Challenge Accepted

"Riya's Point of View,"

"Did Ashish take a seat here?"

Rachit asked, his hand raised in front of my face.

"What?" I inquired as I removed my headphones.

"Does this belong to Ashish?" Rachit asked, showing the empty seat next to me.

"Yes."

"But why?" I inquired, my brows furrowed.

Rachit explained, pointing to Ashish, "because he swapped his seat with mine."

I hurriedly said, "No, you can't sit here."

"Why?"

Rachit was taken aback and inquired.

I retorted, "Because you won't sit with me."

"Are you challenging me?" His brow furrowed as he enquired.

I said as I dialed Ashish's number, "You can think whatever you want, but I will not let you sit here."

As he sat in my side seat, he said, "Challenge accepted.

"What are you talking about, Ashish?" Return to your seat and sit back down,I screamed at Ashish, enraged.

As he sat down, Ashish said, "No, I've got a window-side seat."

I replied, "Fine," as I tried to persuade Ashish to "change my seat with him."

"Are you insane?"

"You know Shweta is seated in the seat next to mine; I will not miss such a pleasant trip with Shweta."Ashish turned my offer down.

"Please Ashish, why don't you understand what I'm talking about?" my tone was agitated.

"Why? Do you have any issues about sitting with Rachit, sir? "Ashish inquired, his tone suspicious.

I tried to reassure Ashish by saying, "Not at all."

I couldn't tell Ashish about my situation, even if I wanted to.

I sat calmly in my seat, my headphones on, after hanging up the phone.

"Can you tell me what happened?" Rachit interrogated me with a sly grin on his face.

I screamed angrily at him, "Shut up! Don't even try to talk to me!"

"Are you attempting to explain it to me or yourself?" With a naughty grin on his face, he inquired.

I replied, turning my face to the window.

"It's pointless to talk to you."

"I'm not sure how my trip with this man will end."

Before turning my gaze to the view outside the window, I whispered to myself.

"Why is it that the more I try to get away from Rachit, the closer I get to him?"

"Oh my god, what do you want?"

In my heart, I remembered God.

In a sky-blue casual shirt and black jeans, he looks stunning!

He folds his sleeves for what reason? Because I can't take my gaze away from his body, I despise his folded sleeves.

"Isn't he shivering?"

He didn't even bother with putting on a sweater.

He may be cold, but he believes he is extremely hot.

Unlike Rachit, I'm not a braggart.

Outside the glass, I could see, but all I could hear were his thoughts.

"Riya, has the bus started?"

On the phone's screen, Harsh's message box appears.

In response to the message, I typed, "Yes."

"Have you reach at home?" I sent another text message.

Harsh replied, "Yes, I miss you."

Before pressing the send button, I typed, "I miss you as well."

Rachit kept his gaze fixed on the screen of my smartphone.

From the corners of my eyes, I noticed.

"How could you possibly do that?

Don't you think it's rude to read someone else's message?"With my gaze fixed on him, I asked abrasively.

Rachit brushed it aside. Yes, it's unethical, but it's not my fault if someone shows their phone screen to others and sends a message.

"I'm not interested in speaking with you at all,"I grumbled angrily as I returned my gaze to the window.

Then there was a sudden touch on my left shoulder, sending shivers through my body.

As soon as Rachit's right shoulder came into contact with mine, I turned around.

Is he going to continue to irritate me like this?

He is deliberately touching me.

"Rachit, what is it about teasing me you enjoy so much? " I whispered.

I shifted forward in my seat to face him.

"His shoulder will no longer contact me," I mumbled to myself.

After a while, however, his shoulder brushed against mine again.

I glared at him and slid my seat backward again, saying nothing, but his shoulder was still brushing my shoulder.

"What are you trying to achieve?" I fixed my gaze on him as I enquired vehemently.

He asked, a mischievous grin on his face, "What exactly did I do?"

"Please don't irritate me, Rachit," I said lovingly.

He tenderly stared at me and said, "OK, I won't tease, but on one condition."

"In what conditions?" I asked, raising my gaze at him.

He said, extending his hand. "You won't be angry with me the entire journey and will treat me like a friend."

I accepted his condition and said, "OK, but don't bother me again."

"Promise, but I'll keep track of it until you don't break it," he said sternly.

"All right, now sit quietly and let me sleep," I said as I slipped headphones over my ears.

I sat in a comfortable position, my head resting on the back of the seat, and closed my eyes. Inside of me, a storm was brewing, far more powerful than the calm on my face.

I couldn't handle multiple emotions at the same time.

That I was sitting so close to him bothered me.

I was terrified that I'd lose control of my emotions and, in a fit of rage, confess my feelings to Rachit.

I was becoming enraged by his antics, but my rage dissipated as soon as I saw this attractive man.

I promised him I'd treat him like a friend, but I'm not sure I'll be able to keep my word.

I'm not sure how I feel about him.

"Riya, please stop talking. You're already thinking about Rachit, even though it's only been two hours since we parted ways with Harsh."

My subconscious gives me a heads-up.

I apologized to my subconscious. "I'm sorry."

"Are you dozing off?" Rachit asked softly as he took my headphones out of my ears.

His voice shattered my earlobe. Electricity again blasted my body.

"Yes," I responded.

"I will not let you sleep tonight," he whispered in my ear.

"Exactly what do you mean?" I inquired, my eyes widening as I examined him.

"I don't prefer sleeping when traveling, and aside from that, I don't get a better chance to get to know you, so you will talk to me like a good friend throughout the journey as you promised,"he said, practically giving me orders.

"Are you giving me orders?" I fixed my gaze on him as I enquired.

"Yes, you must follow my instructions or else."

He was making me feel threatened.

"Who are you to issue orders to me?" What other options do you have?

You don't have the authority to threaten me. All of my rages erupted at the same time.

My rage turned my cheeks dark red once more.

"I won't let you sleep unless you talk to me properly and with love."

In a passionate tone, he murmured into my ear.

My rage faded quickly from my face. A pink glow appeared on my face after hearing him.

It finally prepared me to talk to him.