Chapter: A Change of Pace (Continued)

Hazel stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the strap of her dress. She had chosen something different tonight—something bold. A sleek black dress that hugged her in just the right way, paired with heels that added an extra inch to her height. Her hair was styled effortlessly, soft waves falling over her shoulders, and her makeup was subtle yet sharp, accentuating her features.

She wasn’t sure why she had gone all out tonight. Maybe it was the way Arav always seemed so composed, never reacting too much. Maybe she just wanted to see if she could get a reaction out of him.

Naina, of course, had whistled dramatically when she stepped out of the room. “Damn, Hazel. You’re trying to kill someone tonight, huh?”

Hazel rolled her eyes. “It’s just a dress.”

Naina smirked. “Sure. Let’s pretend you didn’t check yourself in the mirror three times before we left.”

Now, as they arrived at the house party, the music was loud, the lights dim, and the energy buzzing. The house was packed with students—some dancing, some drinking, and some just lounging around in corners, deep in conversation.

The moment they stepped inside, Vivhan appeared, pulling Naina toward him. “Finally! Thought you’d never show up.”

Naina grinned. “I’d never miss my own party.”

And just like that, Hazel was left standing alone.

She glanced around. Arav wasn’t here yet.

With a small sigh, she made her way to the drink station. The warmth of the room, the chatter, the bass of the music—it was a lot, and a drink sounded like a good idea.

As she reached for a glass, a voice beside her made her pause.

“Well, this is unexpected.”

She turned to see a guy leaning against the counter, watching her with an easy smile. He was tall, broad-shouldered, with sharp features and a confident air about him.

“I don’t think we’ve met,” he said smoothly. “I’m Rohan.”

Hazel gave a polite nod, taking a sip of her drink. “Hazel.”

“Pretty name for a pretty girl,” Rohan remarked, eyes skimming over her dress. “You don’t seem like the party type.”

Hazel raised an eyebrow. “And what makes you say that?”

Rohan smirked. “You’re standing here with a drink instead of dancing or flirting with some guy.”

Hazel laughed lightly. “Maybe I’m just waiting for the right guy to flirt with.”

Rohan leaned in slightly, intrigued. “Am I in the running?”

Before Hazel could respond, a shift in energy made her glance over Rohan’s shoulder.

Arav had arrived.

He stood near the entrance, his black t-shirt fitting snugly over his frame, dark jeans completing his effortless look. But his expression? It was unreadable—his eyes locked onto her and Rohan, his jaw tightening slightly.

Hazel tilted her head, curiosity sparking.

Now this was interesting.

Hazel held Rohan’s gaze for a second longer before taking another sip of her drink, but her focus had already shifted. Arav hadn’t moved from where he stood, yet there was something in the way he looked at her—like he was trying to decide whether to interrupt or just walk away.

Rohan, completely unaware of the sudden tension, leaned in slightly. “So, what do you say? Should I consider myself lucky tonight?”

Hazel smirked but before she could answer, a familiar voice cut through the noise.

“I wouldn’t bet on it.”

Rohan turned, eyebrows raised, and Hazel suppressed a smile as Arav walked up beside her, his hands casually stuffed into his pockets, but his eyes held something sharp.

Rohan let out a small laugh. “And you are?”

Arav ignored the question entirely. Instead, his gaze flickered to Hazel. “You coming or are you busy?”

Hazel lifted an eyebrow, playing along. “Depends. Am I needed somewhere?”

Arav tilted his head slightly, his lips curving at the edges but his eyes still unreadable. “Yeah. You are.”

Hazel hummed in amusement before glancing at Rohan. “Looks like I have plans.”

Rohan exhaled through his nose, shaking his head with a chuckle. “Noted.”

As Arav turned, Hazel followed him, barely concealing her smirk.

“You didn’t have to do that,” she teased.

Arav glanced at her, his face unreadable. “Didn’t I?”

Hazel rolled her eyes. “You jealous, Arav?”

He didn’t respond right away. Instead, he reached for a drink from the table, taking his time before meeting her gaze.

“Should I be?”

Hazel blinked. She hadn’t expected him to throw that back at her.

For a moment, neither of them spoke, the party noise fading slightly as they stood there, watching each other.

And just like that, the game between them had changed.

The music pulsed through the air, a steady rhythm that matched the energy of the party. Hazel barely had time to react before Naina grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the dance floor. On the other side, Vivhan did the same to Arav, dragging him into the crowd.

"Come on, no one's standing still tonight!" Naina grinned, twirling Hazel before linking arms with her.

Hazel laughed, her earlier conversation with Arav momentarily pushed to the back of her mind. The lights flickered across the dance floor, the atmosphere buzzing with excitement.

Somewhere between the flashing lights and the beat drop, Hazel caught sight of Arav. He stood slightly off to the side, hands in his pockets, watching. He looked effortlessly cool despite the chaos around him, but there was something else—something almost calculating in the way his gaze swept over the crowd before finally landing on her.

Naina leaned in, shouting over the music, "Why is your basketball boy just standing there?"

Hazel smirked. "Maybe he's scared of the dance floor."

Naina scoffed. "Or maybe he just needs the right person to drag him in."

Before Hazel could protest, Naina had already turned to Vivhan. "Babe, get Arav."

Vivhan, more than happy to play along, clapped a hand on Arav’s shoulder. "No brooding in the corner. Come on!"

Arav sighed, but before he could refuse, Meera appeared, slipping through the crowd with practiced ease.

She smiled, her eyes landing on Arav first before flickering to Hazel. "Come on, Arav. Don’t tell me you forgot how to have fun?"

Hazel’s jaw tightened slightly, but she masked it with a casual sip of her drink.

Arav hesitated for a moment, but then Vivhan gave him a playful shove, and suddenly, he was on the dance floor.

Meera, of course, took the opportunity to close the distance between them.

Hazel should’ve looked away. She should’ve focused on Naina and let the night play out as it would. But she didn’t. Instead, she watched as Meera leaned in, whispering something in Arav’s ear, a smirk playing on her lips.

And for the first time that night, Hazel felt something she wasn’t ready to admit.

The flashing lights and pounding music became too much. Hazel needed air, space—anything to clear the sudden weight in her chest. Without a word to Naina, she slipped away from the dance floor, weaving through the crowd until she found the stairs leading to the terrace.

Up here, the noise was muffled, the cool night air a welcome contrast to the heat inside. A few people lingered in quiet conversations, but it wasn’t overwhelming. Hazel exhaled, rolling her shoulders back before heading straight to the small bar set up in the corner.

"A whiskey sour, please," she ordered, leaning against the counter as the bartender nodded.

Her fingers tapped against the wood, her mind replaying the image of Meera whispering something to Arav. And worse—him listening.

What was she even doing? It wasn’t like she and Arav were anything. They barely knew each other. So why did it feel like something sharp had settled in her chest?

The bartender slid the drink toward her, breaking her thoughts. She took a sip, letting the bitter warmth settle her nerves.

"Not a bad choice," a voice commented beside her.

Hazel glanced over, finding the same guy from earlier—the one who had complimented her when she first walked in. He leaned against the bar casually, a smirk playing on his lips.

"You again," Hazel said, raising an eyebrow.

He grinned. "I could say the same about you. Thought you’d still be inside, turning heads."

She huffed a quiet laugh. "Needed a break."

"Understandable." He took a sip of his own drink before offering a hand. "I don’t think we properly introduced ourselves. I’m Rohan."

Hazel hesitated for only a second before shaking his hand. "Hazel."

"Nice to meet you, Hazel." His eyes flickered toward the door. "So, what exactly drove you out here? The party? The crowd? Or…" His smirk deepened. "Someone in particular?"

Hazel stiffened slightly before masking it with another sip of her drink. "Just needed air," she said smoothly.

Rohan chuckled, clearly unconvinced. "Fair enough. Mind if I keep you company?"

Hazel tilted her head. "That depends. Are you going to ask too many questions?"

"I'll try my best to behave."

She smirked. "We’ll see about that."

And just like that, for a moment, she let herself forget about Arav and Meera. Or at least, she tried to.

As Hazel took another sip of her whiskey sour, she heard a familiar voice behind her.

"There you are! I’ve been looking all over for you," Naina announced dramatically, slipping onto the stool next to her. She waved the bartender over, ordering a drink for herself before turning to Hazel. "Why’d you disappear?"

Hazel shrugged, swirling the liquid in her glass. "Needed some air. The party got a little… overwhelming."

Naina studied her for a second before her eyes flickered toward Rohan, who was still nearby, casually sipping his drink. She arched an eyebrow but didn’t say anything. Instead, she turned back to Hazel. "You sure it wasn’t something… or someone?"

Hazel rolled her eyes. "If you’re asking about Arav, don’t."

Naina smirked. "Oh, I wasn’t asking about Arav." She shot a glance at Rohan, who lifted his drink slightly in greeting. Hazel sighed.

"Okay, maybe I was asking about Arav," Naina admitted, finally getting her drink. "But only because I saw you watching him earlier. And don’t even try to deny it."

Hazel scoffed, taking a longer sip. "It’s nothing, Naina."

Her best friend hummed, unconvinced. "Is this about Meera?"

Hazel hesitated before sighing. "I don’t know. Maybe? She was talking to him, and I just—" She stopped, shaking her head. "Forget it."

Naina tilted her head, her playful expression shifting into something more serious. "You think there’s something going on between them?"

Hazel didn’t answer right away. "I don’t know what to think. She keeps saying these little things about him—like warnings. And I don’t get why."

Naina frowned. "That’s weird. Why would she do that?"

Hazel let out a short laugh. "Exactly my question."

Naina took a sip of her drink, processing this. "So, what are you gonna do?"

Hazel leaned back, exhaling. "Nothing. I mean, what can I do? It’s not like Arav and I—" She paused, pressing her lips together. "It’s not like I have any right to care."

Naina gave her a knowing look. "Hazel, you wouldn’t be up here overthinking this if you didn’t care."

Hazel groaned. "I hate you sometimes."

Naina grinned, clinking her glass against Hazel’s. "You love me. Now, let’s drink before we spiral any further into the ‘does-he-like-me-or-not’ mess."

Hazel chuckled, shaking her head, but she drank anyway. For now, she’d let it go. But something about Meera’s words still sat uneasily in the back of her mind.

As Hazel and Naina made their way back downstairs, the music grew louder, the air buzzing with laughter and conversations. Hazel was already feeling the warmth of the alcohol spreading through her, but she was still in control—for now.

Then, as she reached the bottom of the stairs, a familiar voice cut through the noise.

"Where have you been?"

She turned, blinking up at Arav, who was standing near the bar. His brown eyes scanned her face, a mix of curiosity and something else—concern? She wasn’t sure.

Hazel didn’t answer immediately, just swayed slightly on her feet before Naina steadied her with a hand on her arm. "We were on the terrace," Naina answered for her, giving Arav a pointed look.

Arav’s gaze flickered to Hazel’s drink, then back to her flushed face. "You’re drunk."

Hazel scoffed. "I’m not drunk. I’m just… relaxed."

Arav’s lips twitched, but before he could say anything, a loud voice interrupted.

"HAZEL!"

Vivhan appeared out of nowhere, grinning wildly, a shot glass in hand. "I challenge you!"

Hazel raised an eyebrow. "Challenge me to what?"

"Shots," Vivhan declared, already lining up glasses on the counter. "We all know you don’t back down from a challenge, Roy."

Naina groaned. "Oh, no."

Arav crossed his arms. "Absolutely not."

But Hazel? Hazel narrowed her eyes at Vivhan and smirked. "You think you can beat me?"

Vivhan leaned in, amused. "I know I can beat you."

Arav ran a hand down his face. "Hazel, no."

Hazel turned to him, tilting her head with a teasing smile. "Scared I’ll win?"

"I’m scared you’ll pass out," he corrected, unimpressed.

Vivhan clapped a hand on her shoulder. "Come on, Roy. Unless you’re scared?"

Hazel huffed, rolling her shoulders back. "Line them up."

Arav exhaled sharply. "You’re impossible."

But Hazel barely heard him. All she cared about now was not losing. Because if there was one thing she hated more than overthinking, it was losing a challenge.

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