Legacy Unveiled: The Hidden Heir

Chapter 21: Separation

I snatched my hand away, annoyed, and headed to class. Pragyan, Arnav, and Shivansh all raised their eyebrows at my new look, and I just smiled and waved, trying to play it cool. But I could tell they were a bit taken aback, maybe even annoyed, by the sudden change in my appearance. But hey, I was still the same person underneath it all.

Classes dragged on, and let's just say my math test was a total disaster. And at lunch, things didn't get any better. The boys seemed annoyed with me, and the girls were giving me these looks like, "What happened to you, girl?"

I tried to play it off, saying, "Hey, guys," but Arnav wasn't having it. "You know, Kiran, if dating someone changes who you are, maybe you shouldn't be dating them," he said bluntly.

Pragyan chimed in, eyeing my outfit. "Yeah, what happened to the 'I'm-no-less-Kiran' who never looked delicate at all?"

I shrugged, feeling a bit defensive. "What's wrong with looking delicate?" I asked, genuinely confused.

Madhu shook her head incredulously. "Well, it's not just about how you look. It's about the vibe you're giving off, Kiran."

And that pretty much set the tone for the rest of the day – my friends shaking their heads in disapproval, and me feeling like I just couldn't win.

The week dragged on, and I found myself sinking deeper into this fantasy world centered around Pragyan. It was weird, and honestly, I wasn't really into it, but I couldn't seem to shake it off either. And then, to make matters worse, exams rolled around, and the fact that I was totally unprepared only added fuel to the fire.

I stared at my math and biology test papers, the glaring C- staring back at me like some kind of taunt. What had gotten into me? But strangely, I found myself not caring all that much. However, my friends seemed to care a lot, and it stung when I overheard them talking at the lockers.

"You know, I don't want to be that friend who bails when things get tough, but I can't help feeling like this isn't the Kiran we know," Arnav's voice cut through the air, his words hitting me like a punch to the gut. "It's like hanging out with some... I don't know, airheaded bimbo."

Surprisingly, Pragyan didn't jump to my defense. "I don't know," he mumbled. "We'll be out of here soon enough. She'll snap out of it."

Shivansh chimed in, his voice tinged with disappointment. "Yeah, hopefully. But I miss the old Kiran, you know? Not this overly princessy version. It just doesn't feel right."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I angrily stuffed my test papers into my locker, feeling a surge of frustration building up inside me. The rest of the day passed by in a blur, and by the time I finished my homework at my desk, I was in a foul mood.

It was already 11:30 at night, and all I wanted to do was drown out the noise with some music and drift off to sleep. So that's exactly what I did, escaping into the comforting embrace of my headphones and the darkness of the night.

The tension between Pragyan and me was thicker than a brick wall, suffocating any chance of easy conversation or laughter. It felt like walking on eggshells, and I knew something was about to go down.

Then, one day, Pragyan showed up at my door, and I could practically taste the awkwardness in the air. He had a chat with Rudra, who looked pretty ticked off, but eventually gave a nod of approval. And then, Pragyan turned to me.

"Kiran," he started, his voice surprisingly blunt. I plastered on a smile, trying to play it cool. "Yeah, Pragyan? What's cooking?"

He wasted no time. "I think we're not vibing, you know? It's time for us to pull the plug. You'll find someone better, and so will I."