEN DATED YET

> I SHIP IT

> WATTPAD IN REAL LIFE

The stranger looked at the video.

Then at Siya.

Then back at the video.

"...interesting."

Aaru pointed dramatically.

"INTERESTING?!"

Kabir stood up.

"I'm leaving."

"No you're not," Aaru replied immediately.

"Watch me."

He took three steps.

His phone rang.

He answered.

"Yes?"

Pause.

His expression changed instantly.

The amusement disappeared.

Completely.

The stranger noticed.

So did Siya.

Kabir listened quietly for several seconds.

Then-

"...what?"

The table fell silent.

Kabir's jaw tightened.

"Are you sure?"

More silence.

Then he ended the call.

The stranger looked up immediately.

"What happened?"

For the first time all evening.

Kabir didn't have a sarcastic answer.

Instead he looked directly at the stranger.

Serious.

Cold.

Dangerously serious.

"We need to leave."

The atmosphere changed instantly.

Even Siya felt it.

"What happened?" she asked.

Kabir hesitated.

Then glanced toward the café entrance.

Where three men had just walked inside.

Normal-looking.

Forgettable.

The kind of faces people never remembered.

But Kabir recognized them immediately.

And judging by the look in his eyes-

That wasn't good.

Not good at all.

The stranger stood slowly.

Still calm.

But something about him felt different now.

Sharper.

Like a switch had flipped.

Kabir spoke quietly.

"Those men aren't here for coffee."

And suddenly-

The funniest day of Siya's life was about to become something else entirely.