Author pov

The next day, Jahaan was getting ready to attend his classes. As he was donning his shirt, he couldn't help but think of his peculiar date with Tanya yesterday. He smiled as he thought about it. Jahaan quickly grabbed his bag and descended downstairs.

"Mom, I'm going to...," Jahaan was about to announce something when suddenly, his eyes tell on Mr. Mehta sipping his coffee on the table. Mrs. Jahaan sensed his hesitation and, plastering a smile on her face, asked Jahaan to sit down for breakfast.

Jahaan knew that his mom was trying to mend his relationship with his father. He took a deep breath and sat down on one of the chairs. Mrs. Mehta smiled at Jahaan and the three of them started having their breakfast silently.

Apart from the clinking of knives and forks, there was no sound audible. After a moment of this awkward and uncomfortable silence, Mr. Mehta finally spoke up.

"Don't forget that you are going to college to study. I hope that you will not disappoint me!" Mr. Mehta  muttered, looking at Jahaan .

"Have you ever even felt proud of me, Dad? No matter what I did, you never felt proud of me. Then how can I disappoint you?" Jahaan  asked in a taunting tone. Hearing his son's remarks, Mr. Mehta  got up and left, ignoring what Jahaan  had just said.

" Jahaan , please don't mind your Dad's behaviour. You know he is--" Mrs. Mehta  started, but Jahaan  cut her off.

"Please, mom. You don't have to defend his behaviour," Jahaan  said in a resigned tone.

"But, Jahaan .." Mrs. Mehta said, but Jahaan interrupted her again.

"I don't want to talk about him, mom. But please do one thing for me. Just keep a track on him and don't let him do anything that will harm Tanya or her future!" he requested.

" Jahaan , your Dad will do nothing of this kind. Don't worry," Mrs. Mehta assured him, but Jahaan was still sceptical.

On the other end, when Tanya and Illahi came out of their apartment after getting ready for college, Tanya noticed Jordan 's car in the distance.

" Illahi , what is Jordan doing here?" Tanya asked, looking at her.

"Um...I...I don't know!" Illahi stuttered.

She did not want to tell Tanya about her recent interactions with Jordan .

"Come on, let's go and ask him!" Tanya announced, and both of them proceeded towards Jordan's car.

Jordan was surprised to see Tanya coming along with Illahi .
" Tanya is back? She is definitely gonna ask a lot of questions. What if Illahi doesn't want me to tell her the truth?" Jordan thought to himself.

"Hi Jordan , what are you doing here?" Tanya asked with a polite smile.

Jordan glanced at Illahi , who gestured to him not to tell anything to Tanya .

"Well, um... actually..." Jordan  stuttered.

He composed himself and then replied, "Actually, I was just passing by this route today, and I decided that I should pick you guys up!"

Before Tanya  could say anything, Illahi  spoke up.
"Thanks, Jordan . We are anyways too late to take the subway!" Illahi  said quickly and hopped inside Jordan's  car.

Tanya followed her and Jordan  started driving towards college. 

When Jahaan  arrived at college, he started searching for Tanya , but she was nowhere to be found.

"I think she hasn't arrived yet!" he muttered to himself.

He was going towards the lecture hall when Anika , one of Reeva's friends, saw him.

"jahaan's back! I think I should tell Reeva  about this!" Anika  muttered to herself and called her.

"Hey, Reeva ! Are you coming to the college today?" Anika  asked after Reeva  picked up the call.

"Yes, I am. Was just getting inside the car," Reeva  replied.

"That's great! Because a surprise is waiting for you!" Anika  mentioned with great excitement.

"Why? What happened?" Reeva  asked, feeling confused.

"Jahaan has come back! I just saw him!" Anika  informed. Reeva  was shocked to hear this.

"Are you still there,Reeva ?" Anika  asked when Reeva  did not reply to her news.

"Yes, Anika  . I will see you in class," Reeva  mentioned hurriedly and disconnected the call.

She asked her chauffeur to drive her to the college as quickly as possible.

" Jahaan has finally returned after a whole week! The entire week I was wondering where he might have gone! At the same time, even Tanya  had disappeared from the classes. I have to find out what's going on!" Reeva  thought to herself, sitting in her car. She was already suspecting of Jahaan  and Tanya , and the thought of them together filled her soul with anger,

On the other hand, Tanya , Illahi and Jordan finally arrived at the college.

"I am glad that everything is fine between you and Jahaan !" Jordan  stated to Tanya  as they were proceeding towards their class. Tanya  looked at him and signalled to lower his
voice.

"Actually, jordan , I don't want to make jahaan  and my relationship public right now!"
tanya explained.

"But why?" Stanley asked, surprised.

"You know how popular Jahaan is with the students, and I don't want all of this to become a topic of gossip everywhere. Also, I think both of us need time to develop our relationship. So guys, be careful and keep it a secret!" Tanya requested.

"Don't worry. We are not going to tell anyone!"illahi assured, and Jordan nodded his head.

jahaanwas sitting in the classroom, but his entire focus was directed towards the entrance door. He was eagerly anticipating Tanya's presence. Suddenly, Tanya entered the classroom, along with Illahi and Jordan. tanya and Jahaan glanced at each other, and a small smile played on their lips. jordan  took a seat beside Jahaan while Tanya sat with illahi.

this Jordan's third-wheeling a lot now !!!

"If you are done watching your girlfriend, then you can say hello to your best friend too!" jordan  teased jahaan . Both of them exchanged a high-five.

"So you and tanya , huh! It was just a matter of time!" jordan  asked with a smile.

no thanks to you baby ;(

"I should have confessed my feelings to tanya  way earlier," jahaan  replied.

"You are lucky that she loves you. If it was someone else, they would have never forgiven you!"jordan expressed.

"Absolutely, I am one hell of a lucky guy," jahaan  replied with a smirk.

"I never could have imagined that snobbish and rude jahaan  would soon turn into a Romeo!"jordan  teased.

"I am still rude, but not to tanya !" jahaan  replied with a giggle.

"What about Illahi ? Is she just your crush or anything more?" Jahaan asked. jordan was taken aback by this inquiry. He looked at Illahi, who was laughing with Tanya.

"Don't worry, jahaan . I'll sort out everything," jordan  replied with a sad smile. jahaan  was going to press jordan , but jordan interrupted him.

" illahi informed me that you returned two days back. So, why didn't you call me?" He asked jahaan .

"Yes, there were some problems!" jahaan replied, remembering his recent confrontations with Mr. mehta .

"What problems?" Jordan asked with a serious expression when suddenly, Reeva entered the class along with Anika. Reeva's gaze moved towards Jahaan, and she smiled.

Anika instructed her to look the other way. When Reeva turned her gaze another way, she noticed that tanya  and illahi  were laughing together. On seeing tanya  happy, Reeva  glared

Reeva turned her gaze another way, she noticed that Tanya and Illahi were laughing together. On seeing tanya happy, Reeva glared at her.

" tanya and jahaan  both returned after a week. Isn't that strange?" Anika asked.

dimaag toh diya hai author ne ??

"Shut up, Anika. Do you think that I am stupid? That I don't understand that something is going on between them?" Reeva snapped.

acha pta hai tumhe ?

"But what's happening, Reeva?"anika  asked.

"That's what I want to find out," reeva  replied, looking at tanya.

abhi toh mohtarma ne bola unhe pta hai ? yeh yedi hai kya?

After the lecture ended, Jahaan, Tanya, Jordan and Illahi came out of the classroom when suddenly, reeva  approached them.

"Hi jahaan , where were you? You have been gone for a week! No calls and no messages, huh? Busy lately?" She asked, looking at jahaan .

"It's nothing like that. I was just caught up with something," jahaan  replied, offering a polite smile.

"By the way, tanya , you too didn't come to college for a week. Isn't it strange that you and Jahaan disappeared and reappeared together?" Anika chimed in.

"Your dwelling into it too much. It's nothing like that, right, tanya ?" reeva  asked tanya  with a sugary, fake smile.

sugar coating tumhara bhi kam hai I thought ek hi insaan ka tha? (BB fans know )

"You are right. She is dwelling too much.Anyways, even if we decide to go somewhere together, it is none of your business," tanya  replied and left.

Jahaan, illahi  and jordan  followed her, suppressing their smiles. reeva  was left raging in anger.

tanya was going to attend her second lecture when suddenly someone held her hand and pulled her inside a classroom. She was going to scream with fear when jahaan  put his hand on her mouth.

"Shh...it's me," he informed her and gradually removed his hand from her mouth.

"Are you a goddamn ninja? You scared the shit outta me!" tanya  exclaimed, and jahaan  offered an apologetic smile to her.

"You have changed, jahaan ," tanya  commented, all of a sudden.

"Me?" Asher asked, confused.

yes you Sir? Or is there some Mr. India Hidden !!

"Yes. You were very confined, and now you are very expressive. You never used to apologize, but now, you apologize very often, even if it's not your mistake. Do you see the power of love?" tanya  mentioned with a smile.

"I have changed only exclusively for you. I am the arrogant jahaan  for everyone else,"jahaan  replied with a grin.

"Exclusively mine?" tanya  whispered.

"Exclusively yours," jahaan  countered, looking straight into her eyes.

The next two or three days passed by.

jahaan and tanya  continued with their secret college romance but on the other hand, it felt as if jordan  and illahi's  love story had been placed on a hold. jordan  was now compelled to accept that his relationship with Jessica couldn't be anything more than a friendship.One day as Stanley and Asher approached the cafeteria, jordan  turned to jahaan .

"Did you try to talk to your dad?" He asked jahaan , who had already narrated the entire incident to jordan  that happened since his return from Texas .

"Not yet. We have not even talked to each other since that day. I just see him at the breakfast table only!"jahaan  replied in an aloof manner.

"He didn't say anything related to tanya ... That's strange," jordan  wondered aloud.
"Hmm...I was thinking the same. He is not a man, who will stay silent for a long time," jahaan  commented.

"What do you think would be his next step?" jordan  asked.

"I don't know but I am sure that I will not let  tanya  get hurt again. Let my father do what he can!" jahaan  replied with determination. jordan  smiled and kept a hand on jahaan's shoulder.
"Don't worry, everything will be fine. I think maybe he has left both of you alone, thinking that it's just a college fling which will soon get over!" jordan  expressed.

"Yes, it could be a possibility too. But l've already told him that I'm very much serious about tanya  and it is not a fling," jahaan  replied.

On the other hand, tanya  and illahi  were talking while sitting in the cafeteria. tanya  was observing a difference in Illahi's usual behavior.

"You and jordan  have been behaving quite weirdly since the past few days!" she commented.
"What? It's... it's nothing like that," Illahi replied with a nervous smile.

"Don't serve me this bullshit, illahi . I have been observing you both very carefully. You both are not even talking to each other like you used to. There is always some sort of inhibition between the two of you, as if you are hiding secret!" tanya  expressed, narrowing her eyes at illahi .

being quite a gossipmonger I see ?

"You are thinking too much, tanya ," illahi  replied with a frown. Before tanya  could say anything, jahaan  and jordan  arrived there and took a seat in front of tanya  and illahi . While

tanya and jahaan  were staring at each other with lovesick smiles on their faces, jordan  and illahi  were lost in each other's eyes too.

But before their gazes were caught by tanya , jordan  and illahi  quickly turned away their eyes and started scrolling through their cellphones absent-mindedly.

"What happened to both of them?" tanya  whispered to jahaan  while looking at jordan and illahi.

"jordan assured me that he had sorted out everything and that illahi  was just his crush and not more than that. But I am sure there's definitely something more than that," jahaan  thought to himself. He looked at tanya  and shook his head.

"I don't know," he whispered back.

After the classes, tanya  and illahi  were standing outside the college when suddenly, tanya  got a text from jahaan .

Jahaan: I will be going straight home. See you tomorrow. Bye :)

tanya got upset after reading his text and illahi  noticed the change in tanya's behavior.

"Hey, what happened?" illahi  asked her.

" jahaan said that he would be going straight to his place," tanya replied with a pout.

"So what?" illahi  countered,  feeling confused.
"He was gonna meet me after college!" Tanya  whined.

"I waited the entire day just to spend some time with him and now he's not coming to meet me. Maybe he had some important work to complete," she added with a sigh.

"Why are you guys keeping your relationship a secret?" Illahi  asked, rolling her eyes.
Before Tanya  could say anything, Illahi  spoke up.

"Yeah, yeah I remember the reason you gave me but I don't think it makes much sense . Everyone just gossips for 2-3 days and after that, everything is back to normal," she commented.

"Still,Illahi . I'm not ready to face these gossips yet!" Tanya  expressed.

"Your choice," Illahi  said and shrugged.

Suddenly, they both noticed Jordan  sitting inside his car, outside the college.

"What are you doing here?" Tanya  asked, coming towards him along with Illahi .

"I was thinking about taking you both back to your apartment," Jordan  replied with a nervous smile.

"But why?" Illahi  asked.

"I'm not in the mood of arguing over something which is eventually gonna go my way. So, come on, get inside the car," Jordan  replied with a scowl. They both smiled at him and got inside the car.

Gonna go Your ways ?

After some time, Tanya  realized that they were going somewhere else instead of their apartment.
" Jordan , you had to take a right turn!" she said to Jordan .

Tanya  was waiting for Jordan  to say something but he didn't mutter a word and continued driving. Tanya and Illahi  exchanged some confused glances.

After 10 minutes, Illahi  turned to Jordan .
"Come on, Jordan . The least you can do is inform us where you are taking us," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Yes, Illahi  is right. Enlighten us Jordan ,"
Tanya commented sarcastically.

Quit using that Elena Gilbert's manipulative tone
Gives me nausea !!

"Chill guys, I'm not abducting you!" Jordan  announced calmly.

"But...!" Tanya  started when suddenly, Jordan  stopped the car.

"Finally, we are here!" he muttered which made Tanya  and Illahi  look out of the window. They both noticed that Jahaan  was already there.

Tanya  rushed out of the car and hugged Jahaan , while Jordan  and Illahi  looked at them with a smile on their faces.

Jahaan took Tanya 's face in his hands and started kissing her, who parted her lips for him.
"Jeez!! Get a room you two," Illahi  commented and Jahaan  and Tanya  smiled at each other.

Illahi gives me Caroline Forbes Vibes !!!

"What are you doing here? You messaged me that you were going back to your home!" Tanya  asked with a confused voice.

"How could I leave without meeting my beautiful girlfriend?" Jahaan  countered, keeping his hand on her cheek.

"Same. I felt very weird going to the apartment without meeting you," Tanya  expressed with a sad smile. "But what are you doing here?" She repeated.

"You wanted to keep our relationship a secret, right? So I decided to meet you somewhere away from college!" Jahaan  replied.

Yhi sab apko fasayega Janab-mohtarma!! Rakhlen secret ?

"Where we can spend some time with each other. Alone! he whispered, coming towards tanya   which made a shiver roll down her spine.

She turned around and looked at Jordan .

"So this was a full-fledged plan, huh?" She asked with a smirk.

"Yes!" Illahi replied instead of  Jordan .

"So you were a part of this plan too!!! You were just acting to realize it in front of me!!" Tanya  exclaimed with an angry pout.

" Jahaan , handle your girlfriend," Jordan  announced and chuckled. "We both are leaving," he informed him and drove away along with Illahi .

"Are you mad at me too?" Jahaan  whispered, wrapping an arm around tanya's waist, which made tingles spread down her skin. Her heart tripped, making her chest feel like she had just sprinted a mile or two.

"Umm...we are standing in the middle of nowhere. I think we should...um... you know move from here," Tanya  stuttered under Jahaan's intense gaze.

Jahaan chuckled after seeing Tanya  flush. He held her hand and brought her to his car.
"Where are we going?" Tanya  asked Jahaan .

"A long drive," Jahaan  replied and grinned at her.

On the other hand, Illahi  and Jordan  were alone in the car and there was an awkwardness surrounding them which was quite usual nowadays.

"Everything was fine for the past few days. I don't know what suddenly happened to Jordan  and why he is behaving like that with me. Did I make a mistake? But I can't seem to remember any," Illahi  thought to herself.

"I hope Illahi  doesn't ask me any questions about why am I talking and behaving like that with her. What would I say if she asked me so? The truth is that I don't want to take my expectations to another level, when I already know that I might not be the best choice for you!" Jordan  thought to himself as he drove the car.

Tanya and Jordan  were enjoying their long drive.
"Thank you for this idea of this long drive. I really wanted a detour from college stress and spend some time alone with you!" Tanya  said, turning to Jahaan .

"I know and that's why I planned this away from college!" He replied with a wink. Tanya  felt a bit guilty as just because of her insecurities, Jahaan  had to keep his relationship a secret too. Jahaan  sensed the change in Tanya's expression and frowned.

"What happened, tanya ?" He asked softly and Tanya  started explaining everything to him.

Jordan stopped the car in front of illahi's apartment. Illahi  hopped out of the car and turned to Jordan .

"Thank you!" she said and started to leave but her curiosity won over her attitude. She turned around and narrowed her eyes at Jordan .

"The least you can do is tell me what