The problem with Mehul wasn’t that he was unreadable.

The problem was that sometimes, he wasn’t.

Like yesterday. When he’d given me just enough of a loophole to work with.

"You can come if the others are going too."

That was practically an invitation.

So now, here I was, dragging Arjun and Riya with me to the chai stall after work.

Not that they were complaining.

“I can’t believe we’re here because Vihaan can’t take rejection,” Arjun muttered, taking a sip of his tea.

Riya smirked. “Oh, I can.”

I ignored them, my focus on the person standing across from me.

Mehul.

Who, despite technically agreeing to this outing, looked exactly the same as always.

Calm. Detached. Unbothered.

I exhaled, turning to him. “So. Enjoying your tea?”

Mehul took a slow sip before answering. “It’s fine.”

I blinked. “That’s it? Just fine?”

He nodded.

I squinted. “You are the worst person to have a conversation with.”

Riya gasped. “Vihaan! That’s rude.”

Arjun grinned. “No, he’s right, though.”

Mehul, as expected, did not react.

Which, somehow, only made me want to try harder.

A few minutes later, Arjun and Riya were deep in a discussion about some office gossip, leaving Mehul and me standing a little apart.

It wasn’t awkward. Just… quiet.

I glanced at him. “So. Do you ever start conversations, or do people have to fight for your attention?”

Mehul gave me a slow look. “I talk when necessary.”

I scoffed. “That’s depressing.”

Mehul took another sip of his chai. “Not for me.”

I rolled my eyes. “You have zero social energy, huh?”

He shrugged. “I use it when it matters.”

…Okay.

That was the second time tonight he’d said something that lingered longer than it should.

I wasn’t sure if he meant this conversation didn’t matter… or if the fact that he was here meant it did.

Before I could overthink it, Mehul glanced at my cup. “You didn’t finish your chai.”

I blinked. Had he… noticed?

I shrugged. “Got distracted.”

Mehul hummed. Then, in a move so casual I almost missed it, he took my cup—and finished it.

…

Wait.

What.

Did that—?

No reaction. None. Like it was completely normal to just drink from my cup without thinking about it.

Meanwhile, my entire brain shut down.

Mehul glanced at his watch. “I should go.”

And just like that, he turned and walked off, completely unaware that he’d just short-circuited my existence.

I stood there, still staring after him.

Arjun appeared next to me, looking highly entertained. “Dude. You’re staring again.”

Riya grinned. “Give it a week before he completely loses it.”

I groaned, dragging a hand down my face.

…Too late.